Harem Online,I mean Sword art online is an anime aired in 2012 based on a light novel series of the same name by Reki Kawahara (he also write the novels of Accel World) and it gained a lot of fans and popularity.
Well, with that introduction let’s start this review
Story:2
The story of SAOis divided into 2 arcs and it follows the serie of events after the release of a VMMORPG called Sword art online,on the day of its release,when everyone is online, the game creator Kayaba Akihiko says that they can't logout until they clear the 100 floor and if they die on the game,they will die on real life.
The premise is very good,the idea of virtual reality game is very attactive and the death game makes it interesting,not new or orginal but interesting.
Although,a good premise means nothing if the story develops bad and SAO suffers of that.
The anime starts really well,with the first episodes focusing on the story,but then it follows everything except the main plot,making the protagonist fishing,playing the "happy family" with his virtual girlfriend,helping helpless lolis with his dragon or being CSI Online.
The anime spends a lot time and money in things taht can be told on 5 minutes or aren't needed,the improvement in the game is ignored making time jumps like it was Steins;Gate.
The story of SAO is full of clichés and predictable things,and even at some points it's embarrasing,well I mean if the goal is to clear the floors,why you would care if any one "cheats" to clear and even more,when you fight for your life?
Moreover,the main character's plot armor can be shown in 2 galaxies away,making him wining everyone alone,and yes,he was a beta tester but I don't think a beta tester can won a bunch of guys by staying in frontof them.
The romance is a very important aspect of the show,because it aims the events of mostly of all the story.
The romance in this anime doesn't work at all,it seems to be written by a someone that has no clue that how they work,the interacctions between them are boring and dull,the couple has not chemistry at all,the characters aren't fun and they romance is forced as fuck.They instert a lot of stuff to make it seem like an adult romance and it's kind of ridiculous.
Despite this,the first arc of SAO is fun to watch.It's stupid but fun to watch but the worst it's about to come.
The second arc make it worse,all the problems with the first arc increase in such a way that it seems like they were insulting me.
There's a forced love triaingle between a "sister" who is not a sister,oh Japan...,a girl in coma and a teen.
The princess that has to be rescued,the villian that doesn't deserve such a title,more fanservice and cliches and archeothypes,making Mario Bros look like a fucking masterpiece.
The second arc of SAO is more embarassing than when you're watching a film with your parents and 2 characters kiss.
So,the premise is great,the rest is complete shit.
Art &Animation:8
The animation was made by A-1 Pictures known of other anime like Ano Hana,Black Butler,Fairy Tail or Your Lie in April and it's great,the battles are well animated and the background is flawless and the ilumination of those backgrounds are very well done.
The battles can be animated or can be a powerpoint,showing you,frames whare the characters are jitting but not any actual movement at all.
The character design is standard but it's well done,even though,in the second arc is changed into something infrerior with those awful elf ears.
Sound:8
The OST was composed by Yuki Kajiura,known of other OST's like Madoka Magica or Fate/Zero and it's amazing,it's a plus to almost every battle and with the animation make it the only good aspects of the show.
This show has 2 Ops and ED,in the first set,OP is good and the 1 ED is meh and on the second one,OP is forgettable and the ED is okay.
The voice acting is solid and the sound effects are okay.
Characters:1
The characters are poorly written clichés
The main characters:
Kirito:The protagonist,everything and everyone is about him.It's also known as Gary Stu and it's portrait as a God,showing contradictions and flaws of everything his personality supposes to be.He's a character where everyone can insert,so it's the son of every beta character ever and a Gary Stu.His our lord and savior Kirito and that's not me,is how the show presents it.He's a self-inserted character that you're supposed to insert in and be amazed about his awesomeness and root for him,because ir's a light novel,of course and all girls fall for him because he's amazing and he's the MC.
Asuna:Co-protagonist,at first is shown as a badass player but then she turn into a generic tsundere who is usless without Kirito.In the second arc she became a damsel in distress been raped by a evil butterfly dude trashing all her image of been a strong female character who kicks ass,been unable to do anything and waiting for Kirito to recue her.
Sugu:Incest.She's the little sister who is not the sister because Japan always looks of excuses to hide incest who's as interesting as a wall and it's useless without Kirito.She's only a pair of brests with no brains and only as another fetish on the harem.
Klein:the main character's friend archetype.To be honest,he would be a better protagonist than kirito as he's more likeable and no perfect hero that everyone loves.
Lisbeth:another girl in the Harem,,she's a blacksmith and she is introduced in a couple of episodes to be kick to Kirito's harem,falling for him for no given reason than his the main character of course.
Silica:talking loli.She's nothing but another girl added to the harem,introduced in one episode in one of the most insulting way imaginable,she's been attacked by a tentacle moster,making more deviant and a step away for a hentai.The only thing you can say about her is that she likes Kirito and has a little dragon.
The villans:
Kayaba:He's the main antagonist in the first arc who's motivations are never explained in one of the worst attempt to create a moraly grey character with one of the most embarassing monologs about how he wainted to bulit a castle when he was young.At first,he seem as a great mystery,a mastermind,but in the end his motivations to kill millions of people are never explain and he remiains a psycho killer with no motivations.
Suogu:The main antagonist on the second arc is a fucking butterfly that doesn't even desrve that title,he's bad like he was one of evil guy of Disney,in fact,they're far better written and characterised that this thing.He's a rapist evil butterfly dude,oh the depth.
Enjoyment:5
Despite of all stupidness,I have fun watching it but I would't recommend this thing to anyone.
Overall:4
SAO is not the masterpiece that someones claim to be,it's not as bad as some claim to be but itr's bad.
Itr's a better overrated show,itr's doesn't mean that you can like it or enjoy it,I fact I had fun watching it.
It's not like the concept it's new or the romance is the best.
For another animes to see,I recommend to check out
-Eden of the east-very original death game and far better romance
-Log Horizon-More technical about gaming things for all MMORPG fans out there.
So,that's all folks.
