History of .hack//Franchise and why it deserves for the Second Chance.

.hack multimedia project franchise

MAJOR SPOILERS ALERT!!

Disclaimer: This article post are made for educational purpose and expression the opinions with the fact how .hack series deserve a second chance to live on. All contents like Video, Fan-Story, Translation, Information and more are created and own by perspective owners or as a veteran fans of .hack (Credit name are linked below) who had made their dedication with love, passion and support for the series through decades and this in hope to continue trends for next generation or even old one who never tried one, thus hoping for this series can continue for another decade.

This post are meant for all dothack fans and to people, it is not meant for my own personal agenda.

Hopefully our message would reach to both companies, CC2 and Bandai Namco Entertainment.

.hack (Japanese: ドットハック, Hepburn: Dotto Hakku) is a Japanese multimedia franchise that encompasses two projects: Project .hack and .hack Conglomerate. They were primarily created and developed by CyberConnect2, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.

The series features an alternative history setting in the rise of new millennium regarding the technology rise of a new version of internet following a major global computer network disaster in the year 2005, and the mysterious events regarding the wildly popular fictional Massively multiplayer online role-playing game THE WORLD. The series mainly comprises anime and video game titles which have been subsequently adapted into manga, novels, and other related media.

.hack//franchise become a major big heart of the main community who began interest with the setting and experience like an MMORPG bringing a new widely expression and heartfelt to the franchise while adding conflicts, suspense, and action, also bring theme story about many aspect like Social Problem, Psychological, Technology, Human nature, Life journey & struggle, Interaction, Online network, and many things, but the most importantly is how they tell the story that they really want to tell as it's own.

The iconic music and soundtracks being composed by Chikayo Fukuda and LieN the music vocalist bringing the story, character, animation, drama, and expression felt more alive with melody of the music along with many theme songs music for each games, anime, and movie.

As for why .hack series deserve for the second chance, first I will explain the history of .hack franchise and how the series were created by team efforts between CyberConnect 2 and Bandai Namco Entertainment.

History

.hack Project

.hack//Project media

During the late 1990's, having expectations for a new project Fuyuki Nishizawa (西澤冬樹) from Bandai contacting the company Cyber Connect Co. Ltd led by its previous president Shinjiro Sugitani (杉谷伸二郎) and their team, seeking to get into developing software for the PlayStation 2 with a new game. 

Hiroshi Matsuyama, creator and director of .hack franchise & CEO of CyberConnect 2

"Great Thief Forteprotze (大泥棒フォルテプロッツェ)" as described by Hiroshi Matsuyama (松山洋) involved a large city in London where the people living there were controlled by AI and involved the concept of a main character who wanting to "have a life, a habit, and to live a life", chooses to become a thief out of amorous. However Bandai not believing that the project would become a big hit and that the city was lacking life, the story was redone as "Moon Crow (ムーンクロウ －月鴉－)". 

As a concept Moon Crow was described a world view with more life but a story needing more for the player to relate to. This is also where the main character's name first becomes Kite, the same name as the protagonist of the first .hack series.

Early Concept poster titled Treasure Hacker

Later on with online games at the time becoming more popular such as those on the Dream Cast and PlayStation 2 such as Phantasy Star Online, Fantasy, Ultima Online Lineage, Ragnarok Online, and Diablo, Hiroshi Matsuyama armed with the idea of having the protagonist serve as medium for the player themselves, and having the characters they meet in the game also appear as someone also alive, the concept later evolved into a game about having "another life experience" and became an RPG based on online games, made for people who are interested in medium but didn't have the environment to play them it, while simultaneously also aimed at players who have MMORPG'S and would think "oh there is such a thing" Treasure Hacker was born at an end of the year event in 1999, with concept art by WAKA (Takayuki Isobe - 磯部孝幸), technical specifications shown sometime around March 1999 and additional work from Hiroto Niizato (新里 裕人) who'd came up with the theme about hackers sometime prior to its development as Treasure Hackers. 

The story involved an adventure in the game to solve an incident in real time with the online game The World.

Following this meeting with Bandai later on received new Company Director Shin Unozawa (鵜之澤) and began aiming to create titles based on pre-existing content and feeling that they were still seen as a new game maker and halted most of their original titles except those at Cyber Connect 2. 

Daisuke Uchiyama, Bandai Namco's .hack Producer

As a whole with the additional blessings of the previous Company Director Bandai was still very interested but wanting the idea to become more successful, Bandai asked Cyber Connect 2 to consider reworking the project where it was later re-proposed back to the company, along with help from Bandai Producer Daisuke Uchiyama (内山大輔), who helped managed the project across multiple mediums as the multimedia Project .hack.

This was later what we know as The First Season of .hack.

