Review of Sword Art Online

What attracted me to this show actually wasn't the hype around it at the time, but the split opinions. I was fascinated to see this on top 10 best lists and top 10 worsts lists. I am kind of in the middle: I think overall it is a good show that is fun to watch. I think what draws people to this show is the setting that it created. It creates an interesting world that is constantly introducing interesting ideas that keep you wanting to see more of whats in store. This is my third review, and I am changingup and experimenting with the format I will use. My goal is to try to give my honest opinion, and try to explain the pros and cons. I will try to be neutral in my future reviews and provide reasons why you may like or dislike the show.

Story: 6.5/10 (decent)
The first half actually does what I think more action/romance anime for simple entertainment should do. It sets up its premise incredibly well and then expands on it nicely. It explores the world, and shows how different people deal with it or react to it. Some people accept the world and just want to get used to living in it. Others can't accept the world they are in and try to group together and break out. These lead to some cool ideas and actually has you question how it would be like if people were stuck in a virtual world for so long. If there is one problem I have with the first half, its that it could have expanded on these ideas more. Unfortunately, there are a lot of time skips and the pace moves a little too fast for my liking. The biggest problem of the show is the narrative in the second half. Without spoiling too much: it loses a lot of the tension in the first half, has a new cliche over-the-top villain with a laughable motive, and it revolves solely on a love story which you may or may not be on board with.

Characters: 5/10 (average)
The characters aren't the big highlights for this show. For the most part are likable and well established in the first half, but don't expect too much depth in their development. One of the elements of the show that has the most mixed response is the romance. Some people LOVE the romance, others see it as poorly written teen drama. I personally think it works. Is it a unique and well written romance? Not really. But, do the characters have good chemistry and are you rooting for them? I would actually say yes. They fit each other well and it doesn't feel totally unbelievable especially under the circumstances they are in. I do have a problem on how the characters are treated in the second half however. The side characters in the second half are completely forgettable and the main heroin is reduced to a damsel in distress.

Art/Animation: 9/10 (Near perfection)
Part of the reason why this show succeeds so much is the world that is created. The setting is beautiful and you really feel like your in a video game that you almost wish you were in (minus the death penalty :p). The action scenes are terrific: short, creative and exciting. And I personally love the designs of some of the bosses in the world.

Sound: 10/10 (Perfect)
Yuki Kajiura is one of my favourite composers in anime and the ost is perfect for this show. Swordland in particular is fantastic, making each fight scene feel epic and exciting.

Enjoyment: 8/10 (overall a fun show!)
Personally, I really enjoyed the first half a lot and if I rewatch the show I probably will only watch the first fourteen episodes. To me its harmless entertainment and good escapism if that is what your looking for. I also played quite a bit of video games so this show did appeal to me. The second half had a plot that was a little too dumb for my taste and I am never a fan of love triangles; however if you can turn your brain off and tolerate these things then you might enjoy it more than I did.

Overall: 6/10 (above average)
In conclusion, if you are a gamer or someone who likes to get lost in a fantasy world with a simple and straightforward story this will probably appeal to you. If you are looking for a lot of depth or raise your expectations too high you probably won't like it.