Support NeoGAF

[BassForever]

I can dig that, it's just for me the reveal wasn't nearly strong enough to justify doing it that way. For example a recent chapter of Attack on Titan had a reveal like that and it was a very strong one, it happened and everything just went to hell almost instantly as a result. Here sure they're stuck in there, but they aren't in any immediate danger. If you're gonna do that kind of reveal I feel like you either have to go all in or not even bother.

But if they don't get to the next town all the exps will dry up!!!!!!!

I feel like I'm defending Sao lol, maybe I'm just so broken down on where the series goes that these early episodes just seem so much better by comparison.

I can't wait til we get to the part where Kirito ends up spending 2 episodes

Spoiler

fucking his Sao wife in their house in the woods and taking care of their Sao daughter

And for Sao virgins who read that spoiler yes, that really happens

 

[Moaradin]

Haha that's gonna be fun to watch.

I actually liked that part though despite how fucking weird it was. Was oddly relaxing.

 

[BassForever]

Also I can't wait to see how the attack on Titan anime handles that twist in general, not sure it'll work as well as it did in manga format.

 

[B-Dubs]

if you're gonna try to hook me on a series (which anime in general does a poor job of doing from the first episode, it seems to me), don't put it text that says a bunch of people died. SHOW SOMEBODY DIE.

YES! MY MAN! We are on the same wavelength!

I will say that there a bunch of anime that have really good first episodes, though they tend to be the classics that people love. Bebop, Big O, most of the Gundams, YYH, Gurren Laggan, that sort of thing.

Also I can't wait to see how the attack on Titan anime handles that twist in general, not sure it'll work as well as it did in manga format.

That'll be fun to see. I hope they can do it justice, it's one of my favorite reveals.

 

[slightconfuse]

Wow glad i stopes watching after 12 episodes

 

[BassForever]

Is the yyh anime episode one really that good? I would have dropped the manga had I not already known the direction it was eventually going to go because of how slow the first 20 chapters were.

 

[Dr.Palutena]

if you're gonna try to hook me on a series (which anime in general does a poor job of doing from the first episode, it seems to me), don't put it text that says a bunch of people died. SHOW SOMEBODY DIE.

I can agree with that, they didnt really do much to show the gravity of the situation, all they did was spout numbers and say a cheesy line .

 

[Moaradin]

Is the yyh anime episode one really that good? I would have dropped the manga had I not already known the direction it was eventually going to go because of how slow the first 20 chapters were.

It immediately establishes the premise of the show in a pretty good way.

 

[Gucci Messiah]

So I just discovered *you know what*. Dear Lord this is awesome, now I just need to find a way to stream this via my 360...

 

[B-Dubs]

Is the yyh anime episode one really that good? I would have dropped the manga had I not already known the direction it was eventually going to go because of how slow the first 20 chapters were.

It's sort of slow, but it builds up Yusuke so well that I tend to forgive it. Basically

Spoiler

he dies and spends the episode trying to figure out how he got into that mess.

It's not action packed or anything but it is very solid character work and really makes you care about everyone involved. You'll understand every character you meet and their motivations from just that episode, considering you meet about 5 or 6 people it does this fast and well. The anime cuts most of the stuff from the first 20 chapters fyi.

 

[BassForever]

That'll be fun to see. I hope they can do it justice, it's one of my favorite reveals.

It'll be weird for sub watches as I assume the :O dialogue will be on top of the screen while the foreground character main dialogue is at
The bottom. Might go by really fast and confuse people.

It immediately establishes the premise of the show in a pretty good way.

Does it show him fighting spirits? The first arc in the manga is yusuke derping around as a ghost trying to help people.

Edit: so they cut the derping crap good to know thanks b-dubs

 

[Gucci Messiah]

Yusuke doesn't start fighting demons for quite a while, the initial build up is slow

 

[SAB CA]

I can dig that, it's just for me the reveal wasn't nearly strong enough to justify doing it that way. For example a recent chapter of Attack on Titan had a reveal like that and it was a very strong one, it happened and everything just went to hell almost instantly as a result. Here sure they're stuck in there, but they aren't in any immediate danger. If you're gonna do that kind of reveal I feel like you either have to go all in or not even bother.

Immediate suicides that don't believe the initial message, PK'n going on to test the idea, seedy players instantly stalking after the chicks who actually remained hot after the Mirror incident... I really shudder to think of all the MMO+IRL appropriate stuff they COULD have crammed in there, in the first episode.

One disappointment (though I saw it coming due to the use of a certain gif a lot) was the mirror thing, as I think someone said last night, it would have been interesting to see what people do stuck in a world as a persona different from their offline one, but I guess that's been done (and probably wouldn't have been executed all too well anyways) . Either way I'll wait and see how it goes.

