Sword Art Online

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Alternative Titles

English: Sword Art Online

Synonyms: S.A.O, SAO

Japanese: ソードアート・オンライン

Information

Type: Novel

Volumes: Unknown

Chapters: Unknown

Status: Publishing

Published: Apr 10, 2009 to ?

Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Game, Romance, Sci-Fi

Authors: Kawahara, Reki (Story), abec (Art)

Serialization: None

Statistics

Score: 8.21¹ (scored by 16110 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet published' titles are excluded.

Ranked: #506²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #149

Members: 41,457

Favorites: 3,024

8.21

Ranked #506Popularity #149Members 41,457

NovelKawahara, Reki (Story), abec (Art)

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Synopsis

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 series placed 1st on the Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! ranking under Best Light Novel category in 2012 and 2013.

Yen Press has been publishing the series in English under the 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 December 2014; and in Russian by Istari Comics since December 2015.

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Related Manga

Alternative version:	Sword Art Online: Aincrad, Sword Art Online: Fairy Dance, Sword Art Online: Phantom Bullet, Sword Art Online: Mother's Rosario, Sword Art Online: Calibur, Sword Art Online: Project Alicization
Side story:	Sword Art Online Side Stories, Sword Art Online: Progressive, Sword Art Online: Girls Ops, Sword Art Online: Celeste no Yousei, Sword Art Online SS: Calibur SS-han, Sword Art Online: Material Edition, Sword Art Online dj - Lisbeth Edition, Sword Art Online dj - Silica Edition, Sword Art Online dj - Pina Edition, Gekijouban Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale
Spin-off:	Sword Art☆Online., Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, Sword Art Online Alternative: Clover's Regret, Sword Art Online: Kirito no Aincrad Night, Sword Art Online Iden: Kibaou-han!
Adaptation:	Sword Art Online: Extra Edition, Sword Art Online II, Sword Art Online, Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld, Sword Art Online: Alicization
Alternative setting:	Sword Art Online Integral Factor

More characters
Characters

Kirigaya, Kazuto

Main

Yuuki, Asuna

Main

Asada, Shino

Main

Kirigaya, Suguha

Main

Zuberg, Alice

Main

Eugeo

Main

Yui

Supporting

Konno, Yuuki

Supporting

Ayano, Keiko

Supporting

Tsuboi, Ryoutarou

Supporting

More reviewsReviews

Oct 7, 2014

Unknown of ? chapters read

Overall Rating: 8

xNihalx (All reviews)

64 people found this review helpful

-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 read more

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Aug 10, 2012

Unknown of ? chapters read

Overall Rating: 9

castor212 (All reviews)

50 people found this review helpful

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 read more

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Aug 14, 2013

56 of ? chapters read

Overall Rating: 8

arseface (All reviews)

41 people found this review helpful

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 read more

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Jun 23, 2012

42 of ? chapters read

Overall Rating: 10

Unknown7777 (All reviews)

32 people found this review helpful

Volume one probably the best so far that I've read in the series known as Sword Art Online, the characters are deep, and you end up developing an equal sentimental attachment of virtual world it all takes place. The romance may come about a little fast pace but you quickly forget about it as you find yourself quickly rapped up in how intimate and deep it is. By the end you definitely will get emotional, I won't say any spoilers but its a proper end to the whole story.

But wait theres more, I skipped over the side stories and went right to the essential continuation of the story which is fairy dance, where you are now picking up about 2 months since the end of volume one, where Kritio's sister/cousin is struggling over her feelings for him, while he only has one thing on his mind and that is saving the girl he loves. Don't want to say too much as it'll spoil the moment at the end of vol. 1 as it probably goes against what you'd want to happen. But anyways Kirito is pretty reminiscent of his time in SAO, to the point you can say its not completely over for him as can be understood by the main plot of the story arc.

Couple chapters in you get introduced to ALO a new VRMMO from a company that took over the servers of SAO as the company running them went bankrupt due to the whole death game incident. Anyways kirito jumps in the game that is very similar to SAO except that its based around fairies, thus the ability to fly and use magic are available in the game. You'll notice pretty soon that Kirito's character is quiet abit different then when you last saw him in SAO which only just ended two months prior, hes alot more reckless jumping into situations without hesitation, alot more talkative and gutsy when compared to the SAO version you wonder what the hell happened in those two months to cause such a change if anything I'd expect him to be a lot more on a one track basis of saving Asuna rather then being a laid back do gooder who is overly confident he'll win given any situation.

The emotions present in the first vol. seem to have really disappeared as hes hardly the same guy he was in SAO, its like he developed a massive superiority complex after becoming the hero in SAO, at least while in a VRMMO.

I left out alot of the plot specifics as I'm not fond of giving away too much information that you'd know what will happen in general before even reading, since the greatest part about reading is wondering what will happen next. Fairy dance spans 2 volumes although the total chapters is a lot less then vol. 1 its a good read, although its a lot less emotional as Vol. 1 was.

Now getting to the next arc Phantom Bullet which already I'm getting annoyed at as the prologue and chapter 1-2 is a whole lot of long winded crap that I don't think a reader really cares for as they try and compare certain experiences and limits of the VRMMO to real life. A lot of it coming from Kirito too, personally from what I know of Asuna from reading I would think she wouldn't care two hoots of all the stuff Kirito is going on about. It takes place roughly 1 after Asuna is freed and yet Kirito has become this all knowing and understanding, charismatic individual as they make him come off as a kid with the IQ of 200. Sure they hinted here and there that hes a smart guy but now hes all of sudden a genius.

To be honest Vol 1. is 10 which my scoring relates to.
Vol. 3 & 4 I'd give an 8 although I have qualms with the change in character of Kirito its still a good story.
Vol. 5 I haven't got much into but so far I'd say a 5 or 6 since what I have read has put a pretty bad taste in my mouth as the characters are getting farther and farther from who you knew in SAO that it they should really be different characters entirely.

Weather or not I continue to read this story is very much in the air as its drifting too far from its foundation for me to enjoy it.

Helpful

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