Sword Art Online

Sword Art Online

Overview: Sword Art Online is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. The series takes place in the near-future and focuses on  various virtual reality MMORPG worlds. 

Plot: Sword Art Online or SAO as referenced by the characters is a virtual reality massive multiplayer online role playing game, released in 2022. With the Nerve Gear, a virtual reality helmet that stimulates the users five sense via their brain, players can experience and control their in-game characters with their minds. On November 6, 2022, the players log into SAO for the first time, and later discover that they are unable to log out. They are then informed by Akihiko Kayaba, SAO's creator, that if they wish to be free they must reach the 100th floor of the games tower and defeat the final boss. However if their avatars die in-game, their bodies will also die in the real world. One of these players is Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya, who was chosen as one of the 1,000 beta testers in the closed beta. Since he had previous experience and knowledge of the game, he felt that he could beat the game easily. As a result he set out to beat the game on his own. As the game for two years, Kirito eventually befriends a female player named Asuna with whom he ultimately falls in love. After the duo discover the identity of Kayaba's avatar in SAO, they confront him and destroy him, freeing themselves and the other players from the game.