Alternative TitlesSynonyms: Accelerated World Japanese: アクセル・ワールド
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 24
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 7, 2012 to Sep 22, 2012
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 7.891 (scored by 43105 users)
Ranked: #5992
Popularity: #127
Members: 80,059
Favorites: 1,179 1 indicates a weighted score
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SynopsisThe year is 2046. Haruyuki Arita is a young boy who finds himself on the lowest social rungs of his school. Ashamed of his miserable life, Haruyuki can only cope by indulging in virtual games. But that all changes when Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and a virtual reality called the Accel World.
(Source: VIZ Media) |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Accel World
Spin-off: Accel World Specials
Sequel: Accel World EX
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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Saiph
158 of 291 people found this review helpful
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24 of 24 episodes seen
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| Overall |
8 |
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--- Warning: Contains spoilers ---
First impressions stick and can be difficult to overcome, and perhaps the best candidate for this in recent memory is Accel World. Due to this, Accel World's well developed aspects are often overlooked in favor of those who like to form unmovable opinions after only the first episode or two of a series. Unfortunately as a result, it works uphill with most audiences throughout the start of the series.
Meet our protagonist, Arita Haruyuki, the short chubby kid that makes him the prime target for the source of a lot bullying from both his peers and the outside audience alike. Some are led to believe that his proportions are unrealistic. Suspending the notion that fantasy universes are not entirely realistic to begin with, this is beyond simple magical realism as people of these statures exist in the real world as well, and currently the world's shortest man stands just 21 1/2 inches tall (54.6 cm). Let's not forget the fact that Haruyuki is only 13 yet stands at 134 cm (4'4'') tall, so there is still room to grow on in the future. Regardless, such a character design requires no suspension of believability even if it does irk some audiences.
Of course with bullying comes the basis for Accel World which is overcoming painful experiences, making Haruyuki the perfect candidate for the protagonist of the series being labeled the school's biggest loser. The entire show is centered around a game program called Brain Burst, which is built on both the strengths and weaknesses of the human mind. Thus when introduced to the program by the lovely Kuroyukihime, our protagonist is given a means of coping with his lackluster life. Like many who are not terribly successful in the real world, Haruyuki clearly excels in the fantasy worlds, and it was Kuroyukihime's recognition of this fact that led her to him in the first place. Her feelings for him quickly developed, and the gut reaction is to wonder how a person goes from being the biggest loser to scoring the hottest girl in school, but further inspection proves the chemistry behind them is no mystery.
Kuroyukihime is the polar opposite of Haruyuki in the real world and has it all; beauty, popularity and success as the Student Council Vice-President. Due to this, there is little value in anything a man could offer her in her eyes. There is one thing she does not have however, and that is the powerful drug that draws her to Haruyuki: the limitless potential of the Accelerated World.
With this, there is no better candidate for her affection than Haruyuki. A clear ace gamer who gives birth to the Accelerated World's first true flying avatar, he has a lot to offer her in the world she truly cares about. As his associations include both pigs and flying, you can’t say anything isn’t possible when the day has finally come that pigs do indeed fly. It also doesn't hurt his avatar looks a lot better than most unlike his real world self, which just adds further to his desirability in the Accelerated World. When you consider the descriptions of the thousands of hours the kings have logged in Accel World on top of everything else, it should be no surprise real world circumstances matter little to Kuroyukihime when she has only spent but a mere grain of sand in the hourglass of time representing her life there.
Despite starting out as an apparent self-pitying loser that drove portions of the audience mad, Haruyuki changes a lot throughout the series like any good shounen protagonist. It is fair to say his development is slow in the making, but considering the source material is long and ongoing, it's forgivable he doesn't do a 180 degree turn with his personality in a few episodes. The mind certainly is complex, which is why we have the entire field of psychology and yet still do not fully understand the human brain. Needless to say, there is no simple switch to flick on or off or tapping your heels together three times to fix everything. The road to change is also difficult and has many setbacks, to which any recovering addict can attest to.
