.hack //SIGN

Overall: A classic and incredibly unique series. If nothing else, it's worth the watch for it's incredibly creative soundtrack (I don't usually comment on that sort of thing). Also for the complete absence of fan service, tired tropes, and cheap jokes. It's the original "stuck in a VRMMO" anime. I first watched it in 2002, when it came out, and think it holds up quite nicely 21 years later! One thing to note is that it's not an action show, nor is it a flashy animation show. The OST and soundtrack is incredibly unique (both for anime in general, and relative to Yuki Kajiura's other writing). The animation quality can vary, but it overall has a really nice aesthetic. Like any show, it has some flaws, but for me they're part of its charm.

Story: The show is about a character stuck in a virtual world, coping with trauma and abuse, and how their being stuck there affects (and in some cases threatens) the people and wider virtual world around them - and how they respond to that. It is very much a show focused on character relationships, and psychological and emotional growth and resilience. It simultaneously can feel very slow and very fast. It's a very serious (and at times heavy and dark) show, but has lots of very uplifting moments too.

One thing that's unique about the storytelling is that it gives you very minimal bits of backstory/glimpses into the characters lives and events outside of the game - short scenes without audio that you have to piece together. This allows you to figure out the mystery along with the characters. As someone who often gets sick of extended backstory, I really loved this.

Portrayal (gamers): It really portrays gamers and MMO culture pretty realistically, imo. You have everyone from casual players to hardcore gamers, people who strictly separate work + games, people who take their guilds and roleplay way too seriously and try to police the world, people who are just there to PK, people who are looking for (or accidentally finding) romance, people who are friends (or family) IRL, etc. The characters and guild dynamics definitely reminded of people I've known, or games I've played or heard stories about. The characters all challenge and support each other, even as rivals.

Portrayal (abuse): I unfortunately can relate to the main character's struggle and growth very directly, as I had an emotionally abusive parent. The show portrays all of that really well. I found a lot of solace in it back then, and appreciate it just as much as an adult. Most of the abuse is portrayed indirectly (via flashbacks), and in a way that I was able to watch without being triggered.

Language: I usually give fantasy shows a 4 for language, however the show is probably about 80% dialogue/conversation, and fancy game mechanics are almost entirely left out. So I think it's really great in that regard. The voice acting is excellent as well! There are a few scenes with no audio, and only glitchy text (no more than one sentence at a time), and I definitely had to pause to figure those out.