Plot/Story and Character: 2.5/10
A 10-year-old probably wrote the entirety of this story. Everything just doesn't make sense. They live in a world where technology is so advanced that they have full-dive VRs everywhere; however, I guess this technology budget wasn't used on anything else other than VRs because the whole Japan doesn't have the technology to track one guy in-game and needs a 17-year-old boy to save the day.
The whole plot revolves around Kirito and this new girl, Asada Shino, so that all the other important/main characters, like Asuna, are simply left behind. Well, of course, they need to do this so that this new girl also joins Kirito's harem, and once she joins in, the show just gives up on them and they lose their personalities. Most of the girls in Kirito's harem party are so useless that if you removed them from SAO II, the story would probably run better. Rika, Keiko, and Sugu manage to add nothing to the show and just sit, hug Kirito and say, "WOW, KIRITO-KUN! SUGOI!!!!"
Hmmm, 5 girls might not be enough for Kiriko; how about we add another one: Konno Yuuki. Another one joining the cheer squad for the last 5 episodes (i have no words...)
Pacing: 3/10
The pacing is absolute trash. You thought the time skips during the Aincrad arc and the jump between the Aincrad and fairy land arc in the first SAO were bad? Well, prepare for yourself; SAO II manages to make it even worse. They managed to add in another arc in, so in total, there are 3 arc in 24 episode (Gun Gale Online or Phantom Bullet, Calibur, and Mother's Rosario.) I wish they could dive deeper in the gun world instead of vaguely exploring it, because I was actually interested in the story for the first 2 episode. 50% of the episodes were only talking, all of the information I got from watching 2 people talk for 20 minutes could've done in 2-3 minutes.
Animation/Sound: 7.5/10
The animators and the production team were undeniably good. It kept its quality from the first SAO. The fight scenes were done well, which is why I forced myself to finish this show.
Overall: 4/10
The idea of SAO is really a masterpiece. I really liked the SAO progressive movies (very recommended), where the pacing was actually good and Kirito didn't need his harem cheer squad.
But SAO II is just not it.
