Hack//Legend of the Twilight

Publisher
Bandai
Director
Koichi MashimoKoichi Mashimo, Kouji Sawai
Production
Bandai, Bee Train, Yomiuri Advertising
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
12 episodes
Year
2003

(dot)hack//Legend of the Twilight V. 2

By David Rasmussen
1st Jan 05

Studio - BANDAI
Age - 13+Up
Episodes - 5 to 8
Original Story by Project (dot)hack
Planned by Shin Unozawa & Kazumi Kawashiro
Series Planner - Satoru Nishizono
Producers - Kazunori Takagi, Koji Morimoto & Ryou Shimamura
Original Character Designer - Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Based on the Manga by Tatsuya Hamazaki & Rei Izumi (published in English by TOKYOPOP)
Produced by Yomiko Advertising & BANDAI Visual

Volume 2 - Enter the Nightmare
Previously...
We met the two main characters.
Shugo, who was dragged into The World by his sister Rena, he who uses the Kite form and inherited the Twilight Bracelet from the PS2 (dot)hack video games. He who seems to be girl obsessed and sometimes a bit of a perv at times. Shugo.

Rena, sister to Shugo, and brand new "Black Rose". Nuff said'.

If there was zero chance of Kite/Black Rose getting together in the games? There's less than zero here since they're brother/sister so that's out of the question.

We found that, with the exception of two characters (so far) the rest of the gang from the PS2 video games don't seem to be around anymore... and forget seeing any characters from (dot)hack//SIGN... unless they surprise us that is... and looks like they may do just that.

However it looks like these two have picked a bad time to become new members of "The World".
Why? Because the same events from the video games may be coming about again, heralded by the return of indestructible "glitch" monsters and Aura (who was reborn at the end of the video games).
However for the most part nothing major has happened -- yet.
But that, it seems, is about to change.

Episode 5 - Mansion of Terror
Yeah. Did you enjoy the happy and cute series of (dot)hack//Legend yet? The happy cheerful entirely not serious world that goes off on it's own tangent and just has fun with it?
Well say goodbye to that because the people who made this anime are about to disappoint you.
So thanks, "Project(dot)hack", thanks a lot!

As for the so called "Mansion of Terror"? No, no, we're not visiting Neverland Ranch nor is this a social call to either Martha Stewart or Donald Trump. This Mansion is in, of course, The World.
Meanwhile we at last meet the "enemy" and boy is it a DISAPPOINTMENT!
Are you telling me the "nemesis" this time out is a bunch of teens? Oh-kay, looks like there's a "puppetmaster" behind the scenes but still it's so disappointing that they are even middle management nemesis! Sheesh!

Meanwhile it looks like today we're taking a trip to the beach... which is mostly an excuse to get the girls into bathing suits. Oh-kay. That's nice.
Too bad this summer is going to be rudely interrupted by... yes... plot.
Sanjuro (one of the few from the games) warns them of the dangers of being on The World too long, and he seems to have good points... after all, just WHERE is Kite, Black Rose, Rachel, and EVERYONE ELSE for that matter!! But this discussion comes from one that came between Sanjuro and Balmaug.
Apparently he's having second thoughts about involving Shugo and Rena in the coming "war" against the Twilight and taking the original "war" into account I can see why.

Still if they knew how their "nemesis" isn't all that dangerous then they wouldn't be so concerned.
But then again they may be dangerous. We'll just have to wait and see.
A message from Aura that is hard to read, and a location that is most likely a trap? Especially with a location name that has the word "murder" in it... not good.

Looks like our would be "World Conquerors" might not be as pathetic as I think they are.
Now if they can only recreate the "Cursed Wave" and bring back Cubia then we're talking major threat.
But the four who would be Nemesis may not be as dangerous as the new "Knights" who roam the land, and delete those who do not "conform" to the World character programming which may include Shugo if he's not care-- hey! HEY HEY HEY NO NO NO NO.... what the hell are you... ARRGGHHH!! DAMMIT!!

That was a lowblow!! Damn... huh? What am I...? You'll have to see what happened for yourself... but then again I will be complaining about it shortly so you'll know what just happened in one minute.
So if you want to keep that hidden you can skip the review then... it‘ll only get worse from here.

Episode 6 - Trap of the Hot Steaming Water
Evil Hot Spring trap that shows the nemesis of this series means business and is on the offensive, or just another excuse to get the girls nearly naked? Let's see...
After the events of the Mansion "trap" we're going to a hot spring which turns out to be... a trap.
Again? Damn. Considering the FIRST trap seems to have claimed Rena in a really really bad way then things can only get worse. SHEESH! GO KILL THE INTERESTING CHARACTER WHY DONTCHA!!

However for one of the new "Fellowship", mainly the treasure addicted Mireille who thinks Rena's "death" is some kind of "special event"? Well damn, isn't she just relentless in her addiction! Of course she figures out later the "event" is no such thing, but just to have thought that is disturbing in it's own right.

Speaking of the search for Rena? After leaving the Mansion area they go searching, but find nothing.
Maybe the use of Hotaru's Grunty as a "Search Grunty" can sniff her up... nope.
Oh-kay...maybe calling 9-1-1 or just screaming for help will find her... nope.
Uh... drawing at straws now...contact Batman via e-mail... (wrong world)... use a ouija board... (damn evil undead things keep answering and pitching plots for Evil Dead 4)... flip a coin... (heads)... recruit a lot of Japanese players of Final Fantasy XI (I heard they're very kind and helpful)...something... anything... anything useful.

