Sword Art Online (light novel)
KitsuneZoro said: So, I started watching SAO a few years ago, but after the first few episodes, I just lost interest and couldn’t continue watching. I liked the start and found the idea intriguing, but as the story went on, it just felt too much like a harem (with all the girls crowding on Kirito) and the storytelling just became plain boring and lackluster imo. I think it just suffered too many flaws for my taste and couldn’t hook me enough. Now, despite these shortcomings, I’ve heard SAO: Alicization is supposed to be really good and the animation, narative, and world building seems to have significantly improved from before. It seems to be a lot different from the original SAO and the new characters (like Eugio) seem really cool, so I’m considering watching it. However, I’d assume I’d have to get through the earlier seasons to understand Alicization, right? So I’m wondering whether I can skip SAO Season 1 and just watch the Progressive movies (which are supposed to be a lot better) instead or watch SAO: Extra Edition (from what I found, this just condenses all the events into a single special). I would really appreciate if you could let me know whether I can skip SAO Season 1 and watch one of these alternatives instead and if so, which alternative/s do I watch and what is the optimal viewing order of the entire series? Just skip off it, it’s not good imo |
| Watch it on faster playback or skip some parts. It definitely isn't good idea to skip S1. Especially because entire Alicization arc is kinda upgrade of the S1 in some things. Movies are not enough, they don't cover everything. On top of that, you need to catch some vibe of SAO from S1, otherwise I am afraid you won't enjoy even Alicization. I mean, you can watch it as standalone anime, sure thing. But it's a question how much you will enjoy it, if at all. Eugeo is a nice new character in Alicization, but in my opinion you need to have bond with Kirito and Asuna from S1 and previous series and movies, to some degree, to accept the relationships Kirito has with other characters in Alicization. Because if you won't know everything and won't have your own opinion, I am afraid that watching Alicization can be for new watcher just like watching any average isekai in mood like "I spawned into new world with (not) op skills". In my opinion, it's not worth it skipping. If you want to grind just the most important things from S1, ask AI for recommendation on episodes. Still better to see at least something. Edit: Also Ordinal Scale is kinda important too, if you want to fully enjoy Alicization. |
ChanoyuNov 16, 2024 12:22 PM
Reply to Fenrir_01
KitsuneZoro said:
So, I started watching SAO a few years ago, but after the first few episodes, I just lost interest and couldn’t continue watching. I liked the start and found the idea intriguing, but as the story went on, it just felt too much like a harem (with all the girls crowding on Kirito) and the storytelling just became plain boring and lackluster imo. I think it just suffered too many flaws for my taste and couldn’t hook me enough.
Now, despite these shortcomings, I’ve heard SAO: Alicization is supposed to be really good and the animation, narative, and world building seems to have significantly improved from before. It seems to be a lot different from the original SAO and the new characters (like Eugio) seem really cool, so I’m considering watching it.
However, I’d assume I’d have to get through the earlier seasons to understand Alicization, right? So I’m wondering whether I can skip SAO Season 1 and just watch the Progressive movies (which are supposed to be a lot better) instead or watch SAO: Extra Edition (from what I found, this just condenses all the events into a single special).
I would really appreciate if you could let me know whether I can skip SAO Season 1 and watch one of these alternatives instead and if so, which alternative/s do I watch and what is the optimal viewing order of the entire series?
So, I started watching SAO a few years ago, but after the first few episodes, I just lost interest and couldn’t continue watching. I liked the start and found the idea intriguing, but as the story went on, it just felt too much like a harem (with all the girls crowding on Kirito) and the storytelling just became plain boring and lackluster imo. I think it just suffered too many flaws for my taste and couldn’t hook me enough.
Now, despite these shortcomings, I’ve heard SAO: Alicization is supposed to be really good and the animation, narative, and world building seems to have significantly improved from before. It seems to be a lot different from the original SAO and the new characters (like Eugio) seem really cool, so I’m considering watching it.
However, I’d assume I’d have to get through the earlier seasons to understand Alicization, right? So I’m wondering whether I can skip SAO Season 1 and just watch the Progressive movies (which are supposed to be a lot better) instead or watch SAO: Extra Edition (from what I found, this just condenses all the events into a single special).
I would really appreciate if you could let me know whether I can skip SAO Season 1 and watch one of these alternatives instead and if so, which alternative/s do I watch and what is the optimal viewing order of the entire series?
If you don’t like the first season you won’t like the rest especially when s1 is one of the better ones (SAO isn’t really good)
| I found S1 mediocre, but I liked Alicization. |
*kappa* |
| Nah, there would be too many unknown characters if you skip S1 and S2. If you just found it boring (and not particularly disgusting or unwatchable), then watch it at 2x speed — there should be no problems. |
 |
| You would miss a few relevant info if you skip S1 and S2, but most of Alicization can be understood and enjoyed without that info. |
*kappa* |
| Well you could, but like always, you wouldn't enjoy SAO Alicization fully 100% because it still made references to S1. SAO Progressive still have long way until it adapts everything. Up to you~  |
 (っ◔◡◔)っ 𝓘 𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓪 𝔀𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓾𝓵 𝓭𝓪𝔂 ♥ |
Reply to Rinrinka
Well you could, but like always, you wouldn't enjoy SAO Alicization fully 100% because it still made references to S1.
