Why Isn't Sword Art Online Dead Already?!

in my time of watching anime there have been few phenomenon as hit the anime world I find it interesting at sword art online mountain with 5 years that originally started airing it goes without saying that FAO s gone down the history is one of the most popular anime ever created and has become a fundamental part of the modern anime world never before has a series divided the community so thesis being the most simultaneously beloved and hated anime of the modern era with only just a mention of the name guaranteed to start some kind of argument so all watching saw that lani of the day and what you like so not a line uh no logic this [ __ ] awful noise about you already done you should feel bad what the [ __ ] is going on multiple YouTube personalities myself included have made a name for themselves by talking about all making fun of it and it's such a widely talked about topic so it's gone from being really cool to hate on saw dotted line so hating it being treated as an outdated [ __ ] meme of this community but now almost half a decade down the line two seasons multiple games our new film just around the corner and a live-action Western adaptation in work whether you love it hate it well I just tired as hell people talking about it there is one irrefutable fact sword art online appear to say and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it which ringless of this videos topic so all this apparent narrative flaws flat characters and other critical weaknesses dozen reports up time and time and time again to the point that both fans and haters are bored of hearing the argument why is sword art online so popular and why the hell has me died yet disclaimer I am NOT here to bash on sawed-off online and my general opinion of the series has not actually changed much since my original review of its four years ago back then I gave the score six point five a my office last day I still think it was mildly entertaining nowhere near as bad as the haters make it out to be nor as good as the fans defend attacks and the other reason I'd written it in the past is because it has never not been relevant to make a joke or two about it but we've got to the point now where every insult that can be said has been said only will that every time I feel like making a joke it will be via this snore last online in Seoul generator I made comprised of all the generic essay no insults you've heard before and let's see what our in Seoul of the day is the Larsson line is Eddie dribble with an overpowered Jesus [ __ ] as the protagonist these are some cell awesomesauce five things we can do even better than this no there we go what a classic incident no one has ever said before Fiorina I wanted to make this video is I think there is a lot going on with how the scary 16 was a bigger picture and so some interesting things about our culture the wider anime community and how shows get popular in the first place and because making a sword art online video on YouTube guarantees you views we are a weekly planner the ones that we start off with the individual elements that make the show popular which I always spent too much time on as youtubers subsonic Sparkle has already done a great job breaking this down in his own videos look summarize his point and once you've seen SEO can probably guess of why it's so appealing and marketable it has a really strong hook and contains a very wide range of topics and genres to have mainstream appeal without delving too deeply into any of them it has even action and interesting concepts and world where you don't have to be an expert in any of the explore topics to understand what's going on a more definitive romance when you actually see in most shows a protagonist blank enough the viewers can protect themselves on to while always in relation to him and female characters are varied mix of common female tropes whose men feel as either just [ __ ] in just notice [ __ ] ha okay the aesthetics are also very appealing and there's a reason why accel world which actually starts to airing a season before it's but completely overshadows last because what's more appealing for an average viewer an edgy badass swordsman who doesn't give a [ __ ] boy literal [ __ ] blob it's wish-fulfillment and escapism and is simplest and I don't know why so many people take this as an insult shallow pub but entertaining hell yeah who wouldn't want to be a badass swordsman in a futuristic virtual reality surrounded by hot chicks and a loving girlfriend well he's so ashamed to admit this hell if it was less transparent about it I'm sure it would have been far more positively received it's the perfect gateway anime and while I'm sure this doesn't cover white every Sao fan like the series I think it covers the wide mainstream appeal a bit critical flaws and all by this logic though the entirety of Sao span they should just be horny teenage boys which is actually not the case and most the curious thing is for the amount of times can criticise most Sao fans I've met are very aware of its flaws and while a lot of them are the annoying vocal fans and making cellphone and give the fanbase a bad rap I don't think that alone can account for the massive success of the franchise there's a lot more going on than just pretty aesthetics an appealing element so to properly illustrate what happened we need to look at how series can get popular in the first place and so that's not rewind with Highline back a bit this is no ordinary animation this is the exotic bizarre and beautiful world of Japanese anime and this is your invitation tender with a modern classic of Kira where we look back at the history of popular anime here in the West there have been certain series that have defined a generation and are indicative of the culture at the time Acura for