Anime Review- Sword Art Online (Aincard Arc)

Article By- Daniel DiNatale
Twitter- @djddueces
Tumblr- djddueces.tumblr.com

*WARNING- Article contains spoilers about this anime.*

Yup, it's that anime that every one loves or hates, or even has a love/hate relationship within in it. It's name you ask? Well, it's Sword Art Online.

Now, even though I love this show, I will not let my opinion interfere with this review. Sword Art Online is about a boy name Kirito who loves virtual reality games. Now Kirtio has been playing these types of games ever since he was young. Heck, he even built his own computer from parts that he found lying around.

Kirito, the protagonist of Sword Art Online

When Kirito heard of this new virtual game called "Sword Art Online", he jumped at the moment, and purchased this game. Not only him, but a lot of virtual reality players bought this game. They got home, and bam, entered SAO for the first time. 

There was something about this game that none of these players knew, not even Kirito. The thing about this game, is that once you have been logged into Sword Art Online, there is no way of logging out. Yup, you read that right. The players are trapped in the game. When players went to their screen to log out, they found out that the "Log Out" option was missing. Now how is this possible? How does a log out button just disappear? Well, here's how. The game developer, took that option out, as explained all in the final minutes of Episode 1. The only way to escape the game was to beat the game. But, if you died in the game, you also died in real life. As most people did, most people panicked. 

What?! What do you mean the logout button is gone?!

Okay, so here we have it. The log out button is gone, people die in real life if they die in the game, and we got a bunch of people panicking because of this. What now? Well, people were on a quest to defeat the game. They teamed up with each other. They made guilds, befriended people that they didn't even know, just to escape from this psychotic game run by a sociopath. 

Here's the thing about Kirtio. He's a beta tester. Now, even I am not sure what this is because the show doesn't even explain what it is about. I mean, what is it? Did he test the game before everyone else? All we know is that he knew secrets to the game that no one else really knew. Well, anyways, it's kind of not important because it really doesn't explain a lot about the game. 

In Episode 2, we learn that Kirito really doesn't like to team up with people. He'd rather fight solo like he's been doing the whole time in Sword Art Online. When he heard that a group of people were going to fight the 1st Floor Boss, it kind of peaked his interest. So he went to this meeting. The whole team had to pick partners to team up with. Unfortunately, he had no one. Then, he saw this mysterious character covered in a robe. He didn't know who he or she was. All he knew was the name is showed. It read "Asuna", his partner for this quest.

When the time came to take out the 1st Floor boss, they found out it wasn't easy. Some people in the group didn't trust Kirito. They thought he was a cheater, and lo and behold, he was. The skills that he used to take down the boss was unlike anything they have ever seen before. Kirito admits to being a beta tester. He even takes the two words and combines them together, calling himself a "beater." He later departs from the guild, which Asuna gets curious and follows him.

"Hmm, I'm a cheater, huh? No, I'm a "Beater!"

Before I get too plot heavy with this, I just want to say this is the gist of Sword Art Online (well the first half mainly, which is all I am going to review for now). The show is really slow, and at points will annoy you, make you cry, and make you want to jump into the action yourself. Thing about this show, it likes to mess with you. Episodes 1 and 2 tell you what is going on, and then from 3-10, it feels like filler to be honest. The most important thing is when Kirito fights Heathcliff, loses, and is forced to join the Knights of the Blood guild which is in Episode 10. Here, he has his first quest with the guild. While on this so-called "quest", he is betrayed by one of the members, and is poisoned. Yeah, that escalated really fast. With his life bar about to hit 0 HP, he accepts his death. His only regret is not telling Asuna how he really felt. MEANWHILE, Asuna comes out of nowhere (which I still think is a "wtf" moment), and saves Kirito. Kirito, regaining his HP from Asuna's potions, stabs Kuradeel (the person that poisoned Kirito), ending his life. 

Asuna soon comforts Kirito, saying that she should of been there for him, and none of this would of ever happened. She breaks down crying into his arms, which causes Kirito to "somewhat" confess his love to Asuna. She is shocked at his words, and as she is speaking, he cuts her off by giving her a deep kiss. The thing I'm seeing in a lot of anime nowadays, is that the main characters never kiss. Glad this one pulled it off with such poise, and showed that love is possible in many ways. 

Awwwww, isn't that sweet?

Later that night at Asuna's house, Kirito is staying the night. The two continue to talk about their plans. They even discuss the matter of leaving the guild. Kirito brings up that all he wants to do is be with Asuna, no matter what the cost is. He even proposes to her, and soon marries her. They move to the countryside and start to live their new lives together, as husband and wife. Yeah I know what you're thinking. How can two teenagers get married? My answer, anime logic. Moving on now.

