Why SAO Abridged Is the Best Parody Ever

So I started doing these pinned comments to clarify my stance on these older videos like...a year ago, but I kept putting this one off because I knew it'd be time-consuming and I wasn't looking forward to it. This was the video that really launched my channel in its early days, and I remember being passionate about the subject at the time, so I do have some nostalgia for it, but ultimately, I think it's bogged down by a lot of meandering points, faulty logic - honestly, it's just not a framework I can see myself replicating today. I do think Something Witty did a great job with SAO Abridged, and it's kind of hard to talk about the parody's appeal without drawing comparisons to the original SAO, but in hindsight, I think other creators on the platform like Explanation Point and Ember Reviews have done a better job of capturing that appeal in more insightful ways. I guess I don't have much disdain for specific things I said, but rather it's the more general concept behind this video that I've since grown displeased with. First off, the whole "SAO is bad" narrative is something I had absolutely bought into around the time I made this, but that's not really true to how I feel now (and there was probably a degree of performativity to it back then also). I'm no SAO defender, but I don't think it's the worst thing to exist either. Truth be told, it doesn't interest me, which is why I pretty much never talk about it. I'd rather use my channel to talk about things that DO interest me, things that I AM passionate about. I'm generally not a fan of making content purely out of spite or disinterest, because I think that results in my worst work. Some people can make something constructive out of that, but I don't think I'm that kind of person. In this particular video, I feel like I could've made more of an effort to understand what the source material might've been going for, but instead I just played up the lack of understanding as bad writing. Maybe there's some truth to that, but I feel like a lot of these more negative "hot take" pieces tend to exaggerate a bit. So...yeah, I don't really vibe with the premise of this video anymore, but that's mostly because I think I can do better, which makes sense since I was still figuring this whole thing out back in 2017. I won't be deleting the video or anything (after all, if this video spread any misinformation, I kinda missed my chance to damage control that lol), but it doesn't sit right that this is one of my most popular videos and I have yet to post some sort of addendum to it on the page itself, so here's my piece. If you took the time to read this, even if you disagree with my criticisms of the video, I appreciate it. Anyway, here's the part where I point out specific nitpicks: 0:08 - "I'm not here to bash SAO" (proceeds to bash SAO) 1:04 - I guess there's some self-awareness here, I at least understood that I didn't have much to say about the original SAO, but dwelling on that for so long kinda undercuts the point. 10:15 - OH BOY, HERE WE GO. So a decent chunk of the comments here bring up DBZA and/or Hellsing Ultimate Abridged as the "true" best abridged series, and while it ultimately comes down to personal preference, the title of this video doesn't even reflect my own. I have a much more personal connection to DBZA, but I go on to say that SAO Abridged is a better parody because it improves upon the source material where DBZA doesn't, which...uh...that's not how that works?? Whether a parody "improves" upon its source is subjective, for one thing, but more importantly, I don't think that's necessarily what an internet abridged series should strive to be. You can't replace the original no matter how well-written your parody is, so just have fun telling whatever story you want to tell. This whole point was just me thinking I was slick in justifying a clickbait title, but looking back, it's not clever at all and there's actually a lot of holes in this reasoning, so much so that I'd have to completely deconstruct all the messy assumptions it makes, but I don't have the patience for that. 11:28 - Randomly throwing 2 shows under the bus with no explanation! THAT'LL ENHANCE MY POINT!! DO I SOUND SMART YET?? 12:13 - I don't think I've ever used "diegesis" in a script outside of this video. I'm in pain.

"And that's why SAOA is the best parody ever." "Are you done? " "Yes. But the legacy of the pebble lives on."

"Kirito,you look...young." "And you look less hairy,balls." "My name is Klein." "Heh heh. . .no,it's not."

We all know Kirito was weakest when Asuna made him drop his sandwich. IT WAS INOCENT! INOCENT I TELL YOU!

In an alternate Universe, SAOA is the official English Dub of the anime.

This video was sponsored by the Kirito is Always Right Foundation

I'd have to say that my favorite part of SAO abridged was the whole marriage arc between Kirito and Asuna. It was comedy gold to see into their minds during those scenes and show their over-the-top decisions to show up the other and get them to break facade first, including buying an *entire orphanage*

What I love about the Sachi episode is that sets up jokes that have a punchline way later in the series The best one’s in Kayaba’s rant in the end of the season, when he says “Everyone’s dying left and right and your tutorial NPC is nowhere to be found”. He’s talking about one of the NPCs in Kirito’s guild; that guy’s incompetence in the game was indirectly responsible for hundreds of deaths. It’s hilarious.

