Seeing stuff like an interesting peek into life after SAO, immediately followed by incest shenanigans and virtual rape is making me confused and angry. I want to hate the show and give up on it, but I just can't. The possibility of it going into full-on deconstruction mode keeps me watching the every week.
Sword Art Online |OT| Batman, now with more wings
- Thread starter Dresden
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Dedication Through Light
Member
I guess I hold the oppositie view, I didnt think much of the first portion of Sword Art Online actually did much to advance the plot, wasnt it only like episodes 1-2, then 9 and so that really felt like progress was made then? Everything since ALfheim Online has felt focused, concise, and actually fun and more compelling. Maybe reducing it to just Imouto, Weaksuna, and Kirito has made for a more interesting story and real world mixed in keeps it entertaining.
ALO is a much better game than SAO. It is more interesting, the mechanics sound like they actually could support a long term MMO, and it's actually a game where people are playing instead of fighting for their lives.
Unfortunately, the story narrative has also taken a nosedive post-SAO, so ALO's potential doesn't really feel like it is fully tapped. It would be way better if they didn't waste episode after episode on crap like Kirito's sister or Asuna's creep stalker. Episode 19 and 20 were great because they focused on the game aspects which made SAO really fun. ALO is really missing that, instead it has a ton of lame drama which is garbage.
Unfortunately, the story narrative has also taken a nosedive post-SAO, so ALO's potential doesn't really feel like it is fully tapped. It would be way better if they didn't waste episode after episode on crap like Kirito's sister or Asuna's creep stalker. Episode 19 and 20 were great because they focused on the game aspects which made SAO really fun. ALO is really missing that, instead it has a ton of lame drama which is garbage.
SAO is terrible in everything now but the backgrounds, them games are pretty.
True Underdog
Member
I started watching this show two weeks ago because of this thread and I'm really starting to dislike it. I'm not a big fan of anime in the first place but this show is starting to leave a bitter purple tentacly taste in my mouth. 
Jex
Member
Focusing on lame drama rather than the game itself? That's starting to sound like - Accel World! Now it's clear why that show was never as popular as this one.
The fact that Kirito can log off at any time in ALO takes away a lot of the tension, as does the fact that death =/= true death offline.
Such a strange show: Started as a harem, then became a romance with Kirito x Asuna, then leveled out to coolness, now its an incest fantasy. *shudder*
Such a strange show: Started as a harem, then became a romance with Kirito x Asuna, then leveled out to coolness, now its an incest fantasy. *shudder*
Yeah, but the last 13 episodes were devoted to a villan with all the charm of a public lice that was on fire and didn't have Dio's voice actor.
In the case of Fairy Dance, It's clear that the writer was under the gun of "how do I continue SAO without it just being the same song and dance?" And when one looks at the events of the first few AW novels, you get the same native ideas; how great Haru's/all of ALO's flying ability as is, the idea of Internet Identity and Real Identity and so on.
I think FD is him trying (and failing) to get a narrative hook on SAO and muddling it with AW by accident.
Which makes A1's utter bungling of the plot even worse.
In the case of Fairy Dance, It's clear that the writer was under the gun of "how do I continue SAO without it just being the same song and dance?" And when one looks at the events of the first few AW novels, you get the same native ideas; how great Haru's/all of ALO's flying ability as is, the idea of Internet Identity and Real Identity and so on.
I think FD is him trying (and failing) to get a narrative hook on SAO and muddling it with AW by accident.
Which makes A1's utter bungling of the plot even worse.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Accel World is just better in all but one way than SAO (would ultimately, prefer Kirito as main character instead of Haru, or at least have had Taku as mc)
I just kind of wonder if Kawahara has a hardcore NTR fetish, and struggles to come up with story continuations which don't involved villainous, waifu-stealing jerks.
Unknown Soldier
Member
To be fair to him, once you've removed the 'death game' aspect, it's kinda hard to come up with real drama in the context of an online game. That he's kept SAO going for this long is commendable when you understand the dramatic limitations of the world he created.
This is correct, which means he should have explored SAO far more than he did, skipping months/years wholesale and not even reaching the upper 25 floors, and ended the story when SAO was cleared. Simple.
Why he decided to end it so abruptly is beyond me.
R_thanatos
Member
He ended it because it was a one volume thing .. when he came back to write the rest ..he filled his second volume with ideas to expand the SAO world more ( lisbeth , silica, yui ) and then went to make ALO ..he was limited by the fact that everything about SAO is done and finished from the start ..
SAO first book alone , ends on a high note with everyone alive been freed and the 2 mains characters being together. it's not that bad ..now popularity came and changed everyone's plans..
it's weird but it's starting from volume 5 that the author starts to write with a long term view in mind ( IMO )
??
