Sword Art Online - An Analytical Diatribe

[@lyristhe-pseudointellectua2861]

Typical. When Kirito wears a black trench coat its cool and mysterious and he wins a loli but when I wear a black trench coat its shady and suspicious and I get told to stop hanging around the local playground.

[@Liloi9667]

True xD

[@antasmax5480]

Lyris The- Pseudo Intellectual lmfao 😂😂

[@ctpp64]

@Cian McCabe woooosh

[@ctpp64]

@Cian McCabe lol it's fine, don't worry too much about it

[@jackyniu5194]

Lyris The- Pseudo Intellectual I always wear black clothing because when they get dirty it’s VERY hard to notice and let me tell you guys a secret I’ve been wearing the same jacket for 6 month already

[@somb3536]

Holy shit 1hour and no mid roll ads give this man some honor

[@Clarity_Control]

Both quantity and quality.

[@drainedeyes4268]

The video has 18,000 likes whatcha talkin bout Willis

[@drainedeyes4268]

He didnt monetize main channel videos because his patrons (up until a few months ago) paid him per main channel video, and now donate once per month for all his content, so he just doesn't do ads whatsoever. He's truly a force of positive KZbin morality to not be fucked with. I love me some Digivoo.

[@dreamrealitysyndrome]

I block ads

[@sonicsupa99]

Dam bro your KZbin profile picture is my Facebook one LOL

[@dr4gonia]

The best thing about Sword Art online is that it allowed the creation of Sword Art Online Abridged.

[@alyssaagnew4147]

Amen!

[@PaulNgoXIII]

Truth

[@poppag8281]

definitly

[@Kylesico912x]

Yep. Kirito's much better in the abridged version in my opinion and that's one of several reasons it is better.

[@aimeecortez5899]

That's exactly what I was thinking ahahah

[@badbunnyky]

accidental groping really is the worst thing in anime. writers dont understand how to create real intimate moments so they force accidental intimacy in a way that literally never ever happens irl. immediately removed me from any show.

[@XiaoIsMyHusbandBTW]

Like honestly that would just hurt, I’d be in pain more then being mad

[@0m3gA_o3]

Good for you👍

[@MGNew]

Maybe no

[@Mr-7ou6gn]

I accidentally grope women all the time.

[@valhatan3907]

@@MGNew of course weeb would be saying this

[@AniGaAG]

Hey, I got a really good question you forgot: *_What sane developer of a VR MMO would allow ingame rape? Why is the predicament in season two even possible?_*

[@el_9003]

Ani Ga I just thought about that lol 😂

[@blankblank1284]

Another question is what the game is rated if it allows for explicit, fully interactive sex. Even moreso when you can feel it and it can happen even without consent.

[@ILiekFishes]

The developer of the VRMMO was the guy who raped someone

[@Silburific]

@@ILiekFishes But a massively expensive triple A game wouldn't only have one developer working on it.

[@ILiekFishes]

​@@Silburific He could tell them to do program that or just program it himself and not tell anyone about it

[@kingrocky7519]

This is one of my most favorite videos ever, but I can't help but get disappointed that you didn't talk about how complete shit both of the villains are, especially Kayaba. Kirito: Why did you make it so that if people die in the game they die in real life!? Kayaba: I dunno.

[@Daniel-vk7oh]

lol

[@poppag8281]

I feel like they were trying to go for a villan that got so got up in what they were doing they forgot their reasoning but they did it in the worst possible way

[@ThreeThreeElk]

That's just the reason I think the villain WASN'T shit, haha. Sometimes you just gotta love a villain whose response to the question "why" is just "meh".

[@alissathesinger]

The villain in the alfheim arc, (he's such a bitch I forget his name) I just call him: PedoMcRapeFace

[@UnderTheMicroscopeGaming]

Really dude, you got that from the vid Sword Art Online In 5 Minutes.

[@rainylupin]

If someone were to ask me for a Trapped In A Video Game story, I honestly would recommend Spy Kids 3D before SAO

[@holden_fella]

Oh boy, i remember when it came out those VHS cassetes went with the red-blue cardboard 3D glasses.

[@christianrounds85]

I'd go with something like 1/2 Prince, which, honestly, does everything that SAO did wrong... well, right.

[@Willowposting]

Steve Buschemi is the best waifu so yeah. "Do you think god stays in heaven because he too fears what he has created?" - Steve Buschemi, Spy Kids 3D

[@lilerkal2583]

Why?

[@trancepeirce3107]

I'd recommend the Greed Island Arc from HxH even if you've began HxH.

[@cn8229]

I think what broke my immersion the most was this: If you disconnect from the game, you get killed in real life...but does that mean that in two years there were no blackouts? No server maintenance? The internet never lagged anyone out or failed? For anyone? With a new, experimental platform and game, and with what had to be a massive required upload and download speed to transmit all that sensory data?

[@ararmer19117]

Christopher Nally the nerve gear had an internal battery so a black out wouldn't effect them at all. SAO had multiple servers or something and was constantly being maintained. Plus this was based over a decade in the future so my guess is it's supposed to be the technological advances that make up for the server maintenance and internet issues. But at the end of the day, it's an anime. When you watch shows like this, especially ones that are complete fiction, you kinda have to do this thing called disconnect from reality. You're not supposed to nitpick each and every little detail, look at it and go "well that could never happen in the real world so this is a bad show." Most things in any show wouldn't work in the real world. That's one of the biggest issues people like digi and other "critics" have is that they focus way to much on trying to compare FICTION with real life.

[@cn8229]

That's certainly true, but the thing about fiction is that unless explicitly explained to be different, the human mind naturally assumes everything about the fictional universe to be more or less the same as the real universe. I mean, the series takes place in the mid-2020's(if memory serves correctly), so as a viewer I naturally assume that things are very similar to the way they are now. Suspension of disbelief is different for everyone, but as a person who spends a lot of time on a console, it's hard to believe that none of the above phenomena ever happened. The issue with the fiction != real life argument is that, in most people's minds, fiction == real life with a few explained exceptions. The more abstract a series becomes, the more traction that the argument gains, but SAO is a far cry from being anything abstract.

[@Kfaircloth13457]

Chronarch771 😭

[@ziyouhongkong2497]

Not to mention the connection loss while moving people to hospitals or people dying because they live alone... Plus how'd Kayaba beta test the lethal capabilities of the Nerve Gear? If you want to learn about how well lethal prototypes do without proper live tests (and why the Nerve Gear would NOT work as a perfect deathtrap) search for "Mark 14 Torpedo Failures"

[@RailwayScholar]

@Christopher Nally If you _don't_ think about it, it makes sense.

[@3dLuck]

10 minutes and i pressed the liked button, 20 minutes i pressed the subscribed button, i still have 40 minutes and i run out of buttons

[@moresoduh]

+Alkono Dival this comment, a million times

[@oliverdacracker]

+Alkono Dival lol I think Digibro actually disabled comments due to SAO fans raging... They most likely are all 14 year olds.

[@OttoVonGarfield]

+Alkono Dival The sex butto- Oh wait, that's illegal... The muffin button!

[@Roninkaits]

+Alkono Dival There's the favorite button

[@Roninkaits]

***** Your points on Kirito taking the role of the beater martyr may work if it weren't for the fact that nobody but the worst humans on the planet would turn on the beta testers like that, this also ties into a point I'll make later. Yes the girls had a reason to fall in love with Kirito but again that doesn't matter because they are still weak reasons at best and even if they did fall in love with Kirito as soon as Asuna was made official main squeeze they would have bounced, this isn't a harem anime where the main never makes up his mind leaving it open. At best they would have been trying to steal Kirito from Asuna not make a roving pack of followers like that. The black cats. This scenario should have never happened so everything you said is worthless. If Kirito wanted to try opening up he could have easily done it with Asuna or some other much higher level characters, being low level doesn't make them easier to talk to or get along with. Never played an MMO? So you're telling me the most state of the art shit your pants gaming tech the world has ever seen that is sold in seriously limited numbers and everyone who purchased it were complete gaming newbs? No, just no. The stark raving mad fans who were camped out for a month were the ones to get them and each and every one of them would have been at least basically familiar with all the rules of the game and this simple fact negates almost 3/4 of the problems anyone faces in SAO. Having basic human level common sense would remove a good 25-30% of them. "quite frankly it would be embarrassing for her to beat her own underling if she has a good reputation" This has got to be the most retarded argument ever given. So Asuna would let embarrassment dictate who she does and does not protect? One does not become one of the top players with this kind of thinking. Also if things are like you say then having Asuna overcome those frankly stupid feelings would have strengthened her character so much. They should have left it like the original LN version where Asuna IS the one to take him out. And have each others backs? In the last episode of the arc yeah they both luckily had a deus ex machina in their inventory that over rides death itself. Sorry bud but SAO is broken in every way that matters, from the story to the game world to the people who supposedly live in it and when you start with that the rest of the project has nothing good supporting it so no amount of flashy animations and pretty art will make up for that. Well in your case it does but eh no accounting for taste or class I suppose. Everything else you say is either so small that it could never even hope to fix the mess that is SAO, is wrong like your other arguments and also pointlessly tiny, or is just your personal opinion which you are fully entitled to but don't try to convince someone that the huge problems don't exist because he isn't looking at it right, broken is broken no matter how you try to mentally flip around the fact.

[@SiberHavoc]

If SAO was released in the real life, I bet that some kind of guy would find a crack in the system and end the game after 2 days of the release.

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

Considering how the game control system actually does get hacked in the show, I second that. Hell, the main character could probably set the status to "Cleared" if he thought of it.

[@sadv3]

After seeing how people figured out P.T. within a week I don't doubt it lol.

[@star3catcherSEQUEL]

Seriously. People put enough effort into hacking games just for the fuck of it, but if it was a life or death situation? There's no way everyone would be stuck there for as long as they were.

[@SiberHavoc]

***** I know right?

[@shen-theeyeoftwighlight2327]

Also. Couldn't they just unplug the headset? It runs out of battery at some point right and if it has no power the game will close and they won't get fried. (Which is pretty stupid in itself as an application that small would take like a minutes to actually even start to damage a brain, in which the headset would be off already. It's so dumb. How can it be expected to fry a brain in like 1 / less than a second?

[@dbmods1846]

If Kirito and asuna are the most mentally stable in the game, then I do not want to know how everyone in the game is like.

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

That stuck out to me as well. Somewhere in my 10-page document of complaints is one involving that exact point. In episode 6, it's stated that Griselda had been happier in SAO than she was in reality, which was why she was murdered. There's also frequent moments of levity involving every major character in the show. Even the side characters constantly show themselves being happy. Off the top of my head, we had Sachi, Silica, Lisbeth, Agiel, The Black Cats, and Godfrey acting distinctly happy during their screen time

[@joseagustincuesta]

+Sam Geuvenen I need to read that document. Everyone needs to.

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

+Jetto Agu My personal favorite is that at the start of Episode 1, Kirito sees that the logout button has no text, so he assumes it's broken, but he never tries ACTUALLY HITTING THE FUCKING BUTTON to see if it works.

