Part 59: .hack Quarantine - //Update 19 - Unison (ANIME WARNING)

//Update 19

Well guys, this is the last update for this thread. We've already covered everything the game series had to offer, so today we're doing something special.

.hack//Sign ran for 28 episodes. The first 25 were concerned with Tsukasa's story and how she couldn't log out of the game. The 26th episode was a random adventure called Intermezzo, which explained Mimiru's backstory. The 27th episode was a clip show called "Evidence" which was a refresher on the first half of the series.

However, the 28th episode was called Unison. It took place six months after the rest of the series, and it featured a pretty diverse cast - namely, everyone from Sign and all the important players from the games. It provides a pretty nice wrap-up for the series, and so that's what we're going to cover today.

There's little plot, there's no melodrama, just awesome music, beautiful scenery, and godawful dancing. The whole thing reminds me of the epilogue to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, set when they were all adults. If you're interested in watching it for yourself someone on youtube has the episode on their channel.

So if this doesn't sound like something that interests you, then thank you for reading the rest of the LP. I hoped you liked what you read. For those of you sticking around, queue up Obsession and let's go for one last ride to anime town.







The backgrounds in Sign were amazing. Oftentimes scene transitions include a nice slow pan over a beautifully detailed background while soothing music plays.















Angolmore really did have one of the more awesome-looking designs in the series. All the bonus bosses did! Dawn Wanderer started out kinda meh, but you can't tell me Temptress Lover wasn't metal as hell.







: I have to hurry, they're just about to start!





Mistral really fits right in with the Sign aesthetic. It doesn't stop her outfit from looking like a set of blue pajamas, though.



: Your member address, if you please.

: Who... who are you?

: How about you just call me your friend, hmm?



: And then I just stood up and said "Students everywhere have their rights too!"



: However, a student who advocates their rights should still have to fulfill their obligations.

: BT, you're looking really well.

: Thanks, you too.



: Mimiru, you appear to be the same as always.

: What's that supposed to mean?

: Wasn't Bear coming with you?

: He said he might be coming here a little bit later. He's been very busy with work lately.

: Oh man, there was so much I wanted to ask him about.

: So what do you hear from him?

: Seems like the school is tying up all his free time. Looks like we won't be able to visit him this month.

: That sucks.



Tsukasa has a Macha keychain on her phone. That's adorable.

: Hey both of you, don't look so down you guys.



: But it's just that... he promised.

: I know.





: Well, you-know-who will definitely be coming, I'm sure of it! Bear said that Tsukasa would be logging in from his dorm room for this.



: Hey, you let go of me! Get off!

: Calm down and just do as I ask, okay?

: Sora, so it is you!



: Ahh, the legendary tarnished knight decides to show up. Don't you know the meaning of learning your lesson?



: The hated player killer of Carmina Gadelica... I suspected the rumors were true. Sora, I knew it was you all along.

: Wasn't it obvious? You couldn't stop me!

: I never had the evidence I needed to prove what I knew about you.

: Still playing by the rules and singing that same old tired song, even without your precious Crimson Knights around?

: I've come to realize one thing. Justice is not found in following rules or living by numbers, but rather in the hearts of each individual, and ourselves.

: How cool! I'll make you a captain. And naturally, as a defender of justice, you're going to have to fight me.

: If... if that is what must be done, then I will do it!

: There's an ally of justice here, too!





: It's been a while, Sora. Are you being annoying, as usual?

: Aww, you again?



: If it's all right with you, I'll join in.

Everyone readies their weapons to fight Sora. Given that Mistral is a higher level than even Crim at this point, Sora is well and truly fucked.

: I'll withdraw... for now.



: *Sora noises*

: Coward!

: Leave him, my friend.

: But he...

: Tolerance for the good and the bad is the way of "The World." Even a fish cannot swim in waters that are too calm, understand? But enough of that, I think we have more important things to attend to.



: Oh, I forgot! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!

: Is it time already?

: Well then!

: Let's go!



: Cheers!



: Yo!

: Oh, so you must be Blackrose, right?

: That's me! It's been a while.



: Uh, can I help you?

: Ugh, you're still playing that character? Enough already, you can stop copying me now!

: Are you accusing me of copying? I'm the original here and you know it!

: Oh puh-leeze. Everybody knows that I was here first!

