Hello. I'm a bit a newbie in this series, as I began watching the anime one week ago and have been reading the LN since then.
However after that time I still don't really get some parts.
I tried to read this whole thread before posting my message and I think my questions still haven't been answered.
Spoiler for Timeline continuity:
I don't really get why the author decided to put out chapters as "he felt like it" instead of a linear or contiguous timeline. Are there any specific reasons for this or he had some later thoughs to make the story more interesting?
I find it a mess. Don't get me wrong, the story is great (well, except the parts I feel "unneeded" because they leave Asuna out
), but it's hard to follow. There's a timeline diagram on Wikia's SAO but I still feel like the story should've been wroten in an easier-to-follow way.
Spoiler for Will it ever end? Kirito x Asuna?:
After watching the anime (expecially the 9th episode) I was really interested in the series and I began reading the LN as well. However it really left me with a lot of sadness the more I read about it. Maybe I'm the only one that feels that way, but none of the mangas I read before made me feel that way. After finishing volume 1 and beginning volume 3 I was expecting Asuna and Kirito to be together IRL as well. Big disappointment as that Sugou bastard imprisoned her.
Then at the end of volume 4 I finally though as if it was over and Kirito&Asuna could be together IRL, and only to be disappointed to see Kirito being the object of attraction of all girls except her (Lizbeth, Silica, his sister, ...). It seemed at that point that the series was turning quite harem-like (except for the naked characters, which are missing), with one male surrounded by many girls. This became apparent in the later chapters.
Though they get to a bar together, it doesn't seem like Asuna has become his girlfriend (despite what Wikia's Kirito's - as well as other sources on the internet - say).
I mean ... maybe I wasn't expecting Asuna to get married to Kirito IRL (which would've been nice though IMHO
), however they don't even kiss, she seems a bit cold to him (cannot remember exactly, but she seemed a bit cold to him when they were together at the bar). Other than turning down her mother's attempt to arrange (yet another, besides Sugou's failed attempt) marriage, it doesn't seem to me like she and Kirito (Kirigaya Kazuto) are actually a couple.
Did I miss something or is it a later event? I only read Wikia's summary of later chapters up to volume 10 (some of which were rather poor or even incomplete). Do you have any references on the subject?
I hope you can help me in answering these questions. Maybe I missed some important points while reading the LN, in which case I'm sorry. I find it a bit "heavy" to read because 80% of it is the description of the scenary & people, which you "see" directly in the anime. Reading the whole volume 3 for instance took me around half a day (AVG 90 minutes for each chapter). Although I may not be a quick reader, I find it a bit heavy compared at least with the anime.
I even tried to read the manga but didn't really like its style. Both anime and LN are better IMHO, although that may be a personal taste.