Why is there so much ire for SAO?

[Before I make my statement, I would like to say that biased and hateful comments are not welcome here (you know who you are)]



Lately, I've been seeing a lot of posts on other forums, Twitter, and Facebook depicting Sword Art Online as a steaming pile of poo let out by a 500-pound chubby who visits McDonalds at least 3 times a day. My question is this: why?



I'll admit: the first season was decent, but the second season was a bit of a letdown. And yes, it certainly is overrated, but it is NOWHERE near as overrated as big monster series like Bleach, Naruto, One Piece, and Dragonball Z, all of which with the exception of one I think is what most flamers think of SAO.



So I ask you people: what has this series done to deserve so much hate? Was it the second season that turned your excitement into semi-liquidated crap? The voice actors? The fanbase? I don't want to hear any ambiguous comments or stupid posts saying "it's just...bad". I want you to actually give me a legitimate reason as to why you or you think people stare daggers at this series.

 

It should have stopped after episode 14.
It just turned into a dribbling mess afterwards.

Here's a little copy pasta for you explaining why SAO sucks after episode 14:
1. It continues
2. Forced love triangle
3. Forced INCESTUOUS love triangle
4. Just got out of a video game induced coma. Let's go play some more video games!
5. F**kin' fairies yo
6. Clichéd plot twists
7. More asspulls than you can shake a stick at:
- Kirito's still the strongest fighter at base level, because technology
- Random beast transformation, because magic
- What is this, I don't even
8. Yui returns? Wtf is this shit?
9. Completely irrelevant political subplot with barely fleshed out characters
10. Tentacle rape
11. Decent villain with crappy whiny one
12. Unexplainable, game-breaking feats
13. Long heart to heart between siblings while crazy man with a knife is on his way to the hospital to possible rape or kill your girlfriend after you humiliated him in a video game, likely by motor vehicle, while all Kirito has is a f**king bike but hey let's just sit here and flirt with out thick ass sister (I mean cousin)
14. Surprise!
15. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS
16. Crappy new opening and ending theme songs replace good ones as if to subtly mock the viewer for continuing to watch the show

 

I would rather have a love story than an action anime with the characters throwing around gigantic maelstroms of energy (e.g: Fairy Tail, Dragonball Z, Bleach). SAO has a solid story and I was happy. I guess, like you stated, the characters could have been a bit better, but the story is what I decided to watch it for; not a bunch of yelling and shouting and testosterone-filled episodes that involved a bunch of muscle-bound main males pummeling each other into dust (e.g: Gurren Lagann)

 

Real question here is why should we have to justify our personal taste? If we like a show then we like it no need to explain. Same goes with disliking a show. I haven't seen SAO so i have no opinion of it. I probably won't watch it because i would rather PLAY an MMORPG/RPG than watch one

 

Don't know why everyone thinks the second arc was when it all went wrong. I thought the first arc was even dumber than the second. It goes through a whole harem of forced romances that immediately become irrelevant as soon as their ONE episode that they each got was over, then there were all sorts of random time skips over large periods that would have made for interesting plot and character development, and eventually the series decided to drop any pretense of being an epic fantasy adventure when it switched its focus from Waifu Simulator 2023 to Harvest Moon Online with Kirito and Asuna going off to build their little house in the forest and raise a family.

At least the second arc had the decency to only introduce one new walking plot device and it kept her relevant throughout the entirety of the series, but it was still pretty meh overall considering the potential SAO originally had and what it decided to do with it instead.

 

I didn't watch SAO, but I read the two first volumes of the LN (the first volume being the main story up to when they get out of sao and the second volume being side-stories happening during the first volume irrelevant to the main plot).

I don't know how the anime was, but there was very little romance before the 14th chapter and it stopped around the 18th (I'm estimating it). In fact, I would say that there was more romance in the second volume than in the first one.

It was in the second volume, for instance, that Lisbeth was introduced, I suppose that this is an example of what siets was referring to when he was saying the you were seeing potential rivals for Asuna that were never seen after their episodes.

So, I would say that the real problem is not SAO, but how it was adapted into an anime, because if they had only done the first novel in the anime, there wouldn't have been a harem.

 

I'd like to start off with wow I loved what everyone had to offer so far. I don't think I have much to offer on why people may have chosen to not like this show mostly because I loved SAO.
The ironic part is (when the comparison of .hack and Sao was brought up) I was reminded of how I was turned away from .hack by public opinion.

