Review of Sword Art Online

It isn't uncommon in anime or otherwise, for the focal character to be whisked off into another plane, another place other than the world that the character is from. Sword Art Online is no exception to this, as it brings its audience, along with the main character, Kirito, into the world of a Virtual MMO called Sword Art Online, where the first arc of the story takes place. As a series, I have a lot of mixed feeling about it. In the first arc, I was disappointed that the anime so heavily revolved around the male lead and explored the surrounding characters with minimal depth. For me,I felt this impeded on the character development. I did however feel that the quality of the first arc made up for this flaw. You are still introduced to some interesting and likeable characters throughout the entire series (all three arcs)

As a production you will not be disappointed with the quality of the graphics or fight sequences, which are creative and well executed. In terms of viewing interest, it was for lack of better words, a page turner. I found that I watched this anime at a rather fast pace. It did not bore me, but rather kept me interested. I thought this was an encouraging sign of things to come from this anime.

I began to get a little disheartened with the second arc, which takes place in Alfheim Online, another VMMO. The graphics and fight sequences remained solid, the creativity presented through Alfheim Online is also very pleasing.

However, Alfheim Online focused around a love story rather than it being a story of survival. This dynamic also changed how I felt about the anime. The core qualities that I valued in the characters, especially the main male and female lead, were beginning to dilute. In the female lead, I enjoyed her as a strong female character, who was a leader and a fighter within the first arc. I feel that this sense of character is completely stripped from the roles she embodied in the second arc, which is best described as a helpless damsel in distress who no longer has much use in the series other than as a quest item for the male lead. The male lead, who had otherwise been a character that has fought for self-improvement and had to fight for his survival. This element is also vacant in the second arc. The antagonist in this arc was so stereotypical that it was painful. I watched it, with the hope that a series I once came to truly enjoy would redeem itself; why is it that so often, sequels are so disappointing?

I left Sword Art Online feeling like I had been treated unfairly. So much so, I feel like the second arc ruined the anime for me. I hadn't watched anime in such a long time prior to watching Sword Art Online. I owe the first arc to renewing my love of anime, but the second arc of the first season was nothing more than a disappointment.

In conclusion. I would recommend watching the first 14 episodes of SAO.

I would not recommend watching anything past that- including the second season.