RJ Writing Ink

Sword Art Online: Alicization-War of Underworld Episode 47 Review/Recap

Well, everyone, I did what I set out to do. I said that I was going to review every episode of Sword Art Online: Alicization, and managed to do just that. Was the season as good as I hoped it would be? At times, it was. But it had its fair share of moments that made us cringe. And pacing problems, to be sure. But for all its faults, I think that the Alicization arc manages to stick the landing with an emotional epilogue.

LINK START!!

Recap

The morning after he finally comes home, Kirito gets a call from Rinko, who says that Alice has run off somewhere! Just when he’s about to go search for her, though, he gets a box delivery. And guess who’s inside it?

Alice missed Kirito so much that she snuck out via the mail service. After getting herself situated, Alice then berates Kirito for not telling her he could be stuck in Underworld for good. She would have stayed behind to help him if that was the case, which is why Kirito didn’t tell her. She’s the hope for Underworld’s future. After talking things out, Alice gets to stay at the Kirigaya house for the rest of the day and bonds with Suguha and Kirito’s parents. Later that night, though, Alice wakes Kirito up and tells he she got a mysterious message through the Internet.

It takes while, but with Yui’s help, the two figure out that the message is giving them an IP address. One that will allow them to log back into Underworld! The three then call Asuna and head to RATH’s Office, where Rinko confirms that the address works. Thus, Kirito, Asuna, and Alice don’t hesitate to log in. And it turns out, the Underworld has been busy!

In the time since Alice left, the people of Underworld have developed space travel, and the Integrity Knights fly in starfighters and protect the planet from monsters in this big, sci-fi, Gundam world. As fate would have it, two Integrity Pilots, descendants of Ronye and Tiese, are locked in combat with a giant monster. The trio use their swordskills to make short work of it, though, letting the Underworld know that its heroes have returned at last.

Review

I won’t lie to you: I legit had tears welling up in my eyes as the episode came to an end. This wasn’t just the end to the longest arc in SAO. In Reki Kawahara’s original web novels, this marked the end to Sword Art Online. And it was going to stay that way for a long time, until Kawahara decided to give it a new ending with the ongoing Unital Ring arc. It may take years for that to get an anime adaptation, though, so there’s no telling if I’ll cover it. In the more immediate future, though, the series is getting a spin-off.

According to source on the Internet, SAO: Progressive is a soft reboot of the Aincrad Arc, one that sees Kirito and Asuna clear the game at a much slower pace. I admit, it will be nice to see the cast in their early days again, as Aincrad was one of the best arcs in the series.

As for how SAO: Alicization ended: I’d say it did pretty good, but that it’s not as exciting as it could have been. You can’t win them all, though, and I’m just glad that we got to see the anime version of this story. Getting my hands on the Light Novels was so hard! It’s too bad it’s over, though: that last scene of them all in space had me hooked!

I Give “New World” a 3.5/5. Good Ending, ’nuff said.

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Sword Art Online: Alicization– War of Underworld Episode 46 Review/Recap

So, it turns out that I was wrong about episode count for Aliczation. There are only 47 episodes, not 48. In other words, next week’s episode is going to be the finale for the season. And unless they adapt that Unital Ring Arc, the end of Sword Art Online. Thus, these last two episodes are an epilogue to welcome Alice to the real world. And, we see the Black Swordman come home at last.

Honestly, I feel like they could have released this and the final episode as one, but it’s the people in Japan’s call.

LINK START!

Recap

With Alice safe protected from those who would use her (*cough*America*cough*), RATH stuns the world by revealing her existence. As expected, people are skeptical and have a lot of questions about Alice: is she really human? Should AI’s have human rights? And the classic: what’s to stop them from trying to wipe out humanity. At a public press conference, Rinko and Alice handle these questions very well. In particular, Alice seems to win over a lot of people with her sincerity and personality. However, she prematurely leaves the conference. The reason? Kirito and Asuna have awoken. Their first action is to have RATH erase their memories of their two centuries in Underworld.

The two were very busy in Underworld. After the defeat of Gabriel, they reunited with everyone and returned to the Human Empire. Firstly, though, they brought peace between the Human Empire and Dark Territory. After that, they wound up getting crowned King and Queen of Underworld and ruled it until they awoke.

