Just like a great amount of people, when I heard that season 2 of Sword Art Online was finally announced, I was hyped. Heck, I still am while writing this review. With the end of the year approaching fast, Crunchyroll treated us with a subbed version of Sword Art Online: Extra Edition, and I couldn't wait to watch it. Even though I knew it was going to be a recap episode, it's a nice thing to get back into the whole anime again, that had both upsides and downsides. And don't forget the extra footage, of course.
So, to start off: Yes, like I said before, this is mostly a recap episode. Especially the first hour consists of mostly flashbacks with new footage inbetween. The short synopsis in MAL pretty much explains the entire special, so all in all, there's not much to say about this in overall. We have our main characters, and a returning character that I believe has never shown his face in the first season. The new footage seems to come with some new music as well, and we get to see the side characters from the first arc in their ALfheim form for longer than a minute, which is pretty neat.
The animation and art are pretty much the same as the original anime, with here and there some slight changes in lighting and whatnot, but barely noticeable. What is noticeable are the characteristics of our main characters. It's now far more obvious that they've grown up a bit more, which wasn't that clear at the end of the first season. Along that is a bit of character development, at least as much as it could allow with the given time in between the flashbacks, along with a new flashback not shown in the original anime.
For SAO fans, this is a must-watch, especially if you haven't seen the anime in a while. For newcomers, don't think this special will get you up to date, as it clearly leaves out very important parts of the original and is only meant to spark the memories of the fans, and nothing more. Along with the new extras, Sword Art Online: Extra Edition is a fun watch, and a great special to end the year with. And of course, with the announcement of the second season, you just can't help but feel even more hyped after having watched this.
A Happy New Year to everyone, and may your 2014 be filled with lovely memories, and some great anime to accompany it with. Akemashite omedetou!