2012-12-23, 00:46 | Link #41 |
Endless Sorceror
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Wisconsin
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Sometimes I wonder how Kayaba would come off if he was just some wizard who teleported a bunch of people to an alternate dimension and told them "Defeat the demon lord and the path home will open!"
I can't speak for anyone else in this thread, but I've never claimed that anything Kayaba did was justified. Merely attempted to explore, explain, and understand why and what things seemed like from his point of view. And how the other characters relate to him in universe. The final episode makes it rather clear that many of the SAO survivors love and cherish their memories and time spent in that other world, and couldn't wait to go back. Are they all just selfish jerks, for finding joy in something that brought undue suffering to others?
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2012-12-23, 01:00 | Link #42 | |||
Marauder Shields
Join Date: Sep 2012
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But it gets really stupid the moment someone tries to argue with" but he HAD to do it because...". Which is simply not true at all. No one forced him to creat this death game. It was he himself that that wanted to play God and created this world with all the rules of it. Quote:
But now they have a choice. The people who want to play and want to riske their life can do it. The people who just want to play for fun and not risk their life can do it too. They have always the option to stop and log out. |
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2012-12-23, 01:10 | Link #43 |
Banned
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Kayaba Akihiko
> a genius who gone tired of reality and wished to be in world he always wanted. Too bad, he forced many to join him without their permission. His dreamed fantasy world became world of terror to the innocent gamers who have to risk their lives to finish a game to satisfy Kayaba's craziness. He may have his reasons. But it's not all acceptable to everyone, since he never played with the rules in the beginning because in the very start he is the "rule".... |
2012-12-23, 01:18 | Link #44 | |
Endless Sorceror
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Wisconsin
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Following that path despite the consequences is what makes him a monster. Perhaps if there was another way, he would've pursued that. Perhaps, with the proliferation of the seed, he hopes someone else may be able to accomplish what he could not.
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2012-12-23, 03:00 | Link #45 | ||
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Join Date: Dec 2005
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This even extends to the choice to use the world seed. That star trek clip posted before is an adequate example of how such a situation is treated with maturity. Its logic vs morals and ethics... logically there is little reason to not use what you have just because it came from a horrible source, but morally and ethically there are many reasons not to use it; it's complicated. As such i would not be surprised if someone chose logic; that star trek clip could have ended either way. But what gets to me is that in SAO, no one bothers to ask the question and there is no difficulty behind the choice. The effect that this has is that no one seems to care about what kayaba did... you can try to say "well maybe they do", but you don't know that, you are just making excuses. A good story must show these things itself and we do not get even the slightest implication; even the simplest body language or tone of voice could have said something about how they feel about what he did. In the end, Kayaba was a selfish monster who tormented and killed thousands, but the series treats him more like a misguided genius; not a single person seems to actually act like he's a monster. By never again addressing what he did or ever bringing his name up in a negative light, the series leaves the implication that what he did was not really ultimately wrong. Something is like this is not something that should be ignored; their are serious implications about what kayaba did that should be addressed and not just hand waved. In the end, Kayaba is a villain that wins in just about every way. He kills thousands, lives out his dream for the most part, and leaves behind a legacy; even his own death was planned; the man got away with mass murder and no one seems to care. Like I said, i can except that someone might choose logic, might choose to use the seed, what i hate most about that ending is that no one actually brings up the complexity of such a decision, because that in turn hand wave's all the horrible things that kayaba had done. Is it so much to ask that just one person in this series actually call out kayaba for his heinous inhuman crimes
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2012-12-23, 10:17 | Link #46 |
Endless Sorceror
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Wisconsin
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Most people, including likely Kirito and the others, don't take overarching moral stances on things. Most of us use products in our day to day lives with more blood and suffering baked into them than anything Kayaba did. Kirito and CO. aren't saints. Just people.
Kayaba forced many people into his world against their will. Many suffered, many died. But many also, over the course of two years, fell in love with the world they were given. Their love doesn't justify Kayaba's actions. But at the same time, Kayaba's crimes don't negate their love. Yeah. Kayaba pretty much won in the end. And well, that's okay. Not in a moral, or justice sense. In the sense that it's okay to have a story where the villain gets what he wants. Not every story has to end where the villain gets his righteous, karma(And author) induced justice.
