Accel World / First Impressions

「Temptation; 誘惑」 (Yuuwaku)

That bathroom scene. I never expected Accel World would be the one to pull something like that. Good for the audience though, the show doesn’t take itself that seriously.

And the story finally starts getting interesting…
Not that it wasn’t already captivating, but I thought the first 7 episodes were really devoted to build-up. They were focused on introducing characters and the universe that Accel World is revolved around. Now that the audience has a better understanding of the technicalities and character motives, we get to meet new rivals and goals for the main cast.

Most obvious addition is Scarlet Rain (Rina Hidaka) who is portrayed as this innocent cute “imouto” of Haruyuki’s. Am I the only naiive one here? I actually thought she was just going to be eye-candy and a side character who adds no value to the story. Clearly I was so very wrong… It was an intriguing twist in character though. She went from being overly clingy and annoying to crazy and trigger-happy. Severe case of multi-personality disorder and I’ll never know the appeal of these girls… she can be very adorable though. I wish she kept up with the sister act.

The battle was short, but well animated in my opinion and probably the first battle that Haruyuki lost (since Ash Roller) on screen. I complained in earlier episodes that Haruyuki seems to always just skim by and by luck, pulls out on top. This battle wasn’t the case and even with the ability to fly, Haruyuki lost by a wide margin. Scarlet Rain is a smart one, and I wouldn’t write her off anytime soon. She seems to have her own issues though and I think it has something to do with her own protégé. Is this why she demands an audience with Kuroyukihime? We see a quick glimpse of this crazy ripper – with Scarlet Rain watching over him/her, perhaps Scarlet is his/her master. Seems like there are more issues than just gaining points and leveling up.

We end off with a conversation between Kuroyukihime and Haruyuki… and to be honest, up until now, I feel like their conversations have always been very forced. Their relationship seems very circumstantial (not that it’s a bad thing), but that’s why I wasn’t feeling the whole romance and confession scene. Since then, I’ve warmed up the idea of Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime. They’ve had a lot of trials between them and I’m beginning to see the connection. When Haruyuki reassures his “master” and he will never leave her, I was really touched. For once, I actually felt like Haruyuki was living up to the image of a strong male protagonist. The real question though is… what kind of relationship did Kuroyukihime and Red Rider have? Was it romantic or something else? Perhaps this is something that won’t get answered till after the resolution with Scarlet Rain though.

Full-length images: The most full-lengths I’ve made to date. Lots of Scarlet Rain and Kuroyukihime for you to make up for the past few weeks.

 

Preview

76 Comments

  2. I liked this episode overall. At the very least, I liked the fact that Haru didnt fall for the trap that was laid out for him. Granted, it did take him a lot longer to figure it out than it should have. But its an improvement. I also liked the fact that Haru finally lost, I was wondering how long it would take people to come up with a way to deal with his flying, after all while its a cool skill, it has its drawbacks.
    I am also glad we are starting to see a change in Haru as well. He is no longer wallowing in self pity all the time like he was before, but is actively trying to not be a burden on everyone else.
    Also, they hinted that there is more to BB world than just battling each other at the end of the episode and the next episode preview, with that dragon like mob destroying other players. It kind of gave the vibe of being some kind of NPC. I could be wrong though.

    Quikbeam
    Reply

    1. Definitely seems like the guy isn’t working for her. If anything I’d bet he’s some loner smashing his way through her territory whose combat style outmatches her long range based legion, so she’s left looking for help from Kuroyukihime.

      Qwert
      Reply

    2. Show Spoiler ▼

      Benz
      Reply

  5. I was hoping beyond hope that the voice I recognized behind Scarlet was the same voice behind Ririchiyo-sama from Inu x Boku. Thanks for posting the VA link, my hopes have been rewarded.

    Geez, how much fawning can one do over this new addition. Probably too much. But, could this be the dawning of the Yandere Loli? Stilts? You wrote the article on the Super-Competent Loli, any thoughts? I’m hoping so. A pure seething ball of murder loli would probably put the cat amongst the otaku pigeons.

    skylion
    Reply

    2. Some in-house produce placement they have there.

      Also last episode, there was a huge advertising board outside the cafe Haru and Aqua Current were in, advertising another Ascii Media Works title “Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei” (or The Irregular at Magic High School).