Fary Dance Villain's MO - Being Dio, more or less, includes cockblocking Kirito
Phantom Bullet Villain's MO -
Killing people
Not getting the weight of the SAO incident and what it meant to her daughter. Not taking responsibility for the FD Incident.
Oh god no. I dread to think how utterly generic and boring a show where Taku is the main chracter and Haru is the standard issue Fat Guy sidekick would be.
I was thinking more of the plotline in the second half of Accel World than any of the further continuations of SAO.
Sword Art Online 6
Did I seriously just watch an author tract about treating women like objects from Reki Kawahara. How can he write this with a straight face?
Sword Art Online 7
Terrible CGI dragons, go!
This is the happiest I've felt while watching this show. I hope she never finds love and her business goes under because she just lets people break her swords without paying for them.
Sword Art Online 8
Boring pointless episode.
Sword Art Online 9
I like how Kirito
It really reinforces the fact that he's actually a bad, self-absorbed person. In other words a perfect Gary Stu.
Sword Art Online 10
Sword Art Online 11
This is Elfen Lied bad.
Sword Art Online 12
I've never seen a show so disgustingly self-congratulatory before. I have to give Kawahara credit for taking the Mary Sue tropes to levels never before seen in popular fiction.
I can't believe this show had the gall to complain about the objectification of women when
Sword Art Online 13
Yawn.
Sword Art Online 14
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Sword Art Online 15
I like how the show originally created the impression that Kirito started playing SAO to escape from the real world, but now that we actually find out about his real life it's just as ridiculously Gary Stu as in the video game, to the point of inspiring inappropriate feelings in his relatives.
Bonus Gary Stu points for adding a villain who's excessively evil and creepy for no other reason than to make Kirito look good by comparison.
I'm not even going to get into how offensive the sister character is. This show asks us to revile one guy for sniffing someone's hair at the same time that it encourages incestual fantasies. It's a loathsome story that aims to inspire muckfeeding hypocrites.
Nothing says "romance" like pooled digital resources.
Did I seriously just watch an author tract about treating women like objects from Reki Kawahara. How can he write this with a straight face?
Love the ghost showing up at the end just to increase the nonsense quotient.
Sword Art Online 7
Terrible CGI dragons, go!
This is the happiest I've felt while watching this show. I hope she never finds love and her business goes under because she just lets people break her swords without paying for them.
Sword Art Online 8
Boring pointless episode.
Sword Art Online 9
Of course.
I like how Kirito
lets two people die because he doesn't want to reveal his super secret skill.
Sword Art Online 10
This guy was a moron and deserved to die.
Sword Art Online 11
This is Elfen Lied bad.
Sword Art Online 12
I've never seen a show so disgustingly self-congratulatory before. I have to give Kawahara credit for taking the Mary Sue tropes to levels never before seen in popular fiction.
I can't believe this show had the gall to complain about the objectification of women when
the hero can literally turn females into objects.
Sword Art Online 13
Yawn.
Sword Art Online 14
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Sword Art Online 15
I like how the show originally created the impression that Kirito started playing SAO to escape from the real world, but now that we actually find out about his real life it's just as ridiculously Gary Stu as in the video game, to the point of inspiring inappropriate feelings in his relatives.
Bonus Gary Stu points for adding a villain who's excessively evil and creepy for no other reason than to make Kirito look good by comparison.
I'm not even going to get into how offensive the sister character is. This show asks us to revile one guy for sniffing someone's hair at the same time that it encourages incestual fantasies. It's a loathsome story that aims to inspire muckfeeding hypocrites.
BassForever
Member
I'm so glad I checked this thread before I went to bed, you completely made my night sir!
This reminds me I need to catch up on train wreck online, I haven't watch since like episode 18 though reading comments on here I'm looking forward to them. I got side track by my first watch of Code Geass another glorious train wreck :X
R_thanatos
Member
There is a fair chance it won't ..keep a limited amount of hope for ep 23 however
You missed two of the best action episodes!
I don't think he's into the type of action they showed in the last episode.
Hey, he said he's 4 episodes behind. I only promised that 2 of those are worthwhile in any way whatsoever!
oh right. No, that's just focusing on a villain that should have died about, oh, 7 episodes before he did and didn't because Sunrise don't know how to adapt to save themselves.
Edit; Oh, hey, they got the guy who knows english to do the dialogue box in ep 22 (ALERT instead of ALART)
SAO Episode 22 Pre-release Images
http://seventhstyle.com/2012/11/29/sword-art-online-ep-22-pre-release-images/
Looks like a solid episode? Maybe? Idk...
http://seventhstyle.com/2012/11/29/sword-art-online-ep-22-pre-release-images/
Looks like a solid episode? Maybe? Idk...
