Support NeoGAF

[PK Gaming]

This doesn't really feel like a so-bad-it's-laughably-good kind of series... Just bad, from what i've seen. (Though I only watched a few episodes from season 1 so I don't know how deep the rabbit hole goes). I'm still incredibly annoyed at the fact that the premise for the first season was actually kind of good, but they didn't capitalize on it at all.

Like, if the entire series was structured like episode 3, (with better writing, pacing, non-sue protagonist, etc) it'd be totally down with it it.

 

[JC Lately]

I think SAO is one of those anime that would be better served with a new cast. Kirito's story was told, it had closure.

This new season should've had a fresh new cast. Maybe the MC could have been a solo player in Aincrad that kept to himself and survived with smarts rather than plot armour and handled things with strategy and tactics rather than outright force. Something. Kirito just isn't interesting and neither is Asuna or the weird cousin.

I think Log Horizon is what you're looking for.

 

[Frog-fu]

As much as I hate Kirito and find him extremely bland, that wouldn't make sense.
Kirito was the only thing that actually mattered in the first season.
Might as well make it a completely different series without him.

Why wouldn't it make sense? The story could've still took place in the same universe just with different characters. Kirito being the only thing that mattered in the first thing isn't one of the series' strengths. In fact, I think it's one of its biggest weaknesses.

I think Log Horizon is what you're looking for.

Saw the anime, read most of the manga that's available, and now I'm waiting for season 2.

Log Horizon is a lot slower paced than SAO and doesn't really focus half as much on combat, which I think is a good thing, though it still leaves a lot to be desired. However, unlike with SAO, I'm actually looking forward to what comes next for those characters in season 2.

Kirito & Co. though, not so much. Again, I feel as though their story has been told, and that it's a missed opportunity to not have a cast in this season. It could've been an epic, gorgeously animated, action packed season with fresh new characters I could actually give a damn about - maybe. I dunno, the writer of SAO has good ideas but he's not very good at executing them, imo, so I suppose those new characters wouldn't end up being as good as I'd like.

 

[Narag]

Sword Art Online II 2

What an awesome fucking episode, easily the best out of the 27 total in the series so far. It's probably no coincidence Kirito is nowhere to be seen iin this one aside from about 30 seconds.
I'd play the shit out of GGO.

Only downside was Silica getting tentacled again.

 

[Ryuukan]

The new ED is better than Trigger's entire works to date

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Why wouldn't it make sense? The story could've still took place in the same universe just with different characters. Kirito being the only thing that mattered in the first thing isn't one of the series' strengths. In fact, I think it's one of its biggest weaknesses.

It was a big weakness, but if you do a series without the "Mary Sue" like character in the same universe it just doesn't work imo.

It would be like another live action Resident Evil set in the same universe as the others but without Alice. I despise Alice but its like who gives a crap when you basically have this god mode character out there somewhere.

 

[TimmiT]

That was some super MLG pro shit.

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

Sword Art Online II 2

What an awesome fucking episode, easily the best out of the 27 total in the series so far. It's probably no coincidence Kirito is nowhere to be seen iin this one aside from about 30 seconds.
I'd play the shit out of GGO.

Only downside was Silica getting tentacled again.

LOL I was thinking the same how enjoyable the episode was without Kirito. Sinon best 1337 $N1PRZ girl in SAO.

 

[BGBW]

Episode 2

What the hell? I want my money back. Kirito was in this for like five seconds and instead we get Whiney Willie and his gang of Nauseating Noobs. Well sure maybe some people will say this episode is good because it actually focusing on the game aspect on the show rather than silly drama except for the fact the Whinester is the most melodramatic person in the show show. Guy literally starts crying over his k/d ratio lol what a loser.

And why the heck was there a Heavy without a Medic? lol do these guys even know how to play FPSs? rofl

 

[Mononoke]

Well I'm glad people like the second episode. I just barely watched the first one and man was it tedious. So much set up and it was just boring. But I'm going to watch the next episode soon.

 

[-Horizon-]

All hail Sinon!

 

[NomarTyme]

Swords will always be cooler.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Swords will always be cooler.

Nope

 

[Frog-fu]

It was a big weakness, but if you do a series without the "Mary Sue" like character in the same universe it just doesn't work imo.

