Accel World - Episode 1

Kuroyukihime-sama~

Well, I'm hooked. The introduction to the whole idea of the Accelerated World has opened up a world of possibilities for the rest of the story. The futuristic aspect of the show is quite interesting, especially the existence of a virtual world. I feel the series has the potential to expand on the theme of "reality vs. fantasy" while providing viewers with high-octane battles that are common in shōnen anime. This combination of elements, along with characters that already seem interesting after the first episode, maximize the chances of the show's success.

While it is common to see a seemingly worthless male lead ending up with a beautiful female lead in anime, Accel World takes this to the extreme with Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime. As an extremely (and I do mean extremely) short, fat kid, Haruyuki is often bullied and becomes a social outcast, indulging himself in virtual games (which he excels at) in order to escape the cruelty of the real world. Kuroyukihime, literally Black Snow Princess, is on the opposite end of the spectrum as she's the most refined, beautiful and popular girl at the school. The phrase "opposites attract" comes into play once again as these two are already starting to befriend each other. The potential for Haruyuki's character development is very high at this point, with Kuroyukihime acting as a possible catalyst. I find it was a wise decision to have the two main characters the way they are since it'd be easier to develop them like that.

As I mentioned before, the theme of "reality vs. fantasy" will probably play a huge role in the story. The difference between the two is clouded by the concept of virtual reality; a reality that sprouts from fantasy. Like time travel, virtual reality is also very common topic in the technological sector of sci-fi field. Haruyuki's struggles with the two worlds and how he deals with them is what I believe will be the main focus of the story. The first episode did a good job in displaying how he wishes for the virtual world (a place where, although unreal, he is satisfied) to become the real world (a place where, although real, he is dissatisfied with). His fateful encounter with Kuroyukihime creates the roots on which the rest of the story will grow from.

There are a few of side notes on this episode that I'd like to make. Firstly, Haruyuki's height seems to be very exaggerated and disproportionate compared to the heights of those around him. When he stands beside his friends, they seem like they're two or three times as tall as him. Thus, the information stating that Haruyuki is 134cm and his friend, Taku, is 170cm seems untrue. There's definitely more than a 36cm difference between the heights of the two characters. Secondly, the futuristic terminology had me slightly confused at times. It'll probably be easier to pick up as the series goes on, though. Lastly, I realize that I seem to have a thing for well-mannered and refined girls with long black hair like Kuroyukihime and Sanka Rea. Don't really know why this is the case, but I just thought I'd share that.

Only the OP (which was this episode's ED) was used.
OP: I was able to recognize May'n's voice almost immediately. The song itself is another typical J-Pop song. It wasn't particularly catchy but I liked it.