you know, it might have actually been better if it lasted more than one episode. maybe then it wouldn't have seemed so awkward and poorly handled.
It asked us to believe in what seems like an extreme amount of emotional attachment in a very short timeframe. But that's SAO (especially it's early parts) in a nutshell, so far.
Anime in general seems to go from one extreme to the next, so seeing 1 episode spent on a 3~5 episode development isn't too surprising, compared to seeing 7 episodes spent on a 2 episode fight.
I actually kinda wish more anime would give something a 1-episode try, admit it's not their strong suit, and then move on... rather than never trying at all.
the comedy seemed pretty flat to me. does that get better?
They stick with a lot of the same jokes ("Master, is it OK if I kick this perverted man?" "You're suppose to ask BEFORE you do it!"), as a lot of the funny stuff is more playing with consistent personality quirks, rather than trying to tell unique jokes. But comedy isn't a HUGE aspect of the show, so the momentary shifts in mood are ultimately welcome.
I feel that the show knows when to pull back, and when to let loose, with just about each element. In this way, I find it nostalgic; I'm not actively forced to ignore segments of the show in order to get to the next thing, I can pretty safely enjoy it all evenly.
it's possible to create cute characters without trying so damn hard and shoving it in the audience's face until they accept it through sheer brute force. "Japan!" really is not an excuse at all.
The point is that I don't feel like they see it as "brute force", but ultimately desirable.
I think a LOT of stuff in modern anime is heavy-handed, and that subtlety is something that needs to come back to the genre in general. But the consumers in Japan that this stuff is being made for... they apparently love much of it RIGHT where it is.