.hack//SIGN, Vol. 1: Login

Taking place almost entirely in The World--an online virtual reality fantasy game environment--this popular series opens with Tsukasa waking up in a treasure room, with no memory of how he arrived there. Opening a treasure chest, he gains the protection of a mysterious benefactor whose avatar is a leprechaun-like figure with a cat's face and tail. Tsukasa discovers that unlike the other players, he does not need to use a Chaos Gate to move between game locations (servers), and he is defended by a glowing barbell-shaped creature that appears whenever he is in danger. Some players, like the spunky Mimiru (a girl who carries a really big sword) try to befriend him, while other characters, including the Lady Subaru and her Crimson Knights, who enforce the rules of The World and aid in system administration, begin to suspect that Tsukasa has discovered an object never proven to actually exist: the Key of the Twilight, which can override the foundations of The World itself. Unfortunately, there is one thing that Tsukasa finds he cannot do: logout. This disc, the first of six in the series, features a generous five episodes sporting marvelously sharp and colorful state-of-the-art animation, and while the story is perhaps a bit juvenile, it's also very enjoyable and often intriguing. And everything else is high-quality: the character designs, music, English dub (the disc also contains the original Japanese version), DVD transfer, and menus. Sure to be in demand, thanks to its high profile airing on the Cartoon Network (there's no nudity or explicit violence) and the release of the .hack//SIGN videogame, this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (S. Raiteri)