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Monday, March 10, 2008

.hack//Roots

.hack//Roots (ドットハック ルーツ Dotto Hakku Rūtsu?) is a 26-episode anime series, animated by studio Bee Train, that makes up one of the storylines of the .hack//G.U. franchise, a sequel to .hack. It is the first .hack tv series broadcast in HDTV (720p).

Plot


.hack//Roots is the prequel to the .hack//G.U. videogames. It follows the story of Haseo, a black 'Adept Rogue' (a class that can use multiple weapons) and member of the Twilight Brigade guild. In the year 2015, CC Corp. Building burnt down, and with it, most of its data for The World. By splicing data from what would have potentially been another game, CC Corp. created The World R:2 and released it in 2016. The main revisions of this release were that the game allowed for guild and PvP (player vs player) play.

Starting eight months before .hack//G.U. and finishing during the events of the first .hack//G.U. game, Rebirth, Haseo logs into The World R:2 for the first time and falls victim to the PKers that reside within. He is saved by Ovan, which prompts him to join the Twilight Brigade.

The Twilight Brigade members are on a mission to find the Key of the Twilight, however, the TAN guild opposes this because they want Ovan's character data possibly because of his device in his arm and will stop at nothing to keep the Twilight Brigade from their goal. But possibly the reason is because Ovan is after it.

Their current mission is to find the 6 virus cores before TAN does. Haseo has the green virus core and the purple core, Shino has the red, Sakisaka the Yellow, Ovan the grey, and Gord has the blue one. There is a Lost Ground with 5 towers, where the Brigade used the supposedly-unusable virus cores. When the five are used it transports them to the tower above the 5 small towers to where they can find the last virus core.

This mission, unfortunately, was just a trap made by the members of TAN in order to investigate Ovan's strange character data. With Ovan gone, and no sign of the Key of the Twilight, the Twilight Brigade quickly breaks apart. B-set and Gord quit the game entirely, and Sakisaka and Tabby quit the guild, even though Tabby is still hopeful things will pick up. Shino goes into 'mourning' over Ovan, as it has been hinted that their relationship is that of more than friends, with Haseo by her side supporting her. However, even this is quickly shattered, as Shino is soon after killed within the game. What's even more alarming is that Haseo can't contact her in real life.