"Why did you create this game?" "Pfft. Idk" "Seems legit"

Kirito: Do you think we got married too quickly? Asuna: Yeah, obviously Kirito: Yeahhh me too. Do you wanna stay together anyway? Asuna: Yeah, obviously Kirito: Yeah me too, was that the entire conversation? Asuna: I think it was! Kirito: THAT WAS SO EASY! Asuna: WE ARE SO STUPID! Kirito: Jeez, lets hope we dont have to sacrifice a small child every time we need to have a talk like this. Otherwise buying that orphanage may not have been a terrible investment.

First episode: "How many of you have seen Tron? Wait no one? Really?" Last episode: "So you have seen Tron!" My favorite part of the whole abridged is when they quiz each other as movie buffs haha

Holy shit they turned Suguha into a pretty damn good character.

"DO IT, SACHI!" ..ahh.. we're gonna pretend that didnt happen.

I want SAO to continue so SAO abridged has more material to work with

My favorite part had to have been when Kurito's and Asuna's voices in their heads were arguing with each other when they started talking about getting married, not only did those voices fit their personalities and was realistic due to everyone having their voice inside their head that you can make argue or yell or whatever but it was downright hilarious. I cant wait to see more.

Original reason for trapping thousands of people in a death game was brilliantly mocked in Abridged. Seriously, how unsatisfying is learning that thousands of people died and the ones to survive but have spent years trapped in a game was "I dunno, whatever". It's a slap in the face!

My favourite scene is from ep 10 Yui: but that all changed when I found you two K&A:aww Yui: the most broken sociopathic players I had ever laid my eyes on. Less people and more a lose combination of character defects Kirito: that kinda went in a different direction

"You see, the problem with that is... It's an excellent idea and I wish I had thought of it 2 years ago."

"The first thing I realized was 'why would a ghost need a teleport crystal?' The second thing I realized was 'Oh shit, window." -Kirito, episode 7 Seriously though, the assassin group leader and the one who killed his wife who didn't die in the original but were killed her made things all the more satisfying. As horrific as it my be for me to say this, I truly believe some people don't deserve to live. Seeing Kirito slice the assassins throat or hearing the misogynist getting pummeled to death offscreen made me go "THANK YOU!" because letting them walk away would mean they would kill more people!

*Kirito :* But, I got good news! You see there's no need to wonder where your god is! Cause he's right here! *and he's fresh out of mercy* *Random man : cries* I LITERALLY HAD THIS AS MY RINGTONE 😂😂😂😂

Most important trees in the show: Season 1 has the Fabled Word Tree of Gamagorath. Season 2 has the math tree.

Dont forget that with the addition of the second season, even if it's only like 3 episodes, it adds even more depth to kiritos character since we see that the reason hes like this is because of his relationship with suguha, seeing her bully him with same kind of humor and attitude that he had in the first few episodes make u realize that's why hes an asshole. In fact with the new release of the 14th episode we get a scene where as leafa she goes to explain about the game to kirito and begins with "for you see a long time ago" (smth along those lines), a parallel to the infamous story he tells balls in the first episode. We see hes a bully because he takes what she does to him and uses it in the game to feel power

3:18 Klein/BallsDeep69: "I get the feeling you get beat up a lot in real life." Kirito: "SHADDUP! HERE I HAVE POWER!"

Here's why kirito beat SAO Actual kirito: to save my friends SWE kirito: they need to praise me

Not just a bold claim... it's underlined too

Best parody ever? It's one of my favorite anime ever. SWE's SAO is a masterpiece. Honestly, instead of bashing on SOA, the anime community should only recognize the abridged series.

The characters in SAO abridged are leagues better than the characters is SAO.

Kobayashi's Dragon Maid really was a great show. It's funny, heartwarming, emotional, and simply put, a good comedy.

