Wow I thought this was great! It was an entertaining, thought provoking, action packed emotional manipulator with some gorgeous artwork, music and characters. Naturally, I went in knowing next to nothing about the plot other than it was about some people who got stuck in a game. I am not a huge fan of MMORPGs, but I game a lot. The idea seemed interesting enough. I wound up getting hooked during the pilot when I saw what a creative idea the writers had and started imagining where this could go. Sadly, I found the whole first arc (especially eps 1-4) to be extremely rushed...however the finale hints to the fact that these characters might return to the world so maybe we'll get a more detailed experience in season 2? I'm serious...the first arc could have covered all 25 eps and I would have been glued to the TV the whole time. It seems the second arc is where people started grouping off into love it, or hate it. Personally, I think they did a great job with what they could. Where was the story going to go anyway after they defeated Kayaba?
So anyways, part 1 for me was the highlight of the season. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The whole scenario of death in a game and in real life was an amazingly creative way to go about doing a show, and I think, minus my previously mentioned faults, they pulled it off. I loved these characters. The emotions were there as well and I found myself feeling everything they wanted me too as I sat in my little room and watched. By the end, I felt satisfied and excited for the next chapter.
It was almost like we got 2 seasons in 1. This part unfortunately didn't meet expectations, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it. The threat of death in real life was gone so that took away a good deal of tension. Plus the introduction of the love triangle (strangely with the sister/cousin/whatever) was unnessecary and made things a little silly. Leafea was a great character, but Sugu IRL was whiney and not really my cup of tea when it comes to female characters. It took away someof the magic (no pun intended) that I wanted to feel during the remaining episodes. I enjoyed the fact that they brought back Yui (as a pixie!!) and I loved the fairy world. It sort of gave me a Peter Pan feel and we know how much I ADORE Peter Pan. Also, Sugou was an excellent villain. He was so menacing and horrifyingly perverted, you couldn't help but will Kirito on. The end of this arc was superbly done, but again, it had its faults during.
Technically, everything was well done also. The animation was fantastic. The battle scenes were put together intricately as well as the death scenes, scenery, and the way the three worlds had their own feel. Gaming worlds were gorgeously bright and vibrant, while our world was dark and gave quite a somber feel. The character animation was also beautifully done. The sound department is where this one shined most of all. The voice acting was probably some of the best I've heard yet. There were no high pitched sqealing characters, and there were hardly any times I felt like the voice didn't fit the character. Kirito and Asuna were haunting in the way they cared for each other and the voice actors made you feel everything perfectly. The music (both beginning and end themes) along with the soundtrack was also insanely beautiful. I really can't praise it enough.
Overall, I will definitely watch season 2. It had some faults, but in the end, I was entertained and emotionally invested in what I was watching.
9/10 stars.
Watched subbed.