Characters


Main

Haseo (ハセヲ Haseo?)
"The Terror of Death" - The protagonist of the series, and a newbie within The World R:2. Haseo had an encounter with PKers (Player Killers) before joining the Twilight Brigade. He appears to be obsessed with Ovan's enigmatic nature, which he soon discovers isn't so unusual. He is an outsider in real life, and not very good at dealing with people. In the first episode of the series, Ovan tells Haseo that he has 'potential', which now appears to be a reference to Haseo's potential as an Epitaph-PC. This explains the bizarre abilities Haseo has exhibited a few key moments within the series. He seems to care for Shino in a more than platonic way. After Shino goes into a coma, Haseo starts to become extremely depressed and also very angry whenever Shino or Tri-Edge are mentioned. He completed a special event known as The Forest of Pain, which was said to be impossible to complete, and was upgraded straight to his 3rd Form. He is now trying to hunt down Tri-Edge, using his newly gained power status to PK players in an attempt to find information. After his transformation he becomes even more mentally unstable and anti-social. While trying to find information on Tri-Edge, Haseo reunites with Ovan who tells him that he will find Tri-Edge at the Hulle Granz Cathedral. Haseo fights Tri-Edge but is defeated and stripped of all his power and equipment, ironically returning him mostly to his senses as well. Outside of the game, Haseo is 17 years old and attends a private school. He lives alone. Haseo visits Shino in the hospital on a daily basis.
Ovan (オーヴァン Ōvan?)
Ovan
Ovan
"The Rebirth" - The Guildmaster of the Twilight Brigade, Ovan has some strange device sealed around his left arm. He is an enigma to those who know him. Many people think he is odd, due in large part to his search for the Key of the Twilight, an item that may not exist. He is often searching for information on the Key of the Twilight, and is almost never seen around town. Apparently, Ovan's PC data is as large as an entire field, which may be due to the fact that it contains the black matter, the material that make up AIDAs that possess PCs, or possibly the epitaph of Corbenik, the last of the Eight Phases. The data is apparently mostly in his left arm, in which Naobi had unlocked upon capturing him. After the incident, Ovan somehow escapes, not returning until much later in the series. He has also contacted or ran-into Taihaku, the reasons for this are unknown, but it may be connected to his wish to make Haseo stronger. He encountered Azure Kite, and defeated him leaving one witness. As the series reaches it's conclusion, Ovan reveals to Phyllo that he caused the "Lost One's" comas. In his final monologue, he reveals that he wished for Haseo to become powerful so as to defeat him (Ovan). As Azure Kite was always found after people became "Lost One's", whereas Ovan is never caught, the illusion that Azure Kite had been doing this was created. However, the truth of the matter is that Azure Kite was hunting cheaters and those related to Ovan.
Shino (志乃 Shino?)
One of the few people close to Ovan who acts as leader of the Twilight Brigade whenever Ovan is incapable of doing so. Gentle-mannered but strong-minded, she holds the Twilight Brigade together during Ovan's frequent absences. She and Ovan seem to have a more involved relationship than mere guildmates, as they have both known and seen each other somewhat frequently outside the game as it was alluded to when Shino asked about Ovan's doctor visits. During episode 13 Shino is attacked by Tri-Edge and Azure Kite is framed, resulting in her PC seemingly erased and her real self sent into a coma. She had been living alone and her landlord discovered her unconscious. The doctors cannot treat her because they do not know the cause behind her coma. Those who have suffered fates like hers are referred to as a Lost One, since it is rumored that once PKed by Tri-Edge a player can never return to the game. In real life, Shino is 18 and studying medicine.
Sakisaka (匂坂 Sakisaka?)
Sakisaka left another guild to join the Twilight Brigade and was a member during its previous incarnation, he often helps beginners like Haseo and a lot more with Tabby to level up. He is skeptical that the Key of the Twilight even exists and often complains that the Twilight Brigade's search is meaningless. He quit the Twilight Brigade after Ovan's disappearance, assuming Ovan had stolen the Key of the Twilight for himself, and formed a Guild with Tabby, but as of episode 13, Sakisaka has quit the game and gone to another called Riot Gun. In real life he lives in a small apartment and is 19. In Vol. 1 of .hack//G.U., a post on a forum is made by a "The World" player saying that they had previously been playing Riot Gun. This may be a reference to (or indeed be) Sakisaka.
Tabby (タビー Tabī?)
Tabby
Tabby
