Sword Art Online - Episode 3 Discussion / Poll

[Hmm....]

As a novel reader, my only impression about this episode is RUSHED and nothing else. Onward, to anime viewer's opinion

[Miraluka]

Originally Posted by Hmm....

As a novel reader, my only impression about this episode is RUSHED and nothing else. Onward, to anime viewer's opinion

I read them except for the newest release yet I don't allow myself to overrate the work that much to blind my opinion as a LN reader . The lesson is always keep the expectations low in order to get the better enjoyment or not getting too much dissapointed .

[kyp275]

Originally Posted by Hmm....

As a novel reader, my only impression about this episode is RUSHED and nothing else. Onward, to anime viewer's opinion

Tbh, if your enjoyment of the SAO anime entirely predicates on it not being a shortened version of the story in the novels, then you might as well drop it now and save yourself the headache.

[tsunade666]

Okay...................... who is the one who directed this episode? (with emotionless tone)
or the staff behind this episode because it felt superficial at all to none existing emotion. Knowing who's behind it is better so I know who to blame on it because I felt JC staff do better in directing than this episode (which I never did before considering JC's track record)

Spoiler for 03:

The episode start with a campai or a drink with people I don't even know having celebrating because Kirito saved them or something. Thus they invited him on their guild or party. He comply and help them level up steadily and even thought them how to fight. But I don't know much about his inner feelings or turmoil specially when he suddenly shows up in the field and seeing Kline which also was surprised when he is in a guild/party. Kline tried to make a conversation but he doesn't say anything and just leave. Kirito came back from the talk to ended up locating Sachin (I wish they will sub that part in translation because I don't know what he did. Did he track her with some skills for higher level players?) Then there is also few minutes of showing the leader talk with Kirito on his ideals of why they even fighting and his friends praising him. Then got cut off again with him leaving and the part going into dungeon which ended up them getting entrapped and died one by one then a sudden jump out of no where with the talk with rat about information of a revival item then their he goes to get it to be followed by Kline and to eventually be followed by some other people with an army of the same suits (they don't even bother with the difference of each character. They just clad them in armor) Kirito fought Santa Grinch to get the item but the item is not the one he like thus he gave it to Kline. Kline's tears seems fake to me too because the emotional turmoil isn't there at all. The end part is about the letter which is supposedly great but also another part which felt nothing

I maybe expecting a lot on this series because I know the original material and episode 01 gave it an okay but episode 02 disappoints me and now episode 03 .... really gave me a huge doubt on it. Maybe I should start lowering my standards for the episodes and just think of them the same way I watch the other shows (without expectations at all) the directing is pretty rushed and crude if you ask me that you can't even feel pity for the characters or their inner turmoil or problems. Sure in one part of the episode . Kirito and Sachin talks but that talk also felt nothing for me. And then the scene with death...... >_> I don't felt anything when I see them die one by one. And the hate of their leader? I don't even felt it either and it felt that they just show it to show his angry. Kirito's feelings aren't also showing well for me and specially that mad rushed at the end and his anger towards his first friend in SAO. Nothing is right for me cause their is no time to make it through you.

And finally the scene which made me sad in the novel also gave me another feeling. I feel sad, that part gave it but also aside from sad anger and disappointment on the pace and the way they handle this arc. This arc is one of my favorite and they just do it in one episode and rushed the feelings that should be brought by it.

I like SAO and I won't mind watching SAO arc only for 2 cours. So the rushing of things is bad for me. If they want to do the next arc then its up to them but for me. From this episode onward. I will lower my standards and won't be expecting fate/zero level expectations which was brought to me by episode 01 but been trashed by episode 02. Such disappointment and this is probably the first time in I gave that kind of score on an anime which I like and waited for.

[Lantern]

Originally Posted by Wilfriback

I read them except for the newest release yet I don't allow myself to overrate the work that much to blind my opinion as a LN reader . The lesson is always keep the expectations low in order to get the better enjoyment or not getting too much dissapointed .

This.

Though I can't help to feel a storm coming

Regarding the episode itself:

Spoiler:

It never ends well for a "Lancer", doesn't it?
RIP Black Cat

[Hmm....]

Originally Posted by Wilfriback

I read them except for the newest release yet I don't allow myself to overrate the work that much to blind my opinion as a LN reader . The lesson is always keep the expectations low in order to get the better enjoyment or not getting too much dissapointed .

I tried to to do that, keep my expectation very very low, pretend to be anime-only viewer and so on. I still find it RUSHED
If I know myself well enough I know that I would fail pretending not to know anything So I will just wait and read anime viewers's untainted opinions

Originally Posted by kyp275

Tbh, if your enjoyment of the SAO anime entirely predicates on it not being a shortened version of the story in the novels, then you might as well drop it now and save yourself the headache.

My enjoyment of SAO anime would be seeing what is to be cut and what is to be animated.
So far, It seem my opinion and that of anime studio's is differ greatly. If it continue this way, I may really have to drop it. But since this is SAO, I will gladly endure this headache for a few more weeks, at least, until they start the main story.

