Sword Art Online- this anime has been getting insane amounts of attention from Japan and many other countries. If you've never watched it, you've most likely heard of it. After a while of thinking, I've finally decided to do a review on this.
Just warning you; if you're a Sword Art Online fan, you may find this review offensive- and that is because I am not a fan of Sword Art Online, although I am far from a hater of it, too.
Story- 4
A teenage boy who's a "Hikikomori" (Japanese for a shut in) named Kirigaya Kazuto buys the new video game called "Sword Art Online", an
...
MMORPG. It is not just a regular MMORPG, though- you have to buy another program called the "Nervegear", which allows you to be in the game itself. Our main character, Kirigaya, goes into the game of Sword Art Online.
Just as he's starting to have fun, though, he realizes there is no log out button and assumes it's a glitch. It actually isn't, though- the creator of the game informs them that it is there on purpose, and they cannot get back to real life now. They are stuck in Sword Art Online forever- that is, until someone beats the 100 floors/levels which are all increasingly difficult. Also, the players will take damage in not only the game but in real life, and can die in the game. If someone unplugs their "Nervegear", they die immediately.
So, there is basically no escape.
Sounds interesting, right? I thought it was at first too- actually, I still do think it is. But that's the problem with this anime- the idea of it is cool, which is why the first 3 episodes of the anime were fantastic, but that's about it.
Which is sad to say, because when the first few episodes came out I had great hope for this anime- hell, even after the first arc was over I still held a bit of a torch for it.
As soon as it's done being introduced, the anime starts gradually going downhill. The plot is bland and predictable with no interesting turns or twists; They had great potential with the idea of this anime, but used it in a cliched, boring fashion.
The first arc of this series was alright, although a bit boring- but the second arc was what really made it deserve a four. The overuse of fanservice to keep you "glued to the seat"; the "damsel in distress" plot used once more; it was honestly very disheartening.
The only thing about the plot I can commend is the battle scenes- they were very well written and kept me entertained. But, otherwise, the writing seemed very immature and uninteresting. I felt as though romance was the main thing that kept this anime going, which is odd because it has the label "shounen" and is an action anime.
There were also plenty of plot holes and questionable moments; for example, in the last episode when Kirito uses this "super power" type of fighting that he never had before. There was even a moment where he was SPOILER: dead but came back to life for no reason?
Art- 8
One of the key reasons that Sword Art Online is popular is it's artwork- the animation was really fantastic and breath taking at times, and the characters had great, interesting designs. The art style was average, but still very pretty and eye-catching.
If it weren't for this and the sound, I would've given Sword Art Online a lower score. But, if I can say one thing great about this anime it would be definitely about the animation. This is definitely in my top ten list of best animation from anime in 2012. The only problem is that art and sound are not what makes an anime good.
Sound- 9
Like the artwork, the sound was flawless most of the time. The voices were great for the characters, the background music was surprisingly noticeable (unlike most anime) and the openings and endings were very catchy.
Character- 3
What I found even worse than the plot was the characters. Their designs are very eye-catching, but their personalities were very bland, cliched, and "Mary Sue"-like. For example, the main character, who mainly goes by his username "Kirito", is portrayed as a shut-in. Most people would look down in him in disgust, and most shut-ins have major problems. But not Kirito- all the girls around him at one point fall in love with him, and the only personality traits he has are brave and "bad ass". Along with this, he has ridiculous power in fighting for no reason. He has absolutely no flaws and never fails. Very boring.
Also, one girl named "Asuna" is shown as mysterious, cool and "bad ass" at first, but ends up being a stereotypical tsundere with no other personality trait except for brave.
All the characters have strikingly similar personalities, which makes none of them really stand out.
Enjoyment- 5
The only times I really enjoyed the anime was the first arc's battle scenes- those were beautifully illustrated and acted out, and were heart-racing. But, other wise, I felt as if the series dragged on and on with nothing interesting going on, especially in the second arc.
The second arc, you couldn't even watch a battle scene without boobs 24/7- it was really ridiculous. I'm sure even some guys got sick of seeing one character's pair of boobs every 2 minutes. I felt as if the only thing that kept the series going was actually the fanservice. In one part, they even added tenticals- and aired this on tv...
Overall- 6
This anime is good if you're looking for a timewaster- but if you're looking for something with great plot, I really suggest not watching it.
The only really good part of this anime was arc 1, and the only really good part of it was the beginning. Afterwards, it gets very aggravating and I actually had to force myself to watch the second arc, and when it was over I felt great relief- not at the ending, but just because it was over.
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May 30, 2013
Sword Art Online
(Anime)
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Sword Art Online- this anime has been getting insane amounts of attention from Japan and many other countries. If you've never watched it, you've most likely heard of it. After a while of thinking, I've finally decided to do a review on this.
Just warning you; if you're a Sword Art Online fan, you may find this review offensive- and that is because I am not a fan of Sword Art Online, although I am far from a hater of it, too. Story- 4 A teenage boy who's a "Hikikomori" (Japanese for a shut in) named Kirigaya Kazuto buys the new video game called "Sword Art Online", an ... 
Apr 7, 2013
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