As her name implies, Tabby somewhat resembles a cat, with feline ears, claws, and hair that acts like a cat's tail. Her character design is similar to that of a Mithra from Final Fantasy XI. Her weapon of choice is a pair of large cat paws that she uses to slash at enemies. Tabby has been playing about as long as Haseo and usually fights alongside Sakisaka in the field. She often refers to Sakisaka as her "master" or "teacher." She is loyal, friendly and positive (though she points out that she's not cheerful because she wants to be). She has quit the Brigade alongside Sakisaka. Unlike Sakisaka, she has yet to quit the game, opting to try and help Haseo instead. She momentarily caught Yata and Pi's attention, though Saburo doubted she was ever particularly special. Kuhn offered her a place in Canard which she denied. Yata and Pi still seem to feel that Tabby has some untold role to play, despite being a seemingly ordinary player. Tabby created a Guild, under Tohta's guidance, known as the Paw Brigade, which was set up to heal both Haseo and PCs defeated by Haseo. After the "100-PKers" incident, the guild disbanded, but the Healer Brigade was started up by former members of Tabby's soon after, perhaps in her honor. The Healer Brigade's by-laws ask for Guild Members to use a beast character while actively healing other players, and continues with her "Power Ranger-like code names" motif. Phyllo also claims she is the only one who can help Haseo (being the only friend he had left at the time). Tabby is 16 and it appears as though Tabby doesn't get along with any of her family members, particularly her older sister, who is more academic than her. At the end of the series Tabby confesses that she is in love with Haseo and desires to help Shino outside of the game, so she leaves to become a nurse.
Naobi (直毘 Naobi?) /Yata (八咫 Yata?)
The mysterious former Guildmaster of TaN. Naobi appears to be obsessed with Ovan's search for the Key of the Twilight or rather Ovan himself, though his motives is unknown. He and Ovan seem to go way back, although precisely how far is unknown. Naobi was the one who first told Ovan about the Key of the Twilight. Naobi appears as a large dark blue cat creature. After capturing Ovan to analyze his PC, his illegal activities were reported by Shino over what had happened with Ovan, and he was forced to abandon Naobi, which turns out to be nothing more than a PC to hide his true identity, and now controls Yata; meaning Naobi was a System-Administrator. He and Pi are keeping tabs on Haseo as well as waiting for any strange activity to take place in The World.
Tawalaya (俵屋 Tawaraya?) /Tohta (籐太 Tōta?)
The figure-head and finance treasurer of TaN. Tawaraya is a college student who is planning to study abroad. He acts very business-like while playing and appears to deal in items and information through TaN. His account has been terminated or suspended due to TaN's illegal activities but he has since come back with a new PC known as Tohta in order to take care of unfinished business before leaving. Both his PC's names were connected to a historical figure known as Tawara no Tohta. He disliked the recent practice of 'Real-Money Trading' within The World and managed to get Yata to have the The World's administration to delete or suspend PCs that were doing so within the game. He has since accepted to inform Wool and Cashmere of Tabby's whereabouts, as well as offered to collect information on Tri-Edge for Haseo. He is 22 in real life and planning to study abroad.
Ender (エンダー Endā?) /Pi (パイ Pai?)
A PK and the former head of TaN's 'black ops'. She acts as the enemy, as well as stalker, of the Twilight Brigade on Naobi's orders and assists him in his illegal activities. Little is known about her motives but she seems to plan on taking the Key of the Twilight for herself, or so it seems. She seems to take pleasure in hunting down members of the Twilight Brigade and PK them after shaking them up for information. After assisting in Naobi's capture of Ovan's PC, she was made an outlaw like him and was forced to use her administrative PC: Pi. She has a contact named Saburo; a former member of TaN that worked under her. Pi keeps an eye on players such as Haseo and Tabby, and sends Saburo in her stead to keep herself unnoticed, as well as have observation surveillance done on Haseo. She tells her story of how she was supposedly awakened as an Epitaph-PC to Yata in .hack//Roots episode 20. In episode 22 she shows her Avatar to Kuhn. Pi is 24 in real life and the sister of Jun Banshoya, one of the people that worked on Project GU.
Phyllo (フィロ Firo?)
Phyllo does not belong to any Guild and is unusually old for someone playing The World R:2. He is an U-zoku character and is almost always seen floating in midair. He acts as a mine of information for Haseo, having connections with numerous influential PCs, including Ovan, Naobi and Taihaku. Phyllo likes to hang out in town and does not venture out into the fields often. Despite this, his character is strong and he can hold his ground against melee players. It was Phyllo who introduced Shino to Ovan. He was attacked by Azure Kite in episode 14, but then later backed off after realising that Phyllo was not Ovan, who he was looking for and had been at the same area as Phyllo only seconds earlier. Phyllo is also the only one to have survived an attack by Tri-Edge without suffering any side-effects to himself or his PC. Later on, this catches Pi and Yata's interest. It was stated during Yata's interrogation of Phyllo that he met a female PC who introduced him to Ovan, though her identity is unknown, however it is stated that it was Aina, Ovan's younger sister. When Phyllo met Ovan for the second time, Ovan reveals to him the truth behind Shino's incident: That he was the one who had sent Shino into a coma. Phyllo was 62 in real life and died of terminal cancer at the end of the series, taking the secret to his grave.

