#Sora dot hack//sign

[gentlehands]

Artist  @prankstar_ih

[asterlizard]

I just rewatched Dot Hack Sign and I couldn't help but laugh at some of Sora's antics

[wantonglances]

So I watched dot hack sign on your recommendation, but I don't get the ending. Who are those characters that show up and join the party? Why is Sora magically free? I'm confused ;_;

ASKDL;KL I'm so glad someone actually watched it on my rec. the last episode (maybe the last two? idr if it's just the one or both) technically take place after the events of the games this anime is a sequel to. since you said you don't get the ending, let's say that it's just the last episode that has these new characters. episodes 1-25 are the first part of the story, then the .hack// quadrilogy, referred to for ease of discussion as IMOQ, then episode 26 of .hack//SIGN. teeeeechnically there's another subseries in there called .hack//LIMINALITY but the narrative has it told in four parts, interspersed in-between the game installments. and that series can only be found 1) on the individual discs that came with the PS2 games, 2) on pirating websites. which is to say, it's not uninteresting, just not mandatory watching imo. SIGN is mandatory for understanding IMOQ, and kiiinda also vice versa. the last game, Quarantine, introduces previously anime-exclusive characters like Tsukasa, Subaru, and Sora, but they're not important to the story, just easter eggs for the SIGN watcher.

ANYWAYS, the events of Quarantine have Kite (blue haired guy in orange clothes at the end of SIGN) and friends saving Sora from Skeith, the entity that absorbed him in SIGN. Mother, the entity communing with Tsukasa, is defeated and The World is saved, so everyone has a party to celebrate. the white haired winged guy, and the red haired Blademaster who were with Kite at the end of SIGN, are actually Balmung of the Azure Sky, and Orca of the Azure Sea, the Descendants of Fianna that Bear and Subaru both mention in early episodes as being defenders of The World. Kite becomes the third Descendant, Kite of the Azure Flame, not just because of his role in defeating Mother (known in IMOQ as Morganna) but also for triumphing against an in-game boss known as The One Sin, a threat similar in scale to Mother/Morganna (but with less irl fuckery)

hope this helps to clear some of it up!!

[frosteee]

Look at his baby smile! <3

[hellyeahdothack]

The .hack official Twitter has posted nine pages from the .hack//G.U. Begins comic titled “Encounter”, featuring Sora, Tsukasa and the Crimson Knights from .hack//SIGN.

Remaining eight pages are under the read more. 

[eightyuh]

allow me to express my opinion in a language you’ll understand:

[pupusukka]

Member address please uwu

[quetonteria]

Sora was one of my favs despite his fugly outfit!!

[doedipus]

What if Sora got added to smash but it was actually that chuuni kid from dot hack sign

[keyofjetwolf]

Pitch Me your thing!

HELLO HELLO MY SUNBEAMS. For most every category, there was an impressive turn-out for pitches, so I thought we’d utilize the weirdness of this year’s GIFTENING to give something new a try. The popular vote winner for each category will happen on the first day, but on the second, the winner will be chosen from YOUR PITCHES. Mostly those pitches will be to me. The exception is in Miscellaneous, where you’ll be pitching to my family, because what I want to do and what is most entertaining isn’t necessarily the same thing.

So! How will we do this thing? GLAD YOU ASKED. I’ll link you to a form in a minute with space for one pitch. Once you fill it out, you’ll be asked if you want to do another. There’s no limit to the number of pitches you can send in! But remember that if you submit multiple entries for the same category, you’ll basically be competing against yourself.

NOW WE’VE GOT SOME RULES FOR DOING THIS (which I mostly stole from Holligay, because I have no creativity this year). Please read them carefully! I’ll toss pitches that break any of these, and I’d rather your hard work not go to waste.

Pitch Me is open for your submissions from RIGHT NOW (22 December) through the very last day of this hellyear (31 December) at 11:59pm MT.

The thing you pitch must have come from what was nominated for THE GIFTENING 2020. (Full list of those nominations in every category below the cut on this post.)

Entries must be unsigned! I’m looking to chose based on the pitch alone, regardless of who submitted it.

The pitch itself must be 100 words or less. HAVE PITY ON ME I CAN ONLY CONSUME SO MUCH.

If you’d like to get some help, ideas, feedback, all that good stuff, the Discord is a FANTASTIC resource I encourage you to use.

