Sunday, July 15, 2012

Sword Art Online episode 2

BLEH! Don’t you hate it when you know you should be doing something but upon doing that thing you will let someone down so you rather not do anything? If that makes any sense as I am super vague, like someone is going to guess what I am talking about. Le SIGH! Do not want to do this, can’t make me. :( But I guess sooner or later that person is going to be disappointed and I should woman up and tell them now? RARW! Being an adult is hard, lets watch Japanese cartoons instead!
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Dramatic NOOOOOOO time.
Did I just use the word cartoon to describe anime? Take away my otaku card! XD Of course I usually use the word anime as to create a difference between Japanese shows and American shows that usually are…made for kids and suck. XD Go Team U.S.A!!! What is up now? Sword Art Online episode 2 time woohoo! Spoilers for the quick dissolution of we are all in this together!!!
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Not too many people at this meeting....
Episode Summary: Kirito explains that after an entire month and over 2,000 character deaths the first floor has not been cleared yet. Today though a meeting has been gathered about how one group has found the boss monster and how they are going to defeat him. The person in charge of the meeting is named Diabel and he talks about how they all need to go and defeat the boss monster right away to show the others stuck in the first time beating the game is possible. Diabel tells everyone to get in groups of six so they can focus separately on fighting the boss monster and his minions. Kirito was sitting by himself and is quickly left out of every group. He quickly slides over to a girl Asuna who was also sitting alone and asks to be in her party. She agrees but remains quiet. Before things can become amazing another player Kibaou arrives and states that the beta testers have been nothing but greedy since the game started and aren’t helping the new players out. He goes on and on how they need to give up items when another player stands up for beta testers. This player explains that the beginner guide that was handed out for free was made by the beta testers to help everyone out. Things get squashed and after the meeting most of the players drink and party the night away. Kirito finds his party mate Asuna and gives her cream for her just okay tasting bread. Asuna explains she is fighting so she can remain herself. She rather die trying that rot in the beginners town.
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Oh monster...what a questionable outfit you are wearing....
The next day Kirito gets a little nervous as he realizes that Asuna has never been a party before. Partied with a newbie they make it to the boss room. Diabel leads the battle very tightly but with positive results and Asuna turns out to be an excellent fighter. When the boss monster gets down to its last health bar Diabel breaks away from the plan and goes in for the kill himself. Kirito realizes that Diabel wants the bonus gift but sees that the information they were given on the enemy was wrong and tries to warn everyone. Diabel is hit but everyone else is spared. Kirito tries to heal Diabel but Diabel insists of Kirito leading everyone to victory and dies. Kirito and Asuna attack the monster with Asuna’s cape being destroyed. Kirito is hit and everyone starts taking hits at the monster. Kirito and Asuna eventually are the ones to kill the monster with Kirito earning the bonus item. Everyone cheers but Kibaou. He points out that Kirito let Diabel die and knew the monster’s technique. Kibaou outs him as a beta tester and things start getting heated. Before Asuna and the character from earlier can defend Kirito he starts laughing. He says that he is the best beta tester ever and reached further in the game than anyone else. For some reason Kibaou decides that Kirito is a cheater so Kirito decides he is a beta tester cheater…a beater. Kirito smiles at that and starts walking away. Asuna goes after him but Kirito advices her to join a guild as this game can’t be won alone. Kirito then unlocks the level 2 doorway and THE END!
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Look how awesome I am! Root for me!
After watching this episode I realize that I have been focusing on the computer game anime shows this weekend. XD And I still have another anime on my list that I haven’t watched yet (or isn’t out?). Funny how I watch all these computer shows and I can’t figure out how to get rid of all these spaces in my blog or how to change the header. X__X I love computers weeee!
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That is a really long time for NO ONE to be strong enough. Even leveling on slimes for a month would create a strong character...
I am actually surprised that the game has been going on for a month and no one has cleared the first level. I mean I am sure people are playing the game super safe as you get no second chances or revives. And with no one logging out and people camping good hunting spots maybe it is hard to level up. I know that I would want to be stacked going up against an enemy so I could beat it with ease. But with more on the line that not getting the drops and people having a hard time leveling I guess it is understandable people are keeping it slow and careful.
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Asuna acts like a new player....