[@CerealGamingTV]

its a good job no one else in the game is given any character development then so you never find out

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

Jetto Agu After over a month of procrastinating, I finally put it up on Drive. Link: docs.google.com/document/d/1NZcfzQSJuqck4HgNYArtR-tUcwJ-soQA_W_kjgxsrPQ/edit?usp=sharing

[@RactupusRex]

I also strongly disliked Sword Art Online. My friend recommended it to me and I was surprised by how much I disliked it. I am not an "elitist" anime viewer either. Shit one of my favorite shows is Dragon Ball and I recognize that it's a flawed show.

[@3nu570]

RactupusRex TheAnimeMan has said that SAO is bad so I tried to be critical in scoring it because I usually enjoy the shows very much but I swear I don't need to see Joey talk shit about it to understand how shitty this show is.

[@Testimony_Of_JTF]

Dragon ball was destroyed by money.

[@lukejones7164]

@@Testimony_Of_JTF You mean bad writing, which always existed in the franchise

[@MGNew]

No lol

[@MGNew]

@@3nu570 L

[@aspiringartist3949]

Digibro: Remember EUGENE? Me: Who the fuck? Is this a trick question?

[@EmpressTiffanyOfBrittany]

Eugene from the WWE maybe XD

[@santiagotamulis5833]

AspiringArtist Its the fat nerd from The Walking Dead

[@AmSeris]

Literally who's that

[@jalix9574]

General Eugene, salamander from ALO

[@crafciak31]

​@@EmpressTiffanyOfBrittany 7 years later... 💀

[@apriljones1013]

SAO has essentially the same basic plot as Spy Kids 3

[@JordanSmith-yi3ji]

(thinks for a bit)... Holy Fuck. Youre right.

[@JordanSmith-yi3ji]

Skylaire Harris Not exactly, but .Hack was better. It wasnt the best anime, but its certainly better.

[@superbo981]

+Jordan Smith The .Hack games were great though.

[@JordanSmith-yi3ji]

***** I enjoyed them, but they were not the best stuff i played.

[@FinnTheWizard]

Don't you dare to insult Spy Kids 3 !

[@enderdrache]

I hate how the immortality item is totally forgotten. I mean at the end, they could have made it so that asuna gets resurrected with it rather than let her live due to plot convenience. How can you totally forget about such an item, especially when it could save crucial parts of the script.

[@scottcarr9320]

The worst part is, that it’s only mentioned in one episode and completely forgotten about. Sure it might have been used, but did we even hear about it afterwards? No. We knew nothing about the item other than it revived a player who hasn’t died x amount of time ago.

[@MGNew]

@@scottcarr9320 no

[@MGNew]

Watch more lol

[@gamefan1019]

Yeah! When I saw it for the first time, I was screaming at the screen for them to just use the item!

[@vicentetemes5793]

About the doodlehick that revives people in 30 seconds: maybe the game does wait. Maybe, when you die, the game brings you to a separate server and tells you "THINE END SHALT COMETH IN 30 SECONDS", giving other players that time to use Nicholas' gift. Maybe Kayaba knew this, and so he revived Kirito, because he was his chosen one, and Asuna, because of Kirito's love for her. Of course, the show COULD have taken a minute to explain this, but since it didn't, it's just dumb.

[@vicentetemes5793]

***** Hey, he designed SAO to murder 10.000 people, made an AI that could sense their pain, locked it away, and made it watch. Kayaba isn't beyond this.

[@vicentetemes5793]

***** That's why I also said "they didn't say any of this, fuck 'em".

[@vicentetemes5793]

***** That's my point.

[@vicentetemes5793]

***** You mean Balls?

[@panonymousbloom5405]

I just thought about something amusing - what if the sao players who died in game never died irl at all? Could be a solid conflict - people who die just disappear and you never know what happens to them, and don't have the means to know since you can't log out. They could be dying, they could just be getting thrown out of the game. So you have a decision to make - either try dying in hopes that you do wake up in the real world or live in the game forever, knowing there is a possibility that you will never see your family/friends/pets ever again. (For the plot hole of "why didn't the medical team just remove the helmets", well, maybe that is the dangerous part. Maybe there's no way to remove them safely from the outside so they just sit there, hoping that the players inside will figure it out, or try sending messages into the game, knowing that they may as well be interpreted as the game dev just trying to mess with more players.)

[@loganreidy7055]

hey, don't say shit about ASUNA... she is one of my favorite characters in Evangelion.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

It's not like I love Shinji or anything... b-baka!

[@OtakuAudioRedux]

That's AsuKa, not AsuNa.

[@ReperGriwaA]

@@OtakuAudioRedux woooosh... And that's the sound of the joke going above your head

[@sweetneko1257]

Isn't it Asuka?

[@ThePrivateVoid]

@@ReperGriwaA Jokes have to be funny, my guy.

[@harjutapa]

I was a huge fan of SAO when I started watching this, and was of the "yeah, it has a few problems, buuut..." mindset... Watched the entire thing. Came to three conclusions: 1) Damnit, you're right. SAO is extremely shoddily made show. 2) I need to try Tera, because it looks fun. 3) Ditto for Log Horizon.

[@Raya.T]

+Anthony Ridgway no what happens is you are taking the opinion of a person to heart instead of looking at your own opinion. Digibro pretty much just over analyzed the show added his own opinion and added a bunch of good/bad bullshit in between everything. it's done in such a way to appeal to his viewers and pretty much appeal to haters and people who can be influenced. like pretty much every type of video like this.

[@harjutapa]

Oh, nice to know you can read minds, dude. I did exactly what I said I did. I watched the video. I thought about it. I came to three conclusions. But thanks for coming to the conclusion, based on exactly one comment, that someone you've never met is a mindless sheep.

[@Raya.T]

Anthony Ridgway oh i dont come from the conclusion of the comment i come from the conclusion that you take digibro's biased mindless banter to hearth mr.sheep.

[@harjutapa]

"didn't come from the conclusion of the comment" So many grammatical errors. *came *took *heart *Mr. Sheep If you're going to insult someone else's "mindless banter," maybe work on your own sentence structure and spelling first.

[@Raya.T]

Anthony Ridgway i'm dyslexic and i really dont give a shit about your opinion or my spelling since i'm not even using proper punctuations because it's KZbin and god you are the lowest form of a sheep if you result to grammar nazi tactics when some one says the truth in your face and you dislike it PS: me calling you a sheep is because you said you where one yourself honey

[@ocadioan]

11:30 "You would think that every single person would buckle down immediately and learn everything about it, while forming a strong community..." You clearly haven't seen SAO Abridged ;) Actually, this review becomes so much funnier when comparing it to the Abridged series.

[@ayandanxumalo9699]

+ocadioan SAO abridged on average does EVERYTHING better than the original.

[@AnarchHive]

EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!! Seriously love that show. I'm excited for what they come up with for the final battle, the ending and Kayaba's motive. :D Oh... and the entire 2nd season. *coughs*

[@dbmods1846]

Not to mention the inconsistency in the game. 1. How can Kirito deduce that the enemy that Yui killed was from floor 90 without ever reaching there? 2. How can it take many people to kill the boss on the 74th floor but it takes 1 person to kill the 100th boss? HOW IS THIS EVEN A GAME?

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

There might be one way to justify the reason why the Level 100 boss can be beaten by one person. He could just be balanced to be beatable by a single player. He mentions expecting a duel with Kirito in episode 14, so maybe only one player can fight him at a time? I don't know, that's one plot hole I can suspend my disbelief over.

[@nicholasadam6254]

Didnt kayaba lower his stats to make it even?

[@dbmods1846]

+Nicholas Adam no he removed his immortality

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

+DBMods No, that's not what we're talking about. We're trying to figure out how it took a hundred people to beat the Floor 75 boss but the Floor 100 boss loses to one person. I'm guessing he's just balanced for solo fights.

[@nicholasadam6254]

Most of the awesome moments were never explained. It gives me the feeling they just wanted to end the scene faster

[@derrayproductions8945]

In the other characters section, you forgot to mention the idiots who kill other players for fun. I can see that happening when the game has no stakes, but like you said it takes a pretty pessimistic view of the world to think that people would do this in a life or death scenario.

[@danny3082]

Ngl I would

[@oneangryboi408]

@@danny3082 That's because you probably have homicidal tendencies.

[@danny3082]

@@oneangryboi408 no way

[@nnnnmhughuuhhjiijj9457]

@@danny3082 yes, yes you do.

[@danny3082]

@@nnnnmhughuuhhjiijj9457 called a joke dickhead

[@bertbargo7162]

So basically, Mary Sue Online

[@jesus-ck4el]

Gary stue

[@nicholasleclerc1583]

jesus kun E;R (yes, PewDiePie’s shoutout he regrets : p) talks about these 2 close to the halfway mark of his _Solo : A Star Wars Story_ critique video

[@GippyHappy]

Gottem.

[@naptimegaming1347]

as far as I can see, people that like fantasy but don't play RPGs usually like SAO. People that like RPGs usually don't like it.

[@CharmedPop]

I like RuneScape (like near maxed out back in the day) and hate fantasy - I enjoyed the first season a lot but stopped when it got into incest and fairies...

[@jonsnor4313]

Log horizon captures the rpg feel more and much better. And isnt unnessesary edgy.

[@Hoezi02]

I'm surprised he didnt mention the ridicolous scene where hackerman-kirito saves Yui into an Item in the span of like 5 seconds

[@BarioIDL]

mf had backend access and didn't even bother to ddos the server

[@AversionTheUndertaleEnjoyer]

​@@BarioIDL...god I'm f*cking dense when I watch shows, how did I not think of this.

[@outboundjewl3375]

Oh. My. God. I just realized soething... Kirito is the anime equivalent of Bella Swan.

[@JinchK]

Oh my gosh that's so true

[@rarpott]

OutBoundJewl3 Still a better love story than SAO.

[@jupitersgodzilla7114]

OutBoundJewl3 Or Trump...

[@comradefreedom8275]

OutBoundJewl3 Pretty much.

[@TheRedHaze3]

Difference is Asuna actually has a legitimate and valid reason to like Kirito, whereas how anyone could be romantically interested in Bella Swan is beyond me.

[@Kirukitsu]

_Has Suguha been reading the script?_ ... _What's that?_ _Is that the script over there in the grass--_

[@fallingstars5683]

i see you are also a man of culture

[@doralop1250]

My favorite part is where the villian of the 1st half says that he forgot why he made SAO

[@violecranell]

You didn't watch the anime, Kayaba said in ep 1 why he made SAO and then again at the end of the SAO arc.

[@doralop1250]

@@violecranell I wasted a couple of hours of my life on it, so don't say I didn't watch, because I clearly remember getting pissed at many plot decissions. When Kirito asks Kayaba what his motivation was, the guy says: "It's been so long I don't even remember" and then metions some castle pretty vaguely. That is a vaguely explained (it would have been ok for a side character, but not the main antagonist) motivation and just lazy writting. I can't even say he's a parallel of Kirito, cuz we do not get to see how Kirito's life before SAO was. If you got smth. more out of the character than I did, good for you, but I just found him to be wasted potential.

[@violecranell]

@@doralop1250 Alright first of all, it was pretty clear what Kayaba meant when he talked about the Castle in the sky, he said that before he even made SAO, he dreamed of making a world that was not ruled by earthly laws nor restrictions, he dedicated his life into making that world, so in other words he made a virtual world into reality, it really won't be a 'real' world if you can die and just come back and SAO also had another purpose, to create Alice, discovered by Yui during the UW arc, and SAO laid the ground so other virtual worlds could be created out of The Seed that Kayaba gave Kirito, so no its not bad writing you are just bad at puting things together. Kayaba isn't even (or at least his copy isn't) dead so still has a lot more potential to show us in later seasons.

