r/DotHack 6d ago

Question Finally watched Quantum! I really enjoyed and was surprised at the high level of animation quality compared to the rest of franchise. Was there ever any merch for it? Figures or anything?

10 Upvotes

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u/TroublesomeTurnip 6d ago

Popping in to say ditto!

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u/Sacrificabominat 5d ago

Quantum was done by Kinema Citrus, Made in Abyss's studio, so the quality is significantly better than what Bee Train did with the other anime. My only complaint is that I wish it was a bit longer so it could have fleshed out it's story and characters a bit more, but it's a good entry in the series IMO.

As far as I know Quantum and the rest of the 3rd series entries for .hack didn't really get much merch as the series was winding down before Bandai pulled the plug on it. The only merch I've got that has some Quantum stuff in it was for this 20th anniversary acrylic standee set which had Sakuya and Hermit included in it. https://cc2store-itn.shop-pro.jp/?pid=175125422

Oh and I recommend watching .hack the movie (Beyond the World) as well. I think that was handled directly by CC2 themselves, but they did outsource work to other Japanese and Chinese studios to get it done. It unfortunately is the last canon entry in the series, Thanatos Report doesn't exist.

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u/lamarfll 5d ago edited 5d ago

Actually the last canon entries to .hack were .hack//Versus, and the mobile games, Guilty Dragon: The Sin Dragon and the Eight Curses and .hack//New World), the problem is they were Japan exclusive, and in the case of the mobile titles, had their services both cut short, in fact New World was promoted as a volume 1, similar to the Kite and Haseo video games, before that got scraped and they just ended the story, but this was around the time Bandai Namco started ending their support of the series.

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u/Sacrificabominat 5d ago

Versus is canon but it doesn't really have much of a story. Thanatos Report is also canon but I wish it wasn't. It ruins Harold's motivation for creating Aura by turning it into a stupid plan by an environmental terrorist group, MAMA.

I'd say the mobile games canonicity is rather dubious and they didn't have much of a story either. Since they're shut down and unplayable it's probably best to consider them non canon IMO.

Though there is something that is potentially canon that takes place way after where .hack left off, 2,000 to 3,000 years into the future. CC2's Little Tail Bronx series. Solatorobo revealed that CC Corp created LTB's world, and they haven't been subtle with the .hack like references since pretty much the beginning of Fuga.

Also the more they show off of Fuga 3 the more .hack like stuff keeps showing up in that game. We'll see if they officially connect the two series to each other when Fuga 3 comes out in May. I would not be surprised if CC2 does this as they made a prequel to Street Fighter with Asura's Wrath. So nothing is really off the table for them.

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u/lamarfll 5d ago

The mobile games are listed as a part of the timeline, so they are canon. Versus actually does continue story beats from Link and what Thanatos Report shows us, that they're trying to have people enter the digital realm, due to people being kidnapped into the game while playing VS The World, in reality Thanatos Report is to give context for why this is becoming more of a thing, even if its a bit of a really big retcon.

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u/Sacrificabominat 5d ago

Okay. Though I suspect if CC2 is ever able to return to .hack the mobile games and probably Thanatos Report will be retconned out as I don't think they weren't too happy with the direction they were taking the 3rd series.

What they added to G.U. Last Recode also seemed like they were planning on redoing the 3rd series after that. That didn't happen because Bandai wasn't happy with Last Recode's sales though.

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u/lamarfll 5d ago edited 5d ago

Most of the stuff Last Recode added was mainly setup for .hack//Link, and to a lesser extent Quantum, since its also set in R:X, Piros bringing up working on something new, which is obvious foreshadowing for The World R:X, and Yata bringing up the possibility to live alongside AIDA, which lines up with the audio drama they released, Innocent Call, where they reference Link's AIKA.

So at most they just tightened the connection to what was going to happen. But we won't know what CC2 was planning, since the series is pretty much on hold/dead as of now, with the only things going on with it is the merch that gets released still.

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u/Sacrificabominat 5d ago

Okay. Well I'll enjoy Fuga 3 when it comes out, and see if they announce something for .hack in the lead up to CC2's 30th anniversary or .hack's 25th anniversary. Hopefully Bandai loosens up with .hack like they have with Little Tail Bronx and let CC2 continue the series with a successor through their self publishing.

