Story:
Although the story has Kirito diving back into VR MMO's, the story of Phantom Bullet offers a mystery aspect as well as the new character, Sinon, trying to overcome her fears and work with Kirito. Not necessarily the best plot, but it puts the characters in positions where they are forced to trust each other, and that always turns out for the better. Mothers Rosario on the other hand, focus on Asuna for a better portion of it. And while this isn;t necessarily a bad thing, the events which she gets caught up dont even feel like SAO.
Art:
This basically falls within the bounds of the first SAO. Nothing about the art really seemed to stand out too much, but its not boring and droll either. The visuals for the opening of the first half always come to mind when talking about this anime. As always, solid character designs really helps set the mood for the VR MMO's, and even the character outside of their avatars. The art style and animation and great and smooth and usual though.
Sound:
Strong voice acting, good effects, and a decent OST again put SAO on par with the original. This isnt a bad thing, but nothing really seemed to stand out of the crowd. I suppose theres not much to be said in this aspect, I suppose thats more good than bad.
Character:
Whilst Kirito, Asuna, and the rest of the classic SAO gang bring their charms to SAO II, its the introduction of the new character featured in Phantom Bullet that makes this step up. Sinon manages to bring a very relatable, yet lovable character out of the crowd. Yuuki, whom we meet in Mothers Rosario, is a character in which they make us feel sorry for, but we barely get to know before this happens. So while there a bit of back and forth here, Sinon easily makes this category stand out.
Enjoyment:
Once again, this manages to have to have the same feel as the classic SAO, but the Mothers Rosario arc seriously made a dent in the overall enjoyment this has to feature. I forced myself to finish it in the hopes something interesting would happen, and it didn't... However, I feel that Phantom Bullet significantly overshadows even the first SAO, and it what truly makes SAO II what it is.
Overall
Clocking in a point below the original, SAO II gets a 6/10. I almost can't stress enough how the second arc brought this down. Unfortunately, I have to weigh it in with Phantom Bullet, where the anime should have just stopped after. If youre a fan of the original SAO, check this one out, and enjoy the ride Phantom Bullet has to offer, however, take my warning of the second arc into consideration.
*Favorite Character
This without a doubt goes to Sinon. Its a little harder for me to sympathize with a character, but Sinon manages to hit the sweet spot. Someone who's fears feel realistic, anyone whos had to deal with an actual phobia can tell where Sinon is coming from when she faces her fears. Sinon also manages to bring a handfull and basassery with her sniper rife, the Hecate II. Being originally abrasives towards Kirito adds an adorable side to her that is always welcome in a charater. Sinon not only manges to be the strongest character in SAO II, but easily one of my favorite anime characters.
