What is .hack//SIGN?

In the year 2005, a deadly computer virus wreaks havoc on systems across the world. Dubbed "Pluto Kiss", the virus is the creation of a 10 year-old and cripples the internet as we know it.

Two years later, The Worldwide Network Council (WNC) announces a new, regulated internet operating on ALTIMIT, one of the few operating systems unaffected by Pluto Kiss. At the same time, The World is released - a multi-player role playing game that can be accessed by donning a virtual reality headset.

By the year 2010, The World has millions of devoted players, one of who is Tsukasa, a young Wavemaster with grand spell-casting abilities. Tsukasa is somewhat of a loner and shows little interest in getting to know the other players. Ready to leave The World, he tries to log off, but discovers that he can't - he can't leave. Besides the ability to feel pain and smell perfume, Tsukasa has no memory of his real life and feels no emotion. Protected by a mysterious Guardian, he struggles to discover the well-kept secret that is holding him in the virtual world.

Just what is going on?

Created by Project .hack, .hack//SIGN has become a popular anime hit for Bandai Entertainment. Comprised of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL), Koishi Mashimo (Irresponsible Captain Tylor) andKazunori Ito (Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor), Project .hack delves into the virtual world that has become such a thriving online community.

Project .hack, the group that brought the .hack series to life, is composed of three main people: character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, scriptwriter Kazunori Ito, and animation director Koishi Mashimo. Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is famous for his work on GAINAX productions including Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995), as well as FLCL (2000) and Nadia: Secret of Blue Water (1990). He is one of the most sought-after character designers, particularly for his character designs for Evangelion. Kazunori Ito, who wrote the scripts for .hack//SIGN (2002), is best known for his collaborative efforts on Ghost in the Shell (1995) and Patlabor (1989), and also for the screenplay of Dirty Pair (1985) and Maison Ikkoku (1986). Koishi Mashimo is renowned for work on Noir (2001) and Irresponsible Captain Tylor (1993).

You can find more .hack goodies at the official website - www.dothack.com.