Sword Art Online Creator Explains How the Anime Helped His Writing

Sword Art Online has become a global hit thanks to its colorful virtual worlds, and one of its [...]

By Megan Peters

Sword Art Online has become a global hit thanks to its colorful virtual worlds, and one of its best stories yet wrapped on television this month. The finale of Alicization debuted very recently, and fans are still chewing on the complex series. Of course, that means now is the best time for an interview with creator Reki Kawahara to debut, and it is there the artist admitted something interesting about the manga.

Recently, Kawahara did an interview with the editors at Dengeki Online. It was there the creator spoke candidly about the creation of Alicization and its most surprising elements. He also spoke about the series as a whole, and Kawahara admitted the anime has made it easier for him to write his light novels.

According to sao_wikia on Twitter, the artist gave credit to the anime in particular for easing his writer's block. "The anime has made it easier for Kawahara to imagine what the characters would say in a given situation, as he now imagines their VAs talking," their summary reads.

Sword Art Online Alicization Kirito God Power War of Underworld
(Photo: Aniplex)

As you can imagine, this kind of influence would be helpful to a writer. For those who write creative fiction, they will often say they can hear their characters speaking to them. These bouts of inspiration are often the best way to push through a writer's block, but it is not easy to summon on command. But for Kawahara, he could summon Asuna or Kirito by proxy of their voice actors. All he needed to do was watch an episode to hear their voice, and it became easier to imagine the next best steps for his light novels.

Are you surprised by this fact from Kawahara? Do you prefer the Sword Art Online anime to the manga or vice versa? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

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