Man let me tell you about this fucking abridges series. During the last episode of the first season, there's a part where Kirito is crying his eyes out and says "I haven't said this out loud, but I love you Asuna!", and to that Asuna replies "I know". The thing about that is that it was said without the shrill, snarky tone Asuna's maintained for nearly the entire series. It was actually calm, and clear, and spoken from a place of peaceful happiness of someone maybe ready to face their end. In that final moment, with someone she loved, she finally dropped her act and was just *honest* and you know what? From a parody series that's a pretty fucking powerful move to pull on someone. Then the series goes out on one final joke, and the credits roll. They slowly pan out to an arcade-style countdown, and when the screen fades to black on 1, you hear a coin being put in. That was some GOOD FUCKING SHIT THERE and I have to capitalize to emphasize how nice that little bit was after coming right off of the ending scene. Not to keep sucking this series' dick but it was GOOD. Better than it had any right to be and I hope that SWE continues to make the second season as great, if not better and that they have a grand time doing it.

But if SAO dies, so does the parody. You're stuck in a paradox. ;-)

IMO, DBZA and SAOA are the two best parodies... ever. Here's why: DBZ Abridged took a great series and, not only turned it into a genius comedy-series, but also expanded on characters that originally were lacking in DBZ, while also taking full advantage of the already great characters, such as Cell, Vegeta and Frieza. I NEVER thought I'd get into characters such as the Ginyu Force, Nappa, or even Android 16, the latter of whom they've given a touching backstory. They've made every episode of the parody so-far enjoyable, and TFS havr done what they needed to in order to make a show worth watching, with great story, comedy, and even emotional moments. SAO Abridged is EASILY comparable comparable to DBZA. It worked with what, in my opinion, is a lesser-quality story, albeit still somewhat enjoyable, and gave us phenomenal characters, great story and comedy, emotinal moments, and an overall great experience. I don't find SAOA or DBZA to be superior to one-another. They're both phenomenal, and at some points, have one-upped their originals, especially SAOA.

"Hey GARY! Long time no see!" "We must save my- AHH!" "Yeah! Bet you didn't expect to see ME again, did ya' punk?!" "WE MUST SAVE MY FAMILY!" "You left us to die you Bastard!" "WE MUST SAVE MY FAMILY!" "THIS IS FOR SACHI! Choke on it! Choke on my vengeance! How does it taste?!" "We must- ARGH- save my... family-" 'Kirito laughing psychotically while repeatedly stabbing Gary' Ahh, one of my favorite scenes.

"Oh look at me, I'm Kayaba Akihiko, I have like an invincible shield that can block any attack and also like a super sweet sword that deals infinity +2 damage and can cut through anything, even like Wolverine claws and shit, because I am awesome and cOooOl." ... "Truly, you are the voice of a generation."

The abridged series was definitely better then a OG anime as the overall development of characters and relationships between them aren't fleshed out and kind of leave you with a wtf as for why they are together. The abridged gives them a hate/spiteful relationships at the start with them often at odds but its that chemistry that gives cause for their endearment to each other, rather then a ambiguously amicable relationship that magically becomes love of the original. Klien's bit at the end was touching since he was that normal guy just trying to be friendly to this ass hole character in hopes of making a change and he does in fact make a difference.

*Hands award for analyzing an abridged series You did good, you deserve this

"Which begs the question: WHY AM I STILL HERE!?"

I watched SAO abridged, and really enjoyed it. As I was watching it I thought "This is funny, and more realistic than a lot of the things that happened in SAO". When I watched the final episode of the first arc, and I heard kirito say "Because now... I've got something worth fighting for"... I fucking felt chills. That was when I thought "This show isn't just funny, and isn't just making a joke of SAO. This series is legitimately better than the source material".

Finally, a person that understands, The anime that got me into anime is also SAO however since iv watched actually good animes since I've gotten tired of its shittiness but it still has a soft spot for me since it was the anime that got me in the world of anime. Also amazing video, best of luck to you

Dude 1: "Hey, you're not a girl!" Dude 2: "And you're not 17!" Dude 1: "I'm ok with this!" Dude 2: "Me too!" Some dude in crowd: "LOVE KNOWS NO GENDER!" ------------ BallsDeep69: "You look so... young." Kirito: "And you look less hairy, Balls." BallsDeep69: "My name is Klein." Kirito: "Aha, no it's not."

Klein? Who is Klein? I only know BallsDeep69.

