.hack//Quantum 1 review: The start of a new adventure and its charm

Detailed review and recommendation of .hack//Quantum 1

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

game

■ Release date

January 2011

■Release and sales

Bandai Visual

■Frequencies

51 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

.hack Conglomerate

■ Director

Masaki Tachibana

■ Production

Animation Production: Kinema Citrus

■ Story

The event "Zawan Shin" that is said to be impossible to conquer
There was a party of three people who decided to take on the challenge.
The dual-wielding swordsman Sakuya, the swordsman Tobias, and the swordsman Mary.
The girls get lost in the labyrinth and while being chased by monsters, they encounter the adventurer's guild "Yata no Kagami". However, they accidentally set off a trap that ensnares a guild member, causing a great tragedy. The next day, they become wanted men and are pursued even within the town.
As Sakuya flees, a cat-type player calling himself Hermit appears in front of her and asks, "Did you pick up anything strange over there?" What exactly is Hermit looking for?

■Explanation

What is [.hack]?
The World is an online RPG that has over 10 million players worldwide, allowing multiple players to play at the same time. As of 2022, the version offered is called "R:X (Revision X)" and is operated by CC Corporation.

There has been a two-year gap since "R:2" was suspended in 2018,
"The World" had once again become a part of everyday life for many users.

This game, which offers a scale and freedom of operability that can literally be called a "world," not only has quests and rules prepared as a system, but also creates order and a wide variety of ways to enjoy it through the initiative of the players, making it a lively new forum for communication.

The three-person party consisting of Sakuya, Tobias, and Mary is no exception, and is enjoying this world freely and to the fullest.
Sometimes you go on an adventure aiming to clear a quest, other times you travel wherever your heart desires, without a set destination in mind, and other times you spend your time chatting.
There is undoubtedly another world beyond the game screen that is not virtual to the player.

An encounter on a certain quest will dramatically change Sakuya and her friends' adventure.

■Cast

・Sakuya/Hanazawa Kana ・Tobias/Sawashiro Miyuki ・Mary/Fujimura Ayumi ・Hermit/Ogura Yui ・Shamrock/Kobayashi Sanae ・Smith/Iwasaki Masami

■ Main staff

・Original work: .hack Conglomerate
・Director / Masaki Tachibana・Screenplay / Tatsuya Hamasaki・Character design / Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Seiichiro Hosokawa, Megane Kikuya・Character design, chief animation director / Atsushi Hasebe・Creature design / Kenji Ando・Mechanical design / Takeshi Takakura・Set design / Yoshinori Hishinuma・Art director / Yusuke Takeda・Color design / Rie Kato・Editing / Hiroshi Okuda・Director of photography / Toshiya Kimura・3D director / Eiji Inomoto・Sound director / Kazuya Tanaka・Music / Sachi Otani・Music production / Flying Dog・Supervision / Hiroshi Matsuyama (CyberConnect2), Hiroto Niizato (CyberConnect2), Daisuke Uchiyama (Bandai Namco Games), Rio Nakata (Bandai Namco Games)
・Animation Production: Kinema Citrus

■ Main Characters

■ Player character: Sakuya - Dual Swords User Whenever she gets interested in something, she acts without thinking about the consequences, which always gets those around her into trouble. She has a habit of picking up anything she sees lying around, which can sometimes cause trouble.
・Tobias - Swordsman This handsome young man is so familiar with "The World" that he is called "Tobias the Informant." True to his name, he is meticulous and well prepared for quests. He coolly pushes forward with his adventures.
Mary - Slasher Because she is so caring, she is always at the mercy of the rushed Sakuya and the calculating Tobias. This time too, she is forced to clean up after them...
Shamrock - Mage The guild master of the adventurer's guild "Yata no Kagami". He takes on the quest to defeat "Zawan Shin", which is said to be impossible to conquer, with his fellow members.
・Hermit~??? A mysterious cat-like character that Sakuya and the others become acquainted with. Its appearance is out of spec, and it is unclear whether it is a PC or an NPC. It seems to be searching for something...
Smith - Heavy Spearman A silent warrior who serves as Shamrock's second-in-command. He often carries Shamrock on his shoulders.
・Iyoten
~ Swordsman A player from "R:2" when PK (player killer) became popular, he is quite skilled. After being interrupted by Sakuya and her friends during a quest, he persuades the members of "Yata no Kagami" to put a bounty on them using the guild name and pursue them.
・Aster - PK, who teams up with swordsman Iyoten. This time, he will participate in the "Defeat Zawan Shin" quest with Iyoten as a freelancer. Since he is a man in real life, he is playing a male role. He has known Iyoten in real life since high school. Both of them have appeared in the ".hack//Roots" and ".hack//GU" series.
■ Player Asumi (Aida Asumi)
Sakuya's player. A high school girl living in Aomori Prefecture. She is cheerful, optimistic, and enjoys playing "The Wold" as her real self, acting without thinking about the consequences. Unlike Eri and Iori, she is not good at studying.
・Iori (Iori Ikuta)
A Tobias player. A classmate of Asumi and Eri in the same high school. A beautiful woman whose in-game sense of beauty doesn't reflect her real-life appearance at all. Her family home is one of the most well-established hot spring inns in Aomori.
・Collar (Eto Collar)
Mary's player. She started playing "The World" after being invited by her childhood friend Asumi. She is a very earnest and caring person, and picks up Asumi every morning even though she is almost always late.
Reiko Saeki: She previously worked for CC to investigate the death of her brother, Jun Banshoya, but since 2018 she has been affiliated with NAB, a UN subsidiary organization that specializes in monitoring digital networks.

