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Ooo! I've heard a lot about Doki Doki Literature Club, but I never really had the drive to play it. I've seen the memes around it and kind of spoiled myself on the genre it ACTUALLY is, but that's about it. Can't say I've ever seen Rent A Girlfriend either. Is it any good?

My love for anime dates back to my childhood with the likes of Pokémon and Hamtaro, but I think the one that REALLY got me invested was Naruto. I really loved the hard-magic system it had(Chakra) and it was a pretty good starter anime given all the action and more mature themes. I kind of fell away from it since the filler episodes were getting to be too much(I think I reached the hundreds of pre-Shippuden before dropping it), and I lost interest when I started watching more anime that delved into deeper themes, like the shows Gen Urobuchi worked on. I think I actually put off watching anime for a couple of years since my interest was waning like how it was for my brothers(we all used to watch Naruto together). Come 2012 with Toonami, and I got back into anime HARD from SAO. It inspired me to actively watch/critically think about the series I've been watching(since I previously just enjoyed shows at a base level), and, 11 years later, my hobby of watching anime and electronic journaling is still going strong.

I know I'm a bit late to greet you since it's been a few months since I sent the friend request, but nice to meet you! What anime got you addicted to the medium?

It sounds like your estimation/ranking of SAO is about similar to mine. I definitely wouldn't say it was in the very top tier of anime series, but neither is it deserving of the disrespect, disapproval, and mockery that some subject it to. Perhaps there are some who are simply jumping on the bandwagon (of hating) or are affected/influenced by peer pressure. It almost seems silly, but there will be people out there who change or modify their behavior or opinions to please others or to fit in with the popular group or prevalent mentality.

If you count SAO as an isekai, which I think it would be fair to, then I'd say that Overlord and Log Horizon were better in their writing, but SAO is better overall than things like Tanya the Evil and Shield Hero - and I also personally prefer it to Reincarnated as a Slime. Also, late SAO (from the Ordinal Scale movie onwards) has really top tier production values. Like I remember War or Underworld didn't seem far off Ufotable levels visually, and I remember a few others in the forums saying the same. That will be something for you to look forward to in the future, when you progress to that later instalment!

I was talking to another user who likes SAO on here (yeah, there are a few others knocking about) and they were keen to emphasize the importance of the romantic element, and I think it was a fundamental part their enjoyment of the franchise, as it was for me. I think the romantic aspect is the 2nd primary/major theme going on after the virtual reality online gaming world. Actually, looking through the top 10 most popular anime on MAL, SAO is the only one to dive fully and unashamedly into the cute romantic stuff, and in a conventional/semi-conventional way, unlike the strange relationship between Mikasa and Eren, which is more about protection and loyalty, and survival, as opposed to just doing regular couple things and romantic bonding like Kirito and Asuna. The series that comes closest (out of the top 10 anime) to that conventional romantic stuff is Naruto, but for a large part of it, it's one-sided unrequited love between Hinata and Naruto, and Sakura and Sasuke, and those two situations are only fully expressed and resolved at the end of Shippuden and after Shippuden (the sequel to the original Naruto). So basically, SAO is the only series in the MAL top 10 (popularity) that properly or semi-properly explores the romantic love and 'couples' dimension. FMAB has the Edward and Winry coupling, but that's not touched on for the majority of the story and is more something that's shown as an ending, like at the end of the story when everything is resolved, and they end up happy ever after.

Yeah, Season 2 hit me emotionally hard on the two occasions I've seen it, but I'm guessing the detractors and hard-hearted critics of the series have emotionally removed themselves from it, and are viewing it with cold and cynical dispassion. Which kinda works back to my quote (at the top of my profile) where I basically say, what you get out of anime, is what you put into it, and you can only perceive certain sentiments if you're mentally/emotionally receptive, and/or make an effort with your imagination.

I had a look at your SAO Season 1 review. It's as detailed and comprehensive as all your others and some of your key points definitely resonate with me. Yeah, it's a series that has a bad rep. One of the worst reputations there is in the anime community. I do think that's largely undeserved though, and some series seem to get away with a lot worse things, or at least commit the same faux-pas (like a self-insert overpowered MC with all the females fawning over him) that they criticise SAO for.

I agree with you that there's a great and enjoyable cast of main and supporting characters like Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Suguha, Silica, Lisbeth, Agil, and even Klein lol. And I think the main characters are really well voiced in the English and Japanese dubs. You mention Bryce Papenbrook - well, I'd have to say Kirito is his best lead male role, and has a charm, naturalness, and nice guy appeal that his Eren Yaeger lacks. And Cherami Leigh as Asuna is one of the best leading female anime performances, and the two of them together really help make it accessible, and easy to watch and relate to.

I'd agree that it is a story that combines elements of tragedy, survival, action, and romance, and actually, the cute/sweet romance element between Kirito and Asuna is something that the other top 5 most popular anime noticeably lack. Like AOT, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and One Punch Man. I don't think Light and Misa Misa, or Edward and Winry really compare to the cuteness/sweetness and multiple and prolonged romantic scenes between Kirito and Asuna. And then there's Yui, who's like their child. Ahh!

