Is the show really as bad as people say it is?

Dec 21, 2021 5:17 PM

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Sep 2021

Personally this is my second favorite anime just letting you know it’s worth it to watch the first season because after the first season it’s not as good

Dec 21, 2021 5:23 PM

#52

official_brown

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Jan 2021

2332

Suprizer said:

official_brown said:
It’s actually a really good show, but it’s popular to hate on it. Which I expect 90% of this forum to hate on it

Or just like SAO your taste in anime is bad. I believe anyone who is over 15 years old would cringe watching SAO it offers a lot and doesn't live up to anything it offers. "Doesn't have anything original so must have some good overall process" i thought to myself when starting SAO. Nope full of fillers if you watch ep 1 and than 15 you would lose nothing there is no progression or character development in between. But there are quite a lot of erotic scenes including tentacle rape. I can't think of any way of enjoying the SAO other than making a drinking game out of it, whenever you cringe take a shot.

Half of the things you and me have watched are evenly rated. So are you talking about yourself too mr. 76 anime watched?

To answer your point, it was original for its time. It’s not really filler it’s anime/ln canon. I hate the rape scenes too but many anime that do it (Banana Fish/Perfect Blue) are praised for having it and people say it adds to the story, which is gross. You can have your opinion when it comes to anime, and I have mine. But if you judge other people’s tastes, you’re just an annoying person honestly.

The right mindset when watching an anime is hoping that it will break your top 10

Dec 21, 2021 5:26 PM

#53

veahawks5414

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Jun 2021

338

Its just a good punching bag it't popular and not the best show first half is a solid 7 but the second half was like a 4 or 5 but the animation is really nice and Asuna was a cool character till they literally made her the damsel in destress

Dec 21, 2021 5:28 PM

#54

outoft0uch

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Apr 2020

125

Is the show really as good as people say it is?*

Dec 21, 2021 5:36 PM

#55

wiki_x

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Jan 2021

no, honestly i enjoyed every season

Dec 21, 2021 5:39 PM

#56

moofia

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Oct 2021

No, it’s a fun show

Dec 21, 2021 5:48 PM

#57

fresh_otaku

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Dec 2020

165

It’s enjoyable overall but the 2nd part of season 1 and the whole of season 2 are shit.

Dec 21, 2021 6:05 PM

#58

Shengud

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Jan 2020

1487

Season 1 isn't that bad, but the second half is just not good. Season 2 wasn't that good either. I don't remember much about Ordinal Scale, but it was pretty average. Season 3 was a step in the right direction and was actually pretty good. I personally wasn't a fan of WoW though. That's just my opinion though. You might like it.

You might want to look into watching SAO Progressive too.

ShengudDec 21, 2021 6:15 PM

Dec 21, 2021 6:07 PM

#59

Lightknight06

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Dec 2021

This is one of the best shows I have ever watched, just that thier studios take a long time to release a new season

Dec 21, 2021 6:17 PM

#60

Im_An_L_Human

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Sep 2021

It’s not really as bad as some people says it is I actually kinda enjoyed watching it.

Dec 21, 2021 7:08 PM

#61

caspiano

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Jun 2021

152

first 15 episodes of S1 are amazing and then the rest of S1 sucks, S2 sucks, S3 is good, S4 is okay

Dec 21, 2021 7:56 PM

#62

wang_guiqing

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Apr 2020

I personally like SAO as a whole, but there are really a lot of ups and downs. I enjoyed season 1 part 1, the second part not so much. The only thing I don’t like is how Asuna became a damsel in distress as the show went on. Same with season 2, I liked Gun gale online and hated Mother’s Rosario arc. Season 3 was awesome at the beginning, but War of the Underworld was kinda weird.

