Forum - View topic.hack (all novels)
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Aromatic Grass
 Posts: 2424 Location: Raleigh, NC |
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This thread includes discussion on all the .hack novels, which to my knowledge, only three exist. The only two which I have read are AI buster and Another Birth; the other is .hack//Zero.
AI buster, in my opinion, contains some of the most entertaining storylines of all the series (anime and manga included). Maybe it's just that the main character, Albireo, seems more realistic (and down to earth) than the other characters. The side stories also clear up a lot of the leftovers from the anime, manga, game, etc. Another Birth is very good in that it focuses on BlackRose rather than Kite. Her non-game character is more appealing to me. This collection of four novels is more for entertainment than AI buster is. Well, having not read the other novel, I have no opinion on it. Supposedly it takes place right after SIGN, whereas AI buster takes place before and during. Hmm, it's not like there will be many responses here. I don't know how many of you .hack fans actually read the (crappily translated) novels. |
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ANBUx3
 Posts: 187 |
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I've read AI Buster 1-2, and Another Birth 1-3. I liked Another Birth best, seeing as I was really into the games.
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Deltakiral
 Posts: 3338 Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK) |
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Not to bust your balls or anything but there are only three novels currently available in the US, but in total the number of novels for .hack currently totals 6. 2 AI Buster novels, (counted seperately) Another Birth (4 novels) and the novels that aren't currently available in North America are Cell, GU and Zero. Zero has been all but canceled and the third (and final volume) of GU will be out in October. As for Cell it deals with the anime root indirectly but there are events that happen in both the novel and anime. Cell is about a girl Midiori who has people pay her to let them PK her. Check out the hack//wiki if you are interested it has a great deal of information. Also sort of related is the book Analysis, which basically tell which stories are canon and which aren't. It also has a lot of information that wasn't previously know, and has additional information on many of the novels/manga/anime/games.
Completely agree here, while I like the AI buster stories and the way they add a depth to the "world". Another Birth has really expanded one of the character that was originally annoying in the game and has really given her a back story that you care about. It's made me look back at the game and at the actions taken by BlackRose. |
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Aromatic Grass
Posts: 2424 Location: Raleigh, NC |
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Hm, well, I haven't heard of the other two. And I thought G.U. was a manga...Either way, I don't have any balls. 
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Emerje
 Posts: 7415 Location: Maine |
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There's a GU novel too, as said before it's in three parts. Some seem to think its closer to original GU concept. Who knows. I hope Zero does have/get a proper ending, but it may be too late now, CyberConnect2 has moved on with Conglomerate, but then again they did do XXXX (which I'm happy to see is being released by Tokyopop, I like this version of Cubia even if it isn't canon). Zero doesn't seem to really fit the time line (after Sign but before Liminality, though Sora is in it), not really sure I'm seeing the writer's vision here. Cell looks like it'll be a lot of fun, I hope it gets a release. Hard to believe a bit character in Roots has her own book.
So far I've read the two AI Buster books (Albireo is currently my favorite .hack character BTW) and up to book 3 of Another Birth (just 30 pages left to read of book 3) and book 4 is already bought and waiting. What I like about the novels is the heavy focus on the human side of the games which is in strict contrast to the anime (with the exception of Liminality which only touches lightly on game-play). Though, I'll admit that I became slightly disenchanted by use of emotes in the novel, how everything we seen in the anime is nothing more than a heavy use of keyed in commands (no mention of macros, are they crazy?). The other nice thing is the additional interaction between characters like Alberio taking on Macha or BlackRose partying with Mia and Elk. It's too bad Conglomerate focused so much on Haseo. I like the character, but between the manga, anime, and games they hardly swayed away from him other than in the Cell novel. On the other hand you've got Project which explored every facet of the World and you have several main characters representing different parts of the time line. It's all good, but GU could have been more. Emerje |
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Aromatic Grass
Posts: 2424 Location: Raleigh, NC |
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Same here, about Albireo. I'm also in the middle of Another Birth book three and have volume four sitting on the shelf. There's no time for me to finish one and start the other with all this school stuff going on right now.
I really get a kick out of BlackRose's "split personality." That, and Albireo's pondering about the universe of the game. It really lets you see into the characters' real lives and helps explain why they may act a certain way (esp. when they're annoying). |
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Madhaxorsbaby
Posts: 13 |
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I liked AI buster the best out of the two mentioned in the first post.
It added depth to the game and uncovered a lot of things that didn't make sense before. It also made the game seem more like a modern day mmorpg than some futuristic thingamajig. the only thing I liked about another birth was how the dissected mintrels(sp?) character. She was much more interesting in my opinion than Black rose and I personally think she deserves her own novel. I hope they bring the G.U. novels to the U.S. as I am a big fan of the G.U. games. |
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Psycho_Despair
Posts: 376 Location: East of Eden |
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The GU novels actually are closer to the original GU concept, its said at the Afterword. So far I only got Vol.1 The Terror of Death, want to get the second novel. -_-' |
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NalaniStar
 Posts: 1 |
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I wasn't even aware that there were .hack novels. The only japanese novel that I have read is Battle Royale. I love the .hack manga, anime and games so I'm completely into reading these now.
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akiodie
Posts: 16 |
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the games really tripped me out i mean something about walking around talking to bots that say things like "roflmao" and "i like cheese" was a serious wtf
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Ovan~the~Rebirth
 Posts: 127 |
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Yay, a .hack// novel topic!
Well, I've read both A.I. buster books, all of the .hack//Another Birth novels and am currently reading the second .hack// G.U. novel. Out of them all I prefer the G.U. novels the most. A.I. Buster just seems to simply worded as far as descriptions and stuff goes. I know G.U.'s novels is basically the scenario for the G.U. games, but I find them alot better. Though I wish Tokyopop would actually check and proof their titles. I'm mostly annoyed with how in the second G.U. novel Haseo is refered to as the "Fear of Death" when they call him "Terror of Death" in all the games, mangas and in the first G.U. novel. I had wished that someone else would have released .hack in the states than Tokyopop. but i guess beggars can't be choosers. |
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