You're right with what you say about the time skips in Aincrad though, and this is a weakness. The SAO Progressive movies try to cover things more comprehensively, but ideally it would be a long running anime (like Naruto or Bleach) where 2 or 3 episodes were dedicated to each floor which they cleared and ascended - with them ascending all the way up to floor 75 and finally encountering their nemesis Kayaba. Or, the Aincrad arc alone could have been 64 episodes like FMAB or something in that ballpark - like 50 at least. With more episodes to get acquainted with the supporting cast - like the Moonlit Black Cats guild for example, the Sachi scene would have had an even stronger emotional payoff and hit a lot harder. A couple of episodes or even 3 or 4 could have been given to Kirito's quest to retrieve the revival potion. The same with Kirito meeting Silica and helping her get the revive familiars' potion to revive her pet dragon Pina. And because it introduced and dealt with the in game player killing element, a lot more episodes could have been dedicated to it. I honestly don't see why the Aincrad story couldn't have been given the FMAB treatment, with the right scriptwriting/storyboarding and production behind it. It's almost like they 'cheaped out' with the 14 episodes we got in Season 1. The SAO Progressive movies (2 released so far) are giving an expanded take on the Aincrad experience, but a really expansive and immersive anime series experience would have been a delight to treasure.

he MIGHT like star wars

Yeah, Yuuki's smile is one of those protect at all costs anime things. Although, it might not be able to be protected indefinitely. Tbh I really was emotionally moved by the Mothers Rosario arc. I don't think it's given the respect it deserves. It was one of the most emotional moments in all anime for me, and is equal to something like Grave of the Fireflies as a tearjerker, I think.

Yeah, SAO always seems to have a few corny/cheesy moments every season but Season 2 was a lot of fun for me. And I couldn't work out who Death Gun actually was until it was revealed near to the end. I think Sinon is a sassy and courageous character and she's using the GGO virtual game world to help her get over her real life traumatic experience with guns. It's interesting to see how both her and Kirito are connecting as frenemies/allies as they're progressing through the BoB tournament and end up helping each other to get over their PTSD/past issues. If you end up liking the GGO arc, which I think constitutes the first 14 episodes of the season, there's an SAO Alternative: GGO spin-off series that you might like. I think it's great myself. Like a perfect, not too light/not too heavy, entertainment experience.

How ya liking my GGO arc so far?

I think Yams knew that sacrificing a big piece like Hange would have a strong emotional effect and impact on the fans. After Erwin, and then Shadis, there was only really her and Levi left out of the old guard, and her loyal right hand man Moblit had already gone down because of Bertie's 'colossal' transformation. Although on balance it probably was a good idea that he sacrificed some big guns along the way to give the story more weight and drama. It would be foolish if he pulled his punches and only sacrificed side characters. It would seem too light and wimpy. Levi's left all alone now with just the young uns for company, and I don't think he ever particularly liked Eren, even before he went rogue, and then he had that tense standoff altercation with Mikasa in Season 3 part 2 about the decision to save Erwin or Armin. I think he's just sticking around to see the job through to the end now or maybe he'd like to kick Eren's ass again. That 'I only need 2 fingers' line made me laugh.

I was thinking with the Hange business, that the mangaka probably thought it was time to sacrifice one of the big names to make it more edgy and emotionally affecting. You can't help but feel they must have an awareness of things like that in the back of their mind when they're writing. The same with the Sasha and Gabi business. Obviously they wouldn't want to do it too early on in the story, but if they're clever, almost like playing chess, they would know when to sacrifice the right pieces at the right time for the optimum and most convincing dramatic affect on the audience. I would say my fave Hange moment was when they made finally it to the sea at the end of the final episode of the intense and gruelling, Season 3 part 2, and you see her splashing about in the water and examining a seashell. It was the first time you saw her completely happy and carefree.

It was sad to see Hange go, especially as I had her in my top 10 for many years, but I guess someone had to step up and sacrifice themselves for the greater good, and it was a noble decision on her part to give her own life to protect the younger members and an injured Levi. And it was touching when you saw her up in heaven talking with Erwin Smith after going down in a blaze of glory. I enjoyed Annie's conversation with Mikasa as well and I'm kinda curious to know if Gabi and Annie will be involved in any real action again, or if the show's over for them and they'll just be watching from the side-lines from now on. I always found Gabi an interesting character and I'd like to see her get involved in something again. I don't know the manga ending and I'll take care to avoid any spoilers from now until the final part airs in October. There's been some talk that it might be around 1 hour and 20 minutes long based on how many chapters of the story are left. I wonder if the ending will be divisive for the fans?

I think you deserve more appreciation for your reviews but maybe in the future, if or when more users get to know you, you'll find yourself picking up more feedback and thumbs and hearts.

Thanks for the friend request.

As someone who seems very devoted to AOT what did you think of the hour long special?

You write reviews to log your thoughts and opinions for fun! Woah, those are rather lengthy and in-depth reviews by the looks of them. I gave a thumbs up for some of them because I felt you deserve some praise and it's nice to see that you're so passionate and enthusiastic about the anime you like :)