RJ Writing Ink

Sword Art Online: Alicization, Episode 3, Review/Recap

Hey, everyone, it’s me, J! Now that Kirito went through the introductory cutscenes, it’s time for him to start learning how to play the game. I know this isn’t actually a video game, but I wanted to stick with the “setup to a JRPG” I mentioned last time. Let us continue Sword Art Online: Alicization.

LINK, START!

Recap

As dawn begins to break, Kirito begins his second day in Underworld… at 5:30 in the morning. The nun introduced in the last episode, Selka, nearly has to tear the sheets off of him. He then wakes up to an image of his cousin/little sister, Suguha.

Kirito joins Eugeo as he continues with his (pointless) job of chopping the Gigas Cedar. Once he’s done with his morning work, Eugeo talks more about Alice, and reveals that Selka’s actually Alice’s little sister. Alice’s sacred task was to study the Sacred Arts, which are really the world’s system commands. The Underworlders just think they’re magic.

Alice was apparently a prodigy at the Sacred Arts, the best the village (Rulid Village). She even found a Sacred Art to stop a person’s life from decreasing. Eugeo then mentions the creators of the Taboo Index, the Axiom Church, located in Centoria.

Chop Down a Tree With A Sword

Suddenly, Kirito hits upon a bright idea of finding something stronger to chop down that stupid tree. Eugeo gets his most prized possession: the Blue Rose Sword. It was left behind by a famous hero after he slew a white dragon in a cave near the village; the same cave Kirito, Eugeo, and Alice went to in the first episode. A few years later, Eugeo went back and got it.

Kirito immediately tries to use the sword to chop the dumb tree down. He ends up flat on his back, but he was able to make a dent. If they want to use the sword right, they need to master it first. The problem is, they lack the authority to use it.

Simply put, System Authority’s like a level in Underworld. In order to wield the Blue Rose, Kirito and Eugeo need to raise their System Authority to match the sword.

That night, Kirito thinks over the Taboo Index and the Axiom Church. Right now, the Index’s the only thing keeping Eugeo from getting Kirito to Centoria. He then talks with Selka about Alice, and just how important she was to her and Eugeo.

Eugeo can’t stand the fact that Alice was taken away and he couldn’t do anything about it, which is why he seems so sad all the time. Kirito then tells Selka why Alice was taken by the Integrity Knight.

The next morning, Selka is nowhere to be found. Before they could figure it out, I knew what it meant: Selka had gone to the cave the three went. Thats when they find her being held by a group of Goblins. They’re quickly spotted, and the last thing we see is Eugeo paralyzed by fear.

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Review

Continuing with the whole “JRPG” thing from last episode, I would say that this episode would be the part where the player character (that’s Kirito) begins the tutorials and starts being able to move around and do what he wants. There’s still plenty of cutscenes, but they’re for the purpose of explaining the mechanics of the game; in this case, Underworld. After basic movement’s done, they move on to the combat tutorial, which is what the next episode will be about.

Speaking of combat, it may be because I’ve watched Goblin Slayer, but the design of the goblins in this show feels similiar. The main difference between the two is that the goblins in Underworld are more intelligent. They’re capable of speech and rationality, which makes even more dangerous. The fact that they’ve captured Selka is proof of that. Forgot to mention that part.

Once again, this series is progressing slowly and focus on exposition. I get that that’s important to a story, but leaning on it too much can cause it to suffer as a result. That’s bad. I just hope this show doesn’t do that as much.

I’d give this episode a passing grade of 3.5/5 stars. It passes, but barely.

Next episode, we should finally see some much-needed action. I’m looking forward to it: the fights in Sword Art Online are usually very entertaining.

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Sword Art Online: Alicization, Episode 1 Review/Recap

As I established last blog, I like Sword Art Online. If you don’t agree with me, you’re welcome to say so. Free Speech is a two-way street. That said, I am moving forward with my plan to review each and every episode of Sword Art Online: Alicization as the dub becomes available. I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum for those who haven’t watched it. Also, I know the entire plot from the light novels, so I may know things that the anime-only fans may not.

