Now, I'm going to be roasted for this. I will be burned on a cross for having the audacity to support this series. But, here's the thing. I genuinely like it. My friends genuinely like it too. This is going to the people on the internet who like it: You are not alone.
Effectively, the series is set in an MMO. This justifies a lot of things. First off, Kirito is overpowered. Yes. You know why? The series is an MMO. He has been level grinding. No, really. Rewatch the first bunch of episodes. He literally can stand for hours on end without being injured. Additionally, he still loses at points. Watch his duel with Heathcliff. Yes, Heathcliff cheats. But Kirito is forced to put all his effort into victory. Additionally, Kayaba, the creator of said MMO, has quite literally deemed him the chosen one. Now, by MMO physics, think. The lead developer has effectively given Kirito his power. Of course he's overpowered. And seeing as this saves over into the other games, it makes perfect sense that he would be an OP MC.
His personality, while generic, is far better than most anime protagonists, who either have an absolute lust for revenge, have no emotions whatsoever, or are entirely there to fit the "bad boy" archetype for fangirls. Would I put Kirito on the level of heroes like Rin Okumura and Goku? No. Do I dislike him? No. He's just a gateway to what is otherwise a rather fun series.
And the series is very fun. Some say, "Oh, it's a harem romance comedy disguised as an action-comedy." Well, the problem there is that that is expressing a desire for an even more generic show. Watch some great Western Animation like Adventure Time or RWBY if you want action-comedy, see how that is. Yes, there is a good amount of time spent on the harem romance concept. But Kirito clearly doesn't care about it, and is just being nice. And that's better than being the "bad boy" character who's designed just for fangirls.
Ironically, one of its best characters is also one of its more criticized ones. Shino Asada, otherwise known as Sinon, is often criticized for the overly large amount of time spent focusing on her rear end. Once again, watching any other anime, even the acclaimed Kill La Kill, and you will get plenty of eye candy. It's not right to criticize a series for being in a genre where fanservice is common.
The show gets its MMO things right. Grinding is emphasized, levels play in heavily. No magic is actually present in the series, opting for a science fiction version of video games which is not far from tech we have today.
It would be mean of me to criticize the female characters on this show. They're all good. Except Leafa, who is quite irritating. But the supporting cast is generally good, with Klein, a somewhat dorky, "I have no idea what I'm doing" guy, and he's actually funny. Sinon, a brilliant sniper with PTSD and an alter ego struggle, and Lisbeth, a blacksmith, who, frankly, is just adorable.
Sword Art Online Anime: Not that bad, actually (Spoilers)
Now, I'm going to be roasted for this. I will be burned on a cross for having the audacity to support this series. But, here's the thing. I genuinely like it. My friends genuinely like it too. This is going to the people on the internet who like it: You are not alone.
Effectively, the series is set in an MMO. This justifies a lot of things. First off, Kirito is overpowered. Yes. You know why? The series is an MMO. He has been level grinding. No, really. Rewatch the first bunch of episodes. He literally can stand for hours on end without being injured. Additionally, he still loses at points. Watch his duel with Heathcliff. Yes, Heathcliff cheats. But Kirito is forced to put all his effort into victory. Additionally, Kayaba, the creator of said MMO, has quite literally deemed him the chosen one. Now, by MMO physics, think. The lead developer has effectively given Kirito his power. Of course he's overpowered. And seeing as this saves over into the other games, it makes perfect sense that he would be an OP MC.
His personality, while generic, is far better than most anime protagonists, who either have an absolute lust for revenge, have no emotions whatsoever, or are entirely there to fit the "bad boy" archetype for fangirls. Would I put Kirito on the level of heroes like Rin Okumura and Goku? No. Do I dislike him? No. He's just a gateway to what is otherwise a rather fun series.
And the series is very fun. Some say, "Oh, it's a harem romance comedy disguised as an action-comedy." Well, the problem there is that that is expressing a desire for an even more generic show. Watch some great Western Animation like Adventure Time or RWBY if you want action-comedy, see how that is. Yes, there is a good amount of time spent on the harem romance concept. But Kirito clearly doesn't care about it, and is just being nice. And that's better than being the "bad boy" character who's designed just for fangirls.
Ironically, one of its best characters is also one of its more criticized ones. Shino Asada, otherwise known as Sinon, is often criticized for the overly large amount of time spent focusing on her rear end. Once again, watching any other anime, even the acclaimed Kill La Kill, and you will get plenty of eye candy. It's not right to criticize a series for being in a genre where fanservice is common.
The show gets its MMO things right. Grinding is emphasized, levels play in heavily. No magic is actually present in the series, opting for a science fiction version of video games which is not far from tech we have today.
It would be mean of me to criticize the female characters on this show. They're all good. Except Leafa, who is quite irritating. But the supporting cast is generally good, with Klein, a somewhat dorky, "I have no idea what I'm doing" guy, and he's actually funny. Sinon, a brilliant sniper with PTSD and an alter ego struggle, and Lisbeth, a blacksmith, who, frankly, is just adorable.
6/10, not worth watching again.