The issues he faces are also very realistic and nothing to scoff at, as one needs only to look at stories of student suicides and school shootings to know what he is dealing with. As for those who still feel it's immature, they should probably consider that he is only 13 and I could likely get just about anyone out there to act far more absurd over a much smaller matter by simply saying "Your favorite series is shit". I digress though, as Haruyuki slowly gets better facing numerous smaller problems in various opponents in the first half of the series. Without a doubt though, Kuroyukihime's many motivational speeches also did quite a bit for him as she became the critical pillar of support for his newfound strength, and it was also this aspect of her that won me over with her character.
The second half of the series really challenges Haruyuki to overcome his past self with the appearance of the main antagonist, Seiji Noumi. Showing off his previous development, Haruyuki originally faces Noumi with great confidence instead of sitting back passively; even engaging him in a fist to fist fight. Noumi is not such a pushover however with his clever strategies, and he steals Haruyuki's greatest ability and the one thing that made him unique: his wings. In addition to making Chiyuri his personal slave, Haruyuki is faced with his greatest challenge. To make matters worse, Kuroyukihime is not around at the time and so Haruyuki is left without the greatest crutch he has relied on to face his problems and change. Isolated and alone with his most difficult situation, it's no surprise he is tempted to fall back on his experiences and past personality by force of habit. Thanks to how he has already changed though, he resists and even attempts to fight without his wings, but to no avail. It is at this low point he nearly reverts back to the way he was, but thanks to a helping hand, he is introduced to the incarnate system.
It is thanks to this system that he regains the confidence to fight once again. Some are left uneasy about the nature of being able to visualize a form of willpower, but it's clearly logical within the rules of the series. From the start, Brain Burst was a program that focused on the aspects of the human mind, from self-image and desires to the powerful possibilities of unlocking the potential of the mind, hence how it's commonly referred to as "the world without limits". Considering many other shounen also have no logistical explanation for the strength of willpower other than heroes simply pulling power out of their ass, this was a fairly well developed and thought out aspect to the universe of Accel World. This power helps Haruyuki realize his potential, and he becomes the ideal determined hero for the remainder of the series. He no longer simply shuts down in the face of adversity, but constantly fights to regain what is important to him from Noumi, even though his treatment by the rest of the school is the worst it has been in the entire series. It is also in settling things with Noumi that his development may show the most. Uncharacteristic to several shounen protagonists, Haruyuki says he and Noumi will never understand each other and he finishes him off without hesitation. Clearly he is not the same scared boy from the start of the series as he has grown wiser and stronger as proof of his development throughout his experiences. His development may not be perfect yet, but he had enough by the end of the series so that audiences should be satisfied at the very least.
Whatever qualms others may have about Haruyuki throughout the series though, one of Accel World's greatest strengths actually comes from its supporting cast. Often forgotten in the myriad of the modern "Gary Stu" and "Mary Sue" protagonists who do it all, a supporting cast can have a powerful impact on making a series even better. The supporting cast does as its name suggests and does a lot for Haruyuki throughout the series, whether it's helping him gain new abilities, overcoming the loss of his wings, or even just being another helping hand in combat as a comrade. They are always relevant in the story too, making multiple appearances that help advance the story all the way until the end of the final episode, instead of just being introduced once and forgotten about like so many other series out there. Ash Roller who originally seemed nothing more than cannon fodder as Haruyuki's first opponent, actually comes back and does one of the most important things for Haruyuki dealing with the loss of his wings.
Ash Roller introduces Haruyuki to his mentor, Fuuko Kurasaki ("Sky Raker"). This act also helps represent a side of Burst Linker's who hold no hostility towards their opponents and just want to have fun, contrasting nicely with the antagonist of the second half of the series, Noumi. There is also a surprising amount of humor through parts of the series with the supporting cast, whether it's Takumu joking about Haruyuki's swag with older women or the way the Red King Yuniko ("Niko") constantly tries to get under Kuroyukihime's nerves through Haruyuki. It is this strong supporting cast that helps compensate for a protagonist who is weaker personality wise than most out there, and many people fail to appreciate this aspect of Accel World.