[All information about History of .hack project sections are referenced from Prototype of .hack from .hack wikia, credited to Treasurer Hacker and Kukkai for filling all information on .hack wikia]

GAMES

• .hack//Games - The first main title of PlayStation 2 games which consist 4-Part of the series like Infection, Mutation, Outbreak, and Quarantine. The story follows the hackers, Kite and BlackRose to find out the cause behind a sudden coma of Kite's friend, Orca while investigating the great abnormalities of network which only exist and came from the MMORPG, The World.
• .hack//Fragment - The first .hack Massively multiplayer online game (Online role-playing game) and it was exclusively Japan-only, as the you can play and customize your character and the gameplay will based from first .hack games. It set in the alternate universe and non-canon to .hack series.
• .hack//Enemy - A collectible card game created by Decipher Inc. based on the .hack series and the game was proven to be a unique experience and even won the 2004 ORIGINS award for "Best New TCG." it was discontinued after running five separate expansions between 2003 and 2005.

ANIME

• .hack//SIGN - An anime television series directed by Koichi Mashimo and produced by studio Bee Train and Bandai Visual which consist of 26-Episodes along with three-OVA episodes which released on DVD. The story focus on a Wavemaster named Tsukasa, a PC who wakes up in suffers amnesia and the worst is how he unable to log out causing him trapped in the game. Tsukasa embarks with other players on a quest to find the truth behind abnormal situation. The series premiered in japan on TV Tokyo at April 4, 2002.
• .hack//Legend of Twilight - A miniseries adaptation of the manga series written by Tatsuya Hamazaki and drawn by Rei Izumi. The anime series directed by Koichi Mashimo and Koji Sawai, and produced by Bee Train Studio. Focuses on twins Rena and Shugo who receive a chibi avatars design of the legendary hackers, Kite and BlackRose. After Shugo is given the Twilight Bracelet by a mysterious girl, the two embark on a quest to find Aura and unravel the mystery of the Twilight Bracelet. Although the anime adapting manga from Episode 1 to 4, while the rest of the episode is Original Story and Diverge from Manga Story. and in additional note it is non-canon story to the .hack series.
• .hack//Liminality - A DVD OVAs consists four episodes which were implemented with .hack video game series for PlayStation 2. It is focus on the real world as opposed to the online game, follows the story of Mai Minase, Yuki Aihara, Kyoko Tohno, and ex-CyberConnect employee Junichiro Tokuoka as they attempt to find out why players are falling into comas when playing in The World.
• .hack//GIFT - an OVA anime that was created as a "Gift" for those who had bought and completed all four .hack video games. It was available when the data flag on the memory card file in .hack//Quarantine was present. It is predominantly a comedy that makes fun of everything that developed throughout the series, even the franchise's own shortcomings. Character designs are deliberately simplistic.

NOVELS

• .hack//AI Buster - A novel released under Project .hack, in 2002. The story set in 2009 A.D. and it tells the story of Albireo and a prototype of the ultimate AI, Lycoris, and of how Orca and Balmung defeated "The One Sin" and became the Descendants of Fianna.
• .hack//AI Buster 2 - A collection of stories released under Project .hack. It involves the characters of AI Buster and Legend of the Twilight Bracelet: ".hack//2nd Character", ".hack//Wotan's Spear", ".hack//Kamui", ".hack//Rumor" and ".hack//Firefly". "Rumor" was previously released with the Rena Special Pack in Japan.
• .hack//Another Birth - The series of novelizations released under Project .hack. While the story of Another Birth is set in 2010 A.D. which is the same timeline event of .hack//Games, it focused on BlackRose story and her point of views during events.
• .hack//ZERO - A novel series released under Project .hack. It tells the story of a Long Arm named Carl, of what happened to Sora after he was trapped in The World by Morganna, and Tsukasa's real life, An Shoji after being able to log out from The World.
• .hack//Epitaph of Twilight - A novel series telling the story of Harald Hoerwick's niece, Lara Hoerwick, who finds herself trapped in an early version of The World set in 2007 A.D. The first volume novel was released in April 26, 2008.

MANGA

• .hack//Legend of Twilight (Manga) - A manga series released under Project .hack. It tells the story of two player characters Shugo and Rena, as they win a mysterious contest that earns them chibi character models from legendary players. The story of Legend of Twilight is considered Canon to the .hack series and this is also confirmed as the story of manga adapted into a sub-scenario for .hack//Link which it's official by CyberConnect 2.

.hack//Conglomerate

.hack//Conglomerate Project Media (2nd Season of .hack) 

    

Following the commercial success of Project .hack and during the development of Vol. 3-4 of the original .hack games which bringing forth the sequel known as .hack//Conglomerate although it was originally titled as Project G.U. Instead of a direct sequel, CyberConnect2 developed it as an independent series with connections to the first .hack series that new players could still enjoy.

