Review of Sword Art Online

===WARNING: SPIOLERS== 'The creator of a VRMMORPG set in the near future traps 10,000 players in his game, announcing that the only way to log out is to complete all 100 floors. Also, if they die in the game, they die in real life.' Great premise, right? I was sold straight away. I LOVE SAO. I do think it has weak elements, though, and I will attempt to outline my positives and negatives in this review - which contains my personal opinion / account and also spoilers. So, I am one of many anime / manga / Oculus Rift fans that LOVE the idea of aworld / experience similar to Sword Art Online (without the threat of death). I think that this presents quite a strong attraction for escapism-seekers amongst us. I think this is partly why I was hooked on SAO in little time at all..

In the first episode of SAO, we are thrown right into the story (after just a little exposition (which happens in a lot of anime I have come to see). I liked the mirror item in each players inventory, which when used reveals the true identity of the player. I like this idea as we can empathise more easily with the players true identities (compared to their avatars). Although, having the avatars to 'hide' behind would offer good a opportunity for twists if the characters were able to log out (and reveal their true identity to the viewer). However, considering the situation, forcing users to show their true identity is best - & it is still a nice part of the story.

Kirito is in many ways your typical main protagonist - a heroic young guy with plenty of honor, kindness & goodwill. I think I empathised with him quite easily due to these characteristics along with the fact I prefer to play solo myself (that sounds a lot worse than it meant to). I thought the fact that Kirito was a Beta user is a good idea as it explains / provides an answer to his strength / abilities considering he is the hero / main character. It also allowed for the development of Kirito's character as a 'leader' & advocate for the other Beta testers (for their defense after the events of the first boss).

Soon we are introduced to Asuna. I like how cautious she is at first and that her goal is to focus on getting out alive (not unlike Kirito's outlook) - it is a realistic reaction to such an event. Later they are influenced by each other and their outlook on the situation changes - a nice bit of character development! I liked that Asuna turns out to be this badass player in the first boss battle too - a strong player equal to Kirito (if she were at his level at least although she wasn't a beta player..). It's a cool moment when she loses her cloack in the battle & we see her for the first time. The next time we see Asuna she has become a lot more confident & a little bossy, but this is really just a front/defense, & Kirito soon convinces her to appreciate what they have while they are in Aincrad. Asuna's strong yet compassionate personality is hard not to like. If anything we see too little of her in the series at first. And this is one thing that saddens me - I think the narrative could have been structured & thought out better. It jumps around quite a lot - both chronologically & geographically - especially after the introduction / first boss fight. I understand it is based on the light novel, & that anime series' typically only last a couple of dozen episodes - so there isn't always room for a ton of exposition, but I would have loved to have seen the main characters integrate into the world of Aincrad & cope with the shock of
the whole situation. Also, I wanted to see Kirito and Asuna develop. This is the character development fan in me that perhaps needs to simmer down, but to me there is a lot of story that I think could have been really
interesting which would have really built up the main characters. It does feel very rushed the way the narrative jumps around, & it makes me sad because sometimes I feel like I'm missing parts of the story & the gaps between the character development when it does. This is possibly too much to ask considering the format of anime..

Contrary to my thoughts about the narrative above, I like that there is a new story per episode - it does offer a sense of adventure, introduce us to new characters & offers a new level / location that we haven't seen before each story. This is a nice way of introducing locations/levels without making the story too linear - which it so easily could have been if it was told progressing level by level.

Another thing I love, partly due to the fact I'm a gamer myself, is the integration of typical video game conventions that appear in SAO.
I really think it helps the viewer empathise more with the story /situation, and makes watching SAO more fun. One scene that stands out for
me as a good example is when Kirito and Asuna are sitting down on a bench, and Asuna offers Kirito a 'sandwich' which has a durability attribute - meaning it could disappear any time soon. In another scene Kirito is taking a nap under a tree, & Asuna arrives to lecture him about not helping at the frontlines, but instead is convinced by Kirito to stop & appreciate the beautiful day in Aincrad. These references to videogame conventions are not only fun, but are also a strong part of the narrative at times by providing storylines - eg the mystery PKs in safe zones story - & strengthening characters & relationships & offering opportunities, such as when Kirito obtains the rare Rabbit & asks Asuna to cook it as she has maxed out her cooking ability. When you think about it, the SAO is full of these videogame conventions which help strengthen the story & remind you that they are in a game & that the writers haven't forgotten this. The stories are all interesting scenarios based on goings on which would likely feature if the game existed - such as when Kirito joins a party & they all sadly get killed, or Kirito saves a player from monsters etc. Kirito learning to duel wield & kill the floor boss single-handedly was a cool scene to watch.

Undoubtedly a big part of SAO is the relationship between Kirito & Asuna. I am quite a romantic, & I am a fan of their relationship. Again, I'd like it to have developed more organically, but despite the chronological jumps their relationship doesn't seem forced. Their relationship is also a major thing to root for as the story goes on.

I like the twist with Heathcliff too - believe it not I did not see it coming. It was an interesting way to end the first chapter.

I love the opening (op) theme for the first 'chapter' of SAO - crossing field by LiSA - it really psychs you up for the episode. The electronic synthy part right at the start of the song to me sounds as if a games console has started up, then it builds up into a majestic J-Rock intro, then an awesome guitar bit. The lyrics are fitting - although they are no doubt written for SAO. crossing field has poppy vibes & rock based, fast-paced, ever-changing riffs that suit the action/adventure element of the anime. I also love the Second op for the second 'chapter' of the anime 'Innocence' by Eir Aoi. It has a positive & adventurous vibe to it - which feels right considering they are on a mission to free Asuna. The ed for the second chapter is good aswell - the music fits the mood of Suguha pacing & thinking about her 'situation' with Kirito. There is one background song I love too - the calming song that is plated a few times - once in the scene with Kirito laying under the tree which I mentioned earlier. To me the song perfectly captures the ambiance of Aincrad & everyday life.

It's because of my thoughts towards character development & narrative that I also enjoyed the second 'chapter' of SAO. The narrative of the second chapter is a lot more linear, which fits the main story more closely this chapter. I really like the relationship between Kirito & his sister - which is allowed to unfold perhaps much more freely than if their parents / mother featured in their life at the time. I thought the base storyline for the second chapter was strong enough, but I didn't particularly like the idea of fairies as basis for the world design - which is of course entirely subjective.

I like how the existance of VRMMORPGS present some interesting moral / ethical / psychological & perhaps philosophical questions
& considerations. It is of course a big consideration of the series due to the fact the creator of Aincrad / SAO is a character of
questionable morals himself. Kirito mentions more than once when explaining to other players about how many players 'hide' behind their avatar / online persona & become a different, often more aggressive & extraverted person - hence the 'red' & 'orange' players (another reference to videogame conventions).

Sword Art Online to me is a pleasure to watch episode to episode. Sure it has it's faults, but it will always have it's strong appeal to me.