Review of Sword Art Online
SAO is an anime I honestly had high hopes for. As a sci-fi fan and veteran gamer myself, the whole revolutionising the gaming industry thang SAO had going for it was a genuinely intriguing one to me, and I was hyped as hell at the end of the first episode. Of course eventually, SAO blew up in my face; and all I could do was seriously rue upon the fact that something with so much potential, had been messed up so badly by cheap characterisation, a writer's block midway and a sudden dip in thrill factor. The first arc of SAO, or the first 14 eps,were the only part of this series that I actually liked. That feel of a deceptively beautiful, dangerously crafted, Unreal Engine 20.0 world was there, well drawn, animated and illustrated; with a fantastic score to go for it as well. As a gamer, I felt the need to be part of such an experience, but I also felt that danger through my screen. The whole "Kirito vs 99 bosses" thing was fun as well, and I actually liked the ending to the arc. Sure, most of the sad scenes didn't work out due to terrible, shallow characterisation (more on that later), but the feel SAO gave out papered over the obvious cracks rather admirably. Had it ended here (a proper ending), I'd have given SAO a 6 or 7, just for that experience it provided.
But it truly became utter bollocks after episode 14.
The second arc was terribly atrocious, that's about as politely as I can put it. First we get a really stupid looking world called Alfheim, which is nowhere near as badass as the first world; its entire atmosphere just sucks. The characters get even more terrible here, and without an immersive world to cover for them, everything spirals out of control for poor SAO. An added incest plot turns the show from faeces to a bloody stinking sewer, and there's literally nothing left to savour any longer. Everything bad from the first arc came straight here in full glory, together with the extra flopping additions to truly produce a foul concoction. I found myself wishing and crying inside for an end, simply because I couldn't just stop an anime halfway. The end came, thankfully, and compared to the horrible episodes that led to it, it was actually pretty decent.
Characterisation, the thing I value most in every series alongside story, is terrible in this one. Horrendous. While it was bad in the first arc, the plot still progressed, and there were times where certain character combinations made for interesting episodes; and due to the constant flow, the irritating lack of depth for each one never made it to the surface that easily. Kirito the protagonist, is easily one of the worst MCs I've ever seen. Good at everything for no reason despite being a zero personality wise, getting ALL (yes, every frogging girl in the show) the girls despite having the sociability of a rock, and being so inconsistent emotion wise...he's a disaster. Asuna, decent at times, but overall just a female version of Kirito made just to complement him. The other characters lack any exposure whatsoever, so I'll save my time. SAO's main problem is, whatever it's characters have, they have it, JUST CAUSE.
Well that's that for SAO. Buckets of potential, splashed down a sewer, that sums it all up. The only reason it even gets a 4, is because of that first arc. That one part endeared me to SAO, even though I'm not at all enthusiastic to continue with any other adaptation of SAO. Wouldn't recommend it to those wanting a good, sweet anime; but if you're an ultra gamer, or if you're looking for JUST predictable entertainment; SAO will be alright to watch.
Final: 3.5/10, rounded off to 4.