SAO Progressive Manga Review

Sword Art Online Progressive Manga Review

Progressive Manga Cover

I honestly had just thought that Sword Art Online Progressive was another side story. Instead it is actually a retelling of the first floor boss battle. It starts out weird, making you think it is another side story, but eventually gets into the story. A few new characters are seen in the story as well as new ‘footage’ so to speak. You also get to see a more perverted side of Kirito and a more intimate side of Asuna.

Progressive Plot

Manga Page of Progressive

The story of SAO Progressive starts out a little weird. Asuna is in reality and at her house. Basically you get a little back story on her life before the incident of SAO. She is worried about not passing a test (or something) and not being able to go to a good college. You find out that it is a dream she having in SAO. She has lingering thoughts of not being able to get into a good college now due to the circumstances. She basically is starving herself to fatigue in the game and not properly taking care of herself. During a fight a man comes to save her at the last minute. It happens to be Kirito. He begins to talk her out of suicidal tendencies and teaches her to fight with her Sword Skills more accurately.

Diabel is holding a meeting to gather the strongest players to defeat the first level boss. Both Asuna and Kirito end up at the meeting. It is here the two party up and Kirito invites her to stay at his place. At first she refuses but after he mentions a bath room she quickly takes his offer. Soon after they go to defeat the boss on the first floor. Through out the fight people die, mainly Diabel. Asuna announces that Kirito is in charge per Diabel to help quicken the boss battle fight. Here the manga ends, but is suppose to continue soon.

Characters of Progressive

Characters of SAO Progressive

All of the characters from the second episode are present throughout SAO Progressive. Asuna takes place as the main character while Kirito takes the side character. The only new character so to speak is Rat. He gives information to people but sometimes at a price. He likes to rip people off and also give false information to others. He seems to like Kirito and Asuna and tends to stay around them the most. He is a small kid with a hooded cape.

Progressive Bonus

Asuna

Progressive does come with a small bonus, Asuna taking a bath. Yes that is right, within this manga Asuna does take a bath and things are seen slightly. She sinks into the tub thinking of her past and life before SAO and how she got stuck in here playing a game meant for her brother. Kirito is in the other room fending off Rat, the curious information giver. He wants to sell this information at a high price since Asuna is the ‘cutest’ SAO female player.

All in all, Progressive was a great manga. I loved how they went into more detail about the first boss battle. Even if it still has not officially ended, the story and characters were great. It stuck to the art of SAO and the basic storyline. I was impressed with this manga and would recommend it to any Sword Art Online fan.

Sword Art Online Progressive Grade: 8 out of 10

Hollow Fragment News

Sword Art Online Hollow Fragment

Hollow Fragment

Sword Art Online Hollow Fragment is an RPG game for the PS Vita. This will be the second game to be adapted for a console. It is sad to be released April 24, 2014. At the moment it is only being released for Japanese audiences much like Infinity Moment.

Futami Takakai, producer, has announced that he would like to release the game for PS4 as well:
“If there is going to be another installment of Sword Art Online, I’d like to try and make it for PS4,” Takakai told Dengeki Online. “An original novel set in a next generation network RPG, or more than that, a novel about personal experience or connections—I wonder if such a game could be fun to play… For now look forward to Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment, releasing April 24!”

Story of Hollow Fragment

Kirito and Asuna

Not much is known other than the trailers released. We do know that Kirito meets up with a girl named Filia, an orange player, in a Hollow Area. She claims she is looking for ‘a certain truth.’ Within the hollow area are unknown things. This is set in an alternate universe from the original SAO. You characters from the ALfheim arc as well as the Gun Gale Online arc. In one trailer you do see the Prince of Hell character trying to kill Filia. Perhaps the two are connected.

Gameplay of Hollow Fragment

It is said to be very similar to Infinity Moment gameplay. You are also allowed to carry over certain things from the game as well and earn bonuses. The newest thing is the burst gauge. It allows you to attack continuously as long as the gauge is full. You also get the choice to create a player only available in battles but not game play. You can create a player link up of four players as well. This allows players to interact and create raid teams. The newest region, Hollow area, has also been added to the game and is designated as a multiplayer gameplay.

