Many people have great issues with this anime due to the cliche main hero who dashingly saves the damsel in distress, who swoons for the handsome man in black. Overall, I personally didn't mind the excessive "Kirito-loving" for the beginning half of the anime. I rolled my eyes at times and puzzled over the fact that cute girls starred in a single episode and then never showed up again, but overall the romance and the characterization didn't bother me too much. I was enjoying the virtual world being brought to life and comparing the SAO world to my own online experience. The story line was a little too romantic for me, and I would've wished for a more action-centered anime (which is what I originally thought I was getting into), but I still enjoyed it.
And then came the second season, which I sometimes wish I hadn't watched. It ruined the show for me. I spent the last season staring at the screen and shaking my head trying to figure out how this anime went so wrong so fast. SAO took what seemed like every cliche fan fiction romance story line and thrust it into their second season like it was grappling for something to hold onto. The characters went from being okay to being downright awful. This catastrophe began with the beginning romance between Kirito and his sister (though they explained that away as being okay since they weren't really related). It then proceeded to devolve even more with the love triangle and the evil villain trying to marry Asuna whilst keeping her trapped in the virtual world. SAO then added in blatant fan service and decided to finish with a sweeping ending of disappointment.
I definitely think that this anime had great potential in the beginning. I had come in expecting an action-packed fighting anime in a virtual world with fights similar to the online gaming experience. In some parts I did get a similar feeling, but the main focus of romance shoved this away. Sadly, I feel like SAO fell apart and lost its focus somewhere along the way. I kept changing my rating for this anime mostly because I feel like the second half of the anime deserves a 2 while the first half deserves a 6. The art was good, and pleasing to the eye, and I enjoyed the soundtrack, both deserving of a 7. The characters were mediocre at best and I gave them a 3. My enjoyment slowly decreased throughout the show and I ended up with a 2 by the end, but I feel like overall it deserved a 5.
So in the end I gave the anime a 5, which is attributed to the first season and my enjoyment of it because of my connection to the gaming aspect. I feel that anyone with that experience will at least enjoy the first season so I decided that it deserves that much. My advice would be to not watch the second season as it ruins SAO as a whole, but if you're one of those people (like me) who can't stand to leave an anime unfinished, by all means, go and watch it. Just prepare yourself for a highly disappointing ending.
This is my first review, so thanks for reading and helpful tips are appreciated!