[@doralop1250]

@@violecranell I got all that, I'm not dumb. My problem was that for a main villian, you do not see why he would have that motivation. No anime flashback, no clever hint and that is a problem for the most influential character in the series. He also doesn't have an intriguing aura of mystery around him. Also, please stop liking your own comments, it makes you look bad.Still, I won't accuse you that you don't know what makes a good villian, cuz I don't know you.

[@DreamyAileen]

The saddest part is that Sword Art Online could have actually been a decent series. The trouble is that that the guy who write it has the writing style of a seventh-grader. He doesn't plan it out. He just kind of makes up shit as he goes along. And while that makes the writing a bit funner, it can mean writing yourself into corners that require some extreme Deus Ex Machina to get out of, and a very flat, boring, repeating plotline overall. And I would know. That was how I used to write, in seventh grade. Also I was practically mesmerized by your character's ridiculous and hilarious running cycle.

[@AnInkStick]

+Isaac Wang If I had to say who Reki Kawhara's writing is on level with i'd say E.L James. (And that's being generous.)

[@DreamyAileen]

HanaTheScythe I don't know who that is but I'll just assume that means shit.

[@AnInkStick]

+Isaac Wang the chick who made fifty shades of fail

[@DreamyAileen]

HanaTheScythe Ahh gotcha.

[@AnInkStick]

+Isaac Wang I think I might actually rather read fifty shades of fail because with how shitty the grammar is I could laugh at it. This I just found painful

[@ARSP333]

You know the anime sucks when the abriged series Kirito has more characterization than the anime Kirito.

[@Ikcatcher]

So true

[@INameIsGood]

+Rook dude, i love you so much :D my life was incomplete without this knowledge about abridge series

[@inuyashasmells]

also when the abridged voice actors have better voices than the original

[@Paulygotto]

+Rook that's what I been telling my girlfriend

[@imasiontist653]

the abridged series are amazing! I need more!

[@davidreeder43]

In my opinion, an overpowered main character is not necessarily a bad thing, it is just very hard to pull off properly. If you fail to pull it off, it is absolutely glaring (like SAO). It can be done, as evident by anime like Hellsing Ultimate, Overlord, and One Punch Man. An overpowered lead can provide a new view point and story possibilities. For instance, lets say you have a main character who is completely invincible, but slow moving in combat. He can take literally any hit without flinching or breaking his stride, essentially the perfect Tank, but his friends who are faster and better at offense are kill-able. The character is clearly OP, yet he would face challenges. The story wouldn't be about him rising to face his opponents like most Shounen Anime, instead it would be based around his struggle to keep his friends alive and defeating his opponents before innocents are hurt . That WOULD be a good and fresh new look at action and adventure based anime. Please someone make THAT an anime.

[@predwarlord]

+David Reeder Think the key point is that they can't be at the expense of all other characters. Kirito is at the expense of other character, he literally steals everyone's thunder.

[@exoltic9816]

Hinata 😏 (Chance Ball/ Haikyuu!!) But at least they actually made Hinata have weaknesses. That's the good thing about Haikyuu!! They don't win every match, Hinata doesn't ace every shot he takes, and so on.

[@ziggymcdougal]

+David Reeder i think it would be better if it was a moral thing of being overpowered rather than simply just to spice up fights if there was a perfect man, how long can he take the burden of being perfect before he breaks, something like that. Deus EX HR managed to pull this off with flying colors, but that's a video game. We really need something like deus ex in anime. Of course i am barely scraping the surface of this subject but it would be amazing if we can have something like this

[@RevanStarrrR]

+David Reeder The reason why Hellsing and One Punch Man work is that they are very much built around how over-powered the main character is, especially One Punch Man. Kirito just happens to be over-powered for next to no reason.

[@willg1439]

One Punch Man is most definitely a great example of an overpowered protagonist done well

[@troxtro2234]

“I didn’t come here to eat good food” -Asuna “How High is your cooking skill?” -Kirito “I maxed it out last week!” -Asuna

[@AversionTheUndertaleEnjoyer]

"FYM YOU DIDN'T COME HERE TO EAT GOOD FOOD?"

[@Talyrion]

"Did you know his name was Eugene?" I did, but only because I read Halkegenia Online. That's pretty much the only saving grace I give to SAO : inspiring some decent fanfics.

[@spiralmatt8946]

At least I'm not the only one that hates the second arc of SAO. I don't want to see Asuna getting raped while waiting for kirito to show up.

[@crackhead898]

The first half sucks ass to.

[@spiralmatt8946]

bob dingle I have to ask! "why do u hate first half as well"

[@crackhead898]

***** Horrible story, stupid characters, no development, really boring, cringey as hell. Do I need to go on?

[@spiralmatt8946]

bob dingle PLEASE DO! CONTINUE~

[@crackhead898]

***** It doesn't make sense, looks like it was written by a horny 14 year old girl, it's inconsistent and retarded.

[@dinodare1605]

I love how as you criticize him running around being badass all alone, you're running around a desert, solo, one hit KOing monsters.

[@dinodare1605]

@@daiyahigashikata Yeah the comments not that meaningful. I posted that in middle school and now I'm a sophomore in college, so I'm not even going to pretend to understand the point.

[@MagmaSpacer]

@@dinodare1605How’s college been?

[@Ajani_Tober]

@@dinodare1605 lmao 😭

[@dinodare1605]

@@MagmaSpacer Pretty awesome! I've been doing well and I like my major. How has life been for you?

[@MagmaSpacer]

@@dinodare1605 Mehhhhhhh, this isn’t about me. This should be about you. XD

[@johnnyd6953]

"The most knowledgeable assets are ostracized by a community of idiots" And you say SAO isn't realistic : ^ )

[@linkfromzelda1002]

@@10tailedbijuu The worst part is they're actually developing a real-world online VRMMORPG SAO game on the Oculus with stunning graphics and they're trying to figure out how to add smells, feelings and taste. It's set for release in 2022 but I doubt they can get it out that early, especially not with the technology to replicate smells, feelings and tastes. That would be some military-level technology.

[@r.henryjr.1533]

@@linkfromzelda1002 Lmao imagine they make a game that's more functional and enjoyable than the show it's based on.

[@linkfromzelda1002]

R.Henry Jr. That wouldn’t be very hard to do, though credit where it’s due - it’d be hard to top the books.

[@vivvygipe9605]

That statement really hits different in 2020

[@Oxygen1004]

@@vivvygipe9605 it do tho

[@kingofsovietlizards8704]

No offence to anyone, but I didn't like Yui. She made me cringe every time she called a 14 YEAR OLD 'daddy'

[@thechibiamerican1275]

The amount of agree is over 9000! First of all the only plausable way such an AI exists in this game is becuase it would be standard for most nerve gear software, and the fact that she was put in suspension was alright but her escape of suspension is baffling. She's and AI. Artificial intelligence. One with a fucking purpose that she was destined to fulfil. AND SHE FUCKING IGNORES THE THOUNDS OF SAD, DEPRESSED, SUICIDAL GAMERS SHE SUPPOSE TO HELP TO PLAY GOD DAMN HOUSE! IT'S HER JOB TO MAKE PEOPLE SAD PEOPLE HAPPY, NOT MAKE HAPPY PEOPLE EVEN MORE FUCKING HAPPY . THEY ARE HAPPY YUI. JOB COMPLEATE. MOVE ON. BE FRIEND SAD PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM HAPPY GOD DAMN IT! And it's said in her ducking episode that she wanted to be with Asuna and Kirito becuase they were the only two in the game that was, by her data, happy. With that logic and the shit that we are given that she is a Psychotherapeutic AI the last thing she would want to do is bother Kirito and Asuna YET SHE DOES SO ANY WAY. Not to mention the "daughter" thing is an unhealthy term for an AI. Again she is suppose to be Psychotherapeutic. Helping others mental state. As far as records go, they should be registered delusional. This must be in her Data bank somewhere that this is dangerous and there for, especially with the psychological frailty of people in this game would realize that Kirito and Asuna would be attached to her might create mental issues. SHE HAD ONE FUCKING JOB. AND DIDN'T DO SHIT TO DO HER JOB DESPITE THAT FACT SHE ESCAPED TO DO HER GOD DAMN JOB! Also if AI'S like Yui are standard then why isn't there other's like her? For Alfhiem? Gun Gale? No? Then why was she even in sword art? Especially if the creator was just going to suspend her. Yui pisses me off so much...The one cute thing in a sense is the biggest mindfuck.

[@Draycko]

+Fox Carlson I liked Yui, but I didn't like the daddy thing. It creeped me out.

[@xsanguine8]

+Scott Takashi She got suspended so the players would learn to deal with their own problems, that was obviously the creators aim, to see how "people" would adapt to being stuck in such a harsh world. As for the Daddy thing, they were 14, around that age everything seems so "real", Kirito and Asuna have "true love" and will be married for real as soon as they can get the invitations to their families. As they are "obviously" in a long-lasting, solid, relationship, they decide to adopt the poor orphaned NPC they found in the woods. All makes sense when you remember they are naive teenagers, who believe they can make adult decisions because they are living together.

[@ashleyez2022]

+Fox Carlson he was 16 at the start, 18 at the end I think

[@HeavyEatsYou]

+Fox Carlson Damn right, Sugar Daddy. ( ͡o ͜ʖ ͡o)( ͡o ͜ʖ ͡o)( ͡o ͜ʖ ͡o)

[@Paul-ls1tj]

Am I the only one who thinks that "something witty entertainment" "Abridged parody" on SAO is better than the actual show?

[@KiljiArslan]

I actually didn't encounter it till Abriged, so yes you are right

[@magicarp79]

The Abridged is basically Citizen Kane to SAO's The Room.

[@gfbh4q583]

No. You're not.

[@hairball2429]

I think it's almost as good as DBZ abridged by TFS.

[@TG-bd7yd]

Sao abridged has actual character development, great entertainment value, good humor, pretty good pacing - while the original sao is the total opposite.

[@AnInkStick]

I remember when our anime club watched it when I was a junior. By the 5 minute mark we had started guessing everything that was going to happen. Seriously we literally guessed everything that was gonna happen who would fall in love who would die and even how it was going end. ....I wasn't sure at the time of the writing was terrible or if we were simply a group of genre savvy teens but nowadays I'm leaning more towards the former. EDIT :Digi your video is why I will never review Sword Ass Online. You said everything I wanted to say and more,Good on ya!

[@Jason-Skywalker]

lol, now that sounds like an interesting story, I'd love to read it if you have the time to type it.\

[@AnInkStick]

James Mclowd Um,just checking do you mean that or are you being sarcastic? It's harder to discern tone in comments.

[@Jason-Skywalker]

HanaTheScythe I mean that if there's a story detail for detail, I'd like to read it

[@AnInkStick]

+James Mclowd XD oh ok! First thing I need to ask though is do you know of Mystery Science Theater 3000?

