Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online

Just a super quick TL;DR review (score?) Character = 1 out of 10 (very lame and no development whatsoever. the villain persona is trying too hard to fit in an anime that doesn't need a villain) Art = 3 out of 10 (very generic with weird character expressions ruined it 100%) Story = 1 out of 10 (lame with no plot, just throwing jokes everywhere even in an epic fight scene) Enjoyment = 3 out of 10 (3 is probably generous because this is a waste of time if not for the songs) Sound = 11 out of 10 (this is the saving grace of the anime. for sure one of the best insert songs in anime. probably on par with Girls Dead Monster or EGOIST in Guilty Crown. the songs in this anime is JUST. TOO. DAMN. GOOD) Overall = 5 out of 10 (4 points are purely from the songs, 1 point from my mercy. better to listen to the songs itself and not bother watching the anime)

Fact that I'm reviewing this now although I started watching this as ongoing isn't because it wasn't available to me, but because this show is so painful to watch without proper mood that I had to delay it for 3 month even though I like game related shows, kind-of fan of first ark of SAO and after some burn was ready for anything. For the same reason I'll skip the details and get to the point of this show - impressive cringe. To get this imagine typical Adam Sandler movie, mix it with poor inconsistent second-hand writing, random "cool'n'fun" characters and skip any reason anywhere, then rearrange it in sloppy way and here we are - something that physically hurts to watch. And it has nothing to do with technical side of the show like animation or sound, it's just action-based anime with kindergarten understanding of shooters that resembles "Hot Shots! Deux", but not enjoyable in any way because of how everything is unnatural mess. Of course, just like Adam Sandler movies, it will find some fans, but will be quickly forgotten no matter how flashy it appears and will be noted as another abomination of battle royale popularity.

Like Lolis? Like guns? DO YOU LIKE SEEING A PINK LOLI MASSACRE PEOPLE WITH A MACHINE GUN AFFECTIONATELY NAMED P-CHAN? Then boy do I have an anime for you. On a serious note, you can't judge this one by its cover. The premise sucks unless you're really into lolis with guns. Yet there's something satisfying seeing a tiny pink thing make a fool out of larger more serious adults. Of note, this anime is primarily a comedy, borderlining parody of the original. The action scenes are well-executed,creative, and witty. And like I said, it's enjoyable watching LLENN outmaneuvering the other players. In terms of themes, forget the melodramatic die irl if you die from SAO. This is about the friendship between two women who shared nothing in common except for their love of gaming. If you've ever had a friend you used to game with online, and had a blast together, this is about that. The anime does a decent job of exploring online personas vs irl self. There's little room for character development, but it's short enough that development isn't really needed. This isn't an anime to be taken seriously. It's lighthearted fun and as long as you keep that in mind, it's a really enjoyable anime. Also, if you hated SAO, don't let that turn you away because I thought SAO was meh too and I really enjoyed this one. I wouldn't say it's one of the greats, but definitely recommend watching. 7/10

While Sword Art Online always treated itself very seriously and was centred around, for better and for worse, genuine life-and-death drama, this spin-off takes the general outline of the setting and the GGO shooter game and simply have fun with it. With its over-the-top characters, action and a rather silly, predictable main intrigue, it definitely won't captivate you with its storytelling, but is visually impressive and genuinely fun to watch. It also doesn't take itself seriously at all, although the humour is more delivered through the sheer absurdity of the situations presented and contrasting characters with their online personas, more than outright gags. It might not be perfect for those that simply hoped for more SAO, but will satisfy all those fed up with original's melodrama. All-in-all, a rather average, but fun series that I do not regret watching - just don't expect an emotional masterpiece.

- Finally my review of Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, starting with the story that in general is very average and exaggerated in some parts and is also a very generic story and with nothing that stands out, unfortunately; but still has some interesting and epic moments in a way, in short, I classify the story as Ok. - On the technical side, without doubt is the strongest point of the series, both the visual and the animation are very good, however I would like to highlight the soundtrack that is simply epic and striking for an anime of the genre; now on the direction, varies a lot, while there are epic and interesting moments, there are also exaggerated moments in the series, in other words, the direction as a whole is medium. - Now about the characters that unfortunately is the weakest point of the series, the characters, although they are few, are not exploited as they should be, and some are very poorly developed, but without doubt the biggest problem of the cast is that the direction exaggerates a lot in relation to some characters of the series; finally, the cast until it is good, pity that had a bad direction. - Conclusion, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online has several problems, both script and direction, but still has some good points as a good technical part and an excellent soundtrack, as a whole is a good anime for those who are looking for something just to pass the time, with nothing too deep; Overall I would definitely recommend Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, a good action anime !! 💙😉🌟 !! - My favorite song by Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online 💜 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1RMnM782u8 - My page about animes on facebook 💖 : https://www.facebook.com/pg/AnimeSpaceBR.050/posts/?ref=page_internal 💜😉💖 !!

