[lightbringer]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

Again, another problem of "show, don't tell". And it isn't like you need a full extra episode to tweek transitions between scenes, although I could picture these 2 stories into 2 full episodes instead.

Spoiler for comparison of episodes 1 to 3 to the novel and short stories they are based on, including an exposition about the author's writing style... but actually there are no spoilers about future events or really anything in here so it should be safe for public consumption:

This is a problem with the source material. The author has a very weak grasp on the "show, don't tell" rule and very often reverts to telling the reader about events that should be shown instead.

Given these limitations, they are doing a great job so far. Up until now, things that have been told in the novels are being shown, and cruft is being streamlined.

It's true that the beginning of this episode is a bit abrupt, but I think it works just fine. It doesn't really matter what Kirito was doing down there, the main point is gotten across - he's level 40 and ended up somehow saving a level 20 party and they are thanking him. Not much more actually happened in the source material - how they met was largely "told" rather than being "shown".

This episode at least feels less rushed to me than the short story it is based on. The stuff that was cut entirely was actually only framing material not related to the story itself.

Verdict: so far as an LN reader I am happy with the episodes, including this week's. In fact, watching episode one is what got me started on reading the LNs, and my opinion of the episodes 2 and 3 was not diminished by the source material.

Originally Posted by Randrak42

If they wanted to show everything perfectly true to the LN they would need what? 2, maybe 3 episodes for the Black Cat Guild plot?

Spoiler for exposition about the number of episodes required to adapt the relevant short story that episode 3 was based on, including information from the relevant short story that episode 3 was based on:

No, if they were to include all the stuff that was cut and cut the stuff they added instead (Argo's scene) it would barely add up to another 5-7 minutes. They'd have to add a lot of filler to make up the difference.