Sword Art Online

Sword Art Online II (2014) (S02) 

After enduring the struggles of the first season, forcing myself to watch each progressing episode, I made a solemn vow not to subject myself to the second season. Truly, I did. However, as summer approached and the initial episodes of the new season were released, I found myself swayed by the recommendations of some light novel readers who assured me that the storyline in Phantom Bullet would make it worthwhile. So, with blind optimism, I dived into the second season, hoping for a captivating narrative to unfold. And indeed, in the early episodes, there were faint hints that the story might bloom like a flower, earning my praise and living up to its potential. The story had the potential to develop into something great, and indeed it did develop, but unfortunately, it transformed into a repulsive mess, drained and devoid of substance. The plot sluggishly trudged forward at an excruciatingly slow pace, inducing fatigue and lulling me to sleep regardless of the time of day. Despite the initial attempts to create a thrilling experience, I could hardly find even a semblance of suspense or anything else that could keep me on the edge of my seat. Sinon's supposed dark past was revealed to explain her motives and actions, but instead of enhancing the story, it added to the growing heap of nonsensical elements. The absurdity per episode reached staggering levels, not to mention the numerous absurd plot twists that were introduced. Then, suddenly, the grand "resolution" of the whole "mystery" unfolded, and it was so underwhelming that I can't even recall who the main villain was supposed to be in the end. Truly, it was an epic conclusion... of disappointment. And as if all of the aforementioned wasn't enough, the SAO creators delivered yet another dose of nonsensical elements, reaching a point where it left one wondering if this "storytelling" was intended to be a torture device for the viewers. This show shattered any remaining hope and dreams I had for any future stories that would take place in ALO after the seventeenth episode. With a sense of resignation, I watched the final episode, only to realize that I had truly missed out on nothing. In fact, I had wasted precious hours of my life that could never be regained. I can only give it a feeble one-star rating, and that's solely for the decent visuals. No matter what I am not going to watch the third season of this mess. (04.01.2015)