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online blazes onto our screen that doesn't involve KIRITO! and LA might as well say it but without him or anything of the harem antics and false grandeur the original Sword Art Online had done, it's kinda nice to see Sword Art Online through not only a different lens but a different atmosphere altogether. Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online (or GGO, LA will shorten as of this review) focuses on Karen Kohiruimaki voiced by Tomori Kusunoki being rather abnormally tall for her age she can't make many friends in the real world, however in VR or to be more precise GGO, she's a chibi pink character who's extremely quick at that. Karen's entire development in the real world as well as VR is being accepted and her gain of friendships along the way. Because of how the Sword Art Online franchise likes to take gaming trends and use it for their setting, from the first season's Sword Art Online of the MMORPG trend, to the second season of the FPS boom to Ordinal Scale movie take on AR trend and now well what has become popular by LA's time of reviewing this anime?...Battle Royale thus Karen or "LLENN" Karen's online handle takes in and the setting is mainly based on the Battle Royale setting and to this end, GGO capitalizes this in making some adrenaline fueled not to mention some incredibly intense battles almost every single time and LLENN has goals and promises in mind to her new GGO friends (mainly the crux of the plot Pitohui voiced by Yoko Hisaka, a mysterious women LLENN encounters and befriends her) and that is where the majority of the interest for LA to come into this spinoff and LA freakin' loved every moment of it. And sure the Battle Royale trend might die out along with this anime, but it's something of a time capsule much like the SAO franchise as a whole about gaming trends...in anime form. Again the aforementioned Pitohui brings in some subtle mysteries, from many of the virtual avatars and who they are in real life (like Team SHINC, LLENN fights in the first BoB) to Pitohui herself and we see her open up to who she truly is and what her rather insane motives are and these mysteries along with the setting of VR Battle Royale allows most of the tensest moments in the anime especially when it involved Pitohui. Character-wise, many of the characters are badass throughout the anime and by god it works in this setting along with how LLENN and especially Pitohui goes insane and batshit crazy in order to win the tournament or for satisfaction makes many of these either badass or likable because of their personalities (well main cast anyways) and because of that, LA's favourite cast goes to THREE characters, LLENN for one as she's the narrative focus of the anime and how much development in both real life for her opening up through GGO and gaining friends through her notoriety but in GGO itself, she becomes the pink demon and a contender in the BoB, almost like an underdog everyone roots for. Pitohui for LA gained LA's favourite character mainly because of how batshit crazy gets in ALOT of ways and LA does love these types of characters, being an unpredictable wall of a character and finally Miyu Shinohara voiced by Chinatsu Akasaki or "Fukaziroh" was a bundle of energy and always the comedic relief and like the majority of the cast badass in her own right that LA liked Fukaziroh as well. In terms of animation by Studio 3Hz, the animation was consistent to say the least but the animation in general was great from all elements, from the exotic character designs (Mainly in GGO, though the real life characters are expected, yet still decent character designs anyways), the great atmospheric animation details and touches to the great battles that goes along with it, almost like your watching the battle royale itself and oddly enough for as much as GGO is the lighthearted version of SAO without the death and everything and as much as this is VR, the "deaths" in the BoB are ruthless sometimes and how much senseless violence that takes place.......and LA loved it!, seriously Studio 3Hz's great attention to detail on all fronts made the animation great all round. Voice acting wise, well the majority fo the cast was great but like LA's favorite characters and LA's bias, LA's favorite voice actors goes to Tomori Kusunoki as LLENN (though LA oddly thought Rina Hidaka was voicing her, but Tomori still did great as LLENN nonetheless), Chinatsu Akasaki bringing a bit more of that comedic atmosphere that was needed in the later half of the anime and Chinatsu utterly nailing Fukaziroh's nature and all round genkiness and LA's real MVP going to the crazy batshit badassness of Pitohui voiced by Yoko Hisaka...just DAMN...Yoko hammed it up in this anime and LA loved every second of it. Ohh and Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online takes some potshots at the original SAO, which is kinda funny as Reki Kawahara is the SUPERVISOR for this anime, kinda like Reki Kawahara is self aware of the flaws of the original series, *ahem* anyways the potshots are lighthearted jabs at the original series mainly of the variety of "This isn't SAO, you CAN'T die" kind of jokes as well as referencing the original SAO (and it's second season) in the process from time to time as well. Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online manages to take all the good points of the original concept of SAO, drops that into GGO and executed and used it's setting to it's utmost greatest potential and managed to make it interesting and tense without all the melodrama which GGO is ALL about. Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online is a great alternative (hehe) look at a different GGO with all the crazy interesting and fun gun battles that LLENN goes through and GGO just has fun with it even it's most tense moments and LA just loved the atmosphere of GGO throughout. Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online is one of the more surprising and fun entrees to the Sword Art Online franchise and LA wouldn't mind having a second season of GGO to see where LLENN would go next and maybe see more of her real world self and how she progress there too...

This anime is the worst Sword Art Online I've ever seen. It's amazing how annoying the main character is. She has a height complex that makes no sense. Most women would love to be her height so they could be models, but she is antisocial because she is tall and has an unbearable personality while playing. I am writing this now that I am finishing the second season, which I think is worse than the first. I am even lowering my rating as I write this review... The characters that accompany the protagonist are interesting up to Pitohui, M, her friend, but LLENN is unbearable. There's a scene where she's squeamish about using a knife, or she's just plain boring. I'd say that at the end of this season she gets better, but in season 2 I still find her unbearable, although my opinion has changed about the end of season 1. Pitohui is interesting. I think she would be a more interesting protagonist than LLENN herself.

