How many days has it been since I wrote my thoughts on the previous episodes of .hack sign, 3 or 4 days? I’ve lost count already. I have been busy with my school clearance and graduation practices which kept me away from watching any anime. Therefore, I only have ample time to keep it together and write something worthwhile.

BREAKDOWN

• Crim: After 4 episodes, he finally got a decent introduction. He encountered Tsukasa in an underground-ish tunnel and tried to start a conversation. Note that Crim is clueless about the recent events in the game because he was away in Indonesia for a business meeting in the real world. Also, Lady Subaru said that Crim is not one of those who reads the announcements and board posted by the system admin. He appears to be outgoing, cheerful, and active unlike most of the characters in the anime.
  

  Crim

Thoughts: I’m really pleased that the timing of Crim’s appearance in the episode is worthy of his absence in the previous 4 episodes. He played a major role in destroying Tsukasa’s superiority complex in just one episode. He is the intervention everyone needed inside the game. Meanwhile, I also love his character design in a way that fits his happy-go-lucky personality. He also has a sense of honor which I really liked. His seiyuu is also spot on which adds up on Crim’s cool persona.

• Mimiru’s Thoughts: She kept on mumbling about how the recent events inside the game are progressively turning into something serious. She thought of how strange it was that they were only playing inside the game yet the real world was slowly getting involved.

Thoughts: It is only my hunch that the issues circulating inside the game are only pieces of the real conflict in the outside world. Perhaps it is something bigger than what they can only think of. 

• The NEKO is Tsukasa’s Mother: Surprise surprise! The tweaked user is actually Tsukasa’s mother. Right from the start, it was she who was asking for Tsukasa to walk hand in hand with her. She gave Tsukasa his Guardian and also his power to transfer from one server to another without passing through the gate.

Thoughts: It was a revelation. I was startled on how Tsukasa lightly addressed the Cat when it appeared in front of him. Out of nowhere, he called the Cat his mother which made me drop my mouth open. Another hunch, perhaps Tsukasa’s mother used the Cat to represent her due to Tsukasa’s memory of his father taking a stray kitten away from him.

• BT: Let me just appreciate the way she got introduced in this episode after the previous ones. She was the blonde woman who was often seen with Bear and Mimiru.

Thoughts: Finally, I know her name and also her personality. She was willing to lie in front of Mimiru and Bear in order to get the information that she wants. She’s working smart by playing along with Sora whom I knew as the troll of the series. She’s more interesting than I thought she was.

• The Setup: The Crimson Knights together with Sora and B.T. devised a setup in order to capture Tsukasa. The plan was to inform Tsukasa of another user that has the same troubles with him. B.T. informed Mimiru of this matter and thus, she believed everything about her story. Hence, she immediately sent a message for Tsukasa asking him to go meet up with this user. However, he got attacked by the Crimson Knights who were waiting for him to appear and make a move. The battle between Tsukasa and the Crimson Knights was cut short due to Lady Subaru’s appearance. She was not informed in the plan to capture Tsukasa and thus, she tried to stop it. However, Crim appeared and helped the Crimson Knights to seize Tsukasa.
  

  

Thoughts: Apparently, I already knew how the events will progress by the end of the episode. The setup seems weak because having another user similar to Tsukasa is not an effective approach to lure him at all (real talk!). After all,  Tsukasa has his mother telling him everything and teaching him how to move inside the game. Therefore, she has the ability to tell Tsukasa that it was not real and there was no one except him who yields the power of the Guardian. She has the capacity to tell Tsukasa head on that it was a frame-up right from the start.

That’s it for now. I will continue on with the next episode, perhaps going to be able to write again tomorrow.

Bye-Bye!