The real question now, though, is what will happen to Underworld? Kirito and the others realize that if nothing’s done, RATH will be dissolved, Alice seized, and the Underworld shut down. However, plans are already in place by two people. The first is Mr. Kiku, who faked his death so RATH’s enemies in the government can’t hide the incident. The second is an AI copy of Kirito made by Higu before the memory wipe.

Thus, Kirito can return home at last, reflect on his adventures, and mourn the loss of Eugeo once more.

Review

Well, it looks like the Light Novel did a much better job with the epilogue than the anime did. It’s not that the anime isn’t bad here; it’s just the Light Novel version was able to convey more emotion; that, and details. There are a lot of details we learn about in the Light Novel that’s only touched upon in the anime. Here’s the basics.

• Kirito and Asuna returned to their friends and made peace with the Dark Territory, bringing the war to an end.
• The people of the Dark Territory went home to rebuild, with the Human Empire agreeing to let them come and go as they please.
• Kirito and Asuna returned to the capital and got rid of the Axiom Church and Nobility, so that there wouldn’t be another Quinella.
• They opened the Integrity Knights to volunteers. No more brainwashing.
• They ruled as King and Queen of Underworld.

That’s a lot of important details that got glossed over by the anime. I understand the need to save time, but it’s still frustrating. Especially since it involves fixing the issues that led to the conflict in the first half of the arc, courtesy of Quinella.

Speaking of that hag, one of the reporters was right to worry about AI trying to destroy humanity. We saw them turn out good, like Alice, or evil, like Quinella. If Quinella was the one who made it to the real world, she’d want to conquer it. The lesson here is that if we ever create an AI on the level of Alice in the real world, we need to make sure they have a moral compass.

Philosophy aside, I think that people will grow to accept Alice and the residents of Underworld, as Kiku, Rinko, and Kirito hope.

Heck of An Interesting Future

Considering that Alicization is the final chapter to Kawahara’s original story, It’s almost sad to see the anime potentially end here. I think that there are more stories to tell about Alice and the Artificial Fluctlights. But at the same time, it feels like Sword Art Online has grown far past its original concept. Remember: players trapped in a VR game where if they die, they die in real life? That seems so long ago!

Overall, I think that while this penultimate episode helped to wrap things up, I don’t think that it was as good as it could have been. So many details wound up getting glossed over, it hurts to see. Still, at least the show’s trying to stick the landing.

I Give “Alice” a 2.5/5. Not enough emotional weight.

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Sword Art Online: Alicization-War of Underworld Episode 44 Review/Recap

You know what I hate? When something that we’ve been building up to for a lengthy period of time ends up falling flat on its face. Since the second half of SAO Alicization began, I’ve been waiting for three moments: for Asuna to show up, for Kirito to wake up, and for Kirito to fight Gabriel. Now, we’ve reached the third and final moment on that list. And while it was visually spectacular, I think that it could have gone on another episode.

Oh, well. LINK START!

Recap

After saving Alice from being captured by Gabriel (and reverting her dragons into eggs), Kirito turns to face down Gabriel. This way, Alice and Asuna can have enough time to make it to the World’s End Altar and escape to the real world. Thus, the final battle begins.

An epic battle ensues in the skies above Underworld as the two warriors clash. Somehow, the darkness in Gabriel becomes so great, it devolves him into a demonic entity of darkness. Meanwhile, Kirito throws everything he has at Gabriel, but it’s not enough. Determined to win and return to his friends and loved ones, Kirito pushes himself to even further levels of power. Drawing on the thoughts of everyone in Underworld, the true power of the Night-Sky Sword is revealed. And with a mighty charge and help from Eugeo’s spirit, Kirito manages to obliterate Gabriel once and for all. As for the girls, they reach the Altar, and Alice is whisked away to the real world. At that moment, though, the maximum acceleration begins. As a result, all the remaining players are logged out.

Kirito remains trapped in Underworld for the next two centuries, and breaks down in tears, thinking that he’ll never see his friends again. Only, he’s not alone. Asuna appears before him, revealing that she chose to stay behind.

