This week I had my mind set on tackling a darker genre in anime, but I found my thoughts inundated by a recent anime I had taken a liking to, primarily due to my recent experience and near disappointment with the series Accel World.

If you have watched Accel World and happen to keep an ear out for recent releases in anime, then you will know that I am referring to Sword Art Online (SAO). This show has been the buzzword among anime fan sites these past few months, and just like Accel World, its plot centres around the concept of gaming. Before I embark on that topic, I will first settle another matter. I have received emails asking me to avail to them some of the anime series I review.

Unfortunately, happy as I am to do so, internet in this country is stupidly slow, and as such attaching and sending emails of anime would be a hellish experience. So I am asking for suggestions on how I can best meet this need; after all, why talk about anime if the reader can't watch it. Also for those of you more comfortable with the use of Facebook - which I admit I still do not get - I will direct you to the 'Anime X UG' group I have set up, for further discussions on this and other anime related matters.

Thank you. Now, back to anime. The plot: in a distant future gamers have gained the ability to infuse their consciousnesses directly into virtual gaming environments, allowing for a completely immersive gaming experience. SAO is just one of the latest releases in online gaming. On the grand opening, gamers, already initiated into the game, are summoned to a central point where the game's creator informs them all that he had sealed all access to and from the game.

Any attempt to separate a player's physical body from their gear would result in their death. More importantly, death in the game would result in 'physical death'. The only way out of SAO is to beat all 100 levels and bosses to reveal the hidden exit. And so the games began. More later...