This is the Sword Art Online I've always wanted!
In many ways, you can tell that the manga's author and the team who worked on the anime are real enthusiasts, and they're people who love playing video games.
First of all, the very fact of alternating between Sunraku's "slice of life" and seeing him play games other than the one this show is titled after, sets this anime apart from all the others (I know SAO does it a bit, but it's very minimal and very different from this series).
What's more, when Sunraku immerses itself in the world of Shangri-La Frontier, it instinctively reminds me of my first video game moments (mainly RPGs), everything is there, whether it's character selection, not following the main plot and going at your own pace, encountering insurmountable bosses right from the start (hello Dark Souls), having instant PVP right from the start of the game, etc..... There's still plenty of evidence that they've put their heart and soul into making this anime, and that they've mastered their subject.
What's great is that, on top of all this, they've even incorporated innovative mechanics that I'd love to see in our modern video games. For example: the fact that the more you use a weapon, the more likely it is to evolve with characteristics specific to the way you play (I'm surprised such a mechanic doesn't exist yet), the simple fact of having unique scenarios and bosses, and so on....
Each episode is a true masterpiece to watch (the real ones know about the episodes 11 and 18 :wink:), it's surely obvious but the music and animation are breathtaking.
In short, for those who have always dreamed of seeing an anime that makes you feel like you're playing a video game, and who also dream of what the future of video games might look like, this is one of the best of its kind.
