When the first 10,000 lucky people log into “Sword Art Online”, a new, highly anticipated virtual reality MMORPG, they find themselves trapped in the game with no way to log off. Worse yet, the players discover that if they die in the game or the connection is severed from the outside, the VR helmet will microwave their brains and kill them in the real world. The only way out is to pass all one-hundred floors — each a self-contained world in and of itself — and defeat the game’s final boss.
Good — A Sense Of Time
In fiction, a story like this would normally last about a month their time — long enough for the players to become inseparable friends, but not long enough to change who they are at their core. Twelve episodes in and more than two years have already passed since the start — two years spent living in a VR world. This allows for an in-depth look at the psychological implications of being in a virtual reality for so long that you start to wonder if the real world even exists. And if it does exist, should everyone still be trying to get back to it instead of giving up and starting to make new lives for themselves inside the game world.
Good — The Implications Of Creating A Society In A Virtual World
But beyond discussions of reality, Sword Art Online also delves into the sociological issues of living in this virtual world. Some people trapped in the game are hardcore gamers while others — casual players or young children — don’t have the experience or skills to be risking their lives in the still unbeaten dungeons. So do you, as a hardcore gamer, draft the whole lot and make them fight? Do you just leave them — including the children — to fend for themselves? As a non-fighter, can you really spend all your time levelling up a trade skill — trusting the hardcore gamers to get you back to reality? And with a return to the real world always there to motivate you, can you justify slacking off, falling in love, or training in the cooking skill? All these questions and more are addressed over the course of the story.
Good — A Genre-Crossing Story
Because everyone is trapped inside the game, their knowledge of the virtual world is limited to what they learn in the game itself. So while everyone knows the basic rules of the world, no one knows the specifics other than the data collected in the beta test. This makes the world perfect for adventures from a wide range of genres. Sometimes it’s a mystery; sometimes it’s a love story; sometimes criminal suspense; sometimes supernatural horror; and sometimes it’s a straight-up fantasy adventure.
Good — Hooking Up Isn’t The End Of The Love Story
If there’s one overused cliché in anime, it’s that once two characters hook up, it’s the end of the story — like the relationship after that point is a given. Thankfully, Sword Art does not stick to the norm. Thus the plot explores a love story in Sword Art‘s unique setting and brings definition to exactly what love is like in a virtual world.
Mixed — Predictably Tragic
If there is one problem with Sword Art Online, it’s that it is overly tragic. No matter the situation, you are pretty much guaranteed the most tragic resolution possible (that leaves the main character alive). Even the most triumphant and uplifting moments are clouded by some major tragedy — usually involving the deaths of player characters. Because of this, the series becomes somewhat predictable since any happy endings are, by and large, off the table.
Final Thoughts
Sword Art Online is a fantastic anime series so far. While not the first anime to have the “trapped in an MMORPG” setting (see .hack//sign), it is certainly the deepest when it comes to the psychology and sociology behind it. Will it continue its high standard of quality for the second half of its run? Be sure to check back with Kotaku East for the final verdict when the series wraps up in December.
So its The Matrix meets Final Fantasy... sounds interesting. Will check it out. Ta!
So it's .Hack?
Yes, but a hell of a lot better!
Yeah...no! Dot HAck is a way better franchise, have you seen any of the aime? Sign? Luminality? Roots? Quantum? How about the games. G.U. THe light novels? >hack has a much richer and practical story, SAO is just a dot hack rip off with snarfy writing, the fact that you said SAO is better tells me you never truly experienced Dot Hack. And lemme guess your what under the age of 18 right?
Same in terms of general plot (Stuck in MMORPG, try to find way out,) But otherwise everything else is pretty much different.
Well, most of its the same, it's just written better.
Lol, just what i was thinking.
Did anyone else think that the anime for .Hack was pretty lacking? They didn't even show the ending fight scene, and most of the series just had boring talking all the time! I mean, did they actually become lesbians in the end, or just had a platonic thing going?
Depends what Hack series you are talking about, but pretty much agree with what you have said.
It's good, but to those who are interested, you should check out the light novels which serve as this anime's source material that have been mostly translated online. It's also infinitely better.
Also, I hope they don't rush it and spread the season out. Sword Art Online has a few arcs, and they're all pretty different..
Last edited September 29, 2012 1:52 pm
I completely agree, hoping they don't decide to simply lengthen out the first arc and just end it there. I want to see the Fairy Dance and Phantom Bullet arcs!
yeah, i read the novels after people said they are better. they show a little more detail than the anime does.
i'm also assuming this season will end the SAO arc, and if it gets renewed for a second, they'll to the AFO arc (is that right? the fairy one) as the second season, and the Gun one (i forget the name of that one completely) arc as the third (once again if it gets renewed for a third)
Last edited September 29, 2012 4:54 pm
It's a two-cour series (26 episode) so I think they'll fit in ALO at the very least, but here's hoping they'll also animate GGO as well
Gotta' say, this is probably the most disappointing turn a series has taken for me. The series is rushed, and though I liked the first three or four episodes, I absolutely hate the way it is now.