HERE IS YOUR PITCH SUBMISSION LINK

And, as promised, below the cut you’ll find the list of all the nominees in every category you guys sent in this year. IT’S A LONG LIST HAVE FUN WITH THAT

Anime

A Place Further Than The Universe/Sora Yori mo Toi Basho Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban) Action Heroine Cheer Fruits Aggretsuko Aho Girl Air Master Akuma No Riddle Alien Nine Angel Beats! Angelic Layer Appare-Ranman Aria Aria the Animation Arrietty/ The Secret World of Arrietty (Ghibli film) Ascendance of a Bookworm Azumamga Daioh Baccano! Beastars Black Cat Blood + (the series) Bloom Into You Blue Drop/Tenshitachino Gikyoku Bodacious Space Pirates (starting right where you left off) BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense Boku no hero academia Bubblegum Crisis Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card Cardcaptor Sakura Castlevania the Animated Series Cells at Work Chaos; Head Chihayafuru Code Geass cowboy Bebop Cyborg 009 Death Note Death Parade Deca-Dence Demon Girl Next Door Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) Diebuster: Aim For the Top 2 Dog Days dorohedoro Dot Hack//SIGN Dr. Stone Elfen Lied Erased (Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi) Escaflowne Excel Saga Fantastic Children Fate/Zero Flip Flappers Fresh Precure Fruits Basket 2019 Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Ga rei Zero GaoGaiGar gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex Ghost Stories (dubbed) Girls' Last Tour Great Pretender Hoseki no Kuni/ Land of the Lustrous House of Five Leaves/ Saraiya Goyou Inari konkon koi iroha Interviews with Monster Girls Inuyasha Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" Jellyfish Princess/ Kuragehime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable Kaguya-sama Love Is War Kaleido Star Kannazuki no Miko Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Kemono Friends Kiki's Delivery Service Kimi ni Todoke: From Me To You Kino's Journey/Kino no Tabi (2003) Land of the Lustrous (Houseki no Kuni) Little Witch Academia Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files EP0 {"A Grave Keeper") Love is Hard for an Otaku Love Live! Sunshine!! lupin the 3rd part 4 Madoka: The Rebellion Movie Magic knight rayearth Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha March Comes in Like a Lion Mardock Scramble Master of Martial Hearts Mawaru Penguindrum Megalobox Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Mob Psycho 100 Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) Monster Mushishi My Bride is a Mermaid (Seto No Hanayome) My Love Story!!! My Neighbor Totoro My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom My Roommate is a Cat NANA Naruto Natsume’s Book of Friends Neon Genesis Evangelion (hateblog) New Cutey Honey Nichijou Ōban Star-Racers One Piece Ouran High school Host club Outlaw Star Paranoia Agent Perfect Blue Please Save My Earth Pop Team Epic Pretty Cure Fresh Princess Jellyfish/ Kuragehime Princess Mononoke Princess Principal Princess Tutu Project A-Ko promised neverland (/yakusoku no neverland) Psycho-Pass Ranma 1/2 Re: Cutie Honey Re:Creators Read or Die (OAV) Red Garden relife Revolutionalry Girl Utena Rose of Versailles Ruroni Kenshin Sailor Moon Sailor Moon (viz dub) Samurai Champloo (english dub) Sarazanmai School Days School-Live! Scum's Wish Senki Zesshou Symphogear (listed as just "Symphogear" on Crunchyroll.) Serei no Moribito (Guardian of the Spirit) Shin Sekai Yori (From The New World) Shirobako Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Smile Pretty Cure (Japanese original)/ Glitter Force (english adaptation) Snow White with the Red Hair Sound Euphonium Strawberry Panic (yuri) Sweetness and Lightning The Devil is a Part-timer The Devil Lady The disasterous life of saiki k (saiki kusuo no Sai Nan) The End of Evangelion (movie) the Promised Neverland The Twelve Kingdoms Tiger & Bunny Tokimeki Tonight ToraDora Tsubasa Chronicle Umineko When They Cry Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid Vinland Saga Violet Evergarden Whispered Words (Sasameki Koto) With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun Yona of the Dawn Yu Yu Hakusho Yugioh Duel Monster Yuki Yuna is a Hero Yuri Kuma Arashi Yuri On Ice!!! Zoids: Chaotic Century Zombie Land Saga