      Kinny Riddle
      Reply

  7. I like how Kuroyukihime was visibly restraining herself after Haru told her about what had happened the night before.

    Leaves you wondering what she was more pissed about, that Scarlet Rain had gone after him or that she was alone with him in the bath with nothing but a towel on… my money is on the later.

    Qwert
    Reply

  9. that was a bizarre sort of introduction….into his home no less, had to have stalked him out somehow…she’s definiteluy dangerous but it seems she’s more like one of those sneaky yellow team guys that Kuroyukihime mentioned. that’s a lot of work to find Haru and then try to what….get in his good graces to feel him out? i think it would have been more of an impact if she’d been more shrewd first and played a more drawn out intro sensibly before flipping the switch. i was only watching her cuteness the whole time thinking….is she nuts!? especially inviting herself to the tub lol. maybe a little pressed for time in the episode count but the fight was stellar.

    Breedo
    Reply

  10. Man, even now I cannot get used to the redesign of the fortress mode for the anime compared to the original novel. They went from rounded and intimidating to a bunch of minecraft blocks!!

    Still, interesting to see that they have already introduced the main bad guy for the arc. If you haven’t read the novel, lets just say that the the monster is linked to scarlet rain more than you may think and it’s pretty damn brutal as well.
    Oh and Scarlet Rain is very much sane. Very cunning but her manipulation skills are really weak. She just has a really short temper.

    gundamjehutykai
    Reply

  11. I can’t believe Chiryu want Ice-Cram AGAIN! Gee, I still think it is UN-fair that she never get fat, still, again?!
    Himei is really open about her love, ne? I mean, you can see that especially during her and Haru’s morning talk. I do not known if anyone in real life is that open about their feelings. That is call courage!
    Still, like Qwert said,see her hand/fist? She was Oh-So-Definitely angry! A jealous type?
    Also, there seems to be relationship b/w the 1st Red King and Himei, I am curious about the kings’ past relationships now.

    zleihsh
    Reply

  12. I’m not really a loli fan but I don’t mind them. I absolutely hate the girls in Animes that act cute but are actually crazy (Like the Lucky Star girl).

    Just a pet peeve of mine =/

    Is that black monster a part of the novel? or is it anime original? Don’t forget to Show Spoiler ▼

    Kurisu Vi Britannia
    Reply

    1. if the black monster you mean the monster that ripping people apart at the end, then yes, it is in the LN, in fact this whole arc is focused on this thing (just look at the last thing in the OP). I won’t spoil too much here since it is essential to the plot line here

      jrj
      Reply

      1. I don’t know if you like the “monster” or not, but yes, it is essential to the plot in more than one way… although after volume 9, Show Spoiler ▼

        jrj
        Reply

      3. awesome… so did I 🙂 the story is just getting better and better, but how I hate all the cliff hangers… 🙁 won’t be surprised if this LN gets to around 20 volumes…

        jrj
        Reply

      7. I don’t know about Mike, but I am reading the Chinese translation. there are currently 10 full volumes (1-9 and 11) and 1 side story volume (volume 10) translated. It is jut perfect, but enough to the by. For anyone interested, I can direct you to the site where I read them 🙂

        jrj
        Reply

  13. I can’t be sure, but my theory is that the “beast” that Scarlet Rain was watching over may be a former member of the Black Lotus’s own kingdom, and has been going on a rampage since she went into hiding.

    She may even be its “parent” hence the whole parent vs child vibe they had going at the end of this episode.

    or maybe I read it wrong and the beast is actually Scarlet Rain’s child and she can’t/won’t deal with it on her own, so she is requesting help from Black Lotus to deal with it.

