Well I’ll admit I’m a SAO otaku… maybe not quite to Dual level but I’m completist about it.
The SAO everyone knows is a loose variation of the novels, where Asuna and Kirito had a lot more time spent together before they tied the knot virtually. Events also took place in different orders or very differently in nature. Kirito also tended to be a bit more of a smart ass in the initial volumes. Asuna had more depth… pretty much that can be said across the board.
Like everyone has said, Aincrad arc was great, Fairy Dance was poor overall.
Worthy of note is that what was Gun Gale Online, is now becoming SAO II: Phantom Bullet.
Here’s a partial list of the main volumes composing the SAO series.
5.1 Volume 1 – Aincrad
5.2 Volume 2 – Aincrad (SAO Side Stories)
5.3 Volume 3 – Fairy Dance
5.4 Volume 4 – Fairy Dance
5.5 Volume 5 – Phantom Bullet
5.6 Volume 6 – Phantom Bullet
5.7 Volume 7 – Mother’s Rosario (Full Text)
5.8 Volume 8 – Early and Late (Full Text)
5.9 Volume 9 – Alicization Beginning (Full Text)
5.10 Volume 10 – Alicization Running (Full Text)
5.11 Volume 11 – Alicization Turning (Full Text)
5.12 Volume 12 – Alicization Rising (Full Text)
5.13 Volume 13 – Alicization Dividing
5.14 Side Stories
5.14.1 Sword Art Online: Material Editions
On a note, I have all these as PDFs as Bakatsuki is stopping translation, due to the novels getting licensed by Yen Press. However Tap’s translation is ongoing, since it will take them a long time to catch up.
As you can see, Phantom slides in and probably will make for a smaller 13 ep series.
Phantom sees Kirito trying to find a place in life after the events of SAO (ie. a job) so he starts working / is taking up jobs from the government official that was in charge after the mass abductions during the Aincrad arc. He’s also the guy that cut the deal for Kirito to know where Asuna was in exchange for cooperation.
Essentially, someone is killing players in a very public execution style in a gun combat VRMMO, in a way that should be impossible. So Kirito is tasked with going in and investigating. With this he converts his player data and ends up with a long haired feminine character. While trying to get new weapons, he ends up with essentially a lightsaber and meets Shino, a female player who is one of the best in the world as a sniper gamer, but has extreme gun phobia in real life due to unfortunate events when she killed someone as a small child. For better or worse, Shino hooks up with Kirito to figure out the mystery as another killing happens in front of them. Eventually the case will spill back over into real life, as enemies of Kirito’s past come back to haunt them in the real world once more.
Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of the Phantom Bullet arc, mainly cause we don’t see much Asuna, and the tsundere-like nature of Shino somewhat feels like we’re adding into a harem. But she’s added to the crew… Kirito is also either stupid lucky or just suffering from super man-itis by this point, and it shows when he’s in game. Out of game, the times he’s with Asuna are good… but it’s makes you wish that was more of the focus. Phantom Bullet sets up characters and events for later arcs, mainly Alicization, and some of the “if” type side stories.
Mother’s Rosario I think will end up being a movie, because it’s 89% Asuna, with everyone else playing 2nd fiddle. But it is home to some of the best writing, and the ending while tear inducing, is beautiful and “should” be how gamers really conduct themselves.
Either way, nice to see more coming out though I completely expected this would be the case.
The SAO fone, app also got released today too… though it doesn’t seem to completely work.
