The .hack (pronounced "dot hack") franchise is one of few anime franchises that actually spans anime, manga and video gaming to a good effect. The premise itself lends to this since it is based on the antics of a group of players in an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). As such, the majority of the anime and manga (since there are several different arcs) are told from an in-game perspective, which is something that has not really been done before.

This manga series can be read as a standalone story, since the premise is explained well from the beginning. Fans of other .hack products will find the extra depth here enjoyable, but it is not a required part of the plot. The story is fairly simple to begin with; Shugo and Rena, twin brother and sister, enter the MMORPG known as "The World" after Rena wins limited edition in-game costumes for their characters. These costumes are replicas of previous characters known as the .hackers.

After winning these costumers, a few unexplained events occur that should not take place in the game, such as Shugo and Rena facing a tough enemy in what should be a beginner's area. During this event, Shugo dies and meets a girl called Aura, who gives him a bracelet. It is clear that there is some truth the the legend of the .hackers, and Shugo soon finds himself interested in the game in order to become a hero.

The story seems to be set four years after the events of the .hack games. Even though this is the case, playing the games is not a requirement to understand what is going on. The story here is good enough to hold on its own and the references to previous .hack stuff can also be interpreted as adding extra depth to the story, which works well.

The blend of characters involved allows the manga to be placed under a number of genres. Shugo and Rena are the main characters, but within the first volume we are introduced to all the main players. The first is Mireille, a player who only plays to collect rare items. She will do whatever must be done simply to ascertain any rare artifacts that she hears about. Ouka (known as "The Divine Fist") is a friend of Mireille and helps out Shugo and Rena. She is a wolf character that can transform between her human form and a wolf, an ability that only higher levelled players may ascertain.

There is also Balmung, a system administrator who believes in the enjoyment of the players. He is a serious minded individual who has quite a bit of pressure placed upon him from the higher ups behind the video game, and is keeping track of Shugo and Rena's adventure closely due to their similarity with the legend of the .hackers. Shugo and Rena meet other characters who pop up during the course of the series, and all of them are memorable due to their varying personalities.

So what exactly is the legend of the .hackers? Here's a brief outline: Long ago there were a group of players who completed the final mystery in The World, and by doing so saved the real world. How, who, when, why, where, what??? Yes, first time people will find this bizarre, however this is part of the depth in .hack, and this manga series really serves as more of a taster of what the other products have to offer.

The art in this manga is cartoon-like yet serious. It provides the perfect style for the in-game premise. People who have played online games such as World of Warcraft will really appreciate the styles of the character's clothing. There are several bits of humour during the course of the manga, and Rei Izumi changes the art style to chibi-form to capture these moments. This certainly adds the required humour throughout the manga.

The manga series is a total of three volumes. It is quite clear that this first volume is here to set up the story for the rest of the series. It introduces all the characters and gives us a good idea of what The World is like. It also gives us enough of the adventure Shugo and Rena are about to embark on to get us to read the other volumes.

On the whole, .hack//Legend of the Twilight is a solid title that should be enjoyable for both first timers to the .hack title, and returning fans. The plot keeps you interested and thanks to the video game premise, it may attract more people. The constant bits of humour, nice art style and defining character personalities make this a manga not to be missed.

5/5

Originally published on www.mangaview.net