Accel World - Light Novel Discussion

[judasmartel]

See, that's the bad thing when you try to write two popular novels at the same time. Somehow, you have to really focus on one, and then get back on the other later.

As such, it's understandable why the author would focus on SAO more than AW (because, hey, tall lanky badass Gary Stu male lead + cute female lead sells 1000x better than fat "loser" harem hero /sarcasm). It just feels so bad that a novel with that much potential might go to waste just because the author is so bored about it.

[Belise]

Hm, I don't think he himself is "bored" with it. He seems either confused or something else..

Maybe he needs to feel like people are truly interested in AW? Like a good feeling of support and encouragement from fans. I'm entirely confident AW can match SAO in popularity. He just needs to portray Haru as more likable.

I mean, Kirito isn't all that amazing. If he(author) focused more on the fact that he's pretty anti-social and is severely out of touch with any reality that doesn't involve electronics, Kirito becomes pretty dull. Worse than Haru. He was portrayed as the powerful, dark, mysterious(even romantic), self-sacrificing, and attractive hero type everyone would definitely love and support. That's basically a standard main character with all the bells and whistles. Can't go wrong.
Haru's basically he opposite of that. Which is why not many people can readily like him. There's too much fat for them to see through to his qualities. Actually It's probably more of his self-pitying that turns people off than his weight. Either way, I think that's mainly why AW is suffering. Haru isn't a good enough lead for people to support with their attention(money). So sales suffer and SAO shadows AW.

[orpheus2]

That's where Character Development comes into play.

Just be patient. The author said AW will go back to the normal publishing date. So, the new volume will be out by August 2013(best case).

If you want to compare the two works, go to this thread

[judasmartel]

Originally Posted by Belise

Maybe he needs to feel like people are truly interested in AW? Like a good feeling of support and encouragement from fans. I'm entirely confident AW can match SAO in popularity. He just needs to portray Haru as more likable.

I mean, Kirito isn't all that amazing. If he(author) focused more on the fact that he's pretty anti-social and is severely out of touch with any reality that doesn't involve electronics, Kirito becomes pretty dull. Worse than Haru. He was portrayed as the powerful, dark, mysterious(even romantic), self-sacrificing, and attractive hero type everyone would definitely love and support. That's basically a standard main character with all the bells and whistles. Can't go wrong.
Haru's basically he opposite of that. Which is why not many people can readily like him. There's too much fat for them to see through to his qualities. Actually It's probably more of his self-pitying that turns people off than his weight. Either way, I think that's mainly why AW is suffering. Haru isn't a good enough lead for people to support with their attention(money). So sales suffer and SAO shadows AW.

Exactly. As much as Western fans are often stereotyped as obsessed with MANLINESS...

No worries, I have faith in Kawahara-sensei. I believe that Haru will turn into one of the most badass MCs ever once his Disaster Armor gets animated once again.

As for making Haru likeable, hmm... While too slow Character Development makes for an incredibly frustrating character, too fast Character Development might yield unrealistic results. Inferiority complex is not the kind of thing you can overcome in three seconds flat. It takes time, and it takes a really good support system to pull it off. Luckily for Haru, he does get an awesome support system, and come next season, he should be able to overcome his flaws satisfyingly AND realistically.

[orpheus2]

Although Haru's and KYH's relationship shows little progress. Hopefully, Rin's confession would spur Haru into taking a step forward at least.

[Kaioshin Sama]

I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of it being too much work to handle all at once. Most authors tend to focus on one popular work at a time and be known for that particular work while he now has 3 pretty popular series he's trying to work on at the same time. I assume he wants the relaunch of SAO Progressive to prove successful and to get that off the ground before focusing on anything else again.

It's not the first time I've heard of an author in Japan hiatusing one big work for another. Mamoru Nagano who does The Five Star Stories has put that on hold for the past 6 years while he's been working alone on his Gothicmade project which is just now this month finally seeing it's release because he had to devote all his time to one or the other.

[dmaxzero]

The only fault I see in AW is that the character progression is too slow. 10+ vols and the MC still dwell on the same issues, not taking at step in the more immediate things around him.

Its ok if he is fat, or extemely shy, but the author is not developing those parts of him and it feels like slow. Just my opinion though.

I think is good the author takes some time to focus in one thing, usually it gives you perspective of what to do with your other stuff going on.

Again, only my opinion.

[judasmartel]

When your life has been basically in the toilet for like your entire freaking life (dad's a no-show, and bullies suck), it's not exactly that easy to get out of depression, even with such an awesome support system like the NN/Prominence "alliance".

So there's the question of how fast character development should be. Shonen heroes have a tendency to develop unrealistically fast, anyway. They even gain new powers and characteristics out of nowhere, without foreshadowing of any kind.

By the way, how much in-series time has been covered by the last 10+ volumes, may I ask?

[Orange Duke]

About a year or so. Vol 1 was 6 months in to Haru's first year, I believe and the start of the Noumi Arc was at the start of the new school term.

[dmaxzero]

When your life has been basically in the toilet for like your entire freaking life (dad's a no-show, and bullies suck), it's not exactly that easy to get out of depression, even with such an awesome support system like the NN/Prominence "alliance".

So there's the question of how fast character development should be. Shonen heroes have a tendency to develop unrealistically fast, anyway. They even gain new powers and characteristics out of nowhere, without foreshadowing of any kind.

By the way, how much in-series time has been covered by the last 10+ volumes, may I ask?