example was a cult underground hit in the VHS era that promoted an amazing edgy adult alternative to any other animation that was available at the time from the late nineties hits the famous tsunami block single-handedly kick-started a whole generation of anime fans introducing kids to likes of Dragon Ball Z Sailor Moon Gundam Wing showing them a new kind of cartoon unlike anything that was available from Western animation and of course this leads up to the most recent shows that took over the community before si over [Music] the sensation that caused the boom of the anime well just over a decade ago and what assessment was defensive for my generation was of course the big three Naruto Bleach and one so what courtly show's popular wherever IV or factors but a big part of it was a timing in which they came out see in the early 2000 these three shows up it's a hotter day way animate in a time when there was no real gateway animes the horse shows of the previous era of fading away leaving rooms capture the attention of a generation I grew up watching Dragon movies that were now discovering the world of anime through an entirely new platform the Internet this was the new era of torrents and fan club with a whole new generation of anime fans being able to actually shows that they could never have previously seen before either due to cost of DVDs or comes even on licensing everything this started a huge boom in the fandom and the free shows that was right in the forefront of this were the big three to put it simply there was a gap in the gateway shows everyone looked awards and there was a boom the fan and due to a new platform for people to discover anime by and if you look closely you can see this passion for popular anime of previous eras too so by the end of the decade a new gap was emerging through of the big three and the rousseau and bleach was slowly coming to an end by this point all the shows have been going on for far too long to be as easily accessible for newcomers of the am a medium it was the end of an era and the gradual start of a new one I wonder Sao started airing in the summer of 2012 a camera design when the community was coincidentally searching for the next big thing in a time when we were getting a new surge of anime fans because something else happened for animated naturally in the late 2000 hey guys Victoria here and I'm a big surprise the crunchyroll booth crunchyroll a site that had previously hosted the treatment service for illegal fansubs of anime and dramas completely turned around in order to pioneer the legal streaming of anime currently airing in Japan shows us we farmer cast and premiered almost immediately after they had aired in Japan which was unheard of other side and for the first time fansub could not compete this set a new trend for anime streaming services cap supporting the accessibility of animates your whole new highs never before was it so easy to watch anime never before was there so much choice of anime that we didn't have to wait for Bible casting a screaming completely changed the way the majority of the community consumes anime and gave us an immediate abundance of choice I was always concurrent to what the Japanese people thought what this meant was that we had less patience for long-running shows it became was about explosive seasonal animes flavor of the week and we became far less forgiving for things like filler arcs were plagued for victory and many long-running shonan's which is why even though a lot of us look to Shonen Jump what would be the next big thing last year was changing so fast we didn't realize we were looking in entirely the wrong place the Akira was a product of the VHS era Dragonball Z a product of the television era us the big three products of the Internet boom and fansub era then shows like sword art online and the tackling fight and I've definitely products of the streaming era there was a perfect gateway anime in the time when a new generation was getting into anime an entirely new way but then that begs the question of why sword art online in particular the gap in gateway animate only really applies to Western animation community and I mean sure has mass appeal but so do a lot of other shows what made this one stand out so much from the plethora of new anime people get to choosing Steven well it's pretty simple really as for that we just need to look at what our culture was like at this time and in the 2000s the biggest culture change I think we could all agree on is our integration with technology we're now on a sign when we live our lives through our computer and smartphone Twitter and Facebook have similar way to our real-life persona while YouTube and Netflix are slowly taking over a traditional broadcast media we're now live in an age where digital technology has become an essential part of our lives they're kind of weird to think that free Wi-Fi is more easily accessible for many of us and clean water is for a lot of areas in the world so that's not deeply entwined VR with technology around us many technological advancements the classmate and excite us through this came the rise of a multi-billion dollar industry gaming the rather 2000 went from this rising industry the auditors were obsessed with to one of the journals of the entertainment industry we now live in a time when talking about the newest hottest games has become an ordinary habit comparable to discussing blockbuster movies or the latest football scores I have become a staple of mainstream culture so obviously Anatomy up south gaming was very clearly going to have mass appeal so we'll listen like how many we can name anime specifically targeted towards gamers about games became before sword art online you'd probably think until tax franchise aka camping simulator 2003 an accel world which has already explained