I of the almost popular and controversial anime series of the last decade,Sword Fine art Onlineis a show that's intensely divisive, with fans and critics both existence equally passionate. Viewers range from the hardcore advocates who praise it as a revolutionary title in the isekai genre to song critics who are completely baffled as to how and why the show has gained so much popularity. So how didSword Fine art Online'southward popularity become and so controversial in the anime community?

Sword Fine art Onlinefollows protagonist Kazuto Kirigaya, a high school otaku who loves video games. Afterward logging onto the VRMMORGP "Sword Art Online" and taking on the avatar handle "Kirito," the immature boy before long discovers he's trapped in the virtual globe with no mode to escape. The serial follows Kirito and his friends' adventures every bit they attempt to escape SAO, also as other video game universes in the anime's later seasons. Though the video games change throughout each arc, the blurring of lines between video games and reality is e'er-present.

The anime is based upon a lite novel serial by Reki Kawahara that shares the same proper name. Since the anime'south release in 2012,Sword Art Onlinehas produced boosted seasons and an original flick, with the prove's fourth season currently ambulation.

Hardcore Sword Art Onlinesuperfans, who've stuck with the serial for all four seasons, praise the prove'southward evolution from season to season. Each season has improved upon the last, a statement reflected in Flavor 4's current score of 7.73 on MyAnimeList. Plus, since the show's main focus changes every arc, defended fans love how the stakes are constantly shifting and raising for Kirito and his friends. Additionally, every bit an isekai,Sword Fine art Onlinefeatures a number of fight sequences that, even during some of the show'due south weaker seasons and arcs, are inarguably exciting to watch and are beautifully animated.

Finally, Kirito's journey as an introvert in the real world to a praised video game hero in the virtual i is a label that'south appealing to a wide range of audiences. Viewers empathise and meet themselves within Kirito'south story, which may explicate why so many fans have stuck with the anime for then long. In Season 1, Kirito was introduced every bit a lonely homebody who didn't have many  friends in real life and spent most of his twenty-four hours on the reckoner. However, because of his experiences coming together people in video games, his existent-life persona has completely inverse. He now has a huge grouping of friends (nearly of whom are beautiful ladies) and, if he always escapes the Underworld, has plans to nourish a prestigious American university with his girlfriend, Asuna.

While hardcore fans have a long list of reasons why they've supported the show for virtually a decade, critics accept also justified their dislike with an as lengthy list of cons.

From a purely technical standpoint,Sword Fine art Online'south earlier seasons suffered from bad writing. The pacing was inconsistent, especially during the anime'southward initial arc, "Aincrad." Episodes quickly skipped over months and years, with minimal exposition to brand up for the lost time. This was mostly due to the anime's rushed try to cover multiple story arcs over the course of 25 episodes in Flavour 1 and 24 in Flavor ii. As a event of this rushed style of writing, characters had little time and space to develop, leaving many fans critical of their shallow personalities, as well as the prove's general lack of focus.

Luckily, most of these technical problems have been fixed sinceSword Art Online's third season premiered in 2019, and accept remained consequent in the currently airing Flavor four. Despite these technical fixes, at that place is another major effect thatSword Art Onlinecritics have been vocally protesting for well-nigh a decade at present.

Since Season ane, every season ofSword Fine art Onlinehas featured one scene where a female person grapheme is sexually assaulted, usually past a male villain character. Viewers accept been incredibly vocal about their disgust over the exploitative nature of this repetitive plot device for years at present. Only, despite acknowledgment and apologies from Reki Kawahara, even the most contempo flavor in 2020 featured an incredibly graphic scene. Combined withSAO'due south continued inclusion of fanservice-style portrayals of its female characters, it's not a great look for the popular isekai.

Whether you rememberSword Art Onlineis the greatest anime franchise e'er made or detest it with a passion and tin can't understand why it'southward become a global success, one thing is certain:Sword Art Onlineis a popular show. And even as the evidence begins to wrap upward with its fourth season, it'south clear that its legacy will remain for years to come up.

Continue READING: A One-time SAO Ally Comes to the Rescue In State of war of Underworld

Nighthawk Is the Latest Marvel Superhero To Grow Beyond Being a Justice League Analogue

Read Next

About The Author

Abby Espiritu (7 Articles Published)

More From Abby Espiritu