Sword Art Online: Aincrad, Vol. 1

The way characters face danger and friendship made me wonder how much of that tension was authorial choice versus the game's design. Did the story make others feel as invested as I did?

The world-building feels so vivid and intricate — I'm curious whether Kawahara envisioned this from the start or developed it as the story progressed.

The romance felt very intense early on, which added to the excitement, but did anyone find it a bit rushed or did it work for them?