It seems to me that
Sword Art Online is the anime review supposedly, to best reflect what kind of
anime fan the reviewer is. All the "classy, refined" anime fans bash
the story and characters to bits, while less "classy and refined"
fans are a bit easier on the show, even praising it. And I know I will disappoint some of you with this review. Anyways, let’s get to the good stuff!
Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Romance, Harem (?)
Synopsis:
In the year 2022, 10,000 gamers are trapped in a virtual reality MMO and are told that the only escape is to beat the 100 levels of the game. Another added kick is that you only have one life. If you die in the game, you die in real life. Among these gamers is a 16 year old boy named Kirito, who was one of the Beta testers of the game. He is a "solo player", until he meets a girl named Asuna.
Okay, onto the characters. Kirito (or Kazuto) is your typical gamer guy who happens to be a boss at VRMMORPG and picking up chicks by doing very little. Overall, he showed little development during the story; heck, pretty much EVERYONE showed little development as characters. One particular moment that shows this is the World Tree Battle. The whole time, I thought something like, “He’s fighting out of love, and that’s what gives him strength? That’s kind of cliché.” Seriously, it was. Next, we have Asuna, who started off as stoic and a strong fighter, just like Kirito, but quickly dropped this image and became a tsundere who has little sense of decency and self-power (I need to think of a better word for here). I mean, WHAT KIND OF GIRL TAKES OFF HER CLOTHES IN FRONT OF A GUY SHE BARELY KNEW?!? Even if it is a virtual world, that was totally not cool. Overall, Asuna seemed to be overly feminine, with her too-good-to-be-true cooking skills, her choice of clothes, and that tentacle rape scene in one of the last few episodes. The rest of the ladies in Kirito's harem were one-dimensional, and I have NO IDEA what they were thinking. Silica? I could NOT believe she would be going to the same HIGH SCHOOL that Kirito went to. SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE'S 8. Lisbeth? YOUR IDEA OF ROMANCE IS WROOOOOOOONGGGG. And his cousin, Suguha (Leafa)? INCEST IS WRONG. GET RID OF YOUR BROTHER COMPLEX, KAZUTO IS NOT THAT SPECIAL. Now, the character I thought actually developed the most was Klein. He was funny, a strong fighter, and seemed like he would be an awesome guy to hang out with. He is probably the best character in this show. So, in general, do not expect to watch this anime for the characters.
For similar anime (I was really tired of this question all over the internet last year) there is Accel World, who’s creator is also Reki Kawahara and deals with a futuristic, virtual world. The other suggestion is the new anime from Fall 2013, Log Horizon.
NEXT REVIEW: School Rumble Seasons 1&2 + Extra Class OVA
Last Updated: 8 April 2014
Originally Published: 30 Jan 2014
Story and Characters:
Get ready, ‘cause this
is gonna be long.
At the beginning of
this show, Sword Art Online looked full of promise, setting the backdrop for an
epic story of survival, with drama, action and hardships. While this was proven
somewhat false, I don’t think I hated it as much as more “mature” anime fans. There were moments when my jaw
dropped, honestly. But one of the biggest surprises for me while watching this
show was that the “Aincrad” arc lasted for only the first 14 episodes. The other 11 are
spent on the “Alfheim” arc, the one with the fairies. This is part of the reason why many expectations
were not met with this anime. Now, normally, it isn't a good thing when a show tries to be
something it’s not. A good example of this is the second season of Baka and
Test. But I guess SAO was supposed to be a mix of a
bunch of elements that didn't PERFECTLY work out, but I didn't mind as much as
others might have. One of the biggest factors against the plot, according to other
reviews, is the romance. Sure it did go a bit overboard, but I'm not saying it was 100% trash. How you interpret the story is largely based on what kind of person/anime fan you are (This is the biggest point I'm trying to make in this review). That's not to say I didn't have my gripes with the romance in SAO. The harem was not necessary at all, the incest-ish relationship between
Kirito and his cousin-who's-like-a-sister may be off-putting for some, and
Yui’s infatuation with "Daddy" seemed a bit over the top. But I thought if they toned down, or cut out some of the above, focused on the relationship between Kirito and Asuna, and didn't make their romance as forced or rushed, the story probably would have been a LOT better. Other things one might complain about are the plot holes, or lack of character development, or such. But these didn't seem to bother me so much. Again, I may not be the most “mature” reviewer out there, so it’s up to you how seriously you want to take this review. I noticed in a few scenes, Kirito would be near defeat, but would think of Asuna and suddenly get 2 times stronger. This happens in a lot of shōnen anime, and I can say, this does not happen in real life, at least not for me. I've tested it out during a few arm wrestling matches. (Sorry for the side note, there) Lastly, Sword
Art Online actually had a satisfying ending to me! I really
did feel a sense of closure during the final 2 episodes. And it could have ended a lot worse!
