Let's start with the negatives.
The perhaps most glaring problem with the series is that it's tried to compress too much material into 25 episodes. In total, it's adopted 4 volumes of the light novel. What that translates into are gaps in character development and plot explanations. While it's not all that difficult to follow the story, pacing suffered quite noticeably in the first arc, especially because the anime tried to present everything in a chronological manner when the LN itself used more of a flashback progression. The second arc might've been delivered enough story without rushing anything, but the directors could've hardly expected anyone to stay for the series if they didn't like the 14 episodes of first arc.
All that would've been fine if SAO had a great plot and a great cast. The only thing I can say about the plot is that it's as linear as anything you'll see. Details aside, the endings to each arc should be pretty clear from the outset. As for the characters, we have a main character who fits the ideal nice guy mold. Next to him is the ideal girlfriend female lead. Then you have the supporting cast featuring some more stereotypical good friend, lonely genius, pathetic nerd, and bitter villain types. Little else needs to be said here.
So why watch this series then? For me, the real beauty of SAO comes in when you try to immerse yourself in the world the series tries to create. And for all it's worth, the world invites your imaginations to run wild.
Plus, even though the LN was written some time ago, the concept is still a decent one -- people trapped in a virtual reality MMORPG where hp = 0 means death in real life. As linear as the plot is, over the course of the series there are still some legitimate depth in the questions it raises. For one, when people can practically live in the virtual world, how would you differentiate between virtual and real? It seems like a rather trivial question, but it is eventually something society will have to address when technology reaches that point. Maybe we'll even see something like SAO in our lifetime.
And as bland as the character molds are, they make for a fun and likable cast. Though some people make the character out to be just another Gary Stu, he is far from all-powerful and suffers from a number of flaws, as he often admits. The female lead may be quite flawless on the outside, but the insecurities she expresses as a typical obedient daughter are not only real but pretty relatable. The series doesn't try to paint everything over with a gloomy brush, which means even while the cast struggles with the difficulties ahead, they remain generally optimistic and forward-looking. The ending featuring their interactions is heartwarming, even, as they've probably grown on you by this point.
One short comment each on the miscellaneous components. The action sequences are short and very, very sweet in this series. Even though on a couple of occasions the art quality drops somewhat, it looks great across the board and is probably one of the most pretty looking this season. The sound is nothing astounding, but it's definitely ahead of the pack. The opening and ending for the second arc deserves particular praise.
SAO can be a hit-or-miss. If you're an optimist with an open mind and some appetite for fantasy, action, and adventure, SAO is definitely for you. If you're on the other hand someone who prefers out-of-the-box ideas and intricate plot progression, then SAO is probably not the best idea. Anyone in the middle should at least try this series out. It has its flaws for sure, but from my experience, it's been an entertaining and satisfying ride.