Review

I had mixed feelings about this episode. On the one hand, I feel like I should have known that the final battle would be done in a single episode. That’s more or less what’s happened in the anime’s run. And I will admit, while the fight was taking place, it had some of the best visuals the anime’s ever done. On the other, I can’t help but feel a little let down by how Kirito was able to defeat Gabriel so soon. Or maybe I just got myself too hyped for this fight in the end. Lesson learned I guess.

There is one scene, though, that I wish they had included in this episode. After Gabriel’s defeat, his spirit returns to the real world, only for the souls of his victims to drag him off to hell. As dark as that was, I would love to see it happen on the screen. I will say this, though: he looked very scary in his final, demonic form.

As for Kirito, I knew ahead of time that he was going to be trapped inside of Underworld, and that Asuna would choose to stay with him. After being separated for so long, that girl wasn’t going to let anything keep her away from her boyfriend. I won’t spoil anything from the novels, but don’t worry about them. They’ll make it out of Underworld in one piece.

With the climax of the story now over, we have three episodes to wrap the anime up. Odds are, we’ll see the end to the raid on RATH and follow Alice as she adjusts to our world in the process. It’s not exciting, but it has to be done.

I Give “Night-Sky Sword” A 3.5/5. Could Have Been Longer, But It’s Cool to Look At.

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Sword Art Online: Alicization- War of Underworld Episode 42 Review/Recap

Okay, I’ll admit it. At first, it was fun seeing Sword Art Online not revolve around Kirito. War of Underworld gave the rest of the cast a chance to shine and grow as characters. But eventually, you’ve got to have your main hero take center-stage. Otherwise, the story’s going to get real dull. This week, though, our prayers are finally answered. Kirito the Black Swordsman not only makes his return, but we also see just how scarred he’s been by the events of the series.

No, seriously, that guy needs some therapy after this. He’s got some serious PTSD and Survivor’s Guilt.

LINK START!

Recap

In Underworld, PoH continues his sadistic killing spree, with his sheer malice corrupting almost all of the foreign players. As Asuna desperately tries to defeat him, PoH explains that the only reason he’s doing this is to wake Kirito up. Ever since he failed to kill him, PoH’s seen him as the incorruptible Batman to his Joker, and wants nothing more than to break him. Despite being at her limit, though, Asuna is spurred on by the memory of her friend Yuki. Gaining a second wind, Asuna unleashes her strongest attack, Mother’s Rosario, that comes close to defeating PoH.

Unfortunately, PoH’s weapon hasn’t the ability to get stronger when it attacks other players. As a result, it absorbs all the death that’s gone on around it, making PoH more powerful than ever, and leaving most of the foreign players under his thrall.

Inside Kirito’s mind, the young man relives every traumatic experience he’s had since he played SAO. From the deaths of the Moonlit Black Cats to Eugeo’s death, the pain nearly overwhelms him. Even with the support of Asuna, Sugu, and Sinon, he comes close to killing himself. However, a miracle occurs. A fragment of Eugeo’s fluctlight appears in his mind and reminds him that he’s not alone. He’s got the memories of those he lost in his heart, and so many left who are waiting for him. Remembering his will to fight, Kirito heals the damage done to his mind. As a result, he awakens from his coma, and uses Eugeo’s Secret Art to freeze all the enemy players save for PoH. PoH, he saves for himself to face.

PoH is so screwed.

Review

To paraphrase General Pepper from the Star Fox series, “It’s about time you showed up, Kirito! You’re the only hope for our world!” That was basically how I reacted when I finally saw Kirito stand up and fight after all this time. It can be fun to give the other heroes and secondary characters time in the spotlight, but there are threats that only the hero can defeat. That’s why they’re the hero.

Beautiful animation

Having said that, there are two things I think need to be discussed: the animation and what we saw in Kirito’s mind. The level of detail they put into the fight sequence between Asuna and PoH and Kirito’s return is high-tier levels of animation. The kind of things that anime fans drool about being able to see. I don’t exactly get why Asuna suddenly sprouted angel wings, but who cares? It looks awesome!

With the series so close to the end, I hope that the remaining episodes keep up this top-tier animation. It’s part of why I enjoyed SAO in the first place.