Okay, onto the characters. Kirito (or Kazuto) is your typical gamer guy who happens to be a boss at VRMMORPG and picking up chicks by doing very little. Overall, he showed little development during the story; heck, pretty much EVERYONE showed little development as characters. One particular moment that shows this is the World Tree Battle. The whole time, I thought something like, “He’s fighting out of love, and that’s what gives him strength? That’s kind of cliché.” Seriously, it was. Next, we have Asuna, who started off as stoic and a strong fighter, just like Kirito, but quickly dropped this image and became a tsundere who has little sense of decency and self-power (I need to think of a better word for here). I mean, WHAT KIND OF GIRL TAKES OFF HER CLOTHES IN FRONT OF A GUY SHE BARELY KNEW?!? Even if it is a virtual world, that was totally not cool. Overall, Asuna seemed to be overly feminine, with her too-good-to-be-true cooking skills, her choice of clothes, and that tentacle rape scene in one of the last few episodes. The rest of the ladies in Kirito's harem were one-dimensional, and I have NO IDEA what they were thinking. Silica? I could NOT believe she would be going to the same HIGH SCHOOL that Kirito went to. SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE'S 8. Lisbeth? YOUR IDEA OF ROMANCE IS WROOOOOOOONGGGG. And his cousin, Suguha (Leafa)? INCEST IS WRONG. GET RID OF YOUR BROTHER COMPLEX, KAZUTO IS NOT THAT SPECIAL. Now, the character I thought actually developed the most was Klein. He was funny, a strong fighter, and seemed like he would be an awesome guy to hang out with. He is probably the best character in this show. So, in general, do not expect to watch this anime for the characters.
Art and Animation:
I will be one to agree
that the art and animation is VERY nice. The scenery, the characters, and the
whole MMO aspect made this anime look FANTASTIC. Heck, even the FOOD looked great! The art style is mixed of a
traditional, 2000’s anime, with a “modern moe” 2010’s look. (This article
explains what I’m talking about: http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/10/08/manga-and-anime-my-how-youve-changed/)
The animation is great, but it shines the best in the boss battle scenes. The action is fluid, virtual sparks are flying, and the action isn't so "cut-up" that it becomes un-watchable. (If you've seen a lot of shōnen anime like I have, you know what I mean.)
Sorry this section isn't very detailed, but I don't want this review to be TOO long, especially looking at the previous category. And, just look at the art to see what I'm talking about. Seriously, it's great.
The animation is great, but it shines the best in the boss battle scenes. The action is fluid, virtual sparks are flying, and the action isn't so "cut-up" that it becomes un-watchable. (If you've seen a lot of shōnen anime like I have, you know what I mean.)
Sorry this section isn't very detailed, but I don't want this review to be TOO long, especially looking at the previous category. And, just look at the art to see what I'm talking about. Seriously, it's great.
Voice and Music:
As this dub was done by Aniplex of America, my hopes weren't too high for this dub. When I first heard the dub trailer, I really couldn't see their reasoning behind their casting choices. Eventually, you get used to this dub, but it may seem worse than it actually is, because SO MANY people watched this subbed while is was streaming on Crunchyroll and got adjusted to the original voices. I don't think the dub is terrible, but I wish Aniplex could have done a better job, considering how much hype was surrounding this series while it aired. It's not TOO over-acted, but I can see that the actors worked hard on this.
Like the art, many people (including myself) also say the music is one of the high points of this anime. I could feel the chills coming when I heard the boss battle theme in the second episode. The first opening theme slowly, but surely grew on me (until they changed it at about the halfway point.) but overall, the opening and ending themes really suited the anime, and added to the experience. On the other side of the epic, orchestral themes are the quaint, sweet pieces that adds to the stunning artwork. I actually think the artwork and music kind of enhance each other.
Like the art, many people (including myself) also say the music is one of the high points of this anime. I could feel the chills coming when I heard the boss battle theme in the second episode. The first opening theme slowly, but surely grew on me (until they changed it at about the halfway point.) but overall, the opening and ending themes really suited the anime, and added to the experience. On the other side of the epic, orchestral themes are the quaint, sweet pieces that adds to the stunning artwork. I actually think the artwork and music kind of enhance each other.
Execution and My
Enjoyment:
Sword Art Online has such a strong premise, but it did fall short of what it was "supposed" to do. It did deliver romance, but definitely not in the best way. The characters were the low point of the show. The action was stunning, as was the music. And again, I just wish Aniplex put more work into this dub.
Do I say this is the BEST ANIME EVER? Of course not! But was this worth the watch? Yes! Overall, Sword Art Online did disappoint me a bit, but it was interesting, and I did enjoy this anime. This isn't the type of anime to completely delve yourself into, but is enjoyable, to varying degrees. How much YOU enjoy this anime really depends on what kind of person/anime fan you are (The only reason I'm saying this a lot is so people don't pounce on this review).
Do I say this is the BEST ANIME EVER? Of course not! But was this worth the watch? Yes! Overall, Sword Art Online did disappoint me a bit, but it was interesting, and I did enjoy this anime. This isn't the type of anime to completely delve yourself into, but is enjoyable, to varying degrees. How much YOU enjoy this anime really depends on what kind of person/anime fan you are (The only reason I'm saying this a lot is so people don't pounce on this review).
The Score:
Averaging the 8 categories listed above, I give Sword Art Online a 7.0875/10 (My NEW rating system) and would recommend this to anyone who appreciates great art, action, and music.
Story: 5.5 Characters: 4.7
Art: 8.8 Animation: 8.75
Voice (Dub): 5.5 Music: 8.95
Execution: 6.5 My Enjoyment: 8.0
For similar anime (I was really tired of this question all over the internet last year) there is Accel World, who’s creator is also Reki Kawahara and deals with a futuristic, virtual world. The other suggestion is the new anime from Fall 2013, Log Horizon.
DANG, that was a long review! Hope you guys appreciate it; it took me a month to write this! If you like my blog, please
follow me or drop a comment! I appreciate all my readers! I would also
appreciate comments on how my reviews or this blog could be better!
Cheers!
~Selena
NEXT REVIEW: School Rumble Seasons 1&2 + Extra Class OVA
Last Updated: 8 April 2014
Originally Published: 30 Jan 2014
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