Seen 11.3.2017
Look another film review based on an anime series I watched. What’s going on? When I got back into anime, Sword Art Online was one of the first shows I got into. Probably because it was on Netflix. It had an art style I really liked and a plot which, while not the most original seemed compelling. Set about 5 years in the future 10 thousand players get stuck in Sword Art Online (SAO), a Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Player Game, a VRMMORPG (acronyms are getting long aren’t they) where if they die in the game they die in the real world. In order to escape they must clear the game. It focused initially on former beta tester Kirito and his love interest Asuna and the group of (mostly female) friends as they deal with this new reality and finding a way to escape. One of the things I also liked was the fact the story didn’t spend eternity on this with them (SPOILER ALERT) getting out after only 16 episodes, before moving on to other games and other experiences. I liked it, my friends liked it, I’ve seen a few people online don’t like it. They have some points, it does have a few pacing issues and there are some scenes that occur often that can only be described as traumatic. But I felt the bad was far outweighed by the good. When they announced a movie, I was excited. When it was announced, they were going to show it in cinemas in Australia I was even more excited. I just hoped it would be good.
Sword Art Online the Movie – Ordinal Scale begins approx. 6 days after the final episode of season 2. (This means it’s about four years since they were trapped in Sword Art and about two years since they escaped. Also for those who haven’t seen it, Season 2’s finale is one of the most depressing season finales I have ever seen). A new augmented reality system called Augma is taking Tokyo (it could be the world it’s never really made clear) by storm, particularly the game Ordinal Scale. Being the gamers they are, all of Kirito’s friends are obsessed with this new game. It’s like Google Glass if it had games and was actually cool. Playing the game can increase your rank and allow you special bonus in the real world. Like free cake. Soon special events involving bosses from the old Sword Art Online game begin to emerge, but while everything seems to be ok at first, things soon take a bit of a dark turn as someone appears to be targeting SAO survivors.
The timing of the film seems very appropriate, with the rise of games like Pokémon Go and VR which seek to blend the virtual world with the real world. The way Ordinal Scale worked with corporate tie-ins seemed to be very truthful to how something like this would work. The film mentions but quickly glossing over the data mining element of this. Even though the film only takes place several days after seasons two’s end, Augma has gained insane popularity and has spread throughout Japan. While that may seem quick, I remember when it came out how crazy popular Pokémon Go was.
Sword Art was always one of the best-looking anime series I have seen, Ordinal Scale takes it up several notches. Backgrounds are stunning, there are several parts set in the real world where I was sure they’ve used a photo and added a filter. There a times when Tokyo turns into a stunning gothic fantasy setting. The way it blends the computer-generated images (things like little HUD displays when using the Augma system or the bosses that show up), is almost flawless. Only once did I ever feel taken out of the experience because of a CG/Traditional animation clash. Though there was one Dragon boss which stood out a bit (It still looked cool). At the Madman Anime Expo, last year, I was lucky enough to catch a panel with the director of the anime and hear him describe how they often have to hand draw fight scenes. Fight scenes were always one of the anime’s specialties. In Ordinal Scale, they are mind blowing. The fluidity in which dozens of characters’ attack and move is just astounding. Every fight scene amped up the tension. This was definitely helped by the sound. I don’t usually notice the impact of sound but here it really helps to deliver impact. There’s some moments where characters are firing amazing loud rifles which just add to stunning effects.
One of the biggest problems I had with the original series was the relationship between Kirito and Asuna. I will admit I very quickly began to ship them and while I was happy when they got together it did end up being very quick, taking place over a few episodes in the first story arc. It felt a bit like a fan fic where you want to focus on the relationship rather than the courtship. In the second arc their love was Kirito’s driving force in rescuing Asuna but this strong character suddenly became a damsel in distress and then was almost completely forced into a background character when season 2 came around. Their relationship seemed unearned. There seemed to be more between Kirito and Sinon (A character introduced in the first arc of Season 2, who also appears in the movie). I really appreciated that the film chose to focus on Kirito and Asuna building up to a promise they made each other whilst trapped in SAO. While the anime at times seemed to portray them as just very good friends, Ordinal Scale paints them more in the light of a young couple unsure of how to express their feelings, constantly having them almost go to do something but the plans falls through. A recurring element is Asuna’s mum wanting to meet Kirito and him trying to weasel out of it. Which is one of the realest things I have ever seen in an anime. But throughout the film they fight to hold on to each other shows true love, they may struggle to show it but Kirito and Asuna truly care for each other. I also liked that the film never played what I thought was the obvious card where they broke up or got angry at each other.
Ordinal Scale inherited a very large cast from the anime. Somehow, it’s able to find room for pretty much every one of them gets a moment. Some more than others. Kirito seems to be going through his own ordeal from the start, having a hard time as all of his friends move on to this new Augmented reality. It plays on his character. Though he is allowed to do many things he could in SAO, because it’s based on his real self-he’s not as strong, the film makes a point of showing how unhealthy he is. He really does seem uncomfortable being the psychical version of himself. In the VR world, he is strong, he is capable he is almost god like and having spent so much time in SAO the film shows that he sees his true self as the one in the game. Particularly when in order to save the one he loves he has to work his real-world self. I wasn’t too happy with how once again (SPOILERS HERE) Asuna does become a damsel in distress for the last half of the movie even though she is shown to be a very capable to start off. You begin to think maybe she’ll be the one to reach Rank 1 in Ordinal Scale. She still seems very capable with her skills. Though the way she deals with the crisis that faces her feels very real to what would be happening.
Sword Art has also struggled with its villains. Sure, characters like Death Gun where visually cool but they all seemed to be somewhere on the nut job psychopath scale, obsessed with power or killing or a generic video game boss. The motives of the villain in Ordinal Scale (I won’t spoil who they are or what their motives were) are very real and show a level of desperation that anyone who has experience that kind of loss would feel. While their actions are mental, there is a very real motivation behind it. You almost feel for them.
If this had been the finale to the animated franchise it would have been a great cap off. Its plot reflects back on the original story that drew everyone in. It had epic, expertly choreographed fights, wonderful visuals, heaps of techno babble about blending the virtual with reality and as I said, everyone gets their moments and there is an appearance by pretty much everyone who was ever in the show. I left the film very content with the experience I had. I’ll probably see it again when it’s released in English. Either that or I’ll get the Blu Ray.
IN SHORT:
PROS: Fans of the show will really enjoy it. Regardless it is visually stunning and there is some nice characterization going on here. The boss fights are intense.
CONS: It could be a bit impenetrable for anyone who has never seen the show. Characters and concepts are kind of thrown at you.
OTHER: If you are a fan or are interested in seeing it, I would see it in cinemas. Theirs is an extra impact in seeing that way. Wait till the end, there is an after-credit scene, which hints at what is to come in the franchise.
RATING: 8/10
As of the beginning of April Sword Art Online Ordinal Scale is still in cinemas in Japan (including a special 4D version). An English dub was recently released in cinemas in America. No news for Australia. No home release date has been announced.
Dull Surprise! 
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