Sword Art Online: A Captivating Trap

Irrasshai mina-san (welcome everyone) to the worlds of Sword Art Online. Whether experiencing the action in the “real” world, the hundred-floor floating castle called Aincrad, or any of the sequel worlds, you too will be trapped in this thought-proving, high stakes world of fantasy with real life consequences. Sit back, relax and put on your NerveGear so we can dive into an anime that literally changed the game of isekai.

But wait…I have to do my due diligence and say there are some potential spoilers ahead. So read on at your own risk.

An Anime That Has It All

To say that Sword Art Online is an action fantasy anime series is almost an understatement. Directed by Tomohiko Itou and produced by studio A-1 Pictures, Sword Art Online has a killer storyline, major twists and turns, one of the greatest love stories of all anime time, good versus evil, conspiracy, amazing fight scenes, great graphics, utopia versus dystopia, plenty of drama, super catchy OP of “Crossing Field” by LiSA, and more than one season.

The reach of Sword Art Online extends far beyond the world of light novels, manga and anime. Sword Art Online boasts a very impressive resume with a novel series, a light novel series, manga volumes, three seasons of the anime, 16 video games, one spin-off, three films, and a live-action series in the works. Yeah, wow!

A Captivating Premise

Picture this. The year is 2022. Gamers are invited to explore Sword Art Online, a virtual reality MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game), by using a device called NerveGear. This advanced technology helmet allows players to control an avatar using their brain waves and fully dive in the game without moving their bodies. On November 6th, 10,000 players log in to play Sword Art Online. Among them is the main character, Kazuto Kirigaya, who has an advantage since he took part in the beta test of SAO.

Now in the game as Kirito (Kazuto Kirigaya’s avatar name), he realizes something is seriously different about this version of SAO. The game’s creator appears before all the players to let them know they are trapped in the game. Is this for real? Kirito is able to confirm it is. First, he realizes players who die in the game do not show as being logged out, and they don’t return to the game to continue playing. Second, he and other players realize they are not able to logout. The new rule: the only way out is to finish the game. But there is a catch. If you die in the game, you die in real life.

Isekai Game Changer

Sword Art Online—more affectionately known as SAO—pretty much single handedly spearheaded the way for mass converts to the genre called isekai. Originally an award-winning light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec, Sword Art Online is a trend setting example of isekai. Isekai is a subgenre of fantasy anime where the main character is suddenly transported from his or her world to a new or unfamiliar one. The complexity and hilarity of isekai continues to win over more and more readers and viewers.

Over the past few decades, scores of isekai have flooded the anime market. But prior to this boom, isekai manga was extremely popular mostly among young girls (we’re talking the 1990s). That is until Sword Art Online hit the scene in the early 2010s. Kawahara’s light novel ushered in the modern isekai explosion. Today’s isekai are popular among young boys, since the main character now is more than likely male.

The world of isekai is quite diverse. There’s the isekai of being trapped in another world. There’s the isekai of being born into another or new world. There’s the isekai where the situation is inverted (reverse isekai). And last, but not least, there’s the isekai of being trapped in a video game. And you guessed it. SAO falls into the “help, I’m trapped in a video game” category.

One Of The Best Love Stories

Anime based on love is its own genre and cult following. But what sets Sword Art Online apart from others is how the love develops, the longevity, and the level of uncertainty that tests true love. Kirito and Asuna’s love transcends time and space, literally. And it even transcends reality, since their love first forms in virtual reality. The question as the series progresses is, “Does virtual love translate into love in real life?” Remember, we are not talking Tinder, eharmony, Plenty of Fish, Match or Instagram.

Kirito and Asuna are without a doubt the strongest players in Sword Art Online. Call it the attraction of alpha male and alpha female, divine masculine and divine feminine, or whatever you want. But these two develop a love forged from fighting alongside each other for their lives. And it’s cute and beautiful.

Amidst the chaos, carnage and devastation, Kirito and Asuna manage to craft a life inside virtual reality that mirrors a couple’s concept of utopia in the real world. They make a house into a home, get married and even adopt a “child”. But the best part is how they broach meeting in the real world and seeing if love blossoms outside of virtual reality.

In the virtual world of Sword Art Online, no one knows how old or young; able or incapable; or what one another looks like, sounds like, dresses like in the real world. So a major shock comes when Kirito and Asuna meet in real life. Is Asuna a cougar? Do they need as much saving in the real world as in virtual reality? Are they a modern Romeo and Juliet?

Binge Worthy

Sword Art Online is the perfect anime for anyone who loves to binge-watch a series. With three seasons of anime (technically four since the third season is broken in two), you can watch the plot develop, simmer and thicken for a good while. And don’t forget you have the movies and spin-off to watch too. GONJINSHI recommends watching in the follow order:

1. Sword Art Online
2. Sword Art Online: Extra Edition
3. Sword Art Online II
4. Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online
5. Sword Art Online Movie: Ordinal Scale
6. Sword Art Online: Alicization
7. Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld
8. Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld 2nd Season

Ready to binge-watch? You can stream Sword Art Online on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix, and Hulu.