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Sword Art Online: Aincrad Manga #1-2
Sword Art Online: Aincrad Omnibus
In the year 2022, gamers rejoice as Sword Art Online - a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) like no other - debuts, allowing players to take full advantage of the ultimate in gaming technology: NerveGear, a system that allows users to completely immerse themselves in a wholly realistic gaming experience. But when the game goes live, the elation of the players quickly turns to horror as they discover that, for all its amazing features, SAO is missing one of the most basic functions of any MMORPG - a log-out button. Now trapped in the virtual world of Aincrad, their bodies held captive by NerveGear in the real world, users are issued a chilling ultimatum: conquer all one hundred floors of Aincrad to regain your freedom. But in the warped world of SAO, "Game Over" means certain death - both virtual and real...
388 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2014
188 people are currently reading
4319 people want to read
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April 9, 2014Best ANIME EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 23, 2017
As a longtime lover of both action/adventure stories and virtual worlds, this seemed right up my alley...and it was! I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
December 14, 2016
Amazing!.... since begin i love it...!
November 14, 2019
I really did not like this book. It was quite boring. I hated the idea that people go in a game and cannot log out until you finish the whole game. These kids were in the game for 2 years before they actually finished the game. If they died in the game, they died in the real world. I do did not like it !!
February 13, 2018
Nervegear is a company that has developed an all-inclusive gaming experience, the gear tapping straight in to the individuals brain waves so that they can see, feel, taste, smell, and hear everything in game while their bodies are absolutely still in the real world. Until recently, the only things it had been used for were academic. But with the release of Sword Art Online, the first Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) to be released on the gear, players can interact in the realm of Aincrad. Kirito, was one of the lucky individuals selected as a Beta tester and was hooked months ago during the trial period, naturally, he’s got the game for launch day. Ten thousand players log-in for launch day, creating their avatars and exploring “the Beginning”, or the spawn point where everyone begins. But at dusk when the try to logout for dinner, none of the players have a logout button. There are no other ways to logout, no walkarounds, no backdoors. The players are trapped in the game. The creator, Akihiko Kayaba, confirms this, teleporting them all back to the spawn point and making an announcement that this is a game you don’t just play. They’re lives and irrevocably tied to the game now. If you die in the game, you die in the real world. If anyone attempts to remove your Nervegear while you are in-game, you’re dead too. All local authorities, hospitals, and news outlets have been informed of these new parameters. Unfortunately, some families chose not to listen, and several individuals will never return to the world (in Aincrad or the real world). The only way any of them will rejoin the real world is when someone makes it to Level 100 and defeats the final boss.
Kirito has an advantage; having been a Beta tester he realizes the urgency in getting to the next town to mine XP and gold before it’s overrun. In MMORPG’s there is only a set amount of XP and gold and loot items attainable. Timing is important, insider knowledge is important, moving quickly ahead of other is also very important. And so, Kirito leaves the friend he just made, Klein, that day to head to the next town and start leveling his skills and his avatar up. As time went on, he would remember this as the first big mistake in his game life.
Two years later, Kirito and everyone else is still locked in-game, or everyone else who has survived. Agil is Kirito’s tradesman, someone that he goes to often to trade gear and dropped objects for gold, to re-weapon, and resupply. Other than large-party raids on bass-levels, Kirito keeps to himself, choosing to be a solo player and trying to hide the fact that he is one of the Beaters (combination of the words “beta-testers” and “cheaters”) Asuna, a game-known character and vice-president of the Knights of the Blood Oath guild, has met Kirito on a number of raids when he has joined others. She respects him as a fighter as he respects her, not only for her fighting but because she cares about others, checks on him, and has mastered her cooking skills as well. It’s because of this mastered cooking skill that Kirito seeks her out, asking her if they could split the S-class cooking ingredient he scored if she will prepare the meal.