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2012-12-23, 16:49 | Link #47 | ||
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Join Date: Dec 2005
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But no SAO does not do this. What Kayaba did is not presented as wrong because no one seems to begrudge him for it. What kind of message does this send? That you can kill thousands for your personal entertainment, suffer no repercussions and even have a grand legacy? And that this is a GOOD thing? I mean imagine if this series ended with Sugou loosing Asuna, but still keeping his 300 captives and successfully completed his inhuman experiments and got rich selling off the tech. It would feel pretty despicable. Kayaba and Sugou are both selfish monsters, the only way Sugou really differs from Kayaba is that he was more sadistic which made him appear more evil; even though Kayaba has a far higher kill count. Basically, by just handwaving all the terrible things that Kayaba has done and then taking advantage and enjoying his work in a sense does seem to justify his actions. Afterall what do we have that says his actions were not justified? no one hates him; no one seems to resent anything he had done; so why should we consider what he did as wrong? Its kinda like they are painting him as a "for the greater good" kind of villain, when he is clearly not; He was a selfish monster. Honestly what did Sachi die for? The true monster responsible for her death got away and no one begrudges him for it... what if someone wanted to repeat what Kayaba did; would that be ok? I don't see why not seeing as Kayaba gets to come out on top. That's the kind of negative message this series sends by not presenting Kayaba negatively.
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2012-12-26, 23:15 | Link #48 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Age: 38
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Also I don't think you fully grasped the message this series was trying to send at all. It's more along the lines of no matter how tragic the event people will always find away to survive and live on.
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2013-04-08, 20:47 | Link #49 | |
Love Yourself
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Northeast USA
Age: 38
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Akihiko was probably the most interesting character in the series.
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The motivations and thought process behind Kayaba aren't totally clear. What is interesting is the viewer response to him. Sure, what he did is inexcusable and arguably cruel, and yet I (and seemingly many other viewers) didn't feel animosity toward him when Kirito faced off against him around episode 14. There wasn't any release when he was defeated, either; no sense of victory. Personally, I was more curious. I wanted him to explain more, to expand on his motivations, his thoughts, and what he was planning next. My guess is that part of this reception has to do with what the viewer is shown. We know that he created the Full Dive system, as well as the environment of Sword Art Online. That's awe-inspiring. That players died is bad, but in some ways it's downplayed. Some characters ponder over whether in-game death results in true death, and we aren't given any proof that it's happening one way or another. As a result, when Kayaba is unmasked and faced off against, we're left with more of a sense of wonderment than hatred. He's a genius enigma with a vision, and we want to understand the vision. If the player deaths were expanded upon - perhaps if the series showed scenes of the player dying in reality shortly after their in-game death - then perhaps there would be greater animosity.
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2013-04-09, 19:55 | Link #50 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 41
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I think I've said before that one of the things I like best about this story is the interesting questions it poses, even though it doesn't necessarily answer them all in a complete or totally-satisfactory way. I'm not sure all the questions asked have totally satisfactory answers anyway -- just like what to make of Kayaba.
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2013-04-09, 21:12 | Link #51 |
Love Yourself
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Northeast USA
Age: 38
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I agree. I also thought of another interesting take on it. The series never really dives into making connections with religion, but a comparison can be made here that may also explain why most viewers see Kayaba as less of a villain.
If I remember right, Kayaba states that he created the world partly in an effort to have control over all aspects of a world. He wanted control (which sounds evil), yet he never really lords his power over others. At the same time, he is the mastermind behind Sword Art Online; everything from the world's design to the hardware that allows people to experience it. The viewer thus has some reverence for him as a creator who formed something amazing, an entire world and experience. Perhaps there is something about that scenario that also taps into something deeper within us. Regardless of your take on the truthfulness of religion, I think everyone is aware of the story of the creation of the world according to the big three religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). God created the world, and yet God also made death and pain possible. The reasons for the existence of those things varies with the religions, but consider this: how many people curse God for the existence of death? Some people do every now and then, but death is everywhere in our world. Why aren't these people cursing God all of the time or more often? Kayaba is not worshipped, and he is not even considered a god-like figure within the series. That's in sharp contrast to Sugou, who seemingly wanted to become a god both in-game and offline. Yet this is interesting to consider: even among people who believe in God, who are living in "God's world," there is little resentment over death. The concepts differ, of course: God is supposedly perfect, whereas Kayaba is a human who is flawed. Still, I wonder if there's something about Kayaba being viewed as the world's creator - almost a God-like figure in that respect - which makes viewers a bit more willing to overlook the fact that his actions led to true deaths.