It would be like another live action Resident Evil set in the same universe as the others but without Alice. I despise Alice but its like who gives a crap when you basically have this god mode character out there somewhere.

Why wouldn't it? One of the major complains people have about SAO is that Kirito is such a stupidly overpowered character and thus takes out all the suspense. The author could have easily made is so that Kirito retired from gaming after he got Asuna back and then introduced a new main.

 

[Narag]

Why wouldn't it? One of the major complains people have about SAO is that Kirito is such a stupidly overpowered character and thus takes out all the suspense. The author could have easily made is so that Kirito retired from gaming after he got Asuna back and then introduced a new main.

That wouldn't have been easy at all as Kirito is literally the author's self-insert. Guy was never good at MMOs and wanted to know what if felt like to be at the top of the heap so SAO.

 

[Frog-fu]

That wouldn't have been easy at all as Kirito is literally the author's self-insert. Guy was never good at MMOs and wanted to know what if felt like to be at the top of the heap so SAO.

Haha, true. There's no way Kirito isn't a little bit of a self-insert. The writing is way too suspect for it not to be.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Why wouldn't it? One of the major complains people have about SAO is that Kirito is such a stupidly overpowered character and thus takes out all the suspense. The author could have easily made is so that Kirito retired from gaming after he got Asuna back and then introduced a new main.

But Kirito being the way he was, was the entire purpose of SAO.
As Narag said that was the writer's intention

Log Horizon on the other hand could easily have 100 spinoffs with different characters, games and such because it fits that universe. The main cast despite being very important aren't basically gods.

SAO goes out of its way to show that Kirito is the only person that matters in that universe.

 

[fertygo]

Man this eps is actually good lol, the action is killer at the end.

Btw the OST from Kajiura already remarkably better than her own effort at S1.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Episode 2 is making me want a new tactical shooter badly.
Socom please come back.

 

[duckroll]

Episode 2

The amazing top contender for AOTY continues to impress. This week we take a break from perfect-boyfriend-perfect-gamer-perfect brother Kirito-kun to focus on developing a brand new character. We don't know much about this mysterious femme fatale, other than she's also a perfect-gamer who is the best sniper in GGO, and that she probably has hang-ups about her less than perfect reallife/sadlife because the camera focused several times on the glasses on the table when she woke up. Such deep symbolism. How ironic that the best sniper in a VRMMO has to wear nerdy glasses in real life!

GGO seems like a bitching game though. No surprise since it's the most popular pro gamer VRMMO of all time! I would have called this game totally unrealistic just a month ago, because who would use Ninja Gaiden platforming in a gun shooter?! But then I remembered, have you seen Titanfall? Since SAO was written before Titanfall was even conceived, I can only conclude that Reki Kawahara is not only a genius but also a prophet. He is the Comstock of anime, and Aincrad is his Columbia. For in end what is it, but another ark, for another time.

Too bad the episode had to end with Silica being bullied yet again. Terrible. Crap show. 2/10. Mean fuckers.

 

[Marow]

Whoa, this second episode took me by storm. Just forget about Kirito and make Sinon the lead character instead. This episode had it all.

Not only the best episode in the series so far, but one of the better anime episodes in general that I've seen this year. Didn't expect this, to be honest, as I was not a fan of the first season.

 

[Hexa]

Amazing episode. Definitely still at the forefront for my favorite anime of the year.
They seem to be taking their time with battles though. I expected this one to be a lot shorter though I'm not complaining. It was done really well. And of course Sinon is amazing as expected.
There seemed to be a lot of stuff that's subtle and easy to miss though if you don't already understand the mechanics of the game world and Sinon better from the LN.
And random SAO Girl Op scene at the end. lol Wonder if they're actually going to be doing those.
Looking forward to next week so much.

 

[Ryuukan]

perfect-boyfriend-perfect-gamer-perfect brother Kirito-kun

Looks like this duckroll is filled with jelly tonight

 

[phoenix296]

Episode 2

Pretty decent episode. That boss fight at the beginning wasn't really a boss fight if you can just lay on the ground and snipe it to death, this game requires no skill at all. The battlefield drama was very SAO, smiling on the battlefield, capt-kuns "I'd rather log out than die". The gun fight was hilarious, my mini-gun is a better sniper rifle than yours Sinon!