Overall, Accel World is a great series when given the chance. Many do not give it such an opportunity unfortunately because its first impression can rub people the wrong way. It's a great shounen with enough enjoyable fight scenes to attest to that, and this is without a doubt partly due to Sunrise, who has managed to produce many other solid series over the years. In recent memory they have greatly improved their OSTs, and love or hate Accel World, the OST is fantastic and one of the best I've personally ever heard. When you put it all together, Sunrise managed to get the right people for the job mixing newer industry talent such as OST composer Onoken and voice actor Sachika Misawa (Kuroyukihime), to the older talents of theme song singer May'n and voice actor Aki Toyosaki (Chiyuri). Seeing as the source material is ongoing, I look forward to the possibility of more Accel World in the future, since the battle has only begun with our adorable flying pig hero, Arita Haruyuki.
read more
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Smooched
152 of 315 people found this review helpful
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24 of 24 episodes seen
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| Overall |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
3 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
"Wildly entertaining but sometimes frustrating." Accel World in a nutshell.
Haruyuki Arita is the biggest loser in school. And the author did a darn good job portraying him to be one. He’s 3 feet tall, morbidly obese, and has a propensity to cry more than your 3-year-old nephew. His character design was too exaggerated; you can still be a loser while having the right body proportions you know?
However, the most popular girl in school, Kuroyukihime, takes an interest in Haru. She got him to install the program: "Brain Burst", which opened the gates to an alternate online universe called Accel World.
“Brain Burst”. This term applies to your own brain as much as it applies to this show. Most of the blame goes out to the highly detestable characters that this show frequently features. They specialize in getting under your skin, appearance and attitude wise. Does that make Accel World a complete bust? Definitely not. The nature of the story gives Accel World an edge over many other shows: it is a game and an anime at the same time. If the game looks appealing, so will the anime.
"Brain Burst" is like a fusion of Pokemon, Mortal Combat, GTA and Halo. If you play any of these games, you would know what comparisons I'm referring to. Natures, typings, weaknesses, and supereffectiveness. The game mechanic in Pokemon is similar to the color typing of Accel World. The game interface during battles is similar to Mortal Combat. The game avatars are Halo-esque. And I threw in GTA because of the legions and the hierarchies pertaining to both games. If I can relate to a show on a personal level, I will most likely enjoy watching it. I get that feeling when I tune in on Accel World.
Accel World also ranks on the top of my list in terms of intrigue. The story is pretty standard, but the futuristic atmosphere makes every episode unpredictable and interesting. It is human nature to be more fascinated with the future rather than the present. In Accel World, no time machine is needed to travel to the future, because the show takes place in the year 2046.
People always refer to the phrase of: "quality over quantity." This phrase is rendered obsolete when it comes down to the characters. Not even Kuroyukihime can withstand the barrage of terrible characters that this show offers. Here are three characters that may ruin your viewing experience:
1. Haruyuki. His flawed character design burns my eyes. He does play out his role like he’s supposed to, but people generally dislike characters that show their invulnerability on a regular basis.
2. Chiyu. I don't understand her character. She’s obsessed with Haru but she’s dating someone else. The implied relationship between Taku and Chiyu simply does not exist.
3. Noumi. Look up the word douchebag in the dictionary. You will see his ugly face plastered on that page. He is the perfect villain that has the ability to draw out anger and hatred for him. He is a classic alpha-male bully that exists for the sole reason of getting on your nerves. Seeing his downfall is something that everyone looks forward to.
Accel World did redeem itself with high quality art and sound, two of the biggest components of why I enjoyed this anime as much as I did. "Burst the Gravity" by ALTIMA pretty much sums up the time that went into sound production. A custom song for a show is always a great indication of effort. The dubstep OST was the first dubstep I had ever heard in an anime, and it's fitting for a show like this.
Overall, Accel World did a lot of good to offset the obvious bad. A second season should clear up any misconstrues with the story line and also improve the development of the characters. read more
Recommendations
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The story line involves the idea that you enter a world that is a virtual reality. They have similar art styles and the game play for the characters is different, but the real world repercussions are more drastic in one series then in the other, but they are still there.
Both involve games and put great effort in to developing their characters skills to the utmost.