As someone who dropped SAO for various reasons, watching this was a refreshing return to the SAO universe, as a sort of "reboot" or rather spin-off in the same universe. I won't get into the faults of the original SAO, but this stand rightly on its own as being entertaining and extremely watchable. While not really a masterpiece in any sort of standard it does an outstanding job in characters, plot and animation. I think the thing about this is that its refreshing for action series and the SAO universe. The stakes at going in are very low and remain low which allows the characters and the watcher to have fun and enjoy it. And really that has been the problem with every single almost every MMO-Game anime ( the exception being Log Horizon) is that it becomes way too serious for its subject matter, missing the point entirely of games and the sort of characters and reasoning people get into games. As such this is very much enjoyable. Seeing LLEN kick ass, M being super strategic, PITOU be crazy, The determination of SHINC and their eventual alter identities is enjoyable and watchable. I would best compare to this to Railgun in being a side story that performs overall better than the main story, becuase it doesn't carry any of that baggage of a serious story or world changing plot. Instead, it can be fun and have fun. I am writing this review however to just warn this is a very front loaded show. The quality definitely drops towards the end episode but not the last episode. Its certainly annoying studios do this but overall its still a fun ride at that point to continue. There are plot holes as well littered about and some pretty obvious reveals. However I think this anime is unique enough in various aspects to overlook those flaws.

What a cluster. The beginning was promising enough, socially awkward girl goes into game to be better at being social (that is the spoiler free version). You see a fairly good character arc for the MC and a passable zero to hero run out of it. Then the second half starts up. What is it with the SAO series and having a god awful second half? Take everything good about the first half and throw it out the window for the second half. Characters turn completely one dimensional, plot becomes outright idiotic, action is so cringe it constantly takes you out of the show, and the ending is almost incomprehensibly bad. Save yourself some time and don't even start this series. It starts out good enough and that makes how bad it gets even worse somehow.

Sword Art Online is not a "best series" but it caught a lot of people's attention because it's concept. An Anime that built on a "dreamed" game, where you can interact with the game's object with your own (virtual) body. This time it's back as a spin-offs which is written by another writer, Keiichi Sigsawa. This writer, which is famously known for his in-depth on character (as seen on few of his old works) is trying to make his own story in the dreamed game universe. It is very clear to me, that he is really depending on the character. There is a rather shy girl who has height-complex, a cheerful game-nerd girl, etc (avoiding spoilers hmm) basically, every main character in the anime has a reasonable backgrounds on how they behave and how is their personality (though, somtimes it's little bit..er.. cringe), which is a complete opposite from the original series. Well, I just liked how it is. Yet, i was forced to like this series even more because of the art/visual. Honestly, there are nothing special about the art. The urban game part has it's "urban game vibe" The peaceful life has it's "peaceful vibe" and that is abseloutely normal. Now, Modern UI of the games are one of the reason why i liked SAO its adding even more interest in the dreamed game, though it didn't appear so much in this anime. That two is not the reason why i liked the art. So, why is it then? Well, it's just the character design, they really did good work making a cute lil' girl :P Despite how i liked the characters and it's cuteNkawaii design, the story is meh.. Honestly saying, it is indeed hard to think of an idea in a battle royale setting. If i try to think of an idea, i'd definitely stuck with this one or similiar one. (well, it's not like im good at making stories lol) The ultimate story of Character A trying to overpower Character B for B-kun sake is something that you'd see anywhere, So it is "meh". Though, the little bit of character complexity is pretty good additional for the generic story. The thing is, if indeed battle-royale setting stories idea are very limited then it is better try not to make one. SAO universe is very-very big, it's not like there is only 1-3 games there must be a lot more. Even if it's trying to follow up the trends, isn't it possible to make other kind of BR games? (Though it probably would get rid of the SAO aspect little bit.) Lastly, the sound. Im not a gun nerd. So i can't comment on that, but i trusts the studio with it. But the OST... It is like they are trying to promote ReoNA (Kanzaki Elsa's singing voice) very hardly. They be like "Epic Scene? put Elsa. Peaceful Scene? Put Elsa." Though, it is indeed that she is talented so it's completely understandable. That's it. Overall it's a pretty good works from the gun-nerd to cover up original sword art online poor character development. I want to put lower score, but cuz of my enjoyment, i'd raise it a point. 8/10.