Kirito’s Mental Scars

The second noteworthy thing about this episode is how puts all the trauma Kirito’s gone through front and center. A lot of people tend to see him as this cool, level-headed guy who doesn’t let things faze him…on the outside. On the inside, we see just how badly his time in SAO messed him up.

First, there’s the memory of the Moonlit Black Cats’ death, and how he blames himself for keeping his level a secret. Then the fact that he had to kill three people, even if it was in self-defense. Everyone else may have forgiven him, but he hasn’t forgiven himself for it. Furthermore, it’s revealed that even after leaving SAO, he still felt guilty for killing other players in-game. Even if they didn’t die in real life or if they deserved it like Sugou and Death Gun. In other words, he never truly left the death game, and watching Eugeo die finally broke him mentally.

I just felt so bad seeing Kirito go through that, thinking that he didn’t deserve to live after everything. The worst part, though, is that this stuff happens to people in real life. Fortunately, Kirito had loved ones to remind him that he can forgive himself and move on. Not everyone has that fortune in real life.

The Real Fight Begins

Now that Kirito is back in the game, I think we know what’s going to happen to PoH and Gabriel. They are going to get their butts kicked all the way to hell where they belong. And with Kirito having reached a new level of power, it’s going to look amazing to watch. The Black Swordsman is about to join the fight!

I Give “Memories” a 4.5/5

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Sword Art Online: Alicization- War of Underworld Episode 40 Review/Recap

Griefers: a person who harasses or deliberately provokes other players or members in order to spoil their enjoyment. Why am I bringing this up, though? Because after seeing all the suffering PoH’s inflicted on the heroes over the course of the anime, I’d say he counts as one. As Asuna, Sinon, and the others try to hold off the foreign players, PoH’s griefing reaches new heights of jerkdom. Kirito, please come back and kick his butt.

LINK START!

Recap

All across the Underworld, chaos reigns. Sinon is all that stands between Gabriel and Alice. However, she’s horrorified to learn that Gabriel’s also Subtilizer, the sadistic player who beat her in the last Bullet of Bullets Tournament. Only now, he tries to use the STL to steal her soul. It nearly works, but thanks to a good luck charm she got from Kirito, Sinon’s able to snap out of it. And then she somehow brings in her sniper rifle, Hecate, to the game, ready to fight.

Back in the real world, the RATH employees realize what was already revealed to us: the guy that went with Higa, Mr. Yanai, is the traitor. He made the eye-code thing and sold them out for the Americans. Why did he do this, though? Three reasons: first, he used to worked for that slimeball Sugou and wanted to carry on his work. Secondly, he somehow managed to come into contact with that other slimeball, Quinella, and helped her mess with Underworld. Lastly, he wanted Kirito dead for killing Quinella, and was going to ensure that Higa didn’t succeed.

Elsewhere, the Japanese and Underworlders are reduced to a handful of people. Leafa and Lillpin manage to show up and save Iskahn and his pugilists. That’s the only good thing, though. Meanwhile, the Sleeping Knights try to reason with the Korean/Chinese player, but PoH (being a griefer) keeps them all from listening. Overwhelmed, the surviving players and Underworlders are forced to surrender to PoH, who enjoys rubbing it in to Asuna. Then, just to hurt her even more, he finds Kirito and prepares to torture him in front of everyone.

Review

I don’t know which of the three slimeballs we see in this episode is the bigger pervert, sicko, or griefer here. First, we have the scene with Gabriel trying to suck out Sinon’s soul, which is very suggestive in nature. The way he puts his arms around her waist and moves in like he’s going to kiss her made my skin crawl.

Then we have Yanai, who we already met once all the way back in the Fairy Dance Arc. Right when Asuna was about to escape, he’s the one who caught her and proceeded to subject her to tentacle play. I think I repressed the memory of that scene, I was so disturbed.

Then, we have PoH, the biggest griefer and psycho in the series. As if he wasn’t already horrible enough, we learn that he sold out his own guild, Laughing Coffin. Just so he could watch the other players tear themselves apart and become killers! That’s messed up, and Kirito’s still nowhere near close to being awoken.