So the primary reasons I loved this show are: Its a show about being in an MMO(I have not watched .hack and still may not), it actually explores the romantic angle of the testosterone fulled action show which most shows refuse to do Imo and experience, and it doesn't destroy the story and everything it is with a bunch of fillers.
Btw that romantic angle is teen love which always works differently than the typical romance shows.  And it doesn't create a harem effect by removing other "potential love partners" essentially from the stage and while the few females the fall for him, he never wavers on who he really cares about being with. Those instances involving the other females aren't really love interests but showing while he is solo and has shown some wear on his Humanity he still has compassion and care for others.

As a solo-player I find it fascinating to see a solo-player being proven to be the best.

I think the lapses of time are not a negative impact on this show rather a positive thing. Taking those times to use your real imagination to decide what you think has happened. I agree that the second season wasn't as great as the first and frankly ending it at the first would have been a powerfully great short series.  But that second season added a whole new world of Imagination possibilities as it introduces a whole new world(unfortunately fairies but still flying and magic) and the ending adds even more to that.  And as far as the cousin falling in love with him thing well the only thing I've got on that is an attempt to show the mistakes people can make when exploring "love"

Anyway All of this is Imo and in no way am attempting to disprove those against this show and there opinions. There are flaws to this show maybe even several but its how each individual takes those flaws, views them, and whether they can accept them or not.

I agree with ThatRandomGinger, however I would word it differently.  People shouldn't have to justify there opinion but if they want to they can and shouldn't be criticized for it.

Thanks for reading
(I hope I've made sense I'm not very articulate)

 

Having read up to the 12th light novel for this  I have say the anime didn't do it justice at all. There was tons stuff that was left out of the anime that could make this show better.That being said I still enjoyed it  a lot if even tho second half got kinda boring.Only hope they do better with Phantom Bullet  Arc.

 

TWO YEARS WORTH OF SEMEN MADE A GLOPPING NOISE AS IT FLOWED ENDLESSLY INTO ASUNA

 

not one of the haters but there are things about it that is not likeable for me at least.

it mostly is about the second part.

1. incest thingy
2. how the most important ID was guarded
3. the guards that guarded no.2
4. that lucky break scene!

Spoiler

well you know when he was given the fakin admin access code

 

Personally I liked the series. I liked the action and the boss fights that were animated had a lot of ass kicking.

 

SAO was very flawed, but no more then most anime. I could point out problem with pretty much any show (even my favorites), but that doesn't stop then from being at least somewhat enjoyable. I admit, if SAO wasn't on Toonami I probably would never have watched it, but since I have my opinion is this:

It's an anime, that's it, it's no masterpiece, it's no pile of sh*t, it's just a show with some action, and interesting theme, and a romance story. And like people have said, it's all opinion, I think SAO's a solid "OK", but you can love it or hate it, I don't care.

And to those who are complaining about the incest thing, it's in more Japanese stories then I can count, get used to it if you want to keep watching/reading/playing Japanese series.

 

I liked the anime, I really enjoyed it.
Before I got into it..I watched the first episode..didn't like it..and didn't pick it back up until a few months later. And I don't regret my decision.
Granted, i'll pick up a romance anime any day and be content..but from the first few episodes I did expect there to be more..fighting than there actually was. I was highly disappointed when Kirito and Asuna took a hugeee long break in the cabins when everyone is on the front lines. Like..this is your LIFE..take a break if you will but that arc could have been summed up in one episode.
However, I still enjoyed seeing the characters interact with each other.
I enjoyed the plot, the graphics, the feel of the anime, just about everything was pretty good to me

The second season is a different story. You guys pointed that out already but non the less, I enjoyed while I watched it.

Would I recommend? yeah I would.
Would I re watch it? The first season, yeah I would..maybe months from now though.

 

I've not seen it yet. But, judging by its huge fan base, I have a feeling it will be rather mediocre. A bit like Accel World.

 

