Despite the simple structure of the episode (two long conversations), it was packed with content. While Kuroyukihime revealed a bit more about herself and the Brain Burst program, Chiyu becomes the new subject of interest. Both these girls seem to be using Haruyuki, but whether they are doing so with ulterior motives is still unknown. I think it comes down to how one views each of these girls' actions. I wouldn't be surprised if Taku was also involved in this seeing as he is still mostly a mystery himself.
As much as I adore Kuroyukihime, I was slightly taken aback by the confession regarding her selfish actions towards the Level 9s of the Brain Burst world. She doesn't seem like the type of person that would become a traitor, let alone a killer. Nonetheless, her explanation of how she wanted to meet the creator of the Brain Burst program supported her actions, even if it was arguably unethical. Factoring in my bias for Kuroyukihime, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and continue to support her in journey to become a Level 10, for now.
With the possibility of Chiyu being a Burst Linker as well, things get even more complicated for Haruyuki. During his cabled conversation with her, the emotions Chiyu displayed felt so real that it was hard to consider the possibility that she might have just been acting all along. It appears that she genuinely cares for Haruyuki, possibly to the point where she's willing to harm any girl that gets near him (Kuroyukihime in this case). The backdoor cliffhanger at the end took me by surprise and wrapped up the episode nicely. Because the details about what it was doing are still unknown, I'm unable to speculate who was responsible for it. As a wild guess, I'm going to say that it's either Chiyu or Taku, with the latter being the primary suspect since he's the only other person shown show far who has cabled with Chiyu.
The preview for the next episode doesn't give any clues on the identity of Cyan Pile, but I'm quite sure that the person behind "it" will be revealed then, as well as the function of the backdoor that Haruyuki discovered. I'm expecting the next episode to contain a few surprising plot twists. I like how, even though it's only been three episodes, I already love Accel World!
i also suspect taku my guess is that he installed the back door in chiyu
ReplyDeleteThis episode is far better than the previous one, I believe. While I was slightly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of Infodumping, I think it was nicely paced, and we managed to get a look at both Kuroyuki and Chiyu's personalities.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to take the Brain Burst program a little more seriously now. It seems to me that it's more than just a video game. I guess we'll get clues regarding its purpose and creation as the series progresses.
Just like you, I was surprised at Kuroyuki's actions in regards to the rest of the Level 9 players, though I wouldn't call her a killer. After all, these are just video game characters, so I don't think Kuroyuki felt particularly bad about taking one of them out... Yeah, sure, the poor feller won't be able to accelerate anymore, but you know what I mean.
I'm also starting to notice a pattern with the characters, mostly regarding their personalities. It seems to me that they all have underlying motives surrounding them, even Haruyuki himself. Of course, lots of shows do this, but Accel World seems to focus more on this aspect. I'd even say that it's one of its main themes. There's more to the characters than meets the eye. In fact, you could say that Brain Burst allows them to reveal their real personas, much like how many people act on the internet. In fact, considering how Kuroyuki's avatar looks exactly like her, as opposed to the rest of the players, it would seem to me that she has an even harder time showing her true self. When you think about it, this appears to be related to her status as the student council vice-president, as well as her popularity. Considering the origins of the avatars' appearances, I think it's safe to say that Kuroyuki hates herself and how she stands out; she hates her current position. I think it took her a lot of courage to take out one of the Level 9-ers, since everyone knows her and all.
Kuroyuki seems to get more and more interesting. I can imagine how her mind works, not being able to even hide her true appearance and show her true self even in the... über internetz they have there. As many have pointed out before, a lot of characters seem to use Brain Burst in order to cope with reality (or lack thereof), but Kuroyuki can't even do that.
K, I wrote too much.