but largely overshadowed by FAO is felt but apart from that there isn't much else is left because there are so many gaming anime outs mouth lots of my fiends who have forgotten what it was like when FAO is first mouth and the TV's really the theory seemed like a genuinely [ __ ] cool fresh concept an anime exploring the video game world and looks awesome and had a really interesting hook as they had never really been a big high-profile anime specifically about gaming before this you may have had single episodes exploring gaming or gaming tie-ins but dedicated anime about gaming for modern gamers that was new for us let's me I felt like a breath of fresh air that's from the Heidi outdated hat franchise so I'm sure many of you are 1.4 then the premise was cool and unique even if it wasn't entirely original yes we had strong the matrix or ghost Michele which is called virtual worlds afforded yes we have got hat which was the same concept except the decade order just really busted boring well the one big difference between this is the timing in which SEO came out is because the remember what else was announced in 2012 even more than playing games I'm passionate about bringing games to the next level my name is Palmer Luckey and I'm a virtual reality enthusiast and the designer of the risk yes we were on the cusp of vr gaming itself do want me the concept of Sao so enticing also it felt like a world that could be within our grasp yes far enough technologically that it seems wonder if an alluring it may have not been the first group of people accepting an MMORPG but it was the first one that mattered framing in a way that made it seem possible yet fantastical which is why no matter how many animator came up with the explore the concepts that fell or FIFA they would to be as relevant and anything that came before it just seemed too far outs and wagons to be relatable and see if that's all it needed to do once it's to makes itself as the new generation gateway animate the ball except rolling starts with perpetual language skyrocketed in popularity you have a new generation of fans discovering animates through the hots gateway like FAO linking is the greatest thing ever meaning more veterans and the watching FAO to see all the fuss is about causing more discussions and arguments causing more awareness meaning more people will watch it which is how we get to where we are today in other words your thoughts online came at the right place at exactly the right time but it doesn't stop there either part of the reason it hasn't died yet in this current flavor of the week seasonal anime climate is that it manages is wholly relevant without ever repeating itself Don Gale online feel to those about to experience you have used first person shooters friends that dominated triple-a cycle to the five decade and its new movie ordinal scale which is exploring a port line using some fancy augmented reality is coming just a year after Pope on goats web through the globe and augmented reality became a very possible as significant technology in the world the franchise continues to explore topics that are ever so appealing to this current generation even if it's actual understanding of the games and systems are pruned to be not the best this is why after the GGO are 2200 no one really talked about the rest of it despite having arguably the best of the franchise has ever done it didn't explore anything new or relevant to many viewers in the end sword art online is a product of wide marketability massive relevant and great timing it appeared when the big cultural hits of a generation were fading away and the new technologically integrated generation was searching for something fresh and relevant and exploded fueled by new services that blew the accessibility of anime sky-high don't forget that one of the reasons sawdust and life he also popped up is because anime in general is as popular as ever as better or worse SEO is one of the shows that has defined this generation of anime fans now if that makes you mad if it makes you want to start more flame wars or troll more SEO fans then my word is probably not going to stop you but you have to realize that there will always be a sword out of line there will always be a Naruto there will always be a Dragonball Z a decimal and Akira r1p and these show still mean a lot to many people even to this say like in their prime the topic of all these shows well as toxic as the topic of Sao is today without the end of the day sawdust alone was and continues to be ever so relevant in the culture we have now as much as we groan at it it's a show that has gotten many new people into anime folks to a generation shows them something new something that they could relate was that nothing has ever shown them before and we shouldn't forget those first shows that flow to Isis our generation and how close we hold those shows no matter how flawed they were so yeah hey Don si yo all you want laugh at it or hell even defends it to keep up you won't stop me from making the odd rest here and there and it won't affect the impact it's already had we'll get your word in while you can because once this generation we've done something else to come along something just as big it's not bigger or even more controversial for us to all get heated about again [Music] hey guys I hope you enjoyed this video thank you very much this month - Andy - IANA throwing melts for a charm no life pecker sorry and everyone else in pictures we're helping to support my channel and making these video as possible if you want to check out some of the other stores online videos up most and just click on the link on the side I just want to keep up to date with my latest doings and be sure to follow me on Twitter anyway let me this time though I've been gig up and I'll see you all next time

