Review of Sword Art Online

Sword Art Online had the chance to best one of the best animes yet it decided it make it the most disappointing anime for a long time. Have you guys seen the movie Click? Featuring Adam Sandlers and how he had a remote that could fast forward time, but now to make it comparable to SAO, SAO fast forward or literally skips any character development. One minute before they could be eating, and now they could be almost at bed, just how fast could this go?. The Story has a huge potential similar to a MMORPG game it has many levels distinctly different from otherlevels in SAO in both the environment and the monsters. SAO has the possibility to explore all 100 levels in the anime and make many mini arcs in some level while skipping a few. The first episode’s pace was good but then at the second episode, we were already brought over to around 30 floors ahead. SAO could have many more dramatic scenes and possibly adding fillers or characters that actually meet back with Kirito during his mini arcs. Maybe there could be arcs where he can’t solo, and actually requires teamwork especially during the final boss fight would had been good. Maybe I have seen too many shounen and think that boss fight should be longer, at not only 5 minutes long. There are no shortcuts in life and SAO attempted to take many shortcuts leading to random arcs mostly not affecting the story at all. Were there actually any story at all? Except to protect Asuna and leave SAO. The pace in the second arc was actually ok, since the second world wasn’t as interesting and character developments should have already been made, though it did actually give a different feel.
One of the best part about SAO is its art. The art was quite good, with colourful graphics which I do like especially in a fantasy setting. The fighting graphics were quite good it was interesting with all those moves and the flow was good. The environment was interesting such as flowery old themed area to icy mountainous regions.
The characters of SAO were pretty common to be seen, we have Kirito who is gifted and is just a overpowered person, which is fair I guess, and Asuna a powerful female lead where she fights beside Kirito and sometimes requires help which is to be expected. The thing SAO lacks primarily is character development. They basically are saying they met, they fought, they loved each other, they married. Very straight to the point, and if it was for side characters I wouldn’t mind so much but for the main characters, seriously it doesn’t work. I have been thinking wouldn’t SAO being 52 episodes be better, 39 going towards the SAO world while the 13 could be going towards the second world, 39 episode would give them more time for character developments and adding a few arcs without it seeming that it is before forced to prolong. I would had actually preferred Asuna being an even stronger and could fight on par with Kirito.
Enjoyment:
Good thing I didn’t expect anything when I went to watch SAO, because I didn’t want to be disappointed. I can easily enjoy things and I did enjoy SAO, but it just pains me on how it is like a rough gem that is only polished to be as radiant as a rainy day , while it could have been as bright as the sun.