Sword Art Online – 22
Never tell a gamer that it’s “just a game.”
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Oh hey look only two episodes left! What will we do without this series? Just kidding I am sure we will see a second season of this strange series in the future, anyway what is on your mind this time Overcooled? |
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With such a devoted fanbase, I wouldn’t be surprised if this got another season later on either. As for now, I just need to focus on the current moment. If I start thinking about all the exams I have to write, I’m going to explode. I need to take this one day – and one episode – at a time. |
Invisible Walls of Failure
Foshizzel // Ah, the plague of any open world video game! Those damned invisible walls! But what purpose do they serve other than keeping players out of forbidden zones? I don’t know much about programming in video games but most of the time invisible walls protect us from glitches. However in the world of ALfhiem Online the wall is placed around the tree to prevent cheaters or people that wish to exploit certain in-game mechanics like the idea of using other players backs as a springboard to save your flight timer. While that sounds perfectly normal to everyone else playing this game, Kirito on the other hand simply sees the wall as a barrier that is keeping him and Yui away from Asuna! While I was watching our hero bash his head against that wall over and over again part of me was waiting for Yui to simply hack into the game code and create a small opening for Kirito. Thankfully that did not happen even though Asuna was able to drop a random keycard through that wall…yeah…how was that possible? Honestly at this point I don’t really care, but I suppose you could just say it was the power of mushy Loveeeee or some other special feeling that allowed for such things to happen.
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Scrappy Swordplay
His left hand is just equipped with “badass”
Overcooled // If you couldn’t tell by now – I’m all about the action in SAO. Whenever we’re spoiled rotten with gorgeous fight scenes, I feel my heart swell with warm fuzzies (which may or may not be a fatal condition inhibiting my blood flow). Kirito’s attempt to fly to the top f the World Tree was undoubtably my favourite action sequence of the entire series. Fighting while flying actually looks incredibly badass, I must say. Even watching Leafa flit around to dodge arrows was exciting. What really sealed the deal was Kirito once again entering his berserk mindset where he puts blinders on to everything else aside from saving Asuna. In the end, that was probably his downfall. He’d have been better off dual-wielding than using schoolyard bully techniques such as crude punches and clumsy throws. This is a game where you have magic (MAGIC!!!) yet it is woefully underutilized in battles. I know Spriggan’s aren’t known for spells that make them great at combat, but that “transform into a giant monster” spell might have done some damage, no? Don’t they have defensive spells to block arrows, either? I think if Kirito takes the time to plan his attack, he’ll be fine. But the dude was literally bashing his head on the ceiling to get to his ladyfriend minutes before, so the concussive damage didn’t really help him. I’m actually a bit glad they didn’t pull a “but he lives with 1hp!” BS stunt. This should give him some time to rethink things, and maybe wait up for that raid party the Caith Siths and Sylphs promised to send. …They’re still coming, right?
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Fight the Power, Mr. Kirito
Foshizzel // With the realization that Asuna is within our heroes reach he dashes off to save his princess, but there is just one issue with that mission! Kirito has to fight his way through several dozen waves of “raid” level NPCS before he can clear the first floor of the world tree. Sword Art Online gets a lot of hate because of the dull storyline and boring characters, but when it comes down to animation A-1 Pictures pulls out all the stops and knocks out some cool action scenes even though most of the time we only see Kirito kicking ass every week! So does our hero successfully clear the first floor of the world tree? Yes and no because he gets really close to the finish line only to be shot by several arrows and stabbed by lots of sharp freaking swords. I know that was completely shocking huh? Usually he is able to defeat any monster that tries to challenge him. Normally I would laugh at his failure, but I know the creators just want us to feel bad for him right now. That said I don’t really feel bad for him because hey I know he will figure a way to save Asuna with or without some cheap tactic.