The 2nd Season of .hack "Conglomerate" are typically referred to as .hack//G.U. The project leads by Hiroshi Matsuyama along with several involvement staff who worked on Conglomerate, most notable members who involved on the project are Seiichiro Hasokawa, Tatsuya Hamazaki, Kazunari Ito, Miu Kawasaki and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. 

The companies includes Victor Entertainment, Nippon Cultural Broadcasting, Bandai, TV Tokyo, Bee Train, and Kodakawa Shoten. 

The sequel takes place mainly in The World R:2 after the data from the original game was mostly lost, the main story mostly focus on main protagonist of G.U. Haseo. 

Although for those who want know what happen between .hack and .hack//G.U. also how data R:1 become lost and leads to creation of The World R:2, I recommend you to watch .hack//G.U. Terminal Disc which originally comes with the limited edition versions of .hack//G.U. Vol.1 Rebirth, but you can watch all chapters of Terminal Disc in .hack//G.U. Last Recode which available on PlayStation 4 and Steam.

GAMES

• .hack//G.U. - The second main title of PlayStation 2 games released on 2006, which consists three volumes like Rebirth, Reminisce, and Redemption which released for the .hack Conglomerate project. Takes place in The World R:2 in the year of 2017, focus on the player Haseo's search for a cure after his friend was attacked by mysterious player known as Tri-Edge, which led to his eventual involvement with Project G.U and the mysterious anomalies called AIDA.
• .hack//G.U. Vol.4 Reconnection - [SPOILER ALERT!! Please play all three volumes of G.U. to allows you know about this synopsis!] The direct-continuation to all three volumes of G.U. while considered as "Epilogue" chapter, set a year after Redemption and Returner, The World R:2 start ended it's operation at the end of the year, while Haseo rushed himself in time to find and Save Ovan on his verge in his ice, while encountering against a mysterious abnormalities once again that much greater than AIDA and Cubia along with a mysterious girl known as Kusabira become a key to Haseo's story in 4th Volume. The fourth volume was bundled with all three volumes of G.U. Games in the remastered release .hack//G.U. Last Recode on 2017 which now available on PlayStation 4 and Steam. As the CD Drama .hack//G.U. Innocent Call is considered as the prologue story to the Vol.4 Reconnection.
• .hack//G.U. The Card Battle - Trading card similar to .hack//ENEMY which was made by the original creators of G.U. games and there are two sets of rules, one based on the mini games in G.U. series, Crimson VS and the one specifically designed for trading card game. This game won the Origin Awards for the Best Trading Card Game of 2003.

ANIME

• .hack//Roots - The anime series released under the Conglomerate project and it's prequel story to G.U. games. Focus on Haseo joining (and subsequent exploits with) the Twilight Brigade guild. It also shows his rise to power and how he becomes known as "The Terror of Death". It was broadcasted April 5th, 2006. With the CD Drama, First Login which leads to the Roots story.
• .hack//G.U. Trilogy - The CGI video adaptation of the .hack//G.U. video games which focus on alternative stories but based on it's main original G.U. story as it was focused on Haseo as the protagonist, while Atoli also had main role in this movie as well. It was released on the limited theaters in Japan starting on December 22, 2007.
• .hack//G.U. Returner - A short OVA and the conclusion to .hack//Roots also set between Vol.3 Redemption and Vol.4 Reconnection. As it start when Ovan inviting Haseo and his friend to come to Hidden Forbidden Festival where a mysterious festival was set up. It was broadcasted on January 18, 2007.

NOVELS

• .hack//Cell - The novel series released under the .hack//Conglomerate project, written by Ryo Suzukaze, it took place at the same time as ROOTS event. The main plot centers around Midori selling herself out to would-be PKers, and some real-world events that center around the girl who also bears the name Midori (Midori Shimomura) who is in a coma.
• .hack//G.U. (Novel) - A novel adaptation to .hack//G.U. released under the .hack Conglomerate Project. Although it basically cover the same story from the game, but later the story goes divergent later to closely connected with .hack//SIGN and .hack//.

MANGA

• .hack//4koma - The gag manga series which throws a humor, featured characters from .hack and .hack//G.U.
• .hack//Alcor - The manga series released under the .hack Conglomerate project. Focus on a girl called Nanase, who appears to be quiet fond of Silabus, as well as Alkaid during her days as a empress of the Demon Palace. 
• .hack//GnU - A humorous manga series released under the .hack Conglomerate project. It revolves around a male Blade Brandier called Raid and the seventh division of the Moon Tree guild.
• .hack//G.U.+ - The manga adaptation of the three .hack//G.U. video games released under the .hack Conglomerate project. The story same as G.U. games but went into several different direction while few story still same like in Original G.U. games with introducing a brand-new characters at the later of story. The first volume of manga was released at February 12, 2008.
• .hack//XXXX - A manga adaptation to the four original .hack//Games while it released under .hack Conglomerate project. The story same as how Kite start on the original, but the difference is how the manga differs it's story for several parts which featured a Human version of Cubia and Morganna Mode Gone. The manga was released at September 7, 2006.