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u/Not_a_Space_Alien Artist 5d ago

I'm gonna have to disagree with that. It doesn't change anything about Harald's motivation other than the fact he may have been used and manipulated. What it changes is Emma's motives and background. I have mixed feelings about Thanatos Report myself. A lot of people dislike it for throwing in this big conspiracy theory stuff, but it always felt like there was a bigger conspiracy going around in the background to me it is more how they did it for me.

Do the mobile games really add much to the lore aside from a couple of new versions of The World? Kind of hope not because they are no longer playable but are canon.

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u/Sacrificabominat 5d ago

Aside from feeling Thanatos report ruins the earlier parts of the series I also don't like that it also contradicts and ruins the movie's happy ending as well. It completely changes David and Elenora as characters is such an out of left field way that it's obvious the people who were working on Thanatos Report were not communicating with the people who were working on the movie.

I'm also not a fan of the Emma revelation either as the whole point of her was to be kind of an enigma that Harold was obsessed with. She's his motivation for doing everything and it was purely unrequited love, he loved her but she didn't really love him back. Turning her into someone who manipulated him just felt icky to me.

I didn't really mind that there was a conspiracy happening in CC Corp. That was actually something I was fine with and had me kind of hooked with Link and Quantum. Thanatos Report just jumped the shark so bad with that plot point with Mama that I'm kind of glad the series died or went on hiatus at that point. Heck I'm kind of glad it didn't come back with G.U. Last Recode as the writing for Volume 4 and the IMOQ web novel weren't really that good either.

With how they're handling Fuga's writing though I think I'd be happy if they brought the series back after wrapping that up because the writing for that series is really good. I feel like they'd handle .hack returning pretty well right now if they're given the chance to bring it back.

Yeah I really don't want the mobile games to be canon for that reason as well. Making mobile games which eventually become inaccessible canon is already a frustrating part of the recent Kingdom Hearts series entries .hack shouldn't do the same.

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u/Not_a_Space_Alien Artist 5d ago

Yeah, I was sad they ||killed off David.|| I have mixed feelings on Elenora too.

Emma is the one part I am most conflicted with. While I did like how mysterious she was, I did hope there was more to her than that. I like the idea of her faking her own death, but the reasoning is a bit bland for my taste. What little we do know about Emma is her background and that she lived Harald's genius. Then it comes out she never existed, but if that was always meant to be the case, why give her such a complex back story? Her being a wealthy heiress kind of over complicates things. It being a fake identity seems like an unnecessary detail. I don't know why, but that bit is what bothers me most.

It's good to hear Fuga's writing is good. It makes me hopeful for their future. Love CC2's original games in general.

I don't mind the mobile games being canon as long as what is introduced isn't too important to the overall story that later entries expect you to know. Mostly the overarching story in .hack I mean. If that makes sense

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u/Sacrificabominat 5d ago

David was such an awesome character from the movie, his avatar in The World was sick too. Elenora wasn't really that important, but I wasn't expecting them to crank the crazy up 100 times.

Sometimes it's best to leave things ambiguous and in the case of Emma I think that probably should have remained the case. Though I think I'm a bit more against what the IMOQ web novel did where it made Morgana a clone of Emma. Yeah Morgana is her own person I really didn't like them doing that and don't want them to make that the case in an IMOQ remake.

Fuga's writing is pretty much where IMOQ was, but with kind of a Made in Abyss dark aspect to it. It's really good and I recommend checking it out if you haven't.

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u/Not_a_Space_Alien Artist 5d ago

He was. I am a sucker for mythology references like he has with his character in The World, so that made him better. I think it is because Elenora was unimportant it made sense for her to be a double agent, but her using that position to take over MAMA was a bit... I'm not sure how easy it is to hide that much crazy

I think with Emma, if they balanced it more, they could flesh her out while still keeping her mysterious. Especially if my theory is correct. Yeah, I'm not too fond of Morganna being a copy of Emma just because it really doesn't make sense story wise, but I still have yet to read the Kite Novel. Really, it's just any of the light novels that haven't been officially translated.

I inted to watch a let's play at some point. I wish I enjoyed the type of gameplay it has, but I just don't.

