Wasted Potential

It’s not really surprising to state firstly that anime and video games over the years, whether it is within a Japanese animated film or T.V. show, that both entertainment mediums very much work in conjunction with each other. The obvious examples I have mentioned in the past, such as the Final Fantasy games being adapted into films in the forms of The Spirits Within and Advent Children and Pokemon becoming a transcending Nintendo product, are a perfect example of this and while in the past, these two mediums were considered to be something for the ‘geek’ demographic, I think it’s fair to say now that we do live in an age where Japanese anime and video games are part of the ‘norm’ of peoples lives thanks to works such as Hayao Miyazaki and popular video games like Super Mario Bros. that appeal to all ages. What has spawned from western audiences ’embracing’ Japanese animation, and video games to an extent, is Japanese animation that contextually centralise on game related tropes as such. One perfect example of this is Sword Art Online; an anime that not only manages to address this sought of cultural thing of gamers being addicted to MMORPG’S (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games), but sets up a concept that is genuinely haunting yet satisfying to gaze upon and hallmarks to motifs of things like Battle Royale and Jumanji in terms of survival and ‘beating the game to stay alive’. However, while the premise of the show is beautifully set-up in a way which makes you want to watch it over and over again at first, especially with the animation/choreography that this show offers up, it’s disappointing to say that it’s a show that drastically falls flat on its face with bad story-telling, advancing of the plot, and the overall narrative structure which hastens unnecessary… 

The year is 2022, and gamers have lined up on launch day for Sword Art Online, a hotly-anticipated MMORPG that lets players connect to an immersive virtual reality world with special helmets called Nerve Gear. Kirito is one such gamer who’s eager to jump back into action having spent a great deal of time as a beta tester, and quickly befriends with newbie warrior Klein. However, things turn for the worst as Sword Art Online’s 10,000 players discover that only are they unable to log out of SAO, but the only way they can return to their physical bodies, is by beating the 100-level towers final boss. Death in the game, means death in the real world. Now, with the eventual help of Asuna and other companions along the way, Kirito must survive the game as best they can if they ever want to return to the real world…

To save everyone from me ranting firstly about the bad points of Sword Art Online, I think it’s best that we talk about the silver linings that cut through this show in terms of the animation and the choreography that goes along with it. Being that this is an anime show that knows its audience in appealing the hard-core Otaku fans who are also avid-gamers of simulations that are similar to the one we see in SAO, Sword Art Online’s animation, which is done by a-one pictures, is pristine and expressed in an abstract way that never conceded to be inconsistent. It’s one of the merits of the show that not many can argue against since although the plot/narrative structure becomes way-ward as the show plods along, which we will get to in further detail, the animation remains to be consistent; with good usage of colour and imagination with the details of the characters and some of the monsters that pop up. In the past, a-one pictures have been known to produce shows like Black Butler and Sound of the Sky and while the production value of these shows tend to be higher than most, Sword Art Online is very much is a different kettle of fish being that has action-orientated sequences and its the fight scenes where the animation truly shines; showing the vast expanses of this online world for you to see.

