Sword Arts Online Rising

Apparently, everything is rising these days, whether it be Metal Gears or Dark Knights. So why not this anime too :)

Seriously though, this anime is still as emo as ever, but it's on my list of fast risers this season. Through episode seven, not only is Sword Arts far superior to my earlier comparison of Hack//Sign, it's better than most other shows this season and it's backed by the gripping story of our hero, Kirito, the solo black knight player. While everyone else on the "front lines" prefers the comfort of advancing in the safety net of a group, this mad fellow prefers to confront his fate like true, manly RPGer. Solo.

There's just something mesmerizing about this guy's journey that constantly reminds us of the fragility of life, something this anime is really good at, bringing it to the forefront of the experience in a very unique way - a well presented life-or-death VR MMORPG game. I'm gonna be cheering for him all the way, as Kirito experiences various degrees of love/loss/injustice/remorse/triumph.

I really hope he makes it out of the game alive with his harem intact (or at least with future wife #1). Sorry, I know this isn't really a harem anime ... but ...

On that note, I think this anime could achieve all-time-so-upsetting-it's-great status if the writers/producers gave this the berserk ending. Not likely, but I would likely be emotionally destroyed if they did. This is my way of preparing myself to cope with this potential outcome.