Reviews

.hack//AI buster by Tatsuya Hamazaki

froggebip's review

4.0

This is, first and foremost, a book for younger folks. I read it in just a couple hours.

I will say, if you're a diehard fan of the .hack// series like I am, there's probably some interesting trivia in this book. We get to see Orca and Balmung in their prime, as well as get some back story on the goings-on in CC Corp. It's a fun little story and should be entertaining for fans of .hack//SIGN, or really any of the .hack// side stories.

halfelfschollar's review

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

This book offers a really interesting look into how The World functions in the .hack world. How the game was made and how it continues to be maintained. It also gives us a good look at the AI the game creates. 

While it was interesting to read about these things it's also a sad book. I had to sit with it for a couple of days after reading simply because of the questions it caused me to ask myself about life and what counts as a living person. While extremely loose, I would consider this book to have themes of suicide especially near the end.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide

isabellamariakc's review

Excellent insight to the dot hack world; an engaging five star story. However, Tokyopop's infamous translational errors regarding dot hack effectively tamper with comprehension of the story.

fujo_cat's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, but wow, I like it! It reminded me of SAO in a way, but this protagonist - Albireo - has much more character and I like to follow him around. There's one character who shows up in the first chapters and I can't handle them tho, so freaking annoying... Maybe there are people who find that attitude cute and adorable, but I found it quickly stressful and tiring. However, the mystery of this world we're in is enticing enough for me to overlook that specific annoying character and keep reading! The pace is very fast, so you can read this VERY quickly. It only took me two days to finish it! :) 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual harassment and Violence

blessa's review

4.0

wow, what a trip down memory lane. i never played the video game portion of the franchise (ironically), but voraciously consumed the manga, anime, and novels growing up; i can and do 100% attribute my early interest in cyberpunk, constructed mythologies in digital world-building, and AI technology particularly to the series. so, a goal of mine this year was to revisit all of the .hack//another birth light novels (tall order, given that none of the .hack novelizations are available online), and when i found AI buster at a used book shop this past weekend, couldn't resist branching out. so glad i did--not only are the intermittent illustrations are utterly charming, but the lore of the .hack universe it expands upon is so wonderful and compelling. if you're looking for 'serious' storytelling in the vein of a traditional novel, look elsewhere--these books are ultimately intended to be companions to the video game series (and tie-in anime+manga), but wow, they are so immersive. so glad to have rediscovered AI buster and can't wait to get my hands on the sequel i impulsively ordered off of ebay earlier (: what a gem.

cyanide_latte's review

5.0

[REVIEW TO COME LATER UPON RE-READ.]

houxli's review

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0