Part 1 Recap

The first half of the one-hour premiere starts off with a younger looking Kirito inexplicably in a medieval fantasy world, Underworld, with not mention how he got there or the outside world. He spends his days hanging out with his two best friends in this world, Eugeo and Alice. One day after they finish working, they decide to go on an adventure that ends up taking them close to the edge of Human Territory, and Alice accidentally, barely, touches the soil of the Dark Territory, where humans are forbidden to go.

The next day, one of the holy knights, called Integrity Knight, comes and tells their village that since she broke the rule, she is to be arrested and then probably executed. For breaking a dumb rule. Kirito tries to stop the knight from taking Alice away, but no one else helps him.

Okay, confession time: I didn’t watch this through because A.) I knew what happened beforehand, and B.) the whole angers me beyond belief. Sounds dumb, I know, but I want to explain.

The “no touching Dark Territory” rule is part of a larger set of rules called the Taboo Index that everyone has to follow. Not because they want to or choose to, but because they have literally no other choice. If they even think of defying the Taboo Index, their eye will turn red, and the Taboo Index will try to stop them from breaking the rules. Like with Eugeo:

Look at him. He’s got that “deer in headlights” thing going on, and he can’t do anything about it even if he knows its wrong. Anyone who breaks the Index anyway will meet Alice’s fate.

Maybe it’s from years of reading up on history or watching too many films about fighting against oppressive groups, but the Taboo Index is a concept that I hate with every fiber of my being. It’s basically saying “follow these rules, or die”. Do you know how many people were unfairly treated throughout history because of that mindset? Too many to count! Thus, it offends me on every level possible.

Okay, rant over. Back to the show. Kirito then wakes up in a machine somewhere in a cold sweat, with no memory of what has happened. Which leads us into Part 2

Part 2

The setting shifts to GGO, where Kirito and his friends are fighting against a mysterious group of players that have been appearing recently and only seek to hunt other players. They get their butts kicked by the group, so the mystery guys retreat at their orders of their commander, who says this is “practice” for some big mission they have coming up.

Like I said before, I know the Light Novels so I know what happens, and who these guys are. Not telling, though, since that would ruin the fun. I will say this, though: this was a nice way for them to make an early-bird cameo. Good job, animation people.

At the Dicey Cafe, Sinon, Kirito, and Asuna hang out and they agree to enter the next BoB tournament. Kirito also explains how he’s working for this company called RATH, and how what we saw in Part 1 was part of his work. He was diving into a new virtual world, the most advanced ever created, to help them develop their new tech. It’s all about learning about the secrets behind the human soul; it’ll make more sense as time goes on.

Kirito and Asuna walk home and start talking about their future plans. Kirito has decided to go to America see the advances in immersion technology, and Asuna decides she’ll go with him. Her exact words were “it doesn’t matter you (Kirito) go. As long as it’s with you, then I’ll be okay”.

This is why I like Kirito and Asuna so much as a couple, despite the flaws in the show at times. Their relationship is built on years of mutual trust and respect in each other; they’re partners and equals, both in-game and in real life. That’s the kind of relationship I’d want to have with people, especially someone I love.

Their romantic moment is ruined, though, when an old enemy from SAO/GGO shows up: Johnny Black, the last member of the murder guild, Laughing Coffin. He’s been on the run ever since the “Death Gun” Incident, but now he’s back for revenge against Kirito.

Before Kirito can do anything or Asuna can help, Black injects him with the drug Death Gun used to stop people’s hearts! The final scene of the episode is of Kirito lying on the ground as the drug begins to take affect.

Review

This is going to be the biggest arc in the franchise’s history. That’s not just because it’s important, either: at 9 light novels, it’s the longest arc in the series. Ergo, they had to start it off with a bang. For all intents and purposes, they managed to do that. The hour-long special manages to set up the premise and plot of the season fairly well and even throws in some foreshadowing for fans who know what to look for.

That said, I think the pacing could have gone better, especially in the first half. That’s one of the reasons why I blew through it: it was going too slow for me, and since I have made my hatred for the rules of the Underworld clear, I didn’t want to linger. I’m weird like that.

