Sword Art Online

[Destiny_Gundam]

Link or description please, very interested.

Here.

[iCards]

Really? That makes even less sense then! Something anime only just contradicted something anime only!

Well, I am happy with any extra Lisbeth screen time they want to give us.

Thinking back I heard some where that the "Liz" episode was pretty popular, and considering that she didn't show up this week the staff probably did the episode 9 scene for fanservice since they still had a Liz story element they could add her in for if they wanted to and still have it make since. The LN fans will be suprised, but the anime fans will glide on by.

Link or description please, very interested.

Here.

Thanks and bookmarked.

[Destiny_Gundam]

Thinking back I heard some where that the "Liz" episode was pretty popular, and considering that she didn't show up this week the staff probably did the episode 9 scene for fanservice since they still had a Liz story element they could add her in for if the wanted to and still have it make since. The LN fans will be suprised, but the anime fans will glide on by.

Adding her in just because is perfectly fine. However they didn't need to have her say a line that goes against the change they made to her episode.

[Shinji103]

It was cute so what does it matter?

Over-femini-fied. (not a real word, I know :p ^^b)

SAO is different from other MMOs, though. Players can actually dodge stuff rather than just wack away at each other by clicking the mouse. So long as the boss doesn't hit you (or doesn't hit you enough) it's easy to solo them.

That's because it's virtual reality. If stuff like Warcraft or Final Fantasy XI was virtual where you could actually control a body like that, dodging would be like that too.
But it still doesn't change that bosses in MMORPGs are super-powerful foes that are supposed to require multiple players and teamwork.

Right, and it's because Ichigo had to run off and fight a stronger baddy. If Asuna had her own boss to fight while Kirito faced another we could see her take care of it, but so long as Kirito is around he'll always be the one to solve the situation as befits the main protagonist. It has nothing to do with their genders.

I could believe that, which is why I enjoyed reading novel volumes 1 and 2 so much, if it weren't for volume 3 and the author coming up with a plot arc to

Spoiler

make Asuna a damsel in distress for no sake other than to make her a damsel in distress for Kirito. There was really no need in the plot for Asuna to wind up a locked-up princess in ALO; she could have just as easily continued to be Kirito's partner through Fairy Dance, with Suguha meeting them and helping them, Suguha finding out Kirito = Kazuto and seeing just how attached they are, facing down Sugou together (with "ghost Kayaba's" help), etc.
Instead Sugou literally hangs her up as the trophy for his and Kirito's duel. >.>

So I guess shipping overrides feminism? I expected more complaining about Kirito saving Asuna again.

There is that, but I've been waiting two months for this. Don't ruin the mood.

But yeah she was in her underwear one scene and completely nude the next. I don't think it needs to be spelled out more. Though I imagine those not familiar with the novels won't think much of it.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were people out there whining and complaining about "Oh it didn't happen, he was just visiting her in the night! See, he wasn't even naked!" There seem to be a lot of romance/sex-phobes in the American anime fanbase.
To evidence this, fans were pretty rabid in slapping anyone down who mentioned that Hei and Yin even might have a "thing" going on.

[Destiny_Gundam]

I could believe that, which is why I enjoyed reading novel volumes 1 and 2 so much, if it weren't for volume 3 and the author coming up with a plot arc to

Spoiler

make Asuna a damsel in distress for no sake other than to make her a damsel in distress for Kirito. There was really no need in the plot for Asuna to wind up a locked-up princess in ALO; she could have just as easily continued to be Kirito's partner through Fairy Dance, with Suguha meeting them and helping them, Suguha finding out Kirito = Kazuto and seeing just how attached they are, facing down Sugou together (with "ghost Kayaba's" help), etc.
Instead Sugou literally hangs her up as the trophy for his and Kirito's duel. >.>

Well from what I know

Spoiler

the dude was trying to take advantage of the situation to marry Asuna and inherit her family's company. It wouldn't be wise to let her run around on her own with that at stake.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were people out there whining and complaining about "Oh it didn't happen, he was just visiting her in the night! See, he wasn't even naked!" There seem to be a lot of romance/sex-phobes in the American anime fanbase.
To evidence this, fans were pretty rabid in slapping anyone down who mentioned that Hei and Yin even might have a "thing" going on.

They don't watch enough hentais. The men usually stay fully clothed

But I expected people to go "It's just a video game so they can't do it" when SAO does in fact have a system that lets them do it. Those only watching the anime aren't likely to know that.

However I suppose the fact that Asuna stripped in the first place is a pretty big tell.

[Compass]

Pretty sure all she wanted was intense cuddling. While (...) is implied in the novel even without 16.5, it's less implied here. In the LN, the process of (...) is actually explained. In this one, we have to assume quite a bit to assume that (...) actually happened as viewers.

Compare to the FSN Dragon. We're pretty sure that (...) probably did not happen in the anime. Unless (...) feels like a dragon eating your arm off.

[Destiny_Gundam]

If it was just cuddling she didn't need to take her clothes off.

You know, you can mention sex here, right? Just don't take it to pornographic levels.

The novel only mentions Ethics Code Off, but 16.5 explains why they're programmed with working genitals in the first place. There's debate over if 16.5 really was written by the author or not, but I doubt a fan would include that particular bit of world building if they wanted to write a lemon.