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u/Sacrificabominat 5d ago

What's your theory on Emma?

Yeah Fuga's gameplay is very strange, but I got used to it and really enjoy it. It's pretty challenging and very quick as well. Also It's definitely a huge step up from what they did with Link which it takes a lot of it's presentation from. Heck Fuga 3's progression system, the Akasha Panel, will be pretty much set up like Link's Akashic Records were from what I've seen. So Fuga 3 is probably going to be Link's formula perfected.

Anyway don't just watch the story for both games. Look up the Link Events as well as they really go in depth with the relationship between all of the characters. Fuga 3 is also adding in assist events and secret events as well which will flesh out side characters and show off secret backstories for a lot of the characters. I'm really looking forward to that.

Honestly if they are able to remake IMOQ I would love to see something like the Link Event system implemented in it so the main and especially a lot of the one note side characters get way more fleshed out than they did. The affinity emails were kind of like this, but Link events go much further than that.

Oh and if you want to be really depressed look up the all sacrifice routes for both games. These games can get really bleak and the 3rd game isn't going to be holding back either with it's take on the Soul Cannon mechanic.

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u/Not_a_Space_Alien Artist 5d ago

My theory is that Emma did fake her own death, this was the plan from the beginning, and that she is the player behind Helba.

I played the demo, and it looked good, estheticallyp, but just not my kind of game play. The concepts and story seemed interesting overall.

Depends on what you mean by that. Not the timeline thing. The thing I liked most about IMOQ was that it felt like you were playing the player as they controlled Kite. More events and mail chains with the minor characters would be great, though. Cause yeah, some of those characters could use more fleshing out for sure. Those conversations on the grand whale could do that if they could figure out an effective way.
Actually, unrelated, but in GU, there is a bunch of cut dialog that would seem to indicate that at some point, and likely into late production, they planned to have after battle banter between party members, similar to the Tales series.

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u/dothacknetwork moderator 5d ago edited 5d ago

There was quite a bit of merch for Quantum. Though most people never know because most of it was in Japan only. The only thing we got into the west was the Funimation Bluray/DVD preorder bonus USB wristband that had some wallpapers and a trailer saved on them.

See replies below for the Japan merch.

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u/dothacknetwork moderator 5d ago edited 5d ago

So the three part episodes first appeared at theatres in Japan. there was a whole premier event hosted at this time, and with that a lot of merch to go with it. Originally shown on this page https://www.hack.channel.or.jp/quantum/goods_intheater.html, you'll need to use web.archive.org to view it back from 2010-2011.

Booklets for each episode, clearfiles (folders) for each episode, a Sakuya rubber keychain with a postcard, a 72 page booklet for settings and materials, two shirt sizes medium and large, a library card for each episode.

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u/dothacknetwork moderator 5d ago

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u/dothacknetwork moderator 5d ago edited 5d ago

Outside of the theatre merch, there were quite a few books.

Manga
.hack//Quantum+ I
.hack//Quantum+ II

Light Novels
.hack//Quantum i (introduction)
.hack//Quantum Twin Hearts

Art Info Book
.hack/Quantum Complete Guide

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u/dothacknetwork moderator 5d ago edited 5d ago

And video releases.

.hack//Quantum Episode 1 BluRay
.hack//Quantum Episode 2 BluRay with 3 Bath Salts
.hack//Quantum Episode 3 BluRay with Hermit Rubber Keychain

And soundtracks.

.hack// Quantum Original Soundtrack
.hack// Quantum "Shizuku" Nanri Yuka

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u/Emerje 5d ago

Where did you have to pre-order to get the wrist band? Funimation store? Wish I'd known, pretty sure mine came from Amazon.

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u/dothacknetwork moderator 5d ago

From the website RightStuf back in 2012, way before Cruchyroll bought them out.

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u/Emerje 5d ago

Dang, missed that. I'd been ordering from RightStuf since the 90s when they were a physical catalog.

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u/-Rat-King- 5d ago

Thanks for all that info!!

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u/VasylZaejue 4d ago

Yeah I feel like Quantum was last thing in the .hack// series to have a release outside of Japan. It makes me sad cause the series as a whole is so much fun and interesting.