Warning, I am about to break the first half of the series into it's constituent parts so spoilers obviously follow. Didn't watch second half because I know when the gettings good.
2ND WARNING, SHOGUN RANT INCOMING. IT'S A BIG ONE.
I think the thing that pissed me off the most was the fact that the first ep seemed like it had so much potential as an action/adventure series and then it sorta morphed into a series of genres half-assedly. What do I mean by that? The first dungeon made it seem like it would be sort of a survival horror show like gantz or blue gender without the gore. You know, wow I like these characters, OH NO WHATSHISFACE, YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THAT etc. But then they start skipping past and Kirito barely goes into a raid. Then it turned into a show about how the protagonist seeks redemption for something that I can't remember (being a beta tester or something) that only leads him to more sadness. However is that developed further? Not really.... You build on that type of situation to something, like Casshern Sins and his continued guilt over his fighting to survive and past actions. Then we go with attempting to get Asuna which felt too quick because of everything they tried to shove into the other 13 eps, so that it felt like, I don't like you, you're ok, I love you, let's get married, let's adopt within the span of 5 eps. I admit I don't like romance but romances need to be long gradual things if you go cute or super fast if you go tempestuous. This felt like I sat on the fast forward button and the anime tells me, nope it just took 6 months for them to get married, sure why not. Then we have that knight guy saying that you don't take Asuna away from him. I thought, oh this is the barrier to their love, I guess this is a romance series now and this is the antagonist guy. Nope, resolved within an ep, barely see the guy again. Then they don't even get to the endgame, the boss just basically walks down and says, you and me fight because fuck it you're the chosen one, not the knight guy who I can probably assume went through more dungeons while Kirito dawdled in 3-4 genres, not an entire army that would probably have faced him if he waited, you the one in the black cloak which is supposed to be some kind of black mark. Then Asuna dies and the boss loses but doesn't seem to be killed and wow everybody can go home. It felt less like a victory and more that the boss guy went, man this sucks they're just sitting around living their lives and not really progressing, I had this great finale planned and I don't want to forget it, and I think the servers might go down one of these days. So yeah sure final battle. So Kirito is out. We have awkward cousin romance subplot over survivor's guilt? TONE. GET ONE. Then he sees a fairy who looks like Asuna. Let me go through the various reasons why this is not a reason to immediately jump back in.
A) You just got out, maybe you should stretch your legs a bit. I think he had physical therapy. Nope, need to put myself through that again.
B) Did you ever consider that maybe it's just using visual resources from the other game? Wouldn't it suck if you got stuck in the game again and you found out the fairy who looks like her says to him "Beep boop, please bring me 10 beaver pelts. It's a fine day in Corneria isn't it?" Congrats, you officially sold your life for a face. Yeahhhhhh.
C) Aren't you technically the hero of the last game? I mean, I don't want to be cynical about love and all, but I don't think a bishonen man like you won't half a line a mile out after you get interviewed as the savior of hundreds of people. For all purposes, you can be pretty sure she died dude? Why are you chasing a face when you could live a life of luxury...
D) Asshole psychotic man seems like he's going to stab something. The parents don't seem to notice how much of a creep the guy is, maybe they're not the best parents? Basically when I have a love and the family seems like it's more fucked up than my own cousin trying to bone me, I think it's time to try to find a new love.
E) Back to asshole psychotic man. Is it worth risking your life for the most bland romance I've ever seen? I mean even if you do save her, I imagine he'll go yandere. Except without the dere part. Really, either get him away from Asuna's body by having a heart to heart with her parents before you leave or find some way to deal with him.
F) How the hell did the other company get the assets from the game that was literally on the news for 6 months or something. I can't imagine the police didn't keep a guard on it somehow... Because without that Asuna living on is stupid as hell.
G) Cousin girl should probably get him committed. After all of those experiences, I think he has PTSD and survivor's guilt. Seriously, he seems to willing to throw himself into a thing that almost killed him before.
H) THE OTHER BOSS IS STILL OUT THERE RIGHT? MAYBE THIS IS A TRAP?
And that's why I got out after the first 13.
So yeah, the main problem is it sells itself on a good premise but can't seem to find out what the hell it wants to do. I think it's a game as well which makes sense because this screams "we want to show them everything, we have 13 eps..... I guess one's the romance ep, and the other's the dungeon ep". The characters are bland. The set up is almost too good. A hero who struggles despite his losses on toward the end would make this setting work. A repentant man who gives up the sword to live a life with someone would be good too. This anti-hero who flits between different facets of this world just sorta seems to make it seem like the setting is just a giant stage for a boring man to wander around. Does he evolve? Not really. Is his purpose worthwhile? Eh I mean I can understand needing companionship because I'm a sad man who gets lonely sometimes but really considering how you seemed to have multiple half relationships between the time you meet her and the time that you actually start dating her, I'm not buying Love at First Sight. It just seems like a high school romance morphed into a boring family life. They also have the gall to make possibly interesting characters disappear. I know almost nothing about the boss. That cid like character who ends up running a smith. How did he get there, did he lose someone, did he almost die? That knight guy, does he hold a grudge, is he a good guy otherwise? Nope, we're just following blandy mcblanderson. Lord of the bland, knight of the blandom, chief of the bland tribe.
To phrase it another way this is like going to a five star restaurant and ordering the steak. You get served a pile of hamburger with bits of bone and tendons leaking out and you think wow, if they gave a damn, this might be worth something.

