Completed Anime
Sword Art Online

“Players trapped in deadly VR game must clear 100 levels to escape; death is permanent.”

Sword Art Online

7.22
3,533 rank · 3,281,012 viewers · 70,888 favorites
Action Adventure Fantasy Romance Video Game
25 episodes · 23 min per ep min · Summer 2012 · A-1 Pictures · PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
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Episodes · 25 25/25 aired
EP 01 EP 25

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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...

However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...

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Synopsis

Players trapped in deadly VR game must clear 100 levels to escape; death is permanent.

Ever since the release of the innovative NerveGear, gamers from all around the globe have been given the opportunity to experience a completely immersive virtual reality. Sword Art Online (SAO), one of the most recent games on the console, offers a gateway into the wondrous world of Aincrad, a vivid, medieval landscape where users can do anything within the limits of imagination. With the release of this worldwide sensation, gaming has never felt more lifelike. However, the idyllic fantasy rapidly becomes a brutal nightmare when SAO's creator traps thousands of players inside the game. The "log-out" function has been removed, with the only method of escape involving beating all of Aincrad's one hundred increasingly difficult levels. Adding to the struggle, any in-game death becomes permanent, ending the player's life in the real world. While Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya was fortunate enough to be a beta-tester for the game, he quickly finds that despite his advantages, he cannot overcome SAO's challenges alone. Teaming up with Asuna Yuuki and other talented players, Kirito makes an effort to face the seemingly insurmountable trials head-on. But with difficult bosses and threatening dark cults impeding his progress, Kirito finds that such tasks are much easier said than done.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

What people say

Community consensus

Derived from 500 sampled reviews of 1,266

6.0 /10

What 500 viewers settled on.

58% recommend
Score distribution
median 6 mode 6 σ 2.52
1510
Agreement

Polarized

σ 2.52 · split reception

split
The polarity gap

5.4 pts

Recommenders 8.4 · others 3.0

Yes
No
Score over time

↓ 1.01

Running avg · Jul 2012 → May 2025

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Production slate

A Tv Production · Summer 2012

A-1 Pictures.
in association with

Aniplex · Genco

  • Format 25 × 23′ eps × min
  • Total runtime 9h 35m all episodes
  • Aired Jul 2012 – Dec 2012 Summer 2012
  • Source Tv media type
  • Rated PG 13 - Teens 13 or older
  • Ref. BS-6593 catalog

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