Non-Anime Animated

Adventure Time Amphibia Animainiacs (Original) Animaniacs (Reboot) Archie's Weird Mysteries As Told By Ginger Barbie Life in The Dreamhouse Batman the Animated Series Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot Big Mouth Bob's Burgers Bojack Horseman Bravest Warriors Captain N: the Game Master Carmen Sandiego (1994) Carmen Sandiego (2019) Castlevania (Netflix) Cats Don't Dance Coco Courage the Cowardly Dog Craig of the Creek Cyber Six Daria Darkwing Duck Dragon Booster Dragons: Riders of Berk DuckTales (2017) Exo-Squad Fern Gully Fillmore! Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends Futurama Gargoyles Glitch Techs Godzilla: The Animated Series Green Lantern the Animated Series Hedgehog in the Fog (Ёжик в тумане) Hey Arnold Hilda Infinity Train Iron Giant JEM Kim Possible Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts Legend of Zelda animated series (1989) Legion of Super-Heroes Liberty Kids Magical Girl Friendship Squad Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart The Legend of Korra Moominvalley Motorcity My Little Pony (Classic, NOT FiM) My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks Onyx Equinox Over the Garden Wall Over the Moon (2020 film) Owl House Primal Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure Redwall Rise of the TMNT Roco's Modern Life Rugrats RWBY Samurai Jack Seis Manos She-Ra (1985) She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Sonic Boom Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse Star vs. the Forces of Evil Strange Magic Super Mario Brothers Super Show Superman: The Animated Series Teen Titans The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo The Animals of Farthing Wood The Dragon Prince The Hollow The Legend of Tarzan (TV series) The Magic School Bus (1994) The Mysterious Cities of Gold The Pirate Fairy (Disney Fairies) The Powerpuff Girls (1998) The Real Ghostbusters Thundercats (1985) Thundercats (2011) Transformers: Prime Tuca and Bertie Twelve Forever Undone Venture Bros Wakko's Wish Wakfu Wander Over Yonder We Bare Bears (TV) Winx Club Wreck-It Ralph (2012) X-Men Evolution X-Men: The Animated Series Xiaolin Showdown

Live Action

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 28 Days Later 3rd Rock from the Sun A Series of Unfortunate Events American Horror Story: Asylum Babysitter's Club (2020) Batman (the old Adam West version) Better Call Saul Black Mirror Blackbeard's Ghost (Peter Ustinov) Boston Legal Boy Meets World Boys Over Flowers Bromance (Taiwanese tv series) Brooklyn 99 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Cadfael Cagney and Lacey Charmed (2018) Chopped Cleopatra 2525 Cloak and Dagger Clue (1985) Community Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Dead Like Me Dead To Me Deadwood Death Note (Netflix) Derry Girls Dimension 20 - The Unsleeping City Doctor Who (New) Doom Patrol Dracula's Daughter (1936) Escape to the Chateau Farscape Fingersmith Galavant Godzilla (2014) Gokushufudo (2020 Japanese TV drama) Golden Girls Good Omens H20: Just Add Water (somewhere in seasons 1-2) Happy New Year Harley Quinn movie Hateblog a REALLY STRAIGHT soap opera. Haunting of Bly Manor His Dark Materials (HBO series) Holes Hot Fuzz House Inception Inside No. 9 Iron Chef America Joan of Arcadia Julie and the Phantoms Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Kamen Rider Build Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Kamen Rider Fourze Killing Eve Knives Out Letterkenny Leverage Little Women (2019) Lucifer Matlock Majisuka Gakuen MASH Merlin Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol Money Talks (1997 film) Motherland: Fort Salem Murder She Wrote Mythbusters Nailed It! Never Have I Ever Once Upon a Time Orphan Black Pen 15 PGSM Pi (1998) Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018) Pride and Prejudice: A New Musical Puppy Bowl Pushing Daisies Rome (hateblog) Russian Doll Sabrina Sense8 Sera Myu: Un Nouveau Voyage Shameless Sierra Burgess Smallville So Weird Star Trek: TOS (or their films) Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Star Trek: Voyager Stargate Atlantis Suckerpunch Supernatural (out of context speedrun the last three episodes) Sweetheart Switched at Birth Tall Girl Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles The Addams Family (1964) The Big Flower Fight The Booth at the End The Bride With White Hair The Crown The Fresh Prince of Bel Air The Good Place The Kissing Booth The L Word The Librarians The Magicians The Muppet Show The Pregnancy Pact The Room The Steve Harvey Show The Stranded The Untamed The Witcher The Wolfman (1941) Torchwood Twilight Zone (original) Twin Peaks Ultraman Nexus Umbrella Academy Van Helsing Warehouse 13 Warrior Nun What We Do In The Shadows (tv show) Will & Grace Wynonna Earp X-Men 2: X-Men United Xena: Warrior Princess

