User reviews

I'm still fairly new to anime, and from everything I've gathered this might be a bit of controversial one. What I mean by that is that at time of writing and the current state of SAO I think that this spinoff is better than the main show.

*Ducks the slings and arrows*

A twelve episode spinoff from one of the major anime franchises this is another story within Gun Gale Online and features none of the main shows characters.

This was no doubt a gamble, with little to tie it to SOA other than the setting it could have fell flat and from everything I've heard from the anime community many think it did.

I however really enjoyed it, a short single story spread across a dozen episodes really worked. It tells the story of a girl who ventures into the online game and becomes a whirlwind sensation with her abnormally tiny and overwhelming cute avatar.

The story is oddly dark in places but softened up with cutesy visuals and Lenns sickly sweet voice. The action is excellent and frequent and it's very well paced which is something you certainly can't say about SAO!

I really enjoyed this and would love to see Lenn and co back. A rollercoaster ride, an emotional story, great characters and a really nice surprise of a show.

The Good:

Action packed

Well scripted

A lot of fun

Great story

The Bad:

Nothing springs to mind

This series is set some time after the events in the original 'Sword Art Online' when the flaws that meant people couldn't exit the game and death in the game really meant death have been fixed. It is centred on Karen Kohiruimaki a girl who is self-conscious of her height so seeks out a virtual reality game where she can play a short character. Her character is Llenn and the game is Gun Gale Online. In this game there are tournaments where players form teams and fight it out till only one team has any members surviving. In her first such competition she is teamed with a player who goes by the name 'M'; he informs her that somebody will murder him in real life if he dies in the game.

If you weren't that keen on the original 'Sword Art Online' don't be put off this as it is effectively a totally new series that just happens to be set in the same reality and feature a virtual reality game. There is plenty of action and it gets tense even when there is no threat of real death for the vast majority of characters. Llenn is fun protagonist even if fans of realism might not be too keen on her entirely pink costume and matching P-90 submachinegun! The other characters are nicely varied; gun-nuts, kids just playing a game and even real soldiers using it for battlefield simulation. Given the cuteness of our protagonist there are a few surprising moments... I certainly wasn't expecting a mini-tutorial on how to sever somebody's femoral artery with a knife; I wouldn't be surprised if that gets cut from any UK DVD release! The story plays out nicely over the course of two such tournaments with the plot deepening as we learn more about the characters. The character designs are pretty good and the animation is solid. Overall I'd recommend this to anybody wanting virtual reality action without the cliché of in game death meaning real death.

These comments are based on watching in Japanese with English subtitles.

It is quickly forgotten that it is a simple spinoff and with a construction of strong characters, with their traumas and the way they reconstruct themselves in the virtual world is inspiring.

It is worth watching, even without references to the world of Sword Art Online.

Karen Kohiruimaki always felt out of place in the real world. Due to her extreme height, she found it hard to make friends with other girls her age. Everything changes when she's introduced to VR and Gun Gale Online. In GGO, Karen is free to play the cute, chibi avatar of her dreams. Can Karen find friendship in this bullet-ridden MMO...?

In terms of origin I would say Llen has a better origin since Kirito is just some kid playing a video, where as Lelien in real life is a sexy woman who is surprisingly tall to most characters and is a college student. However, as a protagonist she is annoying but only in the game.

It is overall a good side story but I prefer the other series. That is all i am going to say about it.

As if that wasn't already obvious. Dont be whiney that a spin-off is a spin-off. Meaning its intended to be very different.

GGO follows a different set of characters with different issues. Namely? One is suicidal and its up to the protagonist to beat her in a game to keep her from dying irl.

This is actually a much more realistic issue than most people realize. That's kinda why i didnt like it as much. I came for a more fantasy type scenario but this was good too. It was a little... eh to me but i still found it enjoyable. Got to see more of GGO and it doesn't really contradict anything from SAO storyline.

All in all it doesn't deserve the hate it gets from the toxic gatekeepers

I watched this before ever knowing about SWO. Something about the image of a strange pink munchkin wielding an also pink FN P90 grabbed my attention I guess. I didn't compare it to anything and enjoyed it a lot! If you are going into it thinking it will be SWO then you'd best manage your expectations. Treat this like a spin off series with all new characters. Yeah it probably should have just been called "Gun Gale Online" but I guess the guys in marketing thought it would be better to have some brand recognition.

