Review of Sword Art Online
Okay, so before you guys get on my case about giving Sword Art Online an 8, please check my criteria for ratings on my biography, or just read the review I don't really care to be honest. OOOHHH BOI. It took me forever to make it to this one. If it hadn't been for the #3 slot for popularity, I probably wouldn't have ended up watching it. Sword Art Online has become infamous over the past few years and I went into this one expecting a hot mess. However, I was pleasantly surprised. So let's start with the negatives. The pacing in the first arc isn't allthat great. They have significant time jumps and it kind of confuses the watcher. If they had dedicated an entire season to the first arc, it would have probably received much higher praise. Also, Okabe Rintarou's response when Kirito asks him why he created SAO is just priceless. Gigguk sums it up pretty well in his Sword Art Online in 5 mins video. Definitely watch that when you're done with this anime. Also, I'd like to just throw out there that incest is a terrible plot line and anybody who feels sympathy with incest should move to Alabama. All good? OK. Moving on. The art is pretty mediocre. I was at least hoping that the animation and art style would be nice but they're pretty bland and the fight scene at the end of the second arc is absolute garbage (but in a campy entertaining way :P). Aside from Crossing Fields this soundtrack is nothing. The OP from the second arc sounds legit like every other anime OP ever and I only sat through it as a break time to text my friends and make stupid jokes about how Kirito is a player in both a figurative and literal sense. Yes, I know I'm cringe. The characters in this anime are probably the worst though. Everybody is pretty bland and Kirito is all over the place in terms of personality. Yui is a lot more annoying in the second arc and becomes an AI stereotype, completely different from the first arc. Also, Okabe doesn't make any sense and Klein didn't get enough screen time (watch the Gigguk video).
However, for as hard of time as I (and plenty of other viewers) give this anime, it's not actually that bad. The story is pretty creative at first and it progresses in an interesting way that keeps the watcher entertained. The animation also gets a lot better after the first 6 episodes or so. Crossing fields is a jam, and the villain in the second arc is one of the most hatable villains of any anime I have ever watched. That includes Thanos, Bowsette, AND JIGGLYPU- wait what was I talking about again? Oh right. CHARACTERS. Kirito and Asuna are actually really nice despite they're non-existent personalities and Okabe Rintarou is a nutcase that I love whole-heartedly. However, the redeeming grace of this series that gets it the 8 instead of the 7 is MARRIAGE. I'm a sucker for marriage guys, sorry. Kirito and Asuna have one of my favorite romances out of any anime ever, and when Asuna finally wakes up... *sniffle* man, I FELT that. Kirito and Asuna's beautiful romance and their character dynamic are the only things that make this show worthwhile and I absolutely love it. The show is also pretty fun to watch too I guess.
So, what's the takeaway? Sword Art Online is better than most people say. It deserves a seven but I'm a sucker for marriage so screw you pagans and heathens. It's definitely worth watching, but not because it's good, just because it's so infamous. I have NO idea how it managed to make #3 most popular. That puts it right between Attack on Titan and Fullmetal Brotherhood, so it's kind of strange to see it up there with so many GOOD animes, but it's still worth the watch. Now I can finally get back to watching Monster which is wwwaaayyy better than this.
See you guys,
-Kallocarina