"Sword Art Online" (Anime) Final Thoughts

The last episode (for now and maybe forever) of Sword Art Online aired a couple weeks ago and after two anime seasons, I am very glad that it is ending/taking a break. The light novel that the anime was biased off of was praised for its witty and well written dialogue that helped make the online world of SAO and ALO come alive through the text. I feel it’s safe to say that the light novel deserves to be called “epic” but as for the anime…”ok” is a better way of describing it. 

So the anime is by no means a failure. Most of the characters in both the anime and light novel were a blast to learn and watch mature over the course of the story. I honestly did not like Asuna in the beginning but by the end of the first season, I was rooting for a happy ending for both her and Kirito. Many anime viewers across the internet praised how the anime immersed the viewer into the story. I do agree with this point but there is a lot more aspects that get glossed over. First off is the plot and the pacing of the show. Unlike in the first volume of the light novel, the anime decides to include the side stories of volume two for episodes 2-7 which was not a huge issue except that it completely disrupt the pacing. They included these filler episodes so that you were introduced to all the characters in the SAO universe even if some of them were uhhh useless and unneeded. So filler episodes aside, the rest of the first season did skip over some minor details but overall I did not feel as if it was rushed. The second season however was plagued with pacing and continuity issues. From the first episode of the second season, important information was left out and entire segments were either skipped or almost left out completely. The pacing was so erratic that I honestly cannot recommend watching the second season at all. The plot seemed so rushed in order to get everything in for twelve episodes that it just comes off as a decent adventure between Kirito and his sister. 

So while the plot and pacing sort of fails hard, the animation and sound is BEAUTIFUL. The world of SAO and ALO will take your breath away with their beautiful scenery. All the backdrops in these virtual worlds retain a certain level of quality throughout the entire +20 episodes. The same applies to the character models; they are all very well done. The sound also deserves some praise for being freaking awesome. The soundtrack fits the anime very well in both heavy dialogue and actions scenes. It has elements of orchestras and synths that blend well together. The voice actors did a spot on job with mending their own take of the characters with what was provided in the light novels as well. 

So while the animation, sound, and characters are spot on, the inability for this anime to outshine its source material will taint the viewing experience. I know that a lot of people would rather watch a movie than read the book but I STRONGLY recommend that you give the light novel a shot before even thinking about watching the anime. The light novel does an excellent job immersing and investing you into both the characters and story while the anime is a glorified cop out that will most likely only cater to action fans. The level of deepness the light novel had is unfortunately completely taken away in the anime. It’s good but far from amazing.

"Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne" (Light Novel) vs Anime Discussion

After recently picking up the light novel version of Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne and reading up to volume three, I am blown away at how much the anime could have been…if it just followed the light novel’s direct pacing. It is amazing how different the anime feels in tone and execution compared to the light novel which in my honest opinion is the choice form of enjoying this brother/sister love fest. So let’s get down to the facts that separate the mediocre anime from the amazing light novel.

So first thing I noticed when reading the light novel was that the conversations really bring out the best in the characters. The first volume sets up how Akito comes to living with his sister AND how he becomes so close to the whole student counsel AND how everyone ends up living under one roof. The anime kind of just throws you into the story where they are already living together and Akito is already a part of the student counsel. I always thought that the first episode of Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne felt strange as if they were not explaining how some things came to be. Also the conversations in the light novel are extremely witty and well written. Each conversation is important to the plot and helps shed some light on why someone acts the way they do in public. There are scenes where a back and forth conversations between two characters can last for an entire chapter. You might find this tedious to read but I found that the light novel blew the anime out of the water in terms of how interested I was with the characters. The anime also takes all the seriousness out of the light novel. I was quite surprised to find out that the light novel was not a romantic comedy but more of a serious slice of life that explores two siblings pasts. 

So continuing on what I touched on at the end of the pervious paragraph, the tone of the anime is the second problem when being compared to the light novel. This might not be a problem if you just want another generic high school comedy harem but after reading the light novel’s first three volumes, there is no turning back to the anime. The light novel goes much deeper into how the student counsel goes about helping Akito cure Akiko’s “problem”. The way the anime introduces the main focus of curing Akiko is “Hey it’s wrong to want your brother’s d!#@ so stop that!! Oh we also all love you Akito!!!” So like I said if you want mindless harem, go with the anime. If you want a more serious drama, go light novel.

