[Anime Review] Sword Art Online (Sōdo Āto Onrain 2012)
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.
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.
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.
User Review
( votes)
You can purchase the Sword Art Online Blu-ray Box Set 1: Aincrad Part 1 Limited Edition here:
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