[@Jason-Skywalker]

HanaTheScythe I'm just now hearing about it

[@biaqran5861]

I like SAO Abridged more than original

[@MGNew]

No L

[@BknMoonStudios]

While I won't call this the worst show ever, I can't help but nod at every single one of your criticisms. My advice for anyone interested in _any_ anime: *Read a review of the show, skip the scores.*

[@Kahadi]

+BrokenMoonStudios actually, even better, read *multiple* reviews. one review can be even less accurate than the ratings

[@chillinchum]

+tubefan90000 +BrokenMoonStudios Replace "anime" with pretty much any and all fictional work, books, movies, games, broadway theatre plays.......

[@Kahadi]

chillin chum in my experience, anime and manga are the entertainment media forms with the most inaccurate synopsis and fan opinions (as in how they describe it is inaccurate, not their opinions). with movies, books, games, etc., when a synopsis is given, it tends to be accurate, even when coming from overly obsessed fans. with anime and manga, you can get synopsis that have little to do with the main story, only really covering an early subplot or a single character description. for example, when you hear about Twilight, ignoring opinions on whether or not it is enjoyable, you'll get a synopsis along the lines of "a love story about a girl and a vampire", with perhaps added details. and while that may not be all there is to it (from what I've heard from people I know that have read/watched the series, as well as from parodies, there's actually a love triangle involving a werewolf and some huge fight over the main character for reasons I don't know), that's still all accurate and relative the entire time. meanwhile, Bleach's synopsis tends to vary between "Ichigo 'Strawberry' Kurosaki must fight evil spirits known as Hollows and send spirits to the afterlife" and (this is the best I've found, though shortened) "Ichigo Kurosaki must adapt to his new powers to save Soul Society by fighting Hollows and saving souls". while both are fairly true, they're also far from the main part. yes, he fights Hollows, but that's not nearly the important part of the plot. yes, he saves Soul Society, but his goal is more protecting his family, friends, and city, with Soul Society specifically kind of just being protected by circumstance (saving his friends results in saving Soul Society). so while they do pertain to the plot, neither one really mentions the true or main plot, just side stuff that goes with it. either way, the main point was just that anime and manga seems to get more inaccurate summaries and synopsis than any other form of entertainment, and a much wider array of reviews, but yes, in general, reading multiple reviews of any form of entertainment is the best way to decide if you might like something before actually trying it

[@chillinchum]

tubefan90000 Oh my, it's that bad? I had no idea.

[@Kahadi]

chillin chum it is sometimes

[@NBA1Teemo1Mascot]

Currently 20 min into the video. Usually I can't stand watching a rant/review/etc like this (seeing the length is over and hour and all), but the combination of the footage and the way Digibro analyzes the series is very enjoyable and I rarely find youtubers that can do this kind of stuff to such a success. Didn't expect to last this long on a 1 hour video, but now 2 things are certain: 1) I can safely assume I'll be finishing the full video and 2) this guy just earned himself a new subscriber. Just wanted to point out how much I enjoyed the video, you did a wonderful job Digibro and please keep up the good work! Have a nice day!

[@NBA1Teemo1Mascot]

Btw, I'm just curious: Does the quality of the video constantly go down and up or is it just my computer?

[@Trixiethegoldenwitch]

Monokuma EU It's the video, I recorded the footage badly cause I didn't have my streaming settings correct.

[@LordOrlock]

***** What do you mean when you say Evangelion deconstructed the accidental breast grope trope? Which scene are you referring to specifically? I dont know if I understand.

[@DaxCorsiar]

Kirito has too much Plot Armor. Gets all of the Bitches. OP as hell. Power of Boners > All The Impossible is Possible.

[@IndoGunsnGear]

I mean, sword art online is a power fantasy, the lesson behind the show is that sometimes we are just born for the wrong world. In the gaming world, kirito is THE hero of the world. I mean its obvious that they wanted to make kirito as generically op as possible, from the design to the characters to his powers. The way i see it, sword art online is awesome because it fully fulfills this role. Kirito is just op, no traits to make him unique in a way like many other generic shounen anime. Sao is just, vanilla shounen, which although doesnt look great on paper, is actuallt amazing because it was the only one to do this

[@IndoGunsnGear]

@@KingofYggdrasil i see, what was the source material like? I've never read it myself

[@IndoGunsnGear]

@@KingofYggdrasil interesting, but i mean, what are they like in the light novels? A brief explanation if you're willing

[@taloutezero]

@@KingofYggdrasil I don't care about all the rest you named but Joseph actually planned and strategized his way out of many of his predicaments. Was there a time where he didn't have enough power and just gained it because he needed to?

[@angespice]

But digibro, they couldn't have learned the game, because the tutorial guy got stolen.

[@ziyouhongkong2497]

It wasn't a very good tutorial. WE MUST SAVE MY FAMILY

[@reinhardtsanchez7952]

GARYYYYYYYYYY

[@ProtoMario]

I loved Sword Art Online, until... until... they pretty much ended the main ark on the 70th floor. Fucking A, each episode could have finished out at the last 30 floors! Why did they just end it?

[@owo-ri8sf]

Whoa hey it's that MatPat guy but like, different lol Anyways jokes aside I'm pretty sure A1 was directed to make the anime rather close to the light novel series. If you didn't watch through the entire video or you just didn't know, the author of this light novel series originally intended them to be posted in a contest with a limited amount of words. Because of this word limit, the author had to cut back on a lot of content he wanted to cram in. I personally think that A1 or the director (whoever's at fault here) made an absolutely disastrous move by sticking closely to the light novel series. There was way too many issues including the time skips and the sudden "Fuck You Kayaba" moment. I'm not 100% this is the reason why the first arc ended so suddenly, but hopefully it clears some confusion.

[@shaun12345ish]

I think you're a big KZbinr

[@B0K0691]

PROTOMARIO!!!!OMFG

[@xxalphagamerxx6323]

ProtoMario wait is that really you?

[@xxalphagamerxx6323]

ProtoMario yup its you *ehem BUTT PROTO! It's because of plot

[@CloudMountainJuror]

Funny, Yui's introduction and entire character is one of the things I loathe most about the series. Granted, I've only watched the first 14-episode arc. But even there, her existence pissed me off to no end. She had no character outside of "cute". You were supposed to empathize with her and care about her because she's "cute". That's it. And they spent every fucking waking moment of her on-screen time trying to shove her cuteness in your face. And it's bullshit. Not to mention that the way Kirito "saves" her programming at the last second is laughable and makes zero sense whatsoever.

[@Phoenixifyable]

***** I agree. I Kinda originally thought she was a little bit creepy. I think they should've introduced her a little earlier and spent a couple more episodes building her character, that way it would not only have been more emotional to see her go, but it would also give Kirito and Asuna something to bond over. And I think that, once Yui's gone and they gain the confidence to be able to sustain a relationship., they would get married, and the plot would continue from there.

[@thechibiamerican1275]

I made this rant before on a comment much more recent, but I want everyone who hates Yui to see home much nonsense she really is... First of all the only plausable way such an AI exists in this game is becuase it would be standard for most nerve gear software, and the fact that she was put in suspension was alright but her escape of suspension is baffling. She's and AI. Artificial intelligence. One with a fucking purpose that she was destined to fulfil. AND SHE FUCKING IGNORES THE THOUNDS OF SAD, DEPRESSED, SUICIDAL GAMERS SHE SUPOSE TO HELP TO PLAY GOD DAMN HOUSE IT'S HER JOB TO MAKE PEOPLE SAD PEOPLE HAPPY, NOT MAKE HAPPY PEOPLE EVEN MORE FUCKING HAPPY . THEY ARE HAPPY YUI. JOB COMPLEATE. MOVE ON. BE FRIEND SAD PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM HAPPY GOD DAMN IT. And it's said in her ducking episode that she wanted to be with Asuna and Kirito becuase they were the only two in the game that was, by her data, happy. With that logic and the shit that we are given that she is a Psychotherapeutic AI the last thing she would want to do it bother Kirito and Asuna YET SHE DOES SO ANY WAY. Not to mention the "daughter" thing is an unhealthy term for an AI. Again she is suppose to be Psychotherapeutic. Helping others mental state. As far as records go, they should be registered delusional. This must be in her Data bank somewhere that this is dangerous and there for, especially with the psychological frailty of people in this game, would realize that Kirito and Asuna would be attached to her and might create mental issues. SHE HAD ONE FUCKING JOB. AND DIDN'T DO SHIT TO DO HER JOB DESPITE THAT FACT SHE ESCAPED TO DO HER GOD DAMN JOB! Also if AI'S like Yui are standard then why isn't there other's like her? For Alfhiem? Gun Gale? No? Then why was she even in sword art? Especially if the creator was just going to suspend her? Her entire character is a waste of adroabliness...

[@QAZAZZA]

Agree 100%

[@TheAkashicTraveller]

+John Giuliani Yui is one of those short stories from the second volume...

[@Phoenixifyable]

Jack Evans AAAAANNNNNDDDDD?

[@PopStrikers]

Bless this video.

[@Blazah99]

.... *omfg* _takes an extremely heavy deep sigh_ ***** & ***** after only been able to watching 18mins 36sec of this as of this writing with several breaks to just reflect on the opinions, statements, and overall analysis made thus far, I have counter arguments backed up with facts, examples, knowledge, and experience for EVERY point made thus far. I don't (or can't) blame you guys for not knowing or experiencing the particular social, philosophical, and cultural aspects that this anime series makes use of as the series was written shortly after that particular era of mmo gaming from which it takes its inspiration and bases its world around in a future setting from the viewpoint of that time, and all of counter points I have in mind comes straight from my internal knowledge of the subject matter from having been part of that era and being knowledgeable in game design. _pardon me for all the comma splicing_. If atm I had the time to leave a full detailed comment breaking down points made but I have 8 full page art drawings and a presentation to complete by tomorrow, plus with as much effort as it would take to read such a lengthy comment I'd prefer to make a video reply with time and patience permitting, though it may lead to much controversy being that I have yet to view the entirety of the video and well... your level of anime and writing knowledge surpasses my own.

[@Avatarded]

*****"Internal Knowledge" - translation- Head Canon. To be fair I haven't even watched SAO, because I could deduce many of Digi's main points from what little advertising I've seen on it. Adolescent wish fulfillment is not what I consider entertainment. Even if you could justify (justifying is explaining away the bad) every other aspect of the show that core concept would remain. I really want to thank Digi for saving me the time and self loathing of watching SAO, and even offering up an alternative, because I've been on the fence about it for a while.

[@Blazah99]

Arthur Radford let me rephrase that then with "from memory and experience", without the need for looking up information on the web or other external resources. It may come off as adolescent wish fulfillment however if you played UO(Ultima Online) back before they changed the core mechanics to make it more "accessible" or "modern" the design of the game and meta games were carefully constructed and balanced, as discussed by the game's creator Robert... _forgotten the last name_ in an interview, that such a thing would be possible if the player were highly skilled(not in stats but in real skill) and dedicated.

[@Blazah99]

***** ***** Finished listening to the video and for the majority of everything after Part 3 and after I pretty much agree with Digi on, so If I do get around to make a detail analilital reply it be concerning parts 1-3.

