Is Sword Art Online Worth Watching? Here Is Our Review!
Sword Art Online is a light novel written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. Since April 2009, 26 volumes have been published. It was adapted into several manga and a 25-episode animated television series. As far as popularity goes, Sword Art Online is one of the most popular isekai series of the modern era, and its legacy is truly amazing, which is why we have decided to talk about the series in this article. Namely, because of its immense popularity and influence, we have decided to tell you whether Sword Art Online is worth watching or not.
In terms of isekai anime, Sword Art Online is definitely one of the most popular titles in history. It is beautifully animated, and even though the plot sometimes becomes a bit too complicated, it is still very exciting and full of thrills. On top of that, it has some amazing and very popular characters, so if you’re a fan of isekai, Sword Art Online will definitely be right up your alley.
In the rest of this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about Sword Art Online and whether it’s worth your time. You’re going to find out the basic production information so that you know the idea behind the series, as well as how the plot of the series fits into the overall narrative, all of which will add up to whether you should watch the series or not. We’re going to help you resolve this issue swiftly.
Should you watch Sword Art Online?
Sword Art Online is an isekai series that started off as a series of light novels before receiving a globally popular anime adaptation. The term isekai is of Japanese origin and can be translated as “another world” or “otherworld.” It also signifies a genre of light novels, manga, anime, and video games that revolve around a person who is transported to and has to survive in another world, such as a fantasy world, virtual world, planet, or parallel universe. Although it is a fact that a lot of isekai titles are just fanservice, it is also a fact that people like the idea of being able to go into a different world, while retaining a connection to their own world, and that is what makes these titles so popular.
You can now understand why Sword Art Online is so popular; we will elaborate on that a bit in the upcoming paragraphs. Namely, Sword Art Online is a franchise that has been around for years and is a story with a lot of potential. Sure, we’ve already seen some of the narrative arcs end, but knowing how the fantasy isekai world of Sword Art Online functions, we also know that the series could potentially go on forever. This won’t happen, but you can always add a new layer to the story and create a new “level” for the characters. This effectively contributed to the series’ popularity, as it has allowed the authors to produce more material and fans to enjoy more material.
And the quality is not dropping. Namely, with each new “world,” Sword Art Online adds yet another layer of mystery, intrigue, and adventure to the characters. While some major mysteries have already been solved, there are still those that fans need to see solved, but we don’t doubt that the authors will come up with more as the plot progresses. And this is a good formula in the case of Sword Art Online, as the ever-evolving storyline actually makes complete sense, and we can only state that the series, in terms of its plot, is quite amazing. Sure, not every iteration is as good as the best ones, but the overall level of narrative quality is very high, and we can easily enjoy it over and over.
On top of that, the story of Sword Art Online has provided us with a series of intriguing characters, and we’re not just referring to the protagonists of the series but also the numerous great supporting characters, be they heroes or villains. Sword Art Online takes pride in its diversity. Although the rules of the principal fantasy setting must be respected, the authors have been able to produce new characters. They evolve old ones so that you absolutely love each addition to the story, regardless of whether it is something completely new or an upgrade to a well-known character’s storyline. This is another reason why fans worldwide love Sword Art Online and keep returning to the series.
The tone is somewhat lighter than most modern shonen titles (i.e., Jujutsu Kaisen or Demon Slayer), but that fits the bill when Sword Art Online is concerned. Not everyone likes isekai titles, and while Sword Art Online is generally lighter in tone, numerous dark and grim moments will satisfy even those who want a more mature story than what you’d usually encounter in lighter titles. On top of that, we have to state that the animation is truly excellent and that the producers were able to utilize modern animation techniques in the best way possible, especially in terms of the series’ production design and the battle scenes (sure, it’s not Jujutsu Kaisen, but it is still, undoubtedly, great).
As for the music, Sword Art Online does have some memorable compositions as part of its OST, but there are also numerous OPs and EDs that you can enjoy, as they are truly great songs.
Long story short, Sword Art Online is definitely worth watching. Even if you’re not a die-hard isekai fan, Sword Art Online is a title that will provide you with a lot of entertainment and a story that you can enjoy. Sure, there are some standard isekai tropes that people might not like. Still, when it comes to them, Sword Art Online has a very small amount of such elements (compared to, e.g., Overlord or KonoSuba, and these are also some better titles if you know what isekai can contain). They will definitely not bother you while you’re watching.
The story of Sword Art Online is highly entertaining, and the ever-evolving world of Sword Art Online is something that fans of long(er) stories will definitely like and be attracted to. This is a great aspect of Sword Art Online as it enables fans who like to see a story to stick around and follow the characters in their adventures for a long(er) period of time. And the characters are also definitely worth it. Be it the globally popular protagonists or some lesser-known supporting characters, everyone in Sword Art Online has a story to tell, and that story has some impact on the evolution of the plot, which is great in terms of development, but also a sign that the authors know what they are doing.
Seeing an author who is so dedicated to his work is absolutely amazing, and Sword Art Online is truly an example of dedication, both in terms of the story and the characters. And that is why people love and why we at Fiction Horizon also recommend it to everyone.
