Sword Art Online – 09

Geez, Asuna! Can’t you see there’s FIRE here? Be a little more careful of that!

Time for more Sword Art Online here on Metanorn and damn I always get really excited when the weekend comes because I always look forward to seeing whatever adventure Kirito and Asuna decide to take us on, but when we last left off they were face to face with a giant monster! I guess that is enough chit chat for now so we should start the review! Enjoy.
This is the day before I sit down to write a 5 hour long test that will decide my entire career future. Well, guess it’s time to do some blogging! …Don’t worry, I’m good at handling my time so I can manage studying as well as doing the weekly SAO thing. Somehow. You can’t ever say I was slacking now, can you?

Impressive Tactical Retreat

Foshizzel //Asuna and Kirito pulled the trusty OH MY GOD! RUN AWAY card and managed to get away from the Gleam Eyes! I was really shocked that the monster didn’t chase after them, but I assume it is linked to that special room? Most high level monsters I have run into usually have some in game mechanic that locks the door to their room or it puts up some kind of temporary barrier that unlocks once the monster dies. That type of mechanic is in place just to keep you as the player from retreating or cheating somehow, but it also depends on your class as well because some classes have some sort of “get out of jail free card” spell or ability that drops agro allowing them to hide or it protects them for a short period of time allowing them to escape.

Now I only complaint I have about this episode which I know most of you out there would see as small; however I felt the need to talk about it. I think everyone has seen the opening over and over again especially that short clip of Asuna being a badass during the fight with The Gleam Eyes, but in the actual episode she doesn’t really battle the monster for very long and I know you are probably going to say “but Fosh the tension during that scene is completely different from the opening.” True, because of length we did not see what led to those events. So what am I even getting at? It seemed to me like the creators are making Asuna seem weaker than what I originally thought and clearly we saw how her emotions getting the best of her which caused her to run in blindly to assist those solders. Also she is a vice captain in a guild I kind of assumed she would have restrained herself a bit more, but Asuna has a huge heart for helping people and yes maybe I should just shrug it off as “character flaw or development” for her at this point because we have a lot of episodes to work through to see her growth as an awesome female lead.

So what did I learn? That opening videos can sometimes deceive us into thinking “OHHHH WOW! Is that how it happens?” but on the flipside I have seen several openings that spoil you like revealing a certain character or hints towards something else like a death flag or romance? So what in the world would you do in that situation like Asuna’s would you have done the same thing like her and try to save some random players or would you try to escape and come up with a new battle plan later? Personally without the whole death thing in play I think most of us would try to help. I have done this recently while playing Guild Wars2 where there was a giant monster killing players left and right and decided to help out and yeah I got owned sooooo fast by that damn monster! So yeah sometimes running in without thinking things through can get you killed quickly.

Show ▼

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Kirito Enters God Mode

My secret skill is lady-killing swag. Shhh, don’t tell anyone

Overcooled // I’m not sure what to say about a main character who is at a high level, gets all the babes, and has an overpowered skill that no other character in the game possesses except “UGHHHH”. Does Aincrad revolve around Kirito? I feel like he just passed a threshold this week in terms of how stupidly perfect a character can be once he started to dual wield. It was cool to watch, but I can only foresee Kirito becoming even more powerful while everyone else marvels at what a wonderful, special snowflake he is. The characterization of Kirito (and Asuna as well, which Fosh already mentioned) felt off overall. Now Asuna is becoming dangerously close to just being that hot piece of ass all your friends want while Kirito is becoming like an original character a 12 year old boy made up in 3 minutes. I like Kirito! I don’t want him to be the God of Aincrad! Ever the optimist, I will hope that  later on we’ll find out someone else has the dual-wield skill too…But for now things are clicking into place for Kirito a little bit too neatly for my liking.