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Fairytale Romance
Overcooled // I thought I would dread the moment Sugu would hear the bad news about being dumped twice in a row, but I actually liked how it played out. Fancy that! It was extremely dramatic, but I think I needed to see Suguha really express her feelings outwardly some more instead of just bottling it all up. I’m kind of impressed that she had the strength to confess everything to her brother all at once, even though she knew it wouldn’t help the situation. Confessing is reaaallly hard in of itself…let alone confessing after you’ve essentially been pre-emptively rejected. I guess I prefer the incest storyline when they take it seriously instead of it just being in there so Leafa can blush and perform cliche after cliche of fawning over her precious onii-chan. It feels less like something thrown in for pandering and more like a decent plot element. I genuinely felt bad for Suguha! I even felt some sympathy towards Kirito! He didn’t even know his sister felt this way, and he’s just had a torrent of emotions unleashed on him in the midst of his own struggles trying to save Asuna. So now he feels like a huge dick for being oblivious to his sister’s feelings all this time and just focusing on Asuna Asuna Asuna. Which isn’t pleasant, because now he has to question himself when he’s been doing the right thing all this time. I have no idea how these two are going to make up with this much of a rift between them now, or how Kirito will be able to focus on saving Asuna without feeling at least a bit guilty.
Foshizzel // Finally the moment we have been waiting for Sugu learning the truth that Kirito is really her cousin! Dun dun duuun! While that was nice to finally get out in the open, I know most of you out there probably feel really bad for her right now because she had her heart crushed before our eyes, but if you have been watching Sword Art Online you had to know that was going to happen eventually right? I mean time after time all these random girls have either fallen in love with Kirito or had some type of feelings towards like friendship or seeing him as a possible older brother type? Yeah I know I knock on this series a lot week after week, but part of me does feel bad for her while the other half is kind of shrugging because I knew this was going to happen anyway…so what would you say if Kirito forgot about Asuna and went for Sugu? I mean would you be fine if they went full on incest route? Personally I don’t really care too much for incest based in anime because it is everywhere and most of us are used to that theme with every season, but I know some real cultures out there have no issues with cousins getting married.
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Final Thoughts
Go figure, I really liked this week’s episode! It had plenty of jaw-dropping fighting combined with some romance drama that I actually didn’t mind seeing. Maybe it’s because Suguha and Kirito were moving further OUT of a relationship. That means no more useful fawning. As Fosh said…we all knew this would happen eventually. It was only a matter of time. It’s very relieving now that it’s actually happened! It leaves a lot of questions for next week such as whether Kirito will stop and comfort Sugu or keep going for Asuna and if Sugu will eventually come around and get over her heartbreak (at least on the surface in order to help him). Asuna will most likely be saved at the very end, but will she create an awkward situation with Sugu when that happens? Anyways, I’d better not get too far ahead of myself. Kirito still has some work to do before he can bust his way to the top of the World Tree.
That was certainly a crazy episode, we had some intense action as we watched Kirito fight several waves of high level NPCS and then he got totally owned in a matter of minutes!? Good god I thought he had that in the bag! I mean, sure we need to have that happen to our main hero every once in an awhile, but I can only count a few times that Kirito actually got owned. At least Leafa was around to save him and or he would have lost lots of items in the process, but I was reading somewhere that if he waited for the full timer he probably wouldn’t resurrect near the world tree? Besides the cool action provided by A-1 Pictures we got the dramatic moment with Leafa hearing the name Asuna which of course triggered Sugu to instantly put things together about Kirito…yeah…poor Sugu suffered the same fate as lots of other SAO girls! Falling in love or having certain feelings for the main character! Damn it Kirito stop breaking every heart. I think he should start shaking hands and say “Hi there, my name is Kirito and I have a girlfriend so don’t develop any feelings for me k thx bye.” Maybe that will work? So how long will it take for Sugu to snap out of her funk and help her brother save Asuna? She only has two episodes to decide! GO GO GO!
Now you can buy allll the Asuna tentacle rape doujins you want! See you next week~
About Tag Team
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.
POWUH: iLurker with 6 comments
Solid voice acting at the end by Taketatsu Ayana (Sugu). The ending quarrel is actually fairly well done overall. Not bad at all.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yep Taketatsu Ayana has really done a lot of good roles lately and yes even as Sugu she has done a great job with that character~ While I didn’t really care for that whole scene she did knock out some great dramatic reactions.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 154 comments
Gotta love the action. I am glad they made the fight as cool as it was to read in the LN and we really shouldn’t be surprised Kirito got owned I mean it was going to happen eventually. Either way the fight was great and I love seeing characters go berserk in fights it just makes it that much more fun to watch.
