.hack//Link -RIVES-

.hack//RIVES is a new television anime, a new title of dothack franchise, and the first chapter of LINK story which been produced by A-1 Pictures, directed by Tomohiko Ito and written by Kazunari Ito, Tatsuya Hamazaki, and Megane Kikuya, with Hiroshi Matsuyama as the producer of the anime series, which is also working on directing the anime series.

It will be considered as the first phase to the Tokio's journey and bringing an all-new fresh start to the series which catering for new fans and also bringing more enjoyment to long-time dothack fans.

The anime series main story will be tied-up to .hack//LINK -Chrono Link- Game, while the story will take a new direction turn and bringing the evolution of the Isekai anime genre that bringing new story development to begin.

Few characters from .hack//LINK will appear in the anime series, either for their role as Cameo, or Minor Characters, but it teasing something that will come up in Chrono Link.

The game adaptation .hack//LINK -Chrono Link- Episode Zero: ReConnect will adapting the story from anime, including ever-expanding story, the brand-new story arc, and additional character comes in play, with gameplay elements based on the third episode of Chrono Link.

Editor Comment
.hack//RIVES is a brand-new story to the dothack franchise which is the first volume of Chrono Link story, which is set 2020 A.D. as it takes two years after the end of R:2 which the next version which is known as The World R:3 as the third version of the most immersive online game to all players from worldwide, including Japan, and this will be the main setting for the anime series which focus on Tokio's first adventure in the online game for the first time.

''The reason why I've didn't took R:X as the main setting may gonna be hard to explain because R:X and the original LINK was platforming for Playstation Portable, and so the P-COM was based on the PSP version which is why there's people said it will be impossible for .hack//LINK to be fully remade due to the R:X was platforming P-COM which based on the PSP so I can see why. ''

That's why I rebooted the main setting of the online game from R:X to R:3 which will be much easier to bring a new platform which matches to the latest platform in 2020 like PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, and PC, so in order to create a platform for that could base on four latest generation platform, that is how to make an idea by creating a new MMOVR known as M5S which based four platforms which had a different format and use which compatibility with R:3, but I will explain it later.

The third season of .hack// might received soft reboot on how story direction progress since the creation of .hack//RIVES as the main series of the third season while considered the first volume to the LINK story, and it might gonna cause problem toward continuity, contradiction, and major story retconned, however, Chrono Link was a different title from the original LINK which has no worry about continuity problem, but I think most of the fans worry about other future series continuity, but Chrono Link will not going to far to make a bigger continuity problem, while the story had balanced and been polished in order to prevent the problem of continuity but to be honest, this is something that very hard to explain, but I'm sure that it won't cause a bigger major continuity problem to other future series, at least.

The story focus on Tokio Kuryuu and a brand-new character, Akira Yoshinori which two of them become the main protagonist to the RIVES story going for adventure to the online game The World R:3 while facing the mysterious PKer and Hackers, ENTIES which became a main antagonist to the RIVES story, and this story will be tied up to Chrono Link story.

Idea Information
.hack//RIVES is the prequel TV Anime series to  .hack//LINK -Chrono Link-  which purposely to bringing new changes and delves the story with exploring the new version of The World known as  R:3. It is something that bringing a major new evolution to the Isekai Anime genre while bringing a new intensive main story and foreshadowing the story to the  Chrono Link.

The story RIVES will bring back new major activities of online games, and more fueling system of enjoyment to play the online game, as it was used to cater for new fans and long-time dothack fans to experience the concept story once again about online game, friendship, battle, rewards, and more things happen as you progress through by watching the episodes.

As the story also bringing the direct sequel to .hack//G.U. Vol.4 Reconnection event bringing a new major start for Tokio's story phase as the direction of the main story will bringing a whole new challenge, and new narratives to the series without being too repetitive like the previous title did. RIVES will also intent to bringing a whole new cast which never been presented before, and offers some generic with some unique traits toward characters they will meet in an online game.

The anime story will take place several months earlier from Chrono Link's story, and the anime story will be much like based adventure-isekai genre, while also bringing focus on their activities in the real-world as well. As you enjoyed and wait for the next episode will bringing you to learn something that will tied-up to Chrono Link's story.

As their adventure progress, they will overcome and encounter a mysterious threat PC known as ENTIES which becomes a key main focus to the anime story, as the story progressing through and through will bring a lot plot-twist and sense dark tone that bringing higher intention toward fans and viewer. Tokio and Akira's friendship will bring a natural movement to the main story.

Synopsis
In the year 2020 A.D., the most well-known popular company known as Cyber Connect Corporation (CC Corp) has released the next version of the most popular online game known as  The World R:3  which considered as the successor to the second revision.

The World R:3 has reached over 10 Million users login just two-months with bringing all-new features, new gameplay elements, major improvements, and whole new experience that never been bound from the previous revision and become the most grossing VRMMORPG around the world.

The Middle-School student, Tokio Kuryuu becomes the most undefeatable boy in arcade games never even try to Register and Log in to the World R:3, until his best friend, Akira Yoshinori inviting him to play an online game together. Log into the world and enjoying a full-experience for a greater adventure online game, or something that makes more challenging and fun.

But once it continues, they encounter against the mysterious PC with mask known as ENTIES the legendary PKK and hackers which become the main target to all guild and bringing a cause of distortion toward online game which steers their enjoyment turns into a bloody battle and killing people, resulting people's mind being broke down and died.

Tokio and Akira together enjoying their playing online games, while exploring the mystery identity of ENTIES and learn the unexpected phenomenon that happens in Online Game.

Thus beginning of Tokio's journey!!

Characters
Main Characters Support Characters Canard PK/Red Dead Guild Blue-Moon Raven Antagonist Other Characters
 * Tokio Kuryuu/Toki
 * Akira Yoshinori/Leon
 * X7
 * Piros 4th
 * Sol
 * Starlord77
 * Nishijima81
 * Jikanet
 * Silabus
 * Gaspard
 * Shion
 * Fei
 * Davis
 * Fero
 * Yasha-Killer
 * Kruger
 * John77
 * The F
 * D-Grunty
 * Yun-EL
 * Hyokawa1
 * Finest22
 * Tres-77
 * Yukio
 * Sephora
 * Missy-White
 * No.99
 * Pi
 * The Enties
 * Geist
 * Kasumi Ito (Kite)
 * Ayaka Amagi
 * Toki-runty.
 * Genius
 * Fluegel
 * Metronom
 * Cello
 * Klarinette
 * Jyotaro Amagi
 * Ju21

Connection between .hack//RIVES and .hack//LINK -Chrono Link-
"See Connection story elements with .hack//RIVES"

The Next Chapter...
.hack//LINK -Chrono Link- is a fully remade version and the second chapter of LINK story, focus on continuing Tokio and Akira's journey with a newcomer, Saika Koshizumi once again enter to the World R:3 in the gloomy atmosphere and the harsh situation has driven a new adventure for the trio, embark their journey by using the mysterious tower known as Akashic Records which has ability to travel to the past time in order to obtained the Chrono Core that contained inside the Three Powerful Heroes before the organization known as Schicksal tried to obtain it for bad things.

The Game Adaptation
.hack//LINK -Chrono Link- Episode Prologue: ReConnect is the game adaptation to the anime series RIVES which is now being fully remade as the game version with based on Chrono Link game mechanics and will adapting the story from the anime series from the first to the third season with the inclusion of the ever-expanding story elements and brand-new story arcs giving to expand a more depth to The World R:3, also including brand new characters which didn't even appear in the anime series, including Real World story element will also added.