Sword Art Online - Episode 17

Cheating on your wife with a loli, eh, Kirito?

The inevitable has finally happened. After a full episode of fawning over her brother's cousin's return to the real world, it doesn't come as a surprise that Suguha "coincidentally" meets him in the virtual world. If she hadn't, Episode 15 would've been all for nothing. Personally, I still can't get over how unexciting ALO is compared to SAO. The lack of tension and anxiety in the players makes watching the characters play the game slightly boring. I think the only amusing thing about this arc thus far is how both Kirito and Suguha are oblivious to each other's true identities. I simply can't wait for the moment when they find out, especially if Asuna's also in the picture; the love triangle-type conflicts that would arise are definitely things to look forward to.

Sword Art Online - Episode 16

Here we go again

My first impression of Alfheim Online is that it seems inferior in comparison to Sword Art Online. While SAO focused on risky close quarters combat in which one wrong move meant death with no chance of revival, ALO is essentially a fantasy world filled with fairies doing battle in a no-risk environment. Like Kirito said, in comparison to SAO, a game without a risk of death is a piece of cake. The lack of fear and anxiety in the players also decreases the intensity of each fight drastically. While I do admit that the ability to fly is quite awesome, I still don't think the whole ALO arc will be as entertaining in terms of the setting. That said, just like how Kayaba Akihiko was involved in SAO, Sugō Noboyuki will almost surely make an appearance towards the end of the ALO arc—as a final boss presumably—and I'll definitely look forward to that.

Sword Art Online - Episode 15

This guy needs to die. Now.

And thus begins the new arc that's already brimming with rageworthy content. The most notable event in the episode is none other than the introduction of Sugō Nobuyuki, arguably the creepiest person yet. Yes, this creeper manages to make even Kuradeel look sane. I'm quite certain that almost anyone would be disgusted by this man's actions. Not only that, but his physical features also exude the aura of a stalker/pedophile type of character; the typical well-mannered, glasses-wearing, intelligent young man look has often been cover for a person's darker side in anime. Just like how Kirito had to deal with Kayaba Akihiko in SAO, something tells me Sugō Nobuyuki will be the main antagonist in the VRMMORPG that is to come.

Sword Art Online - Episode 14

Kirito and his harem waifu + other girls

That. Was. Epic. I really regret waiting this long before watching it by prioritizing other shows. In what was the most exciting, tear-jerking, and rageworthy episode of Sword Art Online yet, the game is finally, but surprisingly, cleared, thanks to Kirito's attention to detail. While some people say it's obvious that Heathcliff was Kayaba Akihiko all along after seeing the duel in Episode 10, the possibility didn't cross my mind, making the revelation even more shocking than it might have been for others. Even more shocking were the flurry of twists that followed. Seeing as this is only Episode 14 out of probably 25, I didn't expect SAO (the game) to be cleared. That said, when Asuna overcame her paralysis and managed to shield Kirito from sure death in the nick of time at the cost of her life, I started to sense that the end was near. I mean, in what story does a character who's arguably the fan-favourite get killed off randomly in the middle? And if the first two twists weren't enough, Kirito getting killed really made by jaw drop in awe.

Sword Art Online - Episode 13

I'm scared... ;__;

The first half of the episode, I must admit, was quite boring, save for the various Kirito x Asuna moments. Sure, the old man was quite amusing and things were all going so well for our lovely couple, but this was not what I signed up for when I decided to watch Sword Art Online. I'm not trying to bash the series or anything, but compared to other shows, SAO just doesn't excel when it comes to the romantic comedy aspect. So when Heathcliff called for the two to go back to the front lines, you can't imagine how thrilled I was. Despite the slow start, the second half of the episode definitely made up for it.

Sword Art Online - Episode 12

Yui ;___;

Delays, delays, and more delays. The NyanTaku curse continues to plague our release schedule. Anyways, for those who didn't know, NyanTaku's SAO will officially be switching to an EveTaku release starting Episode 13, so hopefully delays like this (e.g. 1 week) won't happen anymore.

