Sword Art Online

What happens when logging into a virtual reality game becomes a death sentence? That is the central question of Sword Art Online, the Japanese light novel series by Reki Kawahara with illustrations by abec. Kawahara first posted the story as a web novel on his personal site from 2002 to 2008, and ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko imprint began publishing it in print in April 2009. The series is set in the 2020s and follows Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya and Asuna Yuuki as they navigate various VRMMORPG worlds, eventually becoming entangled with the affairs of a simulated civilization. The early volumes center on the original Sword Art Online game, where players trapped in the virtual world must clear all one hundred floors to escape, with death in the game meaning death in real life.

Kawahara explores the dangers of virtual reality and the risks of letting an external device control a person's brain. The series has spawned multiple spin-offs, including Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, Sword Art Online: Progressive, and Sword Art Online: Girls' Ops. Adaptations have flourished: an anime television series aired three seasons from July 2012 to September 2020, a TV film released in December 2013, and anime films followed in February 2017, October 2021, and October 2022. Numerous manga, video games, and board games have also been produced.

Critics have praised the early volumes and the anime for their premise, world building, and the bond between Kirito and Asuna. However, the pacing, writing, and treatment of female characters drew criticism; Kawahara has expressed regrets about the latter, and later volumes showed improvement. The series has frequently ranked in Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! and has 30 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling light novels. It helped popularize web novels, VRMMORPGs, and isekai fiction.[edit]