The good/bad news, though, is that there are only eight episodes left in the season. So, Kirito’s going to have to wake up in the next three or so episodes. And we need him now!!

That aside, I thought this episode was much better than the last one.

I Give “Code 871” a 3/5

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Sword Art Online: Alicization-War of Underworld Episode 39 Review/Recap

You know that moment in a story where you think things can’t worsen, and then they do? Well, I’m sad to say that SAO has officially reached that point, both in terms of the plot and the pacing. This episode sees hope begin to give way to despair as the boogeyman of SAO returns: PoH.

LINK START!

Recap

Sinon manages to find Alice mourning the death of her mentor Bercouli, and promptly curses herself for being too late. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Sinon has to tell Alice that Vecta’s still alive. He’ll likely log back in on another account and resume his hunt. As a result, Alice heads straight for the World’s End Altar, while Sinon stays behind to buy her time. Sure enough, Gabriel returns with his personal account. To Sinon’s horror, though, it’s that of the legendary GGO player, Subtilizer. The one that beat her in the last GGO tournament.

Meanwhile, Asuna and the others are dealing with their own nightmare. Just when it looks like the Japanese and Underworlders have the enemy on the ropes, a figure wearing a raincoat and carrying around a giant meat cleaver shows up. It’s someone that Asuna and Klein know all too well: PoH, leader of SAO’s murder guild Laughing Coffin. Worse, PoH brought more reinforcements from China and South Korea. Tens of thousands of players get duped into logging into Underworld and attack the heroes.

Oh, and RATH’s plan to connect Kirito to his friend’s fluctlights hits a snag when one of the people who went to do it turns out to be a traitor.

….. Kirito, if there was ever a moment for you to wake up and pull a “big hero moment,” now’s the time!

Review

I’m going to be completely honest with you guys: I thought that this episode was disjointed and all over the place. It kept leaping between at least four plot threads in less than twenty-four minutes. First was the meeting between Alice and Sinon and Gabriel’s return. Then we saw Iskahn and Sheyta, who I had largely lost interest in, and their fight. Then the story shifts to the perspective of some gamers from Korea and China who get duped by PoH into diving into Underworld. I know that stuff’s in the book, but I don’t think having all that will work in an anime.

I get why those players from the other countries were added: to give us an outsider perspective on this whole thing. But is that necessary in this anime? And for those who wonder why so many were quick to jump against the Japanese players, don’t be surprised. Eighty years later, and China and Korea’s still have a lot of animosity for Japan’s actions in World War II. 

The one good thing I liked about this episode was the reveal that Vassago was PoH. He’s been the closest thing the anime’s had to an overarching villain. PoH’s the boogeyman of SAO, and his followers have tried to kill Kirito and friends several times. As a result, it makes sense bringing him back for the final battle—a nice way to tie everything together.

The next episode should have a lot of exposition and pain for the heroes. I’m counting down until Kirito finally returns, though.

I Give “Instigation” a 2/5

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Sword Art Online: Alicization- War of Underworld Episode 38 Review/Recap

Okay, people, I will be the first to admit that I had mixed feelings about this episode. Which is not what I wanted to have, since I had been waiting for this moment since Asuna joined the war. On the one hand, this took the moment I waited for since the start of the anime and made it less cool than in my mind. On the other, they closed out with one of the best fights in Alicization, and one that showed us a pretty metal way to die.

LINK START!

Recap

As Asuna looks on, Klein appears in front of her to cut down some of the American players. Then, suddenly, Agil appears and takes out even more. One by one, all of Asuna and Kirito’s friends and allies begin to dive into Underworld. Lisbeth’s speech to the players of Alfheim Online managed to win over some of them. In total, 2,000 players converted their accounts, and Yui was able to send them into Underworld. The sight of all her friends coming to help brings tears to Asuna’s eyes. Her resolve strengthened, Asuna and her friends begin to push the Americans back, while Silica and Lisbeth help the Underworlders heal. The battle takes a new turn.