Dec 21, 2021 8:06 PM

#63

Bheema_Reddy

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Feb 2021

349

There was a brief point in time where everyone just wanted to get on the SAO hate handwagon . But I won't outright deny them that SAO is perfect. It has quite a few flaws,including gratuitous rape scenes ,molestation. I think the author himself admitted that those were the actions of a younger author and he will try to reduce it.
For me,the only boring parts of SAO were alfheim,GGO arcs. The first arc and Alicisation's first part were master pi

Dec 21, 2021 8:18 PM

#64

SoulFighter17

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May 2021

297

yogie6969 said:
After my current watch, I was looking into watching SAO. I’ve heard mixed things about it but generally I hear people flaming the show. Is it really that bad? I know some people who really love the show so I find it hard to believe that it’s that bad. I’ve heard that it falls off between S1 and S2 but the first and preceding parts of the show are great. I’ve been told fhe animation for S3+ is good and the show itself is rlly good but people drop it when it is really bad which is why the show has the bad reputation it does. Do y’all think it’s worth watching? Does it have good fights?

it is good, but the only reason it gets a lot of hate is because a lot of peoples views on it are clouded by nostalgia even though it’s only average

Dec 21, 2021 8:19 PM

#65

Issei_Ddraig

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Jun 2021

265

Nahh its alright people just jump on the hate bandwagon for no reason.
Its almost to the point if u even like this series in the slightest, u have committed a crime.

Dec 21, 2021 8:58 PM

#66

Roxas4024

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Mar 2021

Season 3 is worth a watch it's peak main series Sao if you don't talk about the first 14 episodes of season 1 which were rushed but still good to some degree season 4 is ok but had exposition dump issues and gets over the top near the end I'd say if u like what u see from season 3 finish the series u can also just jump to season 3 because it's kind of a new story and doesn't play off of old things though season 4 does so that could ruin some of your enjoyment up to you Sao is overhated thanks to anitubers who made it cool to hate on it it's not an amazing series but it's not as bad as people say otherwise it wouldn't be as popular as it is also the new progressive series is basically a reboot of the hated original so maybe give that a chance also

Roxas4024Aug 8, 2022 3:59 AM

Dec 21, 2021 9:16 PM

#67

Tyraq

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Aug 2020

1658

Not as bad as people say it is but pretty shit until Alicization.

Dec 21, 2021 9:20 PM

#68

spookysoup

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Jan 2021

I've rewatched it a few times but for the most part I can stand rewatching season 1, I really liked the setting of gun gale online more. So honestly I'd say yea it's bad to an extent, alternative GGO is pretty good tho

Dec 21, 2021 9:35 PM

#69

BenStro

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Mar 2021

228

Just try it for yourself. In general, you'll either like SAO or hate it. I enjoyed the show well enough when I was younger, and haven't seen it in a while. It's not as bad as people say it is, but at the same time it totally is. It's over the top when it comes to sexual scenes, but if you can look past it it's a rather enjoyable show.

Dec 21, 2021 9:37 PM

#70

Triggerfish124

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Nov 2021

492

I really loved season 1. Season 2 gun gale arc was great too. I lost interest after watching the rest of season 2. Basically SAO was a masterpiece ruined by trying to extend it. I recommend watching season 1, the rest is up to you.

Dec 21, 2021 11:02 PM

#71

Animillion

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Jan 2020

2205

S1 pt1 was good but pt2 was disgusting and made me drop the series for years. When I finally picked it back up a couple of years ago, I found GGO (1st half of S2) to be fine, but the 2nd half of S2 was very boring imo. S3 (Alicization) is actually good and was the reason why I decided to continue watching SAO. S4 (War of Underworld) is worse than S3 but also not bad. Oh yea, and the movie Ordinal Scale is fine as well and better than both S1 and S2. Well, that’s my opinion on the series.

