Sword Art Online

In the year 2022, gamers rejoice as Sword Art Online-a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) like no other-opens its virtual doors, allowing players to take full advantage of the ultimate in gaming technology: NerveGear, a system that allows users to completely immerse themselves in the game world by manipulating their brain waves to create a wholly realistic gaming experience. But when the game goes live, the elation of the players quickly turns to horror as they discover that, for all its amazing features, SAO is missing one of the most basic functions of any MMORPG-a log-out button. Now trapped in the virtual world of Aincrad, their bodies held captive by NerveGear in the real world, users are issued a chilling ultimatum: conquer all one hundred floors of Aincrad to regain your freedom. But in the warped world of SAO, "game over" means certain death-both virtual and real...

(Source: Yen Press)

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Background

Author Reki Kawahara wrote the first volume of Sword Art Online in 2002 and intended to submit it for the Dengeki Game Novel Prize, but refrained as he exceeded the page limit. He instead published the series as a web novel. Shortly after his other series Accel World won the Dengeki Novel Grand Prize in 2008, Sword Art Online was published in print.

The light novel ranked first in the Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! for the Best Light Novel category in 2012 and 2013.

The series has been published in English by Yen Press under its Yen On imprint since April 22, 2014. It has also been published in Italian by J-POP since October 11, 2014; in Polish by Kotori since November 24, 2014; in Russian by Istari Comics since December 2015; in Spanish by Planeta Cómic since March 1, 2016; and in Brazilian Portuguese by Panini Comics since December 2018.

Includes two side stories that were initially released as part of the limited edition version of the first season's first Blu-Ray/DVD volume on October 24, 2012. For the Sword Art Online light novel series' 10th anniversary, they were re-released as part of a side story collection titled "Kiss and Fly" (Volume 22) on October 10, 2019.

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Reviews

Oct 7, 2014

xNihalx

Recommended

Preliminary (Unknown/? eps)

-This is a SpoilerFree review-

First of all I want to tell you that I'm not an english native so sorry for my poor english and for the eventual errors.

Sword Art Online, the novel behind one of the most discussed anime ever. Someone says "it's the best, omg nothing can be compared to that", someone else says "it's just the worst story ever with the worst character ever".
So that point of view gave me a lot of curiosity, I just wanted to start reading the novels, and after reading all the 14 that are out up until now I feel ready to explain my vision over ...

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Aug 10, 2012

castor212

Recommended

Preliminary (Unknown/? eps)

Sword Art Online is about a virtual reality MMORPG. It is set on 2022, where humanity has finally for the first time able to completely go inside the game world using virtual reality technology.

At first I didn't really put high expectation to it, since it's genre is quite mainstream, like .hack G.U. or Yureka, but with a tint taste of darkness; Death is real here.

But the more I read it, the more I find myself enjoying the proggress of the story. The writer, Kawahara Reki gives a really realistic system and surrounding of said VR game, and it makes us able to completely drowned ...

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Aug 14, 2013

arseface

Recommended

Preliminary (56/? eps)

I've read the baka-tsuki version of every main story up to Alicization, which I won't start until the translation is finished. This review is for every non-side up till then, not just the first volume.

The series is very good. Poorly written, but very enjoyable. You can tell the author was younger when he wrote it and each arc is vastly different from the others as he progresses as an author.

Story 7/10
Every arc is different here. Vastly.

First arc Sword Art Online
the story basically serves as a medium with which to explain the world to you. The romance factors are a bit exaggerated since the ...

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Stuff that made you lower your score/rating? [Spoilers] Kazu-chan-san - Feb 17, 2024	7 replies	by RobertBobert »» Feb 18, 2024 10:26 AM
Still feels rushed Cneq - Nov 14, 2022	7 replies	by Saynarra »» Jan 19, 2024 4:08 PM
Poll: Sword Art Online Volume 4 Chapter 9 Discussion Shadow_Strider - Dec 4, 2012	2 replies	by eleonora_43 »» Oct 14, 2023 4:23 AM
Continue the LN after the last season baltazak - Apr 5, 2023	2 replies	by Anayan_Kashyap »» Oct 13, 2023 2:52 AM
Poll: Sword Art Online Chapter 2 Discussion Kiba_Senpai - Nov 27, 2022	0 replies	by Kiba_Senpai »» Nov 27, 2022 4:20 PM

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