I actually like the mirror bit. It sends home the message "THIS IS THE REAL YOU, NOW!" well, and I like the idea that many people who designed their characters countrary to their real selves now have to face the idea of being what they dream of, or falling back into who they used to be, while given the chance to be someone else.

if you're gonna try to hook me on a series (which anime in general does a poor job of doing from the first episode, it seems to me), don't put it text that says a bunch of people died. SHOW SOMEBODY DIE.

I didn't mind that. "A lot happens to these people in a small amount of time. FIND OUT THE REALITIES OF THIS NEXT WEEK!" isn't too bad. Now if we don't get introduced to the idea of game mortality = real in Epi 2, then I'll be a little bummed.

And for Sao virgins who read that spoiler yes, that really happens

That actually sounds interesting, in a "what would young / desperate people cut off from the real world, given fantasy bodies, actually do" style way.

Somehow, this makes me wonder how the plot of SAO would work, if instead the game were something like Love Plus, lol. Desperate Otaku, meet Dating Sim! Semi-Innocent love game, meet an "M" rated player.

The disappointment when the player finds out his Digital Love has less-than Barbie doll-style nudity...

 

[Unspeakable Evil]

Guns don't kill people , but spirit guns can kill demons.

 

[foxuzamaki]

It'll be weird for sub watches as I assume the :O dialogue will be on top of the screen while the foreground character main dialogue is at
The bottom. Might go by really fast and confuse people.



Does it show him fighting spirits? The first arc in the manga is yusuke derping around as a ghost trying to help people.

Edit: so they cut the derping crap good to know thanks b-dubs

The selling point of yu yu hakasho was that the main character died, which was a new thing back then"the main character....died?!" Akira did the same thing for the start of dragonballz, it grabs people and wondering what they would do for killing off the main reason for the show

 

[Unspeakable Evil]

504 getaway timeout......I'm dead.

 

[Moaradin]

Immediate suicides that don't believe the initial message, PK'n going on to test the idea, seedy players instantly stalking after the chicks who actually remained hot after the Mirror incident... I really shudder to think of all the MMO+IRL appropriate stuff they COULD have crammed in there, in the first episode.

All these things are brought up throughout the series. I think SOA established the world pretty well. Give it some time.

 

[foxuzamaki]

I wonder if something happened on gaming side

 

[SAB CA]

I will say that there a bunch of anime that have really good first episodes, though they tend to be the classics that people love. Bebop, Big O, most of the Gundams, YYH, Gurren Laggan, that sort of thing.

I loved Bebop's first episode on it's own, but I never liked it as a start to the series, back in the day. I thought Red Eye was some super powerful thing that'd show up throughout the whole series, and that never really happened... I was sad Azimov's girl was killed off so swiftly, and it really said nothing of the series itself to me, within that first DVD of episodes.

Bebop proved it's initial episodes to me, by how many parallels they contained to later ideals and situations. Hopefully, maybe SAO can re-prove itself by all the "hey, I remember you!" situations it'll bring about...

All these things are brought up throughout the series. I think SOA established the world pretty well. Give it some time.

Oh, I'm easily patient with anime now-a-days, lol. Heck, I enjoy IGPX pacing, and I think I'm one of 3 people that think that way, lol. Just thinking about what COULD have been...

-----

Random Note: I've been watching Korean Drama's lately, and I wish Anime was as regularly edge-of-the-seat as many of them are. They'll kill anyone, reveals are actually really strong, very little "filler" moments of any style, and Endings aren't afraid of being anti-storybook happy at ALL.

Totally a nice palette-cleanser after watching slow-to-build, every-reveal-takes-4 episodes of anime left-and-right.

 

[The Frankman]

if you're gonna try to hook me on a series (which anime in general does a poor job of doing from the first episode, it seems to me), don't put it text that says a bunch of people died. SHOW SOMEBODY DIE.

YES THIS DAMMIT! This is what was missing yesterday!!!!

 

[B-Dubs]

The selling point of yu yu hakasho was that the main character died, which was a new thing back then"the main character....died?!" Akira did the same thing for the start of dragonballz, it grabs people and wondering what they would do for killing off the main reason for the show

Yea, it was a pretty new thing back then. It probably doesn't hold up as well today. That said Level E, another work by Togashi, absolutely holds up. Though you have to get to episode 3 to really understand what's going on with that show. Something like that will never age, mostly due to the balls it takes to actually do something like that.

 

[mhs004]

I passed out right before the big o started. Knew it was coming so I DVRd it.

 

[Dr.Palutena]

.

I go months forgetting about that , I should give it a look a bit while I'm still on summer break.

 

[B-Dubs]

I go months forgetting about that site , I should give it a look a bit while I'm still on summer break.

