Sword Art Online II – 03
She probably needs an adult. …But they’re too busy watching this to move.
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Someone who’s read the novels enlighten me. Why did all of the adults at the bank just sit there and watch a small girl shoot someone several times without bothering to help her? I understand the beginning of the struggle might have been a little difficult but, uh, nobody appeared to move during the whole thing. Not even Shino’s mother. Lol anime parents. |
They stepped away from GGO for a bit, but they’re doing a pretty good job with developing Shino’s character into someone interesting. She has a pretty miserable real life with a dead father and her mother might be avoiding her too, since she looked just a liiiittle bit frightened after the incident and Shino was mentioned to make her meals by herself. Then there’s the fact that the girls at school are bullying her really obviously and seem to know about Shino’s past, since they’re intimidating her using it. But I suppose the gun problem seems to be her biggest issue at the moment.
Sinon being able to handle guns and Shino not being able to seems a little odd. Especially since even someone holding their hand in the vague shape of one is enough to set Shino off. Obviously holding guns in video games and holding them in real life are totally different things. But with the technology in the SAO world that they’ve gone over so far, I would take it that GGO’s immersion technology is way closer to being like real life. I guess for Shino, there’s a large enough disconnect that her trauma just doesn’t carry over to GGO? Luckily, they explained why the girl who can’t even hold a gun in real life plays a highly competitive shooting game though.
Maybe it’s not the most logical train of thought ever, but at least Shino is trying to overcome her aversion instead of just sitting there and crying about how her life sucks. Added with the fact that she’s being bullied at school, her wanting to become stronger makes a lot of sense. …More so than the girls at her school bullying the girl who (with scarily accurate aim) shot a crazed grown man to death when she was only a loli.
Shinkawa seems like okay emotional support at the moment, even if he doesn’t seem to be the gaming god of GGO. Obviously it’s going to be Kirito who snaps Shino out of her emotional trauma because that’s just what he does, but at least she has some sort of emotional support in real life before that. Shinkawa even offered to walk her home, which was nice. …Maybe she should have taken him up on that considering how creepily SAO‘s version of Kira the guy at the monitor was stroking her picture.
As for Kirito, he’s not quite crossdressing yet (or whatever he’s going to be doing this arc). But it seems it will be happening soon enough, since he just entered the server. Asuna was pretty understanding of his circumstances, which was nice because the last thing we need now is marital issues. The people in charge of this operation seem to have planned this out pretty well too. It seems like a good idea to have him at a hospital just in case his heart spontaneously stops beating for being too good at a video game. Though SAO seems to be convinced that people dying in real life due to video games is totally impossible now yeah, just ignore the premise of the first arc, so if there’s some kind of trick to the deaths involving the equipment like the first arc, then they can monitor that too. I’m actually going to trust Kirito on this one, if only for the fact that when he says stuff like this, he’s rarely wrong. Ah, the all-powerful MC.
Cactuar guy is totally going to die, isn’t he.
…You know, I think I’m enjoying SAO a lot more that the story is focusing on Shino. The story is just as easy to poke at, but seeing the difference between Shino in real life and when she’s Sinon is interesting. Online, it’s easier to pretend to be someone different to run away from real life problems (or to become their ideal) and Shino is clearly trying to become more like the person she is when she’s Sinon. Also, like Highway pointed out in the last post, Sinon kind of acts like Kirito when in GGO. We never really saw Kirito falter quite like Shino is doing, so this is kind of like another take of the same base personality. Anyways, next week looks like it will finally be Kirito’s start in GGO, and also a new writer will be covering the post.
About Karakuri
University student and the one at Metanorn who's known for wearing glasses. Likes blood, insanity and plot twists, but also plays otome games and adores cute romance anime. It balances out... somehow.
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
As (I think) I’ve said before, Sinon is my favorite character in this series, and you’re hitting on some of the reasons why. She’s probably the deepest; the most complex, yet her struggles and her fears feel real and relatable. While (hopefully) none of us have had the specific sort of trauma when we were children, we can understand what that would do to a child, and we can admire her for her efforts to overcome it, and we can feel for her when her fears strike her.
In the novels the actual shots were presented as happening fairly quickly: most people were in a position to interfere, and they were still afraid of the guy regaining control of the gun and shooting them. As for Sinon’s mother, she was presented as not being all there: she had been psychologically broken by the death of Sinon’s father a few years before.