[Rovert10]

This anime was hyped to hell and people probably expected way too much out of it.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Rovert10

This anime was hyped to hell and people probably expected way too much out of it.

Pretty much. It doesn't help that some people expect a direct translation, and not an adaptation..

[Nightengale]

I apologise beforehand if this sounds arrogant, but if you can't disconnect yourself from the source material, pretending won't help.

Especially if there's that iffy feeling of 'what was cut, what got through, how they did it' lingering in the viewing experience. That alone pretty much means that there's a massive bias, even if you're not directly putting them to comparison.

It's best to be yourself, state the perspective you came from and discuss the feelings and thoughts as per your opinion.

[Klashikari]

As a anime only watcher, I felt this episode was even more rushed than episode 2:

Spoiler for Episode 3:

Frankly, the whole emotional attachment towards Black Cat guild is simply non existent, considering they hardly made Kirito interact with them, or anything that made you like the characters.
Heck, even Sachi didn't bring anything aside of a "nameless human being afraid of dying", saveperhaps the delayed message.

I can see they are trying to use Episode 2 to show the hardship regarding what awaits players in term of game, and Episode 3 being the "aftermath" and psychological implication.
However, while Episode 2 glossed quickly on the headlines, which impacted on Asuna's characterization according to LN readers, I can see Episode 3 failed big time to convey the emotional turmoil, because you hardly can sympathize with the characters, since they are hardly introduced then throw away like pawns as "they already served their purpose".

With the absense of interactions and Kirito monologues, I can see people questioning Kirito's intent of lying about his level, and hell if it wasn't for the vague last line and digging more about it, I would be the first to misunderstand his intention.

Because of all these points, the demise of the guild basically left me a "well, and?" quite similar to Diabel supposed "dramatic death", and by extention, Kirito's broken state feels awkward, when I don't "follow" that.

From what I can see, the scripters are trying to rush towards "serious business" or anything that can be considered as an arc. But right now, it is nearly painful to watch considering this is not even an info dump: it is nearly a picture book with little substance.

[Marina2]

Ep.3

Spoiler for Ep.3:

I really hate when anime or manga kill a character like Sachi T_T. A girl like her should be survive not meet a tragic end.

.................................................. .................

To people who about to start reading novel - Take this as a tip

Only read a part of novel that already shown in anime (Watch anime first, read novel later)

- You won't know or notice what were cut out in anime version and you can enjoy it more. Moreover, when you go to read novel, you will see scenes that were cut out in anime.Those scene will make story feel even more perfect and enjoyable to you. In the end, you will like both anime and novel version because both version are "fresh" to you



However, if you read novel first, when you watch anime, you will feel "Why did they cut out so many thing?, I can't enjoy this" like many people here.

[Miraluka]

Even Fate/Zero had problems rushed things and cut down a lot of talking and the first episodes were a trip to dreamland cause they were boring. There wasn't enough space to show off the whole contents.

These are Side Stories that the author made to expand the main first story, but I didn't care at all about them until the anime got announced .

Originally Posted by Hmm....

I tried to to do that, keep my expectation very very low, pretend to be anime-only viewer and so on. I still find it RUSHED
If I know myself well enough I know that I would fail pretending not to know anything So I will just wait and read anime viewers's untainted opinions



My enjoyment of SAO anime would be seeing what is to be cut and what is to be animated.
So far, It seem my opinion and that of anime studio's is differ greatly. If it continue this way, I may really have to drop it. But since this is SAO, I will gladly endure this headache for a few more weeks, at least, until they start the main story.

I'm myself. When watching the anime my mind automatically explains what I see with I what know from. Maybe thats why .

Originally Posted by Marina2

Tto people that about to start reading novel - Take this as a tip

Only read a part of novel that already shown in anime (Watch anime first, read novel later)

- You won't know or notice what were cut out in anime version and you will enjoy it fully. Moreover, when you go to read novel, you will see scenes that were cut out in anime which make story feel more perfect and more enjoyable. In the end, you will like both anime and novel version because both version are "fresh" to you

However, if you read novel first, when you watch anime, you will feel "Why did they cut out so many thing?, I can't fully enjoy this" like many people here.

I don't know about that but the first episode made BT servers to crash down because there was a flood of users that wanted to compare the anime and the novels .

[Netto Azure]

As per the previous episode it felt kinda short. But that's expected by now I guess. 20 minutes feel very fast indeed when you are seeing things visually rather than reading detailed text. Still it went through most of what was necessary to convey the main issues.

[kyp275]

@Lantern

Being Lancer is suffering

Originally Posted by Hmm....

My enjoyment of SAO anime would be seeing what is to be cut and what is to be animated.

call me crazy, but that sounds to me like a guaranteed way to not enjoy any adaptation.

Originally Posted by Nightengale

I apologise beforehand if this sounds arrogant, but if you can't disconnect yourself from the source material, pretending won't help.

pretty much.