AnimillionDec 21, 2021 11:06 PM

Dec 21, 2021 11:07 PM

#72

MangaConsumer

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Sep 2020

No. At least, not in my opinion. It could have felt rushed for some because the plot changes quickly but it’s not all that confusing if you pay attention. The style of the story can feel similar to other works, and sometimes people don’t like that. Personally I fell in love with the characters and therefore no matter where they went or what they did, I found it enjoyable. It’s really something you have to see if you like for yourself by giving it a try. Don’t let the stigma against the show sway your opinion, go in with a fresh slate and you may find that it’s a captivating and exciting show. Give it a whirl

Dec 21, 2021 11:14 PM

#73

rylannnn

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Nov 2021

SAO is kinda overhated IMO. Don’t get me wrong there are valid criticisms against the show and I don’t think it’s a good show by any means. But it’s also not a disaster. It’s very much a generic isekai that got too popular for its own good which left it open to a lot of criticism. I think what frustrates me about SAO is how great the concept is but it never reaches its potential. Season 1 part 1 has some good moments but it feels super rushed and favors generic isekai tropes instead of leaning into its strengths.

Dec 22, 2021 12:54 AM

#74

Crimsunreaper

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Jul 2017

264

rylannnn said:
SAO is kinda overhated IMO. Don’t get me wrong there are valid criticisms against the show and I don’t think it’s a good show by any means. But it’s also not a disaster. It’s very much a generic isekai that got too popular for its own good which left it open to a lot of criticism. I think what frustrates me about SAO is how great the concept is but it never reaches its potential. Season 1 part 1 has some good moments but it feels super rushed and favors generic isekai tropes instead of leaning into its strengths.

it's a pioneer of isekai and popularized the genre so no it's not "generic".

Dec 22, 2021 1:11 AM

#75

WadZZy

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Nov 2020

The annime is good i like It Espessialy the first Season

Dec 22, 2021 1:31 AM

#76

DGemu

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Nov 2013

2074

If you like lots of conflict by rape attempt, you'll love this series. Honestly, its hilarious watching how much the author uses this plot.

Dec 22, 2021 1:34 AM

#77

T2uwu

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Apr 2021

142

I am waaay late to this thread but it's not so much that SAO is bad as it is that its adaptation could have been better; a fair bit of nuisance is lost, going from Light Novel to anime.

Edit: The use of attempted rape as a plot device is quite annoying, but judging SAO solely off of that is a disservice to the time and effort Kawahara put into fleshing out Aincrad and the other world's covered in the Light Novels and adaptations.

T2uwuDec 22, 2021 1:38 AM

We'Ve StEpPeD iNtO a WaR wItH tHe CaBaL oN mArS

Dec 22, 2021 1:58 AM

#78

removed-user

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Jul 2018

564491

It is worse than people say it to be.

It is in my top 10 for the worst pieces of fiction ever made. The fandom is also in my top 5 for the worst fandoms of fiction ever

Dec 22, 2021 3:38 AM

#79

Yourmotheranime

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Jan 2021

No it isn't bad at all

Dec 22, 2021 7:23 AM

#80

jottape-kun

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Oct 2020

No, it isn't. Watch it.

Dec 22, 2021 8:49 AM

#81

green_tea515

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Oct 2021

it’s not as bad as people say and it has some really high points but it can be a bit fanservice and unnecessary towards the plot. It’s funny I like the first half of s1 & S2 and I haven’t seen S3. It’s a pretty cool isekai

Dec 22, 2021 9:25 AM

#82

water-melon16

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Jan 2021

no it’s not, I personally really liked it and it’s one of my fav animes. I think a lot of people hate on it because of Alfheim arc, first season and aliciziation arc is really good, I honestly not understand the hate it gets

Dec 22, 2021 9:27 AM

#83

Geeljire

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Sep 2015

345

No, I only watched the first season but I thought it was alright, people definitely exaggerate with how bad it's supposed to be.

Personally I think it's better than Shield Hero which has a higher rating.

Dec 22, 2021 9:41 AM

#84

sansti29

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May 2020

It’s simple. If you’re 15 you’ll love it. But if you are somewhat mature you’ll understand how bad it really is.

Dec 22, 2021 10:17 AM

#85

imsorx

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Apr 2021

it depends on ur taste...ppl have diff opinions so u might wanna try it out urself, that'd be much better than hearing ppl fighting over whether its bad or good..tho in my opinion, its my sec fav, if u decided to watch it, i wanna know what ur opinion is as well, thx for ur time.

