Anime Rebirth

Review - .hack//Liminality

Review by Roriconfan

Prologue
I don’t like repeating myself, so it would be wise to first read my SIGN review before starting with this one.

Animation: 7
The setting is the real world, not the game. So, the graphics are not so dreamy but surely are well made. A lot of effort was given to make things look as realistic and normal as possible.

Sound: 6
Sound themes and voice acting were too uninteresting, compared with the deified ones of SIGN. Also well made but you will forget them pretty soon. Unlike in SIGN, all the attention was given on the graphics and the story. All the rest were left rather unattended.

Story & Characters: 6
The story takes place after the events of SIGN and parallel with the events of the PS2 games. In fact, each of the 4 episodes was sold along with each part of the games, to make that even clearer. Everything happens in the real world, a few months after the viruses begin to throw people into comas and cause problems with the networks. It is about everyday people, meeting and trying to uncover the truth that the company, which is making the game, is hiding. You get to learn a lot of information considering the story around the game, most of which I have already mentioned in my SIGN review, that includes the entire story throughout the several series.

There are many in-game jokes and references about movies and Japanese traditions that are supposed to make the story feel like a mystery/thriller. But they are too bluntly provided, making the story more confusing rather than interesting.

The characters are normal; they have no special powers or weird pasts. They are a bit interesting as they behave like real people in the real world. But they also don’t mature or change much, which ruins their appeal.

And as always, the story ends without conclusion, as a way to spur you to watch all the rest of the .hack series. Not that there is one, no matter how much you watch!

Value: 2
LIMINALITY was made to explain the various details of the .hack PS2 RPG quatralogy backdrop story. It is otherwise as boring as SIGN and even lacks all the good elements that made it interesting (characters, graphics, sound). So, besides the info you get from it, IT IS UNBEARABLE! Its replay value is really low.

Enjoyment: 4
One third of the time is wasted on every day situations. They are very well made situations and they could make a fine slice-of-life anime; but they are completely irrelevant with the theme of the story.

Another third is wasted on the characters meeting and getting to trust each other. Of course, it would be stupid to see total strangers becoming buddies so fast; but with the small duration of the series, more episodes were needed to leave more time in order to bind with them and comprehend the theme of the story.

As for the last third, they talk. They talk all the time! There are some stealth/pursuit scenes in it but I can’t say I found them to be interesting.

Verdict
The accused is found … GUILTY! … for relying too much on his brother’s fame.