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Anime Review: Sword Art Online (Season 1)

Anime: Sword Art Online (Season 1)

Genre: Fantasy, Action, RPG, Sci-fi, Romance

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

General Set-up: A new RPG game called Sword Art Online has just come out for the NerveGear, a technology that allows the gamer to do a full dive into the game. This means that instead of controlling their avatar with a game controller players can move around in the game as if they were in real life. Many people buy the game, eager to try it out. However, soon after they begin playing the game the players discover that they cannot log out. The game’s creator has trapped them inside the game and the only way out is to clear all 100 levels. To make matters worse, if the NerveGear is removed or if their avatars die in the game, then they die in real life. Players must fight for their lives to survive in a strange new world.

Characters: Kirito is the main character of the show. He was a beta player for SAO, and his previous knowledge of the game is augmented with a natural knack for sword fighting. For being the main character, I found him rather flat. Even though the story focuses on him and the viewers watch him explore the world of the game we don’t learn much about him as a person. Asuna is another player in the game, and a friend of Kirito’s. She is a more vibrant and dynamic character than Kirito. These two main characters are accompanied by a contingent of colorful companions.

Plot: The premise of this anime had a lot of potential, so I was disappointed with the way it was presented. The first few episodes ramble before getting to the main focus of the anime: clearing all 100 levels. The story advances quickly - almost too quickly. By the 7th episode the leading players have cleared almost ¾ of the game, but this accomplishment comes at the cost of having a weak base for the storyline. I would have enjoyed this anime more if they had used the initial episodes to more gradually advance the storyline instead of introducing the viewer to random characters with little or no role in the overall storyline. The first few episodes describe trivial sidequests and span time gaps that are ill-explained. These faults aside, I still found Sword Art Online engaging enough where it needed to be and have enjoyed watching my favorite episodes more than once.

Ending: After episode 14 my interest greatly dropped off. The anime could have ended at that point and I would have been fine. I did not develop enough of a connection with Kirito to feel inclined to continue watching. However, if you do decide to keep watching I am sure that you will enjoy the second half of the season. The ending of the first season does provide more of a resolution than where I would have liked it to stop.

Things to Watch For: For the most part this anime does a good job of keeping things clean. However, there are a few sexually charged scenes and a few immodestly dressed characters. The fighting scenes and violence contains no blood, but may still bother younger viewers. When characters die in the game they explode into shiny fragments. This has the upside of little gore, but also the disturbing knowledge that the characters die in real life.

Humor: This anime has a more serious tone that is broken up by lighter bits of humor.

Moral Lessons: A fake world cannot replace the real world. Life is sacred. A true friend protects those they hold dear. Just because relationships are formed in a fake world does not mean that they are not real.

Sights and Sounds: The animation is gorgeous! There is not a scene in this anime that looks bad. The animation almost makes up for the show’s other faults. Seriously, if this review was over just animation Sword Art Online would get a 5 out of 5 stars score each time. The sound effects for Sword Art Online were really well done. For example, each weapon has a unique sound. The openings are upbeat and catchy, while the endings have a slower feel.

Other Media: This anime was based on a series of light novels by the same name. There is also a second season called Sword Art Online II. There are also several manga adaptations to the series.

Fillers: Sword Art Online has no fillers.

Length: There are 25 episodes in the first season of Sword Art Online.

Where to Watch: You can watch this anime for free legally on Hulu and Crunchyroll.

Anime Review: Toradora

Anime: Toradora

Genre: Shoujo, Drama, Romance, Comedy

Rating: 3.5 out of five stars

General Setup: Ryuji Takasu looks like a juvenile delinquent, but he is really a nice guy. On the first day of school he accidentally bumps into Aisaka Taiga, who looks cute, but has earned the name ‘Palm-top Tiger’ for her hot temper. Ryuji finds out that Taiga has a crush on his best friend, Kitamura Yusaku. When he admits to her that he likes her friend Kushieda Minori the two agree to team up and help each other to win over their crushes.

Characters: I liked how Takasu Ryuji broke the mold of male-character stereotypes. He enjoys traditional housemaking chores, such as cooking and cleaning. He is also kind and gentle. Taiga puts on an intimidating front, but underneath she is just a scared little girl. It took a little bit for me to get used to her character design - she is very short. Kitamura wasn’t what I expected him to be. At first I expected him to be the calm and act as the voice of reason, but sometimes he is immature. I’m not sure what to think about him, now that I have finished the anime. I liked Kusheida’s character. She is eccentric, but pulls it off without being too strange. She sometimes acts happy to hide her sorrow.

Plot: The plot for Toradora isn’t anything super special, but it stays strong throughout and brings up some interesting plot events.

Ending: I personally did not like the ending. It felt like the producers were trying to avoid the cliched ending and ended up with something that was completely unexpected. However, aside from the last few episodes, I really liked this anime.

Things to Watch For: Ryuji’s family isn’t the best off financially, so his mom works as an entertainer at a bar. All most all of her outfits have low-cut necklines. Also, there is more fan-service scattered throughout the show.

Humor: A lot of the humor is derived from the strange things Kushieda says or the situations the characters find themselves in. I liked how Taiga and Ryuji are constantly having to verbally shove each other to interact with their crush. They have a good ‘wing-man’ dynamic. Some of the humor comes from Ryuji’s pet parakeet, Inko-chan. To be honest, I thought Inko-chan was creepy and didn’t really fit with the feel of the show.

Moral Lessons: Be true to yourself. You can’t run away from your problems.

Sights and Sounds: I really liked the style used for this anime. Originally, I didn’t think I would like this show, but the style was one of the things that kept me watching. Also, the animation and music for the openings and endings are phenomenal!

Other media: The anime is based off of a light novel series. There is also a manga adaptation, an internet radio show, and a video game.

Fillers: Toradora has no fillers.

Length: Toradora has one season that is 25 episodes long.

Where to Watch: You can watch Toradora on Hulu and Crunchyroll, but Crunchyroll only has the first six episodes available to non-premium members.