Foshizzel // This week we got to see another badass side of Kirito aka a killer new ability upgrade duel wielding which I never really thought about in this series until Asuna started talking about why he never uses a shield? If I were Kirito I would say uh dude shields are so BORING or as players call it sword and board spec. I really want to know how he unlocked a brand new skill that is unknown to the other players; however I kept thinking about that other sword he got from Liz because we haven’t seen Asuna with it so I assumed he kept it on him. When I play any MMORPG I usually hit up the ranged caster classes so I can’t really comment much on swinging swords around because my classes usually use maces, staffs or daggers for spell power damage! So what type of weapon do you prefer in those kinds of games? Do you like swinging around two swords or do you like to use a sword and shield? I will say this though DAAAYUMMM Kirito really hacked up that monster so freaking fast and survived with one freaking hit point? HOLY CRAP! That dude is crazy powerful! Then again his victory pretty much caused the other people to stress out over his possible death and it nearly caused Asuna to have a serious breakdown, but hey it pushed those two characters together for a chance at some romantic vibes.

———————————————————

I Order You To Be Liberated!

Overcooled // They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions – and the Aincrad Liberation Force have the good intentions part in spades. It’s everything else they’re missing. As long as one player (or group of players) clears SAO completely, then everyone can be saved, so pooling resources and giving them to the most able candidates sounds pretty fair. Everyone funds a big guild, they use the money and resources to get a leg-up on the bosses, and they steamroll their way from floor to floor in order to save everyone. It’s a noble cause…unless the Guild sucks and lets everyone down.

So far all the Guilds seem to be like bright red apples that are teeming with worms at the core. Asuna’s Guild has Kuradeel (just looking at him, you think “parasite! worm!”) and has been recruiting so many new members that they aren’t scanning for quality as thoroughly as before. It’s waiting to be torn apart from the inside at this rate. They’re also huge pricks who won’t let their own Vice-Commander make her own decisions; instead insisting on roping in Kirito and trying to humiliate him in a duel. The other Guilds we’ve seen are PKing Guilds, Guilds that fell apart because oops everyone died, a Guild where a husband killed their own wife, and The Aincrad Liberation Force. The ALF were begging to bite the dust as soon as they appeared. Dressed like cannon fodder and all donning the same face-shielding armour that renders them all anonymous, I was not expecting things to end well for them. It makes me nervous that other Guilds may adopt the whole fighting for glory thing, convince people to share precious maps and money with them, and then fail miserably. It’s very disheartening to see an entire Guild fail so hard when you placed all your hope on them, I would imagine. Kind of like a sports nut watching their favourite team lose.

I just find it so strange that Guilds play such an integral role in the lives of other players who aren’t even part of the Guild. I’m used to it just being a little name floating above or below a player’s name, and nothing more. Guilds usually keep to themselves, and any events they hold generally only involve their own members. However, SAO (and .hack, come to think of it) turn Guilds into replacements for different organizations. Instead of the mafia, you have a crime Guild. Instead of the police, you will have a justice-loving Guild. As long as they have power, they can establish themselves as a powerful authoritative force in this world. A rag-tag group of players lying in bed with funky helmets on bossing half of the population of an entire world around! Incredible! Guilds have so much sway in this world! …and then you have the Aincrad Liberation Force, who struggles to be anything more than a possee of rattling tin cans who have less common sense in their entire body than I’m sure any of you have in your pinky finger.

As an aside, I’m glad to see Klein and his Guild again! I like how they’re modeled after samurai, and even named themselves Fuurinkazan (Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain). These are all Klein’s close buddies, so there’s no poison being spread amongst the members. They’re the only Guild I have any confidence in, and yet they’re the ones who introduced themselves like sleazy rapists to Asuna. Ahh…you know you don’t have good options when

———————————————————

Final Thoughts


Being sore over how wonky the characterization is going doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the episode. I have a lot of gripes about Kirito and Asuna (one week I like them! The next week I don’t! What’s going on here?) but at the very least, the battle was intense. This is becoming one of those shows I watch that I know has its fair share of glaring flaws, but still enjoy as a whole. I have to admit that the virtual reality setting and constant RPG references are all very charming. I’m not happy with how the story has been progressing and a lot of how characters seem to just get more unlikeable over time instead of more likeable…but hey, look, pretty battles! That’s my current mindset. You have to admit that Kirito dual-wielding those swords was as dumb as it was cool. Anyways, I’m happy the main plot is finally off to a start. Finally!

Maaaan this was a great episode for me thanks to the fantastic artwork! Especially during the showdown between Kirito and the Gleam eyes and can someone say TTGL style? Because holy crap it looked amazing and yeah I know we have already seen this type of artwork before with the kobold fight, but so far I have been completely impressed by the artwork during the fighting and generally SAO looks very cool. Other than the amazing artwork and killer music I really like where things are going, sadly I still feel like the creators of the anime version are basically portraying Asuna as a weaker character and yeah I know I am probably nit picking at her character but feel free to correct me…anyway! I can’t wait for more Sword Art Online.