■Subtitle

・Episode 1／Walking Party

■ Related works

・.hack//Quantum 2
・.hack//Quantum 3

■ Theme songs and music

・Theme song: "Shizuku"
Lyrics: Takumi Ozawa Composition: Takumi Ozawa Arrangement: Takumi Ozawa Singer: Yuka Nanri

■ Evaluation

.hack//Quantum 1 is an OVA released in 2011 as the latest installment in the .hack series, and is set in the world of the online RPG "The World." The story depicts the various problems and adventures players face as the boundaries between the game world and the real world become blurred. Below, we take a closer look at the story, characters, visuals, music, and overall review.

story

The story of .hack//Quantum 1 begins with the adventures of a trio of players, Sakuya, Tobias, and Mary, who take on the supposedly impossible event "The One Shin." They get lost in the labyrinth and encounter the adventurer's guild "Yata no Kagami," but accidentally set off a trap, drawing the guild members into a catastrophe. As a result, they become wanted men and are pursued throughout the town. As they flee, Sakuya meets Hermit, a mysterious cat-like player, who asks her about something he's been looking for. This encounter marks a major turning point in the story, and their adventure takes a new turn.

The story skillfully depicts the boundary between the game and reality, a feature of the .hack series, and how the player's actions affect the game world and vice versa. In particular, the scene in which Sakuya and her friends' actions cause a conflict with the Yatagarasu guild symbolizes the complexity of human relationships within the game. The appearance of Hermit also adds a mysterious element to the story, drawing the viewer's interest.

character

Although each of the three characters, Sakuya, Tobias, and Mary, has a different personality, they complement each other in their relationships. Sakuya is curious and proactive, and plays the role of a troublemaker. Tobias is well-informed and has a level head, and plays the role of the party's brains. Mary is caring, and is in charge of cleaning up any troubles the two get into. The relationships between these characters make them familiar to the viewer, while also adding depth to the progression of the story.

In addition, the supporting characters such as Hermit, Shamrock, and Smith are also fascinating, and their presence adds depth to the story. Hermit's mysterious character in particular draws the viewer's interest and heightens anticipation for the next development.

visual

The visuals of .hack//Quantum 1 are drawn with high-quality animation by Kinema Citrus. The character designs are by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Seiichiro Hosokawa, and Megane Kikuya, and faithfully recreate the worldview of the .hack series. In particular, the landscape and monster designs in the game are both realistic and fantastical, making them visually very appealing. The 3D animation by 3D director Eiji Inomoto also realistically recreates the game's world, drawing the viewer in.

music

The music was composed by Otani Sachi and is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the .hack series. In particular, the theme song "Shizuku" expresses the theme of the story deeply with the beautiful singing voice of Nanri Yuuka and the emotional lyrics, composition and arrangement of Ozawa Takumi. The background music also plays a role in emphasizing the worldview of the game, and has the effect of enhancing the emotions of the viewer.

Overall rating

.hack//Quantum 1 is a must-see for fans of the .hack series, and offers a fascinating story for new audiences as well. The story skillfully depicts the boundary between game and reality, and the relationships and personalities of the characters add depth to the story. The visuals and music are also of high quality, making it a visually and aurally satisfying work. The only drawback is that it is not a one-off episode, but there is a sequel, so you may be curious about how the story will end. However, this is also an element that keeps the viewer interested, and overall it is a work that deserves very high praise.

■Recommendation

.hack//Quantum 1 is highly recommended not only for fans of the .hack series, but also for those who like online RPGs and games. It is especially perfect for those who like works that depict the boundary between games and reality and those that focus on the relationships between characters. It is also a work that will satisfy those who value the quality of the visuals and music. You can enjoy the story more deeply by watching the sequels .hack//Quantum 2 and 3.