Story - 3/10 - After things get going, the first few episodes of the series are basically comprised of filler, which is never a good sign. Kirito undertakes side quests that may as well be marked by a bright yellow exclamation point for how generic and dull they are. Most of the characters he meets are relatively interesting, until you realize that they never appear beyond the episode of their introduction. What should be a time for gathering comrades and developing characters instead becomes a crazy, disjointed path that leaves the viewer wondering. Time lapses are used frequently between episodes, because somehow there were even more trivial events which couldn't be shown on screen.
Season 1 redeems itself pretty well in the latter half in my opinion, which is when the series is at its best. A cohesive story follows, and we're not meandering between useless might-as-well-be-NPC's anymore. The ending of season 1 was truly satisfying, and if I could rate the entire series based on that, it would probably get about an 8. Unfortunately however, we got a second season, and it never really takes flight (pun intended). All of the momentum from season 1 is lost as the badass Kirito is transformed into a brooding weakling with a one-track mind, fighting a villain who is cartoonishly laughable in his demeanor and stupidity. Yawn.
Characters - 2/10 - It's a harsh score, but honestly, Kirito and Asuna were the only interesting characters in the entire series, and they both got gutted by the time season 2 came around. It's not that the supporting cast is unlikeable, but you're never given any time to get to know them. The ones you do get to know are usually annoying or irrational.
Art 5/10 & Sound 7/10 - I'll preface this as always by saying that I am not a big art/sound guy. I rate primarily on the other factors. The animation was solid, but certainly not breathtaking. It did a pretty good job of making you feel like you are in a generic fantasy world, which I think is what they were going for, actually, since it's an MMO. The soundtrack itself is quite good, but the music never seemed to accent the dramatic moments in the series.
Enjoyment - 5/10 - I liked it mostly because of the premise being very unique, and the fact that it had some nice high points. Though it may not seem like it, my score reflects optimism. I will certainly be checking out the manga in hopes that this is just another anime series which can't echo its print version faithfully.
Overall - 4/10 - Given all 25 episodes to the first arc, I think this could have been a great series. Action fans won't be disappointed (at first), and there's enough here for lovers of both anime and MMOs to grab onto. Still, Sword Art Online is predictable, cliched, bland, and lacking any real depth. It begins with a seductive whisper, but ends with a night of friendzone disappointment.
