Sword Art Online - Episode 1 Discussion / Poll

[leokiko]

That was awesome, no short of what I was expecting.

[LKK]

Wow. Things got serious very quickly. I know next to nothing about SAO other than the promo art looked intriguing. So I was unprepared for the serious nature of the situation especially the death count after the first month.

I hope that Kirito and Klein meet up again. I assume they will since he appeared in the ED. I liked their friendship.

The SAO virtual scenery was gorgeous. I would love to visit that world assuming I could get out without dying.

Looking forward to meeting the lead female and to seeing next week's episode. Good start for the series.

[Utsuro no Hako]

I'd totally forgotten that little ho-yay moment between Kirito and Kline.

Kirito Harem: +1

[Ray]

The first episode was simply superb; it was everything I expected, and more.

I truly have no complaints. Everything was of the highest quality; the OST was phenomenal, the animation was amazing, the landscapes are as stunning as I had imagined them to be while reading the light novels, and of course, Kirito is as awesome as I had made him out to be in my head.

Also, that OP was glorious. I'm surprised there weren't many spoilers in it, having spoilers in anime openings is usually the norm. I'd make some avatar freebies, but I'm afraid the credits will get in the way. Ah well. I'll have to wait for episode 2 to do that.

Originally Posted by RainbowMagnet

The opening was full of delicious KiritoxAsuna goodness <3

Yes! I was pleasantly surprised to see that, actually.

Originally Posted by Wilfriback

But I seriously I laughed hard when the little girl character turned out to be a guy while still using his previous looks as female character .

So I wasn't the only one. Yeah. Awkward. The other guy seemed more cornered that his partner lied when he said he was 17. ;p

And Kirito... from manly looking avatar to girly-looking face .____.

We were never shown his avatar in the L/N, so I actually prefer his girly-looking face; his pre-made face is a little derpy. I do like the hair, though.

I'm glad the first episode didn't let me down, and I hope the rest will be as good as this was.

[Wild Goose]

Originally Posted by LoweGear

Spoiler for Enjoy it while it lasts:

I can totally relate though. Well, asides from not having group pics and all XD

Spoiler for Your new wallpaper:

Bet this'll look better in the Blu-Ray

KITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reminds me of how I felt once I got my hands on Mass Effect 3. First legit game I'd bought in my entire life. And the first game I'd ever played where farming for gold could actually be kinda fun

Death tolls follow similar pattern to most MMO and co-op PvE in that the initial engagements result in tremendous casualties, but as time goes by things stabilise.

Also, Kayaba's voice really sounds as though Togusa is channeling the Puppeteer. Or a more evil Laughing Man.

Kline is an interesting character to me, in that he's a legitimate badass in his own right, while at the same time being a nice guy, with balls of steel. It's just that unfortunately, he's a bruiser with a soft center, so people tend to underestimate him, and his friends are Kirito and Asuna.

It's like you're a quintuple ace - 25 kills - and you're a skilled pilot, but your best friend is Mobius One, so everyone forgets you. Or you're a good cop and a gifted sniper, but your name is Vakarian and you're friends with an unstoppable badass named Shepherd. ;P

[Funkatron]

Yeah, wasn't expecting that. That ending post the "intro" was creepy: 2000 died? Really? Wow, this really sucks you in. In a lot of shows about playing virtual games, there sort of an air of "why should you even care? It's not real and you can log-out whenever." This show made you care because people are freaking dying. Makes me wonder if law enforcement can even touch this guy since he literally has thousands, if not millions hostage in SAO.

This so reminds me of the novel "Daemon" by Daniel Suarez. Slightly different but both about video game creators who do things with their games and technology to run rampant on the world.

[Horse]

Is this the decade of unlikable characters in animu?

[Funkatron]

Originally Posted by Horse

Is this the decade of unlikable characters in animu?

Okay, instead of being a troll, how about explaining what character you don't like and why? Add to the discussion

[lansglenn]

No noticeable deviation from the light novel. Phew =)

Going to rewatch episode when there's a higher resolution available.