In the end I am not sure why he never bothered to get a second sword somewhere, but considering the number of enemies increasing (exponentially if the fight scene was any indication) the closer a player gets to the door, he will definitely need some backup. After all, there is a limit to what even OP characters can do…I think.
Hope the action continues because it is always fun to watch airborne action like this.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Action was epic and amazing but I can’t really say much for the story at this point…ALfhiem Online is quite dull right now for me…truth those are the best moments in anime watching any hero character kick major ass and make it look amazing xD
I was actually thinking the same thing like DUDE GET ANOTHER SWORD! Then again would that help him defeat all those high level mobs? Maybe…or the power of LOVEEEEEE! I have a feeling the three factions that Kirito saved will probably lend him a hand? I haven’t read the novels so who knows >.>
AGREED.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 154 comments
lol well it is two factions actually. I do not think the Salamanders are grateful Kirito stopped their attack on the faction leaders, especially if they realized he conned them utterly. The two factions he saved will eventually get to the world tree, so we will see how that goes.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Fufufu yeah that is true about the Salamanders! Who knows the leader might go solo and help Kirito? He seemed really impressed with his fighting power and did mention a rematch one day! For some reason I see that happening or else they wouldn’t show those side characters…maybe…yeah…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Hmm, I didn’t like the Kirito Berserk Mode Attempt To Get Past Everyone fight very much. And I thought his mindless attempts to break through the barrier were dumb. And then to have that card fall right down in front of him, when there’s MILES of tree circumference just ripped up the entire support structure for my suspension of belief. So basically, the first half of the episode I thought was really really bad.
And then the emotional part happened: Leafa’s daring ‘rescue’ of Kirito’s corpse or whatever, showing a virtuosity of battle nearly the equal of Kirito’s but in an entirely different style. Her revival of him, and then the moment we’ve been waiting for, her confession and then her heartbreak. And I give Kazuto credit: he went to her, when he knew it was just going to hurt both of them, but it needed to be done. He had to realize she was confessing in game (when does anyone say “Kirito no koto ga…” without following it with “suki da”? Never. Especially when crying it into your ear.) And that’s why he cut her off because he was dedicated to Asuna. But then he finds out it’s Suguha. And she lets it all go as well.
I just thought that ended up as a really good scene.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeah same here buddy…same here…after all Leafa did say they were raid level mobs, but Kirito being Kirito and all you saw how far it got him in SAO trying to solo everything? For once in his life id love to see him ASK FOR HELP! Like seriously? Does it hurt his pride THAT much to have others back him up?
LOLOLOL @ The key card aka “plot haxxorz” that is the best way to explain it…its like the others read the script and knew where to stand…yeah it was dumb! Yet Asuna can’t just jump off the side > die > rez somewhere else…
Right I bet she was thinking “if I save Kirito-kun, maybe I can confess to him?” DERP…GOOD WORK…anyway! Yeah I knew she would have her heart stomped, but of course in that set up Kirito wasn’t at fault and agreed at least he went to Sugu to explain things instead of go for another attempt at the tower rescue.
Good scene yes just bad bad writing xD
POWUH: iLurker with 19 comments
“And then to have that card fall right down in front of him, when there’s MILES of tree circumference just ripped up the entire support structure for my suspension of belief. So basically, the first half of the episode I thought was really really bad.”
On the other hand, Yui is a _navigation_ pixie and does know the exact location of Asuna.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 154 comments
I agree of all the things to be tripped up on the falling card would not be one of them.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
We’re talking thousands of feet. We sure didn’t see Kirito skirt around the tree to find out when he was exactly below her. “Right above us” is inaccurate at best, and the sheer coincidence of that card falling *right in front of his face* was just too much. Not 15 feet to the right. Not 100 feet behind. Arm’s length in front of him.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 154 comments
It was a lucky break this entire series is full of them. I am just not sure why this particular one should matter. Seriously it is just one scene and then things progressed to the fighting.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
“Straw that broke the camel’s back” etc. etc… The other ‘lucky breaks’ haven’t been nearly that contrived, and have always seemed to have some quality of volition to them.
