Sword Art Online II - Part 1 Standard BD with Limited Edition Slipcase

I want to start off by saying, I'm a huge fan of SAO's first season. When I bought the DVDs back in 2014, nothing could've prepared me for what I was about to experience. The concept was engaging, the action was fast-paced, the comedy was well-timed, and the characters were so passionate they felt like real people to me. Not only did this become my favourite series overnight, but millions around the world shared my opinion. These days, it's hard to search anime on the Internet without finding some reference to ‘SAO’ – whether it's a poster in a reaction video or a slot in one of WatchMojo's top ten lists. In fact, I was so blown away by this series I felt I needed to get online and let others know how great it was, too. Yes, ‘Sword Art Online’ was the reason I became such an avid reviewer just over two years ago.So now there's a second season available, is it as thrilling as the original? Or does the game get dull the more times you play? Let's start with Part 1.Taking place a year after the first season; life has been going well for Kirito and Asuna. Since the creation of the Seed, VR gaming has risen to new heights, and there haven't been any incidents like the ones in Aincrad or Alfheim. Everything changes, however, when Kirito gets a call from Kikuoka – a government representative. He tells Kirito that people have been dying while playing the game Gun Gale Online. Apparently, an avatar named Death Gun has been using a weapon (of the same name) which causes real-life cardiac arrest. Kirito has his doubts, but he agrees to investigate. Inside the game he meets Sinon, a female sniper who's aiming to win the Bullet of Bullets tournament; Kirito decides to enter himself so he can look out for Death Gun. Sinon likes him at first and even helps choose his equipment. But after learning his true identity, she vows to destroy him in the finals. Later on, Kirito encounters Death Gun face-to-face and suspects he might be an SAO survivor. Also, the latter's actions could have something to do with Kirito – and the three people he killed in Aincrad.The first thing I want to discuss is the story's pacing. One of the biggest problems critics had with the original season was how fast it was; episodes 1-8 took place over 24 months, with 13 of them occurring in the first three. For this volume, though, it's the opposite. The story only takes place over a few days, and Kirito doesn't even enter the game until the fourth episode. It's not necessarily a bad thing. The slower pace gives us time to see what he and Asuna have been up to in their relationship. And there's even a whole episode dedicated to Sinon's backstory. Doing the story like this builds nostalgia while laying the groundwork for later episodes.Speaking of nostalgia, ‘SAO 2’ does set a gritty tone by introducing a new virtual world, with harsh environments and advanced in-game mechanics. But it doesn't forget to give returning fans what they want to see. Characters like Yui, Silica and Lizbeth all make return appearances, with many others appearing in flashbacks. Additionally, the Laughing Coffin subplot is revived and plays a major part in the story – after being unceremoniously dropped last season. Having murderers in a game where it's possible to die for real makes the virtual world that more threatening.Overall, there's never one tone that remains constant. The episodes balance out their content so there's always something for everyone; action, drama, romance, mystery, etc. However, if there's one aspect that does stand out to me, it's the comedy.The volume is hilarious because it reuses old gags, like the female lead hitting Kirito after he sees her virtual-stripping. Plus, there are some unexpected laughs, too (e.g. Photon Swords clearly being rip-offs of ‘Star Wars’ Lightsabers). On the other hand, though, the episodes do resort to sexual humour. Lizbeth groping Suguha's boobs (in the ‘Extra Edition’) was bad enough. But here – get this – Kirito's new avatar looks so feminine that other players mistake him a girl, and the nurse who monitors his body while he's in the game (Aki Natsuki) claims she's seen all his "goodies" before. I don't usually have a problem with this kind of comedy. But for ‘SAO’ it just feels unnecessary and inappropriate – Kirito is in a relationship for crying out loud.Aside from that, the only other issue I have is with a continuity error. In the first episode, Kirito claims it was Kikuoka (not his family) who was present when he first woke up from ‘SAO’. Except in the last season, a flashback revealed it was his family there. And even that's a mistake because the earliest version of that scene (Season 1, Episode 14) shows Kirito was alone. I just hate it when writers backtrack and change crucial details, thinking we won't notice.Now let's talk about the characters.Starting with Kirito, he's more of a reluctant hero in this volume. He wants to forget the past and move on with his life, but others need his gaming