Initial Impressions: Sword Art Online

August 2, 2012
Posted by DarrenW

Yo readers!

As you might have noticed, we have increased the width of the website! Woohoo!!!

On the sad note though, all of the headers will have to be redesigned by myself and reposted. So pardon for the lack of variety!

And there will be 80 new headers of your favourite animes on their way, hooray!

Today I will be doing one of my most anticipated animes of the season: SAO!! "Sword Art Online"

Point of no Return

The story starts off in 2022, when a game developer by the name of Akihiko Kayaba, creates the first most perfected virtual reality MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, to those non-gamers). 10, 000 queue up for the game and enter perfected virtual reality for the first time.

Hooked with a device in the shape of a helmet that connects itself to the brain, the NerveGear reads off the five senses and provides the user with perfect simulation of the in-game environment.

With perfect graphics, real-feel of the environment, and live-action scenes as a first person, it seems like the perfect dream of any online gamer. Or is it?

Then comes our main protagonist, Kazuto Kirigaya (Kirito), who is your typical gamer, but in real life, is alone (from what I observe in the anime). Entering the world the second time in his life (previously beta tester), he meets all the new players, including our other character, "Klien" or Ryotaro Tsuboi.

Then comes the deadly discovery. HEY WHERE DID THE LOGOUT BUTTON GO?

The truth is, IT'S GONE.

As all the players are teleported to the main square, it suddenly erupts into a volcano of warning labels, painting the sky red, and a mysterious huge figure appeared out of nowhere.

It was Akihiko Kayaba. Announcing that the game everybody was in is now a very different one from what they thought. The players are no longer allowed to leave, and they must play the game to the end.

Only problem, its no longer unlimited lives they'll be playing with, but their own, single life.

Rules of the game:
1. If the player dies during the game, his real-life body will be destroyed, and he/she will die. The NerveGear will technically fry your brain.
2. If the NerveGear is removed by force, it will electrocute the person and he/she will die.
3. To win, a player must reach floor 100, (level 100) of the game, and will be permitted to exit.
4. Players play with their own bodies.


In the first month of the game, over 2000 people die.

Kirito later meets Asuna Yuuki (Asuna), the main heroine of the anime. Cold and alone as well, they team up, to battle with the rest against the Level 1 Boss.

That is the gist of it. Technically, play for life, a real-life MMORPG with real-life repercussions.

Personally, this anime is strongly recommended by me, for it is rare for an anime to feature an online game, specifically and MMORPG. And the anime features it to such an extent that I personally think its flawless. It DOES NOT get better than this. What you are watching, in my opinion is the best so far.

There will also be numerous actions scenes, all of which are well developed, as expected of an mmorpg-based anime.

Also, your basic anime structure will be different because this anime does not fall into the same categories as others, be it shooting action, magic or etc. Like Accel World, both animes show a much different development due to the presence of technology.

The OP, by LiSa, is awesome, and I love it as well.

There are also themes going on as the game progresses (won't mention yet)

Sword Art Online premiered on the 7th of July, and will have 25 episodes. It is currently being fansubbed by Derp, Cynic, Commie, EC-Sigh, Hadena, Hatsuyuki, NyanTaku, UTW-GotWoot (A LOT), and is available in simulcast on Crunchyroll.



Hint: Man ___ fallen
DarrenW
Edited by Myself, LOL