Fans of isekai anime like That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime may be missing out on one of the best entries the genre has ever seen, a series that predated the isekai boom by years: .Hack//Sign. While quite a bit different than most isekai, .Hack//Sign still fits into the definition of the genre, and it has a far more compelling plot than either.

.Hack//Sign (read "Dot Hack Sign") is an anime series from 2002 that focuses on Tsukasa, a young player of a Virtual Reality MMORPG known as "The World," who has somehow become trapped inside the game, unable to log out and return to the real world. The basic premise no doubt sounds very similar to that of Sword Art Online, but while Sword Art Online reveals the circumstances of how the players become trapped quite quickly, .Hack//Sign is ultimately a mystery series, trying to answer the question of how Tsukasa's situation is even possible, and it leads down a dangerous rabbit hole involving the true purpose of "The World."

.Hack//Sign's Focus on Mystery Sets it Apart from Other Isekai

The Series is Concerned with How and Why, Unlike Most Isekai

In your standard isekai series, the protagonist is swept off to another world (often one that's heavily inspired by video game logic for no clear reason) in the first episode, and very little concern is paid to just how such a thing happened. In a series like That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, it's simply taken for granted that this sort of thing happens, or at least it has been in the anime to date. The characters rarely look back on or think about the life they used to live, which I've always found wildly unrealistic. Rimuru really didn't have ANYONE in his old life that he cared about or missed? No mother or father or siblings?

.Hack//Sign deals with this by having Tsukasa experience amnesia, unable to much of his life before being brought into "The World," and the flashes that we do see seem to indicate that Tsukasa had a pretty bad life to start with. Initially, Tsukasa is pleased to be in this new world where he wields incredible power, and is resistant to other characters' attempts to investigate his past or his situation in general. However, Tsukasa is being used and abused here just as much as he was being abused in the real world, and he slowly comes to realize that.

Tsukasa may have power, but in the end, he's still a pawn in a much grander scheme.

Because .Hack//Sign is set in a real MMORPG, and the other players can log off and return to the real world, it automatically forces the issue of the previous world to the forefront. Tsukasa has no choice but to explore the mystery of how he got to be here, and it soon becomes apparent that where there's a question of how, there's also a question of why. Tsukasa isn't some legendary figure here to save the day and win all the iration; in fact, he's a lonely kid with few friends, and those around him find his new powers terrifying. Tsukasa may have power, but in the end, he's still a pawn in a much grander scheme.

.Hack// Was a Revolutionary Multimedia Experience

.Hack// Had a Greater Narrative Told Through Games, Manga, and Anime

One can't talk about .Hack// without acknowledging how revolutionary it was at the time, as the anime was merely a centerpiece for a larger multimedia franchise. Unlike most series, .Hack// had video games, light novels, and manga that were in continuity with the anime, and they all came together to tell a greater story. While the games and light novels/manga are extremely hard to find today, .Hack//Sign can absolutely be enjoyed completely on its own, although it's greatly enhanced by being part of a larger narrative about this strange MMORPG. Small pieces of information learned in these other series can add more nuance and context to .Hack//Sign's story.

.hack//SIGN is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

The .Hack// franchise continued on to a second generation, known as G.U., and has had various other revival attempts over the years, but none have really matched the impact and quality which the original anime had. .Hack//Sign ultimately stands as the longest-lasting achievement that the franchise created, and it deserves to be ed much more than it has been. It effectively paved the way for the isekai boom, although you'd never know it given how different it is from your average isekai series.

.Hack// Proves Isekai Can Be Deeper Than Most Are

Modern Isekai Are Too Focused on Wish Fulfillment

Its focus on mystery and exploring this world that the series takes place in automatically sets .Hack//Sign apart from the average isekai, but it also proves that isekai can be so much more than they are. In many ways, this subgenre of anime and manga has devolved into nothing but wish fulfillment, with bland protagonists who serve as audience stand-ins and are capable of anything and everything, adored by everyone and utterly undefeatable. While Rimuru has a little more personality than that, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is a perfect example, as Rimuru's powers are nearly limitless, and even godly beings are now palling around with him.

This boils down to something that has always annoyed me about modern isekai series. Isekai don't have to be about simple wish fulfillment, putting those who feel weak and isolated in the role of a powerful and beloved figure. They can tell stories in just about any genre imaginable, be that tragedy or mystery or romance. Their lead characters can be more than blank slates for viewers to project themselves upon, and their struggles can be compelling to watch for their own merits.

.Hack//Sign is an example of how the isekai subgenre can truly soar, if it's allowed to. But if there's ever to be a change in the way that isekai series like Sword Art Online and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime operate, it will only happen if fans demand more complex storytelling, and stop buying into the cheap wish fulfillment that so many series solely offer.

Key Background

• .hack//SIGN delves into themes of identity, reality versus virtuality, and the psychological effects of immersive online experiences.
• The anime is known for its slow-paced and introspective narrative, which is somewhat unusual for anime centered around gaming.
• The character designs and development are integral to the storytelling, adding depth to the virtual world they inhabit.