This sparks them spending more time together, getting to know each other, fight together, and laugh together. Asuna‘s care for other leads her to follow a doomed troop marching into a monster spawn—which, in turn, leads Kirito to follow her, as he has grown to respect and care for her. It becomes apparent that the group is doomed against the boss and more lives are about to be lost, when Kirito asks Asuna and his friend Klein to keep the Boss busy for a couple of seconds. In a moment where a lot of lives were on the line, Kirito reveals his greatest secret, his power to dual wield blades. He is able to defeat the Boss with his unique ability, but his secret is out and now the whole game-world knows.
He is tricked into joining Asuna‘s guild by the president, Heathcliff, when he losses in a duel against him. Shortly after his joining and a sabotage is attempted, Kirito and Asuna take several weeks off of guild duty and buy a house in the countryside, get married, and try to enjoy some of the more beautiful details of the game world, instead of the death, monsters, and violence. During their vacation they come across a strange, lost little girl who doesn’t remember or know who her parents are or where she is from. Her name is Yui and she calls Kirito and Asuna Papa and Mama, respectively. While trying to find out more information about Yui, the couple accidentally stumbles on a GM port, or a log-in port, that has been hidden and guarded by a ridiculously high-powered boss that shouldn’t be in the first level location. At the edge of defeat, Yui steps forward, killing the boss with a widely oversized scythe and revealing that she is an “Immortal Object”. After defeating the boss, Yui tells her Papa and Mama that she accessed the port and regained her memories, she isn’t a player, she is the game’s psychological programming part that was suspended when the game went live so that players had the power to do the things she was initially there to stop and help them with—emotional burdens, thoughts of self-harm, suicide. Now that she’s activated herself in a visible form and accessed a port, the system will find her and delete the system files that she is comprised of. Before the system permanently deletes Yui’s files, Kirito is able to save her files, converting her into an in-game object, a jewel and a file saved to his Nervegear. An object that Asuna wears as a necklace the rest of the game, the couple vowing to beat the game and see Yui, their first child, once more.
Soon after, they receive a message from the guild president Heathcliff calling them back for a large boss raid on the front lines (what they call the highest level yet attained). Will Kirito and Asuna make it through the game? Will they ever see Yui again? Will their relationship last outside of the game if they ever get freed?
SAO is one well illustrated, well thought-out story. In the American paperback version published in the US by Yen Press is black and white, though the cover is in color as well as one or two pages. The paper itself is rather thin and feels like it would be really easy to tear, but the images make up for the paper quality. The characters themselves are developed, explored, and the reader is able to see that there is always more than one skill, or one side, to every character. Not only are relationship and romantic interests developed, betrayals, puzzles, and skill leveling in the story, but there is also topics addressed that are deeper in technological ideas. What is real? What is the perception of reality? Are we what we create our characters to be or do the characters and avatars we create in-game start defining our lives and personality outside of games? Kawahara does an excellent job in bringing his imagined online world to life.
Kirito has an advantage; having been a Beta tester he realizes the urgency in getting to the next town to mine XP and gold before it’s overrun. In MMORPG’s there is only a set amount of XP and gold and loot items attainable. Timing is important, insider knowledge is important, moving quickly ahead of other is also very important. And so, Kirito leaves the friend he just made, Klein, that day to head to the next town and start leveling his skills and his avatar up. As time went on, he would remember this as the first big mistake in his game life.
Two years later, Kirito and everyone else is still locked in-game, or everyone else who has survived. Agil is Kirito’s tradesman, someone that he goes to often to trade gear and dropped objects for gold, to re-weapon, and resupply. Other than large-party raids on bass-levels, Kirito keeps to himself, choosing to be a solo player and trying to hide the fact that he is one of the Beaters (combination of the words “beta-testers” and “cheaters”) Asuna, a game-known character and vice-president of the Knights of the Blood Oath guild, has met Kirito on a number of raids when he has joined others. She respects him as a fighter as he respects her, not only for her fighting but because she cares about others, checks on him, and has mastered her cooking skills as well. It’s because of this mastered cooking skill that Kirito seeks her out, asking her if they could split the S-class cooking ingredient he scored if she will prepare the meal.