Sword Art Online : Gun Gale Online (henceforth SAO) isn’t the most well-written anime this season, nor is it the most competent, but it somehow was one of my most enjoyable experiences this spring. This ain’t just a 20-minute long SACRA ad for Reona’s songs(this review, however, is), SAO has a certain je ne sais quoi that’s not easy to put in words, but, being a reviewer, I’ll try anyway, it’s my job right? [Boss begins writing a termination notice] SAO is an anime about Karen who occupies the avatar LLENN, a cute and tiny girl with a penchant for destruction. Along the way she meets, teams up with and sometimes fights against a bevy of interesting and likable characters, and a bunch of bland randos in what is essentially proto-PUBG (The LN was written before the battle royale genre exploded into popularity). The characters are what made the show for me. While the writing is nothing special and plot contrivances are aplenty, just seeing your favorite characters receive a last-minute powerup to the tune of Reona’s music [This review is sponsored by SACRA, a subsidiary of Sony Music, buy your copy of Reona’s hits today!] is enough to get your fist pumping towards the air as the anime gloriously showcases a bombastic action sequence, however illogical and nonsensical, for your entertainment. And in the end, isn’t that what really matters? There’s more to it than the appeal of seeing a tiny cute bunny kill things with her P90, SAO’s setting is remarkably refreshing; in a wave of isekai taking place in Tolkien-inspired medieval fantasy settings, a contemporary setting based on modern military urban warfare makes for a surprisingly visually appealing treat. The attention to detail on military and contemporary warfare tactics is on point and does make for an enjoyable show. While main character plot armor is in abundance, thankfully it is acceptable simply because it’s done in a tongue-in-cheek fashion and not in a frustratingly absurd “sword swinging deflects bullets” manner, which is something SAO would never resort to. There is enough tactical play to balance the hot-blooded action, and the action sequences are well-paced and built-up to as to avoid any fatigue or exhaustion. LLENN is simply a joy to follow. An otherwise meek girl with psychopathic tendencies, seeing her in action on the battlegrounds is always a treat. As is her interactions with the stoic M, her best friend Fuka, and the maniacal Pitohui. Fuka in particularly I found very well written, unlike most other best friend character archetypes in other anime, Fuka’s characterization felt especially real, and her dialogue is very much what you’ll have in real life with your BFF. Top points for that. And while it’s true none of the characters receive any meaningful character growth, it doesn’t really matter in this case. Hikasa Yoko’s performance as the batshit insane Pitohui is the highlight of it all and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The facial expressions of the mains in particular are a treat, being deliciously hammy and over-the-top. The story and plot threads are seriously nothing special. You’re not watching this for its story. The anime has an overreliance on explaining everything to the audience, even when it is either blatantly obvious to the viewer or it has already been explained to the viewer, almost akin to an annoying tutorial popup in a video game. [HINT: You can stop reading this review by pressing the X button]. And, as mentioned, the abundance of plot armour for the mains is present, though never to the point of frustration. Instead I found myself cheering like a lunatic anytime those scenes are present. The pacing is decent, your standard build-up, climax, resolution done to a T. It works, but is nothing special. This ain’t no story about redemption, falling from grace, insanity or triumphant in the face of impossible odds, it’s just an anime about some friends (and someone clinically insane) playing PUBG. And to make something so mundane so brilliantly entertaining is definitely a testament to SAO’s credibility. I don’t normally single it out, but the ED for this is exceptionally beautiful. Minimalist with a soft piece sung by LLENN’s seiyuu, it perfectly concludes each episode with its cute and calming melody. The visuals accompanying it is brilliant too, being reminiscent of a graphical UI and being overall very clean and pleasant to look at. Truly the standout ED of the season. [This review is sponsored by SACRA, a subsidiary of Sony Music, buy LLENN-chan’s album today!] All in all, I had a great time with SAO and would miss my time with it dearly. Saturdays just aren’t the same anymore without the crazy pink bunny yelling “I’LL KILL YOU!!!!!!” at the top of her lungs. 7/10 To see the future~

Overall: Ah yes, a girl played a VR game and is having fun in an immersive VR game. As an isekai junkie, I am set to watch all isekai. This is one of those that explore the trope. And I would say, this exceeded my expectations a little bit. I put this in a "Pretty good" tier. It is a spin-off from the granddad of isekai afterall Short conclusion: 8/10 Driving deeper Art: Nice to some degree, not breathtaking by any means. The effects are nice and flashy, it served its purpose. Pretty good, 8/10 Character: Nice development, with some decent twists, and some decent backstory. not much to say, it is standard by most degrees. But well, who wouldn't enjoy cute girls doing cute things? 8/10 Plot: I would say, it is relatively standard for a VR game isekai, the MC enjoys the game and keeps getting better and better. Nothing really shocking happened, a surprise at most, I am sure most of my isekai junkie homies could see this coming. Anyway, 7.5/10 Conclusion: a good treat for an isekai enjoyer. A decent watch for a normal anime enjoyer. Mainstream enjoyer can ignore this one 8/10 for me. Pretty good tier, if you enjoy watching girl-playing games, this is the one to watch. It is just that this type of genre usually isn't enjoyed by everyone.

