Review of Sword Art Online

This is my first actual review on MAL, so here goes. Contrary to the most helpful reviews, I found the first half of the series to be wonderful. There's criticism of the time skips, but I thought they worked. Though the concept sounds plot heavy this is a CHARACTER driven story first and foremost. Because we follow Kirito, we see most things from his perspective. It's okay that certain characters don't get a lot of screen time, when they normally would if this was a plot driven story. Rather than see a continuous story with no skips, I feel like the skipping submerged us in thesomewhat chaotic nature of the setting and plot, and in this case worked for the better. It definitely raises the stakes for the ongoing plot, and adds to the dramatic tension.

If the second half of the anime was as good as the first half, this anime would be a homerun for me. Most of the first half's focus was on the MC's developing relationship with a girl player. They're both skilled fighters, work well together and their characters had good chemistry. Their relationship developed naturally. Their scenes together were heartfelt and moving. They were extremely sweet to watch.

The second half of the season is where my problem is. Everything I loved about the anime vanished for the second story arc. The girl is demoted to a victim and prisoner. It felt like I was watching a completely different anime with the second story arc. And I didn't like it. But I still liked the two main characters and their relationship a lot.

My biggest problem was the 2nd arc's main villain and his treatment of girl. Anytime he's on screen he's basically molesting her, and there is WAY too much screen time to every single time he touches her without her consent and he says and implies disturbing things. It was extremely violating to watch, and if you're sensitive to that kind of content I advise you to skip this anime.

I really liked the first half. Enough that I'll probably rewatch it one day. But I absolutely never ever want to watch the second half again. It was that disturbing, and the fact that such content was contained in an anime that wasn't even rated R is beyond me. It took me two days to even realize just how much the second half of the anime negatively affected me.

Tread carefully. I fully recommend the first story arc, but I will never recommend the second one.