Supporting

B Set (Bセット Bi Setto?)
A former Twilight Brigade member from the Guild's previous incarnation and a friend to Phyllo. She joined because she was interested in Ovan, but eventually grew tired of their seemingly meaningless activities and left only to help them out in order to appease her curiosity. B Set apparently quit the game soon after Gord, stating that she could never compete against Shino for Ovan's confidence and attention, that and Ovan was no longer around. In real life, B set is 24.
Gord (ゴード Gōdo?)
Another former member of the Twilight Brigade, Gord considers himself to be a bringer of justice, but is really just another PK, saying things like 'save the weak and defeat the strong'. He is constantly saying 'defeat Ovan' and appears to hold a self-deluded vendetta against his former Guildmaster, wishing to prove that he isn't as useless as he believes Ovan thinks, which eventually leads to him helping the Twilight Brigade. He apparently quit playing the game after Ovan's disappearance, stating that he had too many problems in the real world. In real life, Gord is a 15 year-old girl.
Nasubi (なすび?)
A relatively minor character that has only appeared a few times so far. Nasubi is one of Gord's contacts and provides him with information that he believes will be of interest in return for a fee. He also appears to have some connection with B Set. In real life, he is 19 years old.
Azure Kite (蒼炎のカイト Souen no Kaito?)
A mysterious PC that appears sparingly and resembles the legendary hero Kite, the protagonist of the original .hack games. However his involvement in the .hack//Roots series is still largely unknown besides for the fact that he has in his possession the "Bracelet of Twilight." He can move from field to field without the need of a Chaos Gate, and is shown actually manipulating the grid of data itself. He was framed as being the legendary PK known as 'Tri-Edge' who left Signs in different areas and left players in comas. It has now emerged that Ovan was the true perpetrator of these attacks, while Azure Kite only ever appeared on the scene while chasing Ovan. It is guessed that Azure Kite is an AI used to destroy or repair data otherwise known as AIDA that would otherwise be dangerous to ordinary players.
IYOTEN
One of a pair of PKs, alongside Asta, that showed Haseo how to play The World before attempting to PK him. He and Asta were PKed themselves by Ovan and this lead to their encounter, though it is speculated that Ovan himself hired them both. They later encountered Haseo and were PKed by him as a result.
Asta (アスタ Asuta?)
Asta acts as a partner to Iyoten and showed Haseo how to play The World before attempting to PK him and being PKed herself by Ovan. Though a female PC, Asta is actually a guy and speaks as if she is playing the role of a samurai within the game. She encountered Haseo again in a dungeon and was PKed along with Iyoten.
Saburo (三郎 Saburō?)
A mysterious character of whom very little is known, she constantly talks in riddles and analogies, causing great confusion to those around her. Saburo's gender seems uncertain because even though her PC is female and she insists that she is a girl, she has a boy's name and speaks in a masculine manner. She appears to have been a former member of TaN before it was disbanded, and she also recognized Pi as Ender. Saburo severed her ties to Yata and Pi after deciding not to follow Haseo through the Painful Forest event. Pi managed to trick Saburo into fighting Haseo so Yata could test his potential as an Epitaph-PC and she was PKed rather easily and fairly quickly as a result. Why Saburo did this is unsure, she may have been doing this so as to not allow the satisfaction to Pi, and to see what Haseo is capable of herself. Saburo was present in the Hulle Granz Cathedral when Haseo fought Tri-Edge, though it doesn't appear as if anyone was aware of her presence. In real life, Saburo is a 24 year-old man.
Kuhn (クーン Kūn?)
An acquaitance of Phyllo's who he recommends to help Tabby, Wool, and Cashmere get used to the more advance rules within The World. Since then, Kuhn has discovered something he is actually good at, which is teaching newbies to play The World. He decided to take up this role by forming Canard, a newbie-help Guild, which also appears in .hack//G.U. He has since awakened as an Epitaph User due to an encounter with AIDA and, as a result, was approached by Pi and joined her as part of Project GU. Unlike Pi, he cannot control his Avatar.
Wool (ウール Ūru?)
Cashmere's older brother. Their mother was not so critical about his studies, and feels guilty now that Cashmere must study all the time to make up for his own failure. One of two new players that Tabby encounters and attempts to help. He is then helped out by Kuhn after it becomes apparent that Tabby knows very little about playing The World. They decide to support Pirokio and Iita's decision to lower their prices by selling them items and have hired Tohta to find out what Tabby is doing. In real life, Wool is 14.
Cashmere (カシミヤ Kashimiya?)
Younger brother of Wool. Started to play The World R:2 to take a break from his studies. He and his brother have to hide the fact that they play from their parents, especially their mother. Tabby encounters Cashmere and Wool during their first day playing and attempts to help. Tabby is then helped out by Kuhn after it becomes apparent that she knows very little about playing The World. They decide to support Pirokio and Iita's decision to lower their prices by selling them items and have hired Tohta to find out what Tabby is doing. In real life, Cashmere is 12.
Taihaku (太白 Taihaku?)
The Leader of Ikolo, a Guild for Arena Champions, and incredibly powerful. A lawful and thoughtful player, he apparently has some connection to Phyllo. He was the first to complete the Painful Forest event and earned a rare Steam Gunner weapon, though he has since doubted that he actually did win. Taihaku has said that if Haseo's sudden increase in power was the actual prize, then he's glad that he didn't win.
Seisaku (清作 Seisaku?)
  • Real name: Ryouta Noguchi
  • Class: Blade Brandier/Harvest Cleric
  • Voiced by: Ryotaro Okiayu
A player that Kuhn approached for recruitment into his guild; Canard. He denies this offer because he feels it isn't newbies that are threatened by PKs, but those with at least some power. He has recently joined Tabby's Guild, the Paw Brigade, and has been told by Tohta to remake his character, from a Blade Brandier to a Harvest Cleric, in order to make it more compatible with Tabby, in which he happily obliges. In .hack//G.U., an U-zoku character named Seisaku appears as a Harvest Cleric of the Guild known as Medic Union, which is very similar to the Paw Brigade in terms of structure and goal. In real life, Seisaku is 16.
Harald Hoerwick (ハロルド・ヒューイック Harorudo Hyūikku?)
Though Harald Hoerwick does not personally appear in .hack//Roots, both Taihaku and Haseo witness an unusual AI version of Harald Hoerwick at the centre of The Forest of Pain event. With each of them, he asked them, "How is my daughter?" Taihaku gave him a desirable answer and was given a Steam Gunner weapon. Haseo gave him an incorrect and rather offensive answer, and thus lost his Twin Swords, but was instead upgraded straight to his 3rd form (flick reaper), a process which caused him actual pain.
Pirokio (ピロキオ Pirokio?)
One of the numerous traders that have sprung up as a result of the disbanding of TaN. He works alongside Iita and after meeting Tohta, decided to trade the 'Tawaraya way' and lower his prices despite the inflation. Pirokio was a member of TaN along with Iita. In real life, Pirokio is 21.
Iita (イータ Īta?)
One of the numerous traders that have sprung up as a result of the disbanding of TaN. Iita uses a female PC but doesn't bother altering his voice to hide his actual gender. He works alongside Pirokio and assists him during trades, he is quite wary of Pirokio's move to suddenly lower their prices. Iita was a member of TaN along with Pirokio. In real life, Iita is a 32 year-old man.
Ochi (オチ Ochi?)
One of the numerous traders that have sprung up as a result of the disbanding of TaN. Ochi is a 'Real-Money Trader' and falls afoul of Tohta after his influence begins lowering prices and taking business away from him and his guild. He was found out as a Real-Money Trader and was taken away for questioning, his account was, presumeably, suspended or deleted soon afterwards.
Midori (碧 Midori?)
Midori is known as a Professional Victim, a person that allows you to attempt to PK them without fighting back for a certain length of time, and the protagonist for .hack//CELL. In .hack//Roots, we see the point at which Midori first encounters Haseo on his mission to find out more about Tri-Edge.
Hideyo (英世 Hideyo?)
Hideyo is a friend of Seisaku's in the real world. He was offered a position in Tabby's Guild by Seisaku, and is helping Tabby in her mission to help Haseo by healing him, as well as healing those PKed by him. In .hack//G.U., an U-zoku character named Hideyo is one of the members of the Medic Union Guild, which is very similar to the Paw Brigade in terms of structure and goal. In real life, Hideyo is 12.
Silabus (シラバス Shirabasu?)
Silabus is one of the two players that Kuhn invited to become members of Canard. After Kuhn was enlisted as part of Project GU, Silabus took over as Guildmaster of Canard. In real life, Silabus is 19.
Gaspard (ガスパー Gasupā?)
  • Real name: Kouta Maki
  • Class: Shadow Warlock
  • Voiced by: Akiko Yajima
Gaspard is one of the two players that Kuhn invited to become members of Canard. He is the only member of Canard besides Silabus after Kuhn left to become a part of Project GU which left Gaspard very upset. In real life, Gaspard is 13.
Bordeaux (ボルドー Borudō?)
Bordeaux is a PK from Kestrel who commonly forms a Party with Negimaru and Grein. She appears to be one of Tohta's contacts, which may explain why she had a Virus Core in her possession earlier on in the series. She was the person behind the 100-PKers ambush on Haseo, hoping to make him achieve legendary status so she could become a legend in The World by PKing Haseo. In real life, Bordeaux is 14.

