A video circulating on social media has gone viral, showing an influencer at an anime convention asking several people about the worst anime they have ever seen in their lives. Most respondents agreed on one answer: “Sword Art Online.”

The video attracted attention not only because of the frequency with which “Sword Art Online” was mentioned, but also because of the arguments presented by the participants. Among the responses, comments such as:

• «It's just bad. Incest is bad. And it's just not a good anime.».
• «I gave it a good chance to the point where they adopted a show as a daughter. And I was like, shouldn't you guys be dying in a video game? Halfway through the first season I said no, that's it.».

Sword Art Onlinea series that enjoyed great popularity and generated a franchise with several seasons, films and spin-offs, has been the target of criticism since its debut. The initial premise, where players become trapped in a deadly video game, attracted a wide audience. However, over time, The series has polarized fans, some of whom find issues with the plot, character development, and certain controversial themes.

The video sparked a lively debate on social media, even extending to Japanese netizens, who discussed at length the international perception of “Sword Art Online.” Online debate has revealed a range of opinions about the series, from passionate supporters to fervent critics, showing once again how anime can provoke intense and varied reactions among its fans.

• «The first one said that incest is disgusting and the second one said that he didn't like it when children died in the game.».
• «It's aimed at high school students. Well, even for me when I was in high school, it was a little difficult to watch.».
• «It seems that even American otakus talk funny».
• «The rape scene in Alicization was really good».
• «I don't understand what these Americans are saying.».
• «Women say the otaku protagonist is disgusting».
• «The protagonist is very painful to watch».
• «Americans didn't popularize MMOs».
• «It doesn't make sense that Kirito is so popular.».
• «I also stopped watching Sword Art Online after about two weeks because I was tired of seeing trees cut down.».
• «Are they making fun of the 40-year-old single men who are the basis of Kirito's character?».
• «It's a death game where you get caught. The continuous absurd situations don't attract foreigners».
• «When I listen to interviews, foreigners say, “I don’t want to be Kirito, I want to fight alongside Kirito.” I don’t understand that.».
• «Maybe it's because the big-breasted cousin in the younger sister position is in love with the protagonist.».
• «SAO has elements that are unpleasant, it's like every villain does annoying and unpleasant things that put you in a bad mood».
• «Putting a murder program in a game is in poor taste. It's like going to an amusement park to be murdered.».

Source: Yaraon!