This sparks them spending more time together, getting to know each other, fight together, and laugh together. Asuna‘s care for other leads her to follow a doomed troop marching into a monster spawn—which, in turn, leads Kirito to follow her, as he has grown to respect and care for her. It becomes apparent that the group is doomed against the boss and more lives are about to be lost, when Kirito asks Asuna and his friend Klein to keep the Boss busy for a couple of seconds. In a moment where a lot of lives were on the line, Kirito reveals his greatest secret, his power to dual wield blades. He is able to defeat the Boss with his unique ability, but his secret is out and now the whole game-world knows.
He is tricked into joining Asuna‘s guild by the president, Heathcliff, when he losses in a duel against him. Shortly after his joining and a sabotage is attempted, Kirito and Asuna take several weeks off of guild duty and buy a house in the countryside, get married, and try to enjoy some of the more beautiful details of the game world, instead of the death, monsters, and violence. During their vacation they come across a strange, lost little girl who doesn’t remember or know who her parents are or where she is from. Her name is Yui and she calls Kirito and Asuna Papa and Mama, respectively. While trying to find out more information about Yui, the couple accidentally stumbles on a GM port, or a log-in port, that has been hidden and guarded by a ridiculously high-powered boss that shouldn’t be in the first level location. At the edge of defeat, Yui steps forward, killing the boss with a widely oversized scythe and revealing that she is an “Immortal Object”. After defeating the boss, Yui tells her Papa and Mama that she accessed the port and regained her memories, she isn’t a player, she is the game’s psychological programming part that was suspended when the game went live so that players had the power to do the things she was initially there to stop and help them with—emotional burdens, thoughts of self-harm, suicide. Now that she’s activated herself in a visible form and accessed a port, the system will find her and delete the system files that she is comprised of. Before the system permanently deletes Yui’s files, Kirito is able to save her files, converting her into an in-game object, a jewel and a file saved to his Nervegear. An object that Asuna wears as a necklace the rest of the game, the couple vowing to beat the game and see Yui, their first child, once more.
Soon after, they receive a message from the guild president Heathcliff calling them back for a large boss raid on the front lines (what they call the highest level yet attained). Will Kirito and Asuna make it through the game? Will they ever see Yui again? Will their relationship last outside of the game if they ever get freed?
SAO is one well illustrated, well thought-out story. In the American paperback version published in the US by Yen Press is black and white, though the cover is in color as well as one or two pages. The paper itself is rather thin and feels like it would be really easy to tear, but the images make up for the paper quality. The characters themselves are developed, explored, and the reader is able to see that there is always more than one skill, or one side, to every character. Not only are relationship and romantic interests developed, betrayals, puzzles, and skill leveling in the story, but there is also topics addressed that are deeper in technological ideas. What is real? What is the perception of reality? Are we what we create our characters to be or do the characters and avatars we create in-game start defining our lives and personality outside of games? Kawahara does an excellent job in bringing his imagined online world to life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2025
This was an interesting and different from what I normally read. I never read any other SAO manga but this one was pretty good. I love the plot of them being trapped and you have to reach a cernten level then everyone will be set free is cool. I love the writing and the art as well. Not sure if I am going to read more of this series but if I do it will probably be later on.
August 13, 2023
i will never get tired of this story. sword art was the first anime i fell in love with and have watched it over five times, i really wanted to read the manga and i thought kirito was drawn a lot cuter than in the anime. i love the story, it’s always been so fascinating to me, it almost makes me wish that we had something similar to this—minus the fact you’re trapped and you can actually die in this world because i would be dead in a few hours.
March 5, 2014
i like the book beginning and the middle haven't got to the end but it is a very good book because the characters in the story has a game system.And they plug it up to an computer and put the game control on there head ( it's a game helmet ) and they say link start and they go into another world with action and adventure. and they look different sound different and have different names.its a pretty good book but i like the shows better because i can see what they are doing and how they do it.then the game master comes and tells all the characters that the only way to exit out the game is unless you beat the game.and every on got scared and started freaking out.and he said "if you die you'll die in real life" and they started to freak out even more. im going to stop because i don't want to spoil every thing.