Tune in next week for thriple-wielding!

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We live, laugh, enjoy and strictly believe on "more the merrier". When together, we usually come up with very chatty, conversation-based episodics and interesting posts.
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55 Responses to “Sword Art Online – 09”

  1. Snarby says:

    Asuna does seem to have a gradually diminishing role as a kickass player, probably because she is constantly compared to higher level people. Its tough to show how badass you can be when you have the main character stealing the spotlight, as is the case in most animes.

    • D-LaN says:

      Asuna chance will come later if they decide to animate the fishing subplot.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Indeed! The female lead usually has a hard time standing up against the main male lead such as the issue with Asuna/Kirito! Then again I love shows like Fairy Tail which has plenty of tough girls that kick ass aka Ezra <3

  2. Gecko says:

    …while everyone else marvels at what a wonderful, special snowflake he is.

    So perfect for how I feel about Kirito. Honestly, I sighed when he got a special, random skill. My first thought was “Oh, so he leveled up with the right skills at the right moment” like how that one pokemon can be 3 different ones, depending on it’s attack and defense stats when it gets to a certain level.
    As for Asuna, I did wonder why Kirito was getting all the awesome battle footage/fighting time. I get that he’s the serious main character, and Asuna is #2 to him, but seriously, I was getting excited that she would be a better fighter than him. She sure had the speed part down with that kitchen knife…
    As for the OP, I watched it again, and I get the feeling that Kirito and Asuna’s actions are going to be in a later fight. They just put Gleam Eyes in there to trick us.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Yeah Kirito is awesome and special with his duel wield ability and I agree with you! I really wanted Asuna to be a strong fighter who does not rely on Kirito to always back her up, but ah well…we can keep hoping right?!

      Ahahha yeah I would say that is a great “halfway” point and I can only guess it means were getting a 2nd opening soon! I want to see what else they can throw at us.

  3. JPNIgor says:

    Kirito is so overpowered *-* And man! Asuna and Kirito are just one step closer \o/ Kiss at once, please!

    Well, on the episode 08 review, I was like “Ooooh, “The Gleam Eyes” isn’t sooo scary… But man… They made it scary this time ._.

    Reading the reviews puts Sword Art Online in a new light to me. It’s really weird that one guy have the Dual Sword Skills and only. On the LN, they say that Sword Skills are liberated by meeting certain conditions and the most part of the skills they know what this conditions are, but on the case of Dual Sword, it seems like they just couldn’t figure out. Not even Kirito… Dumb… Why couldn’t you do a little more of thinking when this freaking master sword skill appeared in your list?!

    About the Liberation Forces part, I just can’t come to understand three things: First, why do they do things so stupid like going on a impossible fight?! Isn’t it meaningless if you just DIE?! Second, why the hell do they have so many strong and mature guys? .-. Like, I suppose that at least the great majority of the players are like… slender… And young… Of where did they get so many tough guys? And third… HOW DID KIRITO SOLO A DEMON BOSS THAT WAS JUST ABOUT TO KILL 20 HIGH-LEVELED PLAYERS?! I know, you’re overpowered, you have your dual wielding ability, but on my mind, it should just double it’s strenght…

    Well, wait to see a great fight next episode *-* Tanoshimiiiii.

    • D-LaN says:

      There actually a condition for Dual Blades… It will be revealed when they face the final boss.

      To answer some of your qtn:

      2) I’m sure tht they choose the strongest bunch of their members to the frontline only… Kirito did mention they had a big loss during previous fight. Or maybe its the armour.

      3) Kirito main points is SPEED and he don hv a bunch of heavy armour. Plus some noted tht ALC, Asuna and Klein did some damage previously and Kirito just finish the remainder HP.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Ahahahah yeah I bet fans want a kissing scene instead of a hugging scene right?

      LOLOL Gleam eyes what a push over.