Episode List

.hack//Roots has 26 episodes and aired on TV Tokyo. The final episode was broadcast on September 27, 2006. In North America, the series started airing on Saturday, November 11, 2006 at 5:00am EST on Cartoon Network, with no prior advertising or announcements given whatsoever. Due to the last few episodes containing spoilers for games not yet released in North America, Cartoon Network chose to restart the series at Episode #1 after only 21 episodes were broadcast, leaving the last five unaired. Starting July 6, 2007, Adult Swim took over Friday nights, leaving the show nowhere to be seen on the schedule. Whether or not the remaining episodes will ever be aired has not been announced.

# Episode Title Original Air Date

01 "Welcome to The World" April 5, 2006
Haseo starts playing and experiences PKers (Player Killers). After they kill him, Ovan revives him. Then almost all the players in the world start asking him about Ovan.
02 "Twilight Brigade" April 12, 2006
Haseo shows obsessive behavior toward Ovan's mysterious guild. He asks around to find more about it. At the end of the episode, he meets Ovan by a portal. Ovan askes Haseo to join his clan. Haseo responds by saying, "I'll think about it."
03 "Join" April 19, 2006
Haseo is given an invitation to join the Twilight Brigade as well as one to join TaN. After expending a little time with Shino, Haseo makes his decision.
04 "Forefeel" April 26, 2006
Shino takes Haseo to another Lost Ground, and later do training. SakiSaka gets suspicious about why Haseo joined and why he talked to Gord about the guild. Later Tabby gets pked by Ender.
05 "Distrust" May 03, 2006
Due to a series of events, Tabby starts believing Haseo is a messenger for TaN and soon later Haseo leaves the Twilight Brigade.
06 "Conflict" May 10, 2006
07 "Intrigue" May 17, 2006
08 "Starting" May 24, 2006
09 "Melee" May 31, 2006
10 "Missing" June 07, 2006
11 "Discord" June 14, 2006
12 "Breakup" June 21, 2006
The guild called the Twilight Brigade is being disbanded by Shino. B Set leaves and so does Tabby following Sakisaka, and Phyllo. Haseo promises to stay with Shino even if there was no guild. Shino still wanted to wait for Ovan to return.
13 "Tragedy" June 28, 2006
Tabby notifies Haseo that Shino has entered the Cathedral alone. When Haseo goes to meet her, he finds that Shino has been PK'd and her character data disappears.
14 "Lost One" July 05, 2006
Haseo gets upset about Shino and blames himself. He got a call from Shino's mother telling her nothing about her daughter's coma. Phyllo is with Haseo most of the time and Tabby starts a guild with Sakisaka but he resigns his guild and leaves to a new game, which made Tabby all by herself in the game making her lost without anyone but Haseo.
15 "Pad" July 12, 2006
Tabby meets two new members of the The World. She helps them play the game but says she can't do better like Shino and Sakisaka. Tabby meets Kuhn with Phyllo and Kuhn trains the two newbie brothers and Tabby about the game and how to level up in the game. Haseo is still angry about what happened and remembers the deletion of character data of Shino's and gets revenge on Tri-Edge.
16 "Resolution" July 19, 2006
Ovan meets Taihaku and while that happens Taihaku goes to the Forest of Pain. Haseo hears about Phyllo encountering Tri-Edge and fights Phyllo and he tells Haseo don't blame himself for her death. Haseo then hears about the new quest and takes it to become stronger and defeat Tri-Edge.
17 "Painful Forest" July 26, 2006
Ovan fights Tri-Edge. Taihaku and Haseo are in the Forest of Pain. Pi tells Subaro to watch Haseo in the forest to see what he does in there. Taihaku completes the quest and Tabby decides to go to wait for Haseo.
18 "Limit" August 09, 2006
Taihaku gets his reward a new and rare Steam Gunner weapon. Tabby waits with her friend for Haseo to exit the quest. Haseo made it to the end where he sees a man and he request Haseo to answer his question, Haseo says something negative about his daughter and exited the quest about 30 seconds before the game ended. Haseo appears to Tabby but this time Haseo is different than usual; the shock somehow boosted Haseo to his 3rd adept rouge class, Flick Reaper.
19 "Violation" August 16, 2006
20 "Pursuit" August 23, 2006
21 "Defeat" August 30, 2006
22 "Bonds" September 06, 2006
23 "Trial" September 13, 2006
24 "Confront" September 20, 2006
25 "Truth" September 27, 2006
26 "Determination" September 27, 2006
Phyllo dies of cancer. Tohta and Tabby are leaving the The World game to do other things in the real world. Haseo remembers everything about the past 8 months and Tabby visits Haseo in the /_\Mac Anu Central Distract, where she tells Haseo she wants to become a nurse and tells him that she really likes him then leaves. After that, Haseo goes to Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground where he is alone till Tohta came and told him about Phyllo's death. Once after that, the story recaps the events between Shino and Haseo; and Haseo pictures Shino talking to him about what she could expect from him when he does try to save her, then it shows Skeith and the Brandish armor showing that this part in taken before the .hack//G.U. Rebirth.
27 "Returner" N/A
This episode takes place after the G.U. game trilogy. The characters of both Roots and the games receive an email from Ovan requesting them to visit the festival held on a secret location. There, they encounter many old friends, as well as an AIDA who appears to be non-hostile. At the end of the episode, Ovan is reunited with his sister Aina, who has been comatose since before the beginning of the series.


