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Online Jack
The episodes, called "Phases", have been summarized here. Phase 1The first webisode of Online Jack is the beginning of Salvador's investigation of "Doll Syndrome". He visits the author of a book on the subject, associate professor Taiichiro Sugai, at his home... and is turned away. Sugai's book, Internet Games are Turning our Kids into Dolls: A Warning About Doll Syndrome, proposes that online games such as "The World" are the cause of "Doll Syndrome". The second segment of the episode follows Salvador going "undercover" into an elementary school where six students have fallen victim to "Doll Syndrome". It is the school where Sugai performed his research. After waltzing into Michiru Tajima's fourth-grade classroom announcing himself Salvador is incapacitated by the teacher and her favorite textbook. Phase 2
Salvador follows Michiru to the home of one of her students, Osamu Kawaguchi, who is also a victim of "Doll Syndrome". No one answers the door but Salvador doesn't let that get in his way and barges into the private residence. They make their way upstairs where they find Osamu's room. It is dark and all electronics are flashing wildly. Osamu turns to face them wearing his M2D and whispers "SA...KA...KI" before his monitor begins to print one word repeatedly. "AIDA". Phase 3
Aihara rushes to the scene and finds the room empty. There is an ominous message scrawned in what appears to be blood on the wall. Aihara is only able to make out "Skeith", "Innis", and "Magus". We, of course, know the other three scribbles are "Fidhell", "Gorre", and "Macha". Phase 4
Sugai loads footage of Phase 2 and informs Salvador that "AIDA" is an unkown. However, he knows that the six students who fell to "Doll Syndrome" were all part of the same guild in "The World". The guild is "Moon Tree" and Sakaki is the name of one of the PCs on Moon Tree's admin group. Sugai theorizes that "The World" has an affect on peoples' brains for an unknown reason and that current events have something to do with the events seven years prior, when players began falling into a coma. He reveals that electronic equipment in the hospital where the "Doll Syndrome" victims are being treated are also acting irregularly. Before we can learn more, Michiru receives an email on her phone and rushes off to help the sender. Phase 5
Outside the dark building, Salvador hands over his "hidden" camera to Michiru as she heads into the school. There, she enters a computer lab and finds five children. The computer monitors flash red as the children approach her. She screams and the episode ends. Phase 6
As the children were attacking her, Salvador rushed to her aid. They learned Toru Uike was also among the students and seemed to be the only one in control of himself. He says that it is "almost time" for him to release a great power from the online world into the real one and "change this rotten world". Salvador rushes over to Toru demanding answers, but is attacked by a surge of electricity and knocked unconscious. Security guards arrive and all of the students vanish in a flash. In her broadcast, Michiru reveals Aihara is in the hospital, and pleads with parents to stop their children from playing "The World". Phase 7Michiru and Salvador discuss current events, such as the school firing Michiru and the fact that the elementary school students are all still missing. Despite his recent hospitalization, Salvador is determined to find the children and discover the truth between "Doll Syndrome" and "The World". Together, he and Michiru find Professor Sugai in his office, where the professor announces he is going to save the children. Phase 8The cast and crew of Online Jack attempt their most daring stunt thus far and break into CC Corp's fourth research laboratory. According to Professor Sugai, this lab was used as a research facility for "Doll Syndrome". They find a room that appears to be the one from the video in Phase 4. A large monitor in the front of the room flashes to life, displaying "The World"'s login screen. The monitor flashes again, slowly spelling out the word "Rebirth" before a massive white light erupts from the screen. As the commotion cools, security guards nab our intrepid reporters. Phase 9
Yeah, Toru gets off pretty light for such an evil little snot. In the closing segment, Michiru and Salvador discuss their report, or lack of, on "Doll Syndrome". Salvador wonders aloud that they didn't learn anything about anything, not "The World" or AIDA. A woman being discharged passes him in the hospital with something so mysterious to say Ovan would be proud. Opposing mirrors of hope and despair. That's what AIDA is It also makes about as much sense as Ovan usually does. I guess given the woman's identity we shouldn't be surprised. |
   
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Online Jack is a streaming news series hosted by the ...interesting Salvador Aihara, known on "The WOrld" as PC Kazubolo. Aihara is known for his outrageous persona and enjoyment of the company of the fairer sex. In Online Jack Aihara takes it upon himself to investigate a mysterious illness known as "Doll Syndrome" that is afflicting people around the world. The most notable victims of "Doll Syndrome" are a group of elementary school students taught by Michiru Tajima. Sakaki's real-life player, Toru Uike, is one of her students and though he only appears twice in the websides, he plays a key role in their events.
Aihara continues his "in-your-face" investigation of "Doll Syndrome" at the house of Michiru Tajima. He chooses to do this by climbing up to her window and screaming "fire!". Predictably, Aihara gets another blunt object thrown his way.
Aihara once again goes "undercover" with his "hidden" camera. This time he arrives at the hospital where Osamu Kawaguchi is being treated. After a brief distraction by a nurse carnivaaaal, Aihara runs into Michiru Tajima and Professor Sugai and learns Osamu has vanished from his hospital room.
Salvador and Michiru enter Professor Sugai's apartment where they learn that "Skeith", "Innis", and "Magus" are from a poem called the "Epitaph and Twilight", which served as the basis for "The World".
The sender of the email is revealed to be Osamu Kawaguchi. He says he feels himself becoming more violent when he plays "The World" but Sakaki won't let him stop. He asks Michiru to come to the school and help him.
Michiru hosts Online Jack in Salvador Aihara's place and reports from outside the school building. She reveals what happened the night she went into the building in search of Osamu.
After a brief summary of recent events, namely the Third Network Crisis and its quieting, Salvador and Michiru turn their attention to the six missing children from her class. All were found in an abandoned house near the school property and taken to the hospital. We learn they have no recollection of their mysterious disappearance and have complete amnesia.