Miscellaneous

Alpha Flight #41-62 Anime music dance party, the logistics of which are to be determined! Ask Hot Pocket and/or Mina-pup AskSharknado: Giftening Edition Attempt to make French macaroons Commentary on old Goggles Critical Role Crowdsourced: A Black Mirror-style day where Jetty has to ask what her choices are of the audience for everything! I give you a menu, you decide what she has for dinner? What does she wear? Does she walk on the track or do the eliptical? Does she go to a movie with Doc or play a video game with Mike? Can be done alongside other stuff. Doodle Day Dramatic readings of fan fiction! Drunk History (or whatever your favorite subject would be) with Jet Wolf! Drunk Sailor Moon Exorcising Closet Ghost Fic Prompts Day Figuarts Day! (Not specifically freeing anyone, just various fun poses and such) Guess the plot of a show based on its opening Her Shim-Cheong (manhwa) House of X/Powers of X Hubby's Choice IDW Jem comics liveblog Intros Only (watch show openings, give commentary, guess what show is about, etc.) Jackbox Games Jet Wolf paints along with Bob Ross Jet and Doc go to Heaven/Hell, respectively: Jet gets to write reams of words about the awesomeness of Rei Hino and Doc has to read all of them and say ONLY NICE THINGS. Jet does Tiktok dances Jet Liveblogs Holligay: A Nature Documentary Jet Ranks Sailor Moon Image Songs Jet Reads Goosebumps Jet Reads Legion of Super-Heroes Jet redesigns the Wolf and Gay offices! Jet shows off her knitting Jet Wolf attempts to recreate scenes from Sailor Moon with Mina and Hot Pocket and/or whatever is in the house Jet Wolf reacts to Sailor Moon tiktoks (in blog form) Jet Wolf reads Love and Rockets. Jet Wolf reads the Jem comics by IDW Jet Wolf reviews her old top 100 Sailor Moon moments list Jet Wolf talks about Archie Comics Jet Wolf talks about each cel she owns and why they are so awesome. Jet Wolf writes Poetry Jet Wolf's Top 5's Jet, Hubby and/or family play board games Jetty Rants and Raves Jet Wolf tries to crack the Gravity Falls Codes Kiwi Blitz on Hiveworks Let's Play on Webtoon Liveblog: Favorite X-Men comic book arcs Livestream Pathfinder one-shot LOONA (Collection of music videos with an ongoing story/universe about GIRLS who are FRIENDS and SAVE THE UNIVERSE) Lore Olympus on Webtoon Mike regales us with "the story of your love" while you get increasingly embarrassed Mina and Hot Pocket day - liveblog like a nature documentary Mister Tsukino Does His Taxes and the Household Budget (Sailor Moon fan comic by Shadowjack) Nancy Drew: Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake Not So Shoujo Love Story on Webtoon Pitch Mishaps for Untitled Senshi Game (it is a lovely day in Juuban, and you are a Horrible Minako.) Pitching hubby's favorite media at (readers/holligay/jill/momigay) Playing with dolls (because how could 3 women not have any dolls between them) Re-Take By Studio Kimigabuchi (All Ages Version) Real or Fake Anime (people submit descriptions of anime you guess if it is an anime that actually exists or not) Reviewing succulents Scavenger hunt! Not entirely sure how it would work, maybe folks could send in asks for you to show things like your favorite Rei Hino object, or the thing that's been with you the longest, etc. sewing/knitting/baking tutorial Share or rant about a Roman history topic Sleepless Domain on Hiveworks Talking to Docholligay 2: Doc Harder (basically you talking to Doc's future womb evictee while still in there and telling them stuff like say the greatness of Rei Hino) The Monster Duchess and Contract Princess (manhwa) The Polar Bear Plunge--I take Jetty to our finest Lake Elmo in January, and she jumps in! Note: THIS IS NOT DANGEROUS, WORRYWARTS. I'll bring a life preserver, I've done it before, and I would do it with her if I weren't pregnant. The Senshi Helpline--The Senshi, taking your advice questions, here and now! The World of Moral Reversal Virtual knitting/crafting circle! Let us craft and chat with you! What-If #24 Gwen Stacy Lived Worm the web serial Write an explanation for a drawing we send you! Yuri Hell's Kitchen

[kahnaiiart]

“Camper 2″ -- Sora tries out a new victim, but ends up just as bored as usual. I went with flatly colored/detailed scenery to match the simple lineart and the simply executed coloring. I also made the mistake with “Camper” of making BT’s body colored. In SIGN the body of anyone who is defeated loses saturation before they disappear. 

Full size on DeviantArt. dA request.

[otakween]

.Hack//G.U. Light Novels Vol. 1-4 - Final Thoughts 

WELL. That was...that was something. These books were a TRIP man. I’m kind of speechless. 

Thoughts:

-I liked the novel-version of the story better than the games. There, I said it. It was waaaay more about the lore and philosophical stuff and waaaay more in continuity with IMOQ/SIGN than the games. It cut out the fat of having too many characters, too much focus on the arena and it actually EXPLAINED THINGS. -mind blown- 

-I was wondering why this was a 4 volume adaptation of a 3 volume game but then I got to book 2 and it was basically a book long recap of IMOQ/SIGN and I was like...oh. But it was so worth it! I understand so much more now. 

