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Episode Review: Sword Art Online II


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Stark700



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Posts: 11762
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 1:32 pm Reply with quote
EDIT: Episode 10 discussion starts here.
EDIT: Episode 11 discussion starts here.
EDIT: Episode 12 discussion starts here.

I actually think this season so far is better than the previous. I haven't read the source material yet (for this arc) so I'm not sure how faithful it is adapted.

On another note, I like Sinon a lot more than Asuna. The concept of GGO seems a bit odd though to me since Kirito uses a proton sword as his favorite choice of weapon. Anyways, I'm curious to see how this season goes.
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Redcrimson



Joined: 30 Mar 2013
Posts: 160
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 1:44 pm Reply with quote
Oh gawd, how am I supposed to parse all this without time-stamped images?! Things are different now and I am scared! I need a hug.
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Durga



Joined: 21 Jun 2010
Posts: 103
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 1:44 pm Reply with quote
I went into this season expecting to absolutely hate it after how dreadful the first season became. I was surprised to find that I was kind of enjoying this season. It's still got a myriad of problems, and the most recent episode showcases that the series can't follow through on compelling characters as well as it should, but the action has been solid and so far there's been no sexual assault, so it's definitely an improvement.
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ChibiKangaroo



Joined: 01 Feb 2010
Posts: 2941
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 1:51 pm Reply with quote
The review for episode 1-8 was pretty much spot on, including the references to SAO1. I agreed with pretty much everything the reviewer said, except for maybe the grade for SAO2. I think it does deserve higher than a C+ at this point.
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EricJ2



Joined: 01 Feb 2014
Posts: 4016
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:00 pm Reply with quote
Yeah, we get it: The second half of the first season was bad. Oh, lordy, was it ever. I know, I watched it. Sad
(And not only putting Asuna in a cage, but "sending her to her room" just SO they could capitalize on a sister-complex soft-incest otaku fetish instead?...I mean, seriously.)

But giving SAO2 a C just because it "doesn't escape the memories" of the earlier story arc?? If it made the same mistakes, maybe, but here it sounds like it doesn't.
Uh, what was that about "Lingering post-traumatic stress from the events of the first season", Nick? Rolling Eyes

...C'mon, can't you be like us UY fans, say "The (second arc of the) first season never happened!", and embrace the stylistic do-over?


Last edited by EricJ2 on Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:15 pm; edited 2 times in total
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TUSF



Joined: 11 Oct 2013
Posts: 191
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:06 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Was this actually a comment on the problems of SAO's structure, and how the various female characters have essentially become accessories since their time in the spotlight ended?

You might be surprised by this, but the answer is probably "yes."

The author in recent times has tried to add more stories to the novel series that include the old characters, and sometimes jokes about it on occasion. There's even a spin-off manga that focuses on them.
A sort of "in-joke" of the series, is "More Deban" (Deban = Appearance/Screentime), due to this illustration (and this one) from the back of one of the novels.

In fact, in the afterwords of the second novel, there's this paragraph here:
Quote:
One more apology. The heroine in each of the four stories in this volume is a different woman, but the male lead across from them is always Kirito. I realize there's no possible excuse or this blatant favoritism, but if I might attempt to rationalize it, think of a mystery series, in which the killer and victim are always different, but the detective is always the same, and you'll see that it's quite natural and normal to... Okay, you're right. sorry sorry.

SAO is basically a story Kawahara wrote when he was inexperienced, and was just hosted on his website. He only ever got to publish it thanks to Accel World, and because his editor urged him to.
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gerbilx



Joined: 19 Jan 2009
Posts: 138
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:13 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
In fact, in the afterwords of the second novel, there's this paragraph here:
Quote:
One more apology. The heroine in each of the four stories in this volume is a different woman, but the male lead across from them is always Kirito. I realize there's no possible excuse or this blatant favoritism, but if I might attempt to rationalize it, think of a mystery series, in which the killer and victim are always different, but the detective is always the same, and you'll see that it's quite natural and normal to... Okay, you're right. sorry sorry.

SAO is basically a story Kawahara wrote when he was inexperienced, and was just hosted on his website. He only ever got to publish it thanks to Accel World, and because his editor urged him to.


Wow. That's super interesting. Thanks for sharing.

