First Impressions / Sword Art Online

「最終負荷実験」 (Saishuu Fukajikken)
“Final Load Test”

This was a rather wild episode when it comes to the amount of exposition that was dropped on us.

General Impressions

I’m not going to lie — I was surprised with how much I could sympathize with Miller and his team as they continue to lay siege on the Ocean Turtle. If you were to look at the whole concept of fluctlights and the ability to create fully independent and functioning AI, it’s not hard to think that other countries would be real weary of technology like that coming to fruition without having a piece of the pie for themselves. So as much as I want to be salty that the attack on the Ocean Turtle is what left our main boy Kirito in a near-vegetative state, I just can’t when you factor in all the extra elements. That and you have to be impressed with how professional these mercenaries are seeing how they didn’t actually kill anyone in their “unsanctioned” raid of an ally country.

Luckily, if cross-country politics aren’t your thing, there was a lot more outside of that to fill this week’s episode. The biggest being Asuna will finally dive into the Underworld. God, I can’t even express how happy I am to know that she’ll finally have an opportunity to be more than just a pretty face that stands around and occasionally harasses Kikuoka for being an asshat. However, I am a little concerned about how Asuna might be entering the Underworld in an avatar that doesn’t resemble her. Seeing how the “antagonists” are also utilizing already existing avatars, I hope that Asuna gets some special perk of being able to look like herself. That said, I suppose I don’t really have to be all that worried since I feel like Yui dropped a huge spoiler when she asked everyone to be ready just in-case Asuna needed help. Does this mean that at some point, everyone will be in the Underworld!?

With the threat of the final load test looming over everyone inside the Underworld and a highly trained duo who have been spending their time wrecking people both in and outside the virtual world, it looks like everyone has a rough time in store for them. Man, I can’t wait to see how the story addresses all of this! In any case, I’ll catch you guys next week where the post shouldn’t be coming out late. See you then!

 

Preview

17 Comments

      1. In this instance, someone with a profession that has to do with military and combat would most likely be playing GGO in order to practice their skills within a perfectly safe environment that wouldn’t run the risk of being fatal (well, except for the Phantom Gun incident, but that was just a one-off) while also being as close to reality as possible (such topic was already discussed in SAO Alternative: GGO I believe), so technically it’s not about recreation so much as it is about necessity.

        yoloalchemist
        Reply

  5. https://randomc.net/image/Sword%20Art%20Online/Sword%20Art%20Online%20Alicization%20WoU%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2012.jpg
    What part of this sentence can they not understand. They can’t read english? Seriously? And that blond dude’s Engrish was lousy. So I learn the american server is linked to the Japanese server.

    https://randomc.net/image/Sword%20Art%20Online/Sword%20Art%20Online%20Alicization%20WoU%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2029.jpg
    Spoil me if we learn something interesting about this woman. So she has eternal youth? Does Kirito try to WOO her? Wanting to see if there are any other female anime characters that can fight without clothes.

    So the Laughing Coffin Leader isn’t a terrorist. Wow.

    Greed
    Reply

  6. Wow, what an episode. With Asuna beginning to dive in and the ominous flashback of Sinon’s, I was reminded of a short song that I wanted to share here that conveyed my anxiety of future events:

    https://youtu.be/fjzcNsJVol0

    It might be premature to share it now, but with the showing of the GGO fight and gruesome death, it felt like a good time. And the way he said it to Sinon really sent chills down my spine. Really reminds me of Oberon in a sense. I can’t help but feel that something big is about to happen, and the opening I’ve shared here really conveys my thoughts.

    Also, notice that Sinon’s foe never used a gun; it was all hand to hand combat…that’s pretty unnerving to say the least.

    Anonymous
    Reply

  10. It’s nothing personal it’s just business Miller and his crew are just working for a client. Knowing this I don’t think I will ever come to like Miller, he seems to be an even bigger A* hole compared to the late administrator.

    Besides the unwanted guests in the secret command center and Underworld, I didn’t think there was politics between Dark Territory and the Underworld. I know there is social politics between the knights and the common folks. But I generally thought the Dark Territory was made up of a bunch of mindless beast looking to gobble up tasty kids…I’m remembering the end of the first episode so maybe there is politics between two domains.

    RenaSayers
    Reply

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