It did appear that my enjoyment of the show suffered a little because of having read the light novels and thus I'm not held by suspense >.<

[Horse]

Originally Posted by Funkatron

Okay, instead of being a troll, how about explaining what character you don't like and why? Add to the discussion

Kirito didn't make me care about his situation one bit and I don't care if/how he survives. Do I need more? It could change in future episodes but I might not be there - I'm giving it only 3 episodes ATM.

[Kirito]

Just finished the first episode and...Oh my god!!! It was beyond spectacular. This was, my mind is going a mile a minute right now! It was everything I was hoping to be. The seiyuu's for Kirito and Klein were spot on, and I really liked how they kept Kirito's feminine facial appearance to an extent.

Asuna only got a cameo shot...ahh, that bites, but at least I hope she'll be in episode 2 in all her Knights of the Bloods attire, and rapier glory. Can't wait to see Duel Skills, and how it'll be animated and implemented like how the novels described it. I just want to see more slash, cut, chop you into confetti Sword Skill, but that will take a while unfortunately. Oh well, good things come to those who wait.

Sword Art Online, you definitely have my weekly attention so questions asked, like the novels the anime is, no, it will be awesome!

[Shinji103]

GAME ON

Awesome first episode, it really did a good job on conveying the doom and gloom of the situation. Fortunately the series shouldn't be all doom and gloom. The first episode shows a degree of comedy to show that there will be more to come.

Having read volume 1 of the novel, I've basically "seen" all of this already, so I don't really have anything to say other than that. But naturally, seeing it animated is always better and enhances the emotions of the novel version.

And the delicious KiritoxAsuna in the sweet OP will have to be enough until Asuna's introduction next week and the consequent KiritoxAsuna interaction. (hopefully, at least; she should be coming next week)

Speaking of next episode, no previews? Dang. >.>

Originally Posted by Kirito

Asuna only got a cameo shot...

And somehow I missed this......could you be a friend and tell me where in the episode this is?

[sikvod00]

"A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic."

While there is an added element of desperation and darkness to having people die as a consequence of escaping or losing in the virtual world, all of it is abstract and vague at this point (news reports, death counts, etc). It won't really hit home on an emotional level until we personally see someone get killed. Haven't read the LN, but there's no reason to doubt that it won't happen. I'm already convinced that no amount of convoluted explanation--if one even exists--can make what the game developer did look like anything but senseless murder. If I was trapped in the game, my number one motivation besides surviving would be to find that guy and beat the living shit out of him.

[Kaihan]

Talk about GM grim announcement. "You will die if your hp reach to 0, end of tutorial".

Originally Posted by LoweGear

Spoiler for Your new wallpaper:

I was thinking the exact same thing but using the scene showing the two guys with the landscape.

What suprise me the most was this scene in the ED(or OP?) song

Spoiler for A scene that I don't expect to see in a MMO:

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Shinji103

And somehow I missed this......could you be a friend and tell me where in the episode this is?

18:14. It's very easy to miss. ;p

Originally Posted by Kaihan

What suprise me the most was this scene in the ED(or OP?) song

Spoiler for A scene that I don't expect to see in a MMO:

I believe that was the OP song and animation.

[Shinji103]

Originally Posted by Aphrah

18:14. It's very easy to miss. ;p

You're right. That is easy to miss. Along with the two cameos after hers.

I smell trolling by the staff already.

Now, if the OP has that much KiritoxAsuna glory, I can't wait to see the ED next week.

[Kaihan]

Originally Posted by Aphrah

18:14. It's very easy to miss. ;p

Was hoping to see her in the episode and turns out I missed her, good hiding.

[OPN]

As a fan of the novels i was not disappointed. The anime was quite accurate to the LN's. The music,animation and casting were all about what i expected from PV's and i'm looking foreward to when the anime goes into the darker aspects of it. Favorite anime of the season by far so far. 10/10 oh and the OP was awesome .

[leokiko]

As stated, good opening episode, it got me hyped for next week. I just hope they don't start throwing a bunch of plot-device rules on us every single episode, like Accel World.

Originally Posted by Horse

Kirito didn't make me care about his situation one bit and I don't care if/how he survives. Do I need more? It could change in future episodes but I might not be there - I'm giving it only 3 episodes ATM.

This is only the first episode dude. Wtf.

[Zakoo]

Seeing the OP again made me very happy. hehehe, I was waiting for it so badly.