      Yeah that is strange having only one player with that skill? WTF! I wonder what other skills are out there? I would say healing, but SAO doesn’t have any magic so that is out of the question…

      Liberation Forces what a joke seriously…they got freaking owned and I don’t really feel sorry for any of them or should we just laugh at their leader? Thanks to him Kirito revealed his awesome POWEEERRRR

      Good! I CAN’T WAIT

      • JPNIgor says:

        A hugging scene is fine, too. It was cute XD But kissing scene is better, yet.

        Hm… There are other unique skills out there… You’ll see soon MUAHAHAHAHA *-*

        They are stupid, seriously -.-‘ This first appearance is the dumbest of all on the LN, but there are others, too. The great majority of the Liberation Forces are, unfortunately, some ***holes, for real.

  4. BlackBriar says:

    At first, I didn’t think the Gleam Eyes would be that terrifying but I ate my words after this. Who could blame Kirito and Asuna for running off? At least they weren’t in over their heads like that Aincrad Liberation leader that got himself killed and almost his whole guild with him. Not to mention they were obviously too exhausted to fight.

    Actually, it didn’t make sense for the Gleam Eyes to chase after them since they were technically standing at the doorway just to get a look at him. That isn’t really considered his territory. And I guess even if it didn’t chase them, it probably had a sophisticated enough AI to know they can’t advance any further up the floors without getting past it so it took its time waiting.

    Double sword combo on a boss. Kirito has gone Kingdom Hearts God Mode. But like most shounens, he gets a little reckless when he goes on a power trip. So much as a sneak attack could have killed him.

    Now I only complaint I have about this episode which I know most of you out there would see as small; however I felt the need to talk about it. I think everyone has seen the opening over and over again especially that short clip of Asuna being a badass during the fight with The Gleam Eyes, but in the actual episode she doesn’t really battle the monster for very long and I know you are probably going to say “but Fosh the tension during that scene is completely different from the opening.”

    I’m now seeing a downside to having certain parts revealed in the OP. You see epic looking scenes that you want to see in the actual story which builds up anticipation only to be disappointed by something anticlimactic and feel that it was all wasted.

    • skylion says:

      I wanted to find a good comment to riff off of, and I somehow knew that BB would be the one.

      I long since gave up on either the OP or the ED of any anime giving me real story information. That isn’t what it is supposed to do. It’s about theme and emotion. Both are there to give you a charge. OP=Let’s Get the Party Started. ED= Ya’ll don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here…see you next week.

      So, the Crossing Field OP tells me that these two fight together, and they look awesome doing it….

      • Highway says:

        I prefer OP and ED sequences to be outside the content of the show or, in the case of ED’s, vignettes. My three favorite current ED’s are Hyouka, Accel World, and Boku H, and all three have excellent songs and cute vignette videos to go along with them.

        To me, having the OP give away story information seems like a bit of a copout. Either they reuse video (which seems cheap), or it doesn’t match what you see in the actual show, leading to cognitive dissonance like we are talking about.

        On a final note, some of the OP sequences are such cheesy 1970’s style cast rundowns that it makes me laugh. Kokoro Connect is one of these, with individual shots on the cast members, even having the supporting characters stop, look up at the camera, and smile. OMG Cliche!

        • Gecko says:

          I as well dislike OP sequences that give away information about the show. I’m watching to find out what happens, rather than watching the OP to see the whole story. Although I do think that Kokoro Connect has some good parts what they’ve done- after all, we want to watch to see what happens with their new problem, since they don’t show it in the OP. And Kokoro Connect is very character-based – everything happens because of what the characters are like. Cliche, but it works.
          I don’t like the vignette ED’s though. Then again, I’ve liked very few ED’s.
          As for OP’s, I have to say that my favorite has to be Madoka Magica’s, only because of how misleading it was, and then how the lyrics worked so well in so many ways later in the show and the fact that the OP was woven into the plot. I also really like Mawaru Penguindrum’s (both of them) because it showed all the characters, and quite a few of the symbols involved with the entire series, and it pulls of a similar effect that Madoka Magica’s does.

        • Foshizzel says:

          ED’s are nice I usually like OP’s versus ED’s because usually the music is better, but yeah there are some decent endings out there.

          • Highway says:

            Hmm, Fosh, you made me look through the songs I’ve got as favorites to compare OP vs ED songs judging musically. It looks like it runs about 40% OP songs to 60% ED songs. Some of that is because shows tend to have more ED songs than OP songs, but some is also because ED songs seem to have more of a chance to be something edgier. OP songs in the shows I seem to watch seem to have a tendency to play it safer.