Quite the opposite for me. This series is one that has taken a few episodes to build upon itself to get better.
i honestly blame it on the fact that they decided to include all of the side stories at the start, yes they were in chronological order, but in the books, it has the initial begining of everyone getting trapped, then imediantly goes to 2 years later... all the stuff in between is almost just filler...
Oh boy a certain imageboard is totally ripping this website and this newspost to shreds. SAO is okay but Accel World is a much better game to play.
Link?
Does time not pass in the real world...? Surely people would notice 10,000 people going missing.
Yes in the light novel it is explained that they have all of these peoples real bodies on life support as they cannot remove the helmet without them dying.
SPOILER
people did notice. It became an international crisis.
a whole government institution was created to take care of the victims during their imprisonment and the implications of returning to society after like 3 years of absence.
im thinking though, for the anime to end like the light novel, they would need to go with the ambiguous ending (which sets up the future arcs). I think a ton of people wont be happy with it if they decide to make SAO a standalone series.
To all you people complaining about it feeling a little rushed that's unavoidable. With all the jumps in time it just can't be helped. They way they've shaped the plot around this has been really good. They've planted seeds in earlier episodes and have let us see them grow.
Over the last few episodes things have really started to come together. My bet is it's only up hill from here for what's currently one of the most popular series airing. I have high hopes for future seasons as well given how much material is out there and that the author is only making more.
If anyone is interested in this might I also suggest giving Accel World a go. It's another sort of virtual world showthat's been really good. The first seasons just ended too and a second is expected.
Both shows are legally available from Crunchy Roll or less than legally subbed by the epic quality Unlimited Translation Works.
I love this series, currently waiting for it to air so i can get my weekly fix
It steals a hell of a lot of ideas from hack, but I do say it does it better than hack.
A very well written series which works well to take you away from the real world.
Currently waiting for ep 13
Currently waiting on hold to talk to Telstra so I can get ep 13. :(
"Worse yet, the players discover that if they die in the game or the connection is severed from the outside, the VR helmet will microwave their brains and kill them in the real world."
This would be a heck of an interesting future for rogue-likes.
If this is the smartest anime he's seen in years he hasn't been watching much, what a joke of an article.
Not the smartest ever. But in recent years this is definatly up there. I HAVE been watching much anime.
Try Tad Williams "Otherland" series of books or "Caves of Socrates" by Dennis McKiernan for interesting takes on similar themes.
"Smart"? The entire premise is barely even plausible.
And neither is Lupin III, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Princess Mononoke, or Akira. Yet through the "1970's superspy in a fantasy land with a samurai for a best friend", "Giant robots made from cloned human flesh with the souls of the pilot's mothers trapped inside" , "Human girl raised by giant forest wolf spirit fights an encroaching human army with a cursed 17 year old" or "Crazy Psychic teenager loses control of his powers, turns into supercancer and explodes like a nuke", is some of the best writing in their particular story genres.
Anime doesn't have to be plausible. Just epic.
Furthermore I challenge you to tell me how it could not be plausible in a possible future.
I am so glad this article was posted. It is very rare I find a new anime that I actually enjoy watching as much as I am enjoying SAO
Wow. So the writers forgot what this anime was about by the second episode. Episode 1 opens strong with great tension and fear of being forced and locked into playing a game where you must cooperate with complete strangers and can die if you screw up. By the second episode, people are talking about joining guilds in the future instead of worrying about getting out of the game and on with their life. They eat food and drink things in the game world, neither of which do anything for them since they aren't actually drinking or eating anything. When someone dies, like (SPOILER ALERT) Diabel in the first episode nobody cares. Also, he seemed really content about dying. A normal person would have taken the hp potion to stay alive, not just accept it. Why is no one in the outside world attempting to find and put this person who did this to them behind bars and have him let everyone out?
I'm seriously just waiting for a character to say "Man, I hope this dying thing doesn't give this game bad press." The characters all seem to not care about the consequences of their mistakes or the fact they've been pulled out of their lives and forced to play in a madmen's twisted game. If the characters don't care, why should I? If they don't care about anyone or themselves dying, why should I? Furthermore, why all the pretense of it being in a virtual world? Whoever made this obviously just wanted to make a generic fantasy anime. Smartest anime in years? Maybe... If you aren't paying attention. : /
You know .hack sign is not the only material for .hack, and its not even the best representation of the series, the games are far better, and way more interesting than SAO. Ever hear of G.U.? An amazing series showing just great the .hack franchise is.
Know one can say snarf about .hack until they play the games, much grander story than SAO, and waaaay more interesting characters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3D_5AqwopY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-TNsraUuYw
Just look at these links!!! this is why .hack is much greater than SAO.