Sword Art Online Anime Review

Hello! It's Inu here bringing you another review. This time it's on Sword Art Online.

The anime that starts it all! The anime that made me a next level Otaku that is. Don't get me wrong, I watched several animes before this but SAO is what made me really interested in the Golden Age of Anime.

Anyway, before my review, I want you to know that this review is really based on my opinion, and it may be different from yours. I know that SAO has a very strong fan-base and I may piss some people off. So please if we have some differing views do be considerate. I am going to skip most things from the Fourth Arc in this review because it's really just a filler for fun.

Sword Art Online also known as SAO is a romance, with a hint of action and adventure anime. It is a story about a guy named Kirito (or Kirigaya Kazuto) who is trapped in a virtual reality game known as Sword Art Online. Initially I thought that the story would revolves around his adventure in the game, but turns out it goes way more than that. 

What I like about the anime?

Sword Art Online is undoubtedly one of the most emotional anime I have ever watched and is definitely one of the anime that made me love anime in general. It was a crazy roller coaster of emotion, ranging from thrilling during the action scenes all the way to crazy saddening in some of the scene. The anime also have a strong character development within an arc which may be the factor why the anime itself can be very emotional. It gives the viewers a sense of empathy towards the character which is very valuable.

What I do not like about the anime?

Sword Art Online is not perfect, and it will never be. SAO suffers in terms of coherence and for some arcs, a very weak plot. What I hate the most from SAO is their negligence towards the characters once they finished an arc. They introduced so many new characters such that even the main character (I am talking about Asuna yes!) feels neglected. This is a huge downside of SAO and I am pretty sure they are not going to drop this trend very soon.

Judgment

Overall I would rate this anime an B+. Would I recommend this? Dude, if you have not watched SAO what are you doing with your life? Go watch it!

From this point onwards... SPOILER ALERT!

Now that I have expressed my general thoughts on SAO, I will discuss the anime more in-depth to explain how those thoughts came about.

Characters

In general, this anime has a great character development for EACH arc but not in the entire series. Yes, the key word is in each arc. 

Kirigaya Kazuto (Kirito)

"How the hell is he so popular with the girls?"

In the first arc, Aincrad Arc, Kirito is this anti-social person who really love playing VRMMORPG. Well, one day he went on to play a new VRMMO called Sword Art Online when it suddenly turn into a death game. Kirito being a beta-tester, excel in this game and he is literally one of the overpowered players in the game. In the game, he met this girl named Yuki Asuna where he later develop a relationship with. They got married in game and I would say that this is actually a very touching moment. The first arc builds the character Kirito well, which allows the viewers to see him as a determined individual, and someone who cares a lot towards his friends. 

Moving on to the second arc, Fairy Dance Arc, which is the second half of the first season, we actually move to a new game called Alfheim Online. Really unexpected because I thought that this anime is all about his life in Aincrad. Anyway, in this arc, Kirito is further developed as a character, as we are now able to see him in real life and what kind of guy he is. His love for Asuna is also really emphasised in this arc as he strived to save her (I'll discuss this further in the plot section). I would say that the first two arcs of Sword Art Online really build Kirito's character very well.

The second season which includes the third arc, Phantom Bullet Arc, as well as 2 other Arc, unfortunately do not exactly build Kirito further. He is still the main character and we still see him all the time, but I really don't think that there are any added value to the character from the second season. It only emphasise on what we know, that Kirito is a caring and kind fella.

Yuki Asuna (Asuna)

"She's crazy popular among my friends..."

In the first arc, Aincrad Arc, Asuna play a big role. She is the main heroine of the arc. The arc builds Asuna very well, beginning as a helpless girl who is afraid of her fate in the game and she ended as one of the strongest female character in the game. She also became Kirito's love interest and the anime managed to build a very strong emotion based on their chemistry.

In the second arc, Fairy Dance Arc, is one of the reason why I hate SAO to be honest, Asuna is turned into a damsel in distress in need of saving from his beloved Kirito-kun. The anime broke Asuna, enough said. This second arc draw Asuna in a different light and it really just broke her character. She also got replaced by Suguha, who is Kirito's cousin! This is when I have a feeling that more stupid things are going to happen.