Originally Posted by Klashikari

As a anime only watcher, I felt this episode was even more rushed than episode 2:

Spoiler for Episode 3:

Frankly, the whole emotional attachment towards Black Cat guild is simply non existent, considering they hardly made Kirito interact with them, or anything that made you like the characters.
Heck, even Sachi didn't bring anything aside of a "nameless human being afraid of dying", saveperhaps the delayed message.

I can see they are trying to use Episode 2 to show the hardship regarding what awaits players in term of game, and Episode 3 being the "aftermath" and psychological implication.
However, while Episode 2 glossed quickly on the headlines, which impacted on Asuna's characterization according to LN readers, I can see Episode 3 failed big time to convey the emotional turmoil, because you hardly can sympathize with the characters, since they are hardly introduced then throw away like pawns as "they already served their purpose".

With the absense of interactions and Kirito monologues, I can see people questioning Kirito's intent of lying about his level, and hell if it wasn't for the vague last line and digging more about it, I would be the first to misunderstand his intention.

Because of all these points, the demise of the guild basically left me a "well, and?" quite similar to Diabel supposed "dramatic death", and by extention, Kirito's broken state feels awkward, when I don't "follow" that.

From what I can see, the scripters are trying to rush towards "serious business" or anything that can be considered as an arc. But right now, it is nearly painful to watch considering this is not even an info dump: it is nearly a picture book with little substance.

The way I see it...

Spoiler for ep.3:

The lack of transition from episode 2 to episode 3 was unfortunate, but also completely expected, since there is no source material to bridge that gap in the first place. I mentioned it earlier that if they continue on a chronological order and give RNR only 1 episode, it's just not going to work very well, and it shows here.

that said, I think it turned out ok in the end, even if it was a bit underwhelming.

btw, what do you guys think of Sachi's VA? for some reason she didn't sound quite right to me :/

[tsunade666]

Originally Posted by Wilfriback

Even Fate/Zero had problems rushed things and cut down a lot of talking and the first episodes were a trip to dreamland cause they were boring. There wasn't enough space to show off the whole contents.

Fate/zero did cut something but it didn't felt this rushed even an anime viewer Klashikari felt that its rushed.

And I also turned my brains off when watching but the first scene you saw is already questionable because he just pops there out of no where I remember in the end of episode 02. He should still be on floor 2 but what floor are they now? and he is already level 40!!! when they say they are level 20 and he also said he is 20 (or so I think, I think he said ni ju? which is 20 right?)

then the transition of emotions look fake to me

the only good part was when Kirito was slashing down the enemy. They spend lots of seconds their but they don't spend time to expand the character of the said people who died in this episode.

THEY should be a trauma to Kirito to make him go suicidal against an unknown enemy but the introduction and development for them, specially Sachin is lacking.

It felt that "lets just get it over with so we can start the main story already"

but for me this small or side story is what make the main story great because it should flesh out and introduce the characters so you can sympathize or understand them.

[zeniselv]

i for one really enjoyed the episode, the best so far, its true we dont see much interaction with kirito and the kuroneko brigade, but you can asume he spent some time with them since he leveled 7 times with them, and the emotional scene really got to me, other thing its that i didnt expect sachi to die, not since she appears the op and beign her first episode, but she certainly did raise a death flag, in the end this kind of development make the series more interesting.

[Utsuro no Hako]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

From what I can see, the scripters are trying to rush towards "serious business" or anything that can be considered as an arc.

Spoiler for Structure of the story to this point:

Well, the last couple episodes have been side stories. They're meaty side stories that could easily be two or three parters, but they're still side stories and the writers probably don't want to spend half a cour on them.

[kyp275]

Originally Posted by tsunade666

And I also turned my brains off when watching but the first scene you saw is already questionable because he just pops there out of no where I remember in the end of episode 02. He should still be on floor 2 but what floor are they now? and he is already level 40!!! when they say they are level 20 and he also said he is 20 (or so I think, I think he said ni ju? which is 20 right?)

it's called a time skip, as there isn't much material between Aria and RNR to adapt anyway.

[Klashikari]

Really, the whole "but they are just side stories!" doesn't cut it at all. Sure, if the light novel could manage to throw people to high floors right after the whole incident period, that's fine for the format. But not using these side stories would be a quite weird decision from an anime perspective, which has no luxury in info dump considering the 20 min limit, so using the side stories as a way to give information and cohesion in the background of the story is obviously logical.

But that is exactly not a reason to rush with such pace, side stories or not.

[tsunade666]

Originally Posted by kyp275

it's called a time skip, as there isn't much material between Aria and RNR to adapt anyway.

well they can add narration or info right? like what they did with episode 1 ending. That by December 2000+ already died and first floor isn't cleared yet.

They don't even say time skip or I don't even see a hint that they did a time skip. The first I saw is the cups of wine and Kirito sitting in the side table there are plenty of ways to make the transition of things not that bad.