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[Anime Review] Sword Art Online (Sōdo Āto Onrain 2012)

Posted on October 28, 2013 by in Anime & Manga // 0 Comments

Official Website (Japanese), Official Website (English)

Plot Summary: The players of a virtual reality MMORPG, Aincrad Online, are trapped and fighting for their very lives. After it is announced that the only way to leave the game is by beating it, Kirito—a very powerful swordsman—and his friends take on a quest to free all the minds trapped in Aincrad.

Director: Tomohiko Itō

Writer: Reki Kawahara (based on manga by)

Episode Runtime: 24 mins/ 25 Episodes

Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction

Studio: A-1 Pictures

English Network: Adult Swim (Toonami)

Main Cast:

  • Haruka Tomatsu (JAP) / Cherami Leigh (ENG) as Asuna
  • Kanae Itō (JAP) / Stephanie Sheh (ENG) as Yui
  • Kouichi Yamadera (JAP) / Marc Diraison (ENG) as Akihiko Kayaba
  • Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (JAP) / Bryce Papenbrook (ENG) as Kirito

Review: by Nena

I'd heard good things about this anime, mostly from friends and people I talked to at Otakon. It seemed like a pretty standard example of the action/adventure/fantasy genre, so I gave it a try. I was pleasantly surprised by the level of detail in this fictional universe and the depth of the characters themselves.

What I Liked:
An anime like this gives you a little bit of everything, which is the main reason for why it’s so good. The plot was intricate without being overly complicated and included an interesting psychological component that became more apparent in the second half. I especially enjoyed the fast-paced, exciting, and well-animated action sequences along with the main characters’ outfits, which provided a spark of cosplay inspiration. The level bosses grew increasingly terrifying (in a good way) as the episodes progressed. The humor was consistently on point without being cheesy. Also, while this series is not primarily a romance, the scenes that included it were sweet and very heartwarming.
What I Didn’t Like:
The transition midway through the series was a little jarring and you could tell that they were combining two story arcs. It may have been better to split up the anime into two 12-episode seasons in this particular case, but it wasn’t a deal breaker or anything.

Second Opinion Review: by GG

What I Liked:

Sword Art Online (SAO) was something I had heard was pretty good and the concept was amazing! Honestly, I thought the show could of ended midway through and I would have been satisfied. The show slowly became a love story, which I thought I was not going to like. I don’t know why, but I became attached to the characters once the mid plot twist happened.

What I Didn’t Like:

The one thing I was a little disappointed about this show was the re-creation of a once original idea. The original game was a great idea with a sad outcome. The second game was just the first game basically. Don’t get me wrong the action scenes are really well executed. There are some good parts and the whole love triangle thing is somewhat interesting. However, it seemed kind of lazy on the writer’s parts. Now the stuff that happens outside of the second game is pretty exciting and I feel like the writers could have done more with that.

  • Nena's Rating
  • GG's Rating
4.5

Summary

Nena’s Overall Thoughts:
If you like action, comedy, romance, fantasy, MMORPGs, and/or really awesome swordplay, you’ll definitely want to check out Sword Art Online. You won’t be disappointed.

GG’s Overall Thoughts:
Overall, if you like love stories with some action in them this is a good choice for you.

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User Review
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You can purchase the Sword Art Online Blu-ray Box Set 1: Aincrad Part 1 Limited Edition here:

Images Courtesy of Random Curosity

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  1. Sword Art Online (Season 1) | Anime Gauge

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