Finished Sword Art Online? Try Watching Accel World Next
Finished watching all of Sword Art Online but don’t know where to go next?
Quite frankly, finding your next anime watch can be a little tricky after SAO. Despite so many shows attempting to recreate and change it in the years since it came out, none has quite managed to replicate the feeling or world building SAO conveyed.
But what if you didn’t have to step outside of the SAO universe at all for your next anime watch?
What if you can just accelerate instead?
Accel World is the logical next anime for SAO fans
While the real best next step after finishing the SAO anime is to read the original source material (the light novels), there is another anime that’s inarguably your next stop – Accel World.
What makes Accel World the logical next anime for SAO fans? Well, it’s actually set in the same universe as SAO, with similar rules governing it, similar technology, and even the same timeline. Accel World is set roughly 20 years in the future of where we are currently at in SAO’s story, and both the anime and light novels even make direct allusions to technologies from SAO, like the Nerve Gear.
As if all that weren’t reason enough to dive into the anime, Kirito himself appears in Accel World at one point. Indeed, Accel World shares so much of the same DNA as SAO that it’s interesting the two aren’t more closely joined – with Accel World being labeled as more of an SAO spinoff than its own franchise.
However, there is a reason for that, and it’s mostly due to how the two different stories were received by both the Japanese light novel market, and the worldwide anime audience.
In short, Accel World is an anime and franchise with a slightly bumpy history when compared to the relatively clean success story that SAO enjoys.
Despite being from the same author and indeed being the first published work of Reki Kawahara, Sword Art Online was by far the bigger hit. Its anime launch started a phenomenon, the impact of which is still being felt in the anime world today.
Accel World, while successful as both an anime and even more so as an ongoing light novel series, is considerably more niche.
So why then are the two still treated as separate entities?
It’s a strange or perhaps unique take on the two different worlds that feel destined to be joined together. And as Light Novel readers will know, their two worlds are rapidly on course to collide, making now a great time to get caught up on the Accel World story.
Why SAO fans will enjoy Accel World
Despite being two very different stories, both anime share the same DNA. And with that, many of the same things, world building, and storytelling. Here are the things SAO fans will likely particularly enjoy about Accel World.
#1 A determined main character
Kirito gets so much flack for being the prototype of what has essentially become the modern male power fantasy trope that many forget how hard he had to work to get there.
While being dramatically different in key ways, Accel World’s protagonist, Haruyuki (Haru for short), ultimately must overcome obstacles through determination and his innately powerful will. These are two traits that Kirito also possesses, making Haru a familiar MC for SAO fans.
#2 A central love story from the start
I’ve seen more anime without a compelling romance than with, and that’s partly what made SAO such an instant hook for me. Unlike most stories, Asuna and Kirito are together almost from the start. There’s not a ton of will-they-won’t-they that can be a bit annoying, making their relationship a depiction of steady, nurturing love.
Similarly, the main relationship between Haru and Kuroyukihime is steady, unconditional, and empowering.
It’s not at all the same kind of thing as Asuna and Kirito, but the relationship has echoes of it, making it a satisfying follow-up to SAO.
#3 Accel World focuses on the characters
SAO has amazing fight scenes and can hang in there with the best battle anime out there. But what really makes the anime and light novels stand out isn’t just the battles: it’s the relationships between people and technology.
Accel World follows that same approach to storytelling. And while the anime is just a little too brief to go as deep as you’d like, clearly it’s a story that’s more about the characters and their struggles than simple anime action.
#4 A very familiar world
While you can’t replace another SAO film or anime season, stepping into the Accel World is easy for fans. From cafe scenes to practicing incarnate abilities in a virtual world, the whole thing is a seamless experience that ties well into what we’ve already experienced via SAO.
#5 Kuroyukihime is an incredibly dynamic character
Finally, one of Accel World’s biggest draws is its female lead: Kuroyukihime. From the get-go, Kuroyukihime feels like a combination of Asuna and Kirito: in fact, she even looks a bit like a combination of the two. She’s got the dark-side powerhouse thing going from Kirito, and yet the kind, nurturing thing from Asuna.
Beyond that, there’s a sense of loneliness and tragedy about her, too. She clearly has a complicated back story that is never fully unveiled in the first season of the anime.
While SAO is loved for its characters, were Kuroyukihime to exist in SAO, she would easily be among the best of them.
Things SAO fans might struggle with about Accel World
For all that, Accel World is certainly not Sword Art Online. It may share the same world and timeline (although 20 years in the future), it’s essentially a different story.
#1 The main character faces huge difficulties
Sword Art Online’s protagonist is a powerful, aloof, highly intelligent and powerful warrior. Accel World’s MC, on the other hand, is purposefully unappealing. He’s oddly short, round, and suffers from near-crippling low self-esteem.
Because of his size and stature, he makes for an odd contrast to the ornately beautiful female co-protagonist of the story: Kuroyukihime.
#2 Swords aren’t the primary mode of battle
Many (myself included) are drawn to Sword Art Online for the literal sword aspect. Indeed, swords play a huge role in SAO in every season – even Phantom Bullet.
Accel World is essentially a Mecha anime, making it visually similar to Code Geass or – at times – Evangelion. Between the two, the anime it’s most like is Code Geass, and Kuroyukihime even reminds me of Lelouch sometimes (although much, much calmer and more compassionate).
If you like Sword Art Online and Code Geass (or other mecha anime), it’s hard for me to imagine you not enjoying Accel World. If, however, mecha anime are a hard pass for you, then you might find Accel World’s battle scenes a little daunting.
#3 The anime is only one season
Another aspect of SAO that’s pretty alluring for fans is its expansive world. As you follow Kirito and Asuna through four seasons through various different, interconnected worlds, you get a sense of depth. SAO is a world you can live in.
Speaking strictly of the anime, Accel World is too brief to be something you live in. It was released at almost the same time as SAO by Sunrise, the studio responsible for Code Geass and many of the Gundam films.
And despite modest success, its sister show, Sword Art Online, saw such astounding success that it overshadowed Accel World.
Additionally, Accel World was largely ahead of its time. While modern anime like SAKAMOTO DAYS feature a similar twist on its MC, back in the early 2010s the world wanted powerful, attractive anime leads: not someone like Haru.
All of that to say that despite being successful in Japan upon release, and complete with an ongoing light novel series that’s sold millions of books, the Accel World anime is short at just one 24 episode season.
Sword Art Online and Accel World may be on a collision course once again
Lastly, one point to consider as an SAO fan on whether Accel World could be the next best watch for you: it could very well end up colliding with the main SAO timeline sooner than you think.
Events in the light novel that occur beyond the anime’s end tease core elements of Accel World. While we don’t know how big of a role all of that stuff will play, it could be relatively big.
So even if for no reason other than academic ones, Accel World makes for an important anime for its role in defining what the next chapter of SAO will be.
Although I had a few misgivings about Accel World before diving into it, I found myself essentially hooked from the start. The character design, the storytelling, and even the writing all came together for me. Because I’ve been exposed to various mecha anime before like Gundam Seed and Code Geass, the more toned down mecha fights felt pretty tame and accessible.
As the anime goes on and we start to delve deeper into the Accelerated World, the parallels with key plot points from SAO started to manifest, making the journey feel not only like experiencing a brand-new world for a first time, but a deeper dive into the lore of SAO.
