Hello and welcome to a special week of reviews called Digital Week, where I review seven anime shows based around the theme of Digital Worlds and the first of these reviews is Sword Art Online.

Now the reason I'm doing this is because I feel that the idea of getting sucked into a video game and forced to play by their rules is an interesting concept that can have limitless possibilities in the right hands so I'm hoping I can find that with these anime.
Sword Art Online is a fictional MMORPG that just came out that everyone is excited about playing as it involves virtual reality, however upon arriving into the game, the creator traps everyone inside with the challenge of finishing the game however if you die in the game the Virtual Reality helmet microwaves your brain killing you in real life, so it's up to former BETA tester Kirito to stop the game from killing thousands of innocent people.
This idea is good, it creates a sense of risk while not uncommon in this genre is still an essential part of the story, however it doesn't stay that way.
Part two takes you to another game called Alfheim Online with more of the same minus the risk factor and at the loss of Asuna losing her best defining character traits.
I find that annoying; it clearly set itself up for something special and looking at the light novels makes me hope it can return to form but based on the first season of anime it seemed to finish one anime halfway and start a completely new one in the second half. It's as if the writer was told to add more fanservice on purpose just for shameless ratings, an uncomfortable trend for many shows tackling a second season but this one does it halfway through season one.
I've seen anime go stale.
I've seen anime not use it's potential.
I've seen anime flanderize itself to very stupid levels.
But this is the first anime I've seen ruin itself from a great series into something I would find in a bargain bin.
I'm not through with this anime yet, I'm open for a return to form but I'll need some convincing.
Dub is okay, art style is nice as well.
Final Verdict: It was looking good until it went to Alfheim, then it just loses the risk factor and it's well established characters in favor of cheap fanservice, I do not understand why this anime is so popular knowing how badly they messed up so early on. Again I'm open to a return to form but for now, I'd say take it or leave it.