Dot Hack is a massive franchise that essentially revolves around the MMORPG, 'The World' and the people who are effected by it and the people who try to discover the mysteries behind it. There are strange events, such as children who have fallen into comas or become trapped in the 'The World. ' It's a bit metafictional as you play characters who play the videogame. The setting it explicitly in a videogame gives a nice spin on the cliche fantasy setting. It's inspired by everything from classic RPGs, classic operas, fantasy, poets, and William Butler Yeats, braveheart, and Alice in Wonderland. The series has varios different RPGs and videogames, anime and manga and other media associated with it. I think they were trying to emulate the feel of an opera, or an epic poem.
Apparently .hack// was originally conceived as a game called Phantom Thief, which did not include any of the videogame or MMORPG aspects. It was also heavily inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Some of the Alice in Wonderland inspirations have still made it through to the finished games.
Aura, the perfect AI who lives within the World. The similarities between Alice are pretty obvious. It's also worth noting that she's dressed in white, and characters literally chase her not unlike a certain rabbit.
Mia or Macha, a Chesire Cat. She lacks iconic grin. She also bears some similarities to the white rabbit. It's almost as if they combined the white rabbit and chesire cat and gave it a fantasy twist.
Why is this related to a blog about giant monsters? Well in .hack//GU certain characteres can summon 'Avatars' of the bosses from the previous .hack// games. The avatars are essentially a stylized version of Eldritch Abominations. Which means there's a giant Chesire Cat Eldritch Abomination type of monster, and I absolute love its design. I mean just look at this thing.
The level of surrealness in this design almost feels like more of an acid trip than Alice in Wonderland, which is certainly saying something. It appears to be a vaguely humanoid with the lower torso of a giant rose, the face of a cat, and what appears to be a wedding viel of purple energy and trible tattoos. The giant rose, and two coloured mask tie in together the first to designs of Macha very well. Eyes are everywhere in the details.
In .hack//Quantum a character named Hermit appears as a very cute version of Mia from the first games. He lacks the rabbit ears, but he is too adorable so it doesn't matter. He also has the ability to make things literally disappear with a touch, which brings back some of his Chesire Cat like origin. Although I can't decide if that was intentional or not.
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