It's my first review here and english isn't my native so, forgive me if I make some mistake!
Let me start this review by saying, yes, your eyes aren't fooling you, i rated this as a 9, i'll explain my reasons below, it's going to be long but i'll add a tl;dr version at the end of every 'arc'.
SAO is a series that doesn't need any introduction, its really popular, loved and hated, but, before you watch SAO2, i need to tell you something so you can enjoy it to its full potential, first, SAO as a whole is NOT about action nor romance, it does
...
have some, but it's not the main theme, not even in SAO1, not in SAO2, not even in the hopefully coming SAO3.
Made my point clear, i'll start the review, which i'm going to split in 3 arcs, just like the anime.
Phantom Bullet Arc (eps 1 - 14)
Story: 9
SAO2 starts where SAO1 left us, Kirito and Asuna going to the SAO survivor school together, it's been a year since SAO incident and VRMMOs are still really popular thanks to The Seed, which made possible to create a bunch of new games. One day, Seijiro Kikuoka from the "VR division" asks Kirito to investigate about a rumour that was spreaded in a game called Gun Gale Online, where, if you get shot by a mysterious avatar with a black gun, you will die irl, Kirito is reluctant at first, but gets curious about it and ends up accepting the job.
Art: 9.
As usual, SAO's visual are AMAZING, not much to say here.
Sound: 10.
The soundtrack is really fitting, from the OP to the ED, you can get an idea of the characters, their struggles and their wishes. The OST, as usual, amazing, one of Kajiura's best jobs.
Characters: 8.
First off, we have our so-loved and so-hated MC, Kirito, getting some development and action here and there, no need to say much about him.
Then, we have Sinon/Shino, the female lead in this arc (no, Asuna doesn't appear much) one of the best snipers in GGO nicknamed "Icy Sniper" because of her calm personality during battles. She wants to win the Bullet of Bullets, GGO tournament. As a character, she is really well done, she has a backstory, development and courage.
Enjoyment: 7.
The only reason my enjoyment is low compared to the rest is, the butt shots, this seriously ruined some scenes in this arc, Sinon's ass was focused A LOT in 14 episodes, even during serious scenes, made the anime kinda annoying.
Overall: 8.6, compared to the 9 i gave this in LN, all thanks to ass shots, A-1, you're the real MVP.
TL;DR: This is really good, the pace is the opposite to SAO1, it's slow and takes its time to develop but be prepared to see Sinon's ass A LOT, music and animation are awesome as usual, if you like Psychology, VR and Games, you should try this, if you are expecting a lot of action, you should go somewhere else.
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Caliber Arc (eps. 15 - 17)
Story: 6.
This mini-arc is a Side Story, shows the entire group doing a quest to get the Legendary Sword Excalibur, it also explains the Cardinal System, really needed for possible SAO3.
Sound: 9.
New OP by Haruka Tomatsu and ED by LiSA, loved both of them, really good as usual, the OST really fitting for the scenes.
Art: 8.
As usual, amazing. The battles are nice, the magic effects are done wonderfully.
Characters: 7.
It's the whole group, there is not really a need to explain all of them.
Enjoyment: 7
Well, it's a side story, it had fun, action, some little romance here and there, nothing so impressive, but good nonetheless.
Overall: 7 compared to the 7.3 in the LN, well, some scenes were changed, but still solid.
TL;DR: Not impressive, but its fine for a laugh or killing time, sound is awesome, explains Cardinal System for better understanding of next arcs.
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Mother's Rosario Arc (eps. 18 - 24)
Story: 10
And so, we get to the best arc this season, Mother's Rosario. In ALO, there's a rumour about a player nicknamed as "Absolute Sword" who has been doing a lot of duels in some island. With 69 wins at row, this player catches Asuna's attention, specially after hearing that Kirito lost against him. Who is this player? Why is he doing so much duels? Prepare for the feels.
Art: 10.
Amazing, nuff said.
Sound: 10.
THIS soundtrack, same OP by Haruka Tomatsu but new sequence, new ED by LiSA called Shirushi, both songs are amazing, specially the ED with all the feels, OST is great also.
Characters: 10.
First off, we have Asuna, our so-loved and so-hated female MC. In this arc, we see some development for her, we can also see how is her relationship with her family, which will lead to a trip full of feels.
Then we have, Zekken, probably, one of the BEST SAO characters, even in the LN, strong, fast, this player holds a big secret which is going to send you to feeladelphia.
Enjoyment: 10.
I loved everything about this arc, was adapted really well, the scenes, soundtracks and everything portrayed its meaning perfectly.
Overall: 10.
TL;DR: An arc full of feels, a new player with 69 wins at row, one of those against Kirito, this player will have some serious effect not only in the story, but Asuna as well, it's really worth watching.
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Overall for SAO2: 8.6, rounded up to 9.
If you are a SAO fan, you could like this, even if youre a hater, the story is really well written, most of the failures are from animation itself. But don't expect so much action, its slow paced, but its really worth a shot.
Dec 20, 2014
Sword Art Online II
(Anime)
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It's my first review here and english isn't my native so, forgive me if I make some mistake!
Let me start this review by saying, yes, your eyes aren't fooling you, i rated this as a 9, i'll explain my reasons below, it's going to be long but i'll add a tl;dr version at the end of every 'arc'. SAO is a series that doesn't need any introduction, its really popular, loved and hated, but, before you watch SAO2, i need to tell you something so you can enjoy it to its full potential, first, SAO as a whole is NOT about action nor romance, it does ... |