Features and Characters of Hollow Fragment

Hollow Fragment Menu Screen

Characters In the Game: Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Silica, Leafa, Lisbeth, Sinon, Strea, Filia, PoH, Klein, Agil, Alberich (Suguo), Heathcliff, Sachi, Argo, and Kibaou
Bosses Within the Game: Detonator the Kobold Lord, The Hollowreaper
Content Carry Over from Infinity Moment: Skill Points, Skill Combinations, Equipment, AI info, Gallery, Remains Heart, and Bonus of Clearing Infinity Moment
Instruction Commands: skill, technique-stopping, defense action, and recovery

Fairy Dance Manga Review

Sword Art Online: Fairy Dance Review

Fairy Dance Volume One Cover

Sword Art Online manga series continues with the next arc, Fairy Dance. This one is a bit more of a slower pace, while the Aincrad Arc only lasted two volumes this one only gets to the point of the story at the end of the first. Of course, it is another unfinished manga series of SAO. Only covering the story of the first two episodes of ALO from the anime series. The disappointment of an unfinished manga (especially from this series) is hard to take again.

The Plot of Fairy Dance

The Blow

The story starts out with Kirito’s return to the real world. He and his cousin Suguha are getting to know each other once again. Soon he leaves to go see Asuna in the hospital and you find out there are still 300 players unable to awaken from the Nerve Gear coma. While visiting her there, Asuna’s father and one of his co workers come in to visit her as well. Kirito finds out that Sugou, the friend, is engaged to Asuna against her will. While coping with the news, Kirito soon finds himself at home in his cousins comfort.
When he wakes up the next morning he finds an email with a picture attached that looks like Asuna. He goes to speak with Agil about since he sent him the information. There he learns about ALfheim online, the newest VRMMORPG. It is very popular due to the fact that you can fly. Kirito soon finds himself FullDiving into another game with his Nerve Gear. He is ready to risk anything to save Asuna and the other players. He meets a player named Leafa there and saves her. She takes him to the city to buy him a drink and fill him in on the world. She even goes as far to team up with him to get to The World Tree. The two log off and the volume ends.

The Characters of Fairy Dance

Yui’s Return

Of course the main character of Sword Art Online Fairy Dance is Kirito. He plays as a Spriggan in ALO. He is still recovering from what happened in SAO but determined to save Asuna. His heroic charm is still there. Leafa is the newest character to Fairy Dance. She is actually Suguha, Kirito’s cousin in real life. The two do not know the other is their cousin in the game. She plays a Sylph in the game. She has a happy go lucky personality and an unusual love for her cousin. Recon is another new character. he follows Leafa around like a lost puppy. The two know each other in real life as well. Another familiar face is Yui. Kirito finds the necklace in his inventory and revives her. She becomes his Navigator Pixie.

The newest ‘bad guy’ is Nobuyuki Sugou. His only goal is the company and money that Asuna’s family has. He is engaged to Asuna against her will and is somehow connected to the missing 300 SAO players.

ALfheim Online and Fairy Dance

Spriggan and Sylph

ALfheim Online is the newest game in Fairy Dance. It is very popular amongst gamers, especially since you can fly. The game is all skill based and not level based, making it harder to complete quests at times. Magic is the main attack/defense of ALO. The ultimate quest of teh game is to reach the top of The World Tree. No one is able to fly to the top due to the flight bar having an end. Whoever does reach the top will receive unlimited flying for their race.

Like I said, it was good, but unfinished. It seems that is a running them with SAO manga’s, short and unfinished. I have seen a cover to the second volume so that gives hope that they are trying to complete Fairy Dance. If you liked the anime, I suggest reading the manga. If you have not seen the anime, don’t tease yourself with the manga just watch SAO.

