.hack// Roots Volume 2

The search for the Key of the Twilight continues, with Ovan’s Twilight Brigade pitted against TaN. It seems, Ovan tells his followers, that there are Virus Cores to be found in the Lost Grounds and that they should start to hunt for them. But the members of the Brigade are being targeted and even Tabby’s irrepressibly cheerful nature is dampened when she falls victim to a female PK.

To make matters worse, Tarawaya of the TaN is trying to tempt first Sakisaka and then Haseo to join TaN, planting suspicions in their minds as to Ovan’s true motives in setting up the quest.

Strange red slash patterns start appearing; at first they don’t seem to amount to much. But later, Haseo notices the patterns pulsating. He also experiences more disturbances in the field. “Does this game have a lot of bugs?” he asks Phyllo. Later still, the patterns act as a player transporter, suddenly whisking Haseo and his friends back to where they were earlier.

The lives of the players out in the real world are hinted at in this volume when a spectacular meteor shower is announced. The painfully enthusiastic Tabby tries to persuade everyone to watch it; Sakisaka complains that he’s in a bachelor apartment and won’t be able to and Haseo evinces his usual disinterest. But we also learn that Shino is in hospital, which explains some of her protracted absences from The World. “The doctor says my recovery is going smoothly but I have a long road ahead.” Tabby, ignorant of this fact, keeps insisting – to Haseo’s increasing annoyance – that Shino is going out on a date with her boyfriend.

Haseo may be new to The World but he’s the one who perceives that there may be link between the Virus Cores and some strange pillars he discovers in one of the Lost Grounds. Has he made a breakthrough?

The glamorous Player Killer Ender is still stalking the Twilight Brigade. Naobi of the TaN is after Ovan’s character data. Are the Twilight Brigade walking into a trap?

I had hopes that Volume 2 would provide more action than Volume 1 and, above all, more clues as to what the underlying story really is. But I was disappointed. There are moments when the pace quickens a little or a precious nugget of information is grudgingly released but, eight episodes in, frankly there’s just not enough going on to interest anyone but the most dedicated .hack fan. We’re not told enough about the characters to get involved with them. It’s frustrating, too, to read about all the additional material coming out (.hack//G.U.) which develops Haseo’s story much further. Heck, I’d like to know what’s going on in .hack//Roots first! (Yes, I know… they’re searching for the Key of the Twilight.)

On the plus side, the eclectic soundtrack by Ali Project is as inventive and delightful as in the First Volume and if you buy the boxed set, you also get the second OST CD and a phone charm as well. And The World still looks gorgeous.

In Summary
A wonderfully inventive score – but, even though the backgrounds and characters are attractively drawn, the anime is still woefully slow.