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Last edited by Ledgem; 2013-04-10 at 09:43. |
2013-04-10, 17:48 | Link #53 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2011
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God consistently screws over people. Practically the story Old Testament from Moses up to Kings is to take someone else home no matter the cost including smiting, massacres, and assasination bc God told you so. Even the choosen people will get smited the moment you say anything against God. (Numbers) Yet we still see God as the Just, Perfect, Absolute thing or at least in Religion. God is God and who are we to question him as some might say. Finding the reasoning for God's actions is impossible to prove. You can infer and theorize all you want but it ain't gonna happen. Could be that Kayaba is that parallel to God in which you ain't going to figure why he does what he does. He just does it and that's all you know. No matter how cruel it may be. |
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2013-04-10, 22:26 | Link #54 | |
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2013-04-14, 15:14 | Link #55 | ||||
Gray Jedi
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: In the grey shadows between....
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I come in and see a discussion about Mr. Kayaba Akihiko... So here's my input with the current discussion.
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Now, let's deconstruct that... As a fellow fanfiction writer for SAO *InsertSelfPromotionHereLink@Bottom* I had my ideas on why he created this world. Why? Because of his own pleasure. Which I had given my character a direct quote as to WHY this world would have a TRUE end goal despite it being an MMO. Why is he doing this? Does he have a GOD complex? Why? Did this happen because of simply the way he is, and how should that be regarded as? 'Heroes': They don't exist. People are usually trying to find a gain, whether its personal or social gain. I call this just 'feeling good'. Did Kayaba 'feel good' about his end result? Probably. But at the cost of his own 'feeling good' other people need to suffer. Its a constant cycle of happiness and suffering from person to person as one tries to accomplish their own goals, even if they clash with another person. Personal trauma and death of everything, yes; that does seem to leave a huge mental scarring on people. As Kayaba being the 'Strongest Character in SAO' comes a few questions. Why didn't people question him fighting off a boss for 10 minutes straight? Why does he have such a laizze faire approach to his guild? Why does he seem so damn perfect in game? Would a person like him really be playing an MMO? Why, why, why? So it comes to this. Why? Because people wanted an escape. They wanted an icon to believe in. Escapist even in a virtual world that has become reality. They wanted something to live up to. A person like that players would go 'What would Heathcliff do'. Hell, even Asuna does say that his Holy Sword is practically overpowered. (Much like a certain... nope, not going there ) .... That's kinda why I didn't believe why people did not see that he would have some type of connection between Kayaba and Heathcliff in the first place. Quote:
Now lets deconstruct that... I don't think it would have. Clearly seen with Alicatization Running. The creation of Virtual Grunts of the modern age... Kinda Metal Gear like here.... Which is something that I will be [*spoiler*] Also, what of the employees of Argus? The composers of of the music? The technical staff? What is going on there? Are they sanctioned by the government? Are they going to jail right after the SAO Incident is done? What is going on over there? What about the gaming industry? Certain this would have the rants of a singular 'madman', but the social stigma has stuck. VRMMOs would probably become extinct because of something like this happening (Thank god for the AmuSphere, for you know... Lowering the microwave emitters. That is reconstruction.... kinda of.... >_>) Quote:
Now lets deconstruct that... Brain control.... And yet the government is perfectly fine with that. They needed a scapegoat with Sugou because Kirito and his... whatever. Quote:
No need to deconstruct this.