On the Ocean Turtle, the Project Alicization staff realize that the presence of all these players means that word of Underworld will become public, though they think its for the best. Now the people of Underworld can’t be used for war. Then Higa notices something about Kirito: whenever the people (girls) closest to him came into Underworld, his brain showed activity. This gives Higa an idea. If they connect his fluctlight to that of Asuna, Leafa, and Sinon, they can heal him.

In the Underworld, the clash between Bercouli and Vecta continues. Even though he’s fighting like crazy, he’s still outgunned. Desperate, Bercouli gambles on using his sword’s ability to manipulate time on one last attack. Vecta comes close to stopping him. However, thanks to a last minute save by Bercouli’s dragon, the Integrity Knight’s able to use his time abilities to attack Vecta’s past self. As a result, Vecta’s obliterated. Alice awakens not long afterwords, only to learn that the effort was too much for Bercouli. Her mentor and father figure died as a result. Still, a pretty metal way to die.

Review

Like I said at the start, I had mixed feelings about this episode. This was supposed to be the moment when the cavalry appears. In most big battle scenes, there’s a moment when the heroes get help when all hope’s lost. The Knights of the Vale in Game of Thrones, the portal scene in Avengers: Endgame. It’s a crowd-pleaser and necessary for impossible foes. That said, I was hoping the moment where all the friends Asuna and Kirito have made in the series would take up more time in the episode. This was the perfect moment for all the secondary characters to get a shining moment.

Instead, though, we wasted a third of the episode on more exposition that could have been summed up pretty easy: they’re gonna use the girls love for Kirito+anime logic+anime bs to save him.

What I did love, though, was the fight between Bercouli and Vecta. It was visually impressive, with some of the best animation in the series. In addition, the fact that Bercouli took out Vecta before dying was a cool thing to watch. Not to mention, I felt bad seeing Alice cry over her mentor’s death. Bercouli, though, has no regrets. He kept Alice safe, and Underworld can live on, along with Fanatio and their unborn child. Yeah, Fanatio’s pregnant with Bercouli’s kid. And killing a God-Emperor’s a metal way to die.

The fight’s not over yet, though. Gabriel’s diving back into Underworld with his personal account, and if Vassago’s who I think he is, the heroes are in big trouble. We need Kirito soon!

I Give “End to Eternity” a 2.8/5. Could have been better, but a good fight at the end.

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Sword Art Online: Alicization- War of Underworld Episode 37 Review/Recap

After seven long months of waiting, Sword Art Online: War of Underworld has returned at last. Thus, it’s time for me to finish what I started. I will review this series to the end, and it looks like that end is going to be epic. To recap where we left off: the bad guys tricked an army of American Players into logging in to Underworld. Asuna’s held them off with the Underworld residents, and then Sinon showed up to wipe the floor with them. However, none of that will matter if Gabriel gets Alice to the portal and out of Underworld. The real war of Underworld’s about to begin!

Been waiting to say this again: LINK START!

Recap

Thanks to the arrival of Sinon, the Underworld Army has been saved from being annhiliated by the Americans, with the two girls having a heartfelt reunion. Asuna gets Sinon up to speed on what’s happening, and Sinon leads the army to a series of ruins where they can hold out. Like Asuna, Sinon’s heartbroken at the sight of a catatonic Kirito, but it hardens her resolve to fight for Underworld. Since she can fly, though, Asuna has her go after Garbiel.

Meanwhile, Lilpilin, the Chief of the Orcs whose lover we saw be sacrificed for a spell, is mourning the loss of his comrades. Then, all of a sudden, Leafa drops in to Underworld. Sadly for her, while Lilpilin tries to understand why she’s not afraid of him, she gets captured by that hag Dee Eye Ell, who’s somehow still alive. When she tries draining the life from Leafa, though, Lili snaps and attacks her. It doesn’t do much damage, but it gives Leafa the opening to free herself and kill the hag.

Back with Bercouli, the leader of the Integrity manages to bring Gabriel to the ground near the portal. What follows is a clash of titans; one that, sadly, Bercouli is at a disadvantage, since Gabriel can absorb his incarnations. With Alice’s life on the line, though, Bercouli refuses to back down.

As for Asuna, she and the others are fighting well, but there are simply too many enemies to face, and they’re in danger of being overrun. At that moment, though, a bright light shines down. Before Asuna knows what’s happening, Klein appears and wastes the Americans. The cavalry is here!