    Zeru
    Reply

    1. you are getting some pieces correct. all I can say without spoiling too much is the whole notion of “parent” vs. “child” is a big foreshadowing. Be in for some plot twist and details 🙂

      jrj
      Reply

  14. LOL Epic fight. Porky got headshot, AAed and received a loli. All my jelly, Haru! I want an imouto too, even if it’s a leader of a rival Clan in disguise XD….

    The Moondoggie
    Reply

  15. red haired loli finally shows up… angel mode + demon mode… yes, it does comes off as some sort of multiple personality kind of thing, but if they do decide to reveal her background, then maybe it will help explain her a bit more…

    as to the monster at the end, it is cool to see people guessing at what it really is and how it relates to the plot line. some of you are closer to the truth than others, but without spoiling too much, I can say there are pieces that people mentioned in the comments that are correct and essential to the plot line. just be prepared for some great action down the road.

    as to the romance department, the relationship front is moving slower even in the LN, so don’t feel too bad about that. the “parent” vs. “child” notion will come in to play in a plot related way.

    and finally, thanks for all the full size cap, Cherrie, as always, thanks for the post and good luck with RL 🙂 UNLIMITED BURST!

    jrj
    Reply

    1. I wouldn’t say Yuniko Kouzuki – Scarlet Rain has a multiple personality disorder.
      Show Spoiler ▼

      Mixed Milkshake
      Reply

      1. I am perfectly aware of what you are saying, but the reason I sort of agree with the multiple personality kind of thing is that even in the LN, Haru often says that red king has an angel mode, but then other time abusive and harsh like a demon… and I don’t think what you are pointing out has much to do with this fact. this is just a way of hers to get her objective achieved… nothing wrong with it.

        jrj
        Reply

  16. Primarily glad that a (random) character actually points out in the episode about Haru relying so heavily on his flying ability and the fact that doing so means that people are given plenty of opportunities to adapt to and/or counter it, and Scarlet Rain shows a perfect example of that with her anti-aircraft missiles that she’s never been able to use (given Haru’s the only one so far able to fly), showing she was well-prepared for such a thing well before Haru even got the ability.

    On the other side, it’s also nice to see Haru also realizing this himself and working with being shot at in order to increase his speed and agility to be able to dodge such inevitable attacks and, in practice, he does quite well doing so against Scarlet Rain. The only problem was the unpredictable result of her being able to simply cast aside the fortress like that and dodge his own attack.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

  17. Oh geez. A girl falls and a boy just “happens” to grab her boobs with both hands. Not belly. Not legs. Not arms. No~~~!! Just boobies. Always stupid boobies. And not just grabbing, but cupping them like some creepy rapist with totally embarrassed faces. What the heck? Stop this nonsense you Japanese anime writers (NEEDLESS TO SAY, the majority of the Japanese anime writers are fine, but there are always some who ruins it for the rest, like everywhere else)!!! If it’s on ecchi shows, I get it. I really do. But TOO MANY times it comes up on regular shows like this one, like it’s the most natural thing in the world or it’s some sort of go-to-move for a cheap laugh. How many times have y’all seen this stupid shit?!!

    …I’m fine with the rest, but tired of this crap trope. It doesn’t add anything anywhere, but keeps coming up (just to be clear, I am NOT trashing the show, but the stupid boob grab TROPE)!!! So if you neg this comment, I know which camp you belong~~, you dirty bastards!! If there’s a mountain of negs, humanity is lost. Don’t let humanity lose, y’all!!

    worstof2012
    Reply

      1. I think you got wrong. worstof2012 (LOL this nick) criticized the boobs trope as something bad used, which don’t add anything for the anime other that more wish fulfillment – which is the worst element of this series. I really want to like this series, but anything here other than the good fight scenes feels artificial and the drama is too forced.

        (and sorry if my english is bad ^^”)

        Mary Vanucchi
        Reply

      2. Wish fulfillment? What’s that supposed to mean? If you mean the psychoanalytic definition, saying “this anime is wish fulfillment’ is dumb, since all anime IS wish fulfillment. If you really don’t like this show, you can just go all back to watching “realistic basement dwellers in space” and miss out on all the fun and entertaining stuff.

