Sword Art Online

[kargarus]

Episode 14.

Yes, like pretty much everyone I didn't see all this coming. I'd say my reaction is pretty mixed. Definitely interested though at where the show might head next.

Happened all a bit too quickly for me. I liked the 'twist' that the Guild leader was actually the creator and the reasoning that 'who in the world that loves these MMOs would just be content to sit back and watch', that was pretty cool.

Didn't rate Asuna suddenly sacrificing herself despite the paralysis; felt cheap to me, but whatever. Pidj's explanation above for it is decent - though would be nice if the show directly addresses it later on as well.

Some unanswered questions remain. Overall the drama of this episode was okay to me, bit overplayed but not too hammy.

[CloneCommando]

Episode 14

I enjoyed that episode quite a bit, I honestly feel that if they ended the series right there, it wouldn't have been so bad. Yes the end of the game came a lot faster than I anticipated, and maybe it would have been better if it was drawn out more, but here is what I liked. I did not see that turn of events coming, which impressed me, because I can usually see those sorts of things coming from a mile away.

Now regarding Kirito and Asuna not dying, does it feel like we got jipped somehow because they weren't actually "killed"? Maybe a little....but here is how I see it. The creator of the technology and the game, Kayaba Akihito, main did all this to be entertained to a certain extent.

What Asuna and Kirito did (Asuna sacrificing herself despite paralysis, and Kirito holding on and defeating him) entertained him because he did not expect it to happen. Therefore because he was entertained by them, and because they worked together to defeat him and clear the game, he then altered to rules and allowed them both to live. I mean, he made everything in that world so surely he could do that if he felt like it.

Anyways that is my opinion thus far, and I am looking forward to see how things develop in the "real world now"

[Bootowski]

Wow. Alright. I'll take a stab at a lucid post.

I understand the complaints about the pacing. The game did feel like it ended a bit before its time. Or perhaps it just felt that way... What with the "promise" of 100 floors, even if it was meant to end the way it did anyways. Kirito not immediately dying was also strange. Maybe the amount of time it actually takes them to disappear was under-exaggerated until this point... But even so, it doesn't make it feel any less like it was made up as they went along. Or an asspull as you all have already said.

But neither of them having their brains turned into pork loins was the only thing that actually made sense. As already stated, there's a certain amount of time between a player experiencing their virtual and actual demise. Being that the game technically ended when Akihiko was stabbed in the chest as Kirito was disappearing... It should have interrupted that transitional phase, which is what I'm guessing the cloudy overlook, or otherwise heavenly area, was supposed to represent.

Of course, that means that Akihiko is still alive somewhere. But I imagine it won't matter with how many people that will be chasing him... Assuming he hasn't already been secured somewhere in the extremely generous amount of time he gave them. I'll admit, Kirito waking up from a 2+ year malnourished coma as if he just had a bad hangover and then standing on his own and walking with no immediate problems was ridiculous. But it's fantasy, I guess. Wouldn't have been very interesting if he woke up and then just sat there.

Please don't misunderstand. I'm not trying to justify what they did completely wrong. There's actually always been quite a bit of it, and this episode was no different. But I love this show so clibberdippledamned much that I just made up a word to emphasize how much I actually like it. And so help me god, if you try to tell me that this show/episode wasn't one of the most emotionally satisfying in (at least recent) history, then I'll probably do something crazy like come up with another one just to spite you!

But for real. It felt great. Yeah, I give up. This is the best I could do in this state. Hope you all liked this week's episode, at least.

And hip hip hooray for neither Klein or Egil dying!

[Nihatclodra]

I personally do not think that SAO should have ended there... It should have gone to the 100th floor and ended like that... I swear, the writer of this series is horrible at pacing.

I am anxious for the next arc to start though. I got spoiled to what the next arc is going to be in a Doujinshi, and honestly, I can't wait for it to start.

[versailles]

Ep. 14. What really bothered me:

What kind of hospital doesn't have nurses immediately go check on the patient in the room where the heart monitor goes to 0?? :p

[Etue]

Originally Posted by versailles

Ep. 14. What really bothered me:

What kind of hospital doesn't have nurses immediately go check on the patient in the room where the heart monitor goes to 0?? :p

Remember that all the players probably woke up just before kirito did, therefore they already have their hands full. However Kirito waking up in an empty room instead of a massive over-occupied hall strikes me as odd. Did all the players in the region get private rooms? That's a lot of private rooms...

well there was another bed... but two persons per room still is pushing it...

[Seyren]

I'm just going to ignore the guy that doesn't enjoy anything and say THIS WAS AWESOME.

Sure there were some flaws with this episode, but i really did enjoy it. At first i was disappointed with the 20 second boss battle, but then BAM, "Immortal Object'", whaaaaat? There were a lot of moments like these. Asspulls and awesomeness both got their turn in this episode, but it still gave me goosebumps here and here, to which the music added.

Too bad the game is over, was looking forward to seeing the next 25 floors. Wondering where they'll go with the story after Asuna and Kirito get back together.

[hoffstyle]

They're still alive because of the

Cardinal System

. It's the only logical answer Roricon. Plus anime is not finished...I thought you weren't going to spread your verbal diarrhea until it was over?

[Seyren]

Originally Posted by hoffstyle

Plus anime is not finished...I thought you weren't going to spread your verbal diarrhea until it was over?

Yeah he had some lame excuse for that.

"Game is over so show is over"

or something like that. Meh...

[Jezerdina]

I really enjoyed this weeks episode. Probably more than I have any of the past couple of episodes.

glad they are finally out of the game. I have pretty much been waiting for this episode since about episode 5 when asuna makes kirito a sandwich, and then thats about all she does for the rest of the series. Im a little bit worried about how when he wakes up from the game, the only thing he does is want asuna. I get why, I just hate clingy relationships.