User blog comment:EvanDude345rv5/Fairy Tail 355: Finally some Erza fanservice!/@comment-4829046-20131011042327/@comment-5580383-20131015011120

I have no problems of it being dark or tragic, i've watched FMA and  Code Geass and  read much darker anime/managa, i'm only against it when it's poorly done or just unfitting to the theme of the manga/anime.

There's nothing practically honorable about enslaving people. It seems like the novel does put him in a much better light though as opposed to the lack of character development he got in the anime and even the heavily  flanderized anime at least portrayed him more likable than that asshole Sugo.

Yeah but i expect more sword within sword art online, not more romance. Granted i have no problems with romance as long as it develops characters and doesn't interfere with the plot. I can't speak about the novel( although it seems much better done going by what you said so i take your word for it ) but the anime  did a terrible  job developing the romance into anything believable and  got massively in the way of the plot.