It also makes sense that some of the newer players, especially those who just bought the game to play with friends, are sticking close to the first town. If every spot is being camped on anyway and you have no hope of leveling it makes no sense to stick your neck out and try. Of course if everyone did that no one would leave the game and they would be stuck there forever.
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I am guessing it means it is not cleared for all and I answered my own question yay.
I do have a tiny little question though. Sorta zipping to the ending and taking into account what Diabel said to the crowd…if the level is cleared at all does that mean everyone can go to level 2 or just the people who helped beat the boss? Like the game would recognize who inflicted damage and would let them pass. That would make more sense, to show the scared folks it was possible than opening a gateway for everyone to skip to. Also can a person travel back down levels or once you go to level 2 you are done with level 1 forever? Either situation will help out the newbies though. Once the stronger people move on it will open up training spots for them to grow and beat the boss themselves.
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Not having classes bothers me in this game too. So unnatural.
I thought Diabel was a good leader. He spoke well in public, helped squash the haves verses the half not fight fast, and directed the battle well. Of course this world is going to need a lot more Diabels if the we are to have a significant amount of the players live. We can’t have one person lead 7,000 players to level 100 (especially when he dies…). So hopefully there are little pockets of brave people that just need a little push to lead people. But I thought Diabel was right in most of the episode except for one part.
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So helpful this person creating a divide between people.
The problem causing character….caused problems. At first I thought it was Kline but then I realized he looked up to Kirito and probably wouldn’t say that as Kirito tried to take him along. Then it turned out to be someone else anyway so it is okay. But problem starting player…was causing problems. I can SEE how newbies might be upset that the beta players had an advantaged and used it to get further in the game…but that is not their fault. Why don’t you blame the crazy person who trapped you in this game? Oh wait you can’t find him so you are creating different classes of people so you can have someone to blame? This is a battle between life and death. I can’t really blame people for looking out for themselves and taking what they know from the beta test to make themselves stronger. As long as the beta testers weren’t killing the newbies or using them as meat shields I think the anger is understandable but wrong.
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Oh and this too!
And I am sure there are some beta players that have taken some newbies under their wings and helped out. Even if every single beta player lived through the initial let me disconnect my loved one disaster, survived the first month, AND bought the game/logged on that very day that would be 1,000 people. That means that 9,000 other people were newbies to the game. Just this game mind you, I am sure there were some serious gamers among that group that just didn’t make it into the beta. You would have to be a serious person to get a copy that sold out and logged on that day right? Anyway after all the deaths so far that would be that of the 9,000 newbies and assuming only the newbies died that would been there are 6,750 newbies still alive. At the very least worst case scenario type deal. So 6,750 newbies verses 1,000 beta testers? Obviously there are not enough beta testers to go around and who knows if they were any good at the game. No no I can’t buy into the fact that all the beta testers abandoned the newbies and stuck together. Causing problem character (whose name is Kibaou apparently XD) must have had a bad experience with a beta tester. And maybe spoke with other newbie characters who are frustrated with the situation and needed someone tangible to blame. I am just saying if I were in a life or death situation and I had feelings like that I would keep them on the down low and suck up to beta testers so I could taught how to play the game. Honey not vinegar people.
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Oh snap I need a group!!!!!
I thought it was a bit of anime magic that allowed for Kirito and Asuna to be paired up. Diabel should have been a more observant leader and noticed that one of his groups had only two members instead of the suggested six. I mean I understand there were a limited number of players at the meeting but a team of two doesn’t sound as helpful as a team of six. Given how the battle went down later it was necessary but those two were given the same tasks as the other bigger groups. But this is the anime magic comes in. Of course these two have to be in a group by themselves. Didn’t you see the opening art and animation. So while this was a bit eyerolling Diabel was blinded by the anime magic and it worked a bit as both were “loner” characters.
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I am going to sit here and not talk at all wearing my little cape so I can look mysterious.