posted by Habuga at 7:09 PM | 0 comments

Gun X Sword

Gun X Sword (ガン×ソード Gan×Sōdo, the “×” is silent, but a part of the title), known by some fans as GXS, is a 26-episode anime television series, directed by Gorō Taniguchi and produced by AIC A.S.T.A, which premiered in July 2005. The series also featured character designs by animator Takahiro Kimura, music by Kōtarō Nakagawa and numerous collaborations from many other staff who have worked with Taniguchi on several of his series. The protagonist, Van, travels the world searching for a mysterious man with a clawed right hand who killed his bride. He is joined by several other travelers along the way, each linked to the clawed man by a personal loss. Gradually they find the makings of a plot that will shake the foundations of the world they live on.

GunXSword is set on the 'Planet of Endless Illusion'; a place where rogues of all sorts gather. The world itself has one moon orbiting it, and has a general technical level of modern Earth, with a few exceptions, such as humanoid combat suits called 'Armors'. The overall culture has a 'wild west' feel to it, with general lawlessness in the more rural areas and large expanses of wilderness.

The series received its English language TV premiere on Sony's anime television network Animax, which dubbed it in English for broadcast across its English language networks in Southeast Asia (from March 2007) and later in South Asia, under the title Gun X Sword.[2] The series was also licensed for North America by Geneon Entertainment, who produced a separate English dub overseen by New Generation Pictures, which is also available in Australia from Madman Entertainment and in the United Kingdom by MVM Films.



Characters


Protagonists

The protagonists of Gun Sword.
The protagonists of Gun Sword.
Van

Voiced by: Takanori Hoshino (Japanese), David Vincent (actor) (English)

A tall, lanky wanderer of few words clad in a dark swallowtail suit. Most who pass him by seem to think he's half-asleep, as his speech is slow, laconic, and unhurried. However, when hearing news referring to the clawed man, his disposition shifts to extreme anger. He acquires many titles throughout his travels.
Van has been compared to both Vash the Stampede and Spike Spiegel. His outfit is similar to Vincent Volaju the villain in Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. While his hat shares similarities to the one worn by Jubei in Ninja Scroll. Both hats have a cut in the middle.
Wendy Garret

Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

Van's first traveling companion who joins him in episode 1 in search of her missing brother Michael, after he saves her town from bandits. Although somewhat naive she is compassionate and determined, often wanting to assist those they meet in contrast to Van's 'leave everyone to him/herself'.
She carries her Brother's gun which she retrieved from some townspeople after his kidnapping. It only contains one bullet.
Carmen 99

Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)

A mysterious and self-sufficient intelligence agent/mercenary who Van encounters in episode 2, her real name is Carol Mendosa.
Ray Lundgren

Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese), Liam O'Brien (English)

A withdrawn and ruthless Armor pilot whose wife was killed by the Man with the claw hand; he first appears in episode 5 but is opposed to Van at first.
Joshua Lundgren

Voiced by: Junko Noda (Japanese), Yuri Lowenthal (English)

Ray's younger brother, he's upbeat, talkative and sociable. His main asset is his technical skill, being able to repair numerous everyday items, analyze armor weaknesses, and even setup timed explosives.
Priscilla

Voiced by: Saeko Chiba (Japanese), Carrie Savage (English)

A pink-haired girl who first meet Van during an armor tournament and later joins his company on their quest.

Antagonists


The Claw Man

Voiced by: Kenyuu Horiuchi (Japanese), Kirk Thornton (English)
A mastermind and the primary antagonist. He killed both Van's and Ray's wives and is the subject of their hatred.

Michael Garret

Voiced by: Souichiro Hoshi (Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch (English)

Wendy's older brother, who voluntarily follows the Clawed Man, and willingly believes in him as a leader, despite the fact that he was kidnapped from his hometown of 'Evergreen' and taken to the Claw Man.

Armors


One of the biggest differences in the world of Gun Sword is the use of multi-storey suits called 'Armors'. These are generally humanoid in design, and are primarily used for combat. Below are listed some of the most noteworthy ones.