It’s not that it ruined the series. It just made this episode’s first half crash to the ground under the withering glare of rolling eyes.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 154 comments
Ah well to each their own opinion and what not. I really did not care I was just waiting for the action to start, so I just take things as they come for this series.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
So in short we can sum it up like
“Cleaver use of in game mechanics.” < Lol
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The card fell right to Yui because the script dictated that it would happen no matter how cliché we, the audiance, would see it. Some would think it’s sheer dumb luck what with all the possible interference that should have obstructed the card’s direct descent but such situations are obviously intended for the the sake of a near over the top love story.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yui used “script hax.” IT WAS SUPER EFFECTIVE
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The audiance has fainted… Yui gains 100 exp points.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yui is now level 999
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
If there’s another season, I’m willing to watch despite the apparent flaws of the anime.
Kirito really throws strategy out of the window whenever someone he cares for is in trouble which now completely justifies why he prefered going solo in SAO. Going it alone, he’s more level headed because here, trying to use brute force against The World Tree barrier shows it was more impulse than thought. But I did laugh at the Iron Man pose he did when he went to ground before going to the gate.
The action is always good and this action sequence was the best yet but like I’ve said before, Kirito seems to be turning into a feral beast whenever he engages in a fight and even threw in a deranged smile for good measure. There are some times he just reminds me of Ao no Exorcist’s Rin when he gets like that.
It’s actually a good thing that he failed to clear the floor in one shot because most of the time, he’s seen as an overpowered character and every hero needs to hit a bump in the road now and again to know victory and defeat or it would just become boring to watch because you already know what to expect.
So his and Leafa’s secrets are finally out in the open and the reveal was well done. It would have a lot easier for Sugu to bear if she knew before going to Asuna’s hospital room. What made it worse for her was realizing she rescued someone who wouldn’t be able to return her feelings. It’s hard not to feel any sympathy for her dilemma.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
But I don’t know if Sugu would have let herself / tried to fall in love with Kirito if she hadn’t actually seen how devoted he was to Asuna in the hospital. Perhaps she would have naturally fallen in love with him, but it might have taken longer, perhaps longer than she has with him. She likely would have, because it’s the same guy, who acts about the same way. But there was the impetus from seeing Asuna. So yeah, it might have been easier, but mostly because she wouldn’t have fallen so hard for Kirito.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
If there is and there probably will be another season I will just watch it as a straight up comedy~
Yep…you would think that the events in SAO would cause him to think “You know what? I should ask for help.” UH YOU THINK? Clearly you can’t SOLO everything but heaven forbid him from trying over and over and over and over again.
Hahaha yes I think the idea of killing other “players” or even NPCS characters is going to Kirito’s head and I bet money that becomes a huge factor in the final fight to save Asuna! Aka he turns into a monster and Asuna has to make him remember? Probably though a dumb hug…if that happens I will laugh!
Right! Kirito has to save one episode for Sugu drama next time right? Because we all know she will have a change of heart and give Kirito a hand <3
The secret is out indeed and Sugu probably wishes she never got close to Kirito-kun, but ah well she was going to find out the truth one way or another...the drama was alright for that final scene even though I was thinking "well this is nothing new."
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
@Guys Abt how Asuna being able to drop the key card:
There a barrier surrounding the cage tht prevent her and the stuff in the room to go out, but stuff OTHER than Asuna and the things in the room can pass through the barrier.
Srsly, read the LN along with the anime.
Personally, aside frm “they cut X out!!” this week episode was pretty good adaptation. And I dunno how could ppl not feel sympathy for Suguha…. Her love life is not ****ed up enough for you? Bad writing this scene is not IMO.
Tht scene of kirito with his remain light is giving me Ghost Trick vibes lol.
Btw a new trailer of the PSP game is out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=08QRWHwQTWc
How nice of them to add Klein, Leafa and another new chick 😀 And Fosh ‘shopped pic is wht I thought of when I saw the similar scenes =__= Wht do you guys think abt the new Kirito and Asuna design?