I am not quite sure why Asuna is a loner character though. But since this is episode 2 that is understandable. I am sensing that if level 1 was this hard to clear we are looking at multiple seasons of this show thus lots of time to explain characters yes? But Asuna does seem a little weird. She was an amazing fighter in the boss battle so one would think she was a beta player herself. But then she talked about how she never been in a party before and didn’t even have enough knowledge to see Kirito’s name. So is she just amazing at this game, like a natural or is there something else going on with her?
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I would probably be in the beginner town crying still. I am brave like that.
Asuna goes on to confuse me a bit when she talks to Kirito over cream bread (worst reward ever from a quest?). That she didn’t want to stay in the inn and rot away, that she at least wanted to go out trying. Which I understand. I mean it could be years until people are rescued from this world, if rescue is even possible. But as Kirito stated later this game would be hard to finish alone and that she should join a guild. Yet here she is very uneducated about the game but doing so well. Kirito is a loner but has knowledge and didn’t want a bunch of people slowing him down. Maybe it was hard for her to connect with anyone after all the beta testers fled and the newbies stayed in town. I don’t know, she confuses me and I look forward to understanding her motives more.
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The monster is a little scary though...
The actual battle between the boss and the characters was done well. There were a few moments where the art got iffy but otherwise pretty good. But Diabel was a good leader and really kept everyone on track and alive. And no one screamed anything about fried chicken so I call it a success.
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Err...and no one questioned this because...?
But then the one thing I did think Diabel messed up on was trying to take the bonus item for himself. Which I think he truly deserved anyway. He organized the group and made things run smoothly. He should have taken the item but since the rule was made if you get the item you keep he really had to go after it himself. If that rule wasn’t made I am sure people wouldn’t have joined the battle but seriously Diabel deserved it. It is just how he went about it. The boss monster just reached the last level. At least let everyone hack at it for a while before running in to claim your prize. Even if the boss monster used the weapon he thought he was….it still wasn’t going to be a one hit K.O. That is where I think Diabel made his mistake.
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Err.....and Kirito didn't force him to take the potion why?
Well that and he died. That would be a mistake to me as it is hard to come back from the not breathing process. Unless you are a zombie. Do zombies breath? But anyway why didn’t he allow Kirito to heal him? I did notice that the health bar kept falling even after Kirito got to his side. Maybe he was poisoned and was going to die anyway? It just seemed very odd to me. Like why would you allow yourself to die? Accept the potion and lead your troops to victory. And maybe apologize for trying to “steal” the special item. That part made no sense.
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How about I just beat you up and call it a day?
After Asuna and Kirito save the day…. Kibaou decides to cause problems again. Because that is his true name. Surly a few people must have saw Kirito offer the potion. Given the angle maybe not Kibaou himself but anyone else want to stick up for Kirito? And everyone saw Kirito warn Diabel AFTER he saw the weapon. The weapon wasn’t the same thus he knew something was wrong. So where is the major conspiracy there folks? Why is Kirito getting blamed for things that weren’t his fault?
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Look at me being the hero weeee!
But Kirito decided to go all martyr on us. Oh yes I am a beta tester, but the worse kind! He tried to insist that many beta testers had already died helping people and that he only uses his knowledge for his own gain. I really thought he was trying to become a leader by pretending to be a tyrant (don’t kill me because I know too much) but really was he trying to just make things better between beta testers and newbies by making himself the true enemy. I guess…that makes sense…in a way. Perhaps he was trying to help other beta testers as they were constantly being blamed but throwing himself on the sword was the only way he could do that? Poor Kirito. He was just trying to help and now he is going to be known as public enemy number one instead of first floor clearer.
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Asuna is like eff you I want to be with the winner! As it should be.
The episode ends with Kirito putting on his special bonus item (the cool looking jacket) and Asuna being one of the only people in the room that doesn’t hate him. I am sure there were a few people who didn’t think he was a….beater. But for now there is power in numbers and the only one who doesn’t care about that is Asuna. But Kirito recognizes while she could have been a good ally that would mean no one else would want to be with her for now. Obviously his suggestion to join a guild is not going to be listened to but it was nice seeing both of them trying to help the other. I look forward to the next episode weee! Until next week. XD

