[novalysis]

I'd have to agree that RNR's main focus is on the impact of Sachi's death on Kirito, though I disagree that it would have worked better as a flashback.

Now, from an anime original perspective, I must confess that it did not strike me emotionally at the core. Intellectually, I agreed that it was emotional, and they conveyed Kirito's grief well. It's just not sufficient to impact me, even if it did tell me much about Kirito's character, and defined him well.

Spoiler for LN Perspective:

As a LN reader though, it's a little different. I attribute the sympathy I felt to reading RNR before this episode.

Now, theoretically, RNR could have been two episodes, but then, they'd need some anime original material into it. That, or it could have been a Christmas flashback- I have to agree it felt like I watched a Half Cour Recap episode here.

In general though, I dearly hope that RNR would silence those irritating, ill founded claims that Kirito's a generic Shounen Protagonist.