The third arc proved me right, when they introduced a new heroine, Sinon made Asuna completely a secondary character. If you are wondering if I am an Asuna fan, I'm not, in fact I am more towards Sinon. And this is where the anime is flawed. The fact that they can easily make viewers shift their attention to new characters and leave the characters they loved as a secondary character. 

At least, she is brought back in the fifth arc, Mother's Rosario. But that's because the fifth arc is meant to be Asuna's arc...

Kirigaya Suguha (Leafa)

"Kill me please..."

Who is this character? I have no idea. The only thing I know about her is that she is Kirito's cousin who lived in the same house as him and who is actually in love with him. This is probably one of the more under-developed character in the series. What's worse is she exist just to replace Asuna as the main heroine for the second arc. Fairy Dance arc does not provide any valuable character building for this character except for the fact that she is obsessed with Kirito. Honestly, I feel that Kirito being the lone main character in this arc may be sufficient.

Asada Shino (Sinon)

"Best girl!"

Sinon is first introduced in the third arc, Phantom Buller Arc. She's a sniper and a strong character. After what they did to Asuna, Sinon easily overshadow the main heroine (at least for me). As I said, SAO do a very good job in developing their characters within an arc. The third arc managed to build Sinon as a very interesting character, a girl who tried to overcome her fear and trauma. Of course in the end, she grew an affection towards Kirito mainly due to the fact that Kirito is the only person there for her (especially after her friend presumably back stabbed her) and is the person who helped her overcome this trauma. 

Well, following SAO trend, once Phantom Bullet Arc concluded, she became a secondary character and mainly do support behind the scenes. That is rather sad honestly... 

Konno Yuuki (Yuuki)

Yuuki is the highlight of the fifth arc in the anime (I skipped the fourth because it's a filler arc or some sort). She is well defined as a character in the arc. She's a dying girl just wanting to have fun and see the world via Video Games. This arc is rather short, but her relationship with Asuna is one of the most fun and touching experience ever. I can't delve much into her, because she died in the end of the arc, along with a piece of my soul. RIP Yuuki.

Kayaba Akihiko

The antagonist of the series and the person who started it all. He invented Sword Art Online and up till today, we still have no idea what his true motive is. A yet still developing character, and I am indeed looking forward of what he is truly up to. He is kind of dead now though, yet his impact in the world is still large.

Supporting Characters

Well, as a matter of fact, many of the main characters ended up becoming the supporting characters depending on the arcs. Anyway there are some legit supporting characters that appear in the anime. Those are people Yui, who  is Kirito's and Asuna's in game child. Klein, Kirito's first mate in SAO, and many others. They don't do much in the anime but they serve as the protagonist's friend and support. These characters are given their own backstory and it's really a touch and go kind. 

Plot

The plot is honestly impossible to discuss if I go with the whole series as each arc has their own plot line and once the arc finishes they kind of dismiss the entire thing. They do some plot connecting sometimes though, that is by taking Kayaba into the factor in an attempt to make the series, a series.

First Arc: Aincrad

"Arguably the best arc in the series!"

Aincrad arc started it all. The plot is simple actually, it's about how players are trapped in a death game, and their attempts to escape. It's a simple yet effective way to start a series, and it hooked me right away. One huge plot, accompanied by a proper climax and ended by a proper conclusion. A great arc with a good backbone of a plot. The execution though is rather terrible (see Coherence section).

Second Arc: Fairy Dance

"What have you done to SAO???"

The arc that ruins it all! The main idea of the plot is actually pretty simple... Save Asuna! That's all. However, they must introduce a new character, who is Kirito's cousin and form a plot within a plot involving how Suguha is actually in love with Kirito. What's worse is that in the end, it doesn't even matter. They made all the fuss just to emphasise on how strong Kirito's love to Asuna is. It's not worth putting another huge plot inside a plot that is meant to be simple.

Third Arc: Phantom Bullet

"Personally, my favourite arc!"

Yes! Phantom Bullet is my favourite arc. The plot is not longer simplistic, there is now depth and complexity yet it is well-executed. Phantom Bullet also increases the stake with the fact that death in game now exist again. It also provides a refreshing new setting to the series via Gun Gale Online, which introduce the usage of guns. Phantom Bullet arc, while it introduce yet another new heroine, this time it manage to fully utilise the new heroine by tying her more closely to the plot. 

