.hack//Sign

Virtual-Reality MMORPGs of the near future have a nasty tendency to trap people inside the game, it seems. They also share the same composer, Kajiura Yuki, lending a rather epic feel to the shows. The tone and focus of the two series are quite different though. 

While .Hack//Sign was an anime released back then in 2002, Sword Art Online is quite newer. Released after around 10 years from the first it obviously shows "new way to imagine how technology could be, new stuff in the game" and so on.. However, regardless the year they have been producted, both series are still very similar: - both start off in this special "super new virtual" MMORPG, where the technology is the highest than ever. - both, obviously show all the characters in this game - Trapped in the game: on HS there's the main chara who can't log off and in SAO instead everyone can't log off due the game master's insane idea to doom everyone inside the game until someone reaches the top level of the tower. - of course there are also: special powers, battles against monsters, quests.. and everything else that a game normally has. And many other things. Just keep watching and you'll see! If you like the idea of an "inside a video-game" story both of them are recommended! read more 

the game world... actually this kinda look like a copy, but SAO is made with much better quality 

Lots of anime today seems to going back to this online virtual world motif. Its not a bad thing but I don't think this one should be forgotten. So great. 

Both anime started in near future. Shows about persons who trapped in MMO-game. Gamers use cyber-helmets to syncronise their bodies with game. 

The main character cannot disconnect from the online game in both series Epic music and original soundtrack.  

In both anime, there is a virtual game world where people (and in .Hack the main character) are stuck. 

Similarities: - Both are fantasy/sci-fi/shounen/adventure - Both include characters that play online games and can seamlessly interact with their environments - Both include games that can affect the well being of the people playing the game - .Hack// has characters that fall into a coma, and get trapped in the game. - Sword Art Online has characters that get trapped in the game, and die if they cannot clear it. The similarities are over whelming. Though I have not seen Sword Art Online yet, I'm guessing the pace will be a lot faster than that of .Hack//Sign. However, if you like the general scenario of the anime, chances are you'll like .Hack//Sign as well (and vice versa).  read more 

"I Can't Log Out!" These series are extremely similar. Both take place in a virtual reality MMORG with a fantasy setting, and revolve around characters who are unable to log out, and rendering what happens within the game to be 'real', and these changes were both enacted by the games mysterious creators. The primary difference you'll notice straight off is that only one particular person has this problem in .Hack/SIGN, and the main point of the show is to find out the mystery behind why and and how this happened, and how to fix it as well as what is actually going on in the game--while in Sword Art Online, it's the entire game population that can't log out, and the issue faced is for the main character to survive to complete the game and earn his freedom. read more 

.hack//Sign and Sword Art Online are good adventure anime based on a very similar concept - people that are stuck in a fantasy style MMORPG. They feature great animation, excellent set design and fantasy creatures. Both shows follow several different characters in their stories with the difference that SAO moves a little faster in character development and is more action-orientated, while .hack//SIGN is a bit slow-paced and covers more of the mysterious online world where the main protagonist is trapped. I myself liked SAO way more than Hack but if you enjoyed watching either of them you shouldn't hesitate to try out the other. 

Both shows right down to it have the same general concept, players get trapped in a game, and are unable to log out. .hack//Sign maybe be around 10 years old at this point, but it still holds up. It was one of the earlier examples of the virtual world thing. 

they are both virtual works where players risk death by playing and some are unable to log out. Some players are in comas while the main character is unable to log out. 

well i would guess its easy to say but ya there both trapped in a game world with no way out although in sao( sword art online) if u die u die for good, and in hack//sign if he dies he just resets. i would recommend sao if u liked hack//sign cause its just an amazing action and mystery anime where u wonder y the creator of the game trapped them in the game world. (spoiler!!!) 

both are in virtual MMO games and they try to help fix the game 

pt:Possui o mesmo gênero e uma historia similar, porem foi criado anteriormente, e sua historia é cheia de intrigas e mistérios, possui a melhor trilha sonora de um anime, que não seja sobre musica, que eu já vi. eng:It has the same gender and a similar story, however was created earlier, and his story is full of intrigue and mystery, has the best soundtrack of an anime, it is not about music, I've ever seen. 

a boy trapped in a game can't log out have some romance and fantasy and developing powers the only thing different that the main character wake up in the game with slight amnesia 

Both anime where you go into a virtual reality MMO, and there is some sort of consequence of death or coma in game. 

Both about people trapped in VR style games with similar style worlds. Good world building in both with .hack having a darker tone and SAO being more kid friendly. 

Both are virtual reality types of anime. In .hack, it focuses on character development and the plot, unlike SAO which fails miserably in my opinion. 

Both these anime are based in an online world and have at least someone stuck inside the game unable to leave. 

It's almost certainly been said before now, but this recommendation is an absolute no-brainer. If you'd already seen one of these, watching the other surely brought this comparison to mind almost immediately. These two stories share so many elements -- they each take many pages from the same book... great book it is, mind you. You have the main character that's stuck in an online game. Uneasy alliances are forged. Strange happenings abound. There are even some commonalities in the shows' visual design. "So what's left to make me want to watch the one of these I HAVEN'T seen," you ask? There ARE differences, and they take two very similar shows in two rather different directions.While .hack takes more the form of a mystery, preferring to keep you watching by taking you from one oddity to the next. SAO leans more toward action and offers clear, shocking reveals. .hack's main character questions who to trust and why, SAO's whether they should trust at all, and how to even do so. .hack does suffer slightly from age, and SAO from a spot or two of questionable writing. Regardless, both are interesting and entertaining, and well worth watching, particularly if you are a fan of what either brings to the table. read more 

The plots both involve characters trapped in a beautiful virtual reality world. Though .hack//SIGN is far more dialogue based, the series complement each other very well. Both also have outstanding soundtracks by the same composer and involving stories based on interesting and varied characters. 