[@Lumipon]

***** This is kind of a weird analysis-analysis reply, but bear with me, okay? The fact that a piece of entertainment media needs to explained to you in order to enjoy it is a failure on the part of the show. This is because the show itself should provide all the information you need to actually understand the setting and the motivations of the characters in relation to the plot. If a show fails to convey this, it fails as a piece of entertainment media. (i.e We are confused and annoyed) Let me put it simply: 1. If people act like idiots, we think of them as idiots. 2. If people act like idiots for reasons we do not know, we STILL think of them as idiots, because the show failed to convey them. Of course, some shows expect different levels familiarity toward the subject matter: let's say a sports drama requires and understanding and an interest towards sports. But truly good shows can provide all the info and motivation you need to actually watch it. So even if you make an analysis video explaining and rectifying the shortcomings of the show, it might make it a better view for those watching it after. But it still doesn't excuse the show for conveying the setting and character motivations so badly.

[@alzef1375]

How much better would it have been if it was Kirito the one trapped inside ALO for whatever bullshit reason the author wants, and instead have Asuna realize the main villan's plot and go into an adventure to rescue him, perhaps with their old friends, and Suguha if you want, and the final battle to be Kirito and Asuna vs the villan and I dunno, an army of fairy soliders like those guarding the door of the tree...

[@craigpeoples9883]

THIS I AGREE

[@Ushionai]

SAO was literally just some guys wet dream of being super popular and having all the babes... and of course that pleases the majority of male otakus as well because well its a harem... Harems sell (sadly) and what could had been a good anime (because the animation was just beautiful) it just ended up being a pile of shit. THey really need to get back to the days when they used to actually be good at making anime, sure animation has gone off the roof but story and originality died or started to die around 2010...subscribing because you're my type of guy.

[@privateservers2damax]

Ushionai You know what the worst thing about SAO was in my opinion? It's that Kirito is supposed to be a Might Gary Stue, but then you realize he is just a gaming addict in real life and somehow with his god like presence builds an entire harem. Stupid anime is stupid.

[@parkerkrakowiak2990]

Ushionai Gonna be honest here, the animation in SAO isn't even that good from my standards. It's hard for me to watch these post-cell animation shows that are full of CG and lighting effects and basically everything else that is not actually 2D animation. As someone who draws shit of my own it really takes me out of it when i just see everything as just being assembled on a computer.

[@privateservers2damax]

Parker Krakowiak That sucks, does that mean fate/zero looks bad to you? Because Fate/zero has gorgeous animation.

[@exoshelly]

Ushionai Agreed.

[@exaerixlz3858]

+Ushionai Have you ever heard of Shin Sekai Yori? It's basically the Op. of SAO. Bad animation, Um... "Weird" Relationships, and a GREAT story. Made by A-1 pictures around the same time of SAO but you probs never heard of it cuse they spent all their advertising money on SAO and not Shin Sekai yori...

[@alibhatti8676]

All those dislikes, but not a single comment that counters your video.

[@sezunemizuhana3870]

+Ali Bhatti I bet that people came here just to give a dislike. -_-

[@ziggymcdougal]

+TheMagnificentPony wait so what is the point of your comment? Are you defending SAO, or are you just being an internet troll that sucks at being an internet troll?

[@hadoking3636]

+Ali Bhatti both

[@ziggymcdougal]

aaah, i c, good luck 2 u

[@hadoking3636]

whalemorono123 I shall make good use of my time by watching SAO abridged.

[@crosbowkil98]

My friend said "Cowboy bebop is boring" and he worships SAO... EDIT: I recommended cowboy bebop to this table of guys that like anime, not one of them liked it and all called me retarded. They all love Naruto and SAO, I'm the only anime fan at my school that likes bebop. EVEN MORE FUCKING EDITS WOOO!: Hey guess what, he now 'hates' sao... but loves the show asterisk war, WHICH IS TOTALLY FUCKING DIFFERENT, RIGHT GUYS?

[@crosbowkil98]

***** he's not half bad, just a bit of a bell end.

[@thedeadwookie25]

+crosbowkil98 kill him

[@crosbowkil98]

thedeadwookie25 I've had snipers set up for years now.

[@maggotduster5613]

+crosbowkil98 That made me cringe.

[@crosbowkil98]

***** Oh god...

[@benwood5659]

i'm not an mmorpg player myself, but if I was in charge of this anime, here's the changes I would hypothetically make: First of all, the obvious changes - every episode in the 24 or 25 episode season would be about the titular game and there would've been four classes the player could've chosen before they actually started the game; there would've been the attack-oriented class that we all see, but there'd also be the tanks that draw in the enemies' attention, the healers which would be more oriented in long-range attacks, and speed-oriented players that focus on evasion. Second, devote an ova episode to just before the anime proper started, which would've been meant to explain why kayaba/heathcliff made this game in the first place. Third, make Kirito less of the protagonist than klein and genuinely more of an asshole that just so happens to be Klein's best friend. Kirito would tend to be more boastful about how he was a beta tester and how he knows more about what the game would be like than most other players. he would also have the belief - at first - that he could take on the game by himself. I would also downplay his badassery many degrees. Having him be one of the most competent players at first would be one thing because, again, he was a beta tester, but some ways I would make him seem less overpowered include making the self-recovery thing shown in episode 4 only be a thing at all for tanks (and even then, not nearly as overpowered as shown), making him harshly realize that he has to group up with other players if he wants to survive in the long run, and show more clearly that asuna - whom he would still legitimately hook up with by the end of the season - is the more powerful of the two. Fourth, make it so that each individual episode focuses on a different player or group of players. Perhaps it would've been the video game/horror/adventure version of tsurezure children. Kirito and klein may still have the most episodes to themselves since they're the first characters the anime focuses on, but i'd imagine that even then, their episodes would only total to be a quarter of the season. Not counting the first episode, they wouldn't have a second episode to themselves until after the eighth or ninth episode. The same would apply to the other players focused on within those episodes - aside from cameos and such - but these other stories would be mixed up between the players having fun adventures despite being trapped in the game and the episode ending poorly for them because of the threat of death. Also, every subsequent episode would take place on a later floor than the previous floors with a respectable amount of time having passed to match it. Fifth, end each episode with counts that show the most recent of the floors was cleared and how many of the (perhaps raising the initial 10,000 players to maybe 50,000 or even 100,000) that were initially trapped in the game had died. Sixth, assuming Yui should still be a thing at all in the anime, she would have a significant amount of changes. #1, no pretending that anyone is her "mommy and daddy". #2, since her role in the anime was basically to help the players as an emotional therapist A.I., make her a thing from the very beginning or at the very least have her appear by episode 3. Also, she'd switch between other players' parties to try and equally help them out. #3, make it clear that she's only there for emotional and mental support. While she could never be defeated, she also can't defeat any enemies herself. #4, when the game is finally overcome at the end of the anime, make her "death" stick. In the last episode that we'd see her, she'd start to be a little depressed because of how close they all have gotten to finally clearing the game and the nearby players would try to cheer her up somehow. Seventh, expanding on how I suggested earlier that asuna be better than Kirito, she's constantly saving him because he's an asshole that struggles with working with others. Sure, Kirito may have one or two moments when it's him saving him, but that's when he learns to not be so selfish and be more cooperative. besides, it should still be clear that asuna is more often the one between the two that does the rescuing than being the one that's rescued. Eighth, make it clear that the player has a 20-second window of time between their health dropping zero and the console frying their brains because of it. it's in this window of time that either the player should use the rare items that can save a player from death or, in the last episode when facing off against the final boss, they should beat him in order to save them. These last bits are pretty much how I would end the season. the second-to-last episode would mainly be about Kirito and asuna finally wrapping up their romance and actually being a couple and marry. They may have been a part of Heathcliff's guild clearing the floors, but when Heathcliff hears about this, he suggests that they go on their honeymoon on one of the lower floors while he and the other members of the guild clear the rest of the game. (It would be worth noting that they'd be on the 99th floor at this point.) Klein and his buddies would be part of this guild, so they go with him to beat the 99th boss. After they do so, they walk up to the final floor only for Heathcliff to turn around to them, congratulate them all for reaching the final floor of the game, and announce himself as both kayaba and the final boss of the game. In the final episode, klein and the rest of the guild partake in what would hopefully be the most impressive fight in the anime, starting with Heathcliff summoning a monster or robot that he would control as the boss, requiring a great amount of strategy and power on the team's part, maybe having a few deaths in the process, and ending in a cut shot that should imply klein almost certainly landed the final blow on Heathcliff. It would then cut to Kirito and asuna on their honeymoon when they decide that they should probably have virtual sex since they're married in the game. asuna, while reluctant at first, agrees and they get ready. however, just when they're barely even starting, everyone was logged out because the final boss was finally defeated. we'd cut to many of the players in the real world, their bodies degraded, waking up in hospitals, many of them with families relieved to see them conscious again. Kirito in particular would be pissed, but given the conditions of their bodies, all he could do was barely shift around in his hospital bed. the remaining 6 or so minutes of this season finale would be spread out over 2 or 3 months, showing those that survived slowly recovering from not moving at all over the two-and-a-half years. the final notes of the anime would probably be klein meeting up with other survivors since it would be a sort of late cheering for him ultimately helping clear the game in particular and Kirito, perhaps having almost fully recovered as well and finding out that asuna lives on the other side of the country, screams out into the night, "GODDAMMNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTT!!!" How does that all sound, for those of you that have read this far?

[@jameisname6177]

This??? Is better than the actual show- I want someone to like,,, write a fanfiction rewriting the entire show with these changes in mind.

[@Soulblast2]

My main problem is how the game itself doesn't make any sense, like there are literally 3 weapon types, mace, something else and a sword. And ONLY ONE PERSON IN THE ENTIRE GAME CAN DUAL WIELD SWORDS.

[@dreamycelestialtwilight7507]

Soulblast2 "SWORD art online" did you not understand the title? and it even says the MMORPG was made without magic so that each person would have to stand for themselves

[@Soulblast2]

LoliLisbeth Yes only swords make for a terrible concept there are like 3 weapons swords, maces and eeeeeh AND ONLY ONE PERSON CAN DUAL WIELD DO YOU NOT SEE THE PROBLEM IN THAT BEING AN ACTUAL MMO

[@dreamycelestialtwilight7507]

Soulblast2 simple, use potions, dont be pitiful, if i were in the game i'd honestly grind like hell before fighting anything strong

[@Soulblast2]

LoliLisbeth All I'm saying is that the MMO itself would be alot better with ranged weapons and alot more weapon variety

[@dreamycelestialtwilight7507]

YOU CANT DO THAT! IT'S A SWORD MMO IT'S ONLY SWORDS ;A;

[@BACKWARDSgameREVIEWS]

Part 1 The main character Okay Mr. Plinkett

[@drewsauveterre8867]

I didn't even notice that. but my brain did

[@hiduck8247]

What are you guys talking about? I wanna be a part of it, too.

[@CodeSwift01]

k

[@Dynme]

+Pancratius Of Old Red Letter Media, Star Wars review. At least, that's the review of theirs I'm familiar with, and they're hilarious.

[@TheAdminSlayer]

email me on my webzone if you want a pizza roll

[@MastaGambit]

i like how we're just completely ignoring the fact that suguha's existence is purely meant to fulfill an *incestual* fantasy

[@Sammysapphira]

+MastaGambit Is this a problem?

[@MastaGambit]

benblue3 Maybe if you actually value yourself as a respectable human being.

[@Sammysapphira]

MastaGambit Woah I had no idea cartoons were such a big deal

[@MastaGambit]

benblue3 Cartoons aren't. Liking incest is.

