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View Poll Results: Critique of Episode 13
10 out of 10: Near Perfect... 69 46.31%
9 out of 10 : Excellent... 48 32.21%
8 out of 10 : Very Good... 20 13.42%
7 out of 10 : Good... 7 4.70%
6 out of 10 : Average... 1 0.67%
5 out of 10 : Below Average... 2 1.34%
4 out of 10 : Poor... 1 0.67%
3 out of 10 : Bad... 0 0%
2 out of 10 : Very Bad... 0 0%
1 out of 10 : Torturous... 1 0.67%
Voters: 149. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 2012-09-29, 18:11   Link #61
Adigard
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Deltaray View Post
As I like to search mistakes from episodes, this has one, Kirito is using his black coat when he is supposed to use white one.
Considering how little he liked it / how bad he looked in it / and how much he'd obviously prefer NOT to go meet with Heathcliff, I think it sends all sorts of the right message.

IE - screw you, I'm not in your guild now... I'm on vacation.
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Old 2012-09-29, 18:18   Link #62
Deltaray
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Originally Posted by PewPewK View Post
Spoiler for Comparison to the Light Novels:
Spoiler for Comparison to the Light Novels:

Last edited by relentlessflame; 2012-09-30 at 00:36. Reason: Added spoiler tag for novel comparison
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Old 2012-09-29, 18:19   Link #63
Klashikari
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I also got some mixed feelings regarding how Asuna expressed herself: I'm fine with the romance going a tad serious for their age, but the extent is sort of too artificial.
I dunno, the interactions go to some extreme at times it is just a rollercoaster in the literal sense (even though romance isn't supposed to be a straight and progressive line to begin with, obviously).

Frankly, I think they could smooth the writing a bit by having a balanced deal of "solid romance" thorough the episodes, instead of using a sledgehammer here with Asuna, either during the fishing event or Kirito's attempt to make her wait at their HQ.

This also has an impact with the boss sequence, leading you to wonder why they pulled a cliffhanger like that, with a seemly "irrelevant fishing scene" in the very same episode. I wouldn't exactly mind having the first half centred on Kirito's insecure feelings and dilemna regarding Asuna safety, and a solid portion on the boss, instead of having a mere tease.
At least, I'm glad the mechanics behind bosses are variable to dramatic extent: instead of having a unpredictable pattern but frail boss like gleam eyes, Skull Reaper goes directly straight to the "tank and DPS, or raid wipe".
With that in mind, it is pretty evident Kayaba is playing textbook with everything you should expect and -be afraid- of, in terms of traps and all. It would be even more sadistic if the next boss has status ailment or magical AOE/Room hazard

And I guess I'm again playing the broken record, but the budget is average, even worse than usual with so many facial deformations during the fishing part, and inconsistent animation and stillshots galore in the boss part.
These 2 first poor victims were really... well I dunno, I definitely can imagine people frightened to death upon seeing that kind of boss (intimidating and deadly looking, with the initiative to boot), but the way they were designed and animated was almost comical to me (schmidt was fine, but these two? nope), I mean if you replace the context, it could match sequence in scooby doo
I guess it is pretty much a dead giveaway that there won't be any smooth animation at all.
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Old 2012-09-29, 18:20   Link #64
creb
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Originally Posted by Adigard View Post
Considering how little he liked it / how bad he looked in it / and how much he'd obviously prefer NOT to go meet with Heathcliff, I think it sends all sorts of the right message.

IE - screw you, I'm not in your guild now... I'm on vacation.
While I have no doubt that you're right, at least in spirit, I can't help but feel that type of passive aggressive behavior is beneath the unusually non-passive aggressive (for an anime male lead), behavior Kirito tends to exhibit.

Of course, I thought it was beneath him to give up his black coat in the first place, so regardless of the reasons, I'm glad to see him back in it.
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Old 2012-09-29, 18:36   Link #65
popsiclestix
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Have to admit, this one trolled me on how far they were progressing. It also got me a little teary eye when they were realizing that Asuna began to enjoy life because of Kirito and when she stated that she wouldn't live without him.
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Old 2012-09-29, 19:33   Link #66
Kmos
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Pretty awesome epi for me 9/10. It's got fishing, though I'd prefer a real catch then a landkill, and the humourous 'switch' by Kirito. The Skull Reaper boss fight looks nice and dangerous and ended with a cliffhanger. I guess Asuna lying on top of Kirito is satisfying enough for a lot of people too.
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Old 2012-09-29, 19:46   Link #67
orpheus2
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Well, I have issues regarding the pacing but the boss fight makes up for it as well as the couple's scenes together. Overall, great episode.