Both are very similar as the main theme is revolved around a game. .hack//Sign might have less action than Sword Art Online but the story is good. 

Both take place in an VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massive Multi Online Role Playing Game) and have similar story elements. 

Both are fantastic in game anime 

GAme is base in a virtual world where (only one in .hack) cannot log out and belivees they will die if the die ingame. Also as a result of certain occurances, some players die or go into coma's as a result of playing the game. Although SAO has better action, .hack//sign has much more in-depth and has a much more detailed plot. legend f the twilight is also good but much less serious. 

Both of these series are about people being trapped inside video games.  

Go back to the start, watch the original stuck in a VR 

The main character from SIGN is a Wavermaster. In Log Horizon's case a Mage/magic user. Both series deal with players trapped in an MMORPG except Tsukasa is the only one who can't log out. They must find a way to escape this death game. 

Both involve strange events surrounding and online game. In Sign it's only one player who can't log out but in this one it's a ton of players 

Yet another trapped in the video game style of story. Log Horizon has a lot of serious undertones like .hack//Sign, but it's also a very fun series and has excellent characters. 

Both of these series involve people who are locked inside of an MMO game and cannot leave. Though the situations are similar, the stories differ in that in the case of .hack//SIGN, only one player is trapped in the game and the story revolves around the people in the game who try to help and how they change as a result of their interactions with Tsukasa. SIGN is good, but it's very slow to develop. If you prefer a show with a faster pace, Log Horizon may be the better choice. Instead of only one character, everyone is trapped inside of an MMO and unlike other shows of the genre, they seem to like it there. Log Horizon follows a group of people as they strive to find their place in the new world they are a part of. read more 

Both are about a bunch of people getting stuck in games, and the main character are to themselves. They also have some type of special ability. 

The setting is similar - the characters from both shows interact in a virtual world. 

will .hack and accel world is based on people playing game and moving freely in the 3D dimension. what you can't really find in .hack is romance which accel world have.  

MMORPG-based anime, futuristic setting, timid main character 

Hack and Accel world are quite alike with using the game concept, whilt in Hack the character is trapped and accel world it is optional to join and leave they both have their playing cards. In accel world you are bound by loosing your points in which when happens you loose the application and the ability to play the game, all memory of it and can never install it again so your still grasped around the neck carefully. Hack is about someone trapped in a game who cannot log off, essentially trapped like in a cage as he searches for a way to leave the world. I admit im not into the game genre so i have issues finding much to say about either but these two felt quite a like to me and also are one of the only series i found tolerable in this genre so as a outsider to the genre i think they are both worth giving a shot if you like the genre and enjoyed one or the other. read more 

both deal with nearest future, digital reality and coma. they have different atmosphere but similar feeling 

Without giving too much information, .hack had a virtual reality that somehow had an effect on the real world. The whole time I was watching Dennou Coil, all I could think about was .hack. Dennou Coil had situations that made me concerned, afraid, and sad for the characters. These were the same feelings I had when watching this particular .hack. The story and animation are different, but I believe they have similar world concepts and moving themes. 

Absolutely different stories and worlds. But when I was watching Pandora Hearts it strongly reminded me .hack//... Both have very beautiful music and it creates very similar deep atmosphere ^_^ 

The most obvious resemblance is their music composer, Yuki Kajiura. The musical style she uses in both anime are very similar, dominated by emotional piano pieces, violin solos, techno beats and haunting vocals. The general premises of the two anime are also similar: young ineffectual boy encounters disaster and is thrown into a foreign world, gains a unique power, struggles with his sense of identity and his acceptance of his existence itself, learns to be more courageous through the course of the story, develops an attachment to female protagonist, etc. Both anime also have a pervading atmosphere of unreality (protagonists protect themselves through denial), fear, and angstiness, while almost every character has a hidden dark background, uncertain motives, crippling weakness, etc. read more 

Totally different universe but the MC of these series are extremely similar in their personalities and the way they act. Both are finding it difficult to cope with the problem that happened in their life. (For Shinji its the aliens invading earth, for Tsukasa is that he cannot log out of the game). Both likes to run away when the situation gets tough and the main protagonists are both simple minded and childish. 

Similar protagonists, both are known for being shy and chaotic, .hack//sign seems to be one of those anime that got inspired by Evangelion using character introspection and dementia moments, also in both series Sadamoto is the character designer  

.hack//sign and Nabari no Ou have similar main characters as far as the apathy goes. Both are more interesting because of thought rather than action. Both, also involve a main character who most other characters are after and has a ability that is abnormal and very powerful. 

It has the similar feel of drama on a part of life. It has a lot of talking and understand each other's emotions and somewhat of their background. It has a little bit of action every now and then. 

Both anime with almost identical setting and premise. (VR Fantasy setting game world, heroes trapped in this game). Both have top class soundtracks & lovable characters.  

Both series feature some kind of virtual world, Angel Beats takes place in some sort of virtual afterlife and .hack// inside an MMORPG. They both feature a main character who's lost his memories. 

The two anime really have the same feel for them, except for the big family and all the drama. Summer Wars strongly reminded me of .hack especially with the idea of a virus trying to take over. Still, .hack has more of a gamer's feel to it. It's easy to understand what's happening in Summer Wars, even if you're not that much into computers. I think .hack would require actual knowledge of the RPG world for you to actually enjoy it as much as you should.