Channel: Gigguk

Views: 2,263,861

Keywords: Anime Zone, Gigguk, Top Anime, OP, ED, Sword Art Online, SAO, Why is sword art online popular, Sword Art, SAO MMO, SAO Popular, SAO Review, Sword Art Online Review, Sword Art Online Rant, Sword Art Online Vine, Sword Art online Abridged, Sword Art Online Crack, SAO Rant, SAO Episode 1, GGO, Gun Gale Online, alfheim online, SAO Season 2, Sword Art Online Ordinal Scale, Sword Art Online Movie, Sword Art online Season 3

Id: rfi6hUPJpe4

Length: 15min 2sec (902 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 18 2017

Reddit Comments

[u/RingoFreakingStarr]

He hit it right on the nail about the premise and timing making the show so popular. I have to admit that a lot of the first season was really fucking cool. I thought that for these episodes they were matching the LN pretty well (which I was already reading before the series aired). I think Demo sums it up the best in his review; first season is pretty fun to watch but the later content...

[u/RoxasOnReddit]

Leave it to the memes guy to produce a far more interesting video on SAO, than the anime 'critics' that regurgitate the exact same shit every video they make on it.

[u/TheNextChamp]

Wow an actual good video talking about SAO, been a while

[u/TheGr8CptCumsock]

That was actually a great video, definitely watch.

Edit: ffs watch the video, he's not trashtalking SAO

[u/PureSmoulder]

SAO was one of my first animes, and I can honestly say it really did a lot in attracting me into anime.

Sure, in hindsight, it is VERY average. But back then, it was the only glimpse I had into the anime world. It was one of the few keywords I knew as a normie, alongside Naruto, Death Note, Dragonball Z and Attack on Titan. And like Gigguk said, the concept was appealing to me.

It opened up and introduced the intricacies of anime genres. From fantasy to adventure to romance to horror to SOL, it did them all. Sure, it didn't do them WELL, but it was sufficient to let me know what I was getting into.

Now, I wouldn't even put into on my top 10 list, but it'll have a special place in my heart for inducting me into anime.

[u/AniMonologues]

Because despite popular r/anime circlejerk law, anime fans are still crazy over stuff like SAO

[u/Zeph-Shoir]

Gigguk has a fantastic range in his videos, from reviews and parodies to serious reflections and discussions. One of the many reasons I love him so much.

[u/Terranwaterbender]

He talks about virtual world media.

But no mention of Spy Kids?

Edit: Okay I had to think of something serious to say since Gigguk went serious.

Gigguk basically reiterated what I thought of SAO and what made it big.

• The explosion of social media and the internet which made almost everything more available to the average consumer

• A different premise that takes reference from the huge booms of technology and gaming culture like with MMOs and integrating it with immersion technology.

• A strong first episode

• Cute girls

• Good action sequences

• It has an OP MC and lets face it OP MCs can be fun AF to watch.

• For many it was their introduction to anime and it has that "ooohhh what is this" kind of mentality that many experience when peering into something new.

Gotta say while I didn't learn anything new it's good to see Gigguk talk about it and hopefully get people off SAO's hate-train circlejerk. That train left this subreddit a while ago and I hope it stays that way.

[u/GreenReversinator]

With the way he described the technological advances and the accessibility of anime, I can't really think of what would come next. Simulcasting is so readily available; what could possibly outdo it?