Straight to the question, it is deserves to be watched? - Yes, but first 5 episode are kinda deception. Why? - Because the mood is different in the start, it is looking more like soft drama, but after 5th episode is starting to explosion by interesting replicas. Don't be focused over the animation itself, read/listen carefully what the characters saying. Well if you want to watch for the animation and drawing itself, well you probably want to skip, but if you want to hear some funny joke or some cliche. You can try it. ps. You will not see non of original characters of SAO, you gone hear only few names and that it is all. It is not typical SAO anime. Yea after all it is alternative :) any way hf

I find Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online incredibly fascinating. Unlike most virtual reality stories, GGO actually explores video games in thoughtful ways beyond just a flashy action spectacle. And yes, it has the spectacle as well. GGO is far different, and better than the rest of the Sword Art Online franchise; for starters, you don’t even need to watch the originals to watch this spinoff. There are no related characters, no Kirito. The only similarity they share is the world they take place in. The original SAO is mentioned a few times and surprisingly the new series writer frequently criticizes the old one. GGO focuses on the in-depth details of its game world and the friendships between the cast, rather than the melodrama and cheesy romance of the original. Taking place in 2026, GGO follows Karen a college student with a height complex, namely, she’s way taller than she’d like to be. Walking into signs, gawked at by passersby, low self-confidence, and constantly comparing herself to the group of cute short girls she sees every day. When she discovers VR games like SAO, she’s hesitant because the controversy over people being trapped in the game is still discussed on the news. But she is willing to try them if it means she’d get the chance to be shorter. The character creator system being randomized is the only outright bad game design decision in GGO, but that’s just how the original series wrote it. This minor issue can be excused because it eventually leads Karen to Gun Gale Online, a gritty first-person shooter where she’s able to be her ideal short height. The lead character has a pretty good motivation to play the game makes the show all the more compelling, it’s perhaps a simple reason but much more than we were ever given for Kirito. Simplistic characterization is all GGO really needs because its main focus is on the intense firefights. The first episode serves to thoroughly explain the mechanics of the game so that the rest of the series can play with the established rules. For what is essentially an exposition episode, the information is presented by showing rather than just telling in the Battle Royale style game mode called Squad Jam. While the visuals are simply above average, the action is surprisingly engaging with the strategizing and tactics explained through banter between the protagonist, plucky pink camouflaged Karen, but with the in-game name LLENN and her partner M. Their group’s dynamic is clear from the start, LLENN is the one who has to run into the fight as a decoy and draw away the attention of enemies while M takes a vantage point to snipe them while they’re distracted. Their personalities perfectly fitted to their roles in the fight; LLENN is anxious with plenty of funny reaction faces, sporadically running into the battlefield. While M is patient and unwavering, coldly issuing orders with the goal of winning regardless of the danger it puts his partner in. Played out like a game of chess, careful planning and positioning are invaluable. Seeing the strategies LLENN and others use to lead them to success is incredibly satisfying; they're not professionals so there's always a chance they will run into mistakes now and then, and their flaws are part of each character. For LLENN and M, we're given enough details to know their relationship is based on needing one another to execute their strategy, the bait and switch, but beyond that, they’re two incompatible pieces. Through seeing them fight and their banter we learn the mechanics of the game; an intermittent scan reveals every challenger’s location, the red lasers indicating bullet trajectory, dead players can be used as human shields, health and bullet count are detailed and are at consistent values throughout the show. The writer’s knowledge of the inner workings of a complex video game is what makes GGO so believable. Look no further than the tense action scenes, despite being acknowledged as just a game they still have stakes. The original SAO had poorly explained rules to its game, so instead, it chose to contrive tension by trapping the players in the game world and punishing anyone who died in-game with death in reality. But there is no such lazy writing here. In the original SAO, no one of importance ever died because they’d be gone for good, but in GGO there is no such plot armor. They’re in a fight to the death after all so it's inevitable most characters will die or be gravely wounded. GGO is tense to watch in the same way watching a professional streamer is, you’re rooting for them not just because they're an enjoyable host but because you want to see them overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds they face. The action spectacle itself is well done too, it’s clear that Studio 3Hz was having a lot of fun making this. There’s no shortage of slow-mo climactic moments in firefights with bullets flying past players like The Matrix. A few thrilling vehicle fights happen as well. There’s even a lightsaber later on in the series used to devastating effect unlike anything else seen in the show. Considering combat is the main focus of the series, it’s great that GGO is always able to keep it refreshing. Guns are rendered with excellent detail, CGI is frequently used quite well to allow the camera to move freely and to ensure action scenes are fast-paced and flow well. Character animation is fluid when it counts with close-ups and slow-motion used to raise the tension in close encounters. Plenty of long shots of the battlefield are shown so you can keep track of the proximity of players and can follow the action as well as the protagonist does. What creates the most thrills is the visceral audiovisual feedback of the gunshots. Environments that are shot are visibly blasted, with loud shots suited to the wide variety of gun types used, and the effects on players who are shot. Violence is styled to the video game with red pixels that spurt out from wounds like blood. One might think a video game would limit the possibilities of violence, but GGO has its fair share of decapitations and limbs being lopped off in combat. Battles gradually escalate in intensity throughout the show, the game mechanics established from the start remain consistent and they're experimented with to exciting effect. Eir Aoi’s opening song “Ryusei” is well suited to the battle-oriented series along with a striking showcase of the cast. The soundtrack is equally stellar. Whether it be the hard rock or the frantic techno pieces, all of the background music serves to electrify action scenes. Aside from the action, there is enough intrigue in GGO’s characters writing for it to provide a thoughtful discussion on video games. With the writer of Kino’s Journey, Keiichi Sigsawa, there’s depth to the characters in spite of the series’ focus on gunplay. Escapism is a theme intrinsic to any video game story, thankfully Sigsawa understands this and weaves it into every character. Karen enters the game to become a shorter, more ideal version of herself, her skill in-game grants her confidence in real life to overcome her complex. The first friend she meets, Pitohui plays the game to escape the stress and relieve her anger, a portrayal leaning more on the negative end of escapism which leads her to become the antagonist of the second half. The show tries to sell her as a crazed SAO fanatic, but at first, it doesn’t seem believable enough because we merely hear about her insanity from M. Once we see the brutal ways she kills her foes in her Squad Jam against LLENN, it becomes much easier to believe she’s out of touch with reality. Pitohui’s rather serious subject matter unexpectedly fits with the show’s more wryly comedic tone because of her outlandish personality and character design. From the cross tattoos on her face to scare off creeps online, to the absurd levels of frivolity she treats her enemies in combat, she’s one of the most entertaining rivals of the season. In the latter half o…