Speaking generally about any sought of television series, one way of noticing a bad show when you see one, is its plot progression/narrative structure and unfortunately for Sword Art Online, a show which polarises in opinion of popularity, this is certainly the case. What is rather puzzling and weird to see within Sword Art Online, is how it probably has one of the better beginnings and set-ups to a story than any other ‘popular’ anime. I would say, the first three episodes of the first season really cling you in to be engrossed into a world where life and death in a video game really counts. This is of course depicted in the first episode as we are introduced to our main protagonist of Kirito, trying out this new virtual reality online game, yet, his world is turned upside down when himself and 100,000 of players are trapped in a virtual battle royale where the only way to survive and win, is to beat the boss on floor 100. The premise is not only entertaining to watch and ponder over, but it’s a trope that is scary and is something that we have been familiar with in the entertainment industry, most noticeably seen in the ‘Hunger Games’ films. As mentioned before, probably one of the reasons why this series gained so much popularity and recognition is because of how well it knows it’s audience being that most Otaku viewers are vivid-gamers. In general, the entire MMO genre is vastly known in such cases to be addictive, so for the creators of Sword Art Online to manifest a story that capitalises largely on this fact, was a really intersting and smart idea in many cases as it plays to the want and desires of the viewers who would do generally anything they could to be involved and play in this game that the characters are in. From episode 1 as well, it builds up the world and the characters that Kirito meets rather well and from the first few episodes, you are left feeling satisfied knowing that this could be a rather-lengthy series that will take it’s time in character building and constructing a world that is complex and mysterious with the fact you could die, for real. However, it takes a special something to have a premise with as much potential as this one only to rail-road everything and employ time jumps whenever possible. The first half of the show is by far the most guilty of this; condensing two whole years of time into the first twelve episodes with several months of unused time just filling up the in-between spaces all the while, the viewer is presented with what could be classified as filler episodes. Don’t get me wrong, there is this overarching story that is subtly there, but it’s heavily and annoyingly down played more or less the entire time which is a big no no. Instead, what we are greeted with are episodes in which our main protagonist of Kirito, meets a new character per episode of the first-half, and then that character is easily forgotten and is never seen again and it makes you think, why were they introduced in the first place? If you were going with that structure of introducing one new character per episode that doesn’t show up more than once, then they should have focused on this potential premise of battling through the stages of SAO instead. As the series nears the first-half, I do have to say that it does get a bit ridiculous, especially since the series moves quickly and time is sped-up through the two years in which the characters are in the game. I’m not one for spoiling much of a film/T.V. plot to you all, but I really do have to mention the lunacy of how the plot progresses since it does feel like a little insecure teenage boy wrote it whilst he was bored at school. As the rest of the first half goes, Kirito, supposedly in the game, gets married to the female protagonist counter-part of Asuna, a relationship that you know was going to happen, but you are thinking to yourself when the two do get married, “oh… your serious?!” It would have made sense if the series was a lengthy one where the relationship between these two characters in this death-defying game blossomed over time, but it just seems rushed when the first-half is twelve episodes long, and they suddenly get married… at 15/16 years old?! it just doesn’t make sense. Then again, this could be argued as a trope of anime, so I guess this is part of the ‘norm’ of anime. Speaking of ‘norms’ of anime, I don’t think it’s a surprise since this is a show that cultures towards the Otaku viewers, that there is some fan-service A.K.A the girl characters on ‘display’ if you know what I mean. Personally, when it comes to that in a anime show as popular as this one, I do think it’s unnecessary to add those soughts of scenes; especially since it’s a ‘popular’ anime that everyone’s going to give a chance in watching and it ultimately doesn’t add to the thrill of watching this series; they’re just scenes that are in the way. It’s not a surprise by now that I don’t like the narrative progression in this series, and it’s made even worse when it essentially splits into two stories in one series. The first half are the main characters trying to beat the game in order to survive and live, similar to that of Jumanji, and the 2nd half is basically the girl character Asuna being trapped in another game in which Kirito tries to set her free from a pathetic waste of villain. I’m just going to say it, the 2nd half is simply boring; there wasn’t any need for the makers of this show to do another story within one season. The first half’s starting premise was good enough so that the show could last for 24 episodes of the characters escaping the first game. It’s just weird having two stories in season basically and it just doesn’t pay off as you will be thinking by the end, “when does this end?” Digressing from all the negative points that I’ve mentioned, there are some moments of clarity when the story does hauntingly grab you. This is specifically shown in the first few episodes of Sword Art Online when they interestingly focus on the ‘death’ aspect of the story, as previously mentioned, if you die in SAO, you die for real. It could have been used as an excuse to make the story less like a game, and more like an actual fictional fantasy universe with real life or death consequences but became so much more than that. They do invest some crucial time at the start making sure that you feel the weight and coldness of death in this world and just how emotional losing people for good can be. It’s not usually something that is focused on which is fresh and unique to see.