-I don’t care if the novels aren’t canon, they are in my heart.Just the fact that Ryo acknowledges Sora in the novels already makes them superior. I was screaming of joy when they FINALLY mentioned him:

-Ovan’s even more of an annoying asshole in the novels but it’s better because they call him out on it! They call him a weirdo like a hundred times and the fact that he talks in riddles is a plot point instead of something we’re supposed to find cool.

-SO much attention given to the player characters in this. Their real names are used constantly. This is what was missing from the games and the anime, this is what I wanted. Yesssssss.

-I liked Endrance a lot better because he didn’t randomly fall in love with Haseo for no reason and he was a lot more cynical and sassy. He felt more realistic and less of a weird predator gay stereotype.

-Ovan saying the word “vagina” several times was hilariously surreal

-DEEP explanation of how Aura works, how epitaphs work, how Morganna worked, how Anthroposophy inspired The World etc. I liked how they incorporated the “6 senses” into how the epitaphs work and the Buddhist concepts. I was pretentious af but interesting nonetheless 

-The changes made to Aina’s character were heartbreaking and added an interesting angle to Ovan’ character. It made him feel more pathetic and crazy

-I really enjoyed the moment when Haseo told Ovan “we’re not the type” when talking about how they aren’t heroes like Kite. It’s interesting to think that IMOQ was the archetypal hero legend and GU is more of an anti-hero story

-More queer baiting with Ovan calling Haseo “beautiful” and Haseo thinking about his love for Ovan. Although Haseo doesn’t really end up with anyone in this so...?

-Shino waking up in the end was such an after thought like...okay. 

Things I didn’t like:

-WTF was up with the scene where Ovan tortures Pi to death randomly? First of all, it’s really gross and creepy that he singles out PI. Second, uhhhh we’re supposed to sympathize with him after that? Yeah it’s a game but...they make it very clear she can feel it IRL. That whole scene was gratuitous.

-They kept calling Ovan stuff like “beautiful beast” -barf- stop feeding his ego

-The implications that Pi had the hots for her half brother were definitely unnecessary

-They must have used the phrase “connected to their PCs beyond their monitors and controllers” about 50 thousand times. Like...we get it...they’re special.

-Haseo’s winged form was pretty cheesy and over-the-top anime. I did like his Skeith staff tho.

-Some lines just threw me off completely and didn’t make sense. For example, in the last chapter Pi was like “Ovan let you name his daughter,” to Haseo. I’m guessing this was a typo or something because whaaaat?

-Confusing expressions. Like...wtf is an archetype and what’s a “borderline MMORPG”? Half the time I felt like they were just using random words to sound cool...

-No Alkaid :’( 

I feel like I have so much more to say and now I’m mad that I didn’t make a post volume-by-volume. I think Dot Hack works best in novel form. I can honestly say that I enjoyed AI Buster, CELL, Another Birth, and GU more than their respective games and anime. In game form especially, the complicated concepts of the story kind of get lost in the gameplay. These concepts need to be fleshed out with long exposition dumps and deep conversation. All in all, it’s probably just best to read the books alongside the games and anime to get the full experience as the creators intended. 

I give the .Hack//GU novels an 8 out of 10. Very enjoyable reads. 

[relenaforpresident]

Fanfic: “Falling Stars” (Episode Zero era)

St. Gabriel Institute, Japan, A.C. 191

“This is Black Alpha. I’ve sighted the Darlian estate. I believe that if the operation fails, it’ll make a better refuge than St. Gabriel…”

The boy spoke quietly into his tiny communicator device, which resembled a flash drive, as he folded his binoculars. From his place on the balcony, the sprawling Darlian estate was a series of dots along the tree-lined landscape. Beyond the horizon, the sparkling blue Pacific beckoned.

He smiled to himself as he signed off on his report and pocketed his device in the pocket of his Oxford shirt. He didn’t care for the school uniform, but at least it helped him blend in better than the dirty and disheveled clothes he’d arrived in. Given the nation’s stance on refugees, he knew he would be accepted into the private boarding school, even if his rumpled appearance earned him disgusted looks from his fellow students.

That was, save for one.

The boy turned then, positive that he felt someone staring over his shoulder. But when he glanced back, no one was there. He frowned and turned back toward the view.

The Darlian girl… He thought morosely. She’ll wind up a casualty if I’m not careful.

But her life wasn’t something he’d been told to take into account. Quite the contrary; he had been trained to eliminate all obstacles.