Sword Art Online Fairy Dance Grade: 7 out of 10 (If it was finished it would be higher)

Update Sword Art Online II

News Update on Gun Gale Online

A cast and staff set up has been announced for Sword Art Online II. So far Kirito will be played by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka once again while the newest character, Sinon, will be played by Miyuki Sawashiro. Sawashiro once played the role of Sinon in the PSP game Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment. The director will once again be Tomohiko Ito at A-1 Pictures. Shingo Adachi will also be returning to adapt the original character designs of abec. So far that is the newest release of information on Sword Art Online II.

Sword Art Online Girls Ops Manga Review

Girls Ops Review

Lizbeth, Silica, and Leafa

Sword Art Online Girls Ops only includes Silica, Lizbeth, and Leafa as familiar faces. You catch glimpses of Kirito and Asuna as the three talk about the past. Of course the manga ends abruptly with little satisfaction. A continuation is much needed, but resolved the initial story plot.

Girls Ops Plot

Ring of Angel’s Whisper Quest

Like I stated earlier, Girls Ops follows Silica, Lizbeth, and Leafa on a quest for “Ring of Angels Whisper.” The rings hold a special ability and a memory of SAO to Lizbeth and Silica. Leafa follows along for the quest. The two latter keep spoiling the quest for Leafa since they completed it in SAO. Theey come across someone who looks just like SAO Kirito. The player is Kuru, who admired Kirito and an SAO survivor. Soon it is discovered the player is female, but got a rare avatar that looked like Kirito. She lost someone in SAO while they were attempting to protect her, so she solo’s in ALO.

Silica attempts to get Kuru to join them, but she denies and leaves to finish the quest. The three follow her to the boss fight and attempt to help her. Silica jumps in front of a blow meant for Kuru. Kuru breaks down and remembers the bad SAO memory and is convinced the game is real. The three attempt to save her and defeat the boss at the same time. It is here that the story abruptly ends.

Characters of Girls Ops

Kuru, Leafa, Silica, Lizbeth

Silica, Lizbeth, and Leafa really need no introduction if you have seen the anime. Silica a young teen that once survived SAO with the help of Kirito. She is monster tamer and has a pet dragon named Pina. Her ideals are a bit up beat and child like, keeping her innocence. Lizbeth was once saved by Kirito as well in SAO. She was his personal blacksmith after that. She braves virtual reality once again in ALO. Leafa is newest to the crew. She was not involved in the SAO incident except through Kirito (her cousin). The three share a similar interest; Kirito.

Kuru is the newest addition to the characters. She is a survivor of SAO and has her own way of ‘dual blades.’ She uses the left to parry while using attack skills from SAO on the right. She is a Spriggan like Kirito in ALO. She has similar swords and a similar outfit to Kirito’s SAO avatar. She holds Kirito high for defeating the death game.

Girls Ops Ring of Angels Whisper

Angel NPC

This item is a familiar to Lizbeth and Silica. Its origins is Sword Art Online. The description reads “Grants Eternal Bonds Between The Companions Who Exchanges Them.” Silica received one from Kirito during the SAO incident. His only intentions were to keep track of Silica and used it like a phone. To acquire the rings one must go through te Demonic Beast at the Abandoned Tower. Apparently it is a bunny like monster, but the new ALO version has stepped the game up a bit.

When, and if, this manga continues, it will be great. The manga story and feeling was much like Reki Kawahara. The writer knew how to get in touch with Kawahara’s story telling. Recreating a new story and keeping the tone is very hard sometimes. This manga is not one to miss out one, even if it is not finished.
Sword Art Online Girls Ops Grade: 8 out of 10

Sword Art Online: Aincrad Review

SAO Manga Review

Sword Art Online: Aincrad Cover

Sword Art Online: Aincrad is only a short version of the anime, which happens to be a short version of the light novel. So a lot is left out of the manga making it only two volumes long. A bit of a disappointment to some fans, but still a good read. What it lacks in length it also lacks in character development, so please watch the anime and do not judge int by the manga.