As a whole, this arc was slightly weak in my opinion; it would've been better if it was a purely slice-of-life side story with Yui as a real player instead of an AI so that the mood of the arc wouldn't have went from heartwarming to depressing so suddenly. But instead, although more background on SAO was explained, even more questions arose. Just what is going on with the whole SAO system behind the scenes? More so for technologically-inexperienced individuals and non-gamers, Yui's explanation might have totally flown over the heads of many viewers. A few inconsistencies were also pointed out to me, with a glaring one being the scene where Kirito created "Yui's heart". Here's what NyanTaku TL Rekyu had to say:

Seeing how he got blown back, the system obviously detected him... so why wouldn't it delete the item? The item itself is an anomaly to begin with... a foreign object... but it's not deleted... why?! Oh, god. I even go hater mode for series I like!

But despite these flaws, I still really enjoyed the family moments the three shared. It's too bad that Yui was "deleted" in the end; it was quite the emotional scene even though I'm unable to relate to the pain that comes with losing one's child.

Sword Art Online - Episode 11

om nom nom

From flashy battles to heartwarming slice-of-life stories—Sword Art Online can do it all. While it could be considered a side story, it's the first one that spans more than one episode. The ending of the first part of Yui's arc implies that there's more to her character than just an extremely moe physique. Seeing as she seems to be neither a player nor an NPC, I'm curious to know just what she is then. Right now, I'm leaning more towards a game bug/glitch after seeing the static-like effect at the end. Moreover, I wonder how much of an impact she'll make, if any, on Kirito, Asuna, and even the entire SAO world, given her mysterious condition.

Sword Art Online - Episode 10

<3

It was bound to happen sooner or later, but this is definitely much earlier than expected. The sweet Kirito x Asuna moments saved the episode from being rather sour overall. I mean, first off, I didn't really expect Kirito to lose to Heathcliff. Sure, the guy's the commander of the game's top guild, but Kirito has the advantage thanks to his status of being a main character. That moment where his surroundings suddenly turned red and Kirito lost his momentum had me wondering what just happened. Is one of Heathcliff's skills the ability to distort time, or was that a random bug in the game? And while the loss was bad enough, I really didn't expect it to get worse.

Sword Art Online - Episode 9

ProTip: Don't mess with Kirito.

Talk about an epic episode where Kirito shows once again how overpowered his character is. The beginning where he and Asuna went into the boss room gave the viewers a good sneak peak of what was to come, with the epic music and cut scene-like introduction of the boss adding to the experience. Even though they thought they'd need lots of manpower to defeat the beast, it was quite obvious Kirito would end up slaying it in style—and that's exactly what he did. The torrent of emotions and memories that flooded his mind during the battle effectively increased both the intensity of the scene and the emotion involved. In a situation where it was essentially do-or-die, Kirito's selflessness allowed him to make the right decision, possibly having prevented further casualties.

Sword Art Online - Episode 8

Problem?

In a way, this could be considered as the first episode of SAO since it marks the start of the main plot after seven episodes of side stories which introduced a variety of characters. If it wasn't already obvious, Asuna is most definitely the main girl given she's appeared more often than the others. This episode also further reinforced her reputation as the perfect tsundere (and slightly yandere) waifu. I mean, what's there not to love about a beautiful, high-class lady who is also self-sufficient and capable of defending herself? Just ask Kuradeel.

Sword Art Online - Episode 7

It looks like Asuna has some competition now.

Out of all the side stories so far, this one takes the cake, just edging out Silica's by a little bit. With its fair share of comedic and heart-wrenching moments—kind of like a combination of Episode 3 and Episode 4—I felt the balance achieved between the two was excellent. Liz is a character I would definitely like to see again in the future; she brings to the table a likeable personality and the common (and easy to relate to) difficulties that come with a one-sided love—especially one that involves a close friend as a rival. Fortunately for her, Kirito showed that he wasn't your typical, oblivious male protagonist and managed to soothe the pain in her heart, even if only slightly.

Sword Art Online - Episode 6

"OMG! It's a ghost. Run!"

Just like that, the mystery within a mystery has been completely solved. Although everything happened a bit too fast for my liking, the episode was still enjoyable as a whole. With Kirito having already showed off his strength in Episode 4, this time around, he chooses to exhibit his intelligence as he single-handedly (well, you could say Asuna helped a bit) solved the two mysteries himself. In a way, the whole case was kind of amusing in the sense that the deceivers (Yolko and Caynz) were also being deceived (by Grimlock). While the former pair tried to fish out the culprit of the crime, they were oblivious to the fact that the murderer was right under their noses. If it wasn't for Kirito's lucky timing and Asuna's luck in locating Grimlock (yes, lots of "luck" was involved), the three Golden Apple members might as well have been dead already.