The attack on the Alliance military base near the school and estate had been planned down to the last detail. He had no choice but to complete the mission he’d accepted. That night, under cover of darkness, he would execute it, then await further orders. Whether that involved continuing to hide out in his school dormitory, or…

His mind ran over the possibilities. If he’d played his cards right, he probably could have gotten himself adopted. Mrs. Darlian seemed like a nice lady, and her daughter had been the only classmate of his who had dared to look him in the eye. Although she’d looked just as shocked to see him in his ripped, dingy clothes when they’d bumped into each other in the hallway the other day; she hadn’t even tried disguising her surprise. He noticed that she had opened her mouth to say something to him, though. That was more than anyone else had bothered, other than the principal and a few of the nuns who seemed to take pity on him. Pity; that’s what it was. That look in her eyes…

The Darlians may have pitied him, and taken him in, he thought. But that didn’t mean he’d have been able to save them. If anything, it probably would have sealed their fate.

But, what if… Some small, thoroughly human part of him piped up in protest. A family…

“No,” he chided himself under his breath. “I’m not involved.”

He realized he was scowling and coaxed his facial muscles into a smile. He shouldn’t get caught looking pissed off all the time; as if he didn’t already look conspicuous enough.

The sound of children’s voices rose up from the grounds beneath the balcony. He leaned forward and watched as a group of middle school girls emerged from the front doors underneath the awning.

She walked ahead of the rest of them, alone, her blonde hair falling softly around her shoulders, a few strands gathered together with a ribbon at the back of her head.

“Relena, wait up!” one of the other girls called out, racing up to her. She turned and offered a smile. She didn’t seem to notice him watching from above.

Relena…

He could already picture the blood. Trickling down the side of her head. Those bright blue eyes wide open in shock before she’d crumple to the ground.

Abruptly, he turned his head, willing away the dark thoughts. Why?! She’s just a girl…

The mission, came the answer. Eliminate all obstacles.

He narrowed his eyes. He could feel a tension headache coming on. He pressed his pointer fingers to either of his temples, and squeezed.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Relena…”

Later that night

The boy pushed the button on his handheld device, and waited as it triggered a series of explosions. He watched each fireball as it erupted, one by one, as flames tore through the base. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck before reporting his status.

“Mission: accomplished.”

“Nice work, Alpha,” an older man’s voice answered in his hidden earpiece. “Will you proceed with the next phase of the plan?”

Like he had a choice? His heart thumped. Interesting.

“No,” he said decisively, glancing around his hiding place under a nearby dock. Sailboats and yachts bobbed around him, as if nothing were amiss just a short distance away, their shadows dancing across the surface of the blood red and orange waters.

“And why not?” the older man asked sharply. The boy thought for a minute.

“The Vice Foreign Minister was called away. He isn’t even home,” the boy explained. “It would be pointless to assassinate the wife and daughter. It would draw too much unnecessary attention to ourselves.”

Silence elapsed for a few seconds, and he fully expected to be told to do it, anyway. What did the lives of the two females matter? There was a chance, given the way the girl had looked at him, that she already knew… something. He had his suspicions. And anyway, he was still certain someone had been watching him earlier that day. He couldn’t risk it.

Wouldn’t risk it.

Shouldn’t.

“I see,” his superior said at last. “Then what will you do instead? Go back to the dorms, as if nothing’s happened?”

The boy shrugged to himself, out of habit. “I guess. For now.”

To his surprise, the older man chuckled. “You are just a boy, after all.”

“Huh?” The approximate 11-year-old immediately took umbrage with that. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Hadn’t he just blown an enemy base to kingdom come, all by himself?

What more could these people want from him?

“The girl,” his superior said more harshly. “She’s about your age, isn’t she?”

The boy’s heartbeat quickened, and his face burned with shame. “That’s not--”

“Pretty little thing, too.”

His palms began to sweat. “I--”

“If you were older, I’d accuse you of thinking with your other head. I don’t think you’re quite there yet. But you’re still soft, eh?” The older man snickered.

The boy tightened his eyes into the fiercest glare he could muster, even though no one could see him. “It’s not… that,” he said tersely. “If she, or anyone else, gets in my way, then I won’t hesitate.” He imagined it then. Raising his gun, pointing it straight at her head, unblinkingly. He’d shoot her right between those ocean-colored eyes. He could -- he would -- do it.

His breath hitched, and his heart began to race even faster. What’s wrong with me?

“It’s just,” he gasped, pressing a hand to his pulsing chest. He was far too young to experience a heart attack, so what was this? “She… she’s nice,” he finished, feeling another wash of deep, burning shame.

The boy paused, waiting for the inevitable reprimand. Which would no doubt include a beating, later.

“And that,” his superior hissed, “is exactly why you need to stay away.”

The warning evaporated into the night as the call disconnected, and the boy stayed beneath the docks for what might have been hours, watching the flames dance against the dark, starless sky.