And there’s another reason no one interfered: this was in Japan. Japan, where people don’t have guns. Where guns, and the people who use them, for any reason, are evil incarnate. For grabbing a gun and using it, no matter the provocation, Sinon instinctively became “the monster” in the eyes of everyone. That includes the therapists who “treated” her for her trauma later, and her own mother who was horrified that her daughter could kill a man. “You don’t touch a gun. You don’t use a gun. Guns are evil.” Societal conditioning that left Sinon to deal with the guy alone as a child, and left her traumatized afterwards.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Wanderer beat me too it. I can only add that we ourselves are conditioned to think “what would we do?” under such circumstances. The answer is “I would probably kick some ass”. To which I would go “yeah, right…”
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
The thing a lot of people need to remember is, the characters are not leisurely sitting on a chair and watching the events going w/out a care in the world. They do not have the leisure to calmly think abt what the best option when the danger of dying is right in front of them.
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
Hmm… second paragraph: “most people weren’t in a position to interfere.”
Dangers of typing too fast.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I think I am watching the wrong series hahah I really don’t like her at all shes kinda boring.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Yeah Reading that too Wanderer, I sorta figured that would be the case, It just happened so fast that the reactions where slow or afraid, I know id be stunned to do anything.
As for Sinon, She would probably be the only real reason I’d watch this series. I like her so far, her fear/trauma make her HUMAN unlike.. our god character /snicker.
POWUH: iLurker with 2 comments
Also one think you know from the LN is that Shino and both of her parents had a car accident when se was really young, which lead to the Death of Shino’s Father (on a very slow and painful way), which also traumatized her mother at the point she had the mental age of a teenager with 0 tolerance to stress.
She was basically frozen on fear during the whole gun fight
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Ah, if her mother has issues, then that explains a lot. I figured that Shino was able to move at the time because it was her mother in danger, and thought maybe that could have been reciprocated. You hear about mothers being able to lift cars or whatever to save their children in the heat of the moment and whatnot.
I probably would have been more accepting if they had explained it in the detail you had. Regardless though, I think Shino is probably my favourite character too for how they’ve built her up.
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
It must have been so hard for A-1 to be able to make a scene with a gun-shaped hand be something impacting.
My only complain with SAO is that I really think they could make the main-action happen faster. The beginning in the LN is slow, but anime is something that can be made much faster, and yet they stick too much to what they did in the novels.
Shino is a great character, but of course, what else would she be when they spend three episodes building her character? Any of the other girls could be potentially great, given that they would work with their background story, but they don’t have the time. They didn’t even tell what happened to the guys on Lizbeth’s photo on the shop, for example. So, I’m not saying she’s a bad character, but if she had only one episode like the other girls, she would be as shallow as they are, the same way if the other girls had a whole arc to themselves, they would be great characters as well.
and… one last thing… I WANT TO SEE KIRITO CROSSDRESSING GODDAMIT. That will be so good. That changeroom… Aaaah, those memories.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 33 comments
actually, i really like that they’re sticking pretty close to the light novels so far.
i mean, they’re supposedly going to adapt Mother’s Rosario as well, right? but they changed/left out some things in the Fairy Dance arc that would impact the timeline in MR (altho, not immensely, i suppose).
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
Not sure they did it. From what I remember, Mother’s Rosario had very little to do with Fairy Dance, except for the fact that it happens in ALO. If they left anything missing for MR, they probably will be able to show it when it starts.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
I think the missing part is Kirito/Leafa Jotunheim adventures way back in Fairy Dance arc tht the anime skipped. I think it has to do with Caliber side story which is most likely going to be animated as well.
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
Aaah, I see. It’s most likely going to be animated, but even if it isn’t, it isn’t anything major to the point of getting in the way of MR arc.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
…I laughed through the hand-gun thing since it was just a little over the top, but I’m a bad example. I don’t know how else they could have done it though, so props to them.
I haven’t read the novels, but things seem to be moving at an okay pace from my perspective. Though you probably have things later in the arc that you’re looking foraward to seeing.
I can’t even remember Lizbeth’s photo, so you’re probably right on that. SAO would probably be better in general if they spend more time on developing Kirito’s sub-harem more.
ME TOO.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Someone who’s read the novels enlighten me.
For those who have read the LNs, is Kawahara Reki a good writer at all?
I know he’ll never be the next Murakami Haruki or Veronica Roth, but is he considered a bad writer for LNs?
