Review of Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online is, without a doubt, one of the best anime series I have ever seen. If you're not an MMO gamer or you don't know MMO gamers, you probably won't get a lot of the story as it is presented to you. SAO, first and foremost, takes place almost entirely inside a VRMMORPG, and the leitmotif, like that of .hack/sign, is one entirely open to interpretation. SAO does something extraordinary by bringing the fundamental issues of MMOs, especially one as dangerous as the one they end up in, to the forefront at all the right times, and executing them perfectly. This is the all-importantplot element that separates SAO from your typical, high-budget shovelware shonen-action anime, and brings it around to a well-balanced, psychological piece that can really make you wonder. The story is wonderfully executed and comes together in a stylish package that draws you into the action and emotion beautifully.
Some of SAO's characters seem to be lacking a bit, but I don't mind too much, especially when, even if they're featured for an episode and then thrown away, they are at least interesting and keep you watching through the filler. Rest assured, though, that there isn't much of that. Some of the most important plot elements of SAO come from the filler, which, while odd, at least helps everything to serve some purpose. The main character, Kirito, is for all intents of purposes, very typical as a shonen hero; beat the game, save the girl, etc. But his reaction to events is what makes him so easy to watch. He's got all the hallmarks of a stereotypical swordsman lead, without any of the drawbacks that come with being a stereotypical swordsman lead. In many ways, his attitude reflects the sense of urgency you will no doubt feel through the interactions of the characters as the series continues on, which is the very element that makes it so easy to get drawn in and distract you from the few glaring flaws SAO has against it.
The artwork is fantastic, decadent and crystal-clear, with vibrant, vivid color and imagery set to a fantasy background that somehow feels close to real without ever even approaching it. Animation is at an all-time high, especially for the epic look and feel of the boss battles, which, again, hold a much greater sense of urgency than that of any other shonen-action anime you'll see. As a matter of fact, the only thing I can scrutinize here is the character design, which is really enough to make most people think that it's nothing more than another typical shonen action anime. The designs do, however, work really well with the other elements of the design,
which makes up for it quite a lot and helps you to forget the flaws rather than point them out.
The sound work isn't bad at all. I felt the voice actors did an excellent job of conveying the tension and high emotion necessary for the series to continue forward the way it needed to. On the other hand, the music is pretty blah. There are some great high-tension moments and the soundtrack accurately sets the mood for every waking moment, so the sound direction is very well placed, but all of the backing music feels like I've heard it before. Thankfully they didn't go with a whole lot of cheesy heavy metal guitar riffs, as you'll hear from a lot of other anime in its class, but SAO's sound work does leave much to be desired.
Even the little things not perfectly executed in this series don't leave enough to be desired that SAO isn't highly enjoyable and recommendable. Definitely give it a go if you like your shonen-action with a little bit more of an adult sense of direction, and absolutely give it a go if you're looking for something close to what .hack/sign should have been.