May 9, 2017
4.5. i love swort art online so fucking much
February 28, 2018
The story Sword Art Online, by Tamako Nakamura, always seems to keep me intrigued. In the year 2022, a VRMMORPG video game came out that changed the world of videogames. It has a full dive feature, that fully envelops your body into the game. It was called Sword Art Online. When the game went live, players were surprised to see that when they tried to logout, there was no log out button. Unable to leave the game, the players are soon told that the only way the can leave the game is if they beat the game. This is easier said than done. The story follows Kirito, a player who beta tested the game, and is instantly labeled as a cheater, because he beta-tested and knows the game. He quickly becomes one of the most powerful players. I really enjoyed reading this. It was interesting how the players reacted when thrown into this virtual world, and it kept my attention. Not only did it involve intense scenes, it had romance and other factors put into it, which made the story that much more compelling. The writer did a very good job of attaching you to the characters. It made me think that i knew the characters first hand. The book made me both happy and sad, with scenes like kirito almost losing his last bit of HP and disappearing into the world of Sword Art Online, or when Kirito and Asuna had their first kiss. I really liked this graphic novel.
February 24, 2020
This is an amazing start to a great series. this book's main setting is a virtual world call Sword Art Online. In this world, Kirito and 10,000 other players log into Sword Art Online on the day it's released to the public. But what they come to realize that there was no way to log out of the game. they were told that if your character dies in the game, you'll die in real life. journey with Kirito to find out if he will survive and beat the death game.
September 10, 2018
This book was really great, although it was pretty fast paced compared to other manga I've read. Overall, really great book, but it would've been fine without the cheesy romance between Asuna and Kirito.
December 7, 2017
I'm a big fan of the anime series and thought this manga was brilliant as well.
November 4, 2018
I don't get why this anime/manga is hated by so many people. It's one of my favorites!
September 11, 2015
I LOVE SWORD ART ONLINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 28, 2014
I'm just going to come out and say it.
The anime was better.
The art of the manga was... inconsistent at best, appalling at worst. Characters either look like they're 8 or a sick monkey (with some exceptions such as Yui, who is supposed to look like a child, Agil, and Heathcliff). Klein especially suffered from sick-monkey syndrome. He was kind of cute in the anime, in a way (or I thought he was; probably one of the few). I seriously cringed at his image in the manga (and I can't speak for how he looked in the light novel, if there was ever a picture of him; I tried Google, nothing came up).
There was also the problem of girls either getting clones or spines, never both. While the broken backs and centaur-figures weren't quite as egregious as things I've seen on Escher Girls, there were times when I saw Asuna and just went, "ouch." Yui is the only female character who doesn't suffer from battle bikini or broken backs, but I'm assuming that's because she's supposed to be a kid (and thus not super sexy).
But that's enough about art. I could rant about the art for a while.
The next thing I'd like to point out is confusing timeline. Two years are skipped and small details filled in with flashbacks. We thus get Kirito's "tortured" expression in front of a panel containing a character we hadn't met until a much later flashback. It also wasn't clear why he felt tortured by it, because it was just her face. I mean, I knew why, but that's because I watched the anime (which took a much more linear look at the series).
The story itself was rushed. Though SAO is a great story, you'd never know by how quickly the manga rushes through it. It's like, "I'm sick of this. Let's get through it already."
There was also the HUGE problem of info-dump text walls. That's right. Entire pages of text. In a row. Globbed together so it's hard to see which paragraph you were supposed to read next (this might be because of translation).
Characters I really liked in the anime didn't even appear in the manga (they were "side story" characters according to wikipedia, so I'm not sure if that's the reason).
Over all, I was really disappointed. I would say pass on the manga and watch the anime.
The anime was better.