            Of course, if a show has a great song at one end, it’s likely to have a great song at the other end, too. And if a show has a bland OP, it’s likely to have a bland ED. I find it far more likely I’ll like both the OP and ED than just one or the other.

            • D-LaN says:

              And then there the ED of High School of the Dead. The increasing happier time photos and newspaper clipping makes you feel a bit bad….

          • BlackBriar says:

            I usually favor the OP over the ED because the music’s better but some EDs make the cut like Tasogare Otome x Amnesia, Phi Brain S2 and even the OP and ED for Sacred Seven (I can’t believe I just said that).

            As for the OPs, they would be: both OPs for Ao no Exorcist, Rinne no Lagrange, both OPs for both seasons of Index, C³: Cube x Cursed x Curious OP 2, Shiki OP 2, Deadman Wonderland, Guilty Crown, Jormungand and Senki Zesshou Symphogear. There are a lot more but I’ll cut it off here.

      • Foshizzel says:

        Shounen openings are the worst at revealing things err well most of them are or they make you guess! Fairy Tail has a lot of openings where you go WHAT?! WHO IS THAT!? or why is X character returning? Happens all the time.

        • Highway says:

          I have to add a shout for OreImo in here. They consciously changed all the OP’s to show the characters that were going to be in the show, and changed the order around for relative importance. So one OP would have Ayase, another would have Saori and Kuroneko, sometimes Manami. I thought that was always clever.

          But then, OreImo obviously spent more on OP’s and ED’s than just about any other show (with 12 ED songs, all with different animation, and different animation for most of the OP’s).

      • Rakkyo says:

        Guys, you are all forgetting the best ED this season…

        • BlackBriar says:

          Whoa! Just look at what one little topic has spawned.

        • D-LaN says:

          Tari Tari ED disagree (IMO)

        • D-LaN says:

          Oops you mean content wise, I mean song wise lol.

          • Highway says:

            Tari Tari ED ep 2 with Hayami Saori (Sawa) and Seto Asami (Konatsu) singing Kokoro no Senritsu is just an awesome song sung by fantastic singers. The normal ED is ok, not amazing. Kokoro no Senritsu needs to be released as a single, both the duet version and the choir version. But personally, I think that’s more of an Insert song than an ED song.

            Total package song + video, I still have to give it to Hyouka ED 2, with Boku H ED a close second.

        • Highway says:

          BTW, I had kind of had an on-off interest in Joshiraku, mostly off due to so much other stuff to watch, but seeing that video makes me more interested in it.

        • skylion says:

          Hikari from Oda Nabuna is my fav this season. Good song and…..the scene is really…..pretty.

          But, Joshiraku comes in there too.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Gleam Eyes more like BORING Eyes…he was cool looking, but Kirito made that boss look like a cake walk…and those Liberation guys? AHAHAHAH GOOOOOD JOB! They had a terrible leader.

      Yeah in gamer terms maybe Kirito and Asuna did not “agro” the gleam eyes or it didn’t feel their presence? I have no idea how the SAO game mechanics work, but we can always guess…

      FK YA DOUBLE SWORDS! Just imagine if Ichigo got like a level two bankai and summoned two swords? DAMN! He would be so tough xD

      Yeaaahhh openings can lead you on T____T

  5. skylion says:

    So why does this guy get all the hot chicks? Seems to me he doesn’t….

    He has a dead girl to deal with (and he has some feelings for her still….why did he hear her voice when Asuna was trying to rouse him?), a little sister, a blacksmith that falls for anyone nice to her, and a female lead that cannot seem to sort out what she wants to do with herself.

    He ain’t getting anything, folks.

    As for being some sort of superhuman, put him in any context that doesn’t have to do with swords and he is…just a kid. He has few social skills to speak of; and those don’t level up the same way online skills do…you have to earn them the hard way (and an interesting aside, with social skills, sometimes you are in the right place at the right time and you get something out of it….like dual wielding). And, if he were to clear the game tomorrow, it is doubtful he would change all that much, other than to suffer lifelong online addiction.

    Damn, I’m not being very nice to the boy at all.

    But put it all together and you have an audience surrogate. He’s like a lot of growing teens, and they give him bad ass, take nothing from no body fighting skills.