Accel world is probably the closest (maybe) anime to SAO, but probably not as great
both goes to the future with technology that lets you move in 3D world.
both plays games and is pretty serious, although accel world is just an over reacting of seriousness
both main character are good at game
Romantic, SAO has better romance
if you watch this, definitely watch SAO. i think it will be better for most people
To begin with, both series are mainly focused on online gaming, with the exception that they can log out and go back to the real world in Accel World, and the people in SAO are trapped. Both main characters also have a similar goal, Kirito's being clearing the game so they can get out and Haru's becoming the first lvl 10 in Accel World and uncovering it's mysteries. Also, the novels were both written by the same person, which explains why they're so alike.
Both have a virtual video game that is release to the public with the question of why the game was made. In both series the main character has an unique ability that special in the game where they or only a few have that ability. Both character team up with a female character that is a strong player in the game. Plus both series were created by Kawahara Reki
Both were set in a virtual world, except in AW it is more on a Frist Person Stance or FPS , while the other in on a MMORPG. another difference, is that in AW the players are fighting to reach level 10, while in SAO it is a life or death situation for the players.
Both main heroes are fascinated by the virtual world. First, they are loners, but as time goes, they realize that many people care about them and change their attitude to life. Great action anime with a dose of romance.
Accel World and Sword Art Online are created by the same producer thus they're quite similar. Accel World and Sword Art Online are both games that the characters in the anime have to use something like a Nerve Gear and Neuro Linker to connect to the game; a lot of fighting going on. The male protagonists also falls in love with a strong female protagonist.
Both take place on a VR that is more than was initially thought. There's also romance in both.
Both were created by ASCII Media and have few similarities, such the technology used between the universes and both have the main setting in a MMORPG.
Both by same creater, both involve fulldive technology stuff and SAO is the predecessor of Accel World :O
I can finally make this recommendation since the show finally start airing......The setting in both show mainly taken place inside a game world where the MC fight totally random stranger across the world.
Since Both show are made by the same people and the genres are almost exactly the same so if you like one show then i believe you'll love the other one.
I personally like Sword Art online better since the MC looks cooler.......
It has some kinda like Accel World... Both fighting -games and also using a something Nuero Linker(Accel World) and Nerve Link(Sword Art Online)and the command Drive Link(SAO) and Direct Link or Burst Link(AW) and it's really possible that Kuruyukihime and Kirito is somewhat connected due too both of them likes dark color(Mainly Black) and it has the same writer... So I guess it'll really look like and also in wikipedia it is also a related article
both are done by the same producer,
both are gaming anime, which they enter a virtual online game reality, except SAO is constantly stuck in the online gaming world, while AW can log in/out.
both anime series have a group of supporting characters who help the main protagonist achieve his goalm which they add more intense/comedic/fluff/sad moments throughout the anime.
both the main characters personalities are far different comparing, but they have a goal, both leveling their characters up to beat the game.
there similar with the virtual gaming and slight fluff romance, but SAO is much more serious, comparing to AW
Neuro-Linker is the next generation of VR (virtual reality), Accel World use a device known as a Neuro-Linker for access the Internet and enter virtual worlds.
Sword Art Online use VR, With the Nerve Gear, a virtual reality Helmet that stimulates the user's five senses via their brain, players can experience and control their in-game characters with their minds.
First: Its A GAME
Second: Only A limited number of people know or have this game
Third: If they lose in the game they either Die (SAO) or will never be able to play the game again (Accel World)
Fourth: Their Main Characters are both detached from the real world (though in accel world the main character has developed, I'm not so sure yet for SAO)
Fifth: Each episode is something to look forward to!
Both worlds accel in the world of role playing games where the user is sent to a new world beyond the one they are born into. Fitted with action and romance our heroes learn they are not alone in a world where everyone wants to escape, only to find who they really are. Enjoy ^^
The author of the light novel versions of Sword Art Online and Accel World are the same, so even if the art is different they have similar overall concepts. Another reason why they are similar is because it is heavily hinted in the Sword Art Online's light novels that they are both set in the same world, only that Accel World is set further in the future.In the 2nd part of the 2nd prologue of the 9th volume of Sword Art Online's light novel, it even shows how development of how the concept of the "Brain Burst" program used in Accel World worked, and it is shown in the crossover chapter "Versus" that Accel World is definitely the future.
