So today I will be reviewing a new anime that only finished airing recently: Sword Art Online.
Before I begin I would like to say that yes it is a popular anime, yes it has flaws but it is really enjoyable. Even though the beginning is a bit rushed, you will still enjoy every second for different reasons: The original story (and no it's different from .Hack// you hater, the Light novel was released before the .Hack// fanchise) the enjoyable music AND the lovable characters.
The story follows the adventure of Kirigaya Kazuto (ingame: Kirito) a geek/gamer who lives with his uncle and aunt and has no friends. Kirito was one of the beta tester of the game thus having a direct access to the game without the need to buy it.
Things start to go awry when players try to log out only to find out that the "Log Out" button does not exist. The creator shows up claiming that all the players are now his prisoners in-game and that the only way to get out is to clear the game. Also in-game death means death in real life, "once you die in a world you die everywhere" - Kayaba Akihiko
Upon realizing what is going to happen, Kirito runs to the next town in order to clear quests and raise his level (this is a plus because these days most of the anime protagonist would have sat in a corner and cried... Yes I'm looking at you Haruyuki from AccelWorld)
Anyway Kirito start searching for the 1st floor's boss. While searching for him he joins a temporary party and meets a girl: Asuna.
While raiding the boss, the party leader gets killed and Kirito is the one who slays the boss. Other people understand that he must have been a beta tester and label him as a beater (combination on cheater and beta tester).
And thus begins his real adventure as a solo player in that jungle-like world.
I won't spoil the rest of the story, I will just say that the second arc (arc not season) is focused on the relationship between Kirito and his sister: Kirigaya Suguha.
Other characters like Silica, Klein, Agil, Lisbeth and Yui are here just to add some humor and make you laugh!
In conclusion, sword art online is a great anime, even though the two main protagonist are very criticize-able the plot always has this thing that pushes you to continue watching it. For those who don't know it the Light novel is much more in advance, meaning that it goes after the end of the anime. I have read it and I can personally understand why were all these choices made. Bear in mind that every decision taken has a consequence in the future.
Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think and subscribe for more weekly reviews.
Before I begin I would like to say that yes it is a popular anime, yes it has flaws but it is really enjoyable. Even though the beginning is a bit rushed, you will still enjoy every second for different reasons: The original story (and no it's different from .Hack// you hater, the Light novel was released before the .Hack// fanchise) the enjoyable music AND the lovable characters.
Story:
The story begins in 2022 when the first virtual gaming console with a full diving game was released. The game, called Sword Art Online created by a famous scientist Kayaba Akihiko, offers real life feelings and needs, like you have to eat, sleep and all.The story follows the adventure of Kirigaya Kazuto (ingame: Kirito) a geek/gamer who lives with his uncle and aunt and has no friends. Kirito was one of the beta tester of the game thus having a direct access to the game without the need to buy it.
Things start to go awry when players try to log out only to find out that the "Log Out" button does not exist. The creator shows up claiming that all the players are now his prisoners in-game and that the only way to get out is to clear the game. Also in-game death means death in real life, "once you die in a world you die everywhere" - Kayaba Akihiko
Upon realizing what is going to happen, Kirito runs to the next town in order to clear quests and raise his level (this is a plus because these days most of the anime protagonist would have sat in a corner and cried... Yes I'm looking at you Haruyuki from AccelWorld)
Anyway Kirito start searching for the 1st floor's boss. While searching for him he joins a temporary party and meets a girl: Asuna.
While raiding the boss, the party leader gets killed and Kirito is the one who slays the boss. Other people understand that he must have been a beta tester and label him as a beater (combination on cheater and beta tester).
And thus begins his real adventure as a solo player in that jungle-like world.
I won't spoil the rest of the story, I will just say that the second arc (arc not season) is focused on the relationship between Kirito and his sister: Kirigaya Suguha.
Characters:
About Kirito, he's the badass type of boy who get girls easily and can solve all problems without even sweating a bit and has many friends. The boy most people want to be.
He’s a guy
with a heart of gold.
He’s always
at an advantage.
He can
accomplish whatever he wants to with little effort.
He has an
‘ideal’ girlfriend/wife.
He’s
admired by those around him.
He can
‘unintentionally’ make every other chick adore him, romantically or otherwise.
About Asuna: Asuna as
the female lead is as stereotyped as they come. Much like Kirito, her character
is heavily idealized. She’s pretty, popular, kind, caring and every other man
wants to have a piece of her. Oh, and did I mention her cooking skills that
level up with each passing day? After all, her foremost duty is to cook for
Kirito and show how much she cares for him. While initially she’s portrayed as
a strong, independent female player with a tsundere-ish attitude, it doesn’t
take her long to make a transition from that to a deplorable damsel in
distress, requiring her knight in black robe to come to her rescue whenever
she’s in a bind.
Other characters like Silica, Klein, Agil, Lisbeth and Yui are here just to add some humor and make you laugh!
Sound:
The music
is composed by one of the most renowned composers in the anime industry, Yuki
Kajiura (nuff said!!!!). While the soundtracks aren't bad by any means, none of them stand out
much except the one that plays during combat/intense scenes. In fact, that’s
the only track that can be heard playing most of the time in the entire show.
Opening 1: Crossing Field
Opening 2: Innocence (didn't put the original video for spoiler purpose)
Animation:
Within the
game, the vast tracts of greenery, the beautiful cities during the night, the
castles… they’re all a pleasure to behold. The animation is also well-handled
for the most part. Initially I wasn’t much pleased with the character designs
but they gradually grew on me, and I personally find a few characters like
Asuna, Klein, Heathcliff and Lisbeth to be very well designed.
Difference with the Light Novel:
The light novel goes more into details explaining things and deeper, especially the relationship between the characters. And it has more side story that are pretty enjoyable.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, sword art online is a great anime, even though the two main protagonist are very criticize-able the plot always has this thing that pushes you to continue watching it. For those who don't know it the Light novel is much more in advance, meaning that it goes after the end of the anime. I have read it and I can personally understand why were all these choices made. Bear in mind that every decision taken has a consequence in the future.
Final Grade: 9.7/10
Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think and subscribe for more weekly reviews.
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