Sword Art Online II – 08
When the kawaii nekomimmi says it’s time to start…
Hey, it’s my turn to take the Full Dive this week, so without further ado…Link Start!
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Buying into the Program?
Does this face say, “I’m getting tired of your bullshit” or “Tell me more”?
After a brief reintroduction to the major plot point last episode, that Death Gun is more than likely a player from SAO, and is very much a member of Laughing Coffin if that is likely. This character also has keen interest in the name Kirito, and promises to kill him. With this in mind, Kirito is determined to find out what handle he is operating under during BoB3…and to meet him head on? From here we go to preparations for the finals of the whole tournament. Fairly straightforward as both finalists and hangers-on talk the talk about wagers, dark horse entries, and stats and equipment. But as could be expected all that shop talk goes away once Kirito-chan enters the scene. Geez, fellas…some control please! But who can blame them when he/she goes all moe moe kyun on them.
Moe Moe Kyun?
OK, does anyone really believe for a second that Kirito came in unprepared? The organizers even sent all finalists an email. My guess is that he was playing this just to get on the same page with Sinon on at least two levels. One was to get back into her basic mindframe in how she understands what she’s doing and how she can explain it. Because he wants to keep her close, again for at least two reason. Second, to provide a lead into what he really wants to know. The newest players. With that cursory view, we have Gunner X, and Pale Rider, along with the mild ominous pause “Sterben”.
Tell you what, you tell me what form of block this is in comments, OK?
“I’m not supposed to ask that, am I?” I have this love/hate relationship with the first rule of SAO is that you do not talk about SAO. On one hand, it’s necessary to shield those that went thru the death game from over-scrutiny. But on the other, it rather leaves them feeling isolated. Alot of the conversation between them could have been very enlightening for both had he been able to flat out say he was in SAO, rather than having her suspect.
The Whole Sandwich
<insert obligatory BOOM HEAD SHOT here>
So with the lead in to the Big Show out of the way, we get on to the Big Show itself. As far as MMO’s go, it feels fairly perfunctory to me. But then, I’m not as big a gamer as many on Metanorn possible are. In fact, I’m not one at all. At least the console, PC kind. I stick to analog. It’s a well detailed map with a device that gives limited information about player locations. It feels like it’s enough to give even the clueless a halfway decent chance. Or you could just be perched Richie. But for my money, the map was the bread, and everything else was the fillings.
Oh, great, it’s Boondock Saints
First, Perched Richie. Yeah, we hate that guy don’t we? Dyne. I just felt, by his positioning, he was destined to fail against whomever came along. Pale Rider. I’m having a hard time with this guy. Holy Crap! That guy is just too darn freaky. I do love that shotgun of his though. But then the cream was Kirito stealthing Sinon out. And yeah, she gave in pretty quick to his demands.
Which leaves us with the sudden and pretty much expected appearance of Death Gun. I rather like the gun Silent Assassin. It’s a damn game breaker, leaving out those pesky predictive lines. And on stun, it’s good for pesky acrobatic freaks. So who is he, the player with the awesome gun, Gunner X or mild ominous pause “Sterben”? They spent enough time on it to warrant at least a small discussion. Also I love how Kirito has to beg Sinon to take the shoot at Death Gun, pulling her from that moment of gun porn. I mean, she’ll take the shot, you know she will. But….
…speaking of porn?
<caption contest in the form of Bevis and Butthead>
But I would be remiss to not point out that on two occasions Sinon could have been able to say, “F this” to Kirito and just shoot his ass. Instead she listens to him and gets caught up in his program. There’s a part of me that is looking way forward, and that part of me things that Sinon herself will be key in taking Death Gun down. How much she buys into his program may be the bread and butter of that showdown. What did you folks think?
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
Stop being so cute Kirito. I’m getting confused in different places.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
This is exactly why traps are considered dangerous.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Excellent…. Everything is going according to Kirito’s keikaku… (T/L note: Keikaku means plan)
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
And just what is that plan?
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
To challenge Free!! and convert all the male otaku into homos. 😛
Wait, that’s Love Stage!!, not Free!!
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
fear the trap!
BTW, hello o/
yes, AA is still alive, but college hurts
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Oh, yes. Fear the trap!
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
or so they say…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Let the games begin! That’s one hell of a map to support the tournament. It would take hours to clean the other players out.
Silent Assassin. Of course Death Gun has a unique OP weapon. What antagonist doesn’t? It is a trope to give the lead a challenge, after all. Knowing that this series is so over-the-top ridiculous and can’t be taken seriously, something as outlandish as a Gun Kata battle from Equilibrium could fit right in. “Who brings blades to a gun fight, right?” Sinon asked last episode. Apparently, Kirito shows it can be effective. Take this guy as another example.