A one-hit kill boss huh? What's next, an instant death radius boss or an Insane Puzzle Boss? They really need an AOE mage or healer here. Too bad the game focuses on tanks and DPSers.
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Old 2012-09-29, 20:00   Link #68
Peanutbutter
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Nice trolling with the trailer there, though it's kinda expected already.

Brilliant voice-acting by Haruka Tomatsu. I shed some tears listening to her reasons why she fell in love with Kirito and the part before they left for the boss battle.

Another reaper-type boss eh? Maybe all bosses from here are reapers. And also, the door really disappeared. This really has to be a death match.

[mod edit: removed novel hints]

Last edited by relentlessflame; 2012-09-30 at 17:25.
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Old 2012-09-29, 20:01   Link #69
ronelm2000
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I'm pretty disappointing with the ending, (this is on a strict viewpoint) because I was pretty sure there was a better cliffhanger to end this episode. Bad direction from the staff on a strict 23 minutes ep I guess... Otherwise, the entire hell of a fight was awesome. Wow, btw, there has NEVER been a One-Hit One-Kill move before...not until now.
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Old 2012-09-29, 20:01   Link #70
ak4allz
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As the moment when the Skull Reaper appeared... holy cow! A 3D seen with fast-paced rotating camera. Anime can't get much better unless the animators use the 3D effect for such scenes as the camera moves at a slightly higher speed than normal. Raise your hands or comments if you agree with me (^.^)V

Same as ep 12, Asuna and Kirito parried the attack together with the combination of 3 swords. I haven't seen in my life as 2 characters are able to fight together side by side with such a great sync of thoughts and movements between the couple. 5 stars out of 5 for Kirito and Asuna.

Actually, I have a question to ask... is this a kind of a protective measure or just another NerveGear? Muahahahaha
Spoiler for Fighter:
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Last edited by relentlessflame; 2012-09-30 at 00:38. Reason: removed reference to spoiler
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Old 2012-09-29, 20:08   Link #71
ronelm2000
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Originally Posted by ak4allz View Post
Actually, I have a question to ask... is this a kind of a protective measure or just another NerveGear? Muahahahaha
Spoiler for Fighter:
Wow, how do they see through that thing...?

Last edited by relentlessflame; 2012-09-30 at 00:38. Reason: Edited quote
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Old 2012-09-29, 20:16   Link #72
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haha heathcliff is so badass. just casually tanking/blocking the boss.
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Old 2012-09-29, 20:19   Link #73
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This was the best episode of the entire show so far, imo.

It's amazing how good SAO can be when it actually lets things breath a bit.

That bit with the older fisherman honestly worked wonders for properly contextualizing what was to come - In other words, it was the beautiful calm before the perfect storm.

And the glue that tied together the two very tonally different halves of this episode was Kirito and Asuna's excellent heartfelt conversation where they seriously discussed the options available to them, and why both of them should take part in this boss fight.

Now, while I get why Kazu-kun disliked what Asuna said there, I think we have to keep in mind that this isn't a "real world" setting here. As Asuna made clear, she desperately wanted to make it back to the real world until she met Kirito. For her, Kirito made simply living in SAO much more enjoyable and bearable. He's the whole reason why she "stopped to smell the roses", even if those roses are just computer graphics. So I can see how losing him, coupled with the crushing guilt that he died without her lifting a sword to defend him, would be enough for her to just give up entirely.

Again, you have to remember this isn't in the real world - Given the SAO context, Asuna's comment makes some sense, imo, and I don't think it takes too much away from her.


Also, my sentiments on the Kirito/Asuna romance are similar to Chiibi's. It's very refreshing to see an anime couple that actually treats each other as equals, and can carry on sensible conversations, and can relax/cuddle on the same bed together without it having to lead to sex (seriously, guys, there's much more to romance than just sex... ).


All-told, this was a thoroughly fantastic episode. When SAO slows things down a bit and takes it time to properly develop things, it shines exceptionally well. I hope it'll do more of that in the future.
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Old 2012-09-29, 20:30   Link #74
Mephos
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All in all, I love this episode, though my body was not ready for the cliffhanger.
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Old 2012-09-29, 20:41   Link #75
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Originally Posted by Triple_R View Post
without it having to lead to sex (seriously, guys, there's much more to romance than just sex... ).
There is also much more to romance than just abstinence.