The art of the manga was... inconsistent at best, appalling at worst. Characters either look like they're 8 or a sick monkey (with some exceptions such as Yui, who is supposed to look like a child, Agil, and Heathcliff). Klein especially suffered from sick-monkey syndrome. He was kind of cute in the anime, in a way (or I thought he was; probably one of the few). I seriously cringed at his image in the manga (and I can't speak for how he looked in the light novel, if there was ever a picture of him; I tried Google, nothing came up).
There was also the problem of girls either getting clones or spines, never both. While the broken backs and centaur-figures weren't quite as egregious as things I've seen on Escher Girls, there were times when I saw Asuna and just went, "ouch." Yui is the only female character who doesn't suffer from battle bikini or broken backs, but I'm assuming that's because she's supposed to be a kid (and thus not super sexy).
But that's enough about art. I could rant about the art for a while.
The next thing I'd like to point out is confusing timeline. Two years are skipped and small details filled in with flashbacks. We thus get Kirito's "tortured" expression in front of a panel containing a character we hadn't met until a much later flashback. It also wasn't clear why he felt tortured by it, because it was just her face. I mean, I knew why, but that's because I watched the anime (which took a much more linear look at the series).
The story itself was rushed. Though SAO is a great story, you'd never know by how quickly the manga rushes through it. It's like, "I'm sick of this. Let's get through it already."
There was also the HUGE problem of info-dump text walls. That's right. Entire pages of text. In a row. Globbed together so it's hard to see which paragraph you were supposed to read next (this might be because of translation).
Characters I really liked in the anime didn't even appear in the manga (they were "side story" characters according to wikipedia, so I'm not sure if that's the reason).
Over all, I was really disappointed. I would say pass on the manga and watch the anime.
July 8, 2023
Even though the storyline is super generic, it’s a fairly decent manga. The first volume (there’s two in this omnibus) is really good. Like I said, the story is generic, but I enjoyed the world and the characters, and I just had a fun time going along with it all. For the first volume alone I’d rate it 4.5.
The second volume is where the problems begin. First is the romance between the two leads. It’s so forced and melodramatic it’s hard to read without cringing. All this ‘lets get married’, then getting married, and almost adopting a fucking random child they saved was just embarrassing to read. Bare in mine the leads are 16 and 17 too which makes it even dumber. Nobody plays the voice of reason when they find out either so you can’t argue it’s meant to show naivety, etc. The author obviously thinks this is what kids get up to in their spare time.
Next, is the ending. It’s the whole hero rises up to beat a guy he couldn’t beat before by literally breaking the rules that have been etched into the world from the beginning. Apparently ‘love’ can make you chose to ignore dying because the power of boners. But they get a happy ending so that should make me happy too, right? Wrong. It’s dumb, and goes against everything you’ve read.
Despite those two (major flaws), everything else around it is good. It is a fun story and there’s a lot of potential. The other mangas might be better too which makes me curious to check them out. Like I said, I enjoyed the world. Maybe the anime makes things less lame too??
So yeah, not sure why this is hyped exactly, but it is entertaining, if you ignore the cheese and lame ending.
Oh, and last thing. The artwork is atrociously bad. Its a good thing the story was decent enough for me to get passed it because it’s 1 star level shit. Who’ve thought it was acceptable needs to be shot. It’s another reason why I want to watch the anime.
2.5/5
The second volume is where the problems begin. First is the romance between the two leads. It’s so forced and melodramatic it’s hard to read without cringing. All this ‘lets get married’, then getting married, and almost adopting a fucking random child they saved was just embarrassing to read. Bare in mine the leads are 16 and 17 too which makes it even dumber. Nobody plays the voice of reason when they find out either so you can’t argue it’s meant to show naivety, etc. The author obviously thinks this is what kids get up to in their spare time.
Next, is the ending. It’s the whole hero rises up to beat a guy he couldn’t beat before by literally breaking the rules that have been etched into the world from the beginning. Apparently ‘love’ can make you chose to ignore dying because the power of boners. But they get a happy ending so that should make me happy too, right? Wrong. It’s dumb, and goes against everything you’ve read.