.hack//Third Season

.hack//Conglomerate & 3rd Season Project media

Third Season of .hack is a direct sequel to the Conglomerate (even though it's still part of .hack//Conglomerate) as the franchise will tied the story to all previous two projects, including how previous titles connected through one single project with this Third Season brings among revelation that were hidden in the progression of the series.

The project is also lead by Hiroshi Matsuyama along with a most notable members who handling the projects are, Hiroto Niizoto, Kikuya Megane, Seiichiro Hasokawa, Yano Masayuki, Kenei Nakasha, Kazuyoshi Futatsuka and Akihiro Anai.

According to Hiroshi Matsuyama and Hiroto Niizoto on their interview in .hack//ARCHIVE 04 -.hack//Link- they want to do for yearly development release cycle between Game, Anime, and Movie as three titles already on production at the same time and planning to release each one of three projects for three years to come.

For those who wants the content of .hack//3rd Season Project you can go to .hack//Translate as you can find all materials that weren't even localize to US are translated on it's website.

GAMES

• .hack//Link - The third game title with PlayStation Portable released under the .hack Conglomerate, but it's part of .hack//Third Season Project. The game was used to be claimed as the final game in the franchise focus on Tokio Kuryuu in the year of 2020, who is given a free copy of The World R:X by the popular but mysterious new classmate Saika Amagi. It contains playable and unplayable characters from .hack and .hack//G.U. video games, including characters from previous titles of .hack. As the game only exclusively release on Japan, the game's completely translated in English at December 15, 2018. 
• You can checked the .hack//Link English Translation page by clicking the link here.
• .hack//Versus - The PS3 game released under the .hack//Conglomerate and Third Season Project. The story focus on Player (it is revealed to be Kakeru Tanaka in .hack//Archive 05) who working together with a mysterious hacker known as 9 who went to solving the mysterious disappearance of players who were trapped in the online fighting game beta test VS The World which was intentionally doing by CC Corp.
• The .hack//Versus English Patch already released, you can play it on Modded PS3 or RPCS3 on your PC, for installation guides click the link here but you need to buy .hack//The Movie: Beyond the World + Versus HYBRID Pack in order to have .hack//Versus iso or you can find it on your own methods.
• .hack//Versus -English Patch- are credited by @Falions as a Translator and @Ryudo Gaming as a Programmer who had worked hard for this amazing efforts, you should all credited to them.
• For those who wants a online challenges community can join Versus VVednesday on Discord, but first you need to activate your RPCSN or your Modded PS3 network in order to activate the online network for .hack//Versus, the guide for activation are already on the Installation Guide link at above as well.
• You can also follow their Twitter Account for more information.
• Guilty Dragon: The Sin Dragon and The Eight Curses - a game for Android and IOS which exclusively for Japan, and it set in the new game online, The World: Armed Conflict. The service began from October 15, 2012 to March 23, 2016.
• The Guilty Dragon English Translation dialogues can be found here which is still currently in work by .hack//Translator.

ANIME

• .hack//Quantum - A three parts of OVA Series produced by Kinema Citrus Studio, set in 2022 A.D., focus on Sakuya along with her two friends, Tobias and Mary being caught in the strange circumstances that occur in The World R:X in Hermit those become a key to how story would play. Quantum OVA Series become the first anime series of .hack to be licensed by Funimation, it was premiered at December 27, 2010 to March 25, 2011.
• .hack//Beyond The World - The CGI movie took place in the year of 2024 A.D., where a reboot of The World under the name FORCE:ERA. The story follows Sora Yuuki who experience the first time log into The World while met with the mysterious white girl given her the white core to Sora's PC while caught encounter by the mysterious bug that would lead to another Immortal Dusk Crisis. .hack//Movie: Beyond The World was launched in the theaters throughout Japan at January 21, 2012.
• Thanatos Report - The OVA which can be unlocked in .hack//Versus after finishing the story mode, it follows David Steinberg on his investigation toward the mysterious organization known as MAMA who were involved behind the conspiracy of CyberConnect Corporation and ALTIMIT Corporation.

MANGA

• .hack//Link: Twilight Knights - The manga version of the LINK which released under the .hack Conglomerate and Third Season project which occurs three years after the end of G.U. set in the new version of The World called The World R:X focus on a player named Tokio Kuryuu and mysterious exchange student named Saika Amagi. Although the story direction majorly different from it's game version, but it focus on few depths toward character development and interaction for Tokio and Saika, along with Twilight Knights. The manga version was discontinued at Chapter 20 in February 26, 2010, just one month or few weeks before the release of .hack//LINK.
• .hack//Quantum: Introduction - The prologue manga story to the event of the OVA series, focus on Sakuya's first met with Tobias and Mary's first log in, as how it tells the beginning of their friendship before the event of Quantum OVA Series.
• Beyond The World: SORA - The manga adaptation to the CGI of .hack//Beyond The World focus on the same stories with Sora Yuuki's first time log into The World, while adding extra plot details and few tease for Thanatos Report event, along with 9 (Tokio Kuryuu) appear as a cameo.

