I've been really enjoying the show, and as per /a/'s suggestion, went ahead and found translations of the light novels and read most of them (just finished with volume 07.

I recommend both.

Admittedly, the writing quality of the first volume is a little low. In fact, I could hardly call it better than most of our 3-star fanfiction. That said, it improves markedly in the succeeding volumes.

I'm not much of a gamer. I can count on two hands the total number of video games I've played in my life, beginning with Super Mario Bros. I, II, and III when I was a small child, and ending with the Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim.

I really enjoyed the sword and monster atmosphere of volume one, and really liked the added element of magic in the Fairy Dance arc. I have almost zero interest in guns and modern stuff, so I was very hesitant to read the Gun Gale Online arc, but did anyway, and found it enjoyable.

Then I read Mother's Rosario. And. Bawled. My. Eyes. Out.

I skimmed through bits of the next volume at work, but didn't really have time to really peruse it, so I'll probably go back and do that today, if I can get myself into a reading mood (just not in one right at the moment).

Anyway, so yeah, there's my recommendation. A series really hasn't gotten me this hooked in a long while, so you should watch it.

Edit: This is my 1221st post.

 

Well I've read through volume 9 of the english translation of the novels so I guess that counts. I don't remember seeing much of a change in the quality of writing between volumes, but that just might be due to reading a translation and when it comes to translations simply being understandable with decent grammar is a plus.

From what I've read the author originally wrote the first volume of Sword Art Online as a webnovel when he was fourteen, which is probably what accounts for the fanfiction type feel the first novel had.

I do really enjoy the series as a whole. My favorite arc is still the Aincraid arc, but the Alicization arc seems like it's going to be just as good if not better. I've also read that the Alicization arc is going to end up taking around five volumes to complete, so it should be fun ride if volume 9 is any indication. The Alicization arc also seems to be introducing some of the technology shown in Accel World which is another light novel written by the same author.

 

Light novels are really good, though like Rin I didn't have much interest in Gun Gale Online, not because the guns and stuff, but because arch didn't interest me much.

One of the things I don't like in an anime/manga/etc. is way too effeminate male characters, especially when they go on and on about how beautiful he's. Around the Gun Gale arch, it was dangerously close to make me stop reading but the way Kirito used it to his advantage was an interesting development.

Anyway we've already talked about some of this in the anime recc. thread, but again this stuff is awesome and it'd be a loss to not read/watch it.

 

I've enjoyed the anime after it got past its "introducing a new chick every episode" shtick. The growing relationship between the two leads is what has kept me around from the fourth or so episode on. Nothing else really grabs my attention. I haven't tried the light novels, as Sora mentioned fan translations can be icky.

 

Wow, Kirito and Asuna are both in the top ten (with Kirito at the top)!

Yes, unfortunately, I can actually pick out where the translators are clearly giving way too faithful a translation, and not bothering to make it a more "beautiful" translation.

One of the biggest offences I've seen has to do with writing conventions in Japanese vs. conventions in English: In Japanese, books can generally dispense with the past tense once it's established that what's occuring is in the past. You can't do this in English, unless you're specifically using the historical present (which is fairly rare these days). The translators, in too many cases, seemed to have forgotten this and just went with it.

Another thing that irked me was the onomatopoeia. We do in fact have our own in English, and where we don't have an equivalent onomatopoeia, we will have some sort of phrasing that works just as well to convey the same meaning. I'm frankly surprised that the translators didn't mention anyone "smiling nikoniko". The only place I found it acceptable was Tonkii's Urururururu.

There's a common joke amongst professional translators: "Translations are like women in that the beautiful ones are rarely faithful, and the faithful ones are rarely beautiful."

Edit: I want to add that I'm really impressed by the author's willingness to have non-Japanese characters, rather than doing the typical anime equivalent of pretending we don't exist, or only using a terrible parody of us.

 

I'm more surprised that Kira and Lacus are on it. SEED's, what, ten years old?