The fullscreen button doesn't work as well as it used to, that said it's fun to tune into while playing videogames.

EDIT: Oooh, Superman: TAS followed by Batman: TAS. I'm in.

 

[The Frankman]

I would not mention that site at all. I was once banned for telling a guy to search for the site.

 

[Gucci Messiah]

I don't see what the problem is as long as we don't post a link

EDIT: Edited anyway just to be safe

 

[B-Dubs]

I don't see what the problem is as long as we don't post a link

The mods can be really strict about that sort of thing, depending on who catches you. Pray to god it's not the Blood God. I'd rather not see you sacrificed on an altar.

 

[Schadenfreude]

But if they don't get to the next town all the exps will dry up!!!!!!!

I feel like I'm defending Sao lol, maybe I'm just so broken down on where the series goes that these early episodes just seem so much better by comparison.

I can't wait til we get to the part where Kirito ends up spending 2 episodes

Spoiler

fucking his Sao wife in their house in the woods and taking care of their Sao daughter

And for Sao virgins who read that spoiler yes, that really happens

Wha?

 

[Gucci Messiah]

Wha?

It gets weirder. Much weirder.

 

[B.K.]

I liked Sword Art Online a lot more when it was called .hack//SIGN.

 

[B-Dubs]

I liked Sword Art Online a lot more when it was called .hack//SIGN.

I liked it better when it was Tron

 

[Doctor Decimate]

It gets weirder. Much weirder.

Toonami, what have you done?

 

[foxuzamaki]

Wha?

Yes I'm guessing your referring to the spoiler

Spoiler

they basically decide that instead of going through all the bullshit of rfisking their lives to get out of the game, that they should just make the best of it, there are people who decided to just settle down so they figured it would be a good idea, also the marriage system in the game allows them to get married and they do fuck, apparently in the light novel they actually show the sex scenes in detail

 

[BassForever]

So people who've seen both fma and fma:b my brother wants to watch the series I told him about the differences and he said "well how far into fma should I watch before I switch to brotherhood" and I had no answer for him. What is that number so he can get the full manga experience without reading the manga.

 

[Moaradin]

So people who've seen both fma and fma:b my brother wants to watch the series I told him about the differences and he said "well how far into fma should I watch before I switch to brotherhood" and I had no answer for him. What is that number so he can get the full manga experience without reading the manga.

Tell him to watch both. They are both so different.

 

[B-Dubs]

Yes I'm guessing your referring to the spoiler

Spoiler

they basically decide that instead of going through all the bullshit of rfisking their lives to get out of the game, that they should just make the best of it, there are people who decided to just settle down so they figured it would be a good idea, also the marriage system in the game allows them to get married and they do fuck, apparently in the light novel they actually show the sex scenes in detail

Well that explains the popularity

 

[B.K.]

I liked it better when it was Tron

Never seen Tron before.

What is that number so he can get the full manga experience without reading the manga.

That's imposible. They cut a lot of material from Brotherhood. The only way to get the FULL manga experience is to read the manga.

 

[foxuzamaki]

So people who've seen both fma and fma:b my brother wants to watch the series I told him about the differences and he said "well how far into fma should I watch before I switch to brotherhood" and I had no answer for him. What is that number so he can get the full manga experience without reading the manga.

As a person who has seen both that is a difficult question, it sorta a lot slower to get to parts that's covered in brotherhood and there's a lot of things subtley changed so they fit into the filler, all ill say is its fine to watch both of them, its because of how good FMA is that they gave it a remakee proper

 

[BassForever]

He wants to watch up this weekend so he can watch toonami with me when I move home. He's planning to knock out naruto, soul eater, and fma by the end of the week

 

[MetatronM]

SAO feels like a show that was written by a 12 year old. Someone who would understand the mechanics of a game pretty well but who would be utterly unable to understand how a game works in the context of the real world.

Who is the government agency that approved the sale of this fucking brain microwave device?
Why hasn't the game creator already been arrested?
Speaking of, ONE GUY created all the assets for this game AND built the hardware AND handled all aspects of its production, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and release?
And, for that matter, where the fuck was this thing made? Why weren't "leaked images" of the fucking brain microwave from some Chinese factory all over the net months before release?
Who is running these servers? This would have to be a gigantic operation.
A giant cloaked being that formed out of blood tells you he's trying to microwave your brain to death at every chance he can, then he tells you he gave you a present and wants you to open it...and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU DO IT?! What the fuck is wrong with you people?
You can't unplug the game and save people because "the helmet has a battery." What the hell is this battery made of, uranium? How long could it possibly last?!

And that's not even all the issues that popped up just in episode one.

I get the feeling this is going to be one long stupid ride.

