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EP. REVIEW: Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld


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Chrono1000





PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 12:05 am Reply with quote
I think SAO is a great example of an anime adaptation that is accurate in overall story but still makes the type of changes that are useful for adapting a light novel series into the visual medium. The anime reduces the number of minor story elements while adding a bit more detail to major story events such as how the knights responded to the defeat of pontifex. The anime does occasionally move around events to better fit the structure of an anime series which seems likely with the backstory for Gabriel since him being spoiler[a serial killer explains a lot about his character and what he does later in the story. There isn't a way to portray evil people that won't be problematic to someone but that is part of what made the light novels popular. That type of realism also makes for memorable villains.]
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Vaisaga



Joined: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 13224
PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 5:32 am Reply with quote
I'll admit I'm not as hyped for this. Season 1 was a great change of pace because it had Kirito and his bromance with Eugeo. With Eugeo gone I know it's going to go back to Kirito adding Alice to his harem once he wakes up. But maybe that'll be mitigated a bit once Asuna finds him.

I am looking forward to seeing Tiese again, along with Leafa and the other old characters.
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Nate148



Joined: 24 May 2012
Posts: 465
PostPosted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 12:54 pm Reply with quote
In the end they just moved it one ep down witch is smoover then the book
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Animegunclub



Joined: 26 Jun 2017
Posts: 127
Location: AyeTeeEl, Jawhjah
PostPosted: Mon Nov 04, 2019 1:21 pm Reply with quote
I think while this episode executed the idea of painting Gabriel to be a true monster perfectly, I think they got it out of the way a little too quickly with three important deaths... one or two of which should have probably been held off a little longer to truly give the characters (both the people he kills and himself) some dimensionality. Instead they were just used to showcase Gabriel as a psychopath right out the gate.

Which is fine, but it feels a bit like a missed opportunity
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FilthyCasual



Joined: 01 Jun 2015
Posts: 2165
PostPosted: Mon Nov 04, 2019 1:26 pm Reply with quote
That one pugilist in the background staring disturbedly at the furry race was funny.

Not quite as funny as YOUR SOUL WILL TASTE SO SWEET, but still funny. So much for nuanced bad guys. I wasn't expecting both Mr. and Mrs. Deathflag to die so quickly.
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Lann



Joined: 12 Dec 2006
Posts: 268
PostPosted: Mon Nov 04, 2019 3:32 pm Reply with quote
I just find it ridiculous that souls are apparently a tangible real, see-able thing in the real world in SAO, apparently.
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Chrono1000





PostPosted: Mon Nov 04, 2019 5:20 pm Reply with quote
FilthyCasual wrote:
So much for nuanced bad guys.

SAO is a classic hero story of good vs evil so it doesn't usually go for moral ambiguity.

Lann wrote:
I just find it ridiculous that souls are apparently a tangible real, see-able thing in the real world in SAO, apparently.

While there are religious elements to SAO the most likely explanation for what happened with Gabriel is that he is a serial killer that occasionally has delusions. I think the anime has done a good job of implying that visually and instead of including a lot of internal thought narration they have a scene where Gabriel has a hallucination of Alicia while diving into the Underworld.


Last edited by Chrono1000 on Mon Nov 04, 2019 7:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
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everydaygamer



Joined: 10 Jul 2009
Posts: 928
PostPosted: Mon Nov 04, 2019 6:31 pm Reply with quote
Lann wrote:
I just find it ridiculous that souls are apparently a tangible real, see-able thing in the real world in SAO, apparently.


It's not that they are necessarily real so much that Gabriel truly believes it happened. He's hung onto that feeling ever since and combined with Incarnation suddenly it becomes possible for him to actually eat souls while within the Underworld.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2019 5:06 am Reply with quote
Quote:
we don't see him leering over the act of violating or killing his victims.

