Sword Art Online – Episode 1

So the preferred currency here is col too. 🙂

Sword Art Online, the anime adaptation of the novel featuring a virtual multi-player online game, kicks off to a good start with a couple of inconsistencies (at least from where I come from, having no prior knowledge of the novel). In case you haven’t already seen the trailer, it’ll give you a rough idea what to expect.

Population of the world is limited to the 10,000 players who managed to buy a copy of the limited game. The player’s five senses are controlled by a headgear, which can stimulate satiation (of hunger), but only virtually. The creator traps them in the virtual world (by removing the log out button), challenging them to clear the game or die trying (no revives).

Hardly any anime goes without CG these days.

The graphics department did a fine job with the anime too, with all the details of the fantasy world depicted in vivid detail. Definitely a visual treat, but it remains to be seen if the bgm is able to keep up. Still, the ED by LiSA, crossing field (likely a homage to exploration of the world map) does sound pretty decent.

8,000 more to go. And you wonder why the police hasn’t found the dood given 1 month.

Not to mention, without nourishment, most of the other 8,000 would either have to be on drip (or some kind of life-support) in their playing location or else their body would be at near-starvation levels. It’ll be interesting if characters could go to an inn and rest, which instantly causes them to black out, hear that final fantasy jingle and wake up on a bed 5 seconds later. Too bad MMOs aren’t known for them. 😀

From what the anime has revealed, it appears the only way to log outta the game without suffering a Matrix-style death (apart from completing the game) is to power down the device and wait for its battery to run out. Unless there’s another plot device to conveniently counter that. Guess we’ll find out in subsequent episodes.