Sword Art Online: Aincrad Plot

Klein and Kirito

Sword Art Online: Aincrad is based after the Aincrad arc of the light novel series. The year is 2022 a man named Kayaba Akihiko traps people in a virtual reality video game. If you die in the game , you die in real life. The main character Kirito is attempting to beat the game for himself and the other players. He must reach the top of the Aincrad castle on the 100th floor.

Unlike the anime, the manga stays on track on the main story. You never meet certain side characters due to the fact that they are not vital to the plot line. It gets to the end really quickly with two years passing by in the game. Many people have lost their lives trying to beat the game or attempting to escape only to die on the other side.

Sword Art Online: Aincrad Characters

Kirito and Asuna

Kirito is the main male protagonist of Sword Art Online: Aincrad. He is a quiet fifteen year old boy only to become the eventual hero of the game. He is extremely skilled and mostly works solo through out the game. He mostly does this to not be responsible for anyone’s life.

Asuna starts out as a weaker character only to be the brave one on the front lines. Her desire to return to the real world gets her through the game, that and Kirito. She falls in love with him and becomes his wife in the game.

Other characters show up in the manga, but only a few are mentionable. Klein and Agil are friends of Kirito and appear throughout the manga in certain situations. Klein is a rough looking man that fights on the front lines while Agil is a merchant only fighting in big battles. Yui’s character makes a short appearance, but only to set up her story in Fairy Dance.Heathcliff is another manga character that has a few twists. He is the guild leader of the Knights of Blood.

Sword Art Online: Aincrad The Manga

Kirito Battle Scene

The manga was quite short and disappointing. I only read it to see if it was more in depth than the anime, but was sad to find out that it was only two volumes long.The artwork, however, was worth the read to me. It was really beautiful and reminded me of older manga’s for some reason. The fight scenes were laid out very well as well. They were really detailed. I recommend this to those that want to brush up on the story or just do not have time to watch the anime or read the light novels.

Sword Art Online: Aincrad Grade: 5 out of 10

Sword Art Online II Announced

Gun Gale Online

Sinon and Kirito

It was announced December 31, 2013 after the Sword Art Online Extra Edition that the next arc of SAO was being adapted into an anime, Gun Gale Online. The newest adaption will be based after third arc of the light novel series and will feature a new VRMMORPG and a new character. Most Sword Art Online fans know about the light novel series, but may not know the plot or anything about it.

Sword Art Online Online II Possible Plot

Gun Gale Online Light Novel Cover

The GGO arc of the light novels follows Kirito into a new game. Guns are the primary weapon of choice, while knifes and light sabers are secondary. Recently people have been dying when they died in the game. Kirito is called to investigate the murders with the help of Sinon. The murderers happen to be three players controlling one avatar. They have a special weapon called the Death Gun, which kills avatar and player. Two of the three happen to be survivors of SAO and past Laughing Coffin guild members. Kirito has to find a way to stop the murders and get them arrested.

Sword Art Online II New Character

Sinon

Shinon Asada is the newest character to the Sword Art Online anime. She is a female sniper named Sinon in Gun Gale Online. She started playing the game in order to get over a childhood trauma that involved guns. She is nicknamed Hecate due to her weapon of choice, the PGM Ultima Ratio Hecate II, a very rare gun. At first she is leery of Kirito and sees him as an enemy due to the high competitiveness of the GGO game. She later develops feelings for him as she becomes close to him in the investigation. She is also a part of the ALfheim Online game and plays a Cait Sith archer.

Sword Art Online II New Feature

Kirito

A new feature has been added to the Gun Gale Online gaming system. In the game a player can compete against one another and gain money. The money earned can be transferred over to the real world and be an income. Many players make a living off of the game alone. This is a great incentive to play the game and therefore a lot of people are online making it their profession.

The new arc of Sword Art Online sounds very interesting. I only hope that they follow the light novels closely. Rumors have been floating around stating that it will be released close to the newest PSP game Hollow fragments. The game will be released April of 2014. Hopefully this is not a rumor as that would be really amazing to see it that soon! Maybe this will also lead to the adaption of the UnderWorld Online arc.