        Besides, that trope is a staple in every bathroom slip scene for a reason: grab any other part and you actually raise the risk of an injury. Grabbing a person’s chest supports all parts, from the head to the abdomen.

        So complaining about that trope is pretty much moronic.

        The Moondoggie
        Reply

  19. Hahaha, oh wow, I did notice that Silver Crow was being de-armed a lot, but totally didn’t make the connection! His Power of the Kings keeps being stolen. XD

    FlameStrike
    Reply

    1. Please give them some time to cover on that.
      Hime will post that question for you when they meet up. 🙂

      Haru will be “enjoying” in the next episode. hehehe…

      tylon
      Reply

  24. Personally, I don’t agree haru lost by a long shot. He lost quickly, but due to falling for her trick. Haru, lvl.4, managed to avoid damage when attacked by a lvl.9 user. And it was her strong point too, long distance attacks. He even forced her hand; to move 50cm even though she usually never moves.

    On another note, how DID Scarlet Rain find out Silver Crows real identity? And I expected Kuro to be angry at revealing her identity, although he could do nothing about it. Wasn’t it the greatest Taboo to know it?

    Djalaal
    Reply

    1. while it is one of the most dangerous thing to reveal your RL identity to other linkers, Kuro Hime is willing to risk it in part to protect Haru. Plus at this point all of the black legion member should know the identity of the red king, where red king only knows that of silver crow. So it is actually a higher risk for the red king if a real world assault is to occur.

      jrj
      Reply

    2. Haruyuki lost without being able to hit her even once; this is losing by a wide margin. Also, the reason he was able to dodge all of her missiles was because he has been pumping all of his level-up bonuses into his speed (this was mentioned in the novels but apparently skipped over on the show), so essentially her specialization in long-range attacks is negated by his specialization in speed. As for her moving 50cm, it was the smart thing to do; just because she doesn’t HAVE to move doesn’t mean moving isn’t the smartest decision. I’d even go as far as to say that her choosing to move instead of taking the hit to prove she could says more for her cunning and decision-making in battle.

      MikeMan
      Reply

      1. well, I would be surprised if Haru reduces her HP by like 30%… think about it, lv.4 vs. lv.9, it is highly unlikely he can do much without game breaker stuff… as to her moving 50cm, the idea here is not that she doesn’t have to move, but rather a strategic move as well as a defensive one. normally her opponent at that point would have evaporated by her firepower, so Silver Crow is actually a formidable foe in her eyes, not to say that diving attack will actually hurt quite a bit even with her defense (remember, she is not green king), but in the end, it is still an one-sided game.

        jrj
        Reply

      3. that kick would have damaged the fortress a bit unfortunately… red color, and especially in scarlet rain’s case, doesn’t focus on defense (she is not green king), and brain burst is too realistic for a game… so think about what would happen when something hit you really fast, it will hurt

        jrj
        Reply

  30. Haruyuki’s not a strong male protagonist. He’s a mewling cretin. And while that may change, it’s where he’s at today.

    The words he uses are as non-committal as possible. I don’t mean that he wouldn’t commit to serving her. He can do that, barely, because that doesn’t require him to be human, male or strong. But it’s not the potent type of service that Miketsukami developed, and that so perplexed Ririchou and galled Kagerou in Inu x Boku. Haru’s subservience is due to a lack character and pretty much total absence of masculinity. If it’s based on anything, it would like be on a pitiful form of gratitude. He couldn’t even join up on his own ambition. All he’s really saying here is that he won’t betray her. But he probably only has the gumption to say that much since it’s beyond his imagination. Of course, it could be foreshadowing. I could certainly see conflict between them in the future.

    I’ll add that his committing Kuroyuki to meeting Scarlet Rain if he loses his fight demonstrates his suitability to the role. And from her clenched fists, I assume that she felt the same.

    He still isn’t at the point at which he considers himself of the same species as Kuroyuki. The role of the loyal dog (of the neutered variety) is currently the height of his aspiration and imagination. We’ll see if she can drag him up onto his hind legs. When he can hold a normal conversation with her and maybe respond to her attempts at flirting, or when he can do anything without crying first, then I’ll acknowledge some progress. But he isn’t anywhere near being a strong, male protagonist.

