Max

i can't agree more to what Jamie said... I just started watching DS, and it just doesn't hit emotionally as hard as SL, because it just doesn't feel as real, and from what i've gathered so far, is driven by typical shounen trope that such manga/anime is plagued by, which is fighting in anger ("angry little kids living out their rage"), whereas SL is driven by what adults have to go through every day IRL (although not with blood and guts, unless you're a surgeon or first responder, soldier fighting in a war zone, etc), which is fighting for survival, and taking the fear, anxiety, despair, and other negative emotions.

SL > DS or any other anime, simply because the former hits home hard (for adults) with character development (opposed to what the author of this rather opinionated blog wrote) and an interesting and ever-developing story (albeit overall that develops slowly) that can be described multi-dimensional and multi-faceted, while the latter is aimed at (little) kids with a focus on fighting to live out their anger, which shows in the story and its characters being rather simple.

DS' strength are its great fight scenes, while SL's strength are its true-to-emotions characters and its story that feels like it could be reality, with its great fight seems supporting in the background.