SAO Meme of the Week

SAO Meme of the Week: Seems Legit

Credits Go To Otakumeme.com

This has always perplexed me. Why was Asuna so much better looking than Kazuto was when they were in the hospital. In reality she should have awoken as frail as Kazuto if not even more. She was in the hospital a lot longer than he was anyways. Still that does not leave good enough reason as to why she looks better than he does. She even is sitting up in the hospital bed as if it was no problem when Kazuto struggled to even get down the hallway. I am sure there are several reasons behind this though.

Asuna Awake At Last

Perhaps Kazuto was to strenuous in the game for his body to keep up and therefore he looked more worn out. Maybe they did not want to show Asuna looking as bad because she was a female. Sometimes they want the female to look better than the male. Perhaps it was because her father could afford better health care coverage or maybe stayed on the doctors to heal her better. Whatever the reason, she looks good and healthy when she wakes up… It does seem legit.

Sword Art Online Review

Sword Art Online Anime Review

Sword Art Online Anime

I had many friends recommend Sword Art Online (SAO) to me. I never really get into big anime’s until after they are done airing because, well, I just don’t like waiting around to watch the next episode. I am glad I waited to watch SAO, because I finished the series in two days. I could not hit the stop button! You are given enough information each episode to want more the next episode.

Sadly this is not true throughout the whole series. Like I said it took two days to finish the entire anime, but it was dragging the last half of the series. After Sword Art Online is defeated and Kirito goes into Alfheim to save Asuna, it loses its touch. I understood the story line, but it was just less interesting. Still good though.

Plot of Sword Art Online

Kayaba Akihiko Announcing New Rules

A new gaming experience has been created by Argus called a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game). The game that everyone has anticipated, Sword Art Online, is about to begin. With the Nerve Gear, everyone will be able to experience the game through the eyes of the avatar. Once inside the game everyone finds out the log out button is no where on the menu. The creator, Kayaba Akihiko, announces to the players that it is not a glitch. If you can not defeat the game you will not get out, but if you die in the game the Nerve Gear will destroy your brain. Kirito is one of the players that was lucky enough to be a Beta Tester. He intends to defeat all 100 floors and free himself from the game.

Through many floors, Kirito travels to find the last boss. He mostly goes solo, but will team up with Asuna Yuuki many times. The two eventual fall in love and marry in the game. The two are part of the Knights of Blood guild that is trying its hardest to get to the top floor. Heathcliff is the leader of the guild and only fighter to defeat Kirito in a duel. On the 74th floor, Heathcliff makes an announce. It is here that Kirito defeats the game and frees the players. All but 300 are released while the rest are stuck in VRMMORPG ‘limbo.’

Alfheim Online is a game created by Asuna’s fathers company. She is one of the 300 players stuck in the limbo. Kirito sees a picture of an avatar that looks like Asuna in the game. He dives into another game with his Nerve Gear and tries to find Asuna. Here he discovers the truth behind the game and the administrators. He fights to save the 300 people stuck int he limbo and free the love of his life.

Characters of Sword Art Online

Kirito and Asuna

Kirito (Kazuto Kirigaya) is the main male protagonist. He has an advantage due to his beta testing experience. He takes alot of heat from other players due to this and mainly works alone. Asuna (Asuna Yuuki) is the only player he really gets to know. At first Asuna is scared of playing the game and a bit suicidal. When Kirito later meets up with her she has changed into a brave woman willing to die for a comrade. The romance between the two is worth watching the anime alone. The two characters are well developed.

Many of the characters in this anime is very well developed. You get to know each one intimately and want each one to survive. Honestly no character is invincible, so be prepared to lose some loved ones. This really is crucial to the anime development because it allows the viewer to relate to the characters more.

Game Over

Honestly no Otaku should go without watching Sword Art Online. The soundtrack is amazing, the characters, the story, and as an added bonus there are alot of nice twists and turns in the anime. I recommend this to anyone who plays video games as well. I feel like this will be another ‘gateway’ anime and even in the future a possible classic.

Anime Series One Grade: 9 out of 10