But this is fiction, and the factors and complexes must work around the purpose of telling a story and keeping the audience hooked while achieving commercial success. I am not saying he must go the shonen route, but obviously the slow progression has caused some issues and now he has to fix them. Which is why I think what he is doing now, giving the series a rest, while he thinks what to do next, is the healthiest thing to do.

For the record I find the series quite appealing, entertaining and above all, I want to see the MC progress, even though he gets on my nerves with is depreciative and servil behavior, 10 volumes of that is hard to take. Can he change that in a short time? No, of course not. But there are small little things the MC may do or say and little by little make progress, but is not happening. Or is not happening in a palpable way.

[judasmartel]

In that case, Kawahara-sensei should think this through carefully, for anything we writes after the rest determines whether the audiences would love or hate Haru forever.

Not like it matters atm, as [sarcasm]Kirito is currently the best thing since sliced bread.[/sarcasm]

[Belise]

I agree with Haru's lack of progress. He has shown a decent amount of growth, but it's usually only seen in tougher situations when he has to dig deep for it. It's been awhile since he had BB installed though so those characteristics should be showing more naturally. That should be expected.
It really is hard to observe self-defeating behavior for so many months and I'm starting to think this portion of his character is fixed in. :/ He's been sharing the spotlight with KYH for forever though. Maybe the author will switch perspectives and have KYH narrate for a few volumes. That would be a nice change of pace.

[Meltyred]

Maybe this is the wrong place to ask this, but if Utai appears in the anime, will she have a voice?
Or just...
lots and lots of textboxes.

[orpheus2]

She will have a voice in the Unlimited Field but I think none in RL unless she would use email.

[Sunder the Gold]

Originally Posted by Flere821

Rin installs BB on his brother's Nuero Linker he gave her as a memento (her brother is still alive but in a coma). Duel Avatar ends up as Ash Roller, the embodiment of her brother's dreams (with the kind of bike he said he always wanted if he had the money to buy it). When in AW Rin's 'brother' (even he says he's not sure if he's the actual brother whose soul is stuck in the Nuero Linker or if he's some sort of spontaneously created AI from left-over memories) controls the avatar. Rin knows what is going on only as long as she's wearing that set of Neuro Linker, if she takes it off she forgets most of the stuff about BB and AW.

For clarity:

The brother is not a Burst Linker, but rather Rin tried to become a Burst Linker directly from Sky Raker, and because Rin was using her brother's neuro-linker, Ash Roller was created accidentally?

So this presumably could just spontaneously happen again, if someone attempting to become a Burst Linker was using someone else's neuro-linker (or at least a sibling's)?


Is it possible that Ash Roller is less an independent intelligence, and more just a split personality in Rin's mind? Is he "awake" at all outside of duels or the Unlimited Neutral Field?

Does Rin have any control over Ash Roller? Can she directly communicate with him in any way, or only watch him?

[judasmartel]

Wait, so Rin can't talk or she doesn't talk much?

[Flere821]

Originally Posted by Sunder the Gold

For clarity:

The brother is not a Burst Linker, but rather Rin tried to become a Burst Linker directly from Sky Raker, and because Rin was using her brother's neuro-linker, Ash Roller was created accidentally?

So this presumably could just spontaneously happen again, if someone attempting to become a Burst Linker was using someone else's neuro-linker (or at least a sibling's)?


Is it possible that Ash Roller is less an independent intelligence, and more just a split personality in Rin's mind? Is he "awake" at all outside of duels or the Unlimited Neutral Field?

Does Rin have any control over Ash Roller? Can she directly communicate with him in any way, or only watch him?

Spoiler for Ash Roller:

Yes, Rin's brother isn't a Burst Linker. He's currently in a coma, but his Nuero Linker is currently with Rin. The Burst Linker avatar are supposed to reflect your own inner self, but with her brother's nuero linker it reflected his desires instead.

In real life, Rin's mind is in charge. When Accelerating she takes a back seat and has limited actions in battle, if any. She can't influence Ash Roller's actions when in Accelerated World.

[orpheus2]

Originally Posted by judasmartel

Wait, so Rin can't talk or she doesn't talk much?

Rin can't talk in AW but she can in RL

Originally Posted by Flere821

Spoiler for Ash Roller:

Yes, Rin's brother isn't a Burst Linker. He's currently in a coma, but his Nuero Linker is currently with Rin. The Burst Linker avatar are supposed to reflect your own inner self, but with her brother's nuero linker it reflected his desires instead.

In real life, Rin's mind is in charge. When Accelerating she takes a back seat and has limited actions in battle, if any. She can't influence Ash Roller's actions when in Accelerated World.

Spoiler for Regarding Rin:

She could control but she is just bad at riding the motorcycle that AR had to take over for her.

[Sunder the Gold]

Spoiler:

But do Rin and Roller talk to each other? Can they make the other aware of their thoughts? Is Roller even aware/awake outside of Accel World; like, does he watch Rin's normal life? Was there anything else special going on, or could another Ash Roller happen so easily?

If she's bad at riding the bike, why is Haru good at punching and kicking?

I'll understand if the answers are: "No canon material answers those questions, yet."


If her brother wakes up, and she returns his linker (thus taking over Ash Roller) and he shares its one copy with Rin (using her own/a new linker), I think she'd get her own avatar... But they might get some unique advantages out of it; some kind of unique connection between their avatars, accessed through the Incarnation System.

[judasmartel]

Hmm... I would love to see Rin getting her own avatar, assuming Ash Roller really is his brother's avatar, but what sort of abilities would it have, considering Rin's personality?