The first chapter of Sword Art Online has been on my watch list for a lot of time.

I thought that I have already seen this show, but I had it all wrong.

A friend recently told me that I had to watch it because it was amazing, and he was right.

My first feelings of the show were of awe, I liked the graphics and the battle scenes but it did not go as far as to make me like it.

Until I realised that this story had multiple layers.

I found that it felt like drinking and enjoying a cup of good tea. A drink that is usually accompanied by two concerns the warm taste, and the fear of getting burned.

The warm taste was how the themes were developed, the counter effects of gaming: human experimentation, game addiction, and lack of barriers.

Other themes consisted of relationships, and human socialisation, and accepting who you are, and your background, kindness, and forgiveness.

Some themes were consisting of harassment, violation of some human rights, and also testing our tolerance for certain topics.

SAO first chapter was much of a journey, consisting of two world arcs, and with one powerful connection which was the relationship between Kazuto, and Asuna.

I loved the scene where Asuna and Kirito share their own feelings for each other, and how well the sentence, love destroys every barrier, is portrayed in the relation between the couple.

My favourite character was Suguha, Kazuto's sister because she was the character that amplified the view of the all story, giving more depth to the main character's personality.

Suguha portrays also one of my favourite human traits in all the second arch which is forgiveness.
She is really handy when Kirito needs her, and she is well designed not only in the game but also in real life.

The quality of her background, and the melancholy she transfers to the story, is a symbol of hope in all the second arch.

Why a symbol of hope you may ask because she helps Kirito to find happiness, and support even in the darkest moments, and manages to uplift her brother's humour.

In the end, SAO has much more slice of life, than sci-fi or fantasy, as some themes relate perfectly to our own lives.

It is difficult to say something, and give honour to a good show.

My own feeling is that many of the gamers out there would benefit by watching this first season especially after reflecting on the effects of gaming.

To give you a starting point one of the effects of gaming, or the causes of addiction to gaming are to avoid or run from real-life problems and find a world that looks without barriers only in appearance as we come to realise in the later developments of the arches.

Thank you for reading my review I hope you have enjoyed it.