Just started watching this the past week... just got past 15.
This show went from zero to incesty in a blink of an eye. So far enjoying it though even though it's very cliched. Though the main draw was the whole MMO atmosphere and them clearing the game.... and they threw that to the fucking curbside.
This show went from zero to incesty in a blink of an eye. So far enjoying it though even though it's very cliched. Though the main draw was the whole MMO atmosphere and them clearing the game.... and they threw that to the fucking curbside.
Rofl. Coming to Comiket83 is the "Asuna Honeymoon Life Set"
http://www.cospa.com/detail/id/00000048517
On that note, new SAO in a few hours!
http://www.cospa.com/detail/id/00000048517
On that note, new SAO in a few hours!
Dedication Through Light
Member
22
At times felt like a glorified recap special, but there were lots of good parts.
But around the 18minute mark and so on was just really so well done. I cant even think of how the situation can even improve.
Soundtrack is still quite good.
At times felt like a glorified recap special, but there were lots of good parts.
Thank goodness Imouto rushed in to save him when he was in World Tree. I think the game is a bit unbalanced in that regard, how in the world is it so powerful like that with huge mobs of monsters and archers with swords?!
But around the 18minute mark and so on was just really so well done. I cant even think of how the situation can even improve.
Poor Imouto when Kirito dropped the bomb that he was after Weaksuna and then that he was her brother, to her emotional breakdown and offline moments there. Hopefully with Kizuna they can try to rebuild it and move on. I started to feel really bad and sad for her, and I wish he would just let Weaksuna go :/ One of the few tolerable and kind of decent guy/girl romances Ive experience though typically dont like them that much
Soundtrack is still quite good.
Lamiafusion
Member
Episode 22
WOW. Pretty good action and
WOW. Pretty good action and
....yeah, that was kinda awkwardddddd. I feel bad for Kirito. He really can't say anything. His "sister" just needs to get the fuck over it. You got friend zoned.
Lactose_Intolerant
Member
The 2nd 3rd of this episode was good, unfortunately you had like 5 minutes of banging on invisible force field and the ending. Still was better than 90% of this arc.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Why did they choose a force field instead of having mobs out there, it just seemed unfair for the type of method to take against an initial exploit of the system from those they were on shoulders to fly higher and higher.
BassForever
Member
Sword Art 21 and 22
Christ this series just continues to enter uncomfortable territory, though I will admit the look on her face when he said "Asuna" was pretty priceless.
Christ this series just continues to enter uncomfortable territory, though I will admit the look on her face when he said "Asuna" was pretty priceless.
PoeticProse22
Member
Sword Art Online 22
This was the definitely the best episode in ALO and a noticeable improvement over the last few, but it remains quite inconsistent, devoid of much narrative substance or meaningful development within the story, instead relying on a tendency to infuse dramatic touches of forced, laughably unconvincing emotion into the narrative. As such, though littered with several enjoyable moments, this entire episode felt unnecessarily stretched, consistently lingering on singular developments or specific emotions for far too long, as though the story was plodding due to an attempt to artificially lengthen the narrative before it reaches it's conclusion.
Thankfully, the thoroughly contrived, monotonous focus on Suguha’s
hopes for a
with
has finally reached it’s glorious conclusion, culminating with a
moment that was easily the apex of this horrible waste of an attempt at characterization for
. As such, my favorite moment was, of course, the considerably predictable, but extremely satisfying scene, in which Suguha
and then hilariously
, highlighting, once again, the worthless, completely detrimental nature of her weak "character development". Of course, the thoroughly unlikable Suguha has to then
for her own idiocy, which leads to him actually
, which is altogether ridiculous, since all of this occurred because she was inexplicably unable to notice that
and, above all, she conveniently failed to remark upon
, which would have been the logical reaction, but I suppose those blinded by an
wouldn’t care to notice such trivial matters.
This episode essentially diminished Suguha into an even worse character, depicting the comprehensive purpose of her role in the story, without illuminating any particular reason for her forced existence in the narrative. There was an obvious desire to cast her in a
light throughout the episode, but she derived nothing of the sort, as she has consistently been, aside from Sugou, the weakest character of them all, rarely elevating beyond her one-dimensional characterization. Her
solely resulted in displaying the only element of worth for her character, since, aside from a brief instance in this episode, her inclusion in the narrative has been thoroughly pointless, wasted on repetitious moments of pandering fanservice and isolated introspection that always alludes to the
.
Rather than a needless prevalence of tedious, uninteresting diversions, this episode focused, for the most part, on
, which induced a sense of compelling, but fleeting cohesion in the narrative. As such, there was, at the very least, a modicum of tension throughout this episode, which, up until now, had been entirely absent from ALO. Though it effectively undercut the meaningful nature of the supposed developments within this episode, it was quite refreshing to actually see Kirito, upon
,
, however temporarily, from
. This episode also portrayed the strength of
quite well, which, though not exactly great, is far more engaging than Kirito and Suguha's perpetually dull dynamic.
