Review of Sword Art Online
I could literally rant all day about how terrible and pathetic SAO is, and I still wouldn't be satisfied by the end of it. There are just so many things about it that's garbage and infuriating, it's hard to choose. I feel like SAO is such a joke. There are some people that genuinely like it for some godforsaken reason, but as for me, there are so many flaws with it that I don't get how you can watch it unironically and not feel like it's a comedy. I think Asuna is one of the most bland waifu bait I've ever seen in any media ever. Shehas no consistency at all and she act like the generic housewife toward Kirito, like she's good for nothing else.
She's a textbook example of how NOT to write female characters.
Not only does she have no personality outside of being the love interest, but all her development, motivation and depth are tied to Kirito. I swear, she feels like she can't even exist independently without him being around, it's like she has no autonomy or character outside of her relationship with him.
It's so frustrating to watch. It feels like the whole show revolves around Kirito and how every girl adores him and thinks he's so amazing and incredible. They basically worship the ground he walks on, it's annoying as hell.
Also the show just refuses to give the other girls any development or depth to them. They're all just there as love interests for Kirito and nothing else.
It's such a lazy and misogynistic way to write female characters, I have no idea why anyone would defend it.
The action scenes feel half-assed, the story is convoluted, the writing is garbage, the characters are shallow and pathetic, and there is literally nothing that the show does well or executes properly.
Kirito has no personality as well. He's the epitome of an overpowered Mary Sue type character.
He's perfect at everything he does, always saves the day, never loses at anything and has no flaws or weaknesses. It's like he's a god amongst men and no one is stronger than him.
He's also an absolute Gary Stu, who is so smart and so good at everything that it feels unrealistic. It's like the author is trying to make him seem so cool and amazing, but it just comes off as super annoying and pretentious.
The second half of the story had so many plot holes and inconsistencies, the characters make stupid decisions and the whole story just feels bloated and convoluted.
Animation-wise, it's decent but nothing special. It's not bad, but it's not great either.
The music is generic and forgettable, and it doesn't really do anything to help the story or characters. It's just there as background noise.
And the action scenes suck. There's no suspense or tension in them. They just feel like a bunch of flashy lights and effects without any substance behind them.
1/10