    But lets take Asuna into account. She isn’t just stepping away from the guild. She’s stepping away from leadership, a position that her boss in none to keen in letter her leave. And let’s take Heathcliff into account. Is it just me or is he ridiculously old compared to the rest of our cast of characters? I mean, he seems like mine and Highway’s age. That might be playing into something.

    Also. She is deeply in love with Kirito. And I think this troubles her more than leaving her guild.

    One thing I was thinking, about her embrace. It went on awfully long, didn’t it? I watched it again soon after it aired for me, and timed it at nearly three and a half minutes. It caught me for how it played out. It was not just a touching scene. But a hug like that lasts for but a moment in a typical situation, a bit longer for this sort of life and death affair. But she wasn’t just holding him, she was actively not letting him go. He’s her escape from the guild; which will shift from metaphor to reality next episode.

    I feel sorry for her. She has a lot of responsibility for one so young. She ran in to defend the ALF, and if it weren’t for Kirito, she would have failed, and perhaps died. I don’t think she can bear that weight of possible failure any longer.

    Damn, I went on there for a bit. Cheers folks.

    Milkshakes. Fosh, you are the…..

    • Highway says:

      Great comment, Skylion. Yeah, it makes some sense that there should be some older folks in the game, and I’m not surprised that one of them is the leader of the biggest guild.

      I thought that embrace was really evocative, and really liked the way that Klein and the others just kind of worked around it. To me, that was it, the moment. Like you say, that was Asuna realizing she needed to never let him go again. And it felt like everyone else understood that. Nobody tried to pull them apart, nobody even tried to talk to Asuna.

      And I’ll also bet the guild dynamics really come into it. She was talking about how their success had exploded their ranks. That can be a real failure of leadership. There are many MMO guilds that failed because of exactly that. They have one feel, have some success, get a lot of new people, and the feel changes. Even without an increase in size, through attrition it can still change, and even through changes in the individual. And the leaders can feel that pressure more than anyone. It’s great when you’re a leader of people who want to be lead by you. But when you have to lead people who don’t, it sucks. When people test, and talk back, and disobey it really saps your will. I can see her wanting to get out if it’s like that.

      Another thought: Look how much effort Asuna has put into essentially homesteading. She has bought a modest house in a fairly exclusive location. Her house is full of nice furniture and decorations. She has leveled cooking up to the maximum. To me, that’s looking for permanence, looking for an anchor. And Kirito is another facet of that anchor. He was the one who lifted her up initially, he is one that has always been a match for her, intellectually, emotionally, philosophically (a big word, but meaning more how they wish the game to be played). I am sure that in these intervening two years, she has been watching him, keeping an eye on him.

      They are a good fit, and seeing them get together this early makes this more of a show I’m interested in.

      • skylion says:

        You trace a good line there, Highway.

        I don’t know if the onlookers for the Kirito/Asuna hug knew anything or not; just….awkward for them.

        We will have to see how good a fit they are in future episodes. I have my doubts.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Being the main character is suffering because ALL THE GIRLS WANT YOU! SUCH A SAD LIFE…

      MMMM MILKSHAKES…DO WANT

    • MikADo says:

      hehehe you will see how many girls he get after reading the book 🙂 it increases by the volume XD

  6. D-LaN says:

    Fosh, you are d*mn good w/h those ‘shop! LMAO at Milkshake.

    Well, personally I don care abt Ops anymore cuz they are just to introduce the show and/or trick you. {(O__O)–>Madoka}

    And I notice something, the circles of the pillar in the ED seem to be increasing…. Completion rate?

    • Foshizzel says:

      I WANT A MILKSHAKE KIRITO! GIVE IT BACK T_____T

      Ahahahah yeah openings do trick us more than inform us huh? (lol madoka)

      LOL!! I will look at that next time

  7. skylion says:

    …and all that running.

  8. elior1 says:

    oh no it the headchiff the time i was afraid has coming close. and to all those who think kirito so overpowerd just wait for the next episode let see what you will say after this dual.

