Sword Art Online: Some actual criticism

Written by Little_Wolf-18 on November 11, 2012 at 12:21 PM

Ever since the first episode of “Sword Art Online” aired, there’s been a serious hype around this anime. Recently, it even showed up in Anime-Access’s “Most Popular” list, a list famous for sporting mostly shows with 60+ eps, which due to their length naturally have the most total downloads. (There’s exceptions ofc -- Maid-sama, Blue Exorcist, Guilty Crown, HotD, and now SAO -- but it does seem to go after total download number.) This fame isn’t for no reason, of course.

While the idea in itself can’t possibly be called new, it’s still awesome. I know lots of people who play online games, and from everyone who does, I’ve at least once heard “… wish this world [talking about the game world] were real”. Game worlds abide by easier rules than the real world we live in; success is gained more frequently and more easily; the more success you have, the better your reputation… it’s, simply put, a world where daily worries don’t matter. It’s fun, it can be challenging, and so on. For Kirito and his 9,999 fellow players in the Sword Art Online anime, the dream of the game world becoming real is a dream come true, but not quite in the way they wanted to. Suddenly they’re stuck in the game with no log-out option, with death in the game meaning death in real life.

A similar plot has been used before. (Anybody remembering the .hack series?) That doesn’t necessarily mean a bad thing. Even utterly mainstream anime can be at least good if they’re executed well. Is this one? I might have to see it through to the end to tell for sure, but the 19 episodes out so far don’t rouse much hope.

I’m not that sure what to make of the story, frankly said. I do expect it to complete, seeing as it is rumoured to be 25 episodes (ANN… granted, not exactly sure -- it told me Shirokuma Café was ending, too -- but 25 eps seems plausible at least.). Sure enough, with its setup, “Sword Art Online” could easily be longer, but at least like this it won’t be interrupted by fillers. The concept is intriguing, and even if the overarching plot kind of changed in the middle of the story, it’s there without a doubt. A plus is also that the story is in grand quite unpredictable. However, I still feel like it could have been a lot more complex.

One never gets lost during the series; that’s for sure. The downside of non-complexity is that it can get rather boring, especially for those that (like me) are up for story. “Sword Art Online” can get as intriguing and charming as it wants, the storyline is something I’d rather not think about - not for its theme, but for the fact that it shows a bunch of holes.

The beginning is rather clichéd; and where the first episode sets a fast pace, the constant time jumps between the episodes has it becoming quite a bit inconsistent. That’s only the smallest problem though. Far more annoying are the plot holes. Starting from that no game such as SAO would slip through the cracks in security supervision; over the fact that if any game creator were trying to limit their game to 10,000 copies, the involved companies would hit them over the head; not to speak of some inconsistencies/unexplained things that only become obvious later on, and not to mention neurology or medical facts. I’m trying not to spoiler too much, but one huge problem to me is that “Sword Art Online” apparently tries to be realistic (“2025”), but in the end simply leans more towards actual fantasy than towards fantasy as opposed to real world. The background it should have to be realistic severely lacks. Not to mention that this anime threw up far more questions than have and should have been answered, given where the storyline’s stuck.

The pacing doesn’t help. Where the first episode seems to set a fast pace, the overall pacing is quite a bit inconsistent. Whole months, entire floors, and rumouredly quite strong floor bosses are skipped, all to show side adventures. I myself never even considered picking up an online game, meaning I have no idea how much side adventures mean to online gamers, and I might not be the best person to judge; but to me, it simply looks like the producers were lazy. I did expect more of a spotlight on the leading group trying to clear the game instead of on Kirito’s not-all-that-related adventures. ^^°

That’s not to say the whole anime can be scrapped. The futuristic fantasy setting is interesting enough if you can ignore its holes or do not expect something realistic (*cough* I am a sucker for realism *cough*). The fact that this anime is based on a VRMMORPG (virtual reality mass multiplayer online role-playing game) has already attracted a lot of otaku, and will probably continue to do so. It isn’t entirely predictable, counting out some of the side quests; and the mixture of themes is intriguing -- the in-game feel, fighting and fencing, chases, giants and monsters, escapes, suspense, drama, emotion, love, miracles, hope, comedy, inspiration, torture, revenge, …

It might not be new, but it is intriguing for sure, probably even more so for any gamer out there than it is for me. An interesting and possibly quite complex concept, along with the fast pace it sets in the beginning, has drawn a lot of anime viewers into the “Sword Art Online” anime, and I can’t say I don’t understand why. Considering the concept, however, I did expect something deeper, more complex, and quite a bit more consistent in both pacing and plot.

That does include the characters. This anime’s main setup allows for decent character portrayal and development as the whole cast is suddenly cast into a situation where they experience life and mortality anew. The relationships that form are interesting, and the whole cast is a nice mix. But even so, where the setup would allow for some awesome psychological thoughts, the characters in themselves aren’t quite deep, aka not as developed as they could and perhaps should be.