The next morning

“There was a terrorist attack at the military base yesterday! I hear that boy was one of them…”

“How awful!”

“The teachers say he might have infiltrated the school to guide the others…”

He smirked at that. Over the years, he’d come to learn that most conspiracies and rumors contained a grain of truth. He slipped around the corner of the building and headed toward the main gate. He made no effort to hide himself; let them think what they want. Besides, what kind of “terrorist” would be foolish enough to show himself in broad daylight?

He couldn’t help but chuckle a bit under his breath as he made his way across the school grounds.

Maybe one of these days, these rich brats will figure out who the real terrorists are…

Not that it mattered much to him. His work here was done.

He’d decided to quit school, already. It was probably the shortest stint he’d ever done in one location. He’d spent the night in his dorm room debating whether to stick it out a while longer. Maybe he could work up the nerve to assassinate the Vice Foreign Minister. But something told him Darlian might not have been aware of the full extent of the Alliance’s corruption. He was just a kid, sure, but he thought, perhaps, not all politicians were self-obsessed blowhards trying to push a sadistic elitist agenda. Perhaps some could actually be agents of change.

That’s what he told himself that night, when sleep was out of reach. There may have been other reasons to keep the man, and his family, alive. For now.

He wasn’t going to stick around to dwell on it any longer, though. Let it be someone else’s problem.

Early that morning, before classes began, he hacked into the school’s computer system from the PC they’d issued him, and proceeded to wipe all records of Odin Lowe, Jr. from the database.

“Goodbye, Junior…” He’d smirked to himself as he completed the task. Truth was, he’d already tired of the nickname. “Alpha” wasn’t much better. Maybe one of these days, he’d get himself a real codename. One that didn’t suck.

As he walked out of St. Gabriel, he mused over possibilities. John… Mark… Clark… He blanched. Too white. He knew he was half-Caucasian, probably, but an Anglican name just… didn’t suit him. His mind clicked over some of the names of boys in his class. Shin… Sora… Shiro…

“Wait!”

He frowned at the sound of the young girl’s voice coming from some distance behind him. He had a feeling he knew who it belonged to, but he wouldn’t risk turning around.

Couldn’t.

Shouldn’t.

“Hey! Wait!”

He didn’t want to break into a run, and draw even more attention to himself. Besides, he was close enough to the front gate now; he could slip out and disappear down the street before she’d catch up to him. He could hear her running across the common, the sounds of her hurried footsteps, her skirt rustling in the wind. But she was a small girl and the quad was pretty big...

“Wait!”

He fought the urge to turn around, just to see what she wanted. Why she wanted to speak to him. But talking to her, or anyone, wouldn’t do any good. He remembered what he’d been told. He was lucky he hadn’t been issued a harsher warning.

All the more reason to stay away…

“I’m not involved,” he reminded himself, resolutely, and strode through the gate. “Goodbye, Relena…”

End.

Also on Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12706162/1/Falling-Stars

[frosteee]

Poor Kid (Thoughts on the end of .hack//SIGN)

I’ve always felt a bit weird about the ending to .hack//SIGN (counting UNISON as the ending). This is because of the the fact that none of the players get involved (beyond cameos) in the following events (//INFECTION etc.), and how it affected my favourite character from that series.

Yeah, it was a happy ending for everyone - except Sora. You know, the child who was put in a coma for A YEAR (according to the series timeline - from 2009-2010). 

[LONG, 17-YEAR LATE RANT AHEAD]

[JESUS, 17 YEARS?]

The Problems

Tsukasa and co. had to have heard about it. The infamous PKer who was always around suddenly isn’t not around anymore. The infamous PKer who bought them time to escape Morganna, who told Tsukasa he was going to be ‘right behind’ them, never appeared.

The last place anyone saw him was in the domain of a crazed, homicidal God A.I bent on murdering them all. 

Nobody put two and two together?! Nobody looked at one another and asked, “Hey, where’s Sora?” 

Did nobody give a shit? They moved the world for Tsukasa, another child they barely knew and who gave them more than enough trouble, but not Sora? They managed to find out the state of Tsukasa’s player, but not Sora?

Sora might have annoyed and inconvenienced people, but he was a stupid kid. A ten-year-old kid in an online game where you can do anything you want. He didn’t deserve a fate worse than death. Not even Silver Knight, who despised him, would hold such a grudge to say that Sora’s player deserved to lay comatose for a year, his consciousness sealed into a monster’s weapon, and a fragment of himself condemned to wander The World as a A.I. 

But who saves Sora? A total stranger, who reacts to his thanks with confusion (basically ”Uh, you’re welcome? Who are you??”). Kid didn't even know Sora existed or what happened.

