My Thoughts on SAO II

Fans might say that since the first season of SAO was popular, A-1 Pictures is milking their success. The simple answer is Yes! Yes! Yes! But the answer is more complicated than that, as complex as the anime world itself.

There is no doubt in my mind that the second season was in part created for sole economic reasons. The anime itself will generate economic value in both the American market and the Japanese market. Even though the anime will be successful in the two markets the real money is in the syndication and relevance the first season receives due to the second season existing. The second season generates a need for fans and new viewers to watch or re-watch the first season thus giving it a boost and an increase in views.  Furthermore, the second season allows the first season to stay relevant as in this anime storyline remains connected through the series. The second season also creates a interest in products to exist for sale of merchandise. Some of these merchandise items included the Manga ,T shirts, key chains, statues and plushies of our favorite characters. The second season has also spun a new major mobile app and has cornered a market. Finally, as a result of the second season’s release, a video game dealing with the SAO universe has been publicized.  Yes! the second season of SAO is a profitable move by A-1 Pictures.

Is SAO’s second season created for sole economic gain?  The answer is No! No! No! SAO the second season was not created for sole economic gain as the SAO story has many stories to tell. SAO was based off of light novels, which are very popular in Japan. These light novels tell stories beyond what season one anime goes into. Season two’s story and the Gun Gale Online (GGO) are based off of the light novels. Therefore, it is safe to say that season two came from the light novels that were written before the animation came out.  The second counter to SAO being made for the sole purpose of profit is the level of animation utilized in the series so far. The level of animation shows that the animators have a significant budget to work with. This gives confidence to the viewers, including myself, that if the show was just jumping on the bandwagon and creating a sequel, the animation would be a lower quality then it is. To give an example of the skill of the animation that is used is the first sniper shot that Sinon fires in SAO II, episode 2. This scene focuses on only one bullet being shot, but that bullet is animated from the barrel of the gun to the target it hits. The bullet is shown traveling its trajectory with the scenes in the background as if a camera was attached to the bullet. Snap! the bullet hits its target and the player is dead, just like that. This scene is just one example of money invested in an anime that produces anime done the right way. Thus, the second season of SAO, with both the light novels and the amazing work on the animation, is not solely for economic reasons.

The SAO story is not over yet. The second season of SAO was created due to the economic success of the first season and its merchandise sales.  Anime is a business and all businesses, if they want to stay in business, have to turn a profit. Therefore, the second season is an economic venture. A-1  Pictures has invested a great deal of capital into this project, meaning that their profit margins are going to be lower, initially. Furthermore, at the end of the first season Kirito saved Asuna and came back to the real world but just as in everyday life the game continued as we see Kirito and Asuna continuing to play. In the light novels, after Kirito saves Asuna, a new game and world is introduced called Gun Gale Online. This is for professional players where they can exchange in game credits for real money. Gun Gale Online reflects the video game community as professional video gaming has increased and is becoming a larger and larger part of conventions and society. The light novels along with the anime have researched this topic and have been spot on, showing that there is more than a profit to be made off this anime. The economics and the creation of SAO for storytelling are intertwined with one another. If the anime was not successful in profits, the show would have been dropped and a second season would not have been aired. Conversely, if the show did not accurately depict the video game community with multi-mass online role playing games the show would have not had the popularity it has reached and would have been dropped. As a result, the accurate storytelling and the economic success of the series has allowed the second season of SAO to exist and be enjoyed by the fans.

The manga of SAO can be purchased here.