Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online

About Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online

If you are hunting for a new action series, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online (ソードアート・オンライン オルタナティブ ガンゲイル・オンライン) deserves a look (2018). The setup goes like this. At its core: The story follows Karen Kohiruimaki, a 183-centimeter-tall (6-foot-tall) college pupil who's insecure about her height, and is bad at dealing with people in the real world. She enters the realm of Gun Gale Online with her avatar, Ren, who is less than 150 centimeters (5 feet) tall and wears all pink.

From there, she runs into a beautiful, brown-skinned female player who goes by Pitohui. They hit it off, but one day Pitohui pressures her to participate in "Squad Jam," a team fight royale variation of the Bullet of Bullets tournament.

With action at the core, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Voice work is led by Tomori Kusunoki as Karen Kohiruimaki and Kazuyuki Okitsu as Goushi Asougi. If you count yourself among viewers who like fast, high-impact fights, put it on your list. The run is 12 episodes in total, so you know what you are signing up for.

Production & Appeal

Animation is handled by Studio 3Hz and EGG FIRM, so the studio's house style defines how Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online looks and moves on screen. The action focus matters here: fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. With a 6.9/10 score, it is more of a niche pick than a universal crowd-pleaser. Voice casting, including Tomori Kusunoki as Karen Kohiruimaki, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. It aired in 2018, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.