Art:
I'll start off with the good things about the show just so you guys understand what I mean by disappointing. The art style is pretty good aside from the unnecessary sexualization of Asuna in the second world as well as making Kirito an elf but whatever. The show is pretty, the landscapes are vast, and most importantly, the virtual reality worlds make me want to go visit these worlds myself, and I think for a show that tries to capitalize on the dreams and fantasies of an otaku fanbase, that's what matters to most. Action sequences, more often than not, get me hyped. There are even some first person shots that show that the characters actually see a HUB in there periphery which was a wonderful touch, again making the audience believe that this is a real game.
One more aspect of character design that struck out to me was exactly how deranged and angry this anime could make people look. These kids were looking as crazy as Evangelion characters at some points, so that's also something to appreciate as it nods to the psychological aspect of the show that I just WISH the show fleshed out more.
Sound:
As for sound, music sounds like general JRPG music. Again, immersion for an otaku fanbase: Achieved. Swords clash when they clash. Digitalized cuts sound digitalized, again pointing out that this is VR, so that's cool. Sound design is good.
Character:
Shit. You've heard it a million times. Kirito is a unlikeable bitch that all the girls love, and the girls are as one-dimensional as the archetypes they represent, if not more. Asuna, the one character I had the most hope for, was reduced to a plaything, a damsel in distress, by the end of the show, to the point where she almost gets graphically sexually assaulted. And that's not okay. Moving on.
Story:
Shit.
Not just because the story is bad, but because it could've been so good. The idea of a VRMMORPG is a fantasy that many otakus have dreamed of for a long time. Getting trapped in one, while not a new idea, is a fear that I'd imagine would freak everyone out in the real world just as it did in the show. Having to battle your way out in a fantasy world where you can die even though you're just a normal city boy is an absolutely WONDERFUL premise.
That's why it's so hard to see this show shit on the idea so hard with bullshit characters, time skips, little to no character development, game mechanics and practices that don't make sense, and the what just may be considered as rape.
Enjoyment:
At the beginning, I enjoyed it a lot. I had high hopes. I could've given you a 9 for like the first three episodes. But because this show shit on my hopes and dreams for a good anime with this type of premise, it really is unforgivable. Dreadful. As in, a 2, its only saving grace being that it looks kinda pretty sometimes.
Watch it with some friends just so that you can hate it and complain about how stupid it became.
-MSYN