: Yeah, whatever. Say it all you want to. But just you wait and see, when people talk years from now I'll be the one they tell all the stories about and the one that they call "The World's" legendary player.

: Legendary player? Oh so now you're trying to rip off Balmung too, huh?

: Like I just said, I'm not copying!



: Hey guys why don't you just cut...





: Tsukasa.

: Hey, it's been a while. How have you been?

: Great! You look good.

: I haven't seen you since Shimokita. I can't believe I haven't met up with you in "The World" since... hm, a long time.

: Tsukasa.

: Subaru.



: Next time, next vacation will you come with me Subaru?

: Yes, we'll both go next time to Shimokitazawa.

: And you too, Mimiru!

: Yeah, we'll shop till we drop and then we'll pig out on crepes!





: By the way, isn't your partner gonna show up?

: Oh, um, he's out on a data bug run.

: Oh? Remnants of Morganna, then. I guess no one knows for sure if there are any remaining fragments. Some data may have survived.

: I think everything's getting back to normal these days. Helba and Lios have been investigating, but haven't turned up anything out of the ordinary. Well, as far as data bugs go I mean.

: They're double checking, huh? Oh that's so like them.









: Allow me to finish him off!







The attack didn't do anything to the Angolmore.

: What the...?



: Hey tough guy, aren't you supposed to rest? Don't push it Yasuhiko!

: I told you not to call me that here!



: Sorry to keep you waiting here so long.

: What's new, you're late again Elk!

: Sorry.





: Hey, you guys haven't met before, huh? This is Elk, he's the same elite character type as you. Try to get along, you two.

: My name's Tsukasa, pleasure to meet you.

: My uh, my name is Elk. It's nice to meet you.

: Wait up Elk. There's no reason to be in such a hurry.





: You... can it be? Macha.





I'd have been remiss if I didn't include the commercial break intro and outro.





Data draining looks a lot cooler in anime form than it does having Kite float in a white void full of static.



: Magnificent. But this one's not invincible, is it Orca?



: That power, it's given to him by the bracelet.

: There's nothing unusual here.

: Perhaps our work is finished. It's safe to assume all the data bugs are completely eradicated.

Emptying out Ω Hidden Darkside Holy Ground or Δ Reincarnated Purgatorial Altar of data bugs is no small feat. Kudos to Kite, Orca, and Balmung!



: In which case Kite, you won't need your bracelet any more.



: Oh Macha, I've really been wanting to see you for so long. I thought for sure I would, so I've been holding onto this! This is for you.



: Wait, just a second. I'm sure I've never met you before today. And besides that, I don't even know who Macha...

: Oh and I thought I might return this to you if we ever met again.



: This is, uh, it's yours.







There was a rumor going around that the reason Mia liked aromatic grass so much was that it was fragments of her data, that if she collected enough of it, she would turn into Macha. In reality, the reason she likes it so much is on display right here. Even subconsciously, she remembers Tsukasa. She likes aromatic grass because it reminds her of something she's lost. Someone she's lost.

: But why... But I've never met you before.



: I don't even know who you are, and now this. Why won't my tears stop? I can't... I can't...

: It's all right Macha. You don't have to say a thing, okay?



If you can claim that this doesn't affect you even just a little, you have no heart. It's one of those scenes you need to watch, because the music playing is slow and kind of bittersweet.



: Maybe it's true, maybe there's no need for it anymore.

: Without a purpose, it's nothing more than an illegal item.

: But there is one thing.

: What's that?

: After all that's happened before, I still don't understand. Why did Aura entrust me with the bracelet?

: Why do you ask?

: Well, there has to be a reason. Until I know Aura's intentions, I must safeguard it. Could it be that the purpose of the one entrusted with the bracelet is to protect it until it is passed on?

: It would be nothing less than the will of "The World" if that were true. So if that's the case... I understand. I will assist in any way that I am able.

: Thank you so much!

: Oh no! Since we had such a hard time with that monster, we're completely late now!



: You're the one that had the hard time, Orca.



: I haven't seen him around much recently. And I heard that loser-boy is up to his old tricks again.

: Well that's one thing I can't even begin to imagine, a goody-goody Sora out there.

: Yeah, like that's gonna happen.