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Also, notice something in this week end card??
http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb480/Yumekichi11/Picture%2039/1354375690117_zps2953a67a.jpg
Way back in EP20 end card:
http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb480/Yumekichi11/Picture%2038/1353166059518_zpse321371f.jpg
A-1 and Sunrise are planning something or it just a cameo? Your call.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
You know what? I would love a SAO x AW cross over <3
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Been there, done that.
http://dreadfuldecoding.blogspot.com/2012/02/sword-art-online-versus.html
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Maybe it will get animated one day?! Id love that xD
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 154 comments
Yeah in most cases of where people are confused it is actually explained in the LN
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeah I could do that with the anime but time and all that jazz! I still plan to read it afterwards, but I don’t think it will turn me into a giant SAO fan? Then again I haven’t tried so ill have to give it a test.
Ahahah the writers just love to crush the girls feelings towards Kirito! IMO they should have had a few characters that were I dunno ALREADY WITH SOMEONE? Hell I wouldn’t care if Leafa had a yuri relationship…it beats her feelings getting blown up lolol
Woop Woop vidya gamez for Sao! Is this a dating sim where you play a girl who tries to win Kirito’s heart? Trolololol
Those are alright new designs
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Yulier and Thinker. I dunno when they will say it, but Show ▼
Think of the LN as a reference book while watching the anime. For example, EP2 have A LOT of stuff tht is cut out.
Think of the SAO IM as a
MMORPG slash SLink like P3. Although I dunno whether will it have multiple end or you are scripted to marry Asuna.POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Ah yeah I got that impression with those two easily~
Yeah I always think in MMORPG terms whenever I watched this series even though 90% of the time the in game rules are bent by Kirito almost always? True he is skilled but most of it makes me laugh >.>
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
Leafa has that wimp kid liking her…
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeah I could tell that just by watching the scene at the school between them! Wimpy has a thing for her indeed <3
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
If this was most other animes, the main character would be Recon / Wimpo, and he’d be trying to win brocon Leafa / Suguha away from the handsome Kirito / Kazuto. And in the end he’d win. In this one, he’s the comic relief.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
True but the problem for him is that he’s not her type. If anything, she seems him as a clumsy little brother figure that always manages to get himself into trouble.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Ughhhh, I hope she doesn’t settle for less with Recon, who she doesn’t even like. I’m sure he’s a nice guy and everything, but he’d just be a horrible rebound relationship and it would seem like Sugu couldn’t survive without a man =_= …Although if Recon was the main character I probably wouldn’t mind them getting together, heh.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I hope she doesn’t settle for him period. He’s just too wimpy for the thought of even shipping them together. Sugu needs someone similar to Kirito and who has absolutely no relation to her. Recon would need a lot of character development if he ever becomes the main character. And I mean a lot of it because since the second arc of the anime started, he is scarcely seen anywhere.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Agreed! Hopefully she doesn’t feel the NEED to attach herself to Recon because baka onii-chan doesn’t LOVE her in a GF way…
Recon needs love! Just not with Sugu…
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
asuna can drop the card because it was on the block of doom and it’s the GM plantinum-goldem card or something
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Lulz block of doom~
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Oh, because it’s an exclusive card, it has the ability to do anything. Interesting… I wish I had a card like that.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I know right? I wish I had a card that did anything for me in a video game! Imagine having access to money and loot? Sign me up for that service please.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Fosh haxx0rz…
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 154 comments
lol don’t we all
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
kirito’s scene was great but…the best part is that he fails, it shows that he’s not invincible
and
he finally found out…i wonder how it’ll be the next episode…
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Truth right there, but we all know Kirito will be back to normal next week~
LOL I already know! Thanks to the damn preview trailers…something with Leafa vs Kirito? Derp…random…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That was such a nice change of pace. It’s better to have the hero try and fail sometimes than always winning at everything or it won’t be fun to watch. In my opinion, what this anime is missing is for Kirito to have a rival where power is concerned like the anime rivalry in DBZ or Naruto.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
It needs the classic DBZ DUB
“LAST TIME ON SWORD ART ONLINE.”