The action sequence was great, especially notable in it's direction, which handled the choreography exceptionally well. There were several instances of mediocre animation and an unfortunate prevalence of ugly CGI, but nothing that particularly detracted from the actual fight. Musically, this episode was surprisingly solid, particularly the selection that excellently accompanied the beginning of the action sequence, which really complemented the suspenseful atmosphere.
All in all, Sword Art Online delivers a decent episode that was, thankfully, a rather slight and very temporary reprieve from the horribly contrived and absurd developments that have permeated this arc. As such, ALO has been comparatively terrible, thoroughly dragging an extremely thin narrative over far too many episodes, resulting in a plethora of unnecessary diversions and uninteresting melodrama. ALO also displays a lack of intriguing or likable characters, since Sugou, Suguha, and Recon are all worthless and awfully-written, far below SAO's worse, save for Silica. As such, Kirito and Asuna, for all the criticisms they regularly receive, are much better than those that inhabit this arc. I'm certainly not looking forward to the next episode, since, judging from the title and the expected material it will cover, it seems likely that there will be a heightened focus on
, which I'm hoping, rather foolishly, won't filtered into the majority of the episode, since it will inevitably cause the narrative to deteriorate into insufferable tedium once again.
This was the definitely the best episode in ALO and a noticeable improvement over the last few, but it remains quite inconsistent, devoid of much narrative substance or meaningful development within the story, instead relying on a tendency to infuse dramatic touches of forced, laughably unconvincing emotion into the narrative. As such, though littered with several enjoyable moments, this entire episode felt unnecessarily stretched, consistently lingering on singular developments or specific emotions for far too long, as though the story was plodding due to an attempt to artificially lengthen the narrative before it reaches it's conclusion.
Thankfully, the thoroughly contrived, monotonous focus on Suguha’s
“incestuous"
relationship
her “brother”
love-shattering
Suguha
realized Kirito's true identity
confessed her love for him
blame Kirito
apologizing for being nice to her
Kirito looked extremely similar to her brother
Yui’s numerous mentions of a “mama” in relation to Kirito as “papa”
unrequited love
This episode essentially diminished Suguha into an even worse character, depicting the comprehensive purpose of her role in the story, without illuminating any particular reason for her forced existence in the narrative. There was an obvious desire to cast her in a
sympathetic
"emotional" confession and subsequent heartbreak
love she hopelessly harbors for her brother
Rather than a needless prevalence of tedious, uninteresting diversions, this episode focused, for the most part, on
Kirito's attempts to rescue Asuna
fighting the guardians
fail
achieving his primary objective
Kirito's relationship with Asuna
The action sequence was great, especially notable in it's direction, which handled the choreography exceptionally well. There were several instances of mediocre animation and an unfortunate prevalence of ugly CGI, but nothing that particularly detracted from the actual fight. Musically, this episode was surprisingly solid, particularly the selection that excellently accompanied the beginning of the action sequence, which really complemented the suspenseful atmosphere.
All in all, Sword Art Online delivers a decent episode that was, thankfully, a rather slight and very temporary reprieve from the horribly contrived and absurd developments that have permeated this arc. As such, ALO has been comparatively terrible, thoroughly dragging an extremely thin narrative over far too many episodes, resulting in a plethora of unnecessary diversions and uninteresting melodrama. ALO also displays a lack of intriguing or likable characters, since Sugou, Suguha, and Recon are all worthless and awfully-written, far below SAO's worse, save for Silica. As such, Kirito and Asuna, for all the criticisms they regularly receive, are much better than those that inhabit this arc. I'm certainly not looking forward to the next episode, since, judging from the title and the expected material it will cover, it seems likely that there will be a heightened focus on
Kirito and Suguha's relationship
BassForever
Member
You're right, this episode really shows exactly what makes SAO good and terrible at the same time. It's sad because you can tell there is so much potential it's pretty depressing that almost none of it is realized.
Unknown Soldier
Member
I believe this season of the show will end when this arc in the LN ends.
Fortunately, the sales of the show have been more than sufficient to justify another series next year. I expect we'll be able to experience the further adventures of MMO Batman next year.
I'm guessing there won't be any blu rays of this, right? I'd love to see some of these scenes on my TV
Dedication Through Light
Member
? The anime has been releasing on blu ray in JPN, and has been licensed by Aniplex America for the us, guess blu rays of it will release late 2013, I guess.
ROBOKITTYZILLA
Member
Show redeemed! I hope they can keep this momentum going.
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