Metal Glow
The armor appeared in episode 2, and resembled a battleship with a vast humanoid torso attached. Metal Glow was commanded by Baron Mayor of the bridge city in order to conquer the world. Its main attacks were the use of its gigantic arms and the Regulus Cannon, a turret that sprayed molten metal over its opponents. Van managed to destroy Metal Glow by throwing Dann's sword through into the regulus cannon then used his foot to push on it sending the sword through the centre and back out the other side.
S-Drive Dragon
First appeared in episode 8, the S-Drive Dragon resembles a metallic Chinese dragon. As well as being able to hover through the air, it used a powerful water-jet cutter from its mouth and a constricting attack to overcome any who tried to cross the mountains where it lay. The S-Drive designation referred to a set of solar panels on the spine of the dragon that would store energy from the sun. When the dragon was finally defeated, Van and Ray discover that the armor was unmanned; the pilot had died inside long ago.
Van's team is ambushed by a pair of automated Dragons when they attempt to pass through the underwater tunnel leading to the Claw Man's base. These two dragons are armed differently, as instead of using the hydro cutter of the first dragon they attack primarily with a pair of head mounted beam cannons. These two were dispatched by Brownie and Eldora Soul.
Finally, a fourth Dragon armor is used by Mudaka's rebel force as they try to escape from the Claw Man. It also attacks using the twin beam cannons, as well as unleashing a missile barrage against Saudade of Sunday from multiple back-mounted launchers. Mudaka's Dragon was destroyed by Michael during this encounter.
Golden Cradle
After Van sees through Joe's deception in episode 7, Joe summons Golden Cradle to do battle against Dann. Golden Cradle looks like a large medieval knight, with a massive cross-bearing shield and large lance as its primary armaments. Its face is half-covered by a golden helmet, the other half revealing a robotic skull face. Despite its heavily armored appearance, the Golden Cradle is reasonably agile and able to duel with Dann to some degree.
After slicing open Joe's outer cockpit, Van manages to severely wound the Golden Cradle by blinding Joe with a well-reflected beam of sunlight and slashing through the armor's shield in the confusion. Joe self-destructs Golden Cradle, depriving Van of any information regarding the Claw Man.
The Golden Cradle design is seen again when Van's team journeys to the Claw Man's secret base. Several automated green colored versions, called One-on-Ones, form the outer defense line of the Claw Man's facilities. The One-on-One version is armed with a set of shield-mounted machine guns in addition to its large melee lance. Their autopilot is seemingly crude and predictable, as Priscilla is able to anticipate its movements and destroy them handily.
Vulcan
Armed primarily with a long-range automatic rifle and a pressurized single-shot pistol, Vulcan was designed to be a ranged attacker. In contrast to Van's sword-slashing technique to call down Dan, Ray's is summoned by firing his gun in a circle around himself at the ground. Vulcan's armored drilling carrier then homes in on Ray's location and delivers the armor to the battlefield. Its noted that Vulcan's weapon system served as a basis for the weapons of the Original Seven armors.
Vulcan is shrouded in what appears to be simple cloth cape. Although it seems to be just a mere mecha fashion accessory, the cape is actually a specially designed beam-spreading coat that can absorb the energy from incoming beam attacks. This protection allows Vulcan to fight effectively against the long ranged attacks of the Original Seven armors.
Piloted by Ray Langren
Brownie
Brownie is a highly maneuverable pink armor that is controlled through a unique interface system. Its pilot plugs in to a port in the rear of the cockpit, allowing Brownie's movements to mimic that of the pilot's physical actions. This interface system is reminiscent of the neural interface used by the Original Seven armors.
During Priscilla's initial encounter with Van during the Armor Battle Tournament, Brownie is only armed with a single weapon: the Fairy's Stab. This consists of an elongated armor-piercing spike that is stored on Brownie's left elbow. Priscilla's usual course of action in a match is to carefully analyze her opponent's attack patterns, find an opening, and swoop in for a crippling strike using the Fairy's Stab. Van was able to nullify this attack by using Dann's secondary blade to cut through the tip of the spike.
Piloted by Priscilla.

The Original Seven


In addition to the numerous custom made models are a group of highly-advanced armors called 'the Original Seven,' each named after one of the days of the week and having an alternate mode that resembles an oversized weapon. Apparently the pilots change every generation, each bound to one of the Armors for life, and must make regular contact for both to regenerate. If an Armor is destroyed or damaged beyond repair, then its rider will die. Originally the Planet of Endless Illusion was used by Earth as a prison colony, with the Original Seven as guards.

When in humanoid form, their primary weapon is a smaller version of their weapon form. Van's armor is referred to as 'Dann of Thursday', and resembles a giant sword, another called 'Saudade of Sunday' resembles a giant golden rifle. Others include Diablo (Axe) and Metsä (Rapier), though all except Van's are piloted by followers of the Clawed man.

Each of the Original Seven armors are stored in orbital satellite bases, called the SA System. When the proper signal is sent, the SA System bases can drop the Original Seven armors through the atmosphere and directly onto the battlefield. The satellites have a distinct cross-shaped arrangement of solar panels which seem to supply the energy necessary to recharge and repair the armors.

In later episodes, its revealed that the Original Seven armors are equipped with an electromagnetic shield that's capable of deflecting beam attacks. This shield takes a significant level of skill and bond with the armor to activate, but once achieved it raises reflexively to protect against incoming beams. Gadved explains to Van that all of the Original Seven had become rotten with corruption over the generations, especially when the mother planet 'Earth' was blown up.