5 comments:

eternia said...

When somebody / a party killed a boss monster and proceed to the next floor, they would go to next town's teleport area and activated a crystal there, allowing all players to visit there in an zap. And yes, the process is reversible, you can always go back in beating pink blobs and tan blobs, even when you are Lv. 85 already.
-_-
The way that guy let himself die is ridiculous indeed, and the boss monster wore nothing but an underwear, which looks like a pink elephant over his crotch. I wondered myself why Kirito got a cool looking black coat instead that underwear for killing it.
:-D
The way the 'boy meets girl' happened is too convenient as well, as in your language : anime magic. And the way Asuna falls in love madly with him, and gives herself to him is ridiculous as well, just because he's enjoying himself in this game of death? As I said in my troll review (in case you read it), she's the kind of heroine who's "Do you need a reason to love somebody?" No, the author designed me to~

Anonymous said...

Quote from Kurogane’s Anime Blog and I agree:

As the LN reader, this ep was a disappointment. I know they can’t possibly put in all that stuff in anime but putting a 100-over page worth of material in a single episode was a horrible horrible idea. Now people who don’t read the LN’s won’t know about Asuna’s crazy suicidal grinding, Kirito’s awesome room and the bath scene. Oh god the bath scene. Also, SAO is Asuna’s first non-mobile game she played, which explains her unfamiliarity with the GUI in the show. Can’t believe they left that out too.

Next, thanks to the episode NOT including important stuff about the SAO system, I’m sure anime-only viewers are going to see Kirito being an asshat after going all the way to insult everyone after killing the boss and taking the last hit bonus. To understand why he did that here’s a few things you need to know:
• SAO has free for all PvP everywhere that’s not a town area.
• Diabel and Kibaou were in cahoots with each other all the time (anime seemed to have made them good friends AFTER the meeting)
• Diabel intentionally stirred up the New vs Beta conflict in order to screw over Kirito, which he already knew was a pretty great beta player.
• Not all the beta testers were actually crazy pro hardcore players like Kirito, in fact beta tester death rate after the first month was HIGHER than the new players.
• SAO, being a death game, requires pretty much a lot of people to work together to beat each floor’s boss.
• Beta players only got to like Floor 8, so they really don’t have THAT much of an advantage after the first 10 floors

(continue.....)

Anonymous said...

So, Kirito in essence took over the “blame” the new players wanted to lay on the “beta testers” in order to try and keep the peace between both factions. If a PvP war broke out between the two sides, it would essentially be self-destructive and would’ve prolonged the game even more. Yes, it’s probably not the best move ever, but Kirito’s thinking at that point was that he was going to be a Solo player for the rest of the game anyways, so he didn’t mind being ostracised if it meant the other players could cooperate together. I really hated how the production committee decided to not include all this little details that actually goes in a long way to explain the reasoning behind Kirito’s actions.

I seriously think Diabel got what he derived. In the original material he even went to a the extremes of trying to buy over Kirito’s sword (which was pretty much the strongest weapon on Floor 1) to prevent him from getting the “last hit”. Evidently, that didn’t work out too well.

“Switch” is also pretty important as there’s actually a cooldown for skill usage plus monsters are able to inflict status effects like “stun” in battle so usually one person would engage first then switch after taking/blocking a hit from the enemy while their team mate deals damage using their sword skills. Also, monster AI in SAO is surprisingly simple and doesn’t react too well with sudden player changes so there is a little window of opportunity when they “switch” to deal a good amount of damage. This is absolutely essential in boss fights.

I help this clears something........

Anonymous said...

>> Why did the guy refuse the potion?
quote from MintLeaf:
I cannot say if the anime implied it properly, since I'm an LN reader. But just to answer your confusion, damage taken doesn't drop your HP immediately, but rather slowly slide towards zero. It was shown in the anime but I agree it wasn't obvious enough. As soon as the guy lands, he knows he's a goner. So him refusing the potion is more of a "Don't bother, it's too late." Just in case somebody is gonna ask "Then why does Kirito still try to give him a potion?" Well, if someone is dying in front of you, you would still try to help and hope it's not too late right? It's a genuine instinct.

Christina said...

Eternia- That makes sense, about the floor warps. Most games are like that because you might have to quests later in that area. Long live the blobs.

I agree that the dropped item should relate something to the monster. So Pink Elephant should have worn a coat over his panties. Glad Kirito didn't get those instead though.

Anime magic is responsible for many relationships. Or maybe the bread was really that good. XD

Anonymous- 100 pages?! I understand that things need to cut and changed between mediums but 100 pages?!?!? Holy crap!!! I can see why the light novel readers might be pissed.

As for the episode itself, for me a nonlight novel reader, things were okay. Asuna just seemed like a loner player like Kirito. Didn't get the crazy vibe from her at all. I thought Diabel was clearly the instigator and Kibaou was some sorta of magical hero. Obviously that was not the case. I don't think that changes my opinion of this episode but I agree that these are MAJOR differences.

I think most people are going to get why Kirito did what he did (being an asshole) but the information that the beta tester rate of death being higher was new. And surprising. Maybe they overestimated their skills and weren't cautious enough.

Anonymous 2- Thanks for clearing the HP bar issue up. In my head I was like OPPIES lag issues! I thought maybe he felt guilty about what he tried to do (take the last kill) but even then that would be too minor to die over. While he was trying to save Kirito a potion he should have "taken" it even if it was a waste. Now everyone is blaming Kirito for not trying.