 

[Dedication Through Light]

2

He got a scene in the OP Im so glad, best part of GGO. Alright episode, I dont know how they even managed to make it last the entire episode, it could have been a bit shorter, IMO. Still the game part was just as exciting as it was in the book. Especially with the great background and scenes chosen with the sun shining there.

 

[Xamdou]

2

He got a scene in the OP Im so glad, best part of GGO. Alright episode, I dont know how they even managed to make it last the entire episode, it could have been a bit shorter, IMO. Still the game part was just as exciting as it was in the book. Especially with the great background and scenes chosen with the sun shining there.

Who is that!?

 

[VanillaCakeIsBurning]

Who is that!?

Probably spoilers from the novels going by intuition.

I'd hope that people would keep that kind of information out the anime thread.

I just had a flashback to the chaos that was the Attack on Titan thread.

Episode 2 was really good. I didn't expect the fight to last the entire episode but I enjoyed it, especially the ending shot.

 

[Xamdou]

Probably spoilers from the novels going by intuition.

I'd hope that people would keep that kind of information out the anime thread.

I just had a flashback to the chaos that was the Attack on Titan thread.

Episode 2 was really good. I didn't expect the fight to last the entire episode but I enjoyed it, especially the ending shot.

Ok forget I asked then, no spoilers!!!

I initially thought SO2 with guns would be a step down from sword fighting but I actually changed my mind. I still prefer sword fighting since close range is more intense, so hopefully Kirito will keep using swords.

 

[TUSR]

lmao tentacle monster lmao

 

[Ala Alba]

I think I really prefer Sinon's real appearance over her VR appearance. All the other (female) characters have better (or identical) VR designs, though.

Anyway, if they're going to send as much time on all the fights as they did on this one, I guess they'll fill up the episode count handily.

 

[BassForever]

Episode 2 felt lightning quick, like I blinked and it was over and nothing happened. I don't care about this new character or her team or her game and am not given any reason to do so. At least the action was nice and flashy but when I thought I was at the half way point the episode ended. I dunno if it's a good or bad thing the episode felt short

And as others have said LOL at the loli being a victim of tentacle rape again, and kudos to SAO for making a joke out of it

 

[AnathemicOne]

Sword Art Online II - 01

Bland intro episode, nothing really happened. I have to say the main villain's intro was pretty hilarious instead of threatening.

Sword Art Online II - 02

This episode was much better as it focused mainly on our new protag Shinon in addition with focusing mainly on the action. I'm probably overthinking this but I do hope Shinon doesn't turn into a generic trope of being physically crippled in the real world leading into why she's (so far) bad ass in the virtual world.

 

[Tinfoilhatsron]

I shall stay far, far, faaaaaaaaaaaaaaar away from this.

Spoiler

Unless it comes to Toonami so I can hatewatch it with a group.

We can hatewatch it together.
Also DeathGun? Really?

 

[Horse Detective]

Fucking hell this show has so much talking in it.

There must be something wrong with my speakers, because all of the explosions and gunfire sound muted, like they are sloshing out of something. I don't understand why Kirito talking to Asuna couldn't have happened in between episodes.

 

[chickdigger802]

SAO II 2

ooh video games happening. the iron sight bit is nice, besides the goofy finishing blow, the rest of the eps was solid enough. Hope battle strategies still come in play after Mr Stu arrives to save the waifus/day with his fucking ligthsaber.

 

[Hexa]

2

He got a scene in the OP Im so glad, best part of GGO. Alright episode, I dont know how they even managed to make it last the entire episode, it could have been a bit shorter, IMO. Still the game part was just as exciting as it was in the book. Especially with the great background and scenes chosen with the sun shining there.

Major Spoilers beyond the show!!!
I can't not say it though. Sorry.

Spoiler

Hell no. Fuck that guy. Male yanderes are gross.

 

[BassForever]

Major Spoilers beyond the show!!!
I can't not say it though. Sorry.

Spoiler

Hell no. Fuck that guy. Male yanderes are gross.

*reads spoiler*

Don't ever change Sword Art Online lol

 

[VanillaCakeIsBurning]

Well if people are going to post light novel spoilers regardless then I think it would be a good idea for me to just abandon this thread entirely.