What I did like, though, was getting to hear all the voice actors again. I have made it no secret that I think Bryce Papenbrook and Cherami Leigh do a great job as the leads. It’s why I chose to wait to watch this season even though the subs are close to the halfway point of the arc. I wanted to hear their voices.

If this is any indication, then Sword Art Online: Alicization is going to meet my expectations, and I have some high expectations. I want to see the show improve on the source material and give fans the epic they deserve. The second half of the arc is going to be on a scale that you would see in Game of Thrones or Hollywood, so I want it to be good.

I give the first episode of Sword Art Online: Alicization a 4 out of 5 stars.

Pros

• Good voice acting
• Nice animation
• Nice foreshadowing of future plot points
• The new opening song is the best since the original

Cons

• Pacing’s a little off
• I hate the Taboo Index and everything about it

Side Observations

• Did anyone else think the app Asuna has to monitor Kirito’s health was a little creepy? Like Yandere creepy?
• There are references to “Alice in Wonderland” than I thought.
• Did you guys catch the remix of “Swordland” when Kirito and Asuna were fighting the PKers? That was awesome!

Check back next week for my review of episode 2!

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Why I Like SAO

I am about to say something that could destroy my blog and marginalize me within the community of fandom: I like Sword Art Online. In English Dub.

Put. The Pitchforks. DOWN. Let me explain myself.

I know a lot of people like to tear this anime to shreds and act like its the worst anime of all time. It has had its fair share of moments where it ended dropping the ball, whether its with the characters or the writing. Even so, I think that, when done right, Sword Art Online is an amazing franchise.

I had refrained from watching the new season thus far, but with the English dub of Sword Art Online: Alicization (try saying that five times fast) now airing on Toonami, I thought that now’s a good time to get into it. First, though, I wanted to talk about why I like SAO, and give my thoughts on what I hate about it.

Why I Love SAO

#1- The Premise

For as long as I can remember, I have been a gamer. Growing up, there were never that many kids in my neighborhood that I could or wanted to hang out with, and I wasn’t always motivated to play outside. So to pass the time after school, I’d play video games. Some of the best memories I have from my childhood were playing video games.

I don’t remember exactly when I was introduced to the concept of Virtual Reality, but I think it was a Season One episode from Fairly Odd Parents, “Power Mad”. Timmy wishes for the ultimate video game, but Cosmo and Wanda end up using most of the city’s power to make it. His friends Chester and AJ start playing it without him, but if they lose their lives in the game, they’ll die.

Oh my gosh, I just realized that that’s the same premise behind SAO. No wonder I like it so much! It also gave a glimpse into the idea of setting foot in a virtual world.

My interest in Virtual Reality has carried over into adulthood. I even wrote a research paper for my college on the possible applications of VR in education; specifically, teaching history. That led me to becoming very familiar with the history behind the technology and the concept that powers it, and everything about it is interesting.

Interesting Concept

Given the premise behind it, it makes sense many of the portrayals of Virtual Reality involve video games. VR may even be the next evolution in gaming, like SAO and Ready Player One say. The concept just appeals to my love for both technologies and fascinates me to my core. It’s why I like the show so much!

As I said before, the idea of the death game was not new to me; I had seen in The Fairly Odd Parents years before, but it remained a fascinating and terrifying concept. How would people really react if they found out a game they were playing became a battle of life and death? What they do to survive and get out? It leaves me on the edge of my seat just thinking about it!

#2- The Voice Actors

Kirito

I’ve never taken sides in the sub vs. dub debate of anime. Honestly, I like both; they both have their merits. I think it comes down to preference. In this case, I like the dub.

Choosing the right voice actors for characters in animation can make or break the show, and I think that Aniplex made some good choices for its two main characters.

For Kirito, we have him voiced by Bryce Papenbrook, who does the voice of Eren Jaeger in Attack on Titan. I don’t know much of his other work outside of this, but he does a good job as Kirito. He manages to bring out all of Kirito’s main qualities. From his cocky attitude in a battle to his incredibly strong will, Bryce brings out the best in the character. He even manages to tick me off when Kirito messes with his friends. Getting someone to feel genuine emotion is a sign of a good actor, in my opinion.