The protagonist isn’t that much in himself. It’s nice seeing a tough hero after all the either whimsical or loud-mouthed/stupid heroes of the anime world. Tough doesn’t have to mean a Gary-Stu, though. And Kirito totally is a Gary-Stu -- from the black garments over his strength up to his adventures with the girls. It’s quite a bit annoying. (<= If you don’t know what a Gary-Stu is, don’t look it up… it’s not exactly dangerous, but if you know what the term means, it most probably will annoy you.) And where side characters can’t exactly save him, at least those are new, quite a nice mix, and for the most part relatable in their actions.

The interaction between the main characters is likable and realistic as far as things go. Still, interaction between the protagonist and the side characters can get a bit repetitive after a while. Wherever Kirito goes, he meets a different girl; and though there isn’t the heavy harem sense many recent anime have, nor any obvious ecchi, the focus this anime puts on side character relations is quite odd compared to how much or little we see of the actual action/floor bosses. It’s like Kirito is taking side track after side track; and where I definitely appreciate the resulting drama, I can’t see anyone doing that in a dire situation such as the one given in the setup. Hide, or try by all means to clear the game (aka free everyone still trapped inside), yes; but despite the fact that Kirito does try to clear the game, it’s comparably rare seeing him in an actual boss fight. Much more often, he’s seen on sidetracks with a female companion. And (hinted spoiler ahead) don’t even get me started on whom he’s been fighting alongside during those recent eps… without so much as beginning to recognise that person. Sigh.

Admittedly, I did expect more of the characters’ backgrounds as well. Few characters’ backgrounds are shown, and they’re not exactly unpredictable or untypical. Development depends a little on the pacing, but is no doubt existent.

The dialogue is generally easily understandable. It does have its definite hiccups, e.g. being kind of very expected at times, but it is decent for what it is, and the voice-acting is certainly up there among the best.

The music’s well done overall, being set appropriately and fitting the respective scenes. Still loving Yuki Kajiura’s tunes.

The animation’s another up, as it is pretty awesome. Not without its bugs, especially in backgrounds, but it flows smoothly, looks like you’d imagine any modern online game to look, and the battles, if not particularly strategic at times, are fast-paced and interesting. I do wish they were longer/more frequent compared to the time this anime spends on sidetracks, but there’s no helping that.

The art design is as good as online gaming gets, and certainly catches your eye. Pretty use of line-art; enough attention to detail to make it look good at the very least; distinctive colouring with intense colours, be it dark or bright. Character design is distinguishing with nice attention to detail as well. It might be a bit weird that every single one of the at-least-halfway-focused-on characters looks quite striking (yup, including Klein’s unkempt face) when everyone’s avatars have been altered to look exactly like the real-life person, but that’s really a minor thing, and good on the eyes to top it off.

Every negative I mentioned aside; the hype around “Sword Art Online” doesn’t exist for no reason. Where the concept isn’t new, it is interesting, especially for online gamers. Story twists can’t be predicted quite as easily as in many anime of “done-before” concepts. Characters are decently done, and their interaction, if a little annoying here or there (and just plain weird with the latest addition to Kirito’s shrunk crew), could be far worse; and chara development, if jarring at times, is there. The overall mixture of drama, suspense, emotion, and action is quite intriguing, and each episode knows exactly how to end on a cliffhanger. The animation is up to date, the art firework-ish in its intense colouring, and the music is more than worth listening to.

Where it tries, “Sword Art Online” can be excellent. The main characters’ relationship, the major twists in the storyline, the snippets of action we see, the drama and suspense… Yet all of that cannot completely overtone its faults. Where the story is comparably unpredictable, and the concept amazing, I still think I raised my expectations too high plot-wise. The characters in themselves aren’t much; pacing is highly inconsistent; the background story looks like a scarf the moths discovered half a month ago; and if nothing else, I would have expected at least some depth to the story. But where the first episode does promise a well thought-out background and at least a bit attention to psychology, those are entirely forgotten once the first episode is over. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about when I mention psychology, look at the whole “announcement” scene, and the crowd’s different reactions. That’s only one example.)

I’m not saying "Sword Art Online" is a bad anime. If you like the concept, can ignore plot problems, take enjoyment from drama, suspense, emotion, action, and a futuristic-looking fantasy setting, and if you aren’t yet watching this, go ahead and give it a try; you might very well become another fan. Heck, I myself was a fan until I discovered this anime’s most brutal plot hole (not telling which). But after all, I am out for story mostly, and 76% into the anime, I have grown tired of waiting for plot holes, unanswered questions, and inconsistencies to remedy themselves, nor can I ignore them any longer. I might as well see this anime through to the end now that I’ve come this far, but I’m not as hyped anymore as I was after the first episode. Then again, I by myself obviously never built the majority.



PS: Forgot mentioning the OVA; it's completely different from the serious tone the series sets. IMHO no better, but if you want twelve minutes of chibified Asuna, Klein, and Kirito fooling around, go ahead and have fun.
Cheers.~