Join Kirito, Asuna and company in a journey in the dangerous RPG known as Sword Art Online. Grab a few potions, and happy sailing. This is, Sword Art Online:
Before I get into the review I really should come out and admit my opinion on this piece of work before getting ahead of myself. I truly did not hate Sword Art Online. I thought the series itself was nowhere near the level of hate it often receives from an almost cringe worthy fanbase. While I cannot deny Sword Art Online's execution and story was not amazing and it really didn't offer anything great that other anime have offered better, though the remarks calling it the worst anime ever are unbelievably not accurate. Rather, if this is the worst anime ever created then anime's position as a medium is really secure. On the flip side, Sword Art Online was not a masterpiece. Actually, I'd say it did more wrong than it actually did right. The story of entering a video game and being in danger of death or injury is NOT original nor unique. Though, I feel like out of all the titles I've seen of a person or persons getting trapped in virtual reality, Sword Art Online's success may just be the highest on the totem pole. Meet Kirigaya Kazuto, or Kirito. Kirito is a fourteen year old who considers himself a solo player meaning he usually doesn't join guilds or participate with other players. Though, that does change as the season goes on. Upon meeting a colorful cast and Asuna, Kirito joins the fight and tries to survive this deadly game. Can the love between Kirito and Asuna blossom into something great? Will the two survive the deadly RPG? If you have the HP to find out, give the series a shot.
This is where Sword Art Online shined for me. The soundtrack of Sword Art Online was able to assist me chugging through some poorly executed episodes that I felt could of been executed better with more effort brought forth. While not every episode was bad, some of them only shined with the soundtrack presented or the characters that surround this franchise. Plus, the opening of Sword Art Online is truly amazing. It gets you pumped, wanting more. You begin getting the song in your head hoping it won't be forgotten quickly. If anything, Sword Art Online's soundtrack deserves some praise. It was in fact, good.
While not all were great, the characters in Sword Art Online were fine. Kirito was not an amazing main lead, though he gets the job done when you look at what this series presents itself as. Asuna started off really great, though I felt like she lost a lot of spark when she began to depend on Kirito and his assistance like we've seen in other anime. Personally, Rika shined the most. I felt like her character was the best Sword Art Online offered, though characters comes down to personal opinion and how you feel for the character. I wouldn't be shocked if you loved every character that surrounds this stigma, though disliking every character is also not a void opinion.
Did I enjoy Sword Art Online? Well, yes and no. I'm in the minority, but the second arc for me saved Sword Art Online because I felt due to how it was handled, plot holes were far less existent and Suguha was my second favorite character of the anime. I was less bored of the anime overall when it hit that point, though the first arc's final episodes were pretty fun. I'd say overall, Sword Art Online's enjoyment was a 6/10. Not great or really all that good, but a fair rating for an anime that was enjoyable when it was good, but ugly when it wasn't doing well.
Should you watch this? Well, yes. I'd say watch it for the experience and the easy to approach story. It isn't great, but it was a pretty interesting idea that may of been executed better if handled differently. If you do watch it, try not to be sucked in and get addicted, you may just end up like Kirito.