    Mockman
    Reply

    1. you are not giving Haru enough credit… remember he is nobody prior to become a burst linker. self-esteem takes a long time to form. there is almost no way he will dominate kuro hime in personality not only because he is her “child”, but also because she is a lot more mature than he is due to the influence of brain burst. and really, the anime is just a bit slower in building up Haru’s personality since the first 7 episodes are all devoted to vol.1 + vol.10 of the LN, where Haru is a lot weaker. trust me, he will gets a lot better later on.

      as to kuro hime clenching fist, she is blaming herself for not picking up the clues that Haru give her about the red king. she is more mad at herself for not protecting Haru than mad at Haru.

      jrj
      Reply

      1. Well, I’ll grant that I’m not giving him any credit. It doesn’t bother me that he’s a weak character. It’s how wretched he is, given his circumstances, that I find irksome.

        I’m not expecting him to dominate Kuroyuki, or even keep up with her. He’s sort of the antithesis of her, at least at this point. But, I think he should be able to walk around by himself without crying, or talk to her without crying, complete a sentence without crying or apologising, etc…. I don’t think his lot in life is so terrible that he couldn’t do any of those things on occasion.

        He isn’t without friends. He has two good friends. One of them is a girl. She likes him. A lot. She’s willing to invite him into her bedroom and onto her bed for a cabling session. With a very short cable. She accepts his evasive excuse, gives him the benefit of the doubt and lets him have his way with her. Given that he’s not a sociopath, and he doesn’t seem to believe in manipulating people, it’s interesting that he’s able to treat her like that. In most anime, the weak, male protagonist usually faints upon entering such unfamiliar territory as a girl’s room. At this point, it seems obvious to me that she has strong feelings for him. While he seems to be oblivious to the nature of those feelings (which is in character), close proximity to a girl he likes isn’t alien to him.

        While lacking in many areas, he does possess exceptional talent in one. A unique talent. And its related to something that he considers very important. And he’s able to fight and win battles, even over his friend, who has been the epitome of masculinity as well as his idol.

        Is he still a level 1? Nope. I think he’s at level 4 now. He’s able to chat with, fight with, and grope while naked in the tub another girl, who just happens to be at the same level as his princess.

        So I’d say that the wretchedness he shows is unwarranted. The total absence of self-confidence is unwarranted. And most of all, his lack of self, identity and ambition are all unwarranted. Worse, it’s all inconsistent with the events currently happening. While his princess is telling him that he can achieve what even she could not, not only can he not accept it, he can’t even imagine it. His dreams are puny dreams.

        Earlier I said that I didn’t expect him to be able to keep up with Kuroyuki. Rather, I’d expect things to sort of be like their walking to school the day he told her about his cabling adventure. When she was walking slowly, he kept up with her. As she walked more quickly, he fell a little behind. Eventually, she left him in the dust. But at least he made it to school. The crying, whining and self-flagellation are all still as though he’s frozen and standing still.

        Either way, if you say he’s improving, I won’t argue that. But I won’t agree with the suggestion that he has even the appearance of a strong, male protagonist.

        By the way, I think the clenched fist was more about her being put in a spot that she’s very deliberately avoided. That’s why Scarlet Rain chose his route, he’s the weakest link. And Kuroyuki has previously shown a willingness to wear her heart on her sleeve. While she seems to feel pretty strongly about him, she’s still able to get upset with him. I’ll watch it again but that’s my take on it.

        Mockman
        Reply

  32. The one thing that bothers me is that everyone looks like a kid other than Taku. Granted that they are middle school students but still… me not satisfied…me hates loli [except for Koneko-chan] Hoping for a time skip :}

    Cybersteel
    Reply

    3. LOL, I dunno about you guys, most advance burst linkers spent alot of time in that mode that it isn’t surprising that they’re more mature than they look. That’s the novel’s explanation.

      And what’s wrong with a teen carrying a cannon in a MMO?

      The Moondoggie
      Reply

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