Story - 5/10 -
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I find it hard to imagine that most anime fans, without knowing anything but the basic premise of SAO, wouldn't at least be intrigued by the story of SAO. Many of us are RPG fans, myself included, which might have us drooling at the very thought of a VR MMORPG (I prefer the classic JRPG myself). However, the promising synopsis suddenly turns into a disaster of sorts. The first half, especially the first few episodes, is quite good. These first few episodes are dark and engaging in that it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
You actually feel some emotion from the main character that is rather believable; and that, my friends, is necessary for good storytelling. There are differing opinions on this, but I don't believe one bit of it. I'm convinced that those who especially hate the first handful or so, haven't even seen them. They aren't the makings of a masterpiece, oh no, but awfully close. Then...the descent begins...
The story begins to take a turn for the worse. A lot is forced down the throat of the viewer. It becomes quite tedious. It just isn't as believable as the first few episodes. Sadly, it gets worse. Once the first "arc" is over, however, the story begins to clutch at straws. I've never read the light novel, but I don't need to...this portion was a mistake. This is where the story truly attains the peak of mediocrity. This is where the haters have reason to hate. This is the ultimate reason why I have given it a 5/10...half good...half not good.
Art - 9/10-
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It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that I enjoy the art. The art is pretty good no matter how you look at it. Everything is beautifully detailed, which is what one would expect of a modern anime. The characters are also well done. Everything about this series in regards to art is beautifully done. It's not my favorite style of art, but when reviewing, it's important to minimize one's opinion as much as possible.
Sound - 9/10-
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I'm never really sure what to really include under this subsection. Ummmmm....the music is great? It fits the tone of the show which is what one wants when watching anything. The theme songs are memorable which may or may not add to your experience. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that there's really nothing wrong with the sound. It's great, a 9 out of 10, end of story.
Character -5/10-
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This is the most controversial subsection of the entire rating. That sentence looks ridiculous no matter how I look at it. Anyway, I say controversial because some people think there was excellent character development and there are some who think the opposite. I have mixed feelings towards both departments. You'd be a fool to think that there isn't any character development. There is some real contemplation between the two characters that many of us would likely consider. The worst of it, however, is so typical among these types of anime (see Bleach). We are introduced to so many characters yet fail to see anything "real" about them. We meet character after character, and in a spout of magic, they disappear. Yes, I get one-time characters, but these characters are supposed to be notable. What's the opposite of notable? That's right, forgettable. Trust me, you don't want that.
Once the first half of episodes were over, I began to mock the show and its characters (much like I did for Accel World). The plot reaches such a point of ridiculosity that it becomes incomprehensible. The love triangle is so piss poor that it makes the villains' seem that much more awesome. Oh, and I assure you that the villains are not awesome. In fact, they are as far as possible from awesome. The reasoning they offer for their "crimes" are absolutely pathetic. To put it nicely; the actions of the characters are forced down our throats so much that we begin to lose interest and in the end we just don't care. How can a show be a masterpiece if by the end, we just don't care?
Enjoyment -6/10-
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I'd like to point out that I probably enjoyed the show more than my rating suggests. Does that make sense? It does!? Good. The first half of the show had me impatiently waiting for each new episode. It was probably THE show I looked forward to the most for this particular season. Unfortunately, this changed, and I was forced to sit through some tediously boring episodes. It was hard to fathom how I could experience such a change. I felt as though I was being trolled. I started to play around with the idea that I was simply viewing a spin-off, but nobody is that cruel, right?
To those still questioning, I say to you, it is enjoyable enough. Not very convincing, is it? Unfortunately, it's the truth. The second half of the series shoots the entire show into the net of 'meh, it was enjoyable enough, I suppose'. That pissed me off. The entire show seems to a metaphorical kick in the...well...you know. Don't worry; I didn't forget the female anime viewers. To them, it's like a punch to the...well..I'll let you pick, I've heard both are painful. To sum the enjoyment factor up in to two words would be easy: it flops.
Overall -6/10-
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I had a hard time not giving this a five. I ultimately decided that the show isn't mediocre. I don't believe that the ENTIRE show is mediocre. I'd even be willing to give the first half an 8 (if I was feeling generous), but the second half really hangs around the 4 or 5 range. It just simply isn't needed. It's frustrating for us fans when we know that the creators struggled to find a good reason to continue. It's even more frustrating when a series shows such high potential only to be ridiculous in the end. The photo for its entry on this website is even misleading. There are characters there we hardly learn anything about. That should tell you a lot about this show. But is it as bad as some people say? No. Is it as good as some people say? No. If there's one point I wanted to make throughout this review, that would be it. Neither side is right. It really is smack-dab in the middle. If this series was split into two seasons, you'd have a 'very good' (8/10) season and a 'decent' or 'mediocre' (4 or 5/10). For me, that is the absolute truth; but hey, it's stilll better than Accel World (doesn't take much).