I kinda want the Sao series keep going so “something witty entertainment” can abridged it and make it better

Sword art online abridged actually got me into the series. I went back and watched original series just to see the source material for the abridged show and kinda liked it and watched season 1 and 2 and yes there were flaws but I got exited to see what the abridged version would do with season 2 and I still am as of summer 2019. The original is flawed yes but that just leaves more for the abridged parody to run with and surpass the original if you have not seen the original season 1 or 2 it's worth a watch to see where the abridged version came from.

The great thing about SAO Abridged is that it feels like a better show than the actual SAO

See, I don't want SAO to die out. Not because I like it, but because I want the abridged series to continue

You forgot the point number 4: THE TUTORIAL NPC. xD no need to explain, people will understand.

Lmao I saw the Sao abridged in my recommended and watched it all immediately (before i watched the original) and without knowing anything about the show and other seasons i enjoyed the abridged more lol

Honestly, I tried rewatching the original SAO and I just can’t. Damn I’m tempted to fund SomethingWitty to redo the entire series.

"I can empathise with the proces of writing a story" Yeah, that does it, I love the movie references, and knowing they are real even if I dont get them, makes it bette, the same with gaming references, I had to look up Leeroy Jenkins and when I found out I really enjoyd the joke.

I just realised. We never found out what happened to Fluffles

Another reason why SAOA is an amazing parody; it feels like it was written by actual gamers

I loved the reviving dragon part. Instead of it being one flower it’s 50 of them and it’s much more tedious which is so much more like a mmo.

On exploring the setting I love how charisma hat returned and there is more said on its power.

"I never got the idea that dumb character choices to advance the plot are a bad thing." I want to hug you for saying that. And yeah, one thing that really set SAOA apart for me was all the great meta-jokes in regards to gamers, MMOs, and the culture around them. Right at the very start, Kirito sees a bunch of ads and is given the choice to purchase a stupidly expensive ad block, and that just sets the tone for the great jokes that follow.

I’m EXTREMELY excited for season 2. In season 1, they turned something descent into something amazing, if they can do the same with season 2,(despite the original season 2 being awful,) it would easily put SWE series above TFS. So far, season 2 looks amazing!

This abridged series was so well made I actually cried at some points. Mostly because i was overjoyed that they managed to make something I lost hope for, good. Cheers to something witty entertainment

Klein: I’ll clap for you with my teeth buddy! *clack clack clack clack*

I remember that I first saw this, because my sibling recommended it. At the time, I remember having to force myself to finish the first few episodes, because there may have been more interesting things further ahead. Not gonna lie, I became a huuuuuge fanboy for SAO. The thing is, I know, how bad and honestly stupid the original series gets. But I think something that I love about it so much, is the fact that It's so messed up and bad in certain ways, that It's amazing. You sit there, seeing what could have been made into something glorious such as the abridged did, and yet boom. Skipping months, and years ahead, where they could have developed a bit more? The sarcastic take from the abridged about SAO, honestly if hilarious for me. Not only because I was secretly hoping for moments like that in the original, but because I'm sarcastic as fuck in real life as well. I generally hate life, there's no joke in that. But I turn my hatred and dislike of things, into comedy. Probably to actually handle them myself better without dying, BUT. Not the point.

My favorite thing about SAO abridged is how they made a deeply flawed relationship built on what is basically hatred and somehow made it both endearing and cringe worthy at the same time. Like seriously, after they get married try to watch anytime they call each other Honey and try to go "Awwwwwwww" while also retreating into your own face.

Two years late (great video btw!), but I think there were two more points you could’ve used in your analysis/comparison of Kayaba: 1) Rather than simply being a one-dimensional villain with a god-complex, here Kayaba actually _Tries_ to help ppl! (“Remember how 2000 ppl died in the first month? Yeah, that’s why I joined as Heathcliff.”) and 2) While I don’t remember Original-Kayaba’s “connection” with Kirito that would make him count as an effective “foil” (aside from, like you said “games, I guess?”), SWE’s version actually makes this foil more realistic: Both r socially inept introverted geeks that became their greatest dreams incarnate within a VRMMO, but whereas Kayaba’s view toward the idiots surrounding him remained unchanged thru to the very end, Kirito’s worldview actually changed to the point where he Respected & Admired those poor idiots who risked their lives to clear each floor! We see Kayaba as the gamer that Kirito could’ve easily become/remained, but at the finale, we see just how much the two drifted apart in terms of growth as a result of their differing experiences. (I think Explanation Point was the one who used the film references as a subtle-yet-recurring example: both used references in their jabs, and both even understood the other’s references in the majority of cases. But in the end, just when Kayaba was starting to think he found a kindred spirit in Kirito, a reference is made that isn’t understood. It shows that, despite their vast similarities, in the end Kayaba & Kirito r No Longer going to b the same ppl; and when Kayaba tries in vain to use that reference again at the end, it shows just how close, and yet so very far, the two would be in terms of relationship/foil.)