  9. Kushi says:

    Who else wanted to see Magus after the blue flame sequence?
    Actually if that did happen, it would be interesting. So like Magus would be the first boss that introduces magic and all the floors above it involves magic 😛

    and

    I feel like Asuna char build could have been done a lot smoother; unless there’s some sort of background story that would add to explain her being head over heels for Kirito in just a couple of episodes (maybe associated with the “sister” after he blacked out).

    also

    Overpowering is not too bad as long as there are challenges to make things not boring. I actually like the “over powered dude just havin’ an adventure” because it beats the hell out of watching the protagonist lose every time.

    Beyond that..

    I agree with Overcooled, nothing really stopped me from enjoying the episode~

    • Foshizzel says:

      Trolololol magic? Awesome yo! Sounds like fun <3

      Yeah! I was thinking that was his sister irl that Kirito saw for the brief moment and I imagine when players are about to die or with 1 HP left they might have a split second to go back to the real world? We shall see.

      Yeah that is shounen anime in a nutshell 1 character is overpowered and the others are just hanging on for the rest of the ride.

      Even if you don't like it 100% you can find some entertainment <3

  10. Highway says:

    Here’s something else that I just thought of for this episode, and maybe Kirito had this in the back of his mind.

    In Red-nosed Reindeer, in hopes of resurrecting Sachi, Kirito fought St. Nick to get a rumored resurrection crystal, while Klein and his guild held off everyone else from the portal. Upon finding out that the item can only resurrect someone within 10 seconds of their death in Aincrad, he then tossed the resurrection crystal to Klein, and said for him to use it.

    So in this fight, when Kirito runs in to assist Asuna and the ALF (HA!), who’s standing there with him? Klein. Do you think that the thought “I wonder if Klein still has that Resurrection Crystal still in his inventory? ran through his mind? And what kind of dilemma would the death of Kirito or Asuna put Klein in if he did still have it? Does he use it if it’s Kirito? That seems like a fairly easy ‘yes’. Not only does Klein have a strong bond with Kirito, Asuna would be there distraught at the death of Kirito. If he remembers it, I think it’s definite that he uses it. But would he use it on Asuna? That’s a tougher one. He’s just been introduced. It’s certain he knows who she is, and that she and Kirito have a special relationship, but I don’t know if that’s enough to make him burn the item? And I don’t know if Kirito is invested enough in Asuna in particular to ask for that kind of favor from Klein.

    It’s a completely moot point, but I think it’s an interesting question to bring up.

    • skylion says:

      It does dovetail into the moment that Klein expressed his pride in Kirito…

    • Overcooled says:

      Wow, I forgot all about the crystal! He’d definitely use it on Kirito, and I think he would use it on any comrade he knows personally. He seems like the type who would just instinctively pull it out and use it without any thought about who it was. In a life or death situation with only 10 seconds to spare, his reaction is going to be almost all impulse – and he seems like a really empathetic kind of guy who wouldn’t want anyone to die. Basically, I think he’d use it on Asuna because in a moment where someone died and you have the only way to save them, it’d kinda be a dick move to say “naw, saving this for someone better.”

      • Highway says:

        I dunno, would he save one of those ALF guys? It didn’t come up, probably because they died too far away from him. I think there would definitely be a threshold of person you’d hold such an item for.

        • Overcooled says:

          There is definitely a threshold. He wouldn’t run and save someone he saw for the first time, so I tried to be careful by saying “comrade he knows personally.”

    • MikADo says:

      there is also the probability that Klein already used up the crystal 😀

  11. elior1 says:

    after the next episode the side story of yui will begin and this will be confused story to understend but will play big role later in the plot

  12. elior1 says:

    oh my i just sew episode 10 i wont spoil to you but i will only tell you can look foward for most of the big cute moments of asuna x kirito

  13. AllenAndArth says:

    i’ve read the entire and i can barely wait for what is gonna happen
    people it’s much more intense than ever
    Show ▼

    and
    episode 9 is is one of my favorites
    i seriously doubt they could have stand up better
    i get it Asuna’s the flash but if you consider how much damage she got from a single atack and how much kirito got you sort of understand why she moves bad, they feel pain remember?!Kirito is stronger (power wise) than Asuna and has more life so he feels less pain thus can move better(it’s what i think at the very least)

  14. MikADo says:

    A little bit of trivia here, Kirito’s duel wielding skill is unique in that only he can use it, it is given to the player who has the fastest reaction time…….. you will see how this trivia gets to you in couple of episodes 😀

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