: To say the least. By the way, it's great to see you back here again Tsukasa. You're looking much more stalwart. Have you found your place?



: Enough already! Can the lecture. This is a celebration, there will be no high-and-mighty talk from you. And besides, Tsukasa is a girl remember? So she wouldn't be stalwart, so put a sock in it.



: I finally found a place where I belong. Now that I know where I belong, I can go anywhere I want. Anywhere at all. Because it means that I'll always have a place to return to where friends will be waiting to embrace me.

: Tsukasa.







: Well it looks like it's time for us to get going. Otherwise we'll all be late.

: But there's still some people that haven't arrived yet.

: Don't worry, they're not children. I imagine they'll go straight there.

: Sorry, sorry.



: My apologies, looks like I'm totally late.

: Is everything going alright at work then?

: Yeah, I hope I didn't worry you BT.

Bear's day job is a writer. Just keep that in mind when everyone talks about him having it difficult.

: I was most certainly worried. That wasn't being much of a gentleman, now was it?

: Bear!

: Hey, Crim! It's been far too long.

: I never knew you were such a scholar.

: Hm? What do you mean?

: Well if I had known back at the beginning what you were like in real life, I don't think I would have been able to hang around you like this.

Bear's player is one of Crim's favorite authors.

: Well would you have rather known the real me instead?

: Not really.

: Me neither.







Net Slum looks a lot more chaotic in the anime, doesn't it? Nothing like the dilapidated high-rise buildings from the games.

: Doesn't the environment seem a bit different here?

: I decided to slightly alter the skin textures.



: After all, this is our celebration together, so I thought things should be brighter.

: Helba!

: I also didn't want to bring back any unwanted memories.

: Thanks. I'm okay.



: Then perhaps I meant to say unwanted worries? Welcome then, to Net Slum!



: I think it's us who should be thanking you for the kind invitation.



: Fighting together against the terrible wave sweeping over the world, you overcame tribulations and fulfilled your functions within the system wonderfully!



: All the waves fade into the distance and once again we gather together on this anticipated day. Now let the celebration begin!









: Beautiful.



: Oh wow!



: Hey, are those really fireworks?



: Those are most definitely fireworks!





: It cannot be said that this is the limit of the festivities. Let some comfort be found within the celebration.



: Well, this is an amazing event!

: This is certainly a very welcome sight here in "The World."

: Helba's outdone herself.



: Yeah! I'm gonna go out there and dance!



: That's the spirit! I'm gonna go get busy too! Tsukasa let's go!

: But I... but I don't...

: Go on, get out there Tsukasa. And take Subaru.



: Lady Subaru!







There's gonna be a lot of dancing here on display.



Subaru and Tsukasa make an adorable couple.



I have no idea what the hell Mimiru and Blackrose are doing.



I guess they're having fun at least!









Tsukasa notices something, though.







Sora's crying.







: We're all friends now. Okay?

: Yeah.







: Hey, Sora!



What the fuck kind of dance is that?







: Not like you to be late, Lios.





: I have a proposal for you.

: What is it?

: It's about this place. I'm prepared to transform Net Slum into a legitimate root town. It's the least I could do for you.

: Thanks, but it's the thought that counts.

: But why? If this place were to become a root town -

: Net Slum is a place that is everywhere, yet nowhere. It is the last place of its kind within "The World" which is why I wish for it to remain this way - unchanged, and uncorrupted.

: Understood. As you wish it, then.

: Thank you very much, my dear friend, Lios. You've changed.

: Hmph! That's ridiculous.

Helba and Lios are actually married. That's what the director told the sound team when they were creating the two characters shared theme. She also apparently takes him up on his offer later on.





: Oh, it's already started!

: There's fireworks and music? That's fantastic!

: This shindig looks like the bomb-diggity.



: What did you say?

I love the "what the fuck" expressions both Kite and Orca have.

: What I mean is, it's not bad at all.



: Hey Kite, over here! You're so late!

: Hey Blackrose!



: Hurry up Kite, come on!

: All right, we're coming!



These dances never get old. I love how Orca doesn't even try.



That's not the gif skipping at the end. Kite really does jump from one pose to the next.



Mistral at least knows how to have fun.

























All right, everyone. With that cute dance party, that's the end of .hack, and that's the end of the LP.

Take it easy!