The anime tries very hard to be funny but the only show that can rip off other anime and be funny about it is Gintama

Now the biggest beef I have with the anime is the omission of some very important information. The light novel goes MUCH more in-depth to the back stories of the characters as well as what happened to Akito and Akiko’s parents. The novel even brings up why Akito acts the way he does around his sister. The flashback conversation he has with his parents when he was little is EXTREAMLY IMPORTANT TO THE WHOLE PLOT. It completely shows why he acts so caring around Akiko AND brings up some VERY IMPORTANT information that is never brought up in the anime. This information (that Akiko and Akito are actually not blood relatives and that it is Akito who is not really a part of the bloodline) is uhhh PRETTY F#@$ING IMPORTANT. How it didn’t make its way into the anime is beyond my comprehension. 

Ugh I am complaining a lot and I apologize. While I find the light novel the superior version of the story, the anime is not…all that bad. It is definitely more laid back and focuses more on the comedy aspects of the story but it still provides some of the key moments in the light novel. As a standalone anime it is decent but when compared to the light novel it will never quite match up. I have not been so engrossed in a story since my first read of the Sword Art Online light novel. I have a deeper appreciation of all the characters especially Akito after reading some of the Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne light novel. There is much more going on than the anime is telling you.

Dat face when you stay up late reading something awesome

Currently Watching Anime (December 2012)

This past month has been absolutely hectic with finals finishing up. Not only did they mess up my anime posts but also my life in general. I have had barely any time to work on music, play TOR, or even hang out friends -___-. But hey with 5 weeks off from classes coming up I cannot complain. Here is what I am watching at the moment:

Initial D Fifth Stage 2 out of ?
Little Busters! 10 out of ?
To Love-Ru: Darkness 9 out of ?
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun 11 out of ?
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo 12 out of ?
Sword Art Online 24 out of ? Finished!!!
Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne 12 out of ? Finished!!!
Kamisama Hajimemashita 6 out of ? Stalled
K 1 out of ? Stalled
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san 1 out of ? Stalled

Sword Art Online is starting to get a little...ehhh along with Little Busters. I have still yet to know what the main focus of Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne is and where the hell did Initial D Fifth Stage go!!?? Oh by the way Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun and Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo are amazing so go watch them now.

"Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo" Thoughts So Far (Episodes 1-8)

Before this current anime season kicked off, my first glances at the synopsis’s of the shows were actually kind of negative. The only shows that struck me as something to watch out for was Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun and the continuation of Sword Art Online. Everything else looked like it would be generic, stale, and boring. Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo in particular was a show that early on I decided to not watch due to my initial thoughts. However after some time passed, I began reading all over the internet how the quirky and likeable cast along with the beautiful visuals was turning Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo into one of the must watch shows. Seeing how I was already caught up on my other anime, I decided to add Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo to my regular watching schedule.

The first episodes are no different than any other slice of life type show; we spend most of the time introducing all the major characters that we will see interact with each other for the coming episodes. The main focus of the show is put on Sorata and his every day teenage struggles. Kanda is portrayed as a typical high school boy who has no idea what his ambitions might be. To make this worse, the dormitory he lives in is full of other teenagers that are all very well known in their field of choice. We have the computer genius Ryuunosuke (not the murder crazy guy from Fate/Zero), anime creator Misaki, writer Jin, and world renowned artist Mashiro. All of these characters have unusually remarkable talents and have already secured their place in society well after they graduate high school. This is one thing that I like about the show, it is very easy to connect and be brought down to Sorata’s level of understanding. He was just like I was in high school, absolutely clueless on what I wanted to take up as a trade. To make things worse all of his roommates are a little off (you know, weird). Misaki and Mashiro are a little too comfortable with themselves (or maybe just oblivious to modern society’s rules) so they walk about almost stark naked and Jin spends his nights with multiple mistresses. This is where the show puts it main focus on for the first six or so episodes; trying to get Sorata out of this building. The only reason he remains living in the building is because of the cats that he has picked up around town. The dormitory on campus does not allow pets so over the course of the first couple episodes he tries to find homes for his pets. Nanami, a work-a-holic who has a crush on Sorata, eventually helps Sorata start looking for homes for the cats because she feels that ever second he spends living around the rest of the cast is more time for him to become just as weird as them. Everything was going as planned until Sorata became exposed to Mashiro. Mashiro like I stated before is a child prodigy when it comes to art. While she is extremely skilled in drawing, she lacks all the common sense that a high school girl should have. Sorata finds himself preparing her laundry, meals, and pretty much everything else you can think of. This is the real focus of the show; the growing bond between Sorata and Mashiro. Sorata at first resents Mashiro due to the fact that she can pretty much do anything she puts her mind towards with little to no effort. Over the course of a couple episodes however, he finds that this resentment is actually admiration in disguise. He begins to become more and more interested in Mashiro to a point where he actually does not mind living with a bunch of weirdoes. He also in the process picks up computer game designing as a possible profession thanks to some help from Ryuunosuke.