Ok but I was proud and happy in the end when Kirito fought for people and cried. He really goes through an arc and develops as a person. I love how this abridged really creates its own fun story and really showcases gaming culture.

i want them to keep making SAO episodes so that something witty entertainment can make more abridged

This parody was my first introduction, and then I tried to watch the original. I completely agree.

Making a parody of SAO is hard because it does such a good job of making itself look stupid. This parody is good because it _fixed_ parts of SAO *and then made fun of them.*

Especially all those videogame references. As a gamer, I loved it. It felt like SAO could be an actual game rather than a fake game made for the plot like in the proper show.

I absolutely loved saoa and i think its literally the best anime ever if this was the original version.

I watched the first 2 episodes and and by the end, I was already annoyed they crumpled Kirito’s character without any real reason. I thought it was going to be someone who tries to work with others so that they could beat the game and live. That was my impression. Until he beats the boss. One of my better life decisions.

I really hope SWE keep going up to GGO, I was completely uninterested in the Alfheim arc but GGO has so much potential for abridging.

I also love the small detail at the end where Kayaba states: " glitch that kills people IRl ... and the Tutorial NPC was nowhere to be found" well well well where could he only be. I am so glad they reused it in the final shot. Also SAO abridged was sorta what made me besides Death note interested in anime, I was kinda confused when switching to SAO and only lasted until the end of GGo and was like nah not interested any more

its sad when an abridged version of your anime is considered to be better then then original. but at least we all got something awesome out of it.

The absolute insanity of Asuna and Kirito's marriage is my favorite part of SAOA.

My favorite thing about SWE's version is the foreshadowing they do with Kayaba's character. SWE gives you a chance to figure out that Heathcliff is Kayaba because of the movie quotes.

God damn Bethesda....

Ok good I’m not a weirdo. I saw this originally and thought “I love this.....how do I love this?”. I didn’t think it was normal to love the abridged version more than the original since Team Four Star!

My favorite joke in SAOA: “LOVE KNOWS NO GENDER!!!”

I think the reason that I absolutely ADORE SAOA to my very core, is that I love SAO, and I hate to see it's potential put in fire to burn because of bad writing, while SAOA brings those potentials out and uses them in the best way possible, not to mention that it's funny as hell. Seriously, I've been hyped for MONTHS to see how Kirito and Suguha's arc progresses and ends. Because I know that there's gonna be one hell of a character development that I've been striving for ever since the original failed to do so, and I'm excited to see it hit my heart like the end of the first half.

I personally like it. As well as the abridged version. Love them both.

I completely empathize with this video, and hearing about how much of a cluster f*** the original series was, I will say I have been blessed to have only seen the Abridged

When it comes to SAO itself I always called it “a beginner anime” because every time I see someone gushing over it and just being totally in love with the anime (at least irl) it’s always a kid Me when I was little and barely watched any anime My BFF river when they were little and just starting to watch anime My own brother who I swear has watched more anime than exists in the whole universe watched it when he was younger My baby cousin (well 7 but she will always be a baby) watches it right now and loves it My cousin watched it with me as a kid All of us (except my baby cousin) now agree it’s not a very good anime But we still only “love” it because it was our start into anime Thus I’ve dubbed it the beginners anime

Not gonna lie at the end of the review it gave me chills that was really good can't believe such a review would be soooo good

SWE did an outstanding job. I loved how they kept bringing back core points of previous plots rather than focusing what was in front of you 2 minutes ago like the original. Watching all 11 episodes of the first arc satisfied my desire of a better story in the SAO universe, which had so much potential.

