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Let me preface this by saying that I went into Sword Art Online entirely ignorant of its source material. Although I was aware that it was adapted from a light novel series (what show isn't nowadays?) I had not read a single word of it. The only thing that mattered at all to me was that it was the spiritual predecessor in some ways to Accel World. This was relevant because I was unable to sit through more than four episodes of that show before I spared myself further pain by dropping it.
That being said, it is not my intention to come across as purposefully "hating" on this show so I will hope that no one will be so rude as to lob that word at me. My opinion is my own, I will respect yours as you respect mine.
Animation: 5/10. Bland. Shiny but bland. Budget cutting techniques were evident from the very first episode to the very last. One thing that I thought was particularly distracting was that whenever the setting called for background characters (people milling about the towns, crowds cheering, et cetera) there was never any movement. People were frozen in place in mid-step or mid-clap in a way that the studio didn't even attempt to disguise. Furthermore, the so-called "action" sequences were equally problematic. For a show that is supposed to be carried by its genres—action and fantasy adventure—the action was utterly boring. Lots of movement lines and posing but that's about it. I have never claimed to enjoy nitty-gritty battle scenes, but I would have preferred that the action be a bit more . . . well, exciting. As for the background scenery, sure, that was well done but that is only to be expected these days. Even the smallest studio can afford to hire someone to do that.
Voice Acting: 7/10. Generic. I felt nothing for any of the characters in any of the scenes. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, it was just there. No one shone in their role.
Script: 1/10. I could write a term paper on how much I loathed the so-called "plot" of this show, but I'll save everyone the pain of reading that and just say that it was not well done. I'm sure that those in charge of adapting this drek did the best they could with what they had to work with, but what they had to work is nothing more than a sexually frustrated middle-schooler's poorly written fanfiction.
Music: 3/10. The music was pleasant, but not at all what I would except from Yuki Kaijura. She was the name that drew me to this series in the first place so my expectations were quite high in this department. I don't think words can express my disapointment with this particular OST. For me to say that not a single piece from this show is memorable is worse than saying I dislike it.
Emotional Involvement: 1/10. I liked the blue dragon thing Obligatory Loli Character #1 had as a pet circa episode three until it died. The fact that I was sad to see it die ultimately didn't matter because trope #2358783470 provided the means for it to be brought back to life.
Enjoyment: 0. It's a shame that I cannot assign a negative score to this category. It is rare that I stumble across a show that is legitimately painful to watch. Headaches from rolling one's eyes too many times can be quite uncomfortable. Normally I can still find one or two positive aspects even if I don't like the show entirely. For this show . . . no, I honestly derived no enjoyment from watching it. I would never recommend it to anyone for any reason. I gave it until episode 18 thinking that perhaps the pay-off in the end would make the endurance of earlier episodes worth it, but I simply couldn't continue once the pandering truly kicked into high gear.
Total: 2.8/10
Having said all of that I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I will not pretend to understand why some people enjoy this show because I cannot. I do not think that this show will stand the test of time. As soon as the next "it" thing pops up it will be tossed to the side (and rightly so).
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