That lengthy summary basically catches you up to speed on what is going on. After these past eight episodes, I feel very connected and attracted to the show. I actually want to see how things develop between Sorata and Mashiro but at the same time I also want to see something flourish between Sorata and Nanami. Also it’s not only the character development that has me hooked but the visuals the show sports. Everything is very bright, colorful, and defined. You might find this a little weird but I love the way the eyes are drawn in this show. They are very inviting and match very well with the character’s facial expressions. When they become surprised, you see the eyes contract in unison with the facial expressions. All of the characters are stunning in their own ways and this is quantified by the voice actors’ performances.

Each character’s voice actor seems to match their respective character very well. They are able to express their character's emotions very well as shown in many scenes such as when Misaki has a mini breakdown when seeing Jin and Mashiro having their date.

This show doesn’t feel fake or generic at all and in fact feels strangely mature for a slice of life high school anime. Sorata deals with real problems that kids his age have to face. Figuring out what you want to do in life is extremely hard for most of us. I was hooked on this show after episode four and wish in a weird way I didn’t pick it up until it finished airing. Every week I strain myself waiting for the next episode to come out. If you are looking for a relaxed yet somewhat deep slice of life show to watch, I strongly recommend Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo to you. It definitely caught me off guard and blew away my expectations. 

Winter Season Update

I'm not really sure if I have any returning "fans" or readers but the past couple weeks have been extremely busy with school, music, and job searching getting in the way so my posts have suffered. I have been keeping up with my watching schedule but I have been quite lazy in jotting down my ideas. Look for some posts on Sword Art Online, To Love-Ru: Darkness, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo, Little Busters, and possibly a review of Otome Youkai Zakuro this weekend.

P.S.: Finals suck -___-

"Sword Art Online" (Anime) Episodes 18-20 Thoughts

Since my last post of Sword Art Online, Lyfa and Kirito have made their way closer to the world tree and even saved an entire race from total destruction. Compared to what I remember reading in the light novel version, I honestly have to say it has been very accurate. Since we last left off, Lyfa and Kirito ventured into the mountain range that was placed in their way. Inside the mountain is a safe town for travelers as well as their log off destination. On the way however they find out they are being tracked. When the enemies catch up, there is an all-out brawl between the two groups and of course Kiritio’s group comes out victorious. After befriending one of the enemies, they find out that the Salamanders plan on attacking two of the other factions at a treaty convention in order to gain more power. After hearing about this, the two protagonists race off in order to cut off the forces. A spectacular fight erupts between Kirito and the caption of the attacking force and of course Kirito comes out the winner. 

So essentially we are getting to the real meat of this story arc. In the light novel series, Kirito and Lyfa make it to the World Tree fairly quickly after this event so I do not know if A-1 Pictures plans on adding some filler episodes (please god do not). Also I won’t spoil anything but a major event does happen between Lyfa and Kirito that may or may not change some things. The animation has remained stunning; the fight scenes in these past few episodes have been fantastic. The quality of the lighting, the very fluid frame rate, and very beautiful backgrounds really bring out the best of this new MMO world. When I was reading this arc in the light novel series, I picture a similar setting for this town inside the mountain with the surrounding lake. The music fits well but it hasn’t been spectacular by any means. Props to the voice actors though because every new character introduced has done a pretty good job expressing their character very well. Things are about to speed up in the episodes to come so I will be looking forward to the events to come. I may even go back and start re-reading the light novel series just so I can picture the events from two different sources.

Anime Currently Watching (November 2012)

Wow it's already November; this past semester has blown by so quickly. Here is a list of the anime that I am currently watching:

Initial D Fifth Stage 2 out of ?
Little Busters! 7 out of ?
To Love-Ru: Darkness 6 out of ?
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun 7 out of ?
Sword Art Online 20 out of ?
Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne 7 out of ?
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo 6 out of ?
Princess Lover 12 out of 12 Finished!!
Kamisama Hajimemashita 6 out of ? Stalled
K 1 out of ? Stalled
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san 1 out of ? Stalled

I really wanted to start watching K and Haiyore! Nyaruko san but for various reasons I have decided to put them off for now. Sword Art Online and Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun are my favorites by far while Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo and Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne may be turning into the underdogs for this anime season. Have some different posts lined up so check back every now and then for some updates.