Seemed pretty leery to me. You even described it as an "orgasmic reaction." All I could think of while he was killing Lipia was, "They really just can't stop doing this rapey shit, can they."
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FilthyCasual



Joined: 01 Jun 2015
Posts: 2165
PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2019 11:06 am Reply with quote
Gina Szanboti wrote:
Seemed pretty leery to me. You even described it as an "orgasmic reaction." All I could think of while he was killing Lipia was, "They really just can't stop doing this rapey shit, can they."
I'm curious as to how it was framed in the novels.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2019 1:01 pm Reply with quote
I'm not normally super sensitive to that kind of content (I usually just roll my eyes and sigh unless it's got a purpose other than being provocative), but this franchise. Ugh. At least he didn't lick her, or cackle over her demise, but with a face like the one in the thumbnail, you know he's going to be cackling sooner or later. And even if he doesn't lick a woman (sucking souls may be more satisfying), I'll bet money he licks a weapon before this is over, unless he delegates that to his buddy.
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Kisuke525



Joined: 05 Nov 2019
Posts: 191
PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2019 5:04 pm Reply with quote
FilthyCasual wrote:
Gina Szanboti wrote:
Seemed pretty leery to me. You even described it as an "orgasmic reaction." All I could think of while he was killing Lipia was, "They really just can't stop doing this rapey shit, can they."
I'm curious as to how it was framed in the novels.


It did not come across as rapey in the novels imo. Honestly I think the anime adaptation makes most of the villains come off as much more ridiculously evil and rapey which really kinda annoys me. I mean Gabriel is definitely a psychopath and he did enjoy seeing and eating her soul, but I think the anime really overdid it when it came to things like his facial expression.

The anime has also pretty much completely removed his inner thoughts which is a damn shame because not only do you get a better understanding of how he feels about his team and the people and creatures of the Underworld you also get to learn exactly what his goal is. But honestly the anime has been kinda screwing up the characters by removing their thoughts since season 1 so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Hell if Kirito was depicted the same way he was in the novels I bet more people would actually like him. And if this post looks weird I'm sorry.... I don't really post on forums so I'm kinda clueless about how they work.
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18137
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2019 6:15 pm Reply with quote
Gina Szanboti wrote:
I'm not normally super sensitive to that kind of content (I usually just roll my eyes and sigh unless it's got a purpose other than being provocative), but this franchise. Ugh. At least he didn't lick her, or cackle over her demise, but with a face like the one in the thumbnail, you know he's going to be cackling sooner or later. And even if he doesn't lick a woman (sucking souls may be more satisfying), I'll bet money he licks a weapon before this is over, unless he delegates that to his buddy.

I haven't read the final novel of the arc yet (It's not due out until mid-December), but the "licking the weapon" thing is much more likely to come from the other guy with Gabriel. Gabriel himself gives little indication that he's interested in anything (physically) sexual, hence his choking of both this lady and (in Sinon's flashback) Sinon being businesslike. At this time I won't say why I think this because any explanation would require major spoilers about who the other guy actually is.

That being said, I think Gabriel actually comes off as more disgusting in the novels because you do see his thought processes there.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Wed Nov 06, 2019 12:28 am Reply with quote
Kisuke525 wrote:
Gina Szanboti wrote:
"They really just can't stop doing this rapey shit, can they."

It did not come across as rapey in the novels imo. Honestly I think the anime adaptation makes most of the villains come off as much more ridiculously evil and rapey which really kinda annoys me.

That's why I said "they" instead of "he" since I thought it was possible that it was the anime overdoing it compared to how Kawahara wrote it. Which means I'm also not ruling out that ol' Gabe will lick something sooner or later. Wink
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Kisuke525



Joined: 05 Nov 2019
Posts: 191
PostPosted: Wed Nov 06, 2019 1:17 am Reply with quote
Gina Szanboti wrote:
Kisuke525 wrote:
Gina Szanboti wrote:
"They really just can't stop doing this rapey shit, can they."

It did not come across as rapey in the novels imo. Honestly I think the anime adaptation makes most of the villains come off as much more ridiculously evil and rapey which really kinda annoys me.

That's why I said "they" instead of "he" since I thought it was possible that it was the anime overdoing it compared to how Kawahara wrote it. Which means I'm also not ruling out that ol' Gabe will lick something sooner or later. Wink


Whoops didn't catch that my bad. I was also trying to respond to the guy who was wondering how it was in the novel, but I guess I could have done it better. I really hope they don't make him lick something in the anime lol.
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