RJ Writing Ink

Sword Art Online: Alicization Episode 21 Review/Recap

Twenty-one episodes in, and we finally get the fight that no one asked for, least of all me. Kirito’s forced to fight a brainwashed Eugeo, now the latest Integrity Knight. I stand by my assertion about the time it will take for Kirito to kick Eugeo’s butt.

LINK START!

Recap

The clash between the two friends continues as Kirito does his best to undo Quinella’s brainwashing. Try as he might, though, nothing seems to get through to him. At least, not until Kirito mentions the name of Alice. Then just like that, all his memories come flooding back to him. Quinella was in such a rush to turn him into an Integrity Knight that she didn’t seal off his memories. Instead of teaming up with his friends, though, he freezes them in place and goes to confront Quinella alone.

We all know how that ends, though. Eugeo tries to kill Quinella, only to fail miserably. Fortunately, Eugeo had already set Kirito and Alice free, and they bust in right behind a terrified Chudelkin. Face to face with the fake Pontifex, Alice declares that she will never serve Quinella; she serves the people. Rather than sully herself in battle, the hag commands Chudelkin to dispose of the three. In exchange, she “swears by the Goddess Stacia” that he may spend one night alone with her. Chudelkin then unleashes his most powerful fire magic, summoning a massive Genie to fight.

Review

What kind of fight did we watch? It’s bad enough that there was little to no build up of tension to it, but then have it end so quickly is pathetic. I knew that Kirito was going to snap Eugeo out of it with the magic of friendship, but I wanted to see them duke it out. It was a buzzkill in the end.

I also had some issues with how Eugeo and Alice acted during the episode. I fail to understand why Alice didn’t jump in and help Kirito fight Eugeo; that doesn’t make sense. Second, if Eugeo snapped out of his brainwashing, then why didn’t he come up with a plan with Kirito and Alice? They could’ve ganged up on Quinella and taken her out in one fell swoop. Instead, Eugeo went to fight someone he knew he couldn’t beat alone. If the Abridged Series ever gets to this, I hope they bring it up.

I Hate Quinella

Another problem I have is, once again, with Quinella. I hate how the anime is going out of its way to use her for fanservice shots. Seeing her naked’s This bad enough, but the close-ups on her boobs and legs are irritating. It veers into shameless fanservice.

The worst part of it is that we know that Quinella has no intention of keeping her promise to that groveling coward, Chudelkin. I could tell by the haughty laugh she gives: she expects him to die for her.

While this episode was my least favorite of the season, but it did have one saving grace: Eugeo calling Quinella out on her idea of what love is. I had done it before in a previous post, but hearing her repeat herself made me realize how pitiful she is. If that’s her idea of love, then I don’t think anyone ever loved her before, because she knows nothing about it. She’s hollower than any machine could ever be.

I look forward to seeing her get her comeuppance.

I Give “The 32nd Knight” a 2/5. Worst “Fight Btwn Best Friends” Ever.

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One Piece Chapter 946 Review/Recap

When last left off on One Piece, O-Lin, AKA Big Mom, broke into Udon Prison in search of oshiruko, leading her to go head to head with the Warden, Queen. We all know that Big Mom’s going to beat Queen, but I was still looking forward to it. It’s O-Lin vs Queen.

Recap

O-Lin vs Queen ends up being a one-sided fight, with Big Mom taking him down in only a few hits. In the midst of all this, she breaks Kid and Killer out of their water prison. Better yet, the door to Kawamatsu’s cell’s been ripped open. With the warden out cold, the guards try to call Kaido for help, but their snails won’t work.

As for why the snails won’t work, it’s because Caribou and Raizou came up with a plan earlier to smother the main transponder snail to stop them from calling for help. Now Raizou plans to free Kawamatsu from his cell.

As for Big Mom, she finds out that Luffy ate all the oshiruko and starts trying to beat him up since she wanted to share it with the people of Okobore Town. Luffy and Hyogoro almost get pushed out of the ring, but at the last second, Luffy removes their collars, freeing them. Surprised, Hyogoro decides to push Luffy’s training even further, ordering the pirate to protect him from Big Mom. He’ll put his life on the line to ensure that Luffy gets even stronger.

Review

Forget O-Lin vs Queen; the real fight’s about to begin very soon! I knew that Queen had no chance to defeat Big Mom, but I wanted to see how long he would last. I’m unimpressed, but I expected as much. Thanks to Big Mom, Luffy, Hyogoro, and their allies are now in a position to free everyone in Udon Prison. Thanks to Caribou, Kaido won’t know what’s happening until its too late.

I found myself surprised by Big Mom only wanting the Oshiruko to share with the townsfolk. Her amnesia has reverted her to the well-meaning kid she used to be. Let’s hope she stays that way if she gets her memory back.

The big surprise, though, was how easy it was for Luffy to get those collars off. He’s gotten stronger, but the real test comes with Big Mom. If he can put a dent on her, then Luffy may stand a chance against Kaido. Wano’s future depends on it. Can’t wait for the next chapter. Straw Hat vs. Big Mom!

I Give “O-Lin vs Queen” a 4/5. Good Build Up to the Real Fight.

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Favorite Mode of Transportation

In a world filled with Mutants, Inhumans, Gods and more, there are going to be a lot of cool ways to get from Point A to Point B. Some characters in Marvel are either born with or develop the ability to travel wherever they want. Others get to where they need to go using a conventional method like a vehicle. Of all the means of travel, there’s one I would want as my favorite mode of transportation.

The Sling Ring

As soon as I saw this in Doctor Strange, I thought to myself, “I wish I had one.” A mystical ring used by the Masters of the Mystic Arts, the Sling Ring’s simple but effective. By concentrating while using magic, a user can open a portal to any destination they desire. As shown in the MCU, the Rings can not only send a person anywhere in the world but even distant planets. Someone with enough skill can also use it to travel between dimensions.

As far as transportation methods go, I count the Sling Ring among the most useful in fiction. It could take me anywhere I wanted to go, and I want to go to a lot of places on Earth. Heck, I could use it to go to the International Space Station; check “go to space” off my bucket list. The point is, I could go anywhere without worrying out annoying things like finances or travel fees with this wonder. The Sling Ring’s my favorite mode of transportation in Marvel’s arsenal, and nothing can change my mind.

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