Despite those two (major flaws), everything else around it is good. It is a fun story and there’s a lot of potential. The other mangas might be better too which makes me curious to check them out. Like I said, I enjoyed the world. Maybe the anime makes things less lame too??
So yeah, not sure why this is hyped exactly, but it is entertaining, if you ignore the cheese and lame ending.
Oh, and last thing. The artwork is atrociously bad. Its a good thing the story was decent enough for me to get passed it because it’s 1 star level shit. Who’ve thought it was acceptable needs to be shot. It’s another reason why I want to watch the anime.
2.5/5
February 12, 2015
A Stunning Selection of Science Fiction
####[WARNING: I MIGHT HAVE SPOILED SOME PLOT INFORMATION IN THIS REVIEW AND I DON'T WANT ANY ANGRY PEOPLE COMING TO MY HOUSE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]####
The first volume of Sword Art Online (SAO) is what I would describe as “a stunning selection of science fiction”. Not just its plotline, characters, and style of the book make it deserving of this attribute. Very few authors/directors have attempted to use the idea of virtual reality in their works. The first line of the book is "A huge castle made of stone and steel floating in an endless sky. That was all this world was." This does not by any means explain the diversity and mystery of the world within the huge castle. Almost all of the novel is contained within a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). This game is called Sword Art Online (who would have guessed). One beta tester named Kirito is the main protagonist that the reader follows. After about two hours of the game’s official release, players begin to realize that they are unable to log out of SAO. Therefore, they cannot leave the game. Then, developer Kayaba Akhiko comes in and explains that if death occurs within the game, the nerve gear they are wearing will kill them in real life.
Personally, I would suggest that readers attempt to predict what comes next. I guarantee that most people will not be correct in their guesses. Even if this review has not said enough great things about the novel, it is available for free online (as well as the video series that follows it). Overall, I highly suggest that people try this series, even if they don’t like science fiction of video games because it is well written, has an intriguing plotline, and well-developed characters.
####[WARNING: I MIGHT HAVE SPOILED SOME PLOT INFORMATION IN THIS REVIEW AND I DON'T WANT ANY ANGRY PEOPLE COMING TO MY HOUSE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]####
The first volume of Sword Art Online (SAO) is what I would describe as “a stunning selection of science fiction”. Not just its plotline, characters, and style of the book make it deserving of this attribute. Very few authors/directors have attempted to use the idea of virtual reality in their works. The first line of the book is "A huge castle made of stone and steel floating in an endless sky. That was all this world was." This does not by any means explain the diversity and mystery of the world within the huge castle. Almost all of the novel is contained within a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). This game is called Sword Art Online (who would have guessed). One beta tester named Kirito is the main protagonist that the reader follows. After about two hours of the game’s official release, players begin to realize that they are unable to log out of SAO. Therefore, they cannot leave the game. Then, developer Kayaba Akhiko comes in and explains that if death occurs within the game, the nerve gear they are wearing will kill them in real life.
Personally, I would suggest that readers attempt to predict what comes next. I guarantee that most people will not be correct in their guesses. Even if this review has not said enough great things about the novel, it is available for free online (as well as the video series that follows it). Overall, I highly suggest that people try this series, even if they don’t like science fiction of video games because it is well written, has an intriguing plotline, and well-developed characters.
September 30, 2018
I fell in love with the anime adaptation of this manga (I believe it was originally a light novel), but unfortunately, I just didn't connect as much to the written/drawn version of it. The plot and progression of the story seemed all over the place and disjointed, which I suppose could have been intentional, but it caused me to not fully get absorbed by the story and characters, like I had while watching the anime. The character development and relationships seemed off too, and I didn't even enjoy the artwork all that much. :/ (I found the action sequences particularly hard to follow, though that could just be me.)