[@Sammysapphira]

MastaGambit Spoiler: all humans are from the same family

[@poisonmist13]

I want to see a trapped-in-the-video-game-story take place in Oregon Trail.

[@GippyHappy]

You know, this riverbank makes for a good resting’ place

[@luke1stars1masher]

If Yui doesn't piss you off, you need to rethink what it means to be pissed off

[@romulusnuma116]

What do you mean?

[@MrSentinel07]

+Plague Seeker Yeah, Yui is a stupid character. I get the guy's comments of how she brings out Kirito's lighter moments, but she seems like a pointless character. Not to mention, I found her calling Kirito "daddy" to be kind of creepy. She should have been a younger sister type character.

[@luke1stars1masher]

+Blueblade13 Yui was infuriatingly annoying, she was one of the worst characters in the show. Although, all the characters were bad to be fair.

[@alessandrozhang8455]

+Plague Seeker Agree. None of the characters had depth.

[@SpeedfreakUK]

Maybe I missed it but I'm amazed you didn't mention how the antagonist's motivation for creating the death game was eventually revealed as "uhhh, I can't remember anymore".

[@GippyHappy]

“Why did you blow up that orphanage!?” “Uhh idk man it was a long time ago.”

[@MonfangHowlett]

I actually had to stop the video when you went to the second part because I wanted to bring up my biggest bugbear about the show. PART 0: The Antagonist It is a pain to watch a show demonize a specific class of people, be it businessmen, politicians, career military or whoever. But it is even worse to... The only words I can think of are either 'Angelize' or 'deify' someone that is whole heartedly evil and insane into someone that we are meant to pity and hug and expect US to apologize to THEM. This is a thing that a lot of anime and manga seem to do. To take these completely evil people and things and turn them into the 'good guys'. At the end of the first part, I was ready to accept that this sociopath madman who trapped TEN THOUSAND MEN WOMEN AND CHILDREN (You remember those little kids) in a death game got his comeuppance. Got killed by his own mechanics and his constructed hell was brought to an end and his trip to hell got started. But instead, he got an almost heavenly backdrop while he peacefully explains to the two main characters (Who he nearly killed by his own actions several times and also figurative KILLED THEIR CHILD) why he did what he did. We are expected to feel sorry while he talks about wanting to make this fantasy world adn blah blah blah, I honestly couldn't hear because I was screaming at the TV for one of them to get up and kick his ass. Instead, they just sit there like morons. And then he gets to come back and play fucking guardian angel. I never was so pissed at a TV show.

[@Trixiethegoldenwitch]

Yeah that was weird. Personally, I'm all for the idea of reform and forgiveness, but neither of those are what happened here. I know that Kirito said at the beginning that he admired the guy or whatever, but they never explained why, and the dude's speech makes it clear he's a madman so... not sure what's up with that.

[@Trixiehobbits]

Personally, I really liked the portrayal of the villains in general. Yes, both of them. With Akihiko, I don't know if it was just me (and don't get me wrong, there were some obvious bits where this motivation fell through) but, I quite easily grasped the idea that Akihiko's intentions were not to create a game that out right killed you but to test the ability of humans to adapt in a high stakes game in which death was a very real possibility. I can see Akihiko looking at the current model of the world and being disgusted with how distant and unfeeling it is. He says at the end of the Aincard arc (I might be wrong) that he wanted to create a world in which he had complete control. I admit it's a stretch, and it doesn't justify his putting lives in danger but, Kirito agrees that while it is a high-stakes death came, Kayaba did essentially lay out fair rules. He wasn't going out of his way to kill so much as he was experimenting as a god would, seeing what kind of actions humans would take when set in a specific set of circumstances. He was a god complex villain, seeing himself as neither damned or divine and I do very much appreciate when writers portray villains as more than just 'that evil guy' because no matter how you slice it, everyone has motivations for what their doing and they all manage to justify to others or themselves doing cruel things to achieve their goals. With Souga however, Souga didn't get very much expansion at all beyond being an asshole that was trying to steal your girlfriend. He is basically every fourteen year old boy with a new girlfriends fear. To a certain extent, he could even be portrayed as a general fear for teenagers. His whole leverage is that Asuna's dad is planning to marry her off to some asshole stranger whom the main character doesn't feel is right for her. This means that Kirito is fighting against someone who has the blessing of her father. Furthermore, while I admit that there were some very unnecessary scenes, the final fight as a stand alone was quite interesting to me and if not for the general light heartedness of the second half, would have been quite awesome. The entire series shows Souga to be some asshole who wants to rape and take advantage of Asuna and that's not really shy'd away from. It seemed fitting at the end that the villain would finally try to own up on that in front of Kirito when he had the chance to since he loved to make people suffer for the evulz. Why people insist on using the come back from the dead trope so often is a bit baffling to me though and it's become a little haggard to me. Honestly, I'm not even sure why I like the series so much because I agreed with you on every point... I play alot of videogames... I've been single for a long time... wish fulfillment? Quite possibly. I'm going to go cleanse my mind with your suggestion to watch Log Horizon *****

[@MonfangHowlett]

All you said there, Trixie was that the guy also had a god complex along with his insanity and sociopath mindset.

[@Trixiehobbits]

Yes, but I prefer to look at insanity and sociopathy a little more deeply. Most people can just slap those labels on a villain and walk away, uncaring of the motives that made them that way. You seem to think that because Kayaba is a destructive sociopath, that he deserves to be punished by the end but... why? As a sociopath, he doesn't believe anything of what he's doing is wrong. Souga on the other hand just simply doesn't care and the scene where Kirito nearly slashes open his throat was very gratifying because he was such an open douche. Kayaba was doing what he was doing because he was curious and so far above normal humans intellectual levels that he grew distant from them. His real issue isn't a desire to kill en masse so much as it is that he doesn't empathize with humans anymore. Punishment wouldn't be befitting of him because Akihiko doesn't have the frame of mind to understand why he was being punished. Because he was sympathetic and in the end, it was he who bent his own rules to allow Kirito and Asuna to live for defeating him, he shows redeemable qualities.

[@MonfangHowlett]

Trixiehobbits Just because he doesn't understand WHY he is being punished doesn't mean he should be free from it. Children don't understand why they are being punished most of the time, but if we don't punish them, they won't learn that there is an objective right and an objective wrong.

[@amorahschultze3781]

Check this: Kazuto Kirigaya = Kirito Abbreviations of his name is KKK. Asuna is Grand Wizard in Abridged version (Or is joked to be). Boom, MIND BLOWN!

[@super5aj123]

I wonder if the abridged writers did that on purpose... knowing them, probably, lol

[@Tinil0]

My head hurts from nodding too hard while listening to this. Thank you for being able to clearly lay out most, if not all, of the reasons this show is awful in such an organized manner. I once had a friend ask me once why I didn't like SAO and I was overwhelmed into incoherence trying to even find where to begin when there was so much to say. Evidently you didn't have that issue.

[@Wtahc]

Tinil0 Well said.

[@VickyVicVicx]

+Tinil0 Ahaha! my thought exactly. My ex-boyfriend once told me a few months ago that he picked up this "new anime", and it was awesome! He was like "have you heard of SAO? Do you like it?" I had no idea what to say...

[@petruciosxdrn5881]

+Tinil0 That's exactly what happend to me, however I tend to like things more than other people (whater it is), and I also had only watched the first 12 episodes so I didn't dislike it very much... Good thing videos like this opened my eyes and prevented me from watching the rest of the series.

[@andresacosta4832]

"Kirito transforms into a giant Satan monster" Try taking that out of context

[@Nionivek]

Having watched "My Immortal the Web Series" which takes a Mary Sue and makes her one of the best characters in that show without changing her personality but rather the framing behind every scene as well as how people react to her. So I will say that the issue isn't EXACTLY that the character is a 13 year old's power fantasy character but rather how it is used. The Abridged series freakishly enough does quite well with him by making his "Loner" tendencies to be more about deep rooted social anxiety that he can't overcome AND let him be made the fool because of it. So honestly they could KEEP his power level and his personality and make it work.

[@jesseroach7978]

The abridged series is a godsend

[@Madman6231]

"My metric for how good a romance is, basically boils down to how jealous and lonely I feel when watching it."XD damn that made me laugh... but I feel ya. "It's not fucking Berserk..." lol XDDD

[@DillonHinx]

What a shame that such a great premise was wasted with SAO. Love the Plinkett review by the way.

[@Rage_WinterchiIl]

anime seems to do that a lot good premises, but completely squander them with poor writing.

[@aidannoonan7049]

The whole kirito and asuna not dieing in the finale fight was becasue the creator had disabled the death system in repsonse to his deal with kirito, it's also how the second half of season one makes sense.

[@Justsomegutswithamustache]

How to piss off any sao fan Guts is the real black swordsman

[@SleepyMook]

Guts the real Black swordsman with a mustache truth

[@selimkarayl7823]

But that's just telling the truth.

[@GutsEnthusiast]

Well im an exception i guess cuz sao is my fav anime and berserk is top 5 and if someone says guts is the original black swordsman id completely agree

[@CassDaMan1138]

I mean, but he is tho...

[@linked7835]

I like sao but i couldn't agree more

[@PopMusicKiller]

This analysis just makes it easier to appreciate Sword Art Online Abridged. Not only is it a fantastic parody, but iit essentially fixes every single issue that this video pointed out. Anyone who likes AND hates SAO should do themselves a favour and watch it right now.

[@turnersgauge3430]

The romance was the worst! DX Honestly it was what ruined it for me, along with the other girls who feel in love with edge lord Kirito. And if you ask me, Asuna barley really did anything. Like you said she "hides behind her boyfriend." The show made it out to seem like Asuna was an independent woman like how it made it out to seem like Kirito was a bad ass: they both didn't work.

[@natashajobar4868]

all i remember her doing is making kirito sandwiches and rabbit stew

[@chaosshadow5397]

Asuna helped kirito and others fight the Sao bosses. Without her they probably wouldn't have been able to get so far in the game.

[@craigpeoples9883]

Basically Asuna is awesome but never gets anything she doesn't even get an antagonist trust me when I say Asuna turning Sugo into cold slaw would of been really satisfying

[@oneangryboi408]

I wish Asuna was this badass girl who has to work hard to get where she was to survive in a world that wouldn't give her a second chance otherwise. But she was just this housewife for Kirito and in all honesty? That's gives a pretty sexist message to anyone watching the show. Most harems do anyway, but this was really a shit take to do with Asuna. I would've loved to see her work to get to where she was, especially in an environment that can be very toxic for women (yeah we know how it can be in gaming for women) to work with. But we're not given any of that. We're given a useless figure nearly raped just for shock value and to feed the main character with her near useless high level cooking.

[@craigpeoples9883]

@@oneangryboi408I agree while I think her being able to cook doesn't ruin her character a lot of the things you pointed out does even in war of the underworld she doesn't feel like intimidating as she used to

[@j.v.8429]

"Kirito is told by the evil douchebag, that he basically has 6 days before Asuna get's raped." Is by far the best summary of part two of season one of SAO I have ever heard!

