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Reviewed by Kelvin Green The first computer game I remember playing regularly was Felix Meets The Evil Weevils on the Acorn Electron, and I've been playing games ever since. I've never been obsessive about it; even after twenty years of buying games, I only own a few, and play even fewer. Nonetheless you could call me an enthusiast, I suppose. One genre I've always enjoyed is the role-playing game (rpg), and as such, I've been eyeing the .hack "event" for a while. I call it an "event" because it's something of a cross-medium affair. .hack exists as manga, an anime series, a couple of anime movies, and of course, a video game rpg. As far as I'm aware, this is unique; while multimedia spin-offs are common in manga and anime, I don't know of many cases where everything arrived at once, in one unified push. I'm told that each aspect of .hack references and enriches the other, that the whole thing is essentially a multimedia crossover, but I'm dealing with the manga alone here, for the sake of my bank balance if nothing else. And... Well, it's never going to be held up as a classic of the medium, but even so I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's a great deal of geeky pleasure to be had in seeing monsters popping up with their numerical level floating above their heads, and the characters receiving experience points for killing them. It's all ridiculously artificial and silly, but it does at least prevent .hack from being nothing but a generic fantasy manga. If you're looking for some decent fantasy storytelling, you won't really find it here, but if you've got any love for video games, and rpgs in particular, there's lots to enjoy. Even so, the book isn't without merit. The characters are fairly well written, and are well-rounded and likable enough to carry the book. The relationships between the various characters also help to hold the reader's interest, with some inter-character dynamics developing that should lead to some fun stories. It looks good too. The style is cartoony, but not too cutesy to stomach, and it's dynamic and exciting while at the same time remaining clear and readable. I've encountered so much manga in the past that's attempted to capture a kinetic feel with the art, at the expense of clarity, leading to lots of panels of fast-moving yet frustratingly obscure lumps, and it's refreshing to see that avoided here. The character designs are fun and interesting, and while the female lead's costume veers dangerously close to fan service, on the whole, the designs are sensible and appropriate to the world. I was pleasantly surprised by .hack. I was expecting something juvenile and superficial, and while there is that aspect to it, it's entertaining enough that that isn't an issue. It's certainly not the best manga I've ever read, but it's a fun way to pass the time. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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