SAO Progressive still have long way until it adapts everything.
Up to you~
SAO Progressive still have long way until it adapts everything.
Up to you~
| @Rinrinka Yeah, seems like I need to at least watch Aincrad and SAO II to understand all the references and fully enjoy it (even if it is pretty different from the rest of SAO and supposed to be very good) |
| If you’re so uninvested in the story as to be willing to skip more than half of it, then chances are that a later part of the same story won’t do much for you either, since it’s built on the assumption that you’ve already been hooked and care about the story that preceded it & the characters that story built up. (This is also the reason I find the “can I skip [main installment of serialized narrative]?” question to be kinda dumb in general, but that’s a rant much too large and tangential for this thread) |
| Barely catching my breath! Lay my eyes on the crest! Gonna square up to all of the heat that is left! So I carry the torch! To Inferno! Inferno! GENERATION 45: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment. |
Fenrir_01 said: KitsuneZoro said: So, I started watching SAO a few years ago, but after the first few episodes, I just lost interest and couldn’t continue watching. I liked the start and found the idea intriguing, but as the story went on, it just felt too much like a harem (with all the girls crowding on Kirito) and the storytelling just became plain boring and lackluster imo. I think it just suffered too many flaws for my taste and couldn’t hook me enough. Now, despite these shortcomings, I’ve heard SAO: Alicization is supposed to be really good and the animation, narative, and world building seems to have significantly improved from before. It seems to be a lot different from the original SAO and the new characters (like Eugio) seem really cool, so I’m considering watching it. However, I’d assume I’d have to get through the earlier seasons to understand Alicization, right? So I’m wondering whether I can skip SAO Season 1 and just watch the Progressive movies (which are supposed to be a lot better) instead or watch SAO: Extra Edition (from what I found, this just condenses all the events into a single special). I would really appreciate if you could let me know whether I can skip SAO Season 1 and watch one of these alternatives instead and if so, which alternative/s do I watch and what is the optimal viewing order of the entire series? If you don’t like the first season you won’t like the rest especially when s1 is one of the better ones (SAO isn’t really good) Yea every season after S1 just goes downhill from there 😭 |
 |
KitsuneZoro said: @Chanoyu Alr, so I guess Progressive movies are good, but only cover a small portion of S1 (like first 2 episodes), so probably can’t just watch that. So my watch order seems to be: - Rewatch Aincrad (and see whether I like it this time) - Watch/read summary of Fairy Dance arc and watch last episode (supposed to be worst arc in series, the plot sounds awful, I def could not bear it) - Watch SAO II (Phantom Bullet + Mother’s Rosario are important, guess filler-y part is kind of fun and has some context as well) - Watch Ordinal Scale movie - Watch SAO Alicization + WOU P1 and P2 I’d guess this is the best way to do it since Aincrad can’t rly be replaced and I haven’t watched enough to rly form an opinion ig. SAO II is supposed to also be important and considered pretty good, so I guess I’d watch that too. Yes. The thing with S2 is, that many people hate it. I never truly hated it or loved it, it was just alright to me. You can just get some summary of 2nd part S1, as that fairy world isn't that important, yet some parts are still referenced in future. So summary should be enough. Don't skip S1 1st part. S2 - up to you whether you want to watch it, there are few important characters but some people are saying that S2 summary is enough. It's been a while I've seen that, so I don't have strong opinion on this one. Very important is Ordinal Scale movie as there is new equipment, characters and base of lore which is being developed further in Alicization, this is not a good idea to skip or watch from some summary. This should be enough for you to get the grasp of the story. Alicization is a really nice piece, but only if you get the relationships between the characters and the meaning of some bonds and parts of the story. Even though those "3" parts are much about Eugeo, the new character, having the base knowledge from previous series can just help you enjoy it. + You need to know some old characters. (There are some core characters from S1, S2 and story is heavily based on events started in Ordinal Scale movie.) |
| I am not one to claim SAO has great writing or some deep meaning, but I do think your description of the first season of the anime is inaccurate and unfair. Here is my honest opinion, if you are going to watch SAO, then watch all of SAO, that’s the only way to understand everything going on in the continued story. Trying to skip around will only confuse you. You might not like everything and it might be “boring” to you, but push through it, so you can say you watched the anime. |
Note: I don’t lazily watch 3-5 episodes, biasedly compare to other anime, or unfairly judge by surface level similarities. With every anime I start, I watch the entire series, both Japanese Sub & English Dub, then judge each anime based on what they present, to give an honest and fair rating. |
| Imo, you need the first season to understand and enjoy the rest. |
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