For Those of you About to Sword Art Online.....Check This Out Instead

Today I finally finished watching Sword Art Online 2 and I have to say that Reki Kawahara's show is bastardizing a genre that I feel has a lot of potential and can be quite enjoyable (when done right). With trillions of plot holes, horrible exposition scenes, nonsensical thematic diarrhea moments, and outrageous concepts that I can't believe its fans buy into, Sword Art Online 2 may possibly be one of the worse sequels to a popular show I've ever seen (let alone a bad popular show). It's a shame that a show that tried to do the "people trapped in an MMO" genre presented itself in such an abysmal way. Yet for what it's worth, it seems that all studio A-1 has to do to sell a show is present a sort of cool concept, throw in a good art style, and some cool animated fighting scenes. It truly befuddles me that Sword Art Online is as popular as it is but I'm here to offer some potential alternatives that I feel one should consider if you find yourself so compelled to watch this disaster of a show.

For those of you who simply want a better version of Sword Art Online that does the trapped in an MMO genre justice, albeit a bit more dialogue-centric and political; look no further than the brilliant Log Horizon (which currently is airing it's second season and a show I intend to write about more extensively at a later date). It's a smart and fun show that I feel is the best example of a show taking place in an MMO game.

Log Horizon

For those of you who want a show with amazing artwork/visuals, fantastic fight scenes, and some very fleshed out and interesting themes, check out Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. I'd like to think that Sword Art Online has become a new generation entry-level anime. Full Metal Alchemist is another entry level anime that I feel truly deserves all the praise it has gotten over the years and really serves as a fine example of what anime really has to offer. 

If you're still craving the MMO setting than perhaps the .Hack series (the series that basically started the whole trapped in an MMO genre) is a better suited flavor. Of each entry in the series I think the the two very best include .Hack//Quantum (a short 3 episode OVA series that's fun as hell) and .Hack//Roots.

If you're more of a manga reader, perhaps check out Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (aka Shield Bro) that deals with an every day guy being sent into a video game and tells a dark story with a lot of twists. It's certainly more well thought out than Sword Art Online. 

If you're looking for some amazing fight scenes that spout some fantastic choreography and direction then check out the OVA series Read or Die (R.O.D.) or Mashahiro Ando's amazing film Sword of the Stranger (my personal favorite anime film). 

Lastly, if you're craving a strong romantic sub plot (better than Kirito x Asuna or Kirito x Rejected women who like Kirito club) interweaved in a show taking place in a sci-fi world with strong themes of fantasy, science, and religion than check out the classic Eureka Seven.

This post was mainly created out of frustration that Sword Art Online has sky rocketed in popularity to the point that some even consider it to be "the best anime of all time." I've even heard the same people claim that "there are no other shows like this one." As such, such outrageous claims have led to this post that will hopefully convince people that there are indeed a copious amount of shows that exist that are like Sword Art Online and are arguably 100 times better. I get a lot of hate from people for hating on this show but it's simply my opinion. At the very least, I just wish that these people obsessed with Sword Art Online would give other shows such as the ones listed above a chance before passing off Sword Art Online as "the greatest thing in anime right now." Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day. 

-Nights Off