The First Time, And The Last Time

When you're new to something, everything impresses you.

This applies to almost everything I've ever tried in my life, from sports, to video games, to music, to food.... oh, the list goes on. I remember the first time I learned how to play a simple melody on my guitar - I was so thrilled that I played it on and on and on until my fingers (literally) bled and I had to wear band-aids for a week (Totally not a Summer of '69 reference). Sigh, that does reveal how obsessive I can get with new pursuits (and if you didn't figure that out already, well, there you go, now you know). I hate half-assing things, and I'm a perfectionist to the T, which is why I never get anything done on time. Like this blog post. I'm probably still editing it as you read this, even 10 years into the future. Who knows.

Well, what I'd like to write about today is how Sword Art Online (SAO) compelled me to start watching more anime, so let's get to it. In my last post, I wrote about how my then roommate Jon got me addicted to anime after introducing me to this controversial show. Cards on the table - I don't think it's a the worst anime ever, but I don't think I can call it good either. But it gave me good enough reason to explore the world of anime and discover what I'd been missing out on for all these years.

My only experience with Japanese animation prior to this were the Studio Ghibli movies Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke (both absolutely amazing films which you should definitely watch if you haven't). It's hard to compare something to that level of quality without being disappointed, but I really did go in without any big expectations. The first thing that makes an impression on you when you're watching any visual art form is, well, obviously the visuals. Studio A-1 Pictures does a supremely good job of animating SAO, as the world of Aincrad is just... gorgeous. I'm a gamer myself, and SAO's world looked AMAZING. I wanted to be Kirito, walking the streets of those cities and fighting off enemies in those beautiful environments. If you've ever played games like TERA or Skyrim, imagine being able to walk amidst all that beauty and be a part of that world. SAO does not disappoint when it comes to visuals. The fight scenes are actually well animated (although they can get repetitive later on). I was just enjoying watching everything happen on screen; it delighted me.

When it comes down to the plot and story, well, SAO is probably going to disappoint you. I had all these amazing expectations built up that came crashing down midway through the first season. If you've seen the anime, you'll probably know what I'm talking about when I refer to the scenes where 'Kirito goes god-mode and the main villian reveals his reasons'. Putting these disappointments aside, I did enjoy the feel that watching this show gave me. I've loved reading since I was a child. My parents were busy folk and being an only child, I was often left to entertain myself, which led me to start reading. Watching SAO made me feel like I was engrossed in a book again, interacting with characters in my head and wanting to believe they were real. I'd like to point out here that anyone who says they didn't have a crush on Asuna, is lying. I do dislike what becomes of her character towards the end of the first season, but there's no denying the fact that she's probably my favorite character from the show.

I binge-watched SAO over the course of that weekend, and I was ready for another round of those engrossed in a book feelings. There's something I love about being whisked away into these worlds that writers dream up, and anime turned out to be another medium for me to feed my obsessions. So I scoured the internet for recommendations before I started my second show, Kyoukai no Kanata, but that's a post for another time. Since then, I've watched some truly brilliant anime and even explored their source manga, and I'm happy that I took the plunge and gave myself the opportunity to enjoy a medium as expressive, unique, and versatile as anime. If you're wondering if you should give it a shot, you already know what my answer is. Just as you watch your Game of Thrones and Sherlock, there's massive diversity amidst anime. Who knows, you might find one that's just your type.

Sword Art Online - Where It All Began

A question I am often asked by other anime fans, is how I started watching anime in the first place. Now, I don't identify as an anime purist or even a 'mediumcore' fan, since I've watched a fairly small number of shows which may or may not include some of the most popular ones out there. However, I do believe I watched a bare minimum to be able to have a somewhat informed opinion about the anime world. With that being said, my first meaningful foray into the world of anime was three years ago (2013) in college, when my roommate Jon (hey Jon if you're reading this, which I know you're not, loser) asked me to watch a show with me on one fine spring morning.The anime in question, was Sword Art Online (SAO).

Yes, my first anime experience was with SAO, and I know there are a good number of folks out there who would say the same. Yes, I know, there are tons of you out there who bash SAO on anime forums and believe it is Satan's gift to anime purists. I'm not really interested in talking about this debate. Instead, I'll be talking about my first experience with anime, what got me hooked, what shows it led me to henceforth, and finally, where I stand now as an anime fan.

I've always loved animated content (and that's partly why I'm a graphic designer with an interest in animation), so liking anime wasn't an option, it was an eventuality. To be quite honest, the reasons I distanced myself from anime at first was my experience with 'otaku culture'. I'm a fairly active internet forum follower, and I've seen references to anime almost everywhere. It seemed to be this community that just talked about 'waifus' and 'best girls' and body pillows and almost-naked figurines of said female characters. I'm just trying to be upfront and honest about this - it weirded me out. I didn't exactly have the best of first impressions, and this lead me to believe that anime watching folk are people with tastes and interests starkingly different from mine. Add to this the fact that shows like One Piece and Naruto are wildly popular, and I pretty much got tired of hearing about them time and time again.

Another common misconception (now debunked, for myself) is that anime is simply japanese cartoons. Well, that depends on what you consider a cartoon - I consider cartoons to be animated shows with simple plots, (sometimes) educational content, tame subject matter, directed primarily at kids and young adults. For instance, Tom & Jerry, or Kim Possible. I'm not going to go into details about this, but you get the idea. The widely accepted societal consensus is that cartoons are for kids and grownups like myself (ugh, why am I so old) shouldn't be wasting our time watching them. And of course, being swayed by that opinion I stayed away... until I realized what I was missing out on.

So we're back again to SAO. Here I am, eating a brunch of scrambled eggs, bacon, potato wedges and french toast, wondering what on earth Jon is trying to get me into. He tells me the plot - a bunch of gamers wearing Virtual Reality (VR) headsets get pulled into this game and can't log out, and if you die in the game, you die in real life. "Holy ****, that sounds amazing!" I think to myself, since I'm quite the gamer and I always like a good story. He forces me to watch in Japanese audio (I appreciate this move now) so I'm just about getting used to reading the subtitles when I realize, hey, this isn't that bad, right? It's definitely more serious than a cartoon, the animations are pretty sweet. and the music is pretty badass. Let's keep going! I want mooooore. I get plenty, as the setting is explained and viewers are clear about what to expect from this show. Was that 25 minutes already? Wtf. Next episode, Jon.

He grins knowingly, and I can picture myself back then, sitting on the edge of the world in all my ignorance, with no idea what I was getting into. Oh well, he puts on episode 2, I jump of the edge screaming incomprehensible japanese, and my life in this new world begins with a rush. My brunch has been wolfed down and I'm really yearning to go back and get some more food, but eh, it can wait. It can wait.