NOVELS

• .hack//Bullet - The web novels released under .hack conglomerate and third season project. It follows the player of Fluegel, Ryuji Sogabe after event of .hack//Link receives an unexpected request from former colleague from CC Corp to investigate the mystery behind Geist and Jyotaro's involvement in Immortal Dusk. The first chapter was released at June, 15 2012.
• For overseas fans, you can read the translated web novel on translation page of .hack//Bullet.
• The E-Book version of .hack//Bullet released on January 18, 2021 which include an additional chapter, titled Versus Magician which set up Geist as returning character in .hack//Bullet after almost 11 years since his last appearance. As the E-Book been released on Sale, the website novel for JP has been shut down, so you need to buy the e-book novel, here on CC2 Store.

Why .hack//Franchise is the masterpiece?

.hack//Infection visual art by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto along how riches storytelling of .hack

If we gonna talk about it's series, it focus on heavy based generation technology, trends, network, and psychological mind condition problems, while it also more focused toward pieces of characters and interaction despite being about a video game. 

People can simulate and experience like MMORPG through the series game title, while exploring life through the lens of people's experience inside of and relating toward a video game and how it affect the people who played. It's much like they can experience like what they can do even in media social and MMORPG, this proving that it would help to create a human drama embodied by the game story and invest player into narrative.

However, .hack series is not just telling about interaction and creating a human drama. Each of .hack titles brings a message to all fans and people around the world regarding about social problems, life's journey, Choice, Friendship, and meeting fate which for me is the most important point about how meeting with people without any intention or something coincidence that lead them to met each other for the first time and how the story involving to each of them while connecting with one incident and how their fate meeting become part of their life that can only happens in The WORLD, if it wasn't for them, the story wouldn't become something as what it is now which all titles of dothack is for example.

.hack series will not be same without biggest efforts from staff team from CC2 & BNE, including the music soundtracks that fills the emotion, expression, thematical story, and feelings toward readers, gamers, viewers, and fans that they can feel the hearts and full of passion through all music, also how they work hard to fill an uniqueness of it's franchise and each of story theme that actually make it feel alive more than anything else, it become the most memorable music that really attached to all fans.

There are each .hack titles that represents story direction and theme through Social Problems, Life Struggles and Challenges. if I gonna choose the title series that brings through inspiration toward any fans, I might gonna choose .hack//G.U. and .hack//SIGN

.hack//SIGN

Tsukasa, a main protagonist to .hack//SIGN

.hack//SIGN is influence toward psychological and sociological subjects such as Anxiety, Escapism and interpersonal relationships, including representation of character diversity. If I thinking about Anxiety, indeed that I have most of that case about Anxiety and still have problem with it (lol), however, as story focus on Tsukasa, his character of the beginning representing what I already said above.

Everyone indeed has an anxiety, they afraid for something that brings them harm, failure, burden, blamed, and more things that it always become common things not just in online, but the reality very seems that they had a major problem as well. We let our fear and despair controlling us without a second thought, but Tsukasa had living in the harsher environment so the way he think for escaping from the reality become emotionally strong than any other people think, but indeed that they are afraid, wanting to escape, and living in the blissful of lie.

Mimiru and Tsukasa

However, as his story progresses more, he become more understand and how to handling his anxiety, because how his friend reached out to him, Subaru and Mimiru for example. At first people might didn't understand why person always doing something like this, why always running while they met him, or why he always shunned from them, that's the anxiety that become a major issues and problem. The worsening Anxiety and fear comes, could lead a possible suicide or something even worse than that.

Even the society think that people can do this alone without any help, but in the end, they realize that someone out there really needs help and they cannot solve all of their problems alone, along with his anxiety, they do need someone who can talk and find a way to make things out, or something they really need an advice. No matter what happens, humans never destined to be alone no matter what society says, they always need someone who always by their side, and need someone who always be there to overcome the fear and anxiety, Mimiru wanting to reach out Tsukasa might be for example, same goes for Subaru.

Bear is the best adult character.

I personally like Bear, who is an adult who would had a common sense, he's mature adult unlike any adults like Tsukasa's father do, he also to be the one who always look out for Tsukasa and reaching out for him, he become example for how Adults not to think about the happiness of the world, but to think about the children who would become next generation after them, that's he as father might not want his children ended up being abuse. I think whether he is a wiser or not, he is someone who could always be there for him, and I'm glad he adopted Tsukasa as her Guardian.

Tsukasa x  Subaru

As for Subaru and Tsukasa, I think they become the first LGBT+ representation in .hack series, it brings more introduction toward diversity of the story along with it's character, since Tsukasa's player is a Girl.