"First of all, [Klein] does virtually nothing in SAO, so seeing him get some recognition is amusing." You nailed that one. The fact that he's even considered relevant is hilarious in itself. He and Agil are nothing but convenience characters. And Agil at least has the Dicey Café that serves as a safe offline meeting place for Kirito and his har- I mean, followers. Klein...just works a lot when offline, and he's almost completely useless aside from having him as a meat shie- TANK! I meant tank!

I recommend you check out the abridged version of Fate Stay/Night. It is really good and I love it just as much as the original.

I must say as someone who enjoyed the first half of SAO (apart from the issues you pointed out in storyline) and someone who genuinely loved the parody roughly the same, i do agree with all the points you brought up. I only watch the parody more often because it's shorter; and easier to get into. like a magazine vs a book.

According to a friend of mine, who's been living in Japan for six years now, he told me about a light novel that came out back in April this year. Now on it's own that's nothing new; he told me that the author was writing a comedic light novel that parodies the iseki genre, again nothing new; however he told me that the author may have been directly inspired by Something Witty Entertainment's SAO Abridged. As half of the Light Novel's first book follows an almost exact rendition SAO Abridged's first two episodes. Although I honestly don't know if any of it's true, because I can't find the Light Novel online and the name doesn't match the one he gave me.

All in favor of claiming SAO Abridged being the canon series say "I".

Actually I relate the moments with Abridged Kiaba when he say what he really think about his community and after Asuna (abridged) give idea that he could use in past I so relate to him in that moment.

Something Witty... LIKE SAO!?! Dude, they freely admit they outright DESPISE the series!

Finally someone says exactly what I've been thinking! Great job!

Having not seen the original SAO, I can honestly say that SAO Abridged is one of the better anime series I've seen.

Actually you're wrong about Something Witty being fans of SAO, Something Witty actually hates SAO and they made this abridged series with the intention of making a better version (they succeeded).

I LOVED SAOA!!!! THERE WERE SO MANY MOMENTS WHERE I LAUGHED SO HARD I CRIED!!!!!!!

Not gonna lie, SAOA makes me really sad that I'll never see a better anime

The thing about SAO Abridged is they took the scenes and characters from SAO and turned them into Archer-like versions of themselves. The humor and relationships are almost exactly what you would find in Archer. Which is great but is in no way either show.

I actually had a phase where i loved sao because it was the first modern anime i've watched. I seriously thought that no other action anime can top that. I was like in 5th grade then lmaoo. And then i watched fma:b, hxh, bnha and a LOT of other animes, and boy, i was so wrong. Hunter x hunter stays the absolute best shounen anime.

"I CAN BUILD A ROBOT SO WE COULD DO FAMILY THINGS LIKE WALKING IN THE PARK." i almost cried

SAO abridged is a god damn treasure to this planet

I am excited to see SWE to do other projects. Even if SAO dries up for them, they are highly competent people that could likely do something similar with another work, or even better make something of their own. No matter what, I will be forever a fan of SWE.

I completely agree that the main anime needs a lot of work to be good the light novel is a lot better A little bit of hard reading sometimes but still a pretty good novel and I love the parody

So after growing up a little, I came back to various pieces of media in hopes of seeing it in new ways. But the one thing that sprung out to me in SAO is why it's so popular despite being a "bad" anime. The reason why people like it so much is very simple. It's escapism in it's most pure and sincere form. It calls out to our most primal emotion. Fear. No not SAO, escapism. And because of how well it portrays escapism in you literally being able to leave the real world and enter the virtual one, you can immerse yourself more completely than any other show despite how good other shows may be. A Dragonball, a One Piece, a Hunter X Hunter, a My Hero. These things help you escape but they don't immerse you like SAO can. That is why Isekai was so big the last couple years. But since SAO has an element of realism that normal Isekai doesn't have, it succeeds much faster, wider and greater despite being worse. And if you're wondering about the element of realism, it's the gameplay aspect. It's something that, with how our technology works right now, seem possible. Much much moreso than any other Isekai. As well as Kurt waking up in a hospital after having to play for 2 years straight. And I'd honestly venture to say that the abridged version has such an honest and true representation of how it would go IRL. Which is why it is the best version of SAO. I hope this mini essay was at least fun to read if nothing else. Cheers for reading and have a nice day ^^

To add to the pile of great things it had a great continuity like remembering gags from the first episode like the exploding heads