In truth, SOA breaks my heart.
As plenty of people have said, the second season, if you want to call it that, is basically shit.
It's so poor that I'm not exactly sure how to describe the entire thing, but let's give it a try.
(Also, part of the reason that this may have spoilers is that the series itself is VERY predictable. Seriously. If the opening doesn't give it all way for you, I think you can tell the plot from the very second, if not first, episode.)
The first 14 episodes were good. I'm not familiar with the MMO animes, I haven't seen .hack, but I enjoyed the premise.
The setting is beautiful. It's why the Art gets a 9. Every panel is beautiful, the virtual word that the story takes place is so well fleshed out in beautiful colors and the art style is very good; The character designs are well done, and the animation is pretty decent as well. To go with the good art is the soundtrack, which is also top notch. The background music gets you riled up, even though the action scenes themselves aren't very intense, and the openings are catchy.
That being said, you get to the problems.
The story has its moments of brilliance. It IS too fast paced. Too many timeskips, too much filler-and given that the first arc is only 14 episodes, that time should have been spent better explaining the virtual world and how Kirito got half the power ups and met the people he did. Instead, the characters and their relations are rushed. What's funny to me is that the episodes that do the best are the ones that are meant to be stand alones, where there's only one character and their interaction with Kirito. I found the episodes with Silica and Lizbeth and their interactions with him (although every girl having a crush on him is extremely cliche and lousy) to be better developed than the romance with Asuna-which is especially weird because I actually like the main pair together. This is partly because the plot line focuses on them for the majority of the episode, while in later episodes, we're supposed to believe that they are in love and they're happy and they only want each other-but there's not really much proof of that. It's a lot of telling (though I guess showing as well, since it's TV) but not much feeling.
Combined with the rushed battle sequences, and the complete lack of suspense and surprise, you watch this show FOR the character interactions, not for the action. Kirito is made to win pretty easily, and there's never a moment where I thought that it was going to be hard, or where I was at the edge of my seat cheering him on but worried something bad was going to happen.
And since this show IS about the relationship of the main two-I will say this. It was refreshing to have a couple that got together without any unnecessary beating around the bush or denying, so that it could move on. We get to see the scenes of a relationship after they get together, not just in the process, proving that there's a lot more to tell after a relationship starts and that the story doesn't end there.
Characters: Now I know this is a mixed bag. A lot of people HATE the main characters; call them gary stus and mary sues and who knows what else.
And I agree with a lot of people on this show and their reviews-but not this part.
Tbh, when Kirito and Asuna were introduced-I liked them both respectively.
I found Kirito rather refreshing. Why?
Because he still fulfilled the protagonist hero trope that's seen throughout shows and anime: strongest, saves the day etc. But I found him to be a lot more subtle than the usual Goku-esque MC. Not that there's anything wrong with that, because let's face it, e'eryone loves Goku.
Yes, his flaws aren't too accentuated, and he doesn't have too many quirks, but I guess...he's...normal in that sense? More human? His personality isn't as much inconsistent as muted I would say. In real life people don't have too obvious glaring error traits, but multiple sides to their personality. I found Kirito to be likeable, subtle, and just a nice guy.
Asuna was likewise, a strong female lead, and although different sides of her character could be called "inconsistent" I think these were more faults on the story telling and pacing more than the characters themselves. If more time came to developing them and telling the time that happened "offscreen" it would be more helpful.
Of course, all of the redeeming things that SAO had to offer goes to shit with the second storyline.
Kirito becomes to the point where he IS bordering on Gary Stu, and is almost unlikable at times. There's a completely unnecessary romance triangle that is kind of gross, does absolutely nothing for the plot, and just leaves you questioning who's idea it even was.
Then there's the reduction of Asuna-who was second in command of the guild she was part of-to a damsel in distress, who on top of being in a cage crying and waiting for Kirito, is given no real role of action or to take charge of her situation, ON TOP of playing up gross tentacle molestation and sexual assault/attempted rape to further Kirito's man pain and provide as a plot device so that he can save her.
It's gross, trashy and completely undermines her character. I can't comprehend how someone who created the women in the first 14 episodes, who yes, weren't without faults, could reduce them down to fetishized fanservice-which is what Asuna, and Sugu are. (And considering Sugu is a middle schooler, this is even worse.)
Overall, I did enjoy the first part of the anime-there are many episodes I look at fondly, and that make me smile that have the potential to be rewatched. But after that point, it just gets stupider and stupider, and I'm almost embarrassed for the creators.
No amount of pretty animation and good music can save the second half, which is why-as the warning I got from my friend in the very beginning-
Don't watch the second half, or you'll be left wanting to pretend it never exists.
Sidenote: I really loved the voice actors, even in the dub. So if shitty dub keeps you away, I have to say this one's is one of the better ones I've heard.