[@NicDude583]

I've been watching a lot of Mother's Basement, and I love his analyses a lot as well, but something I love about your videos is your ability to connect the audio and the visuals in interesting and creative ways. The timing and pacing of your GATE video I thought was pretty brilliant, but I loved even more the fact that you basically were doing what Kirito was doing during the Aincrad arc, dicking around on levels he was too powerful for, and then ends with you getting your ass kicked by a boss you weren't supposed to take on alone (arguably a more realistic take on what Kirito would've experiened in a real MMO)

[@craigpeoples9883]

Not to mention that Asuna was supposed to be just as strong as him but they nerfed her for no reason and it sucks

[@MGNew]

No lol

[@MGNew]

@@craigpeoples9883 mad

[@Nersius]

If Asuna is one of the top toons in the original SAO, how did she get captured and put into a rape cage? Why couldn't she escape said rape cage? I mean, even if the weird hands that keep her inside are some special spell, she should be able to break through it through emotions + the stat grind system. Since stats carried over from game to game, how did Asuna, yet again, get trapped in a rape cage? Why didn't her father put a stop to it?

[@PhazonSpear]

Nersius Because she ceased to be a character and became an object. Ironically, the rape dungeon tells us this by its mere presense

[@Delimon007]

kirito hacked to get his stats over because "I'm a master hacker at 14 years old and I can hack anything and everything!"

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

She didn't do any of those things because... she's a guurrlll and needs saving! As for her father, it's not the first time I see fathers sacrificing their daughters on the altar of corporate business in anime.

[@Delimon007]

calls people retarded > ignores several factors such as the creator of SAO stating that everything about SAO would be deleted including the AI that is stuck in SAO

[@Delimon007]

Feel free to watch this kid kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYe5eH2GrLKNd6M Your logic is extremely flawed there is no possible way that she could have been stored in the nerve gear, the nerve gear was never stated to be able to actually store memory unless this is some type of asspull (which it is) just like him getting to keep all of his stats which was yet another ass pull do you care to show me where the anime/manga/light novel stated that saves were client side? This is the first time I've ever heard of bull shit like this because client side saves are horrible and stopped happening because of such, so in the future they just go back to client side saves because reasons lol. . . Makes no sense, can't remember it ever being stated. Bring proof and stop calling people retards. Client side things in MMOs = hacking + lag aka a disaster which is why MMOs don't do things client side

[@thechilledquagsire5512]

Unrelated but I got a Steins;Gate 0 European Announcement Trailer as the ad before this video. I am kinda weeping with happiness right now

[@idkwmytuni]

...Noob question, new to the scene but is Steins;Gate 0 different from Steins;Gate

[@thechilledquagsire5512]

It follows the worldline where Okabe doesn't save Kurisu, so it's part of the same universe but it is a different look at it

[@zarlei6048]

TheChilledQuagsire i

[@trax72]

Ironically, Digi is currently blasting that show episode by episode

[@insertname4532]

You know hearing in 2024 that it's to pessimistic to believe 10k idiots would fail to come together is so quaint

[@ygthemoth9425]

The thing is they wouldn't even need to come together: as long as you have a party of 5 people, you are basically good to clear everything at your level. They managed to take down the first boss with (basically) 0 casualties just by zerg rushing.

[@tieardragon4919]

Kirito is the greatest Gary Stue of all time. It's sickening.

[@TheDiscoGenre]

Tiear Rose Kirito and Erza's child when?

[@TheDiscoGenre]

I'm saying Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail) and Kirito are Mary Sues/Gary Stus.

[@TheDiscoGenre]

In an ironic way. To see if their kid could defeat 1,000,001 Tengen Toppa Gurren Laganns.

[@ChevaliersEmeraude]

TheDiscoGenre Yeah, sorry, but Erza is very much the opposite of a Mary Sue... Mary Sues are more like Bella in Twilight...

[@TheDiscoGenre]

Fairy Tail 404 makes me cringe and laugh. I will say Kirito being flat as fuck is worse than Erza's only character is being tough and wanting Jellal to give her a dicking.

[@jameskoch9567]

I can't remember how many times I've run this video. Also his big Psycho-Pass analysis and the Asterisk War ones. I'm not even a super huge anime fan, it's just so wonderfully pleasant to listen to someone critique shoddy media without going into a frothing, unintelligent rage and instead actually explain their logic. KZbin as a community rarely processes the difference between complaining and critiquing and I feel like Digibro really is the stand-out example to show that point. Keep it.

[@thevoidlookspretty7079]

I was watching this, and I actually forgot that Heathcliff/Kayaba didn’t have any motivation. I mixed him up with Abridged Heathcliff. Seriously. I think my watching SAO Abridged overwrote my experience of SAO Unabridged.

[@jaysonthing1]

This video is the anime Bible

[@Rikudo44]

Every single time I see the "People die when they are killed." meme I imagine Kirito snickering in the background and say in his abridged voice, "You sure about that?"

[@nexferna7695]

At the end when the Developer dude talks about why he made SAO and he said he forgot the reason I knew exactly why the writer made it that way. It’s very clear Kirito is writer’s self-insert and SAO is just an excuse for his disgusting fantasy and that’s why the Developer “forgot” the reason he made the game. Because the developer wanted to create SAO where he can be the hero and save everyone which is why he pretended to be a player and literally made himself better than everyone. That’s probably what the scene between Kirito and the Developer was supposed to be, talking about how insane the Dev was to kill so many people for a power fantasy but the writer probably realized the massive hypocrisy and rewrote it.

[@r.a.fgattaiguy845]

honestly I think he forgot the reason simply because the author never came up with one

[@michaeljames7857]

One thing I never see brought up about Kirito's OP healing factor from ep 4 that let him tank 7 or 8 people is that this amazing healing factor is never mentioned again. Even though it seems like it would give him a massive edge in boss battles, and hell, would've basically made him unkillable when Kuradeel was trying to kill him, it just disappears and the anime specifically shows him being healed through healing crystals after that.

[@RoyalFusilier]

From my understanding, it's not like he has a special op healing skill. It's simply that he was so much higher level than the guys trying to kill him that his natural inbuilt health regeneration was outpacing their damage, which is still absurd, but that's why it doesn't help him against huge bosses or other characters more his level. "My numbers are bigger than yours!"

[@michaeljames7857]

​@@RoyalFusilier I suppose it makes sense, but then I feel like we should've at least seen it heal him even if just a little bit. It would've made the battles more tense to see that the healing factor is still there but outpaced by the opponent's damage output, but instead it's just... not there at all. Like it somehow left between that fight and the rest of the show.

[@PixelHeroViish]

​@@michaeljames7857 That's because that pretty much is what happened. He had a "restore X amount of HP every X seconds" effect out of nowhere and it genuinely never comes up at all, not even in Alicization War of Underworld Cour II where they pull out ALL the references and Callbacks

[@imonlyherefornaruto]

To be fair, Kirito calls himself a Beater, not a Beta (unless I've seen a crappy translation) at the start of SAO. He insinuates heavily that Beta players are no better than regular ones and shouldn't be hated, he instead attempts to take all of the hatred upon himself, knowing that only another Beta player could possibly come close to harming him and that they wouldn't make any attempt to do so whilst he was serving as a distraction for the far more numerous regular players. He also hides his power level because he knows that people are being killed in the game (and dying in real life as a result), he's trying to bait gankers (I think they called them red players or something) into attacking him and being defeated. The goal being to make gankers afraid to attack actual low level players in case they, like Kirito, are actually high level players in disguise. I can't really fault the rest of your commentary though.

[@Trixiethegoldenwitch]

+Disappointing Starfish The term "beater" was supposed to be a combination of "beta" and "cheater" I think.

[@Scumner]

+Digibro That is indeed the case

[@mancat4840]

+Digibro That is correct.

[@doarwin]

+Syclone903 yup, if someone can't even understand his decisions in the first two episodes, you can pretty much leave it at that point. These aggressive outbursts and the initial rating he wanted to give (1/10) aren't really on point. Feels like a personal vendetta with the success of the series, not like an objective point of view. It's a good series, especially for people who are new to animes and especially for those playing MMOs.

[@Scumner]

Futiond I personally would really really beg to differ on it being good, i still feel its shit but not at 1/10 level, maybe 3/10, but he is totally allowed his opinion in his own video, don't say he is wrong, he just has a different view to you.

[@invertin]

This is why SAO:Abridged is so great. Why is Kirito so great despite being on his own? He's a huge asshole who doesn't team up with people because nobody likes him and he doesn't like them back, he has previous knowledge from the beta, he specifically mentions "skill" being a factor (as in, skill with a sword, which he would naturally have as a beta tester), he min-maxes and powerlevels to shit instead of using "inefficient" levelling strategies, and his signature two swords are described as ultra-rare and a unique crafted item respectively. And even then, he's generally shown to be on roughly equal terms with Asuna until he unlocks dual-wielding, which is explicitly said to be overpowered. Plus, instead of just being some average guy who somehow becomes the best at SAO because fuck you, he's actually shown to be much smarter than most of the people around him when he bothers to put his mind to it. Why is the game so unbalanced as to have op skills like that? Because Kayaba is an asshole. Other than that, they don't go much into overall mechanics besides the very basics of how Nerve Gear works unless they can parody MMOs with it somehow, they mostly talk about mechanics of specific quests for the sake of the episode instead. Where's the tension if Kirito is so OP? Well besides the comedy being reason enough to stick around, Kirito also has his own fascinating arc about his inability to face his own emotions besides smug superiority and hate for other people, and being forced to face that he cares about human beings besides himself. Plus they generally skip over most of the fight scenes anyway unless there's more to it than just Kirito being strong and badass. For example, they use the guys attacking Kirito to establish exactly how much faster he's levelling than the rest of the game, they use the first boss fight to establish his inability to work with others and the connection he has with Asuna, and his dual-wielding reveal isn't just about "hey look at kirito becoming EVEN MORE BETTER" it's also a really big step in his own emotional arc. Plus, all the meandering side stuff isn't used just for filler, it actually establishes that progress is being made by mentioning the floor the characters are on constantly and, of course, more emotional arc stuff for Kirito. They even make Kirito and Asuna's romance work without degrading Asuna, by making her clearly the one in charge between the two because of her greater understanding of human interaction compared to his... complete lack of understanding. She basically has the little twerp on a leash by the end of the episode where they actually start dating. They even make the scene where Kirito defends Asuna work by making the whole thing a ploy by Asuna to punish someone she can't officially beat the shit out of herself!

[@peacefulinvasion]

You know you could EASILY rewrite Alfeim online to be a great ark if you JUST got rid of the Asuna damsel in distress scene. Have it be Kirito and asuna get reunited before they get into Alfeim online. His sister then convinces him to try out another MMO RPG game. Kirito is hesitant remembering sword art online but he decides to do it anyway when Asuna decides to partake in it. Durring the series Kirito experiences PTSD even freaks out when he's killed in the videogame remembering what happened in the last game and uses the game to work through it. They also learn about the world tree that is just something made to be conquored. People speculate that whichever race that conquors it gets special privilages and is able to fly for as long as they want. After trying multiple times sometimes by himself, other times with friends of his race Kirito fails. Then after the third time they realize they need members of all races to participate. Everybody plays the game and succeeds thus they are the first to be able to obtain infinite flight. During the series they draw attention to them overcoming the mental scars that were caused via sword art online, and are reminded as to why they loved MMOs in the first place. You can even have the "villain" still be the game developer. Just have him be the one trying to divide up the clans, and pose as the main boss in the end. He doesn't have to be evil his motivation could literally be to "make the game more fun." Oh and get rid of the pussy magnet while you're at it. And just like that you've got an entertaining sequel.

