A thorough review of .hack//GU TRILOGY's deep worldview and fascinating characters!

A comprehensive review and recommendation of .hack//GU TRILOGY

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

game

■ Release date

January 25, 2008

■Release and sales

・Distributor: Bandai Visual

■Frequencies

93 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

.hack Conglomerate

■ Director

Hiroshi Matsuyama

■ Production

Animation Production: CyberConnect2 Production: Bandai Namco Games, Bandai Visual

■Works

©.hack Conglomerate

■ Story

Love and madness unfold in the online game "The World R:2," which took the market by storm in 2017.
The three threads of Haseo, the "ghost of obsession," Atori, the "girl betrayed by reality," and Ovan, the "one who controls the scales of fate," become entangled, and eventually spin a tragedy that engulfs the entire network.
After a million massacres and despair, will this one wish be granted...?

*Quoted from Bandai Visual official website

■Explanation

This is one man's story of loss and rebirth.

A full-length CG animation based on the popular game ".hack//GU." Love and madness unfold in the online game "The World R:2." Haseo, the "ghost of obsession." Atori, "the girl betrayed by reality." Ovan, "the one who controls the scales of fate." The three threads intertwine, and eventually spin a huge tragedy...

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Cast

・Haseo/Takahiro Sakurai・Atori/Ayako Kawasumi・Ovan/Hiroki Tochi・Yata/Takumi Yamazaki・Pai/Sanae Kobayashi・Kuhn/Shinichiro Miki・Aina/Atsuko Enomoto・Aura/Maaya Sakamoto・Sakaki/Katsuyuki Konishi・Bordeaux/Akiko Hiramatsu・Negimaru/Mitsuo Iwata・Green/Katsuhisa Houki・Iyoten/Daisuke Namikawa・Asta/Yoko Honna・Yukkou/Masumi Asano・Guardian of the Blue Flame/Sayaka Aida・Shino/Kaori Nazuka

■ Main staff

・Original work: .hack Conglomerate
・Director / Hiroshi Matsuyama・Screenplay / Hiroto Niiza・Package design, design supervision / Yoshiyuki Sadamoto・Character design / Seiichiro Hosokawa・Concept design / Nao Takeda・Director / Keiya Irikawa・Animation director / Nao Fushimi・Art director / Satoshi Takagi・Color design / Shiho Kihara・Special effects / Kazuhiro Oda・Director of photography / Maki Futatsuka・Editing / Rie Koga・Music / Takayo Fukuda・Sound direction / Tooru Nakano・Production company / CyberConnect2・Production / Bandai Namco Games, Bandai Visual

■ Main Characters

Haseo: A famous PC nicknamed "The Terror of Death," he boasts overwhelming fighting power. He was originally just chasing after simple, visible "strength," but he grows through his encounters and interactions with Atoli and the others.
Atori is a calm and innocent girl with a clumsy personality. She looks the same as Shino, so Haseo dislikes her, but her honest feelings remove the madness from Haseo's heart.
Ovan: The master of the guild "Twilight Brigade" that Haseo once belonged to. He disappeared after a certain incident, but six months later he tried to contact Haseo. A PC with a mysterious personality, both in his behavior and appearance.

■ Related works

・.hack//SIGN
・.hack//Liminality
・.hack//Integration
・.hack//GIFT
・.hack//Legend of the Twilight Bracelet ・.hack//Roots
・.hack//GU TRILOGY parody mode ・.hack//GU Returner
・.hack//Quantum
・Let's go! Our Chim Chim!!
・Dot Hack Beyond the World

■ Theme songs and music

・TM1
・Deepest Memories
・Lyrics: Nobuyo Fukuda (LieN)
・Composer/Akiyo Fukuda (LieN)
・Singer: Tomoyo Mitani (LieN)

・IN1
・Liar's smile
・Lyrics: Nobuyo Fukuda (LieN)
・Composer/Akiyo Fukuda (LieN)
・Singer: Tomoyo Mitani (LieN)

■ Evaluation and recommendation

.hack//GU TRILOGY is a long-awaited work for fans of the .hack series, and this OVA release condenses the story of the game while still depicting deep themes and character development. Below, we will provide a detailed review and recommendation of this work.

Story and Themes

The story of .hack//GU TRILOGY is a tale of love and madness that unfolds within the online game "The World R:2." The main character, Haseo, is a powerful player character (PC) nicknamed "The Fear of Death," and his growth and rebirth are the central themes of the story. Through his encounters and interactions with Atoli and Ovan, Haseo's transformation from simple "strength" to "true strength" is depicted.

This work also deals with the theme of how events that occur in the virtual world of an online game affect the real world. In particular, Haseo's actions as a "ghost of obsession," Atori's anguish as a "girl betrayed by reality," and Ovan's presence as "the one who controls the scales of fate" add depth and tragedy to the story.

character

Haseo is one of the most iconic characters in the .hack series, and his growth and change leave a strong impression on viewers. Takahiro Sakurai's voice acting also realistically expresses Haseo's inner conflict and growth. Atori's voice acting by Ayako Kawasumi makes her clumsy and lovable, but at the same time, her straightforward feelings play an important role in saving Haseo's heart. Ovan's voice acting by Hiroki Tochi gives him a mysterious presence that greatly influences the progression of the story.

Other characters such as Yatagarasu, Pai, Kuhn, Aina, and Aura enrich the story. In particular, the singing and acting skills of Maaya Sakamoto, who plays Aura, enhance the atmosphere of the entire work.

Visuals and animation

.hack//GU TRILOGY features high-quality CG animation by CyberConnect2. Seiichiro Hosokawa's character designs and Nao Takeda's concept designs faithfully recreate the world of the game while bringing out the beauty that only animation can provide. In particular, the fluidity of the battle scenes and the detailed expressions of the characters greatly enhance the visual appeal.

Additionally, the background art by art director Satoshi Takagi also realistically depicts the world of the online game, drawing the viewer in. The use of colors by color designer Shiho Kihara also effectively creates the atmosphere of the story.

Music and Sound

The music by Takayo Fukuda is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the .hack series. In particular, the theme song "Deepest Memories" and the insert song "Liar's Smile" express the emotions of the story deeply thanks to Tomoyo Mitani's singing ability. The placement of sound effects and background music by Toru in the sound direction also stirs the viewer's emotions as the story progresses.

Recommendation

.hack//GU TRILOGY is highly recommended not only for fans of the .hack series, but also for anyone interested in online games and virtual reality-themed works. In particular, the story of Haseo's growth and rebirth will deeply move viewers. In addition, the beautiful CG animation and music will provide visual and auditory enjoyment.

Furthermore, this work is deeply connected to other works in the .hack series, making it an important work for enjoying the whole series. By watching related works such as .hack//SIGN and .hack//Roots, you can gain a deeper understanding of the worldview of the .hack series.

summary

.hack//GU TRILOGY is a work that encapsulates the appeal of the .hack series, a masterpiece that combines deep themes with beautiful visuals and music. The story of Haseo's growth and rebirth deeply touches the viewer and provides an opportunity to reexamine the boundaries between the world of online games and the real world. Highly recommended not only for fans of the .hack series, but also for anyone interested in virtual reality and online games.