tl;dr Don't watch it. Edgy, cringe yuri story about self-acceptance and how hard it is to be a yuri with background plot b about how hard it is to be rich and have brother-complex, both told 50/50 in slice-of-life and virtual reality shooter game. Personally, I found the story being highly unattractive. I suppose as majority of viewers I were lured into viewing this abhorrent series by armament and military art posters and name recognition behind Sword Art Online. Were story to be told with no virtual reality aspect, but as a regular slice-of-life, young adult coming to terms school-life story it would have been enjoyable. But as series have been produced as of now, dissonance between lighthearted story and at times serious animation in virtual reality leaves behind terrible aftertaste. Conclusion: below average. Either go over the to and add extreme comedy, akin to Arakawa under the bridge, the hidden dungeon that only i can enter. Or choose a style and stick to it. Can't imagine such confusing mess being highly profitable.

Here's the deal. Here you have a person who has essentially taken an arc of a show known for its poor character development, ruining a cool concept (Taking a sword to a gunfight is ridiculous. Don't @ me.) and has revamped it into something interesting. The main character is interesting and likeable. She has goals and motivations and her ability to get along with people to get over her insecurities is fantastic. What's more...it doesn't feel like there's a major villain, but more a major rival, which is not often done. I had a blast with the detail on the guns and the motivations of the characters. It was really enjoyable and I highly recommend you give this a go.

First of all, am I the only one who thinks that this anime is the reason for the huge CS:GO update we got? It's been a while since this show aired and due to the large amount of anime that aired during the Spring of 2018, this show went under the radar for me and for a lot of people. I finally watched it and I'm writing this review because well.. more people need to know about this show. While I never hated the original SAO, I never liked it much either, it was alright. It had really good sound, art and animation (due to the amazing people at A-1) but it fell flat in story, reasoning and most of all character writing. This show is the total opposite of the original SAO. SAO Alternative aka GGO, has well written characters with clear and relatable motivations that carry the show. The story is not a deep, soul searching kind, the show isn't trying to be that though, it straight up makes fun of itself when the show tries to be serious. It's self aware, like really self aware. To the point that they even added the author of the light novel in the show and even some shots were fired to the original author of SAO. Having said that, in the department of art, sound and animation it is a bit lacking. Especially if you compare it to the original show. Maybe not the deepest, not the prettiest or not the best sounding anime, but man is it fun. The cast is so quirky and loveable, and I can relate to most of them. The idea of escapism through videogames is expressed well, and anyone who is into the world of gaming can probably connect to this show. Heck I really want to play GGO after watching this. I won't go into detail about the videogame aspect but lets say it follows the rules of the gaming world well, and way better than the bullshit we got in SAO. Having said all that, I still can't pinpoint the reason why I enjoyed this show so much. It ended up being the funnest show I have watched in a while. I don't think its for everyone but if you're looking for a simple fun ride, you should check it out, especially if you're into the world of gaming. 8/10

Very fun to watch. Action is great, very creative use of mechanics. Similar to original SAO, the protagonist and her companions starts off overpowered. There isn't much ways around it, the anime is too short to build abilities anyway. The mechanics and action combine well. And it certainly feels like a game. Definitely feels like a masterpiece in terms of action. Probably the only thing keeping it back is the story. There are some loose ends that were never tied up. Like whether LLENN got over her complex. The story is about as believeable as SAO i suppose. But then again the focus of this anime was never really on story. A few things I want to point out in terms of details. - It was a dumb mechanic but I'm glad the scan terminal was treated like a bug and patched in SJ2. I watched competitive games for a bit and this was definitely exactly what it's like. Possibly game-breaking exploit discovered -> patch. Funny how they never found it prior but then again there were only 3 BoBs. - The name of Pitohui and M's team is PM4. P and M stand for Pitohui and M of course. In the anime, LLENN mentions the significance of the 4 and i think it might be lost in translation so here is my interpretation, in my own language: in Chinese, 4 is an unlucky number because it rhymes with the word for die. It's a thing and some people do mind enough to make changes to their house numbers to make it sound more auspicious.