.hack//G.U.

Haseo, the Legendary PKK the Terror of Death

In .hack//G.U. is basically theme as Glow Up, to be honest I don't know what it means, it could be about representing Haseo's life journey from being jerky ass into a mature who believes Power that came from many forms that he had met, and I could say this is a growth development and best story driven development. But if some of you think his character is too edgy, let's just drop that words and see something else on his story development through three volumes and fourth volume.

If we take the story from beginning, Haseo is the PKK Terror of Death who is in hunt for searching the mysterious player known as Tri-Edge in order to cure his friend, Shino. If you watch Roots anime, I think it represent something about losing what is really precious to Haseo, or means to lost something, and how he would find it again is how G.U. story would tell his story.

Learning to understand about himself and the Power while receives the form of Xth.

As the story progress, they met a lots of friends, rival, and also someone who had different methods but share a same goal and began to understand what it values to his journey and what is the true meaning of Power he seek. At first he want to use power for vengeance and hatred against those who really precious to him are being taken away and never thinking anyone else but only for someone whom he had already lost, Shino for example. He cannot move on or cannot face another obstacle, always focuses in only one direction and fear for losing them. 

There's also an important things to tell his character from beginning, one things important from his beginning journey is a trust issues, as due to his first experience being PKed by PKers, IYOTEN and Asta during his first login. This could lead how we saw in .hack//Roots as his trauma getting PKed has causing him having a trust issue toward others, but those trust regain following meeting with Shino, Ovan, Tabby and Sakisaka after joining Twilight Brigade. But with all things happen following their quest to find The Key of the Twilight, Ovan's disappearance, and few members of the guild retiring from playing a game (As for Tabby, well you should watch .hack//Roots for that, but indeed she retiring, until post-game Vol.3 Redemption), and now Shino, who've been PKed by Tri-Edge become main driven of his intention a way to save her, and the vengeance against the one who putting Shino into Coma, or as Lost One if call now.

Now as I said before, this is how his Trust Issues continues and he cannot think the other things except hunting Tri-Edge and curing Shino. As this is the reason of his lust for power that he could obtain in use of vengeance, that power that made his avatar Skeith, The Terror of Death went berserk during Demon Palace Tournament, is how the consequence for using the power of Epitaph because of his Lust for Power is the reason of that happen, that is also a reason that he lead Skeith went berserk and out of control.

His character in the beginning of G.U. is how to depict how much he had lost his way for understanding the true meaning about Power, and the start of his journey is only to save Shino, Hunt Tri-Edge and obtaining more power is the only way he could live up to. But meeting someone like Atoli, Gaspard, Silabus, Alkaid, Kuhn, Pi, Yata, and anyone that he had encounter, he realized that his direction of life had change, turning a wheel of it's fate and broaden his eyes to the world, with how his direction focus toward many bringing to his understand about Life and Power Struggle through his journey, and the inevitable Truth that hit it's hardest to it core, those become what it define Haseo to these days. No one knows who's ally and enemies, but the progression will become clear, and the truth is very most dangerous to hindered, no one could ever run away from the truth, it is just inevitable and his story what it leads to that.

Same goes for everyone, sometimes had a fear and only focus one direction to the most thing that they usually do on their life, but meeting someone who had entered to your life bringing another meaning of your existence and meaning of your struggle, if G.U. is about Glow up or so Grow Up, it represent something that challenges, growth, encounter, and truth brings people to change as one who begin to understand the meaning behind their struggle, become a mature, and proud that the goal they had come so far become much more worth it and very meaningful than what they usually do in the past. 

But it wouldn't work if it's not for Ovan who had found him he wouldn't met Shino & understand the beauty of The World, and if it's not for Silabus and Gaspard who accidently crash toward him, Haseo might just be Jerky Haseo XD like we know as a Terror of Death. But let's just say, Ovan is the most character who became a key to Haseo's development throughout three volumes of G.U. and everything he do is the pathway for his grow up.

Haseo in Vol.4 Reconnection with his 5th Form.

All of his development being pay-off satisfyingly with .hack//G.U. Vol.4 Reconnection and concluding his story as well how his development from start to end has lead up to this moment where he want to save Ovan and how he understand the true meaning of Power is. and indeed that .hack//G.U. become the first game of .hack that I've ever played.

There are many stories that brings the message to all fans around The World, as what Hiroshi told us that "They didn't create an Useless Story" that's brings more reason why .hack series become a masterpiece with riches storyline, music and gameplay brings more glimmering experience more for the fans whose not just thirst for the MMO, but enjoying what message that they would give to us through .hack stories.

Is .hack//Franchise deserves for the second chance?