[@craigpeoples9883]

Dude your a legend

[@naterivers6107]

Personally, if I were writing this series, half the people in it would have fucking PTSD, and Kirito would start season 2 in a support group. Then if you really wanna add in his sister as a character have her be the one that gets him to go into Elfhime.

[@ararmer19117]

Nate Rivers kirito, and others, do suffer varying forms of ptsd. The sister part doesn't make a lot of sense.

[@naterivers6107]

Here is what I mean. You remember how in season 2 Kirito turned into a quivering baby at the mere sight of Death Gun? That's what I mean. As for the sister, I do think it's okay to have a sister character. Just not how they did it.

[@samlerf]

Season 2 kinda ignored the second part of the first season, like some sort of reboot. That way Kirito's pts makes much more sense.

[@inkuii]

Well the only redeeming factor for SAO in my opinion is that the abridged series is absolutely hilarious. That version of Kirito had me cracking up by the 30 second mark!

[@sinthorias]

+InkBlackShadow SWE's SAO Abridged is canon. There was another SAO? I don't remember...

[@inkuii]

sinthorias Oh my, you're right! I vaguely remember seeing another SAO...perhaps it's a hallucination.

[@AnaseSkyrider]

+InkBlackShadow Am I missing something here? SWE's SAO Abridged as canon? What?

[@inkuii]

Anase Skyrider It's a joke, although I do wish it was canon...

[@george7561]

+InkBlackShadow same

[@andrewb.7917]

If you never want to be disappointed in an anime, just watch what Madhouse and David production puts out

[@Trixiethegoldenwitch]

+Andrew B. Good plan, I'll watch Magical Warfare, Photo Kano, Btooom, Devil May Cry, all the Marvel adaptations, Mahouka, Dogs, and Hyperdimension Neptunia. I'm sure none of those will be disappointing!

[@munkheadproductions.9027]

+Digibro Oh god, just seeing Photo Kano brings the memories back... so boring....

[@azianboi411]

+Digibro when you mention about the stone that brings back people from the dead and how it contradicts the nervgear frying the brain of the user. I was thinking maybe that the stone was already there when they created the game so maybe if they use it it may not work because your already dead from your brain being fried by the nervgear. So now, no matter how you use it, it's not going to work because the stone is useless.

[@TheLiquidusnake]

+Digibro I like the devil may cry anime it's the reason I immediately got into the video game series lol

[@Josh-xt2ig]

+Andrew B. ...Hunter x Hunter... Jojo's Bizarre Adventure..

[@abra238]

i loved the series, but HOLY FUCK DO YOU BRING UP GOOD POINTS

[@Genis94]

I applaud you sir. It's good to see people that can agree with the points someone makes, even if they disagree on the overall stance.

[@AtenaHena]

you sir, are an endangered spieces

[@nocap7885]

why arent narutards more like you?

[@AquaticBigfoot8]

Feel the same way :)

[@Jaydenyeah]

You're a rare type of person here, are you sure you belong on the internet?

[@oscarm7689]

Going over this at the end of 2021. Him saying that people would learn how to to handle a situation that is life or death within a month shows me just how much he had underestimated the sheer stupidity of humanity.

[@r.a.fgattaiguy845]

even understanding how dumb humans can be the people in SAO are a special level of retarded

[@Megaman33570]

You have some points about Kirito being a bad character; however, you also have to realize what is at stake. When it comes to distant emotions, he gains those because his family set him aside and he didn't feel as though he fit in. When a child doesn't fit in, those people's emotions usually get pushed back because they have been emitted so much. Also, another thing about his whole emotional conflict, you have to also realize that Kirito is in a game where if you die, you REALLY die. You don't really have much time to show the little emotions you have if you're Kirito because you're really focused on getting out of the game alive. He definitely isn't the BEST main character, but at least he's not Ash Ketchum.

[@Lizzyrose38]

Megaman33570 well said... I especially like the last sentence. (not saying I completely am hating on pokemon to all the people out there who think I am. im just saying that I personally think Kirito is way better than Ash.)

[@VT-mw2zb]

+Megaman33570 pick a war movie. A good war movie. A great one. Is every single characters (or at least the main character) in that is a gloomy, cold, distant, Batman wannabe? No, of course not. They joke, the goof about, the got bored, they read porn, they wanked, etc ... War can be surprisingly mundane. Are they in a life and death situation? Yes. Do they see death everyday? Yes. Do they see gory death? Yes; instead of a "dead" player exploding into pixelated glass shards. But they are still very human, with human emotions, and thousand yards stares. Just browse any clips that does not contain any shooting from The Pacific, Band of Brothers, Generation Kill, Saving Private Ryan, and see what I'm talking about. Kirito has the personality and conflicts of a 4chan user but is somehow managed to attract chicks anyway; unlike IRL.

[@Medachod]

Dude, I tried playing Tera, but that game is THIRTY-EIGHT GIGABYTES. HOLY FUCK THAT IS ONE BIG DOWNLOAD. Now, I know this is completely unrelated, but if you decide to reply to this: should I put this humongous game onto my computer? I have been meaning to try it, so does it have a lot of replay value?

[@Trixiethegoldenwitch]

+Medachod - I played about 160 hours, which is a lot more than I usually do of a game.

[@Medachod]

***** Really? That is pretty amazing. Also, I have just heard this, but does it actually play similar to Monster Hunter as well? If so, this is a must-have for me. Monster Hunter with a beat 'em up style to make it faster sounds like my bread and butter for an MMORPG.

[@Alottasloths]

+Medachod It's not exactly like monster hunter, but it's very similar in the sense of if you hack and slash your way to victory... there will be no victory :D, but for an MMO, it's reasonably fast paced combat similar to monster hunters, but with skills, classes, etc.

[@Dunatos.]

+Medachod Well, while the game play is amazing and I put a ton of time into the game, I wouldn't get into it unless you want to devout a lot of time into RNG and somewhat broken classes. Basically, I spent 3 months worth of farmed gold and mats into failing 70-80 times from +12 to +15, and I only got to +13- and this is only one weapon piece out of 3 armor pieces. But if you don't mind somewhat broken mechanics and bad RNG, its a good game to get into and not getting way into it and trying to min-max everything like I did (sort of).

[@NatWarrior1]

+Digibro Idk if you or anyone else would reply to this but is the game hard to get into? Currently the MMORPG I'm playing(from what I know) is rather difficult for any new player to get into, considering the meh community and the pointless grinding that has to be done in it. I grew up with the game, so I'm not gonna give up on it, but I'd like to try TERA. Seems like a cool game to me :D

[@BeliosRage]

Your description of Kirito fits perfectly with my perception of the majority of people you meet in online games: unsocial, inhumane acting and only focused on being better than others. Now don't get me wrong, I like playing online and I met awesome people here and there, but I also came across subjects that didn't even bother to give me a f*cking "hello" when I tried to welcome them in the team. And that annoys the sh*t out of me. I know that is a bit off topic, but I just had to break that down.

[@Lego9231]

There is one thing I want to add to the timeline of the first arc: I had to read the light novels for a school project(no joke), and the first one, which was supposed to be submitted to the contest, started on floor 74, when jesus-kun battles some random monsters, and all we know of everything that has happened before is a flashback. So the entire first novel is just the last 3 episodes and the first one, with the rest being written to somehow fit the gaps.

[@cphotenhauer4153]

the best arc so far was the Zekken arc and that's mostly just because we got new female characters that didn't immediately want to fulfil Kirito's every desire, and Asuna took over as the MC while Kirito stepped back to take a supporting role.

[@bandaid6550]

"I judge a romance based on how lonely and sad it makes me..." wow, didn't know you and I had so much in common, Digi, lol

[@kingartemiz2xxx786]

I don't why I like this show, I just do. But, I get why people hate it and what are the problems with it, one of them being the damn timeskips. I don't love SAO, I just like it.

[@mirutee]

tbh it's not bad but decent at best but I think SAO reputation suffered alot because of it's hype and popularity and also it had a really promising idea I mean survival in a video game thats pretty awesome but the fact that the creators pulled an entire 180 and from there on didnt know what to with this anime and the pacing... no EVERYTHING was pretty much executed badly especially Asuna imitating Princess Peach even though she was presented as a strong and independent woman at the beginning, but the audio and animations were nice tho

[@kingartemiz2xxx786]

HiroLeagues Even though she was basically Princess Peach in the second arc, at least she orchestrated her rescue. However, that fact gets lost and completely gloss over among the hate for the show, because reasons. The excuse being Dismal in Distress is still Dismal in Distress bullshit.

[@mirutee]

King Scheiber well there are nice things that I can appreciate like the great soundtrack/s and great animation, but the negatives just overweigth the positives by a ton and cant just be ignored like the sudden shifts in strength/characteristics/priority breaking the games rules just to fit the "plot" if there is one instead of plottwists and fillers especially in the 1st part, and even the creator admitted that SAO is rushed so SAO shouldn't really be taken as serious as some do

[@kingartemiz2xxx786]

HiroLeagues But SAO doesn't really have much of any filler, at least in the first and second arcs combined.

[@mirutee]

well my bad not fillers, rather nonsensical scenes that didn't lead to anything due to bad scenes at wrong times and sometimes even forced scenes just because why not and endless scenes of expositions, to make sense into this anime but at the end just scraps that idea for an examples: THERE ARE 100 FLOORS YOU MUST BEAT but then at the end it didn't even matter at all so pretty much time wasted and also to this date I still don't get why Kirito had to hide his dual wielding from everyone except that it makes the fight more dramatic

[@Mahaveez]

My TL;DW: 1. The writer doesn't understand what an MMORPG is (even though the premise is key to primary audience engagement) 2. The characters don't understand what the stakes are (even though the stakes are key to dramatic tension) 3. The male lead doesn't understand what online gaming is (even though doing so is key to making an effective character arc in the given setting) 4. The female lead doesn't understand what motivates the "tsun" in a tsundere (even though addressing that motivation is key to such a character building a relationship) 5. The second half doesn't understand what dramatic irony is (i.e. building up for a tragic or comedic payoff through the sympathetic equivalent of cringe moments) 6. Such a story, like an MMO, should have been carefully crafted to take advantage of the open world and its many potential venues--not rushed and spaghetti-coded 7. Love cures brain damage I have never watched one minute of this show, I rarely watch anime, and I only came here on a suggestion in my quest to improve my own story writing skills. How'd I do?

[@ararmer19117]

Mahaveez pretty poorly. Keep practicing.

[@apertureAI-jw1iz]

If there's a ten second or so gap between the time you die, and the time the nerve gear fries your brain, than theoretically unplugging or taking off the nerve gear should be completely harmless, especially if they somehow managed to get Kirito from his bedroom to a whole hospital.

[@FalconsFootball36]

the only good arc was the one where Asuna plays with the kids from the cancer ward to get their names immortalized for all time in a game they loved, which was awesome, but like that was deep into the show

[@kikihoyo2091]

The only good thing about SAO was that it got me into Log Horizon. That's literally it

[@MGNew]

Watch more and log horizon is trash lol

[@williamhuynh869]

SAO Abridged is really funny too, respect for SWE and the original SAO's art quality

[@dainess2919]

I'm glad this video lasted longer than his favorite MMO. RIP Tera. JSH you sick bastard