This is a story about people who hopefully want to believe that the game is something more than just a game. And literally, history lives on this faith. The characters here are not just invented images. First of all, these are people who control their avatars. At any moment they can leave the game, and for them it will cease to matter. And their actions should be regarded from the position that they are trying to abstract from reality, but not get out of it. They don't feel the pain, or the warmth of their close player - but they want to believe it.
However, the composition of this anime is more complex than I described above. After all, there is the main character of this anime - Tsukasa.
Tsukasa doesn't know how he got into this world of the game. The mystery of its origin will hold until the very end. Unlike the players, he feels pain and warmth. However, this feature makes him the loneliest person in this world of illusions. The closest thing that can be cited as an example is LIMBO. And throughout history, he will face a choice - to close himself off from everyone remaining in the twilight world, or to try to return to reality?
Perhaps the period of indeterminacy in the characters is the most boring, but at the same time the most interesting moment of the narrative. After all, as they move forward, their worldview will change.
It is because of the process of character development in such an unusual composition that I think this anime is a damn masterpiece. Perhaps not one anime of this genre has not revealed this so plausibly, at the same time presenting itself as a techno-fantasy fairy tale. And if the director was faced with the task of revealing the social element of online games, then he coped with his task COMPLETELY.
This is one of the most underrated anime I've ever watched. But there is a reason for this - it is very boring. Seriously, in some episodes nothing happens except the characters' dialogues (sometimes with themselves), but at the same time it is... Quite naturally. After all, this story is not meant to entertain you. This story happens naturally. For example, "mushishi" a boring narrative did not prevent you from getting audience love, which suggests that sometimes you can get pleasure from watching only when you overpower yourself. Try to think about what this anime is trying to convey to you.
And then, perhaps, you will come out on your own special wave, "connection" with this story. Yes, even in anime there is catharsis!
But in the end I want to say that you should not be afraid of this catharsis. Entering this twilight, you will probably get the most unusual experience that you have ever received.
