I'm gonna start off by saying that SAO is not an anime that you can watch impulse by impulse. It's something that must be viewed as a whole. It's story meant to show character progression and development over time. Try looking at the big picture here.
Story(7): I'm gonna start off by saying no, the story isn't bad at all. It is really enjoyable and keeps you interested and guessing all the way through. The first couple of episodes are what get you sucked into this fantasy world and what comes next is what makes you stay. It's story is not as bad as people make it out to be. It has a little bit of everything to appeal to a lot of viewers and still ends up staying true to it's core. When it switched from the first arc to the second is where viewers tend to get a bit confused. The really fast pacing at the beginning messes with our expectations. We expect to see the characters slowly adapting to life in their new world. For better or for worse, the fact that the show basically fast forwards through that whole segment threw a lot of viewers for a loop. It's not to say that some aspects weren't predictable, because certainly the second arc does have a tried and true plot device. However saying the entire show is predictable is ignoring everywhere it blew our minds.
Art(10): I thought the art in SAO was exceptional. It caught my eyes from the moment I saw it and it makes you want to see more. The backgrounds are really beautiful and the art is overall really pleasing to look at.
Sound(10): The sound was also another strongpoint in the series. The intro and outro songs were really good. And the music was where it needed to be, when it needed to be. It made the action scenes really awesome and enjoyable.
Character(7): Alot of people say this is the worst part about SAO. The thing is that, it never did anything wrong and people tend to jump to conclusions when they don't know what they are talking about. The show displays the characters change very well over time, in and out of the VRMMOs. Kirito becomes more mature and man-like out of SAO as expected out of anyone in his shoes. Also, the supporting characters are exactly as they sound. They're there to add to the story and develop the main character even more. And are brought back to remind people that they are still alive. What ends up confusing people is their mixed feelings about the main protagonist. They tried to make him please everyone, while also confusing the viewers with all these aspects about him. It was a love or hate sort of thing.
Enjoyment(8): I really enjoyed SAO. As it was a really good and enjoyable show. Most people tend to confuse what did happen with what could've happened and that's very bad. You have to enjoy the show for what it is, not for what it could have been. Nothing is perfect and there will always be flaws, but in the end what really matters is how much fun you had along the way.
Link: http://www.japanator.com/sword-art-online-are-the-haters-right--31462.phtml