Now let's compare it to the other "worse anime" like Naruto, Bleach, Accel World (because it was mentioned once in this thread). Those ones seem to have identity. I mean yes they use the generic shonen plot of I'm going to be the very best, like no one ever was. That's the thing, most of the time, they do that consistently. Naruto does missions while attempting to harness his power. He doesn't go off and work as a carpenter because Jiraiya dies, he is a ninja throughout. He is chosen because his mom was the previous host and they need one asap. You can argue later things about the whole souls bit, but in the end, it's more of a recurring fate motif than any bullshit YOU ARE CHOSEN reason. Bleach is very much the same, always a soul reaper. He barely has any motivation but damn it he moves forward with it. I'm sort of friends with Renji is a reason to fight and he acts toward that consistently. Accel World is possibly one of my favorite silly anime plots because it gets down to brass tacks. I have a wish, and now that I have the means to achieve that wish, I will fight as hard as it takes for that wish to be fulilled. The characters are interesting, the plots are interesting and the powers meaningful. I wonder why a person would want to fly away from his life. Escapism is totally not a thing guys. Even Dragon Ball Z with all of it's yelling always features Goku attempting to save the planet. There are no episodes where he sits with Chichi while staring at the mountains, no episodes where Goku has to save Chichi from bad guys. I believe those scenarios happen. I just don't need to see them. The places where such stories do pop up in each of these series are things called filler.
So what I'm essentially saying is, Sword Art Online feels like filler for a show that doesn't exist.

 

I actually am baffled in what others think went "wrong" with SAO. I'm praying that virtual gaming with just be like that in 2020-2025.

 

@Shogun13 I would like to argue at least a couple points with you.

Spoiler

Of course Kirito knew Asuna as alive. After all they were both "dead" and yet he got out alive. They were both in the same place when the game booted them out so it was safe to assume she was alive somewhere as well. Also it wasn't because they had the game's assets that Asuna lived on. It's just because they had them that creepy nutjob was able to make an entire game with little to no effort. Also if I remember right he got the accets because his company was either involved in development or owned the server. Either way the reason he got the assets was because his company simply had access to them. Also the show isn't really filler it's just they cut the wrong elements from the LN out and left the wrong ones in. So the pacing of the show isn't very good and that causes the tone to shift a bit erratically. Also because they aren't handling pacing properly character development is weak to non existent but it is still there somewhat. From what I understand the romantic development in the LN was more than just "Love at first sight" which I agree is bull. And watching the anime I can kinda see where there were signs of them actually making a connection. It's just they didn't show enough.

Overall I feel SAO is a lot of "almost got that right" where they just rushed through some parts and dwelled a little too much on other parts. For example did the beat tamer girl and blacksmith girl honestly need entire episodes? They aren't important after that point really and any potential romance between him and them is immediately trown out the window. But even so it's not THAT bad.

It at least does have some decent action sequences and the anime does have it's moments. Personally I think the show is at least average.

 

I'm willing to engage in this argument, though you might find my reasoning somewhat lacking because as previously mentioned I didn't even go into the fairy section of the show, instead stopping at, I believe, episode 13. Also because you put spoilers, so shall I.

Spoiler

A) I remember it as Kirito was dying and Asuna was "dead". Then they jack out. I did watch this when it came out so I might be wrong. I feel relatively certain that Kirito had the dialogue"I'm dying this is it for me" *pulled back to reality* whereas Asuna was confirmed dead at the scene. I'm willing to let that go though because souls, death, sort of a grey line even without computers that kill you if you die in the game.
B) Wait Asuna's creepy boyfriend runs the fairyland? That wasn't said before I stopped. That's... odd. Why? Why does he do it?
C) If I cut out everything from Bleach but the bount arc, the zanpatuko arc and the other filler arcs doesn't that become canon in my new universe? Filler is generally used to describe things that have no plot significance because that is necessary for filler to function. It could contradict the manga otherwise. The bount arc ends with nobody dead, nobody stronger, nobody with character development. That's what I mean. They took out the parts that didn't advance the story and thus it felt like they took the source material (imagine the bleach anime) and cut out the good parts (the plot) to leave only the filler (the parts that didn't advance the story). You yourself admit it kept the worst bits in, so that is all that I meant.
D) Preach on about pace and love at first sight being shoehorned in. That was what I was trying to say by calling the plot schizophrenic in my first post, if not openly then I hoped that it was implicit.
E) I agree on the almost got it right, in so far as I can see three good different anime in this show. There is the action anime this deserved. The romance anime it tried and failed to be. The psychological anime about the big bad and why he did what he did and so quickly latched onto Kirito as the hero to his villain. They made none of them. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a 1/10 anime like Misaki Chronicles. This is a 4/10 anime that happened to have a good stopping point that I didn't feel bad about stopping. My biggest problem is the fact that the first episode sold me on this being a 7/10 or 8/10 anime with possibility of going higher, only for it to be mediocre and scattershot.