To cut this short? At some point there will be bathing and near nudity but no Rena.
The near nudity just doesn't seem as fun anymore since the plot took the sharp twist of the knife.
However it seems that Shugo has a good idea by seeking out Balmaug for help.
But where is Rena? Is she in a coma like during the "Twilight" event in the PS2 games?
Maybe next episode will tell.

Episode 7 - Twilight Moon
Rena going bye-bye? Seems it was a mistake. Oh, hell, it IS a mistake but don't tell the people who made this that it's a mistake, they're sensitive.
Uh? OH it seems that Rena was never the target to begin with, it was all a mistake because they were gunning for Shugo all along! Oh, oh-kay, I get it.

As for the "Nemesis"? Seems they've been going all out since last episode to correct that "Error" and put Shugo on the "fatality" list. But so far they know BlackRose is gone... but what of Rena?
She's in a coma, as I thought. The only way to reverse it is to find her in The World.

So the search becomes more desperate to find her before it's too late, and it'll take everyone Shugo can get ahold of to find her. But it may not be enough... maybe the assistance of a person good with investigating... and the assistance of Aura wouldn't hurt either. But even then it looks like it'll be up to Shugo to save Rena.
That is if those four knobs who are the Nemesis don't "kill" Shugo and the others first.

But even then, all their efforts will prove wasted when a traitor is revealed, and the wrong person will be put in charge of the show.
Yeah. I miss the cheery episodes of last DVD... don't you?

Episode 8 - The Solitary Knight
We'll stop here. Please, make it stop! I want to get off this silly thing!

Now, mind you, this box says a character from the past is about to make a reappearance back into The World... however it does NOT say if the character is alumni of (dot)hack//SIGN or of the (dot)hack video games... but I know what it is and who it is! Hint - It's not a major character, so if you were hoping for a major appearance here then you'll be disappointed.

But what can be done? The World is now under threat by it's own "law" and "order" as their own Knights become a threat greater than the four Nemesis, and one that maybe no one can stop.
Yet maybe there is ONE left who can resist them... but who?
Oh, yes, at last a small piece of info comes about that... oops. I said that's it didn't I. Well, that's it.
You'll find out more next time... IF there is a next time. I stopped here, and BANDAI stopped sending, so if I go further it'll be on my own. We'll see if I pick up Volume 3 in 2005.
Let's wrap this up and do the extras slash breakdown.

Region One Optional Extras
Character Art Gallery - One shot, but it's a decent one. This is, of course, not counting the booklet inside the case which features this time out the lovely ladies of the series (one character pic per character).
This time out it's Balmaug, Hotaru and her Grunty & Ohka... kinda short actually.

Video Game trailer - Yes, that would be a trailer for the four PS2 games (Infection, Mutation, Outbreak and Quarantine). I only played the back two but I liked it. Uh... the trailer is boring otherwise so you might as well just play the games and take my word for it that they're worth checking out.

(dot)hack//Legend of the Twilight Breakdown the 2nd
What's Hot? - It's was abit of the (dot)hack//LITE since it's not as heavy plotted as (dot)hack//SIGN the video games from the PS2. The first four episodes were fun and we had quite abit of laughs.
Then this came out and that ground to a halt.

What's Not? Yeah. What were they thinking? The whole selling point (for me at least) was the hijinxs this series had going for it, which they threw all away for this?!? You've GOT to be kidding me!
I finally get into the hijinxs of DVD 1 and all of a sudden DVD 2 ends with everything in dire straits?!? Whoever thought up that idea for the direction of the series I'd like to say "Thanks", whoever you are, "Thanks a lot!" (Sheesh!)

The whole selling point for this series is how different it was than past (dot)hacks, only for it to suddenly go back to the bad old days of the dreadfully serious story which just (yawn) bores. If I wanted that I'd have wanted to see (dot)hack//SIGN 2, not this!

While I hoped, and prayed, that DVD V. 3 would reverse that trend somehow I figured it didn't happen.
We'll start with getting Rena back alive to kickstart this back in the right direction... but again I doubt that'll happen since the whole thing has to be resolved for the fun to start again and by the time THAT happens the series will be over and no more episodes! Dammit!!

While I'm holding out hope? Looks like the fun we've been having with this one just got thrown right out the window and things are going to be dreadful. If that isn't a "Not" then I don't know what is!

Moments to Remember? It's getting shorter and shorter, but the interaction between Shugo and his "Fellowship" is still memorable. Too bad Rena has to be MIA most of the DVD because it's just not as much fun without her.

What to Ignore? First off a nitpicking note.
In Episode 7 Balmaug refers to the "Fellowship" of the games by the nickname they pick up months later by other denizens of The World, mainly "dot hackers". Mind you, however, they did NOT call themselves that during the game so ignore him when he goes on about them always being known by that name, they weren't.

Second I wish I could ignore the way this series seems to be going, but it looks like it's going to be harder and harder to find the fun in this series. Weh!! You know what? I came here because it was different, only to have the whole thing morph into this? Damn!

Overall? I am becoming abit concerned that the great fun this series was enjoying in DVD V. 1 is about to be banished for a heavy handed (dot)hack//SIGN pacing that is just no good for this promising series that started with so much fun and (sometimes naughty) humor.
In fact it's happening and I don't like it. Not one bit. No way.

To Project(dot)hack I have one thing to say.
To quote Mike Myers in a role of his I'm not too fond of (in the same way I'm not too fond of the direction this series is taking as of right now?)
"Oh, behave!"

-- David Rasmussen 1st Jan 05

Hack//Legend of the Twilight Images