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I suppose it was only a matter of time before I put in my two cents about Sword Art Online. I started watching it with high hopes, having seen the major hype on this website, Facebook, Tumblr, and hearing about it from my friends. Even the concept seemed like it would be amazing. This held true for the first 2-3 episodes. Too bad the other 22-23 episodes were pretty dreadful.

Story: 2/10

I don't know what the writers were thinking by having pointless filler episodes, followed by massive time-skips. To me, this just made the entire thing sloppy and somewhat confusing at times. On top of that, ... the story itself was very melodramatic with several plot holes. It began well, as I said, but it really just turned into shipping, shipping, creepy suitors, and more shipping. The incest was really not necessary. Over time, it just turned into a harem.

Art: 10/10

The art is simply gorgeous. I love the style, especially considering how well it fits to the futuristic setting. No complaints here.

Sound: 5/10

Neither opening songs nor closing songs were memorable. It got the job done, and that's about it.

Character: 1/10

If the ball wasn't sufficiently dropped by the story, it was definitely shattered to bits and pieces by the character "development." Kirito was absolutely terrible as a main. He was, in all definitions of the term, a Gary Stu. Whenever there was some major problem, he would become the big hero and deus ex machina everyone out of harm's way. He also had one of the nastiest cases of Kirk Syndrome I've seen in awhile (meaning he got the undying affection of pretty much most of the females whom he encountered). Asuna started off as a strong character, but she quickly turned into a damsel-in-distress that can cook: the essential love interest for a well-rounded Gary Stu. Finally, we have Sugu, whose love interest with Kirito/Kirigaya became borderline creepy, confusing, and completely unjustified.

Enjoyment: 3/10

The 2 points keeping this score from a 1 stem from my enjoyment of writing this review, and the first two or three episodes.

Overall: 3/10

It's saving grace is the art and the enjoyment gained from criticism. I would really not recommend this to anyone, except someone who really enjoys harems. Even then, Eiken is at least funnier.

It doesn't matter if it's a book, a television show, a game, or an anime: It is a very rare day where I have to look for something to say negatively when reviewing. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is one such piece.

Story: 10

FMA:B, like it's predecessor, starts off as if it would be a semi-typical shounen; however, it quickly becomes much deeper and more involved until a huge plot is unveiled. With enough angst to make the characters deeper, but not cliche, and enough romance to add a softer side, the story is perfectly balanced and well-thought-out.

Art: 10

I personally adore the art style. Not only is it ... consistent, there are very few animation errors. Also, as a bonus, you can see the characters (Ed in particular) age as the story continues.

Sound: 9

It gets the job done, and highlights the points of light-heartedness and of drama. I only give this a 9 due to the lack of "Bratja," which was a highlight of FMA. I missed it.

Character: 10

I absolutely fell in love with the characters. Even the villains were likeable. The Elric Brothers had an amazing dynamic. The more passionate and hot-headed Ed was well-countered by the easy-going and compassionate Al. Even the side characters had more than one dimension.

Enjoyment: 10

I don't think I went a day without watching FMA:B while watching it for the first time. I just couldn't walk away. To me, this is the ultimate in enjoyment.

Overall: 10

First review write-up. Hope my opinion is helpful!

Story: 9/10

The story of Fairy Tail is very typical of arc-based shonens; however, there's nothing wrong with this, as it turns out to be both well-executed and unique in its own way. It is light-hearted, but it also throws in drama when necessary. Good messages are conveyed through the adventures, like the power of friendship, the necessity of willpower, and redeeming oneself. The only major drawback (and why I give it a 9 instead of a 10 in this category) is that about two of the arcs have been very much filler-esque, and have not been as good ... as the rest.

Art: 9/10

It's clean, it's crisp, and it's unique. Not much else to say on that matter. I know that art is really a matter of personal preference, but Fairy Tail's art is my second favorite among all the animes that I have watched. A few animation errors, especially in the beginning, are what gives it a 9 instead of a 10 for me.

Sound: 10/10

The voice actors and actresses match their characters and never falter from this, even when challenged with influxes in voice or crying. The music is absolutely beautiful: easily my favorite in any anime I have seen. As a musician, I weigh background music very heavily, as poor music detracts from the story to me. No complaints at all for Fairy Tail. I even listen to a bit of it regularly!

Character: 6/10

This is where Fairy Tail begins to seriously start lacking. The characters start out very much like a typical shonen. You have Natsu, who is your hot-headed protagonist with an affinity for food, sleeping, and fighting. Lucy is your intelligent, big-chested girl. Grey is your mysterious one in for the fanservice and the early-on angst fest. Erza is really the redeeming aspect of the "main 4" characters, to me. The characters around them also rarely waver from typical animes: Juvia the fangirl, Makarov the pervert, Wendy the shy one, and Jellal/Gerard the one that the writers clearly wrote while very high, for examples. Even then, they mesh very well together, and there are a few gems in the characters (Gajeel, Erza, Gildarts...).

Enjoyment: 9/10

Fairy Tail is humorous, sad, suspenseful, and inspiring. To me, it is at a pinnacle of enjoyment in animes. While the characters do detract from the overall anime enjoyment for me, it is still very fun to watch. The writing is clean, the plot is dynamic, and dramatic parts are well-distributed throughout the series.

Overall: 8/10

It's a great anime, with a few drawbacks.

Pros:
-Amazing music and voice acting.
-Clean and attractive art.
-A fun, and sometimes heartstring-yanking story.
-A different approach on the "power of nakama."

Cons:
-Stock characters.
-Somewhat long.
-Some arcs take awhile to build to a climax.
-The dub is pretty bad (I rated sound based on the sub).

Overall, I highly recommend Fairy Tail, as it was my first shonen and still one of my favorites!