experience. Not only that, but old demons keep forcing him to question whether he's truly a good person or not.As for the other returning characters, they don't do much except fight monsters and occasionally provide Kirito with information and guidance.But then you have Asuna. My biggest concern, going into this volume, was that they wouldn't do anything significant with her character. And, unfortunately, I was right. Most of the episodes do feature her, but other times we don't see her at all (except in the opening credits). I suppose it's better than making her the damsel in distress, but some fans may be disappointed by her lack of action. To be honest, though, I think I know why the writers are holding back on Asuna. I won't say it here in case I'm wrong, but there could be a reason she's the first returning character we see – instead of Kirito – and why we see that text message from her mother.Moving on to the new characters, I was surprised how naturally they fit into the series.Initially, I wasn't sure if I'd warm up to Sinon's character – why the writers think we need a new female lead every two volumes, I don't know. But the story does a great job introducing her, and showing us what she's like in both the real and virtual world. Also, the contrast between her and her avatar is quite intriguing. In the real world, she's a girl named Shino Asada. When she was eleven, her mother almost got shot during a post office heist. Shino managed to grab the robber's gun, but accidentally murdered him when she pulled the trigger. Since then, she's developed a fear of guns to the point where just seeing the image of one makes her vomit – even finger-guns intimidate her. With this in mind, you'd think she'd steer clear of a game like GGO. And yet, this is why she plays. She wants to get stronger by handling virtual guns. And by winning BoB, she thinks it'll finally cure her trauma. Unfortunately, her skills catch the attention of a killer.First off, I like how Death Gun's design makes him look like a robotic, grim reaper – it suits the nature of his character. But I also love how little gets revealed about him. All we know is he's an SAO survivor, works for Laughing Coffin and has a history with Kirito. That's it. We're not sure if he's someone we've seen in the series before or even if he's male – seriously, I suspected he was Sinon at one point. Best of all, though, he's still shrouded in mystery by the end of the volume – which can only make for a more dramatic revelation later on.The last character worth mentioning is Spiegel, Sinon's comrade in the game. They're best friends in real life, and they both seem interested in starting a relationship. But Shino doesn't want to be anyone's girlfriend until she knows she can handle things on her own. Seeing them together almost reminds you of a young Kirito and Asuna.In conclusion, ‘SAO 2 (Part 1)’ is everything you could want from a sequel to ‘Sword Art Online’. It pays homage to the first season; the pacing is smooth - despite a few time jumps - and even the new characters feel like they've been part of the series since the beginning. There are some notable drawbacks, but they don't impact the overall quality too much. All in all, I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.I would recommend this DVD to any fan of anime. You don't have to watch the first season beforehand. But it's certainly enjoyable if you're a hardcore gamer.I will be reviewing the other three parts shortly. So until then, stay tuned.

It was okay ent watched it yet but did arrive with broken cover and the dvd fell out but nothing to bad check disc over and saw no scratches so let’s hope for the best

Very nice blu-ray (box) But bad show. The Collector's box is a thing a of beauty could not ask for more. Looks great in my anime collection.BUT! The show itself has much to be desired. Although the animation is better than the first series the story is weak, too dragged out. Characters drone on about the obvious in an attempt to make them seem deep. Found that I was forcing myself to watch it in the hopes that it gets better. A huge decline compared to the first series which I really enjoyed.5 stars for the the Collector's box but 2 for the show so round it to 3.

A fantastic Anime Series and comes in fantastic packaging with great bonus content and a box to store parts 2-4 if there was one negative I'm not sure how they're going to fit 3 more boxes inside this.

came at 9 this morning thank you very much

This is a fantastic package! Not only do u get collectors gift such as a box for all 4 parts but a nice guide to characters and story tid bits. Only complaint is a printing error where they have inserted the wrong text for the wrong character. Child shinon has the same paragraph as asuna does. Other than that amazing purchase.

Deliery driver 10/10

I got this 2 days before release so I was a happy Sao fan.Season 2 is great, new characters and new possibilities, my review isn't going to ruin it. All I would say is read the books as well.