This is my first review ever about an anime so I will try to introduce it the same way it was introduced to me without spoiling all the fun about it.
In a near future MMORPG's have evolved to be VRMMORPG's. Virtual Reality is now a dominant feature in the genre so that the player could be immersed in fantasy worlds with a sense of reality like never before thanks to the Nerve Gear, a head gear that stimulates the users senses via their brain. And when it comes to games there is one that is more antecipated than any other...Sword Art Online. The world of Sword Art Online is a giant floating castle in the clouds called Aincrad, which has 100 floors and a medievel theme to it. The beta for this game was highly restrictive and very few players were able to test it, and all that have talked about it said that this was the best MMO ever made so, upon release, the expectation was so high that it sold out. People rushed to their homes to play it and that is when we meet the main character of the story...
Kazuto Kirigaya (a.k.a. Kirito) - The main protagonist of our story. A nerdy guy who keeps everything to himself, seems to be a little bit awkward or childish but he can be a total badass when it comes to fighting and a heartbreaker for the girls. He lost his parents and lives with his uncles and his cousin. He played the beta version of Sword Art Online and bought it as soon as it came out.
During day one players get to notice that the logout option is not available so they just kept playing waiting for the problem to be fixed. Soon they are summoned to the Main Square to where they are informed by Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of Sword Art Online, that they would be not able to log out of the game. The only way to do so was to complete the game, to clear all levels and bosses. If anyone in the real world tried to pull the Nerve Gear off, the player would die, and also, if they die in-game, they would also die in real life. Sword Art Online is the ultimate VRMMORPG.
Soon players began to create guilds but Kirito decides that he would be better all alone. Having the knowledge of playing the beta he uses that to outrun players playing quests and grabbing items before anyone else. Another reason to do so is that some people start dying and the new players start blaming the beta-testers for those deaths, because they had not shared their knowledge about the game. Still, Kirito has to gang up with some other players to clear the first floor boss and this is where he meets the co-star of the story. The story develops to tell the tale of this two players.
Asuna Yuuki - In the real world, Asuna is a girl trying to keep up with her parents expectations, for that, she lives a very stressful life and that is why she played the MMO, to escape to a world she could be free from all of that. In the game she starts also as a lonely player and looking to be somewhat weak which she proves not to be at the boss fight where she teams up with Kirito.
The story takes place for a long time, around two years, so many players start to settle to live the rest of their lives in game. They decide to give up on the goal to beat the game and become what we might call NPC's. They open businesses like weaponsmiths, restaurants, hotels and things like that. Some however take the guilds way too serious and fight for their territory and rule them as if they were countries, imposing their laws, others take on almost suicidal quests in order to beat the game. There is a little bit of everything, from thieves to bounty hunters, honest workers and corrupt ones, good and bad people just like in real life.
I will not say more than this about the story because, anyone who hasn't seen it, should be able to be amazed as I was by this anime.
One last remark goes to the soundtrack. If you do have a moment to appreciate it, please, do it. It is not very common to have a soundtrack as rich and fitting as this one. The only flaw I could point to it is that it lacks a strong "single" like many other animes have, something that sticks to your mind for days and months to come.
Art - 4/5 - Even though it is an anime we get that feeling of a JRPG which is the mood and credibility it should have. I would play Sword Art Online without a doubt...well if I didn't die by playing, because I suck a little bit at them.
Plot - 4/5 - If the idea of an ultimate MMORPG is not enough for you I don't know what it could be. I myself cannot think of anything more awesome than this. Still, the plot takes a turn around the middle of the anime that I didn't enjoy that much, but still, it was good.
Soundtrack - 4/5 - I found the two intros pretty good. The soundtrack is also pretty interesting as it is a very good companion for the setting.
Excitement 4/5 -The fast pace of the anime sometimes seemed to be too fast. The action scenes are awesome, it has its plot twists and it gives us the thrill to just see the anime in one sitting.
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