Otaku Thursday – Seasonal Check-in: SAO Alicization

Hi ya’ll! Time to talk about my favorite two boys and girl of the season. The kids from Yakusoku Never—ha just kidding, we’re back to SAO. Considering that the third season of Sword Art Online will be longer running than any before (and possibly lasting a full year since it’s scheduled for four cours), I figured it would be better to do check ins throughout it’s run. Mostly because I honestly can’t be bothered to watch it week to week for so long, so I figured it’d be easier to just return to it every season and binge all the episodes from where I’d left off. SO THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I DID. So, how is SAO Alicization doing so far? Let’s chat about that.

First off, I’m going to state clearly: I had high hopes for this season, and while I am still mostly enjoying it, it still suffers greatly from typical SAO problems. The first, which I noticed pretty quickly as I binged, was that it definitely still has pacing issues. The fights carry over between episodes—starting at the end of one and finishing in the first five minutes of the next episode. It just…isn’t compelling for a show about swordsmen. Would I prefer fights go on forever? Not exactly, but I want something more than a five minute confrontation. I will credit though, that the fights are at least getting a little more interesting than just having on swordsman overpower the other with brute strength. Still, they’re nothing to call home about (but when have they ever?). Also just as a side note, but is it just me, or is SAO a lot more BRUTAL this season? Sound off in the comments below.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that Kirito, while not unbearably OPed in fights, is still irritatingly hacked (so to speak). Now, when I say that, I mean that he just always seems to have just the damn thing to win. And okay…I might have said he’s not unbearably OPed here…but that’s a lie. Let’s not forget that episode where he has to work together with Alice…super OP. But I am enjoying him getting more injured in this season. It’s so refreshing (I swear I don’t hate Kirito, I just stan Eugeo). Meanwhile, it is nice to see Eugeo getting screen time and becoming a person in his own right. And I do have to put it like that because my brother constantly calls him a carbon copy of Kirito. But y’know, Kirito is so boring in this new season…meanwhile Eugeo is kind of an emotional wreck at times and it’s just SO good to see his struggles (sadist you call me? perhaps). To see him go through anger, forgiveness, episode 19 (which all ya’ll can fight me on—he ain’t being thirsty or getting seduced—he legit being hacked), and more. Eugeo is my boy. And his relationship with Kirito is absolutely adorable. The way they have each others back and are constantly together…it’s just like such a cute friendship. True bros for life.

But you know what we keep getting less of in this second cour? ASUNA. Which I’m very mad about. Home girl isn’t even in the second opening, and she goes episodes without an appearance before getting a meaningless, five minute one. Here I was hoping for some split screen, badass-real-world Asuna moments but instead we get her eating fresh fish with Kaiba’s ex-girlfriend. Awesome.

I will say though, that there are two things I’m super psyched about what I’ve watched so far, and that is seeing Alice. Being a character who had been absent since episode one, she was really a sight for sore eyes when she *predictably* appeared. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her, even if she seems more like a trope than a character, and I’m glad Eugeo finally found her. Then the second thing I really enjoy, is the bad guy they introduced, aka The Administrator. I actually really loved her backstory, and thought that her entire concept was truly interesting (especially the bit about how she creates integrity knights), but I have a feeling it won’t be utilized to it’s full potential. But, I guess time will tell. Her entire scene at the end of episode 19 did a great job of emphasizing her power over the fluctlights in the underworld, and was also a damn sad but good moment to behold. This is one home bitch I hope to see do great and terrible things before she gets defeated by the good guys.

Well, with that I have reached the end of my first seasonal check-in for SAO Alicization. I’m still enjoying it, though irritated with it as well. I know the full second cour isn’t out yet as we still have some episodes to go, but I’ll try to watch those at least as they come out. Hopefully nothing too humongous will take place during them that inspires a second check-in but honestly, who knows? (I bet you light novel readers do actually).