I suppose it's not really fair to compare the anime and manga, as they are completely different mediums and meant for different audiences, but it's hard to deny the fact that I liked the anime SO much more than this manga. I actually don't know if I would have even watched the anime if I'd read this manga adaptation first, and I generally really enjoy manga. This adaptation just wasn't enough for me. I feel that they should have added more to it. It feels too rushed and clumped together; too similar to the anime. All they really "added" was a few sentences here and there. Maybe they should have even made more than one volume.
With all that being said, I am going to give this manga 3 stars. It's still a really good story and I do really care for the characters, but I wish they could have been given a little bit more depth and/or life. This manga just, sadly, fell flat for me, in comparison to the anime.
I suppose it's not really fair to compare the anime and manga, as they are completely different mediums and meant for different audiences, but it's hard to deny the fact that I liked the anime SO much more than this manga. I actually don't know if I would have even watched the anime if I'd read this manga adaptation first, and I generally really enjoy manga. This adaptation just wasn't enough for me. I feel that they should have added more to it. It feels too rushed and clumped together; too similar to the anime. All they really "added" was a few sentences here and there. Maybe they should have even made more than one volume.
With all that being said, I am going to give this manga 3 stars. It's still a really good story and I do really care for the characters, but I wish they could have been given a little bit more depth and/or life. This manga just, sadly, fell flat for me, in comparison to the anime.
February 21, 2015
WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS AND INFORMATION YOU DON'T AGREE WITH (KIRITO AND SINNON) SO FAR PURELY ABOUT THE ANIME NOT THE MANGA - IN THIS REVIEW I ALSO COMMENT ON HOW THE STORYLINECWENT DOWNHILL AND DRAGGED LIKE A HEAVY SACK OF FLOUR BEING CARRIED BY A YOUNG PEETA MELARK
3.5 STARS FOR THE FIRST SEASON
I've seen the anime and thought it turned out decent and I love the main
character, but it does have many flaws. I didn't find it sad at all, and didn't even tear up. Asuna and Kirito's relationship is extemely undeveloped and pointless, if I'm honest I prefer Kirito and Sinon as they suit each other and I understand Sinnon as a character. Couldn't believe they were finished with GGO so quickly, and Sinnon just became another side character towards the end of season 2.
I don't hate Asuna, she is somewhat likeable but completely eye-rolling with no sense of reality. I get that she is the so-called best swordsman, but the relationship between Kirito and Asuna is weak. This is just my opinion and I apologize if you feel differently, as I am just dissing the animema little.
Perhaps I am missing something, or is it the other way round?
MANGA TO BE BOUGHT AND NEW REVIEW SOON
3.5 STARS FOR THE FIRST SEASON
I've seen the anime and thought it turned out decent and I love the main
character, but it does have many flaws. I didn't find it sad at all, and didn't even tear up. Asuna and Kirito's relationship is extemely undeveloped and pointless, if I'm honest I prefer Kirito and Sinon as they suit each other and I understand Sinnon as a character. Couldn't believe they were finished with GGO so quickly, and Sinnon just became another side character towards the end of season 2.
I don't hate Asuna, she is somewhat likeable but completely eye-rolling with no sense of reality. I get that she is the so-called best swordsman, but the relationship between Kirito and Asuna is weak. This is just my opinion and I apologize if you feel differently, as I am just dissing the animema little.
Perhaps I am missing something, or is it the other way round?
MANGA TO BE BOUGHT AND NEW REVIEW SOON
January 18, 2016
This adaptation has almost everything the light novels have, but a lot of the side story stuff was cut. When Kirito first joins a guild (Sachi and all of those other unimportant people) that little bit is cut down A LOT, there is no Silica and Lisbeth, and the whole little thing with murder in the safe zone and whatnot isn't there either. And where Kirito first gets the title of "Beater", that part is, for some reason, skipped. There's probably a lot more missing, but anyone that has watched the anime or read the novels will know what is missing. Besides that, there is little tweaks in the main story but it's still the same tearful ending that I enjoy immensely. This manga was well worth the price just because the Aincrad arc was amazing and I love SAO in general. If you want the original light novel, April 22nd is when the 1st volume releases. Hope this helped!