I love the show and the series to pieces, but it would’ve been nice for the games to have the SIGN players return and help Kite in the name of helping Sora, someone they know who is still affected by the shit that went down back then.

Really, with all that considered, Sora should really be angry with Tsukasa and the rest. As far as he’s concerned, they left him to suffer alone for a full year before some rando kid saved him by accident. Nobody bothered to make sure he survived the face-off with Morganna - the crazed, homicidal God A.I. Not even Tsukasa, who had promised to be his friend.

Never mind dancing with them - the first words out of Sora’s mouth at the Unison party should have been: “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS?”

In all seriousness, there’s a definitive lack of development and investment in Sora’s character that makes his inclusion in Unison seem... wrong. He should be angry with Tsukasa and the others for forgetting him. He should be sad because the one friend Sora thought he had made never reciprocated the help he had given - nobody he knew did. 

No, they weren’t bosom buddies, by any means, but the entire SIGN series showed us that these people - Bear, Mimiru, etc. - were not people who would sit idle while knowing someone was suffering and in danger, especially someone they knew.

The problem lies with the games, I think, and how the characters and events of SIGN were treated as cameo fare rather than something to weave into the main plot.

THE FIX

The first game, INFECTION, could have easily done away with this problem. The Wandering Sora A.I and the SIGN cast’s hunt for Skeith could have been incorporated easily into Kite’s mission, without taking over Kite’s story. They could have been cameos/NPCs in the following games after Skeith was defeated and Sora returned. Useful allies in the fight against evil, all that.

ENDGAME

This would have made UNISON so much more powerful, because we, the audience who have seen SIGN and played the games, know that these people are friends and have fought together, and that Sora is alive and well here because of their efforts.

Sora would know that too. Always found it weird how some people return from comas with their memories intact and pop right back into the game for more (looking at you, G.U!), and others, like Silver Knight and Sora, get their memories completely wiped. Convenience, probably, Haseo had to be a blank slate, so no SIGN baggage for him.

Anyway, Sora, with his memories intact (because ow the feelings) would be a (slightly) older boy who has went through so much suffering and seen people come to his aid, even though he pissed them off 99% of the time. That shit would stick. No more PKing - he has friends now! Yeah, he’s still a kid, but he’s not nearly as reckless or immature.

I’m just dreaming now, lol, but even when I first watched UNISON, having watched SIGN and played the games (well... two of them, gah), it felt weird to see Sora just... doing his regular thing, like nothing happened, and then suddenly all pally with everyone at the end because Tsukasa happened to notice him crying (as touching as that scene was, not going to lie I wanted to hug him).

It all felt a bit... hollow? Strange? 

This is the end of everyone’s story here - and the end of Sora’s story too (unless G.U was in the works by this point). Its purpose was to show how far everyone has come, how the turmoil and support has brought them all together. 

UNISON should have demonstrated Sora’s change from a reckless, lonely, stupid kid to a kid with friends, who values those friends, and doesn’t need to shift his own suffering onto others to make himself feel good for five seconds. 

He’s gone through so much shit, we as viewers/players know that - yet UNISON wraps it up without there being much to wrap up because the games didn’t bother.

Instead, Sora is the same as before. Sora owes Mistral and everyone at that party his life - or he should - yet he continues his regular PK schtick and challenges Silver Knight to a fight. Everyone around him reacts as if that is the case. What was the point of all the hell he went through? 

Really everything except that scene with Tsukasa should be different. Perhaps, despite everything, despite growing as a person, Sora still fears rejection, fears - like a little boy would - that the people who saved him only did so out of obligation and don’t really like him. So he hides. Tsukasa notices that Sora is missing from the gathering, so he goes to find him. Tsukasa finds Sora hiding and upset, assures him his fears are unfounded, and brings him out to dance.

Poor kid, he deserves it!

(LOOK AT HIS SMILING FACE DAMNIT. WOULDN’T YOU PROTECT THAT SMILE? PROTECT THAT SMILE AT ALL COSTS.)

[hellyeahdothack]

On December 30th CC2 posted two more chapters of the .hack//G.U. Begins comic, seemingly wrapping up the .hack//SIGN portion of the story. Visit Bandai Namco Entertainment’s website to read the chapters in English: [x]

[animecite-blog]

No Game No Life Anime Review

No Game No Life Anime Review

“Life is a shit game” – Sora and Shiro. How long have anime about video games been around? One could say that we started off with the Dot Hack franchise who some people argue was the one who started the whole “trapped in a video game trend” but really that only started having a major influence in the anime world when Sword Art Online made its debut in 2012. From then on the trend showed no signs…