My first post this year, after a long break from watching full series of anime because of playing the god-damn MMORPG flyff. Still playing yeah.

There will be no picture for this review of .hack//Roots, I am so lazy to take screen shots.  Edit (19 March 2007): added a picture!

Story:-
Just like its many predecessors, the setting takes place inside a MMORPG where a bunch of characters, inclusive of course of the main protagonist Haseo, formed a guild named Twilight Brigade (and yeah, there are guilds named like this in flyff clusters) to find that rare relic named The Key of the Twilight. Then after the guild leader goes missing, the vice-captain goes to a coma like those people in .hack//sign. This caused Haseo to become emo up until the end of the series, and you will have to buy the games to know what happened next muahahaha.

Anyway, IMO Roots has a better storyline compared to SIGN, and can become even much better without all those romantic tinges over it. If you do not like the story, control Haseo yourself in the game. For 26 episodes, quite a bit long though because this is just a teaser before the game trilogy.

Character Design:-
Not exactly original, the same styles used in the sign series are also used here. Nothing more to be said, move along.

Voice acting:-
Haseo has a great voice actor, and so that floating old geezer at the bridge and Tabby. These 3 stands out very well. Apart from that, nothing really good, even Ovan or Shino.

Music:-
Great OST, but not the OP or ED themes. In fact, the insert songs are better than the themes.

Animation/Direction:-
The animation are fluid. The direction are pretty safe though, nothing to rave or comment about.

Conclusion:-
7 out of 10. Meh, nothing to shout about as a standalone series. Playing the game after watching this are almost essential.