.hack//Quarantine key visual by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

The answer is Yes, the series deserve for the second chance and it would become an opportunity to introduce Isekai theme through .hack series in different way. Why .hack? because the way story handled has bring the most realistic story tell about MMO and exploring life & interaction between players in the online game, which is another themes of the franchise. It brings life change for the people who had play and become a fans to the series since the childhood, there also a new fans or those who didn't play it are willing to try it's first game in the remake version for the current and next generation consoles to brings nostalgia to the old and can also be enjoyed for new fans.

Even the franchise has been quiet dead, but the hearts, passionate, and it's dedication for the series weren't disappear, as how the series become a largest part and the source of heart of the community itself, it become attached to anyone who had played this game and how they appreciate an unique, social problems, interaction game, MMORPG offline based-story, and it's a unique storytelling by Gamers, Anime Watchers, Readers and even to all Community.

That brings a many reasons why we should believe and prove that our support toward the series never fade away and make them realize how much important for fans cried, hoping for the series to return, that's why we need Bandai Namco Entertainment and CyberConnect 2 to hear our cries and prove how .hack series deserves for the second chance and it's revival. (Actually you need to make ultimate request to BNE, as soon as possible).

How to support and bring our voice to its revitalize of dothack franchise?

There ways to reach our voice toward CyberConnect2 and Bandai Namco Entertainment, such as:

1. Get Active on Online - Be vocal and talk about the series on social media, make a website, make fan artwork, fan fiction, cosplay, etc. The key here is to be as transparent as possible--show and be seen! Do things that are easily found, discovered, shared, etc. Also, get involved in other fan circles online. There are all sorts of hubs for connecting with other .hackers, you shouldn't have trouble finding other like-minded fans! You can sharing your fan works or anything that make you active, you need to use #dothackrevival and #bringbackdothack to letting know CyberConnect2 and Bandai Namco as how you continue to get active on Social Media and Online.
2. Purchase .hack Games & Available Merch - Although it may be difficult to get items new these days, it's important to support the series with your wallet. Please be aware that the money you pay for any used item from a 3rd party does not go to the publisher or developer... so although your collection might get a bit bigger, it's not exactly helping to revitalize the series... UNLESS you take all sorts of photos of your collection and rally the fanbase, which would fall under #1 above!!
3. Write to BNE & Frequently - Tell them you want more .hack, show them how passionate you are and what the series means to you. Write to their email on the website, their twitter, Facebook, anywhere you can. Get others to do the same!
4. Petition - You also need petition to shown how much people who love for .hack franchise to come back, According to Hiroshi Matsuyama on CC2 Japan #48 regarding about .hack//IMOQ HD remastered or remake, you need 2.000.000 people signing petition to reach it's voice toward the publisher in order to change their mind and realize how fans still interested with dothack franchise leading up to it's revitalization, but at least you can gather the people to sign petition at least for 200.000, 300.000, 600.000, and 800.000 to be able to do it. There are someone who already created petition to bring back and release .hack//IMOQ HD remastered or Remake, by clicking the petition page here.
• CC2 Fan Club also announce a survey petition whether you are choosing for .hack//IMOQ HD Remastered/Remake or a New .hack series title. You can click the link survey here!
5. Support the Developer - You need to bombarding Bandai Namco with the request to continue the .hack as it already stated by Hiroshi Matsuyama that you need to send request to it's publisher due to .hack franchise was own by Bandai Namco Entertainment. While the other things you can do is to follow CC2 on Social Media, Share their works, get other people interested and follow the new projects. For the overseas fans you can check @cc2information along with an upcoming Q&A episodes of Hiroshi Matsuyama for the information.
6. Buy .hack//G.U. Last Recode - Lastly is you need to buy the game of latest .hack series, G.U. Last Recode. The last time, the game was sold at 300k Copies and in order to support the series, you need to buy the game and increased it's sells copies in order for publishers needs to think that .hack series needs to continue. You can buy it on PlayStation Network for PS4 and Steam or you can buy it on the game store, or buy it on Nintendo Switch which would be release at March 11, 2022 in Worldwide.

Thanks to Rekka Alexial for the giving us ways to support dothack.

While regarding the petition segment and hashtag, along with petition link are credited by me, while the petition for .hack//IMOQ HD created by @RoxKinoske and @CC2FanClub on twitter, you can sign the petition.

The Beginner Guide to .hack franchise

For those who really curious and want to try the series, but didn't know where to start, there's video who can helped you.

Thanks to @falions for making guides would be use for the first starter fans of .hack.

But my recommendation is you need to start either .hack//SIGN or .hack//Games, because two of them are perfect opening broaden for you to entering The World of .hack. The video above might explained more in details, but Beware for some major spoilers.

For those who are really confused with a major chronologies release order or which titles or series that really canon to the series story, you can open the .hack//List (Created by @Falions and Pixel Art by @Custat) which is a a comprehensive list of .hack media organized by Japanese release order, it was also meant to help for new people wants to try watch/playing/reading the title series without being confused which is canon or not. 