For anyone interested in fan translations, this is an awesome documentary about anime fan subtitles.

 

Yea I powered through the light novels in a couple of slow days at work. I like how the anime is pacing itself in comparison, though I wonder how far they're gonna go in the next 14 episodes...

 

The anime is probably going to make it through volume 4 of the light novel which is pretty good place to end the first season. The epilogue at the end of volume 4 is a great break point.

What I'm really curious about is how they'll go about animating the other novels if they get a season 2. GGO can take up the first 12 to 13 episodes of a second season, but Mother's Rosario and Caliburn probably aren't enough material for the second half of the season. They might be able to animate the first novel in the Alicization arc but that would end the season at a rather big cliffhanger.

 

The shorter arcs like Mother's Rosario I can see being made into movies given the hype/success the series has been receiving. I do want to see GGO in season 2 though at the very least. I don't remember the Fairy Dance arc very well, but I feel like it could be tough to squeeze into the second half of the season. I guess it depends on how quickly the current arc wraps up in the next few episodes...

Anyways...
Preview for episode 12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc3RSZ-ewhY&feature=g-all-u

 

Yeah, I see first season extending to the end of Fairy Dance.

GGO would make a good second season (12/13 episodes, rather than 25/26), whilst Caliber (from Volume 08), and Mother's Rosario would both make excellent movies.

Just finished what's available for Alicization, so now I need to start putting my translation skills to the test and begin very very slowly working my way through my physical copy of the 10th volume.

 

I'm not quite that far in the light novels, but I agree with GGO being a good place to pick up the second season. The only issue I foresee comes from the producers' willingness to make a 12-14 episode season instead of one double that after the success of SAO's first season.

Maybe it's super-cynical of me to say, but why would they make a 'half' season when they could make more money and stay on the air longer with more episodes?

Cynicism aside, I'm honestly impressed by the pacing of the first season. Nothing feels too rushed, and that's even with the inclusion of Volume 2 and possibly (likely) Volumes 3 & 4. Production quality remains amazing, and I can't wait for blu-ray releases.

 

I like the way the boss's eyes were spinning when he hit Yui in this episode, like the kick-back of hitting the <<Immortal Object>> that hard had him reeling. LOLOL

 

This anime is fucking great. Just watched the 12 episodes in a row, and I can't get it out of my head. Awesome game world, usually likable protagonist, likable female lead(s), a right mix of battle, exploring and romance... easy 5/5.

 

Episode 13 had an exceelent Battle Couple ending. AND I WANT MORE! GIVE ME MORE!

 

FUCK YES! They did a great job animating this part.

 

Being an avid MMO player, this is the sort of stuff I really wanted to see. Get to the end-game dammit!

Also, the Guild Master is a boss.

 

The Skull Reaper was amazingly animated, not to mention complete nightmare fuel. That thing is one scary fucker, seriously.

I choked on my drink so many times because of old man Nishida. I kept laughing way too hard every time he pulled a face on screen.

And possibly next episode we'll see

Spoiler

the conclusion of the SAO arc. I'm guessing there's gonna be one episode of downtime to acquaint us with the stuff happening IRL, and then ALO will start up the following episode.

And one other thing (and this is actually spoiler content, so beware):

Spoiler

lol @ Howdy's Heathcliff comment

 

So, after deciding to look at this,
I have now caught up with anime, read the translated manga, and am on the 7th volume of the translated novels.

I have poured lots of time into this, and still don't regret it.
And I have things to do that have serious deadlines.
But, isn't that just the way things are?

 

Spoiler

If you haven't finished Mother's Rosario yet, make sure to have a box of tissues next to you. Bawling likely.

---------- Post automerged Oct 2nd, 2012 at 02:20 ---------- Previous post was Oct 1st, 2012 at 18:38 ----------

Well, just finished reading the rest of Alicization: Running.

Now I have to wait until winter to buy the next installment.

Over winter break, if I get the volume quickly enough, i may try my hand at translating one of the chapters.