I had forgotten everyone still thinks Kirito is a girl but I’m shocked he’s willingly pushing that misunderstanding further. Oh, the guys are going to need serious therapy when the truth gets out. Personally, the reason Sinon gives into Kirito’s demands so easily is because he’s a ladies’ man. The things he says like noble sounding lines can be corny but does well enough to sway a girl.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Hey, if you could play around like that, would you? I would…But then, I am ten times the moe….
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
I did it once…it was kind of funny.Show ▼
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Oh, did you now? Lay on McDuff…
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
yes…you don’t know how much i would’ve loved to have a camera in that moment
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
In this modern age, that is such a curse.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
Another sort of ok episode; I thought some of the exposition went on a bit too long, sometimes in areas that didnt need exposition but hey, what can ya do. At least the animation looked better than it had been for the past couple eps. On the other hand, i find the reception towards this season of SAO to be quite intriguing. On one hand, you have viewers who feel this season was a step up from the previous ones (and i myself felt that way in the beginning), but then you have some viewers who adamantly hate this season…and yet are still watching. There are some bloggers going as far as blacklisting readers who try to defend the series constructively which begs the question: why watch something you supposedly hate so much to the point that you’d go as far as blocking people who have a more positive opinion about an ep and are expressing that respectfully? sigh…human beings are quite the puzzling creatures
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
In the end, it’s about what you like in whatever series you’re watching and why. If it doesn’t rub you the wrong way, why not continue? There are series that are pleasant to some and others, not. Like for me. I’m not into anything heavily romantic (Like Golden Time) but someone else is likely to be. Romance is tolerable to a degree if only used as a plot device. Dark, supernatural shows are more my cup of tea so I’m going to defend it if there’s appeal. To each their own because we’re not all going to like the same thing. Those who don’t accept that are at fault. That’s what makes us different.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
A nude Kirito appears!
Fangirls take 980 damage!! ><
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
It’s super effective! Fangirls fainted.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
…I took some damage…
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
Since I’m not a fangirl I didn’t really care about nude Kirito but…
His moe moment almost made me faint…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Tsk, the guy still knows his way around girls.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Brace yourself! I am going to say something CRAAZZY!
The good: For once I actually liked the action even though it was like OH WOW LOOK AT THAT DUDE JUMP AROUND!! I did laugh at the “comedy” bit with Kirito acting all girly even though it comes of as SAO trying to hard at comedy and failing; however the game bits explaining how the system works was nice and the reveal that the BoB finale is just one giant free for all?! That reminds me of a few episodes of Gundam Build fighters which also had a similar match.
The bad: Not much actually this week besides the short interaction between Sinon and Kirito drinking together after he practically revealed that he was a survivor from “that” game which is something I thought he was told not to do or was he ever told to keep it hidden? I mean sure he never came out and said Sword Art Online out loud and I know without that scene Kirito and Sinon wouldn’t have time together on screen, then again it was a minor event now that I think about it!
The random: Other than that from my youtube circle of reviewers that I follow and Novel fans I guess that scene with Trap-i-rito swimming naked apparently had more of a build up for that moment? Really? Honestly I don’t NEED to have a goofy ass scene of him having to get naked to avoid the satellite detection or was it just a way to explain that you can hide? It just shows me again that the creator had some wild idea or saw a chance to throw in some ecchi as a way to be creative? LOL anyway…I forgot what else was left out…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
The first rule of SAO survival is you don’t talk about SAO survival. Or some such nonsense.
As for the happy naked fun avoiding the satellite swim…it didn’t feel any more or less random than any other moment of awkward/forced nudity. Actually, it had thought behind it, so it’s better than random…
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
possibly but I thought it was funny how some novel fans seemed to whine about it being skipped over.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Well, as HWY has pointed out, once the show starts the whine muscles tighten…for just about every fan base….
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
Pssh, you’re telling me Kirito can’t use his “skill” to swim with all that heavy armor?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Everyone has a limit. His is sodden water physics. A chance was missed by all the snipers on that map.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Remember she is JESUS-Kirito. She should be able to walk on water.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
GGO is being rebellious in the face of his great power.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Just goes to show that even he has boundaries.
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
Gun Gale just couldn’t process his “badassery” enough, thus he could not swim with equips or walk on water
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
In other words, processing him slowed the system down.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Yes, according to at least on “offical source” this system has specific parameters to animate “other” types of hair….
POWUH: iLurker with 11 comments
Excuse me, but didn’t you watch episode 5? Kirito didn’t fill in his contact info in the registration form (including email). Thus, he didn’t get any of the admin emails. As to why the system allows this, screw logic, it’s anime.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I must not have remembered such an awful detail.
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
or he just didn’t care about that, until the time of the tournament