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
I don’t read a lot of light novels, but then that may be part of your answer: one of the reasons I don’t read many light novels is because I find most of them aren’t written in a way that interests me. Now, it is entirely possible that some or even most of the problem stems from the quality of the translation, but I can only judge based on what I get.
The SAO novels, on the other hand, really captured my attention. I read them in chronological order (which is different from the order they were published in), so that undoubtedly helped, but I found them quite successful in giving me an emotional connection to the characters.
I can say that the very first novel, the original Sword Art Online novel itself, is probably the poorest in terms of actual writing quality. It’s the oldest, after all, and he got better over time. I wouldn’t necessarily call him a paragon of writing, but his stories, read the way I read them, captured my interest and my emotions, so I would say his writing is at least “good enough.”
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
Well, I read in english, so sometimes the translator can give the wrong impression, but the writing is so-so, overall. He spends a lot of time exploring the characters lines of thought, so it’s not over-reliant on conversations. I do feel like his writing don’t let me ever get bored reading it, though it does have some tedious times when he is describing the setting of a new arc or a new place. He builds up tension a lot and even though Sachi’s episode was the first shown on the episode, on the LN it was the last of volume 2, ending the Aincrad arc on a very sad and remarkable note. So, yeah, he is kind of good, but he has some faults.
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
Eh, good is subjective. What you think is good may be considered bad to others and vice versa. Form your own opinion, respect others’ opinions and don’t flaunt your taste to be superior just because you hate something that others like and we’ll get along.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I don’t think he is a good writer at all! He made Kirito super jesus which irritates me, but it seems all he did was play videogames in his teens and barely talked to girls or went on any dates because it seems all his females are poorly written.
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
Right? But super-jesus MCs is almost a trope right now, so that’s something I don’t see myself in the position to criticize.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
To be fair, I like the super-jesus MCs a LOOOOT more than the whiny-Shinji ones.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Deadman Wonderland’s Ganta Igarashi certainly fits the whiny-Shinji MC type. If not for a few badass moments, he would’ve been intolerable.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
I will have to join Team Foshizzel here. Using Asuna as the prime example, she has been written into the damsel in distress role. OP’ed MC are nice to start off with but after a while it gets tiring and monotonous. Imagine Superman without his Kyptonite.
Since the series sells many processed trees, I guess there is something that turns people on there…
Log Horizon is better written MMORPG LN IMHO since Shiroe is not all powerful. He knows his strengths and weaknesses and those of his comrades and how to best utilize their skills. The characters are more rounded and you have a few strong female characters like Minori and Akatsuki. Ditto for Shana. I consider Final to be the strongest of the 3 seasons as it gets rid of the wishywashy highschool life and gets to the heart of the story: The conflict between the Flame Hazes and the Guze.
In terms of OP’ed MC, I prefer the one in the LN where he is a master strategist/mindscrewer yet his weakness are his virginity and hikikomoriness. And his hare.. err… party are no damsels in distress either. In fact, you can consider some of them to be OP’ed too… but you can subtly see they are actually subtly building a party of different skillsets needed to achieve their aim.
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
Supposedly, Kirito is OP in the games and awkward in real life relationship… But that ends up not being true x.x’
You made me remember Shana D= That was a good anime. I marathoned the three seasons in two weeks.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 33 comments
how can the cactuar guy die so quickly? he has the evasiveness of a CACTUAR for god’s sake!!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…maybe they’re trying to tell us something…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
SAO is eliminating anything that’s from beyond their own world.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
In FFXIII(ff13) I hated this mob! hard to kill.. so he wont be dying.. sorry
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
I can’t even count the number of times Cactuars have kicked my ass, so hopefully he goes down with at least a little of a fight.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
He probably has a ton of phoenix downs.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Oooooooooooh man this episode had me laughing and rolling my eyes the entire time! Especially Sinon “someone save me” line which will obviously cause Kirito’s super Jesus harem hearing powers activate to SAVE her…
Also her trauma from the past? Wow I forgot she had to shoot the criminal three freaking times and did anyone else jump in to stop her? Noppppppppeeee! Let’s just let the LOLi save us and then her mom leaves her years later because of that event? Honestly it would have made more sense if the mother was shot and killed that day. I think that would have been more dramatic and you could totally have that for a base reason as to why she would run to a video game to escape reality cause of the MMO themes in SAO right? That said I don’t think running to a game about guns is the right approach you would think she would want to hide from any and all guns.
