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The series was initially shown on TV Tokyo between April 3 and September 25, 2002, but has since been adapted for American audiences and shown on Cartoon Network starting February 1, 2003, and has been more recently distributed on DVD by Bandai Entertainment.
.hack//SIGN follows the story of Tsukasa (司) as he struggles to cope with his inner self, his past, and his inability to log out of the MMORPG The World.
The series can be fairly confusing for those who do not regularly watch the series, and it is very much integrated in many ways with the rest of the series storylines, further complicating the plot for the uninitiated. It also been commented to be a 'talky' series, both positively and negatively, for a story set in a video game. The story ties into the overall .hack mythos, but can be viewed on its own.
.hack//SIGN is well-known for its unique soundtrack, all of which was composed by the talented Yuki Kajiura of Noir and Aquarian Age fame. Much of the background music was sung by Emily Bindiger and Yuriko Kaida , whilst the opening and ending themes, Obsession and Yasashii Yoake, were done by Kajiura's musical group See-SawSee-Saw is a female JPop/ JRock duo (formerly a trio) consisting of Chiaki Ishikawa (lead vocals) and Yuki Kajiura (back-up vocals, keyboards). A former member was Yukiko Nishioka who left the group in their early years due to conflicts. The duo of Ishika.