August 25, 2014
So months later I finally decided to see what the hype is about this series. I wouldn't say it's entirely BAD but I hardly see what everyone hypes so much about this series.
It's so melodramatic and generic, I feel no attachment for any of the characters and they're mostly forgettable to be honest. It's fitting at the beginning of the story how the bandit-looking guy comments on Kirito's look, "you look so plain!" how fitting indeed!
The whole "romance" between Asuna and Kirito hardly has enough ground to form(what they just bump into eachother and suddenly they're a thing now?) And don't get my STARTED on Kirito's 'proposal'.... I had to put the book down cause I was laughing so hard at how cheesy it was(I questioned even finishing the book at that point but yet here I am now...)
So yeah. Don't fall for the hype.
It's so melodramatic and generic, I feel no attachment for any of the characters and they're mostly forgettable to be honest. It's fitting at the beginning of the story how the bandit-looking guy comments on Kirito's look, "you look so plain!" how fitting indeed!
The whole "romance" between Asuna and Kirito hardly has enough ground to form(what they just bump into eachother and suddenly they're a thing now?) And don't get my STARTED on Kirito's 'proposal'.... I had to put the book down cause I was laughing so hard at how cheesy it was(I questioned even finishing the book at that point but yet here I am now...)
So yeah. Don't fall for the hype.
January 6, 2015
I literally just watched the first episode and is instantly hooked. I first read the manga which is what I finished about a couple hours ago. I actually found it out on an app called Wattpad. I was reading a Anime One Shot and one of the one shots was with Kirito. There was a picture linked up with it of Kirito. I texted my friend about it since we usually watch anime together for example fruits basket, soul eater, hetalia and Attack on Titan. She told me she tried it and it wasn't very interesting. I just shrugged it off and planned on watching it but because I was in Florida I couldn't. Like I said earlier I got instantly hooked and love it, I know for sure I will watch the rest I'm just sad that my friend won't watch it with me but oh well!
July 24, 2016
This manga and the anime are some of the most brilliant pieces of work I've seen in the genre in a long time. When anime really hit the main stream in the mid nineties and became this phenomenon, I had watched beautiful amines and manga change and redefine the artist and story telling world. I honestly didn't think it was possible to do it again. Now after watching this anime and reading the manga I'm truly touched and awe inspired once again. Read this manga and watch this anime and be moved do great depths that will leave you in pieces but hopeful. I hope that was as good of a review as I could give because in all honesty I wish I could express it better. Truly amazing.
July 15, 2014
This was a fantastic manga! I have already watched the anime and am a huge fan, so I got the manga to see if it could live up to the experience of watching SAO. The characters are slightly more cartoon like than in the anime, and I found the artwork to be a little strange at times, for example on some pages where there is a lot going on, the character may only have one eye visible. This was strange, but didn't take away from the manga. The story is very close to the anime with only slight variations. I enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next!
January 22, 2021
Me encanta la ilustración y el enfoqué tan resumido y exacto que ha dado la ilustradora. Lo único que veo que no me ha convencido es que no explican muy bien cómo Kirito conoció a Asuna ni a Sachi. En el anime no lo explican muy bien y aquí en el manga menos, es mejor acudir a SAO Progressive Vol.1 si quieres saber más al respecto. Y dejando de lado esa parte, lo demás me ha parecido muy bueno para adentrarse a SAO✨
April 2, 2017
I was drawn in by the story/idea of this manga. Being stuck in a virtual rpg game the characters have to fight their way out of? Awesome! Original! But I could have really done without the cheesy teen romance between Kirito and Asuna.
November 18, 2014
Esta interesante la historia, pero siento que todo avanza muy rapido.
April 6, 2016
Its was amazing af
November 9, 2016
I love everything about the manga and I present things that does not appear in the series.
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