Asuna

Then for Asuna, we have Cherami Leigh. I had seen Cherami’s work a couple times before, most notably as Lucy Heartfilia in the dub for Fairy Tail. I don’t know what it is, but something about her voice just draws me in and makes me want to hear more of it. Lucy is the role I knew first as, but her work as Asuna is what solidified her as one of my favorite voice actresses. I enjoy hearing her voice on screen, no matter who she’s playing; and she’s played a lot.

Even the other main characters are played by noteworthy talent. Yui’s voiced by Stephanie Sheh, Sinon gets her voice from Michelle Ruff (given her role as Yoko, it’s not much of a change), and more. The cast is great! Except for Todd Haberkorn as Sugou. I love Todd too much to see him play as a scumbag villain.

#3- Fights and the Soundtrack

A show is only as good as its best scenes. Say what you will about the writing, but the fight scenes are monumentally dope. Case in point:

I get goosebumps every time I see that. Just listening to that music alone is enough to make me pumped for what’s to come!

The music used in a scene can dictate what emotions the audience will feel. Something sad will make us want to cry, while something exhilarating will make us feel pumped for what’s happening. SAO understands this quite well knows just what to play to match its action sequences. Look at the movie Ordinal Scale:

https://youtu.be/F1DXmmQJzww?t=64

The timing and pacing are perfect, the emotion is real. It has all the hallmarks of a great story!

What I Hate About SAO

#1- The Way they Treat Their Characters

One of the stumbling points in the franchise is how they treat some of the main characters at times. Case in point is Asuna herself. In the first half of Season One, she was this badass swordswoman who helped lead the charge in clearing SAO. She was good enough to fight evenly against Kirito. She wasn’t just another love interest, but someone who stand side by side with Kirito in battle and in life. It was perhaps inevitable that they became close friends, and then, lovers.

Then, came the Alfheim Arc. I hated this arc, but I will get to that later. The thing I hated most about it, though, was seeing Asuna sidelined as a character. She spent the entire arc trapped inside Alfheim Online as a prisoner of Sugou so he could marry her in real life. I hated seeing her like that, and I can’t even look at episode 24 without cringing in disgust. Thank god that didn’t break her at all.

Another, lesser example would be Kirito. People have criticized his character in the latter half of the Aincrad arc for being too perfect: he’s selfless, brave, loyal, and funny. The only complaint that I have, though, is the fact that he enjoys teasing his friends just to get a rise out of them. Especially girls. I find that part of him to be insufferable at times, but not enough to hate him.

#2- The Writing can Stink at Times

The first twelve episodes of the show were some of its best, but then, we got the Alfheim Arc. To be honest, I remember very little about this arc, because I was so focused on seeing Kirito do two things: rescue Asuna, and beat the snot out of Sugou. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’m glad I watched that season on Netflix. That way, I could binge through the whole thing and get to the end.

Then I sit through that cringe-inducing scene with Sugou torturing Asuna right in front of Kirito. That was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve seen a lot of horrible things in fiction! Thank god that this is never brought up in the story again. Nor do we ever see Sugou again, since he’s rotting in prison for the rest of his life.

The writing gets better, though, once Season Two comes around. A new villain, new location, new heroine that I really like. The Phantom Bullet Arc is my second favorite part of the series behind the original arc. It shows that the creator of the series, Reki Kawahara, was making an honest effort to undo the mistakes he made. For some, though, the damage was already done. I think the hate for the Alfheim Arc is what led to people hating on the show as a whole.

I Still Like It.

So Sword Art Online is not a perfect anime, but there really is no such thing as a perfect anime, is there? I understand why people can hate the show: it has an amazing premise, and it can fail to deliver on it at times. In my opinion, though, when it does deliver on it, it is one of the best anime I have ever seen. I like SAO and I’m not afraid to say so.

Besides, the best part of the entire franchise is being adapted into anime form: Alicization. more than fifty episodes split up between four parts over the course of a year, fans are going to be in for a wild ride. I know I’m late to do it, but since Toonami has started airing the dub, I feel it’s time for me to throw my sword into the fray. I’m going to be reviewing every episode of Sword Art Online: Alicization, starting this week!

Check back in the next few days or so for updates as I work on publishing my review of the one-hour season premiere.

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