Conclusion

Even though the series still has flaws, inconsistency, and cliffhanger as what issues been described by viewers, players and fans, .hack series is what holds people together as community of MMORPG and how many titles somehow would change people's perception, bringing the great experience in game in realistic way as how they could imagine how it brings more feelings and energetic experience to all long-time and new fans as they can enjoy. Although we don't know what future holds, but whatever it is, this series will always special in our heart and will never be able to replace it, something what they see and what they feel after playing the game series of .hack, you actually feel the first time to try an offline MMORPG.

I hope that CyberConnect2 and Bandai Namco Entertainment would reach our voice to revitalize it's franchise into a new direction while also remaking the older game of .hack, including .hack//IMOQ HD Remake. It would took few years to come, but that doesn't meant that we would give up, we would make sure that our goals will be reach, we can only hope for dothack series deserves it's second chance.

All I can say is, Have a faith my friend, faith!!✊👍

Now what do you think? what is your first experience with .hack// series? what is the first game of .hack that you had ever played? and how do you feel after experiencing the immersive story of .hack? All those question is only you can answer...

BONUS: The END OF .hack Multimedia Project

Teaser Images for The End of .hack project and Ryuji & David character art are designed by Custat

It is fan-made project handled by Wielant (Writer), Custat (Illustrator), and W.B Yeats (Co-Writer) considered as reimagining conclusion to .hack series which ties all plots from previous dothack titles, including information and revelation from .hack//ARCHIVE 05 -Beyond the World & Versus- SECRET FILE. 

As their is no current and latest announcement for dothack content by CC2, the fan-team putting a lot of efforts to creating all revealed information, including lore that really lead up to the The END OF .hack project as well as how it bringing satisfying level of conclusion to the all three seasons of dothack. If fans needed so much for dothack content that CC2 and Bandai Namco unable to give one immediately, and you can try to follow up this project, because this is worth effort that they had created as a proper conclusion, but this is the beginning of the end as it stated.

.hack//Bullet -Recoil Arc- Banner

Staring with .hack//Bullet -Recoil Arc- is the direct-continuation to Bullet event, which set immediately after Ryuji Sogabe's last encounter with the CC Corp Main Branch President, Veronica Bain, he become obsesses to exposing her crimes to the world and putting his wife memories to rest. The continuation brings earn possibility that how its story would lead to it's conclusion to what it come so far in Bullet.

Although, whether Bullet: Recoil Arc is the only project or there will be new titles for it's project is still unknown.

You can follow up a latest chapter, database information, and news by follow @Wielant (Twitter) on his twitter, and for the illustration you can credit to @Custat (Twitter) Along with the page website of .hack//Bullet: Recoil Arc, you can checked it by click the link here. 

Please look forward for the next chapter of Bullet: Recoil Arc, as all link has been set above and I hope you enjoy it's continuation with their own version.

Closing

I hope this article post would help to bring explanation as why dothack series deserve it's second chance, WE ALL LOVE .hack 💖 so we would use our voice to make Bandai Namco greenlight and revitalize the series project once more, for my personal closing, I want to tagging fans who dedicate their love for dothack, but I'm still worried if they weren't happy with me reposting or copyrighting their works (Although I already write and crediting them), but remember, this post is meant promotional purpose, it is not meant for my own. I'm just an ordinary fans of dothack and I want to keep deliver this message to all fans who still fighting for their love of dothack series.

Hope you guys stay safe and good luck.....

Special Thanks to...

Although they do not involve for this blog post, but they had their own roles and efforts to create contents and communities existence to alive, and still survive as it is today, so you all need to appreciate them as well:

.hack//Wikia

You can checked all compendium of .hack on it's wikia, featured all character information, lore, terminology and everything you need there, click the link to .hack Wikia here.

Crow Black Bullet, Treasurer-Hacker, and Kukkai

.hack//Translate

You can checked all work translated project on .hack//Translate

Kazetrigger (Main Translator for .hack//Translate), Falions (for translating several important 3rd Season .hack media and also for the beginner video)

The END OF .hack project

Custat (Illustrator), Wielant (Writer), W.B Yeats (Co-Writer)

Cyber Connect 2 Official Japanese Fan Club

@CC2FanClub

Also Special Thanks to all great .hack Community

@AlexKinoske, Rekka Alexiel, @Ryudogaming, dothacknetwork, @camoonesar (Misaki), @Alberto83448128 (Alberto Thomas), K-Su, Kazetrigger, Jun Bansyoya, Shinton Woton, Kulaguy, OtakuD50, RPG, Amaso, 李玠泓 (Jack), Dominque Leung, Tommy Yip, X-Zero, D5t, Erroneous, Andrew, Sarah, Nicolas de Leão, Xithyl_Kykorl, and also to all communities who still be there for the series.

Thank you to all fans who still dedicating their life as a true dothack fans.💓💓💓💬⬣⬢