Fifth Arc: Mother's Rosario

"Asuna is back!"

This is actually an Asuna's arc and not Kirito's. It actually makes me happy that they make this arc, which somehow indicative that they have not forgotten about Asuna, which was kind of left behind for the third and fourth arc. The plot is not really as distinct here as it mainly focuses on how Asuna wanted to help Yuuki fulfill her desires before she dies. It is however, still one of the better arcs.

Coherence

Please bear with me, there's still a lot more to write... The way SAO works does not permit me to do it as a single series.

First Arc: Aincrad

While Aincrad has a good plot, it is not coherent. Aincrad arc feels more like a series of short stories compiled together to form an arc. These stories give values to Kirito's character development and some of the supporting characters, however it does not add value to the main story itself. The build up towards the climax does not seem very apparent, and the story only begins to take form at the later half of the arc.

Second Arc: Fairy Dance

Fairy Dance is confusing really. It's plot is there, properly set up and can be easily attained. However, the presence of the other plot within the plot, makes the viewers come and go, unsure of whether to focus on the new relationship with Suguha or saving Asuna.

Third Arc: Phantom Bullet

In terms of plot and coherence, the best arc is Phantom Bullet. Phantom Bullet has so much complexity, yet it still manage to properly explain its entirety to the viewers. Such as how Death Gun actually kills people, and Death Gun's motive etc.  It also introduce a side-story about Sinon's trauma with guns, yet it is capable of tying that story close to the main plot, making it truly relevant. 

Effects

The visual effects for Sword Art Online is rather decent. It has a great particle effects especially when taking damage and all that. Animation itself is fine. A-1 Pictures did a pretty good job! Yuki Kajiura composed the soundtrack for Sword Art Online and it is lit! The emotion delivered from the music is on point and really impactful (otherwise I won't cry, look at emotions section).

As for the opening, Crossing Field by LiSA is pretty much like a classic to Otakus haha! It is truly a wonderful opening made to emphasise on the feeling of adventure in the viewer. Somehow, it also emphasise on the relationship between Kirito and Asuna. Ignite by Eir Aoi is also something to be reckoned with. It is powerful and it really gives that thrill and excitement. 

Emotions

Here comes, the strongest virtue of this anime. In all honesty, without this factor coming to play, SAO may not deserve the ratings I gave primarily due to weak coherence and characters being dumped away. However, as I said before, SAO is one of the most emotional anime I have seen thus far.

In the first arc for instance, there are so many memorable moment. The first part where a piece of my soul was taken away, was when Kirito failed to save Sachi and her guild mates. It was one of the most heartbreaking scene I have seen in my entire life, and it is also the turning point for the main character, Kirito. I didn't cry, but I stopped watching the show for a day, before continuing it the next morning. This scene made me die inside and it's a really saddening scene.

Another scene from the first arc was of course the scenes when Kirito and Asuna spent their time together in their house in Aincrad. I was touched, because they do manage to find happiness regardless of their state being trapped in a game. What's worse was when they decide to join the final battle, accepting the fact that no matter how happy they are, their life is not reality, and if they don't do something about it, they will in fact die. This is heartbreaking, and in this scene I did cry. It may be one of the lesser known scenes but it is very important to me.

The third arc, does not really have a particular coaster of emotion as Aincrad, it was mostly fun and entertaining to watch. The action scenes are thrilling as well.

The fifth arc however, I just can't. The scene where Yuuki died, I left a part of me in SAO. It was saddening, it was too much. Yuuki was a lovable and fun character, a very well-developed character specifically meant for the fifth arc. When she died, I was truly sad. This is when I know SAO's true strength is its ability to make its viewers empath for the characters. Hell, my roommate didn't watch the show before but he watched this scene with me and he cried as well. (That's actually when he decided to watch the entire series haha).

I am just gonna put some videos of the scene from Youtube so you can see for yourself!

Conclusion

Do I like the anime? Hell yes, it's an emotional roller coaster and it made me watch more anime in the future. However, while SAO is great in terms of how it can connect with the viewers, the anime do without a doubt has some flaws. The anime likes to introduce more and more main characters and sometimes neglect the older characters and in some cases the plot is rather haphazard. All in all, it still is an anime worth watching.