Asuna accepting Kirito's marriage proposal 

Episodes 11-13 show you how the two newly weds are living life together as husband and wife. As they are walking one day, they find a silhouette of a person in the woods. As they approach closer to the object, they see that it is a little girl passed out under a tree. Not wanting to leaving her in the woods by herself, they take her home. They wonder where she came from, and when she wakes up, she has no memory of who she is, or where she came from. She doesn't even know her own name, and to make matters worse, she thinks that Kirito and Asuna are her mom and dad. For some odd reason, they accept this and make her their daughter. 

Later in Episode 12 and 13, a woman asks Asuna and Kirito to help her fight a monster, and help bring her partner back to them. While on this quest, they learn a shocking secret. While being attacked by a monster, they find out the Yui is really strong. Reason being? Well, she's an AI. This loli is Sword Art Online's AI. She didn't even know it, until she got into the dungeon. She protects her "parents" from the blast, and destroys the monster, but at a cost. Since she abused her powers as an AI, her penalty was death. The system disintegrated her, and all that was left of her was a crystal that was supposevly her heart. While Asuna was mourning her death, Kirito swore that he'd beat SAO and avenge Yui's death.

Now here we are. Last episode of the Aincard Arc. I am going to go really in depth with this episode. Now, Kirito and the Knights are continuing their mission. They enter a dungeon and look for the boss. Nothing. No boss, just all of them. And Heathcliff. I bring him up for a reason. Heathcliff is actually the creator of Sword Art Online. His reason for trapping everyone is really stupid put bluntly, and even I don't completely understand it myself. That's how this show likes to mess with you. It's really confusing. Heathcliff admits he is Kayba (who is the creator's name), and that he was going to be the final boss of SAO. He tells Kirito that if he defeats him in battle in a one-on-one fight, he'll clear the game, and everybody will be free. Asuna, hearing all of this, pleads Kirito not to fight, and said that they'll defeat him another day. He doesn't listen, and lunges an attack at Heathcliff.

The creator of Sword Art Online

As he fights Heathcliff, Asuna watches as her husband is too overpowered by him. Knowing that Kirito is going to lose, she throws herself to Kirito's defense, and is impaled by Heathcliff's swords. Kirito is shocked, and watches as the only person that cared about him, dissapears before his own eyes. All that remains of her is her sword. Devastated, Kirito continues to attack him, but so softly. He flings his sword as if he is not even trying. Tired of this fight, he stabs Kirito and ends his life. An announcement that says as of November 7th, at 14:55, Sword Art Online has been cleared. But, this is not the end. Kirito wakes up in what appears to be the sky over Aincard. Confused, he opens up the menu to see that SAO has entered it's final phase, and that it is at 55% until total destruction. 

A voice calls out to Kirito, and it is none other than Asuna. He tells her that he is sorry for dying, and not returning the both of them to the real world. They share a kiss, and watch Aincard's destruction together. While waiting for SAO's destruction, Kayaba appears behind the two. In shock, Kirito asks why he did all of this. He responds by saying that he can't remember why. All he says is that he wanted a castle to rule, that had no laws or restrictions. He also informs them that out of the 10,000 players in SAO, the 3,853 players that were killed will never return to the real world. The remaining have survived and logged out of the game. He thens congratulates Asuna and Kirito, and dissapears.

In their final moments together, Asuna and Kirito tell each other about their personality, who they really are, and how they are. As SAO is close to being destroyed, they hug each other and share a last kiss. SAO is completely destroyed moments later.

In the real world, after 2 yrs of being stuck in the game, Kirito awakens and takes off the Nerve Gear Helmet that trapped him in Sword Art Online. He climbs out of the hospital bed, and walks out the room, looking for Asuna as he calls out her name. Thus, this ends the Aincard Arc.

Kirito, 2 years after Sword Art Online has ended.

Now for my verdict. This show, is one that will mess with you as I stated before. If you don't pay attention closely, you will be lost. SAO isn't for everyone though. As you can see, not every one is a fan of the show. But I am. I truly enjoyed this show. Sometimes I wish it would of ended after the first half, and it would of been a perfect ending. But if you watched the show, you can see that has not happened. If you like video game style shows, this is the show for you. 

I prefer the sub version over the dub anyday, but some voices in the dub stand out. Especially Asuna's voice, who is voiced by Cherami Leigh. Her performance playing Asuna is outstanding. Even though the dialogue was hard to translate, she does it with such poise that you'd think the dub is better than the subbed version. She is the star of this dub.

Overall, I give Sword Art Online an A-. The art is beautiful, especially if you watch it in HD. The music to this show is okay, but I really liked the opening theme to the arc. It could of improved in some story telling areas A LOT, but in the end, this is how it was meant to be. This show might not make my Top 10 anime list of all time, but it is a show that I will remember for a long time.

You can catch Sword Art Online every Saturday Night at 2 am EST on Toonami from Adult Swim.