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Sword Art Online

Sword Art Online

ソードアート・オンライン
7.22
MAL Score
Source: MyAnimeList
Action Adventure Fantasy Romance

📚 Series Information

Type
TV
Episodes
25
Status
Finished Airing
Aired
2012-07-08 to 2012-12-23
Studio
A-1 Pictures
Source
Light novel
Duration
23 min per ep
Rating
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Popularity Rank
#6
Members
3,233,364
Producers
Aniplex, Genco, DAX Production, ASCII Media Works, Bandai Namco Games
Themes
Video Game
Scored By
2,223,718 users
Favorites
70,237

🎬 Trailer

💬 Comments (4)

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Comments are reviewed before publishing.
NerveGearTester
SAO's first arc works because it takes the isekai premise seriously—if you die in the game, you die in real life. Every boss fight has real stakes, every friendship is forged under genuine threat. The later arcs lose this tension, which is why Aincrad remains the most compelling part.
FloorClearer
The Progressive novels fix everything wrong with the original by actually showing the floor clearing. Kirito and Asuna's relationship develops naturally across 25 floors of cooperation. If the anime had adapted Progressive instead, SAO would be remembered as a classic instead of a controversy.
DualBlades
Asuna in the Aincrad arc is one of the best female leads in shounen anime—she's the vice-captain of the strongest guild, she saves Kirito multiple times, and she's a better strategist. The fact that later arcs reduce her to a damsel is the most frustrating character regression in anime.
BeaterPride
Kirito being labeled a 'beater' (beta tester + cheater) is the most realistic depiction of gaming culture in anime. In every MMO, experienced players are resented by newcomers. The prejudice isn't about skill—it's about the insecurity of people who feel left behind.