.hack//SIGN - Omnipotence (Vol. 4) with Soundtrack

Tsukasa himself takes a backburner to some extent once we find out what has happened to him, as these episodes are largely devoted to character studies of the two women of the party - B.T. and Subaru. As the DVD jacket suggests, Crim also plays a large role, his relationships with the women acting as a catalyst for revealations about them.

Crim is a decidedly good man, but he's only human like everyone else. In this volume, we find out that offscreen he's committed the faux pas of giving B.T. mixed signals by meeting with her in the real world in spite of the fact that he already knows he's not going to return her blatant interest in him. This leads to an uncomfortable scene in which he's forced to gently but firmly refuse to see her again offline, leaving a humiliated B.T. to struggle between any loyalty she owes Bear and her jealousy of Subaru, who she knows has a bond with Crim that she never will.

Subaru, meanwhile, pays for her championship of Tsukasa as she watches the Crimson Knights disband before her eyes, throwing her into The World as most players know it for the first time. At first Crim is there to protect her, thoroughly enjoying the knight in shining armour act, but in a case of really lousy timing his job forces him to leave again while she's still overwhelmed. All he can do is try as best he can to lovingly prepare his friend for what he knows she has facing her in his absence. One of the most memorable sequences in the series, Subaru's first day in The World on her own is both sad and inspiring, including a glimpse of her in the real world as she's comforted by an empathetic Tsukasa that explains her aversion to combat and why she doesn't just stay offline while Crim's away.

Incredibly deep and nuanced, Sign just keeps getting better and better.

The music is phenomenal. The music changes based on the emotions of the characters which makes the series seem more real. The animation is well done with the story well thought out. The series asks many philosophical questions that need to be asked.

Recommended to: Dot Hack fans, or people who love long and intricate stories that develop slowly (those people should buy Dot Hack Sign volumes 1, 2, and 3 as well)

Not recommended to: People who dislike Dot Hack Sign, or people who dislike stories that develop slowly. There isn't any action or violence in this DVD, so don't be upset if you get it and end up regretting it. Dot Hack Sign is more about story than animation.