Back to boukendesho's Profile boukendesho's Profile

For some reason, Sword Art Online attracts a lot of haters, oops, I mean, polarized opinions - we don't want to hurt the sensibility of wannabe Oscar critics too much here now, they are really soft and tender inside despite their haughty exteriors.

You probably have heard it all, Kirito is a Gary Stu, he's a generic shounen fantasy insert, SAO is a fan-fiction (apparently people don't understand the meaning of fanfic), SAO is a harem-in-disguise, the main female character is just a pumpkin, SAO is sexist... yeah, sure, if any of the above is really your criteria for a show, you probably will find SAO ... to be terrible, so let me save you the time here, don't watch it. You will thank me for saving you the trouble. Heck, feel free to read all the 1-3 point reviews that haters, I mean Roger Eberts, decide that they "have to voice" to make sure people can get balanced views about what SAO really is - a shitty piece of anime that should have never been made, or written in the first place. To their minds, the author and the anime studio should light fires and burn themselves to death for the disservice that they did to the humanity.

Want to hear the other side of the story? Want to hear why the critics might not necessarily be right in their mind? I mean, who are they to tell you what you might or might not enjoy anyway? Do they really know your taste?

What is the goal of anime? Is it to be analyzed to death on seeing what and where the story is screwed up so haters can feel like they are really enlightening us retards who don't know any better about what a good anime is? Or is it something that's meant to serve as an entertainment?

Do you want to be entertained? Are you willing to give something a chance so you can be entertained?

If you want to be entertained and willing to give something a chance, then let me tell you, there is a lot that SAO can offer you. It has a great story, great visual, great music, and great voice acting. You will find the animation to be top-notch, the OST stellar, the actions engaging, and the story moving.

Actions? Check. Fantasies? Check. Premise? Check. Romance? Check. Strong protagonists? Check. Great heroines? Check. Tough villains? Check. SAO has just about everything you can ask for in a story.

Is it perfect? No. Are there plot holes? Yes. SAO honestly should have been told over two seasons (4 cours). There are a lot that are better treated in the source material than in the anime. It's done in a structure that can be confusing to people unfamiliar with the source material. It wastes quite a bit of its potential (even in the source material).

But you see, all that does is that it didn't live up to the expectations that people can have on it. What it means is that it's not as good as one hope it would be.

Somehow that makes people "hate" it. Yeah, people "hate" an anime that's not the best thing ever.

If humans can only be loved when they are only the best, that's a pretty sad way to live, isn't it?

Anyway. Nobody can tell you whether you will like a show - that is up to you to decide. And it's up to you to decide with your heart. After all, like is a feeling, not a score to be analyzed. I am writing this review to simply balance against the haters. Don't let the wannabe critics sway your opinions of what you should or should not like. Watch it yourself. You might not like it, but you wouldn't know until you try.

This is an ecchi show. You are forewarned if you don't like to see boobs bouncing. Proceed at your own risk.

Now, if ecchi doesn't bother you, and you like stories with character developments, you might just find this story a surprise sleeper waiting to be discovered.

The premise of the story actually has a lot more in common with titles like Slam Dunk, Haikyuu, etc (it is about sports after all) than with what we generally think of as ecchi. Sakura, our protagonist, decides to join pro wrestling on a whim after her profession - idol - and friend were abused/ridiculed by a pro wrestler.

As ... fake as pro wrestling may seem, it takes incredible talent and hard work to perform, and our protagonists was quickly abused of her naive notions. Her perseverance to take on the obstacles is the journey this story undertakes.

If the chosen sports isn't female pro wrestling, this title probably will barely be associated with ecchi at all. There are no generic harem MC's around, nor are there any boob grabs etc. The "ecchi-ness" basically comes from the attires and the awkward positions wrestlings tend to cause wrestlers to be in, and yes, boobs will bounce around when the body is slammed upside down. The same can be found in gymnastics and figure skating, which I guess some people can also see them as ecchi. People will see what they want to see.

And I see a young woman who was willing to take on the challenge of becoming a pro wrestler, going through the hardships and challenges, and find herself alone the way.

This by no means is a sports master piece as Slam Dunk, nor does it fully avoid "fan service" shots, and the amount of difficulty encountered in the beginning can be disheartening for viewers to continue (ITAI!). But overall the story is a fun ride. It will transport you to the ring side and make you feel the pain and joy of the characters. It's worth a try.