 

[Moaradin]

SOA isn't well written by any means but a lot of that sounds like nitpicking. A suspension of disbelief is always needed for these anime.

 

[Amikami]

But if they don't get to the next town all the exps will dry up!!!!!!!

I feel like I'm defending Sao lol, maybe I'm just so broken down on where the series goes that these early episodes just seem so much better by comparison.

I can't wait til we get to the part where Kirito ends up spending 2 episodes

Spoiler

fucking his Sao wife in their house in the woods and taking care of their Sao daughter

And for Sao virgins who read that spoiler yes, that really happens

Whhaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Oh boy! This show is going to be a nice watch with gaf if nothing else.

 

[Unspeakable Evil]

SAO feels like a show that was written by a 12 year old. Someone who would understand the mechanics of a game pretty well but who would be utterly unable to understand how a game works in the context of the real world.

Who is the government agency that approved the sale of this fucking brain microwave device?
Why hasn't the game creator already been arrested?
Speaking of, ONE GUY created all the assets for this game AND built the hardware AND handled all aspects of its production, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and release?
And, for that matter, where the fuck was this thing made? Why weren't "leaked images" of the fucking brain microwave from some Chinese factory all over the net months before release?
Who is running these servers? This would have to be a gigantic operation.
A giant cloaked being that formed out of blood tells you he's trying to microwave your brain to death at every chance he can, then he tells you he gave you a present and wants you to open it...and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU DO IT?! What the fuck is wrong with you people?
You can't unplug the game and save people because "the helmet has a battery." What the hell is this battery made of, uranium? How long could it possibly last?!

And that's not even all the issues that popped up just in episode one.

I get the feeling this is going to be one long stupid ride.

You might be overthinking this.

 

[B-Dubs]

SOA isn't well written by any means but a lot of that sounds like nitpicking. A suspension of disbelief is always needed for these anime.

That's true, but we could have gotten into this scenario while avoiding these questions.

 

[kayos90]

SAO feels like a show that was written by a 12 year old. Someone who would understand the mechanics of a game pretty well but who would be utterly unable to understand how a game works in the context of the real world.

Who is the government agency that approved the sale of this fucking brain microwave device?
Why hasn't the game creator already been arrested?
Speaking of, ONE GUY created all the assets for this game AND built the hardware AND handled all aspects of its production, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and release?
And, for that matter, where the fuck was this thing made? Why weren't "leaked images" of the fucking brain microwave from some Chinese factory all over the net months before release?
Who is running these servers? This would have to be a gigantic operation.
A giant cloaked being that formed out of blood tells you he's trying to microwave your brain to death at every chance he can, then he tells you he gave you a present and wants you to open it...and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU DO IT?! What the fuck is wrong with you people?
You can't unplug the game and save people because "the helmet has a battery." What the hell is this battery made of, uranium? How long could it possibly last?!

And that's not even all the issues that popped up just in episode one.

I get the feeling this is going to be one long stupid ride.

I feel like you're wayyyyy overthinking it.

 

[MetatronM]

You might be over thinking this.

This seems like an extremely basic level of thinking.

Over-thinking would be what kind of shitty game design makes it possible to go a month without anyone out of thousands of day 1 hardcore mode players making it past level 1?

Actually, no, that's a pretty basic level of thinking too.

 

[kayos90]

This seems like an extremely basic level of thinking.

Over-thinking would be what kind of shitty game design makes it possible to go a month without anyone out of thousands of day 1 hardcore mode players making it past level 1?

Actually, no, that's a pretty basic level of thinking too.

While all of those questions are justifiable questions did you really expect all of them to be answered in the first episode?

 

[Schadenfreude]

Yes I'm guessing your referring to the spoiler

Spoiler

they basically decide that instead of going through all the bullshit of rfisking their lives to get out of the game, that they should just make the best of it, there are people who decided to just settle down so they figured it would be a good idea, also the marriage system in the game allows them to get married and they do fuck, apparently in the light novel they actually show the sex scenes in detail

That is....that is something alright.

SOA isn't well written by any means but a lot of that sounds like nitpicking. A suspension of disbelief is always needed for these anime.

Was never gonna happen on GAF. Nitpicking video games is our thing.

 

[Unspeakable Evil]

I wonder what happens when SAO servers crash.
Pretty sure EA is publishing it .

 

[MetatronM]

While all of those questions are justifiable questions did you really expect all of them to be answered in the first episode?

Not necessarily, but nothing in the first episode gave me confidence that they will be answered. I could see one or two being addressed, like the battery issue and who else is running this game, for example, but for most there's no way.

And really, I can't get over every single person doing exactly what the crazy mass-murderer says. That's really the most telling one of the bunch. I mean, I'm sometimes wary of using items with dubious descriptions in games that AREN'T trying to kill me.