(NOTE: I am considering this the first season, for the second......)
Story:
Season 1: The story here is OUTSTANDING. The plot is simple yet very effective. The sense of despair is very real and always present in the show. Yes, the show does have some rather bad episodes (Episodes 5,6) and drive massively off track with the main focus. Yet there are others that do the exact same thing, I do it amazingly (Episodes 7,11 and 12). Other then the ending that does Dues Ex Machina writing, I really don't see a massive problem and, if the ending did not have the Dues Ex Machina writing we would not have a...second season.
Season 2: I know the show is not split into Season 1 and 2 and is more of a 'Part'. However, I need to go over this, the show takes a massive turn, with all the despair and tension taken away and has a side romance sub plot that is should not only exist but is done terribly. I wish I could go into more detail but I can't because spoilers.
Art: No complaints, the action is breathtaking with beautiful effects and the backgrounds looking amazing. Characters look great with special mention going to the boss monsters looking fantastic. Same with the second season. (Yes, that is a good thing.)
Sound: Music done by the GOD Yuki Kajiura who also did the Music for Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero and .Hack/Sign. Sword Art Online's Soundtrack is great, all the background and battle music perfectly fit the show and the themes it has in it. In terms of the opening, the show has two.
Season 1 has the better opening in my opinion. The song being 'Crossing Fields' by LiSa, has now been stuck in my head ever since I have watched the show. Along with the visual acompument. Looks and gets you pumped for the episode coming.
Season 2's opening is not bad at all. It's good but it comes with trying to be as good as the first opening. As the same with Attack On Titan and most shows with two openings. The second one is always worse. Still nothing wrong with it however and I, on most occasions, have played bass to the song and, is more fun to play then Crossing Fields, Innocents is a good song, it's just does not have the power of S1's opening
In terms of Sub or Dub......it's hard to say. S1 I would say Sub, it feels alot more powerful when it has the more 'Feelz' parts of the show. S2 on the other hand, Dub by far. The Characters feel alot more human in the Dub (No hate against the Sub) as S2 is alot more happy and funny.
Characters: OH BOY, THE PART THAT EVERYONE HAS A PROBLEM WITH! I'll only talk about the two main characters of Sword Art Online, "Kirito"/Kazuto Kirigaya and "Asuna"/Asuna Yuuki.
"Kirito"/Kazuto Kirigaya: Kirito is a very...hard charcter to talk about as there is two main things people talk about when talking about Kirito. In Camp One: They see him as a guy who has been kicked to shit in life and now, in his only moment where he is doomed to die, basically says 'Fuck That' and goes all the way to live and in Camp Two: They only see a Mary Su charcter who is over powered for no reason at all. Gets all the bitches for no reason and, at one point, develops his own Harem. For me, there are points where he is both. On one hand, he has some points where he has had all this shit happen to him yet pushes on despite it and has times where he is, UTTERLY BADASS. See (Episodes 4, 9 and 14) yet, at the same time, he has some points which make me question the rules of SAO. (Episode 14) where... spoilers and...I'll get to the romance later. The Harem I have to agree with. Episode 4 is explained as to why he did what he did. Episodes 7 and 20 are...... (Sigh).
"Asuna"/Asuna Yuuki.: Asuna has being wildly described as a, Tundra and her reliance of Kirito is her biggest fault. to which I say, Episodes 2,9,10,13. However, one of her biggest faults is S2. In which all power she has is thrown away and is turned into Princess Peach for the rest of the show and it is AWFUL. What is done to her is one of the main reasons I hate Sword Art Online's Second Season. Besides that, the first season shows her to be a capable fighter and second in command of the Sword Art Online's leading guild. She is said to be one of the fastest sword users in the game giving her the nickname 'Lighting Flash'. She has a overall serious and and her only goal being to get to Floor 100 to finish the game, but instead finds a reason to live instead of just survive.
Kirito And Asuna: I find this romance...one of the best ever told. The characters have to depend on each other to survive but, become so much more then that. They know about each other and actually go on dates and get to know about each other before actually, start going out, well, marrying and keep in mind that this is in a game. They show care for each other and have moments where the show has had me on the verge of tears.
Enjoyment: I found S1 to be fucking amazing, it's story is simple yet fantastic. It's art breathtaking. It's sound draw dropping. Characters well written and human. S2 on the other hand is...I don't have the words to describe how awful it is. The Characters are turned into idiots. Characters are added that are idiots, the setting takes away all the tension and sadness and a plot that should have never existed in the first place.
With that I can finally give Sword Art Online three ratings.
Rating One: SAO's S1: 9
Rating Two: SAO's S2: 4
Final Score: Sword Art Online :9/10
While the show has it's flaws. The first half is near perfectl. With great characters and animation. That sadly fall off a cliff in the second half of the show. I love the first half, so much I normally tell people to watch the first half and leave the ending up to your mind but if you need a closed ending, watch S2. Just don't say I did not warn ya.
Thanks for reading, until next time, my name is Findread. See you guys next time!