[Compass]

I normally use (...) as a reference to Xanth, because it seems to work just as well .

it is revealed that summoning the stork will release an "ellipsis" (...) into the air to fly off to the stork. This is a play on the joke that all the "adult" things happen after a paragraph ends in an ellipsis

Regardless of whether it was canon or not before, the light novel and pretty much all written published works, I assume, neglect to mention 16.5. Whether or not it was written in the past as canon doesn't necessarily mean it's considered canon now, would it? I know that sounds like a dumb statement, but Great Expectations by Charles Dickens has those two endings that vary greatly, one being the author preferred and one being the original.

I'm pretty sure the author did not want 16.5 to be the talk of the town after having it go mainstream if that was the case, and I'm definitely sure he does not want 16.5 to be the talk of the town if he did not write it

[Destiny_Gundam]

Well the ending of chapter 16 and the beginning of chapter 17 certainly don't invalidate it.

[Shinji103]

Well from what I know

Spoiler

the dude was trying to take advantage of the situation to marry Asuna and inherit her family's company. It wouldn't be wise to let her run around on her own with that at stake.

It still brings us back to why did we need any arc plot

Spoiler

that involved Asuna being damsel-in-distress-ed at all. Why did Sugou need to be a guy who tried to take over Asuna's family's company and thus led to her being a locked up princess?

Actually I could actually think of a way or two to pull that off without Sugou locking up Asuna. For example, the guy is a sadistic SoB; by watching her run around vainly trying to save the 300 (on which he would totally get his rocks off), he could sink her into desperation and persuade her into voluntarily marrying him to save the 300. (we all know how much she cares for other people, especially seeing they way she was so desperate to save those Army guys from the floor 74 boss in episode 9) But things don't go as planned, Kirito helps her get out of the sinkhole, Sugou rages on Kirito, and they go on to beat Sugou. (with ghost Kayaba's help of course)

They don't watch enough hentais. The men usually stay fully clothed

But I expected people to go "It's just a video game so they can't do it" when SAO does in fact have a system that lets them do it. Those only watching the anime aren't likely to know that.

However I suppose the fact that Asuna stripped in the first place is a pretty big tell.

Even if they had included the ethics code off explanation, I'd bet that the nay-sayers would still try and deny it. ^^b

Thankfully though I don't see many of them around. I've only seen one so far.

But I really wish they hadn't chickened out of the whole "clearly they had sex" indicators so bad. (more because I like romantic moments like that than to shut up the nay-sayers, mind you ) Heck, in the novel Kirito's cheek poke while she slept was supposed to be him running his finger up Asuna's back.

[Compass]

The poke could be a euphemism! *cough*

Seriously, him poking Asuna in the cheek and not expecting her to wake up was pretty dumb on Kirito's part.
Also, I stepped into myanimelist to read their boards. I am officially scared of those forums now =_=

Also, Accel World pulled the cross-over card.
This week's episode showed the Nerve Gear from SAO as a direct predecessor to the Neural Linkers in Accel World.

[Amion]

I just marathoned Sword Art Online and found it pretty good. Why are the forums trashing it? What are their complaints? (I'm too scared to get on the boards, considering all the rumors I've heard)

[Destiny_Gundam]

Well if you look back at our discussion, the issue is mainly Asuna's portrayal.

[Amion]

Well if you look back at our discussion, the issue is mainly Asuna's portrayal.

Gotcha. Man am I lazy.

But is that the only reason to get so awful people are actually afraid of getting on the boards? I personally liked her portrayal so far.

[Destiny_Gundam]

Can't really say as I don't frequent any boards other than here and ANN that talk about it. ANN can be pretty snobbish at times but nothing to be afraid of.

At any rate people will overreact to anything and everything and blow it way out of proportion. Just take it on a board by board basis. At least know that here we're (mostly) reasonable people.

[Ryujin]

Also, Accel World pulled the cross-over card.
This week's episode showed the Nerve Gear from SAO as a direct predecessor to the Neural Linkers in Accel World.

The manga adaptation also pulls this card as well, and very early on--there are two panels from the second chapter which, while discussing AW's origins, shows the Nerve Gear and a couple who closely resemble Kirito & Asuna.

Of course, it should also be mentioned that, when asked about it recently, the author has been very ambiguous about the relationship between AW & SAO.

[quasadra]

well in the Alicization Arc...

Spoiler

various thing from Accel World appear word by word in this, the acceleration tech, incarnate system, prototype to neuro linker, and more that i cant remember off hand.

he can say what he want, being the author and all... but i would be very surprised if they are really not connected, since the aftermath of Alicization can be carry on to AW so well.

[NastyNate]

Hey guys. I'm late to the conversation here, but I just caught up to all of the episodes available on the crunchyroll ps3 app. I have to say I am really enjoying it. I don't usually watch Fantasy anime do to religious stuff with the god's and demon summoning. But this does not have any of that and I love it. Overall it has been very clean up until episode 9's quick groping scene and episodes 10 under garment scene. As long as they don't get any worse or frequent I think I will stick with it. I am hoping funimation picks it up for a dub it would be great to have in a collection.

I hope when they end the show they show what happened in the real world and how has this game effected their bodies after lying there for years. I would also like to know what happened when one of the kids mom came home on the first day and took the headset off.

I can't believe the main guy lost that dual and had to join the guild. But I really like how they did not do the big anime cliche and have the two mains wait and express there affections until the final episode and how they have already done so. The only other anime/game that broke that lame cliche was valkyria chronicles and eureka seven and I approve.

[Destiny_Gundam]

Overall it has been very clean up until episode 9's quick groping scene and episodes 10 under garment scene.

Don't forget that scene of Silica in her underwear! That was very... uh... *cough* unnecessary. Yeah...

[NastyNate]

What episode is everyone else on?