This is the last time I'm going to write about SAO on this blog, since I think that I've made myself really clear about why I dislike it in terms of how it's handled its characters. However, that wasn't the only reason I dropped the show. For a while, I had a nagging feeling that I'd seen this story before done far better. I wasn't familiar with most of the shows people were comparing SAO to, like the .Hack franchise, so I wasn't sure where this feeling was coming from. Then I realized that SAO didn't remind me of an anime; it reminded me of a game.
Disclaimer: The following post contains spoilers up to episode 9 of Sword Art Online and for the entriety of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. If you are planning on watching SAO without knowing anything going in or care about having the end of a 10-year-old GBA game spoiled for you, then it may be best to skip this post. It's also really long, so I suggest getting a pillow or maybe a favorite drink before proceeding.