The protagonist once again is someone using a close range weapon with super human speed and reflexes. She's almost an interesting character that forms inexplicably strong attachments to weirdos in an RPG. Speaking of, this is a shooter but the writers randomly portray antagonists that enjoy the killing as immoral. It's a shooter, toying with the other team and enjoying the kill are intrensic to the genre. But protagonists that enjoy the killing are not portrayed the same way. And the worst part is that in real life the protagonist would have reported the antagonist to the police and that would have been that. It's not a bad anime, and many people will enjoy it but I found the story and characters to be elementary and shallow.

First of all if you think there is asuna or karito so no one is here. So, no original SAO characters.

And this story is very inferior like who do that save a crazy girl who is obsessed with death. And if you see his lover that is pathetic totally I don't expect this type of weak character here.

The LINN have some issue I got it but she have nothing to save PICO that stupid girl and as you knew her you going to frustrate with her last.

There is twist to but I easily see this coming I know what happen next. Yeah but war is unpredictable. but ending easily know what going to happen.

Nothing to watch but you can watch it one time its not that bad but don't hope a good content I think new sward art online came will do better that in continuous story.

It lacks the depth and relatable characters of SAO. Entertaining enough but not great.

Unlike the original SAO, I would describe this show as mediocre as opposed to unredeemable dogsh**. I wouldn't recommend it, but its better than the rest of the franchise.

Gameplay - The original SAO was written by someone who did no research on video games and how they work (there is a video of him admitting to doing NO research when writing, this isn't just me making assumptions). This version was written by someone who tried. There are some elements like the randomized avatar that don't make sense, but for the most part the game in this show feels like an actual game that people would play. There is a logic to how it works and is set up. There is also a logic to how the characters in the game act, unlike in the original SAO.

Characters - Unlike in the original SAO, there are characters in this show. Everyone has a distinct personality and reasons for doing things they do. The female characters have identities and don't only exist for fan service. The character designs are also good here unlike in the original.

Plot - I got about 5 episodes in before stopping, and its mostly just the people playing the game. If you like that kind of stuff then this show is great for that.

I'd only recommend this if you like video games and anime. Otherwise its just an average show. Its a million miles better than the original SAO, but pretty much any anime is better than the original SAO.

It's a fun series worth a watch too bad there's no season two but that's really the only thing I can complain about.

Not anywhere near the main show, but it was never meant to be. Just a fun little 12 episode story that can maybe drag in some parts, but also manages not to waste any time. The characters are all enjoyable, although the "villain" can be a little annoying. Overall a good side project and would definitely recommend. I hope the characters make it into the main show somehow or this gets a season 2. Oh and that end credits song is really good :)

This anime is basically Sword Art Online, but with a better director and writer. While it definitely felt different compared to SAO as it kinda throws away the vibe that the original had estabilished to focus on the slice-of-life side, it still does a good job for being what it is. The characters are relatable and likable especially the main character, the script is actually good, and the visuals have more variety added to it thanks to Studio 3Hz who, by the way, did a really great job at it and deserves credit. That being said, I'm not a fan of the plot twist towards the end, but that was just me being nitpicky. Overall, not really that impressive all-round, but it's a good anime that are worth checking out especially if you watched SAO before.

The characters are definitely more developed and more interesting, but one big problem is the pacing. Things that should take only one episode take up half the series. And I have never seen a more confused plot in my life. The characters just completely abandon all logic for something that MAY work, and when the protagonist is trying to save another character's life, she tells herself not to worry about what happens to her, even though her life is literally at stake, that is the only reason she's doing what she's doing. (doing my best not to spoil anything here)

They also try to shove in some LGBTQ+ representation, which I'm all for, but it's done so horribly, and barely gets any screen-time, and it's treated more like a sudden and shocking reveal than a normal, every-day thing.

Another problem is that it uses a cheap trick to keep you watching till the end. It uses a hook to make you want to know what happens at the end, while not actually giving any interesting narrative in-between. And when the end finally does arrive, it's a complete disappointment.