SAO has issues. The pacing is off. In a big way. There are deus ex machinas everywhere. I would elaborate more on that, but I think it would constitute spoilers.
The season is roughly split into two halves. Let's just say that if I told you what they were each about, you'd think I was describing two different anime.
I see a lot of criticism around about SAO. A lot of it is justified, albeit a bit exaggerated in my opinion. A common complaint is that kirito (the MC) is overpowered. In pretty much any other situation I would agree. But seeing that he is a hardcore gamer, thrust into what is essentially an MMO (his forte), while having prior experience of it in a closed beta, I would expect him to be stronger than the vast majority of the other players. But as much as I think it makes sense in the context of the show, it nevertheless detracts from it.
"but if there are all these bad things you have to say about it, why is your enjoyment score at 10???" - you right now.
The answer to that is: I enjoyed the heck out of this show. The concept of being trapped in a death game appeals to me greatly. Although my biggest complaint is based on that appeal.
I feel like the show squandered its main selling point. SAO isn't really about being trapped in a death game. It's a love story. That is the theme that ties together the arcs throughout the seasons of the anime (and the Light novels they are based on). So if you were drawn in by the synopsis but don't like love stories, there isn't much for you here.
SAO is one of my personal favourite anime's. Subjectively, I love it. I've rewatched several times and still loved it. However, objectively it has awful pacing, wastes a lot of its potential by using it's most interesting character, Aincrad: the world they are trapped in, as a backdrop rather that something to explore.
The best characters are often left by the wayside. There are people that will say the characters are all very 2 dimensional. I can see where they're coming from. I don't neccessarily agree, but I feel my bias towards the show makes me unsuitable for really assessing this. I've spent a lot of time with them between the anime, light novels and manga. So I've given the character section a 5. I tend to read a lot into even small things and try to empathise with the characters a lot, so there's a good chance i'm really just projecting more depth onto them than the show deserves.
Conclusion: I loved it. But aside from the art/sound, it isn't that good. If you do decide to go ahead and watch it, but dislike it at the end of the aincrad arc (you will know it when it ends), don't even bother going onto fairy dance.
