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-Running Time: 300
-Screen Format: Widescreen
-Number of Discs: 3
-Special: Limited edition collectors box available with Vol. 1.

Welcome back to "The World."

It has been four years since the incident that has come to be known as The Twilight. Many of those who witnessed it no longer come to "The World." It's a different place. A safer place.

Shugo and his twin sister Rena are two of the newest players to join "The World." And they've won a very special prize in a contest - they get to use the character likenesses of the legendary Kite and Black Rose. Such a prize is very rare indeed, and it makes them the center of a lot of attention.

Among those watching are Mireille, a self-proclaimed "Rare Hunter" who has an obsession for finding rare items. And there there's the mysterious Ohka, a drop-dead gorgeous woman who is as fierce as she is beautiful. And also among the onlookers is a figure from the past, Balmung of the Azure Sky.

As Shugo and Rena begin to discover what "The World" olds for them, it becomes very clear that they are not ordinary players. Unusual things keep happening around them, but they're too busy having fun to really worry. Its probably nothing. Probably.

Now this is more like it. Off the tails of the first series ".hack//sign" and following the story set from the .hack video game series is ".hack//Legend of the Twilight," a great successor to the 1st TV series.

Our main characters, Shugo and Rena, are twin brother and sister respectively. Rena won a contest to use the likeness Kite and Black rose, and although reluctant at first, Shugo agrees to play and share in the prize. Not only did they inherit those likenesses and even Kite's legendary bracelet, but their old problems along with them. Shugo and Rena become the center of attention and primary targets for hackers of the game. Why? Because Shugo's bracelet is the only thing that can stop them.

"Legend of the Twilight" is a much more up-beat, cute, and cheerful series than its predecessor "sign". LotT keeps the mystery and adventure in tandem and doesn't try to theologize the essence that is "The World." Demons, monsters, and epic loot are abound and the fun is only interrupted by the bad guys and those with too much administrative authority.

The characters are very well developed and even the co-stars such as Mireille and Ohka are very well personified. The bad guys even have a bit of "pull" in regards to emotional attachment. But this series isn't lovey dovey, its full of fantasy action and can be a good thrill. There is even some sexuality and fan service that was completely missing in "sign". .hack//LotT has covered all the bases this time around.

If this reviewer had one complaint it would be that a large stretch of the series Rena is trapped in some hacked sub-dimension....and she's there for quite a long time. Rena is by far the most intriguing character in the series and to limit her role in such a fashion was a mistake. This is a short 12 episode series and for nearly 1/2 of that she's couped up in a dark dingey hole in the wall or captured by the hackers and rogue AI. But on the other hand, not a single episode feels like a "filler" and the series ends just the way you hope it would.

Overall the series is very well done, but not perfect. The story will grab your attention, the characters are very original and entertaining, and "The World" itself is very beautiful. The main plot itself isn't weak, but could use some shoring up. Also the original idea of an anime based on an "MMORPG" has played its course in the first season. Not only that, they don't attempt to expand on the ideas and real situations that are common with the genera of games. None-the-less it's fun series and highly recommended.