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Sword Art Online: Alicization, Episode 17 Review/Recap

Let’s go through this one more time. After getting arrested by the Axiom Church, Kirito and Eugeo escape and vow to take down the corrupt Axiom Church. After fighting through the Integrity Knights, the pair finally face their childhood friend, Alice, who the Church turned into their weapon. After a brief fight, Kirito and Alice are thrown from the Church to the outside. And that’s when we pick back up; should be interesting.

LINK START!

Recap

Kirito manages to save Alice and himself by digging his sword into the side of the Cathedral, even though Alice insists on letting her fall. After arguing for several minutes and calling each other idiots, Kirito convinces her to call a truce until they get back inside. Working together, they begin to climb up to the 95th, where they can get back in.

Back in the real world, Asuna and Rinko are eating breakfast when they notice that one of the Ocean Turtle’s escort ships is moving away. Something’s not right, but the SDF is not telling them.

In the Underworld, Kirito and Alice have made progess, but with the sun setting, they won’t be able to make it up any higher. That’s when they’re attacked by monsters. Somehow, winged creatures made with dark magic from the Dark Territory were able to roost on the Cathedral’s walls. It takes some teamwork (and more arguing) but Alice and Kirito beat them. Kirito even mildly impresses Alice with his sword skills.

As all this is going down, Eugeo continues up to the top of the Cathedral on his own, where he comes across a massive bath, and the one inside is the commander of the Integrity Knights, Bercouli.

Review

It may be because I watch too many slice-of-life anime, but I found the sight of Kirito and Alice yelling at each other funny. Those two are as stubborn as they come, and Kirito has a way of getting under a girl’s skin. And yet, they somehow end up falling for him; one of life’s mysteries, I guess.

At the same time, it’s weird to see the normally stoic Alice lose her cool because of Kirito’s antics. She’s acting like a classic tsundere.

While it may seem like it’s beating a dead horse, too, I enjoyed seeing Kirito break down Alice’s arguments about the Axiom Church. It may be because I’ve read a lot about this stuff in history books, but I have a deep hatred of people who abuse their power like this. And my opinion on religious groups who do that is even lower.

No matter what Alice may say, I’m going to say that what Kirito and Eugeo did was justified. Those two pieces of trash would have hurt their friends. It was unfortunate one of them had to die, but I didn’t mourn for them. Plenty of people would have done the same to protect their friends. I would have.

If the next episode ends up being as awesome as I have heard, then I think I will be in for a treat.

I Give “Truce” a 4/5

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Sword Art Online: Alicization Episode 16 Review/Recap

I was too busy dealing with the fact that Game of Thrones and Star vs. were over that I forgot to write my review for the last episode of SAO: Alicization. I have to admit, though, that this show’s now starting to get a bit repetitive. Still, I promised that I would do every episode, and I will keep it. Or my name isn’t Roderick J Fritz!

It’s not; that’s just a pen name. And until I say otherwise, that is what it will remain as.

LINK. START!

Recap

So after that cliffhanger ending last time, Kirito manages to unleash his ultimate attack and is able to beat Fanatio, but he doesn’t have the heart to let someone that good die because of the Axiom Church’s corruption. So he decides to use one of those four dagger things to save her, even though Eugeo thinks he’s crazy to do so.

And then, as if to reinforce that the Axiom Church is evil, Kirito and Eugeo hitch a ride on an elevator with an attendant whose calling has been to work the elevator. For centuries. She can’t even remember her name.

After that sad scene, we finally get to see the main event, as Kirito and Eugeo manage to make it to the floor where Alice is waiting for them. Another epic battle ensues, their teamwork.and while Kirito has a hard time keeping up with her and her OP sword, Eugeo and Kirito restrain her with their teamwork.

Just as they’re about to use another dagger on her, though, she breaks free, and then the wall breaks open, sending Kirito and Alice falling outside of the Church. Before Eugeo can do anything, the building regenerates, leaving him alone, without his two best friends.

Review

So, a couple of things. While I didn’t mind seeing that elevator woman, I thought that they wasted time on her just to establish something that we already know: the Axiom Church is evil and the “Sacred Task” thing is like slavery with extra steps. I wanted to see Kirito and Alice fight some more! Since Alice’s return, it felt like the plot was making the fight between Kirito, Eugeo, and Alice a huge deal. Instead, it lasted about two minutes. That’s lame!

And I know that Kirito and Alice aren’t dead. Even if they didn’t have plot armor, those two wouldn’t let falling out of a building kill them. The whole point is to get Alice separated and make her see that she’s being used as a tool by the Church.

If what my fellow blogger Karandi says is true, Eugeo is going to have one of the best fights of the season in the next few episodes, while Kirito and Alice are stuck with exposition dialogue. Not looking forward to that, unless they make it interesting somehow.

So, this episode was a bit of a letdown after what happened in the previous episode. I hoped the fights would get better, but they didn’t. Not giving up hope, though.

I Give “The Osmanthus Knight” a 3/5

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