Review

See, I told you that the War of Underworld was about to get good! The top Integrity Knight vs. the Emperor of Darkness. Sinon and Leafa have joined the fight using god-accounts. And top it all off, Klein and the others seem to have convinced their friends and allies to join the war. In other words, get ready for a war with all hands on deck.

Since this is (likely) going to be the last hurrah for SAO, I think it’s necessary for the show to end on as big a bang as possible. And nothing’s bigger than having all the secondary and recurring come together for one epic final battle. At least, that’s what I like. If you don’t, then I will not judge.

Seriously, though, I think that this is going to be worth the wait in the end.

I Give “The Great Underworld War” a 3.8/5

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I get pumped for the finale to Sword Art Online

I’ve been waiting for seven long months for this to happen. Sword Art Online: Alicization- War of Underworld is coming back!

I swore that I would see the entirety of Alicization through to the end all those months ago. I intend to keep that promise no matter what.

For those who need a recap after these long months, here’s where we stood back in December:

• Alice has been captured by Gabriel in his guise as Vector, God of the Dark Territory, and is being taken to this portal thing in the Dark Territory that will take them back to the real world.
• Gabriel’s tricked thousands of gamers from America into logging into Underworld. They think it’s just a beta. As an American and a Gamer, their ignorance fills me with shame.
• Asuna and Sinon have logged in using their own God Accounts and are helping the residents of Underworld hold off the Army of Idiots.
• The Human and Dark Territory armies are pretty much working together now.
• Kirito’s still in a coma.

Even though I’ll now have Amphibia and The Owl House to work on every Saturday, this won’t stop me. I will see SAO through to the end!

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Sword Art Online: Alicization- War of Underworld Episode 36 Review/Recap

So, apparently, Sword Art Online’s going on break for a few months. It’s reached the halfway point for this season, right when thing’s are about to get interesting. Thanks to that hacker whose name I forget, Gabriel has an army of ignorant gamers to fight for him in Underworld. Which is why its frustating to see them go on break for the season.

LINK START!

Recap

Having logged into Underworld thinking they’re in a beta game, the American players begin killing anything that moves, much to everyone’s horror. As a result of the slaughter and Vecta’s unwillingness to do anything, Iskahn begins to fight the Seal. In the end, his rage becomes so great that he rips his right eye out like a boss! He then forms a truce with the Integrity Knights in exchange for help saving his forces, which Asuna readily accepts

Fortunately, the American Players are like Stormtroopers: poorly trained and go down with little effort. As a result, the Knights plow through them. However, Alice gets separated from the others, and as a result, gets captured by Vecta/Gabriel. Thus, Bercouli takes off in pursuit, and most of the decoy force follows him in order to rescue Alice.

Back in the real world, that loser hacker sends another 20,000 American players to intercept the Human Empire forces. However, they’re then immediately intercept by Sinon. Using another super-account, Sinon dives into Underworld and uses her godlike powers to slaughter the players. Then, the first half of War of Underworld ends.

Review

I cannot believe that I have to wait until April to see how everything ends. I know how it turns out thanks to the Light Novels, but I was so looking forward to seeing the calvary arrive. We already know that almost all of Kirito’s friends are going to come and fight, with Asuna, Sinon, and Leafa leading the charge. However, reading about it and seeing it happen are two different things. In other words, it’s going to be an epic action moment and full of fan service.

As far as mid-season finale’s go, though, I think SAO chose the best possible moment to take a break. Everything’s starting to go crazy, past characters are coming in to help, and Alice is now in the hands of the evil Gabriel. It’s a good cliffhanger.

In addition to that, the show’s teased the return of an old enemy of Asuna and Kirito’s in the form of Vassago. If you haven’t figured out who he is, here’s a hint: it’s showtime.

Because of this break, my series for SAO’s on hiatus until April. When it does start up again, though, I will handle it with gusto. This is turning into one of the best arcs in SAO. Karandi, if you’re reading this, this would be a great time to get back into the show.

I Give “Ray of Light” a 3.7/5. Great Set-Up, still bummed about the break.

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