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2013-07-21, 17:22 | Link #57 |
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Join Date: Jul 2013
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Hmmm .. it was a while since this thread was active, but well, it doesnīt matter I guess. Kayaba, one of SAO's most interesting chars, with a personality and motives that were, more or less, left unexplained, either to let the readers figure the rest out, or just unexplained because of the author's time-lack!
From what we have seen so far, we can point out different conclusions, however despite the results we have to admit, that Kayaba was never meant to be the villain to be hated, but the one to be admired and questioned. Spoiler for Comparison to Naruto:
Now to the point of the thread, how did Kayaba think? Well, there is no sure answer and I doubt there will ever be unless the author decides to write a side story explaining everything, however, from what have occurred so far, I personally can think of a scenario. Kayaba, obviously had his own dream of that floating castle, of a world that he could control and of rules that he created himself. That death was part of the game, isnīt really that hard to understand. A genius like him would never be satisfied with a lame a game, but a real world, something that couldnīt be created without death, as a possibility. Kayaba's dream wasnīt to create a game but a world where he could ensure justice. SAO was after all very fair, with rules supporting the players in one way or another. SAO was never meant to be a punishment. It was meant to be a an existing world where people actually had to live like they would normally. It is not a new game but a new life. Why were the players forced there? Well, humans have never really had the choice of where to be born and death was always a must for every human. These are the simple rules of life and as SAO was a world and not a game, same rules would logically apply but this time with Kayaba as a ruler. The point of him doing all that? Well, we never got the chance to know Kayaba's past and opinions about life, he may have felt that the real world is unfair and therefore wanted to create his own however, a more interesting theory is actually there, that Kayaba actually thought of humans as useless creatures who always followed the rules, set by the ones more powerful. Creatures that hardly fought but often gave up to the purposes set by god, a boss or a more powerful identity. Let's remember that Kayaba was a genius and therefore he may have thought of others as useless and. That's how he decided to create his world, SAO. A death game with fair rules. A game where accomplishing the goal require fighting for your life, fighting for the ones you love and fighting for your ideals. Kayaba smiled when Kirito killed him, during their last fight and there comes the theory: Kayaba may have created everything just to await someone to surpass the rules of his world! He was always there with the players, giving them the motive to resume fighting with the goal to turn against them in the end. Maybe, the whole point of the game was to break the game's rules. Break the rules of the world he created like he himself, broke the rules of the real world and created his own with a floating castle that ''couldnīt'' exist. Kayaba may have created everything to teach humans, that nothing is impossible and that some lame rules could never stop you from doing the the impossible. The whole thing may have been a plan from the start, the plan to introduce The Seed to the world, he was just waiting humanity to mature up and understand the point of ''you can surpass everything if you have the passion'' and SAO was the test where humanity had to grow up. The test where he awaited for a person who could work as a link between this genius and these pitful humans that never thought of surpassing the impossible. This person was basically Kirito. People died you say? Well, I doubt Kayaba cared, he thought of people who gave up as uselss afterall and therefore, he may have thought, they were more or less useless and deserved death since their existence wouldnīt matter anyhow. Hmmm, when I think about it again, it just sounds logically to a genius to think like that with motives to mature up humans and the cost was ... well the death of some ''useless humans that gave up'' Last edited by relentlessflame; 2013-07-24 at 04:30. |
2013-08-14, 15:17 | Link #60 |
Administrator
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 41
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Yes, it's basically debatable. He promised to Kirito that he wouldn't let Asuna kill herself if he died. And then she basically tried to kill herself to save him. So does that "count" or not? By the same token, we see no evidence that Kayaba did anything to prevent her from being wiped either (like changing her status to immortal or whatever).
I too tend to favour the theory that there's an unknown lag-time after in-game death before the signal is sent to the NerveGear (we know that it must be at least 10 seconds), and this all happened within that undisclosed window. But if you want to believe that it was Kayaba's intervention due to Kirito's request, or as some sort of gift for breaking his rules or beating the game, those explanations are also certainly plausible. (I also tend to think that he would have been curious enough about how it is she broke the limit that he would have tried to keep her alive anyway, and that this and Kirito doing likewise are the real reason he "allowed" himself to be killed there and for the game to be cleared.)
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