WhenI first saw and heard of SAO Alternative, I didn't expect much. The premise I saw at face value seemed entertaining to say the least, but something that I'd only find minimal enjoyment out of. A pink loli running around in a game like Gun Gale Online seemed like it was just going to be heavy handed comedy on the main character's cuteness that juxtaposed to the serious vibe of the game. I got something entirely different though. I'll be quick about what I like and dislike about the anime PROS: -BETTER THAN SAO. For those of you who've seen it, yes that's a very (very very very) low bar, but it's better nonetheless. -You don't need to know about or watch the cannon SAO. This anime, despite being seen as a spinoff, has almost nothing to do with SAO besides being based in the same world and having a few one off references to the old protagonists. -The characters are relatable. In this spinoff we follow a college student named Karen who has a height complex and plays as a cute small character in GGO to help alleviate it. As somewhat boring it may sound at face value, it's very down to earth as to why people play video games in the first place. This theme follows through with every other character in one way or another. They're in this game to express themselves in ways they just couldn't do in the real world one way or another. -The action. I was genuinely surprised how flawless some actions scenes were played out. I even had those moments where I'd rewatch them right after they just happened to get another look at it. Unlike cannon SAO, most fights in this series have some sort of methodical, analytic approach to them. There's usually a plan, and when there's no plan there's still a sense of choreography that makes the fights interesting. -The art. I can't say too much for the environment. It's good but not anything extremely stunning. The terrain and how it's used is the interesting, but the characters themselves just look great. -The Game. In cannon SAO the world of Gun Gale Online was visited but didn't feel like its own game to me. In Alternative, you actually feel like this is a game that can or could exist and you end up wanting to play it. Certain small mechanical aspects are added or expanded upon (while others that were stupid or made no sense were done away with) and it makes you actually interested in the game as a whole. -Funny. It's no comedy but I got a good amount of laughs from this anime. What else to expect from a cute, gun toting, pink bunny loli running around killing people. -No OP characters. This may be a bit bias towards my dislike for SAO's Kirito, but everyone in this anime seems beatable, even the antagonists who are shown to be super strong. All it takes is the right approach. CONS: -Game mechanics. I mentioned this game feels like an actual game but there are certain things that happen in it that seem kind of dumb and unexplained in the anime like a scene where Karen's character LLEN is in shallow water thats like 2 inches yet loses health due to drowning damage. It doesn't tank your overall enjoyment but it's something that'll no doubt irk you if you pay attention to them. -The same arc is repeated twice. Again not a game changer but some might find it annoying that the anime does the same thing two times but in different ways. This game that was meant to be fun suddenly gets a life or death plot aspect to it and now the characters must accomplish something in the game to save a friend's life, instead it's just another friend the second time with even bigger stakes with no potential cop out if the protagonist fails. They don't feel that much the same but the mere presence of such a similarity might throw off some people. -The conclusion. Some might find the ending to be underwhelming, but keep in mind this is as much a slice of life anime than it is a shone anime. It's a story about friends helping friends and people developing new relationships that in the end help them become better people. I personally felt by the end of the anime everything was wrapped up smoothly and doesn't leave you wanting more, but in a good way wherein it leaves you satisfied at how everything played out for the characters involved in the end. -Karen, the main character, is by no means a gamer. She never played VR games until GGO and yet still managed to be a very skilled player. This is probably the only genuine problem I had with the anime that wasn't a nitpick. Yes she had an extremely smart companion by her side half the anime but I mean. Come on. We've all played games we're good at with less experienced/skilled friends. When was the last time anyone's been able to put their friend up to par with actual pros at such a game by just teaching them for such a short amount of time. Overall this anime "spinoff" is a drastic improvement of cannon SAO and even holds it's own as a standalone anime. I'd only not recommend it to someone who's into romance since it's pretty much nonexistent in this anime. If not, you'll fine enjoyment out of it