Read it yourself!
WARNING
These end areas relating over to the development of "Brain Burst" may or may not become spoilers as to the goal set in Accel World to "Find The Creator Of Brain Burst"
Sword Art Online Volume 10 Prologue 2
http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Volume_9_Prologue_II
Sword Art Online/ Accel World Crossover "Versus"
http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Versus
Pretty much what everyone else has said, but its likely that they share the same timeline too, AW being in the future of SAO. This is because the NerveGear used in SAO is mentioned in AW as one of the predecessors to the NeuroLinker, making these 2 series all the more interesting to follow
By the same author, similar conflicts between the two protagonists. And the same futuristic view taking place in two worlds: real life and virtual life. Also in both you'll have a incredible addiction to see the next episode.
Both anime were based on light novels by Reki Kawahara and follow unique storylines. They're both school-like anime and are based in the future. Both have made use of the "full dive system" which allows them to enter a virtual world using technology. Both have an amazing plot and are well worth the watch. If you liked either one, you'll most likely like the other!
Both are game-based anime. Both protagonists are OP (overpower) and both get "the girl". Both are really good anime, but they differ very much when it comes to the main characters' personalities and plot. But both are really action-packed with cool fighting scenes.
Accel World shares many similarities with Sword Art Online. Among the more obvious are the setting, plot premise, and animation. In addition, both have strong romantic themes and slight psychological undertones. Also, Accel World is speculated by some to be a sequel to Sword Art Online, since the NerveGear is mentioned in a later episode and both series were created by Reki Kawahara.
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Both of these series similar. Main characters fights in another "world" but have normal life in our world. And similar atmosphere of course.
Very similar story of entering another 'world' where you fight. Animation also seemed similar in style.
Although the content is different, both series share a strong similarity. The main characters are offered a way to change their life, possibly in a better way. After being thrown into an alter world in which they battle for power, they form teams in order to survive. In C the characters battle for more money ,while in Accel World they battle for burst points. Each battle won enables them to an upgrade of sorts, in C they upgrade to better ATM cards and in Accel World they level up. If you liked watching one of them you wont regret trying out the other.
Human world and fantasy world.
Both anime has the same concept of escaping the reality to another imaginary world. In Accel World, the citizens of imaginary world become avatars, and they must fight each other to gain Burst Points (just like gaining money on C).
The theme of fighting in another world with an avatar/partner is similar in both series. Action, drama, and fighting as well as romance are imminent between the main guy and girl.
The main character in both series gains access to a different world. In this world he fights for advantages in the real life. Both main characters stop fighting for the real life advantages and instead focus on figuring out the secret behind this new world.
C is considerably more serious than Accel World. Accel world is more or less a romance comedy with a VR twist. C, however, only has a tiny bit of romance and the main focus is on the plot rather than the characters.
both contain a ordinary boy who was invited to join 'a different world' which is completely separate to the real world, but the 'world' they were thrown into affects and determines the 'you' in the real world.
both protagonists have no idea what was to happen, and they find themselves forced to fight in the 'different world' to maintain there life back in the real world.
both animes show how much greed/determination/selfishness can lead to bad results.
both anime supporting casts differ completely around the main protagonist, which one is situated in a school, and the other in a university.
both contain a romance/action/angst
they are closely similar in which they are thrown into a 'different reality/world' and are forced to fight to benefit themselves in the real world, otherwise its game over in different senses.
These two animes involve two parralel worlds which have an impact on the real world.
Both series involves battles in a parallell digital universe.
Battles occur in alternate dimensions and the results affect the real world.
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Opening Theme#1: "Chase the world" by May'n (eps 2-13)
#2: "Burst The Gravity" by ALTIMA (eps 14-23)
Ending Theme#1: "Chase the world" by May'n (ep 1)
#2: "→unfinished→" by KOTOKO (eps 2-13)
#3: "Unite (ユナイト)" by Sachika Misawa (eps 14-24)
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