In the AoT thread I was lucky because I had read the manga before hand but I haven't read the source material for this and that thread taught me that trusting people who have to keep everything within spoiler tags is unrealistic.

 

[Aureon]

I think SAO is one of those anime that would be better served with a new cast. Kirito's story was told, it had closure.

This new season should've had a fresh new cast. Maybe the MC could have been a solo player in Aincrad that kept to himself and survived with smarts rather than plot armour and handled things with strategy and tactics rather than outright force. Something. Kirito just isn't interesting and neither is Asuna or the weird cousin.

You're talking about Log Horizon.


With two eps out, this anime keeps me wondering on how one could start so high and plunge so low.
I'm not throwing hyperbole around in saying that s1ep1 was the thing that HYPED me the most in the history of anime, and yet, they somehow ruined it all.
Asuna started out as a actually decent character, only to be completely deleted and remade into 'Kirito-kun's perfect, loving girlfriend who never disagrees about anything and wants to be with him'.
Aincrad was a incredibly promising world, full of places and rules to explore, only to drop the bass on all of that within four episodes, and start shelling out powerlevel bullshit. My MMO player persona can't take a raidboss being solo'd seriously, just can't.
But i could've endured that and just said "Hey, it didn't live up to the promise, but was still kind of cool".
But NO! That corpse, dear to me in what it could have been, keeps getting massacred.
What should have been done was getting the writer on board on that "You know you're not 14 anymore, right?", get one or two smartass editors, and knock some sense in the whole thing.
Better yet, scrapping Kirito and just using the world to house another story altogether. Asuna can stay, as long as she doesn't get character-wiped.
I keep watching, waiting the day in which we get told Kirito is a inhuman experiment conjured up by the guy that made SAO, and everyone involved in the SAO incident (or ALO\GGO) had severe mental damage to explain the clusterfuck that resulted, where being nearer to kirito means more mental damage.
./rant
Saint god that was longer than i thought. I should really stop digging up this corpse.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

I still hate the whole "death in the game = death in real life" thing.
just feels so overly dramatic and kinda takes away from the setting being a video game imo.

Really prefer the way Log Horizon handled that matter.

 

[klee123]

Once again, I can't help but just laugh at the comments here. Most people here hate the show yet the continue to watch it every week.

All you guys are either a glutton for punishment or maybe you guys secretly like the show but just not willing to admit it lol.

That said, I can't believe they spent a whole episode on the new character.

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A5mM9j54zA

Just missing some mountain dew and doritos.

 

[striferser]

Ep.2

Holy shit, this is kinda good...i mean, that action scene is cool. Then we get to see our lord and savior Kirito kun living the harem life. bummer!

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Once again, I can't help just laugh at the comments here. Most people here hate the show yet the continue to watch it every week.

All you guys are a glutton for punishment or maybe you guys actually secretly like the show but just not willing to admit it lol.

I think a lot of people(especially on here) want to like it because it has so much potential but its being wasted.

 

[Conan-san]

People will complain about the deal with Silica's plant problems but having a giant plant monster grow wings is just too funny to me go be that mad at it.

 

[Moaradin]

outside of loli getting tentacled again, that was a good episode. It had nice action which is all I can ask for out of this series. And Kirito was nowhere to be seen so that's a plus.

 

[Stuart444]

Once again, I can't help just laugh at the comments here. Most people here hate the show yet the continue to watch it every week.

All you guys are a glutton for punishment or maybe you guys actually secretly like the show but just not willing to admit it lol.

That said, I can't believe they spent a whole episode on the new character.

I love the show and enjoy watching it immensely but reading these threads after each episode is a highlight for me. Almost as good as watching the episodes themselves.

Also Sinon is awesome, looking forward to seeing her more in future eps.

 

[BGBW]

outside of loli getting tentacled again, that was a good episode. It had nice action which is all I can ask for out of this series. And Kirito was nowhere to be seen so that's a plus.

How could you miss his manliness on the mushroom at the end?

 

[spindashing]

How could you miss his manliness on the mushroom at the end?

Complete with his wife, virtual child, and jealous romantic interests!

 

[chickdigger802]

Why is ALO still open? You'd think government intervention and law suits and what not might have shut it down.