Accel World - Episode 12

Here, have a loli.

Quick Note: My Summer 2012 picks later today.

Okay... That finished way faster than I expected. So it only took one kick from Captain Falcon to down Spiderman, huh? On a more serious note, the fight between Silver Crow and Chrome Disaster felt very rushed and weak. I feel it didn't have enough impact as it should've, given that Niko's words afterwards didn't really reflect the struggle that Cherry Rook was seemingly facing. If only Cherry Rook had more lines (and had actually fought back instead of just using his Spiderman-esque wires to put Haruyuki on a leash, so to speak) during the clash, then I think the episode wouldn't have been as forgettable. On the bright side, at least this one wasn't as bad as last week's horror. The foreshadowing that Haruyuki will be subject to having to deal with the Calamity Armour in the future was, I think, the most interesting part of the episode.

Given the two action-packed episodes as of late, I thought it was a nice change of pace to see some Haruyuki and Niko interaction at the end instead of jumping directly into the next arc. In addition, it was good to see that they didn't just "kill off" (in the sense that he's never mentioned again) Cherry Rook, but instead, even gave the viewers a bit more information about him and his current status (i.e. his move to Fukuoka). And the typical "tsundere's appreciation gift" at the end, from Niko to Haruyuki, wrapped up this arc on a positive note.

From the looks of the preview, things are going to get really good starting in the next episode. The introduction of a new antagonist and the possibility of Chiyu becoming a Burst Linker are both things that I'm really anticipating. The former obviously in expectation of more action and whatnot, while the latter to complete the group of "Burst Linkers who are also school friends". Also, with Chiyu in the mix, there will be more possible events that can occur in the future (i.e. her connections and hidden secrets can end up creating antagonists).

And to reiterate an already well-established complaint: Haruyuki, please, please stop being such a whiner and have some confidence in yourself. It's already been twelve episodes of consistent self-depreciation and I'm really going to be annoyed if this continues for twelve more. Thanks.