I personally just keep SAO eps 1-14 in a bubble. It's the corniest, most intense love story I've seen in an anime, and for that is very special to me. The loss of Asuna was the death of my interest in the series, but I'm glad it's getting better, content wise.
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Bobduh



Joined: 31 Aug 2014
Posts: 24
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:17 pm Reply with quote
That "apology" is pretty endearing. It doesn't really, ya know, justify the show's choices, but it's nice to hear the author has some self-awareness.

I'm the author of today's SAO posts, incidentally. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on the series!
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ChibiKangaroo



Joined: 01 Feb 2010
Posts: 2941
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 3:08 pm Reply with quote
Bobduh wrote:
That "apology" is pretty endearing. It doesn't really, ya know, justify the show's choices, but it's nice to hear the author has some self-awareness.

I'm the author of today's SAO posts, incidentally. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on the series!


Ahh you are Nick? Well, welcome to the madhouse... I mean the forum, Nick.
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princess passa passa





PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 3:09 pm Reply with quote
@Bobduh

Thanks for the review! You have articulated EVERYTHING I felt about this series. I felt this was a fair review and refreshing to get one that's not either putting it on a pedestal or bashing it smithereens.

Also, I could not have been the only one shouting at Asuna to just log into GGO already.
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HitokiriShadow



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 6251
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 3:30 pm Reply with quote
Bobduh wrote:
That "apology" is pretty endearing. It doesn't really, ya know, justify the show's choices, but it's nice to hear the author has some self-awareness.

I'm the author of today's SAO posts, incidentally. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on the series!


That strange character after the "B" confuses me. It should be taller. What has happened to you, are you okay?
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Spotlesseden



Joined: 09 Sep 2004
Posts: 3514
Location: earth
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 3:42 pm Reply with quote
this is the one of the 4 series that i'm still watching this summer season. I feel like this is better than season 1.
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jr240483



Joined: 24 Dec 2005
Posts: 4369
Location: New York City,New York,USA
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 4:16 pm Reply with quote
Bobduh wrote:
That "apology" is pretty endearing. It doesn't really, ya know, justify the show's choices, but it's nice to hear the author has some self-awareness.

I'm the author of today's SAO posts, incidentally. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on the series!



unfortunately that may not be the case considering people like the phantom bullet arc which this season is based off.

also there are people who do like the fairy dance arc as well. its definitely not bad and it wont put you to sleep unlike .hack roots. and having the possible cousin hook up was also a twist i didn't see coming, though from the forums its obviously that the whole incest thing is the primary reason people dont like fairy dance.
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TheMorry



Joined: 08 May 2014
Posts: 656
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 4:49 pm Reply with quote
I still dont get why people cry over the second half of the first season. No I agree it wasnt as good as the first half and the first half could be easly adapted in a 25 lenght season. But come on. All you hear is why people dont like it is "incest". Which isnt the truth to begin with since they arent brother and sister by blood.

I do hope someday that the progressive manga version of Aincrad will be added to the first half of season 1. Aincrad is so beautiful.

Also alot whining by everyone that there is always a diffrent female lead aside of Kirito. Yea because Kirito is the main lead. Asuna will be the main lead with another girl in the Mother Rosario Arc. A very beautiful and emotional arc, it is sadly kinda sort though. All characters will be a part of the story as friends. But Asuna is his only true love.

To me Swort Art Online is a masterpiece. I never like to watch subbed anime but for SAO I do. Im loving each bit of GGO.
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EricJ2



Joined: 01 Feb 2014
Posts: 4016
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 4:58 pm Reply with quote
TheMorry wrote:
I still don't get why people cry over the second half of the first season. No I agree it wasnt as good as the first half and the first half could be easly adapted in a 25 lenght season. But come on. All you hear is why people don't like it is "incest". Which isnt the truth to begin with since they arent brother and sister by blood.


No, no, I said the imouto-complex "incest" stuff was icky, desperate and gynophobically otaku niche-pandering.
(Particularly the "It's okay, censors, they're not related" story dodge.)

Everyone else was complaining about taking the most interesting character in the show and literally locking her in a birdcage like Tsubasa....All that just to keep her out of the way of the "money-plot" so her more interesting character wouldn't interfere.
By the time we got the tentacle stuff, it was...a step down, but not unexpected. Rolling Eyes
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