10 Best Gateway Anime
7. Sword Art Online: Alternative Gun Gale Online
Sword Art Online is as popular as it is divisive. It's the story of a group of people trapped inside an MMORPG; only with virtual death resulting in physical death for the players. To say the show is divisive is perhaps understating how some fans feel about protagonist Kirito, his harem and the show's less-than-stellar portrayal of women. The latter criticism dogged the show in general and the second story arc, Fairy Dance, in particular.
Alternative Gun Gale Online is just that; a spin-off from the original series that focuses on a different game. One more akin to Fortnite or Call of Duty than World of Warcraft. This time the lead character, Llenn, is an awkwardly tall teenage girl who appears in the game as a cute little pink ball of aggression and bullets.
Much like the original series, Llenn must play or die in the real world. However, Instead of an elaborate plot involving a corrupted computer system, the show's main antagonist, Pitohui, threatens to track down and murder Llenn if she does not compete in a tournament.
The 12-episode run time makes the show, like its protagonist, small and powerful. It also requires no knowledge of the parent series either.