UlasanAnime.com – This article delves into a comparison between two anime series, Sword Art Online (SAO) and Outbreak Company (OBC), examining their approaches to escapism and character archetypes.
The author expresses a fundamental issue with Sword Art Online, viewing it as a power-trip fantasy that deviates from the true nature of MMORPG escapism. When the escape mechanism itself becomes the object of escapism, it’s seen as a sad, rather than meta, situation. In contrast, Log Horizon is praised for adhering to the rules of the game, allowing characters to leverage their real-life skills, like an accountant or a post-doc raid leader, to their advantage within the fantasy environment. This highlights Log Horizon‘s focus on the human elements within an MMORPG, whereas SAO, while successful, is noted for focusing on the human elements of a “loser” within an MMORPG setting, which the author acknowledges can also be appealing.
Outbreak Company is described as another light novel adaptation centered around the hardcore otaku mindset. Instead of being trapped in a virtual MMORPG, the protagonist finds himself in a genuine fantasy world filled with swords, magic, half-elves, and moe dwarf children. OBC’s escapism is presented as more straightforward: the protagonist desires to live out his otaku world in this new reality, with fiction and magic enabling him to do so through soft power. Rather than engaging in typical monster-slaying, the characters in OBC focus on educating children about anime, manga, and video games, often by playing, reading, watching, or discussing them. This aspect particularly resonates with the author, but the series’ broader appeal stems from its exploration of an otaku’s physical and emotional needs through accessible humor, traditional character development, and the presence of cute girls. It’s a narrative that invites viewers to imagine themselves in the protagonist’s shoes.
Both stories are considered to derive significant entertainment value as self-inserts, even if they don’t strictly adhere to the pure Mary Sue archetype. The article then proceeds to compare them in a “Baka Raptor” style breakdown.
It’s important to note that this comparison is based on the first nine episodes of each series.
Round 1: Who is more badass?
Kirito is consistently ranked above Shinichi in terms of being badass.
Advantage: SAO
Round 2: Who is clear-headed and acts less like an emotard?
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Shinichi is clearly the more level-headed character. Faced with a choice between playing an MMORPG at gunpoint or running a culture export company in a hostile environment, most would opt for the former, indicating Shinichi faces a more challenging situation.
Advantage: OBC
Round 3: Who has better taste in men/women/things?
Myucel is considered on par with Asuna. Petralka’s taste in clothing (ZR) is seen as superior to most things in SAO. The tie-breaker goes to OBC because while Lisbeth and Silica are great, the unresolved issue of “More Deban” remains a problem.
Advantage: OBC
Round 4: meta factor
SAO is an anime about individuals trapped within a game. OBC is an anime that serves as an allegory for the expansion of otaku culture beyond Japan. SAO features fantasy magic and swordplay, while OBC includes a memorable scene of a lizardman blowing on a NES cartridge.
Advantage: OBC
Round 5: Meme factor
The iconic “two years” line from SAO gives it the edge in meme potential.
Advantage: SAO
Round 6: Gender Equality
OBC is not presented as a progressive feminist work, but it significantly outperforms SAO in this regard. The article notes a moment in OBC where a female character explicitly asks, “would you stop talking to my breasts?”
Advantage: OBC
Round 7: Race Equality
The inclusion of fairies is briefly mentioned. Racism is depicted as a genuine issue in OBC, though it’s often treated humorously between elves and dwarves. SAO largely avoids this theme, with the exception of minor concepts like “beaters,” while OBC’s handling of it is considered somewhat clumsy.
Advantage: SAO
Round 8: Who would you rather be?
The author states they would prefer to be neither character, as they already embody aspects of both – playing MMORPGs and writing about anime/manga in a meta way. They might lean towards being Myucel, to learn Japanese, but acknowledge that being a socially shamed, racially oppressed, half-slave girl is not an appealing prospect.
Advantage: Tie
Score: 3-4
The conclusion suggests that Outbreak Company should be licensed quickly and widely.