Saudade of Sunday
Weapon form: Bayonet
First found underwater during episode 10 in the remnant of its satellite storage unit, its weapon form is seen in episode 11. Its pilot uses a twin-bladed sword to control it.
When Michael moves to pursue Mudaka's escaping Dragon Armor, he transforms Saudade and reveals its true form as the Claw Man's audience watches from the base auditorium. Saudade changes from its previous golden rifle form into a humanoid mecha with a dramatic set of dragonfly-esque energy wings. It is armed with a pistol/sword weapon that can fire ranged shots or be used to slash.
Saudade is a Portuguese word that roughly means homesick, or longing for home/loved ones, and the hope that they will return.
Piloted by Michael.
Diablo of Monday
Weapon form: Axe
Piloted by Gadved at first in episode 12 and 13. Diablo means 'devil' in Spanish, but the original Greek word is 'diabolous', which means 'divider'. In this sense, Gadved was the dividing line between the previous Original Seven and the Claw man's team. Diablo is able to heal Gadved, similar to how Dann heals Van.
Metsä of Tuesday
Weapon form: Rapier
First appearing in episode 15, Metsä uses a long rapier for dueling and has two beam cannons mounted on the shoulders for distance attacks. Dann initially is no match for Metsä and is defeated easily, its armor severely damaged by Woo's rapier and beam attacks.
When Van returns for a rematch in episode 16, he is able to raise Dann's electromagnetic shield and repel Metsä's devastating cannon shots. Metsä is cleaved by Dann's blade and destroyed, falling into Woo's castle.
Metsä is a Finnish word that means forest.
Piloted by William Will Woo
Dahlia of Wednesday
Weapon form: Three Part Staff
First appearing in episode 20, Dahlia is summoned to stop Van and his allies from advancing further. Its humanoid form has two fighting staffs, and its beam cannons are mounted on extended shoulder struts, surrounded by flower petal-like plates. It also has a set of extendable tendrils for close-range defense.
Dahlia means 'elegant' or 'unstable', and could refer to Fasalina's cold and merciless attitude. It is also the name of a pink-petalled flower.
Piloted by Fasalina
Dann of Thursday
Weapon form: Long Sword and Short Sword (Able to combine)
Summoned from space by Van, Dann's control system is within its chest cavity, and resembles a dome-shaped room with shimmering blue-black coating on the floor and walls. A giant blade is mounted on its back, and can spin to allow temporary flight. Most unusual is its ability to heal injuries or illnesses that Van has, including hangovers, once he enters the cockpit. The name Dann is another name for Odin, the primary hero of Norse mythology. It refers to the Dragon Kings: those that have a large percentage of Anunnaki blood - blue blood.
Sin of Friday
Weapon form:Tonfa
Sin is a massive hulking armor, departing from the slender humanoid designs of other Original Seven armors like Dann or Metsa. Sin stands in an almost feral fashion, with a long blue spiked tail to the rear and large arms. Its head design is also themed similarly, adding a wild and animalistic feel to the armor that conveys the attitude of the pilot Carossa.
Sin is armed with a shape-changing Tonfa weapon; it shifts its forms based on the attacks the armor is doing. When Carossa senses an opening in Van's defenses, Sin's weapon changes into a spear to pierce the chest of Dan. Like Metsa and its sister armor Sen, Sin of Friday is also armed with a pair of shoulder-mounted beam cannons.
After Sen and Melissa are destroyed by blocking the first shot from Vulcan's powerful beam rifle, Carossa makes an enraged dash at Ray's armor seeking vengeance. Sen is destroyed, but manages to injure Ray by tossing one of Sin's blade weapons into Vulcan.
Piloted by Carossa
Sen of Saturday
Weapon form:Chakram
Sen is the smallest Original Seven armor, especially when compared to its companion armor Sin of Friday. It is specifically designed to fight in unison with Sin; Sen can interlock into the torso area of Sin and fight as one.
The chakram weapon is very deadly, capable of boring into an enemy's defenses before returning to Sen like a boomerang. Like Woo's Metsä, Sen is armed with a pair of beam cannons on its shoulders for long ranged attacks.
Sen of Saturday is destroyed when Melissa moves in front of Carossa's Sin to block Vulcan's extremely powerful beam cannon blast. Sen's electromagnetic shield manages to withstand the blast for a few seconds before it cuts through and obliterates the armor, shearing its torso from its legs.
Piloted by Melissa
# Title Original airdate
01 Tuxedo Dances in the Wind 2005-07-05
02 Funny Stream 2005-07-12
03 The Hero Returns 2005-07-19
04 And Then, the Rain Falls 2005-07-26
05 Twins Guard 2005-08-02
06 The Spark in the Heart 2005-08-09
07 Getting Revenge for Myself 2005-08-16
08 There is a Use for That Bond 2005-08-23
09 Carmen Returns to Her Hometown 2005-08-30
10 Ocean, Thank You 2005-09-06
11 Does It Have To Be Goodbye? 2005-09-13
12 Days That Don't Return 2005-09-20
13 On the Way Through the Dream 2005-09-27
14 Swift Brownie 2005-10-04
15 Neo Original 2005-10-11
16 A Shine is an Electric Current Spark 2005-10-18
17 Chase Coordinate X 2005-10-25
18 To Pray is Saudade 2005-11-01
19 The End of Hope 2005-11-08
20 Wonderful Universe 2005-11-15
21 Wish in the Sky Peace on Earth 2005-11-22
22 Adios Amigo 2005-11-29
23 Everyone's Song 2005-12-06
24 End of the Dream 2005-12-13
25 Endless Illusion 2005-12-20
26 Tuxedo Man Dancing Tomorrow 2005-12-27







posted by Habuga at 7:01 PM | 0 comments