Anime’s original expression

In the very end, Kayaba explains his thoughts to Kirito and Asuna in the backdrop of a beautiful and lurid sunset, staring at the collapsing Aincrad. The original novel has only Kayaba’s words in this scene, while the anime focuses on the scenery. The camera moves through clouds, a foggy deep forest, a vast grassland, and then shows a floating castle above the horizon.

Kirito and Asuna watch the collapsing Aincrad which is completely floating in the air. All you can see below is an endless sea of clouds. That is to say that this gorgeous floating castle shown is not Aincrad but it is a different building that should exist in the game world of SAO. Perhaps it is the true floating castle that Kayaba dreamed of as a child and believed that should exist somewhere in another world.

With the background music used perfectly here, this is one of the most inspiring scenes in the anime. Its original description is impressive too, but I’m sure the anime adaptation of this scene is even better with the scenery of a floating castle that might exist somewhere else, the great music, and Kayaba’s quiet dialogue.

Both the original novel and the anime series illustrate Akihiko Kayaba as a unique character who transcends right and wrong; he is not just a mere villain. This final scene in the anime succeeds because it uses every both audio and visual and manages to successfully describe this character’s uniqueness.

As I compare the original novel and anime series, I saw the differences between the anime and the original writer’s intentions which I didn’t realize when I read the novels. I hope you too check and compare both versions of Sword Art Online and enjoy it even more!