Sword Fine art Online Culling is a quirky gun-driven spinoff of the original Sword Art Online. While SAO is based on the bestseller novels past Reki Kawahara, the Alternative anime comes from the Kawahara-approved series written by Keiichi Sigsawa and has brought in many new fans in its ain right. Though much of Alternative takes place in the established virtual world of Gun Gale Online, it brings an entirely new bandage of characters, different types of disharmonize and a lighter overall tone.

The two series may share the same basic name, but hands establish their own separate identities. Let's look at a few notable differences and the ways in which Alternative is both superior and inferior to its famous analogue.

Superior: A More than Interesting Protagonist

Information technology'south non exactly controversial to say that Kirito isn't the near dearest anime hero. He'south your bones isekai protagonist: dull personality, often aloof yet nonetheless wins several girls' hearts and defies all common logic when necessary to win battles with sheer willpower. It's non that he'due south inherently unlikable, but that cypher particularly stands out about him. In many ways, his more colorful (literally and figuratively) friends are the ones who make his story more than memorable.

Alternative, on the other hand, follows the college adventures of Karen Kohiruimaki. She'southward exceptionally tall past the standards of Japanese women and has a height complex that sees her struggle to socialize with others. Karen takes an instant liking to the VR world of Gun Gale Online because, with the ability to create her own avatar, she can finally be the short, cutesy girl she always wanted to be. As a result, she'due south much more approachable as her alter-ego Llenn in VR than she is as Karen in the existent earth, which leads into another improvement in Alternative.

Superior: Internal vs. External Conflict

This is where Alternative shines brightest. Near of the original SAO is just Kirito reacting to what's happening effectually him. Whether information technology's escaping from Ahihiko Kayaba's death game, dealing with Laughing Bury members in real life or diving into the Underworld as part of a task for a top-secret tech visitor, Kirito'southward conflicts are mostly external reactions to what'southward happening around him.

Alternative places a larger focus on internal conflict and balances it with the action-packed tournaments of the GGO world. As mentioned above, Karen struggles to socialize due to her height complex, and that desire to exist someone else drives her to swoop into VR. Her modify-ego Llenn is strikingly different not just in looks, but personality also. Aided by the confidence of being shorter and -- in her optics -- cuter, she becomes much more outgoing, tenacious and opinionated when dealing with others.

This type of internal conflict extends to other cast members every bit well, all of whose avatars expect completely different from their real-globe selves. Whereas SAO characters generally expect the aforementioned bated from hair colors, multiple characters inAlternative are looking to the VR earth to give them something they haven't been able to find in the real world. This is why they craft avatars and personalities -- not just to be advantageous in a video game, but besides to assistance give them an edge in their internal and/or real-world pursuits.

Inferior: The Setting

The anime's full title is Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, and therein lies the problem: it'southward shackled to that 1 specific VR world. While SAO is forever named after its commencement arc, the story has constantly found clever ways to expand to other VR realms while also working in characters and details from the original death game. Alternative'south full title, however, is so long and specific that it'due south hard to imagine the story ever being able to leave the world of GGO.

This isn't necessarily a trouble every bit long every bit future story arcs are able to creatively utilize the setting. Then far the light novel series has largely focused on GGO events and tournaments, not mixing upward the basic formula too much. Luckily, cheers to the characters beingness so dissimilar within and outside of VR, there'due south plenty of room for real-world character development should the anime continue for more seasons.

ThoughAlternative begins with a life-or-death struggle like its famous analogue, it's contained to a specific person. Information technology feeds the series' overall more subtle arroyo to VR, its characters' identities and their real-earth ambitions. Subsequently stories may be held down past its GGO reliance, only there'south more than plenty material and diversity within the bandage to let it polish individually. And really, who doesn't savor watching a brusk, pink bunny-eared girl running effectually massacring her adversaries?

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About The Author

Joe Ballard (159 Manufactures Published)

Joe Ballard is an Illinois-based Editor for CBR and incurable anime lover. Anime was first injected into his veins equally a teenager cheers to Dragon Brawl and Yu Yu Hakusho airing on Toonami's Midnight Run. Since graduating from Illinois State with a BA in English, his journey has taken him from the music concern to public relations to writing most anime and pop civilization. He dreams of one mean solar day trying every single dish shown in Nutrient Wars. You can find him on Instagram @JoeBallard88 or reach out via email at joe.b@cbr.com!

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