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Sword Art Online: Alicization- War of Underworld Episode 35 Review/Recap

Since the war for Underworld started, it’s been influenced by the actions of people from the real world. On one side is Gabriel and his flunky, and as of last episode, Asuna’s on the other side. However, the real world’s influence has been limited to these few people. Until this episode, that is. The villains take this conflict and turn it into the First Great VR War.

LINK START! And there’s a new intro!

Recap

As dawn breaks on the second day of the war, the Knights learn that the Dark Territory’s trying to cross the canyon Asuna made. Vecta ordered Iskahn to send his forces on ropes across the canyon, something the young man’s against. Yet he can’t do a thing to disobey the order; not even when the Integrity Knights and Asuna begin to cut the ropes.

What no one knows, though, is that Gabriel’s minion, Critter, upped the ante. He set the Underworld’s time-acceleration thing to match the real world. Then, he leaked Underworld as a bogus VRMMO beta to every gamer in the US, who proceed to log in, ignorant to the fact they’re about to wreck a world home to sentient AI’s. Fortunately, Yui figures out what’s going on, so she does the one thing she can do: send out a call to arms.

First, she alerts RATH of Critter’s meddling, and sends Sinon and Leafa to RATH so they can log in to Underworld. Next, she alerts the rest of Kirito’s allies and has them ask the players in ALO to help them. They can convert their accounts over into Underworld so they can fight the Americans. There’s just two problems: first, there’s pain limiter, so they’ll feel injury. Secondly, if they die in Underworld, they’ll lose their characters.

Review

As a gamer and an American, I just want to say this: I am so dissappointed that my fellow gamers are being used as pawns in a Great VR War. We look like such boneheads right now.

That said, I think there are some pros and cons to this episode. On the con side, I think that this whole idea of bringing in thousands of ignorant VR players seems like an unnecessary attempt to escalate things. It’s really cool, but it also seems like overkill on Kawahara’s part. Also, I didn’t need to hear another speech about how important the VR world is to the heroes and how they’ve made so many friends and memories in it. They made that clear a long time ago.

On the other hand, I think that this is a clever way for the anime to tie the whole series together. All of the friends, allies and secondary characters in SAO are getting the chance to show off their skills in a VR War. I loved seeing that in Avengers: Endgame, and I think I’ll love it in SAO.

Overall, I think that the anime’s about to enter a whole new level of absurdity, even for SAO. If they do it right, though, it can be the fun kind of absurd. Thus, next week, GAMERS GO TO WAR! THE GREAT VR WAR HAS BEGUN!

I Give “Heartless Choice” a 3.5/5

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Sword Art Online: Alicization- War of Underworld Episode 27 Review/Recap

Given what I know about the latter half of Alicization, I hoped that the anime would turn itself around. That it would give more of the action that I wanted to see. While the last episode gave us more of the action, it’s back to the exposition here. Pacing problems have been a recurring problem with this season, but I’m still holding out hope for Alicization.

LINK START!

Recap

In a flashback, we learn the identity of the man leading the assault on the Ocean Turtle. His name is Gabriel Miller, and he got hired by the US Government to steal the AI Rath’s developing. They want to weaponize it so they can maintain their dominance in war. The team that Kirito fought in GGO in the first episode was them; they were practicing for the attack.

However, in the present day, Gabriel’s team is locked out of the area where the Fluctlight cubes are. Thus, they devise of an alternative way to seize their target (Alice). Soon, Underworld will go through “The Final Load Test”, where the barriers between the human empire and the Dark Territory will collapse. Finding two god level accounts in the Dark Territory, Gabriel and his lieutenant use them to log in and use the Dark Territory for themselves.

Meanwhile, Asuna decides to take matters into her own hands. She prepares to log into Underworld herself in order to find Kirito and protect Alice.

Review

I get that exposition and flashbacks are important to moving the plot along, but when you use them too much, a show suffers. Pacing problems have been a big problem of Alicization, and I’m worried it will ruin the war to come. I want to see something as big as the final battle in Avengers: Endgame. Instead, we may get something “The Long Night” from Game of Thrones.

That said, this episode tries to fulfill its purpose, but it misses a few key details about Gabriel. In Tokyo, Sinon has a nightmare of when she fought him in the final round of GGO 4; he strangled her to death with his bare hands. Yet I think the show fails to show how much of a sociopath Gabriel truly is. The web and light novels talk about how he’s obssessed with the soul, and with Alice herself. I hope they show more about it, but if not, click here.

With Gabriel about to seize control of the Dark Territory, all out war is now inevitable. Fortunately, Asuna’s coming to rescue her boyfriend/husbando. Fans should know by now that nothing will stand between an angry Asuna and her goals. Pacing problems or not, I look forward to the war.

I Give “The Final Load Test” a 2.75/5

By the way, pay attention to Gabriel’s lieutenant, Vassago. We’ve seen him before, but I’m not giving any hints.

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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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