Moving from one travesty of this show to another, is the disappointing characterisation and development or lack there of the Sword Art Online’s major characters. First of is our male hero Kirito, a male gamer from Japan who began to play video games to escape his family, and the real world. Kirito is what is called a ‘power-gamer’ obsessed with being a strong character though is also a lone wolf and even though he plays games that are designed to be multiplayer, he goes solo. There is this sense that for some Otaku viewers or even ordinary audiences for that matter, Kirito is somewhat of a wish-fulfilment individual. What was annoying for his character ‘development’, was how everything pretty much goes his way with ease. He overpowers basically everyone he encounters whether he should or not, he’s higher-levelled than nearly every-single player regardless of the fact that he adventures solo and not with a party, something that wouldn’t work in a real online-multiplayer game for sure. He’s also able to complete super-human feats not even possible by the system, because… he’s Kirito and no other worthwhile explanation is necessary (again another anime trope right there). Eluding back to something I hinted at previously in this review, is how this is an anime that looks as though it was written by a bored high-school kid that is going no where in life and again, this is shown with the female characters. Anime is no stranger to being unrealistic, being that there are moments in every anime where a face or a body is over-expressed in some manner, but for Sword Art Online, a show hinting at the realistic nature of addictive gaming and what not, it’s really simple of the makers of this show to make all the female characters seen as very attractive when in reality, that wouldn’t be the case necessarily. It’s stupid how every female character are animated as good-looking girls when in reality, that wouldn’t happen which again, is down to bad writing. What’s even more funny thinking about it now as I’m typing this, is the fact that every female that meet Kirito, instantaneously fall for the male hero for no apparent reason and it gets repetitive real quick as you watch the episodes of the early stages. The other hero alongside Kirito is Asuna but while she is one to be heavily featured in the shows first opening as well as being one of the main plot devices for the entire second half of the 1st season, she’s one of the most neglected characters in terms of development and stereotyping. She’s introduced well enough being introduced in the 2nd episode as a new player even though does not know the game very well, plays exceptionally well and is more less perceived as a bad-ass already. Unfortunately, her next her appearance in episode 5, she is drastically changed being a lead female beater, to a inevitable clutsy love interest with moments few and far between otherwise before ultimately becoming princess peach of the entire 2nd half of the season.

Along with the animation, the soundtrack is something that again, adds to the thrill of the show whenever a fighting sequence conjures up. The makers of this show simply play the right music for the right music and is very consistent along with the animation. Whenever Kirito or other characters are fighting, epic-orchestral music will pop up and is executed in the right segments in tangent with what’s happening on screen. The opening anime score of ‘Crossing-field’, the first anime opening, is again, perfect for what this show is all about as it has a slow build up at the start and has moments within the song that are epic and rocky which all-in-all, gets you motivated to watch the episodes.

By reviewing all that has been said, Every couple of years, there are popular anime shows, like Attack on Titan, that divide people into two camps of thought; one being that this anime is great, while the other says, simply no. When it comes to Sword Art Online, it’s very much a mixture of both. edging ever so slightly to the ‘no’ train of thought. While visually it’s a show that can’t falter and is consistent in producing fight sequences that are abstract and go hand-in-hand with the correct use of music, It is heavily let down by the rather poor narrative and character progression. From the get-go, Sword Art Online has a fantastic premise that is haunting yet fun to watch. Yet, it blossoms into a quick two part story in one-singular season that ultimately feels rushed. By the time you’ve reached the mid, you’ll be genuinely scratching your head thinking, ‘has two years of the time in this story really passed?’ and it results into a rather boring and predictable ending that has sections that Otaku viewers will revel in. If this were a series that was longer and focused more on the first story, then it would have been up there as one of the better anime to watch. but it doesn’t, and instead it evolves into something that is lacking in all departments, contextually. I just hope for the makers sake, season 2 of this show improves ten-fold!…

And on that note, it’s time for me to end. A always, thank you for reading my latest anime review of Sword Art Online (Season 1) and I hope you’ve enjoyed the read. If anyone has an opinion on either the review or on the show, feel free to drop a comment down below. Early next week, I should have a Blog Post update regarding a few things that are coming up for myself so be sure to keep an eye out for that. Other than that, It’s time to say goodbye and I’ll see you next week. Until then, Adieu!!

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ – Alex Rabbitte