What's so bad about sexually active relationship anyway?
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Old 2012-09-29, 20:48   Link #76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zRichard View Post
There is also much more to romance than just abstinence.
Of course there is.

But if two people are only happy around each other when they're having sex that doesn't exactly say a lot about the depth or strength of their relationship, imo.

If you truly love someone romantically, you'll frequently be happy just to be in each other's presence, and taking comfort in each other's arms.

The fact that Kirito and Asuna are comfortable just lying in each other's arms like that speaks volumes, imo. That's what a happily married couple looks like, imo.

Sure, the sex can still be there, but it's not the whole basis for the relationship. So there's simply no need to read sex into a scene where the two are just relaxing on a bed together. It's a beautifully romantic scene because it shows the physical comfort they have with each other even when there's no sex.
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Old 2012-09-29, 21:19   Link #77
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Originally Posted by zRichard
There is also much more to romance than just abstinence.

What's so bad about sexually active relationship anyway?
That's quite the impressive strawman you set up there, sir
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Old 2012-09-29, 21:27   Link #78
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zRichard View Post
There is also much more to romance than just abstinence.

What's so bad about sexually active relationship anyway?
It's a necessary feature in relationships for men... Whether some women want to admit that, or accept it, well that's up to them. But it is still necessary...
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Old 2012-09-29, 21:30   Link #79
Dr. Casey
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Yeah, but neither Triple or Chiibi were saying that it isn't an important part of a relationship. Just that there's more to a relationship than just that, and that it's nice for Sword Art Online to focus on things other than just Kirito plowing Asuna as hard and as often as he can; some romance stories do get a little sex-obsessed.
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Old 2012-09-29, 21:33   Link #80
Wild Goose
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Originally Posted by creb View Post
I don't care how much you want to bone a girl, nor how high her cooking skill may be. One look at this, and there's no way I'd enjoy my meal:



Though it made me wonder why, even in the real world, so many chefs/restaurants/etc leave the damn head on a fish as they lay it out on the table for you to eat? I don't think I've ever seen a cooked fish head that made my insides melt in a cloyingly "awwww" way.
I'd have to chalk this up to asian values dissonance. In Malaysia, at Chinese restraunts (the fancy ones, not the diner equivalents), they serve the fish whole; part of the fun is how you eat one side, then turn it over and eat the rest and leave the head alone.

Also, Fish Head Curry from Indian cuisine.

If you grow up seeing it, you get used to it. I don't care much for fish, but I note how people are happily eating the fish while the head stares at them. Though that head looked as though it had a "WTF I got eaten?" expression

Quote:
Originally Posted by Triple_R View Post
Of course there is.

But if two people are only happy around each other when they're having sex that doesn't exactly say a lot about the depth or strength of their relationship, imo.

If you truly love someone romantically, you'll frequently be happy just to be in each other's presence, and taking comfort in each other's arms.

The fact that Kirito and Asuna are comfortable just lying in each other's arms like that speaks volumes, imo. That's what a happily married couple looks like, imo.

Sure, the sex can still be there, but it's not the whole basis for the relationship. So there's simply no need to read sex into a scene where the two are just relaxing on a bed together. It's a beautifully romantic scene because it shows the physical comfort they have with each other even when there's no sex.
This. So much.

I think it's probably because they're on the front lines, but Kirito and Asuna have been more mature about their relationship than the average young person in anime, and I applaud them for that.

Also, for those complaining about Asuna running away and hiding behind Kirito, I would like to highlight that this episode, Kirito ran away and hid behind Asuna. XD XD XD

Also this was the most amusing ep for SAO, IMO. Loved how Kirito was all bored and not giving a fuck at Nishida's fishing (hardcore vs casual gamer lol) until the Sword Skill (Fishing Pole Skill? ) activated and flipped his gamer switch. And then he tries to figure out the species of fish that the monster is. And how Asuna is looking at everyone with a bland "Why are you all panicking again?" look on her face, after she's recovered from being startled.

Cast Off and Linear was awesome. Asuna was totally boss in that one bit.

Also Asuna looks daaaaaw in her coat and scarf. Actually kinda reminds me of my mom, weirdly enough.

I actually thought they wouldn't animate the fishing, but I'm glad they did - I had more fun with this ep than reading it in the LNs, and it's a welcome boost, especially since I'm kinda down IRL.

EDIT: Forgot to say this: Hell yes boss fight. Glad they saved the budget for this.
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