Sword Art Online

Legendary historic episode

One of my childhood best anime I like the introduction of this episode how it started

A trip down memory lane, I dont even need to rewatch the anime to remember all the moments well, especially the first episode. SAO put all the power fantasy thats released nowadays to shame, how can this be released so long ago and still does everything better than your story? Japan really needs to do some clean up on some of their trash fantasy production.

I love concepts like this. Stories that immediately make you question how you would react in that situation. This first episode gives great coverage to the different reactions people have to the same situation: being trapped in a video game.

This is one of the strongest opening episodes in anime. It perfectly captures the excitement of exploring a brand-new virtual world before suddenly turning that excitement into fear and uncertainty. A memorable start that still holds up years later.

Sugou is the absolute worst. He is just a gross coward hiding behind his business suit. You can see how much he enjoys torturing Kazuto while he can't do anything to stop him

Seeing Keita jump off the edge of Aincrad like that was so brutal and it really shows how Kirito's secret destroyed that entire guild

It felt so cold when Kirito realized the resurrection item only works for ten seconds, making his entire suicide mission for Sachi completely pointless.

I can't stop thinking about that message Sachi left for Kirito at the end and it actually made me cry because she knew he was lying about his level the whole time

My heart broke when Sachi hummed Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer during the recording and it felt like the only time Kirito could finally let his guard down and mourn

Watching the guild celebrate buying their house right before they all died in that dungeon was such a cruel twist

When that trap activated in the dungeon, I just froze, my heart absolutely sinking as the Moonlit Black Cats got massacred. Kirito couldn't do anything but watch, and it really made me feel the crushing reality of what this death game truly means.

It felt a bit weird how Silica was basically used as bait the whole time and she felt more like a mascot than an actual partner but the ending with Pina was nice

Kirito just standing there and taking all those hits without his health bar moving was insane because it made those player killers look like absolute amateurs who stood zero chance

Rosalia is a total bully who deserved to get her guild wrecked by Kirito after he revealed that massive level gap during their fight on the bridge

That moment when Kirito said Silica reminds him of his sister made the quest feel more personal to me, and it made him seem like more than just a cold solo fighter

I thought Pina was gone forever and it made me so sad because Silica clearly loved that little dragon but Kirito stepped in and helped her get the flower which was really sweet

You really feel the weight of those thousands of players trapped in the plaza while that announcement happens and the soundtrack makes it feel so much bigger

Watching Kirito walk away from Klein felt pretty heavy, but I guess you have to do what it takes to survive when your life is on the line

That sky turning red and the giant cloak telling everyone they die for real if they lose is such a massive hook for a fantasy series