Nut Ink. Mini reviews of texts old and new. No fuss. No plot spoilers. No adverts. Occasional competency.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

.hack//Legend of the Twilight: Volume Two (2003)

Author: Tatsuya Hamazaki | Illustrator: Rei Izumi | Page Count: 177

The only ones that can protect this world are the players that live in it…” 

If you go to THIS POST, read the first paragraph and then return here, it’ll save me from exhausting my word count a second time.  Although, I have very little to say about the second volume, so some filler would help me out; it certainly worked for the book’s author.  The trilogy was originally a two-part adventure, and it was decided during the writing process that it should be expanded beyond that.

Volume Two of Three has Shugo, Rena and their ramshackle party hunting for clues to a mystery that isn't very mysterious at all.  Nor do they have to hunt for very long, as all answers are conveniently sign-posted, which robs the mystery of any weight it would've had, and the journey of any drama it could've had.  I’d have accepted a lazy montage of dead ends and empty roads, but we got zip.
Along the way the twins get into a situation that briefly offers a glimpse of how much they care about each other, but it didn't develop into anything deep.

Thankfully, the latter half of the book throws up a surprise or two, so don’t toss it in the corner too quickly.  It ends on a pretty big cliff-hanger, so make sure you have Volume Three close to hand.

2½ instances of overwhelming chibi cuteness out of 5

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