Sword Art Online - Episode 5

Asuna is back! \(^o^)/

Overshadowing Asuna's return was the murder mystery case that developed in this episode. The two deaths that occurred further drove home the point that SAO is not just a game, but a survival game where death is real. While PKing can be fun in regular MMOs (in fact, I sometimes get a kick out of seeing people rage when they are killed), this is not the case in SAO. One shocking PK in a safe area has already spurred a full-out investigation and caused many witnesses to now cower in fear. With the serial killer still on the loose, action must be taken fast as time may end up being a killer for many of the traumatized players.

Sword Art Online - Episode 4

Silica<3

The one thing I don't really like about Sword Art Online is how fast time flies in each of the episodes. So far, already two years have passed since the start of the survival game, and it's only been four episodes. But aside from that, I thought this episode was really enjoyable, especially after a depressing Episode 3 where cries of "SACHI!" could be heard (or seen) in various anime forums and discussion boards across the Internet. The introduction of an undeniably cute loli and her companion turned that frown of mine from the last episode upside-down though. Not only is she physically cute, but her personality would probably make her a great little sister, too. I really hope this is not the last time we see her since I've slightly grown attached to her character.

Sword Art Online - Episode 3

Trap card activated!

All right, while it's arguable that the last episode wasn't rushed, this one definitely was. Introducing a bunch of characters—with one starting to get some character development, no less—and then killing them all off did not sit well with me in the slightest. True, Sachi's death, although expected, was very sad. However, I felt like it could've had more impact if she had survived for a while longer, further solidifying her character and allowing viewers to feel even more sympathetic towards Kirito upon her inevitable death. With the way things were going, I wouldn't have been surprised if Klein had ended up dying, too.

Sword Art Online - Episode 2

キラキラ

Huh? The episode's over already? That didn't feel like 24 minutes at all; it felt more like 5 minutes. As someone who hasn't read the light novel, this episode proved to be very entertaining; full of the action and planning that is required in boss raids within many MMORPGs. It also conveyed the message of teamwork being a necessity, and without it, a party, no matter how large or strong, will fall (i.e. united we stand, divided we fall). What makes everything all the more intense is the aspect of the survival game that everyone faces. The emotional impact of the death of a leader-like figure like Diabel, because of the current state of things, is akin to seeing someone slaughtered in front of your eyes in real life. For Kirito, realizing afterwards that he could've saved his comrade but was just a split second late in doing so, must felt like salt was being rubbed into his wounds.

Sword Art Online - Episode 1

Such a sadist...

MMORPGs are, and will probably always be, a big part of the online gaming industry. With millions upon millions of users playing them each day—this number continues to grow—it's no surprise an anime with an interesting premise that combines elements of both the game and real worlds into a life-or-death MMORPG would instantly garner the praise of many game enthusiasts.

Sword Art Online - Preview

It's undeniable that Sword Art Online (or SAO), is one of the most anticipated series of the Summer 2012 season. Combining the elements of both anime and MMORPGs, this series is sure to draw fans from all over the anime community. With a good mix of action and romance, while being set in a fantasy world, SAO will be able to appeal to a broader range of audiences than most anime can. Although I haven't read the light novel, which I heard is pretty good, I'm expecting great things from SAO. I remember actively playing MMOs several years ago so the premise does bring back some good memories. Hopefully, it won't turn into another disappointing, virtual world-based shōnen like Accel World.

Summer 2012

Naturally, I'd want to blog about all the series I plan to watch in the Summer 2012 season, but seeing as how it was so difficult for me to keep up with everything in Spring 2012, I have no choice but to cut down on the number of series I'll blog about. That's not to say I'll be watching a lot of series anyways; I have six hours less (excluding commute time) a week for myself in July and August since another one of my summer courses has started.

Now to get back to the topic of anime, judging by past experiences, I'm planning to stick to blogging about series which have the potential to incur lots of thinking and/or analysis on the part of the audience. That's not to say I don't enjoy slice-of-life or comedy shows; in fact, SoL is near the top of my favourite genres. As always, I'm open to suggestions as to what I should or should not blog about. And without further ado, here are my picks for the Summer 2012 season, now with some of my quick thoughts on each title.