I guess I am just never going to see what people love about SAO minus the action? Yeah this series will win countless praise as having the most amazing battle scenes along with the greatest artwork ever; however the same can be said for past shows that LOOKED AWESOME but failed to bring us an actual story.
Remember kids watch out for imaginary finger guns because they are super deadly.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Sure, run into a fight were gun fire is going on. From a kid. I would warrant that in those quick moments most people were praying not to get shot while also trying to control bladder and bowel functions. A guy just got killed moments before. No on is going to thing “Time for me to be a hero!”
…and, your kid just killed a guy. Sure he was the bad guy, but she’s not even supposed to be like that. Also, she fired those last two shots deliberately, in everyone’s full view. She’s a murderer..justifiable, but that doesn’t make it nice just like that…
Now, I do have an issue with Immersion therapy on general principle. But I’ll run with it. Why not? Lots of folk enthuse over stuff they get in a game, and it’s not “real”..but it is…but it isn’t. Who’s to say she can’t make it work.
And the finger gun worked in the moment. It was creepy as hell.
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
Wanderer’s comment has a very good reason why anyone jumped in to save her. Considering that Japan is a country where if you show a real gun to people in plain sight, everyone will first think it’s a toy gun.
Guilty Crown TT.TT
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
More proof that LOLis will save the world, Fosh. Well LOLis and the holy Kira-Kirito-Tatsuma trio or whatever that pic circulating twitter was. xD
You know, I can accept a lot of this by just going “lolanime”, but that finger gun was pushing it. Shino even had a fake gun in her drawer that she was okay with until she picked it up.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Oh god if Shino was a LOLi maybe I wouldn’t hate on her as much…
Yeah same the finger gun comes off as LOLLLLLLLLLL-anime much like how I treat mecha “science” which also makes me laugh.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That’s some psychological therapy for Shino to get over her trauma. Sinon makes a good alter ego since she takes the stress off her real self. As if anyone can condemn for trying to defend others. Plus I’m curious as to how much the incident has affected the relationship with her mother. The look on her face… geez.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
I imagine that Shino has been thoroughly abandoned. I read that she lives on her own (and also spoilt myself on the villain of the arc so hopefully my next episode is after that reveal) and that was her uncle on the phone.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Still, you can’t really condemn her actions so the isolation was an unjust reward. Unlike everyone else, she was brave, risked her life and acted to defend others. In the end, it clearly became self defense and the defense of a third party (as in her mother and the other bystanders).
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeah I have a good idea as to who the main badguy of GGO is and it makes me laugh if it comes true.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Not a bad episode More Shino yay! and what a story she has so far, at least shes more human then a certain Jesus character. I can’t wait to see Kirito crossdress as well haha, also how he meets Sinon in-game, or Shino if he ever meets her in real life, quite curious to see this play out hehe.
As for Trauma, I dunno in game Shino seems to handle herself pretty good, i mean she didn’t even show signs of fear with guns.. it be nice if they showed hints of this when she was in-game. RL vs game.. maybe with that metal mindset it’s easy to not fear guns in a game world? I just think any type of gun would set it off no matter if its 3D, video games, anime,cartoon or real life a gun is a gun. I dunno, I just feel this could have been done better, or better thought out as well.
Also you’d think if they had an in-game announcer call out headshot, Shino would think about her first headshot and lose herself each time?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Interesting, So A drawing of a gun is NOT a gun, So in a video game Shino wouldn’t have a reaction to guns because a 3D image of a gun is Not a gun, just a group of pixies that make it up. So if that’s the case, a hand gesture of a gun is NOT a gun so she shouldn’t have a reaction?
It’s a bit confusing hehe. She has been played this game for quite some time right? to escape from the real world. So to over come that fear she plays a game that technically isn’t helping her overcome it because its not real anyways..or do I have this backwards? She’s trying to get to the idea of The Treachery of Images?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…as for the finger gun, Magritte is silent…
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Pfftahaha you and Fosh calling him a “Jesus character”. …It’s funny because it’s true. Anyways, yeah I’ll take Shino over Kirito any day.
Hmm… I dunno. I wanted someone to voice over “headshot!” during the bank scene to be honest xD
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
ALL HAIL THE LORD AND SAVIOR OF VIDEOGAMES~ JESUS KIRITO-SAMAAAAAA!
Ohhhh ya same maybe ill do some funny video edits of all the GGO moments with Shino getting kills.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Ya, that’s what I was thinking when watching the episode, waiting for someone to actually do it though, Im too lazy lol