I feel like SAO gets more flack than it should.  Yes its subpar writing and questionable character choices leave a lot to be desired, but given its impact on the anime community by popularizing the medium during its run in 2012, it's time we let up on the abuse, right?  No?  Ok...  Alright how about this, we have an alternative version to one of the more disappointing arcs in the series that's actually good.  Sound good? Story: Rather than focusing on the series's resident (insert adjective here) god of gaming, Kazuya Kirigaya, GGO alternative instead focuses on Kohiruimaki Karen, a nineteen year old college student who has a height complex due to being abnormally tall compared to most girls her age.  After being told by a friend the magic of VR and how you can become anything and anyone you want, Karen finds herself playing GGO with a short and cute avatar named LLENN, and in a plot that sort of goes to the wayside in her journey towards self-confidence. The big thing to note here with GGO alternative is its sense of scale.  Written by Keiichi Sigsawa of Kino's Journey fame, Alternative dials back the death plots and substantially larger scale stories that SAO was known for.  No more die in the game die in real life, no more people trapped in a game, no death plot with a string of murders; just a simple story about one woman trying to find self-confidence in herself and preventing a psychopath from committing suicide.  What?  Despite having a different author and different characters, Alternative still manages to be an entry of the SAO franchise by throwing in a massive curveball halfway through that hurts the overall product as a result.  It's because of this that Alternative shoots itself in the foot and ends up with an easily predictable outcome that does kill the suspense of the climax the closer it gets to it. Despite that, Alternative still manages to be a massively entertaining show, bringing forth the largely unexplored world of GGO and providing gunfight scenes in a battle royale scenario that're focused more on tactics and skill rather than running in with a lightsaber and cutting down hordes of mook players.  The gunfights for the most part feel exciting and it was way more fun seeing LLENN and her comrades fight using as many resources as they could, manipulate game mechanics, all in the name of coming out on top.  Admittedly there are certain moments that I fail to understand the logic behind (What the actual hell happened in Ep. 11), but the fights are definitely exciting and it's nice to see the world of GGO get more depth as to how the FPSVRMMOVG works, as details like that were absent in the original. Alternative is a definite improvement over the original in terms of story content.  The plot is simple and doesn't have ridiculously high stakes so things are grounded, and the fight scenes are much so the action feels tense and smarter, as tactics play a big part.  Not only that, but the divide of "Game" and "The Real World" come up quite often, which is a plus since its parent series never seemed to put much emphasis on that divide till much, much later.  However, its flaws with plot predictability, weird curveball in the middle, and a bunch of strange plot progression choices do leave some things to be desired. Overview: + Smaller scale makes for more personalized story + Very nicely tactical fights -  Weird plot points sometimes -  Obviously predictable at times Characters: Kohiruimaki Karen, or LLENN, is a character who despite being the protagonist, doesn't really get the attention I think she deserves.  As someone who has anxiety as a result of being too tall for her age and sex, her escape to GGO builds up her confidence over the course of the series, which translates to the real world as LLENN starts to bleed into her personality.  That being said, Karen doesn't really get the level of development that I would've preferred, as though she's the protagonist, she's thrown to the wayside in the second half in favor for development of showing off the series's antagonist, a choice that while helps develop the other side, hurts Karen by having a character arc that plateaus.  The show does make up for this by giving Karen a lot of personality when she gets screentime, and that does actually make up a fair chunk of what she ultimately misses out on development. On the opposite side is our antagonistic character, Pitohui, who is (in layman terms) FUCKING INSANE.  And I love it.  First seen as a more eccentric character, Pito's madness with her personality slowly feeds itself into the series, maxing out at the climax to give us a level of sadistic bliss that, while terrifying, really explodes with the amount of character she has.  Her obsession with death is the cornerstone of her personality, and Alternative goes to great lengths in order to show this.  This, coupled with her desire to have a no holds barred fight against Karen makes for such a nice rivalry that the show used for a brutal climax that felt more impactful than it honestly should've been.  (Though I suppose e-sports does get pretty hype.) Side characters are an interesting bunch.  Alternative's side cast includes an entire team of players that goes by the name SHINC, Pito's lackey, M, and Karen's friend, Fuka, who got her into VR.  Rather than character development, these characters have personality, enriching the cast by their interactions with Karen and overall contribution to the story.  Other characters matter less, as they're mostly mook teams for the battle royale, and get less attention as a result. Overview: + Fun cast -  Karen gets thrown to the wayside in the second half Art: For once we have an entry of the SAO series was not produced by A-1 pictures, and as such, we don't have the usual shine and shimmer that came with the beautiful world of Aincrad once upon a time.  In the hands of Studio 3Hz, known for Sora no Method and Flip Flappers, Alternative in simple terms, is a watered down version of the SAO artstyle. The quality of the show is average, and the usually muddy world of GGO that was previously established doesn't leave much to be desired.  This however is counteracted by the different arenas used in the battle royales, which give us different environments in one giant stage that ups the diversity we get with the show's colors and backgrounds.  Exceptions include the detail of the guns used on closeup (and there are a lot of guns), as well as a face shot for any character who's down sniping.  Because these still look objectively better than everything else. I think the real star though is the animation.  It's not sakuga, but the action is so quick with the rapid bouts of gunfire from Karen's P-90 and the unusually massive amount of brutality with the combatants fighting up close that I thought at times it was better than most of the swordfights from SAO.  The show is constant action from the plot consisting of two battle royales stacked back to back, and while the art is nothing to write home about, just seeing what was happening and moving on screen was really exciting to watch. Overview: +  AMAZING ACTION +/- Average art quality Sound: Eir Aoi's "Ryuusei" is a perfect representation of the series, a moderate tempo that slowly builds up to a drop that echoes the amount of fighting and action that occurs in this series.  It's very SAO sounding, and its high energy prepares the audience for what's to come and actually rivals in quality with any of the OPs that its parent had.  By comparison, we have "To see the future", sung by Karen's VA, which is by comparison less energy and a lot...happier.  It's a weird counterpart to the OP that would feel out of place if it wasn't for Karen wanting to have a cute avatar to rival her stature in the real world.  It's not a bad piece, it just feels out of place, especially when presented after a cliffhanger. Personal Enjoyment: I think SAO has been beaten enough.  After the franchise had its fir…