Dec 22, 2021 10:19 AM

#86

Atlos

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Aug 2018

5194

To make a long story short yes

_______I like rocks__

Dec 22, 2021 10:20 AM

#87

haisetsu

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Sep 2020

365

You might consider it great if you're under the age of 14. Otherwise yes, it is just as bad as people make it out to be.

Dec 22, 2021 11:00 AM

#88

Juonithz

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Feb 2021

527

It's not as bad as people say. Random aholes just like to rage on this show for no apparent reason. SAO has its flaws but so does every other anime.

Dec 22, 2021 1:05 PM

#89

Necromia

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Aug 2012

1185

It's fun to meme on. Watch it, it's entertaining for what its worth just don't take it too seriously.

Dec 22, 2021 1:35 PM

#90

ACornelis

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Jan 2017

212

If you're in your teens you will probably enjoy it, if not then don't watch it.

REVIVE MECHA

Dec 22, 2021 1:38 PM

#91

ACornelis

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Jan 2017

212

Juonithz said:
It's not as bad as people say. Random aholes just like to rage on this show for no apparent reason. SAO has its flaws but so does every other anime.

I don't think you're an asshole for shitting on an objectively poorly written show lol

REVIVE MECHA

Dec 22, 2021 1:59 PM

#92

AdoreArminArlert

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Feb 2021

I thought the first episodes of the first season was fine, but the last episodes was pretty unnecessary according to me. I didn’t enjoy the second season as much, but I have friends who loves the show. I think it’s a matter of taste!

Dec 22, 2021 4:27 PM

#93

bryn12

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Jan 2021

S2 is where people slander it, but alicization is fire imo

Dec 22, 2021 4:35 PM

#94

removed-user

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Jul 2018

564491

No, it is average but it's way too overhyped

Dec 22, 2021 6:31 PM

#95

Juonithz

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Feb 2021

527

ACornelis said:

Juonithz said:
It's not as bad as people say. Random aholes just like to rage on this show for no apparent reason. SAO has its flaws but so does every other anime.

I don't think you're an asshole for shitting on an objectively poorly written show lol

The aholes I'm referring to are the ones who haven't watched it, but like to say that it's bad just because.

Dec 22, 2021 6:32 PM

#96

TangAce

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Sep 2018

104

Well, you could say it's half good, and half bad
The pacing is weird, at times it's interesting but then it gets boring
The ideas were good, but it's just too messy
Also the character development is a bit lackluster
So much that I didn't bother finishing S3
So it's not bad but there's much better

Dec 22, 2021 6:50 PM

#97

removed-user

Offline

Jul 2018

564491

Honestly you should probably find out for yourself, but if you really want my opinion: I watched the first season alone and the second half was pretty horrid, enough to where I didn't want to finish the rest.

Dec 22, 2021 7:12 PM

#98

erckvs

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Oct 2016

It isn't. People tend to trash it pretty often nowadays... Alright, I don't think it's a masterpiece or anything close to it, I just think it's not "that bad". PS: (only watched till the 2 second season)

fjaebfhebsfhsehabfjskyousuckatcooking

Dec 22, 2021 7:24 PM

#99

DisloyalCloth

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Aug 2021

I really liked it, season 1 was all around pretty good but season 2 falls hard and is very mediocre. I enjoyed all of the Alicization arcs a lot and the new movie is my favorite thing Sword Art Online related so I’d definitely watch it!

Dec 22, 2021 7:38 PM

#100

Ki77Z

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Sep 2021

Nah it's just normies trying to be unique by having on it its good five it a try coming from a veteran

See All Discussions

Poll: » Sword Art Online Episode 21 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Nov 24, 2012	544	by Kraum »» May 26, 11:59 PM
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» What even is SAO anymore? ( 1 2 ) Jason-Skyrunner - Apr 27	53	by soli1239 »» May 6, 8:27 PM
» We need a reboot Superninjaboy2 - Mar 15	32	by Jason-Skyrunner »» May 1, 5:20 PM

Is the show really as bad as people say it is?

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