(L) Sword Art Online - Light Novel Discussion

[Random Wanderer]

I just started on this today. I actually hit Aria in the Starless Night first, since it isn't very far along in the storyline and I already knew the basic premise (which is all I think I really needed out of any of the chapters that were chronologically earlier), and because it generated such a strong response when the anime adapted it.

It's really good.

I then went on to volume 1, and have just finished it.

It, also, is really good.

I've always had trouble reading translated light novels. I've tended to think of that as a nearly unavoidable issue with having to translate them in the first place. Even if they're well-written in their original language, it's very unlikely that even the best of translations will leave them feeling well-written in the new language. This is perhaps the first time where those issues didn't bother me.

The love between Kirito and Asuna is incredibly powerful, and it gets to me, even through the translation. It is such an amazing thing.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Random Wanderer

The love between Kirito and Asuna is incredibly powerful, and it gets to me, even through the translation. It is such an amazing thing.

Indeed it is. It's probably my favourite thing about SAO. The fantasy and sci-fi elements, as well as the action scenes are nice, but for me (and many others, I'm sure) the romance takes the cake.

[Mura]

Originally Posted by Aphrah

Indeed it is. It's probably my favourite thing about SAO. The fantasy and sci-fi elements, as well as the action scenes are nice, but for me (and many others, I'm sure) the romance takes the cake.

Thank goodness I'm not the only one who thinks like that. This other forum I'm on believes the romance is the worst part and makes SAO bad. Haters, the whole lot of them.

[Swordstriker21]

Originally Posted by Mura

Thank goodness I'm not the only one who thinks like that. This other forum I'm on believes the romance is the worst part and makes SAO bad. Haters, the whole lot of them.

W/out the romance SAO would only be a shadow of it's former self

[novalysis]

Originally Posted by Aphrah

Indeed it is. It's probably my favourite thing about SAO. The fantasy and sci-fi elements, as well as the action scenes are nice, but for me (and many others, I'm sure) the romance takes the cake.

Which is why I think SAO stands even with it's fragmentary nature, and perhaps as much as 90% of Kirito's and Asuna's romantic developments missing, or it fragments. Volume 1 is essentially the climax of Kirito and Asuna's relationship in SAO.

Still, if you want to see why SAO is so tantalizingly fragmentary, just read the next two Post-Aria stories - Rondo and Monochrome. In actuality, I think in the SAO re-write, romance may well be one gradually developing sub-plot over the entire story that climaxes just before the end, against multiple other main plots. That of course, is more relevant for the first four volumes.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Mura

Thank goodness I'm not the only one who thinks like that. This other forum I'm on believes the romance is the worst part and makes SAO bad. Haters, the whole lot of them.

Huh, really? A lot of the other forums I'm on agree with me in that the romance is one of best elements of SAO. I suppose it depends on the community.. Not to mention the fact that we live in an age where some people consider harems "good romance". *shrug*

Of course, that's not to say the other elements aren't good, or that I can't see why they'd attract people to the series.

@nova: Exactly.

[Wild Goose]

What I like about the romance is that it's very much a pairing of equals, and Kirito and Asuna are truly a wondrous sight to see when they're together. Also, they're a lot more mature about their relationship than most anime couples.

But meh, I've said this before, and there's no need to repeat myself, lol.

[jpwong]

Originally Posted by Adigard

FI - the next episode of the anime should be adapting Vol2, arc 4 RNR. Why they're dealing with that prior to The Black Swordsman, which happened on an earlier floor will be interesting to see.

RNR happens before Black Swordsman in terms of timeline (Dec 2023 vs Feb 2024) and Kirito even makes a loose reference to what happened in RNR it's probably easier to animate them in timeline order rather than having to deal with fixing references by putting them out of order. Floors largely don't matter unless it's the front line since you can go back down to any cleared floor.

[Awrya]

Originally Posted by jpwong

RNR happens before Black Swordsman in terms of timeline (Dec 2023 vs Feb 2024) and Kirito even makes a loose reference to what happened in RNR it's probably easier to animate them in timeline order rather than having to deal with fixing references by putting them out of order. Floors largely don't matter unless it's the front line since you can go back down to any cleared floor.

Just a quick question, RNR (present time - Kirito grinding) takes places in December, but what was the month Kirito joined the guild? Though we can guess that he joined in the same year, but was a specific month given?

[DurararaFTW]

Five months had passed since the spring season’s dusk when the death game called SAO began. In order to collect material for weapons, I had ventured into the labyrinth ten levels below the current front line.

Five months had passed, so April I guess.

[Liquidzero]

I also like the romance between Kirito and Asuna. Right now I'm reading volume 8, and midway through I decided to read Volume 1 again and I noticed an inconsistency. When going to cook the rabbit meat, Kirito states that he's only interacted with Asuna in boss fights and never even went to an NPC restaurant with her.

Then in volume 8, I was glad to read a more in depth version of their first (or second i guess) meeting. But right after she wakes up, she says she owes him a meal and they end up going to lo and behold an NPC restaurant!

I understand that it's 8 books down the line so the author probably forgot but I feel so anal retentive now =(

Edit: Author's Note to the rescue! haha looks like the author apologized for the inconsistency

[Rovert10]

Originally Posted by Liquidzero

I also like the romance between Kirito and Asuna. Right now I'm reading volume 8, and midway through I decided to read Volume 1 again and I noticed an inconsistency. When going to cook the rabbit meat, Kirito states that he's only interacted with Asuna in boss fights and never even went to an NPC restaurant with her.

Then in volume 8, I was glad to read a more in depth version of their first (or second i guess) meeting. But right after she wakes up, she says she owes him a meal and they end up going to lo and behold an NPC restaurant!

I understand that it's 8 books down the line so the author probably forgot but I feel so anal retentive now =(

Edit: Author's Note to the rescue! haha looks like the author apologized for the inconsistency

This is why he is writing SAO Progressive to fix up these inconsistencies and such.

[Liquidzero]

Originally Posted by Rovert10

This is why he is writing SAO Progressive to fix up these inconsistencies and such.

good to know! so i read it's coming out this august, definitely something to look forward to. although makes me wonder if it would have been better to push the anime back til this came out, though I guess Kawahara is advising the anime as well so I guess it's going to have these changes in mind? Sorry if I'm not up to date with my info.

[Dann of Thursday]

SAO Progressive? Is it a rewrite of the novels then?

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Dann of Thursday

SAO Progressive? Is it a rewrite of the novels then?

No, just the Aincrad arc.

I don't understand why some people are expecting it cover all 100 floors..

[Mura]

What were the plot holes in the Aincrad arc? I know one was how Asuna and Kirito met when comparing the volume 1 meeting to the Aria meeting.

[Sixth]

So, which chapter is that Kirito starts to have relationship with Asuna? Also, was that a last time for Kirito saw Asuna at Kobold Boss battle?

[kyp275]

Originally Posted by Mura

What were the plot holes in the Aincrad arc? I know one was how Asuna and Kirito met when comparing the volume 1 meeting to the Aria meeting.

I'd say the entire Aincrad arc is one giant plot hole, with everything that's been written so far being little more than snippets here and there

Originally Posted by noobita

So, which chapter is that Kirito starts to have relationship with Asuna? Also, was that a last time for Kirito saw Asuna at Kobold Boss battle?

Depending on what you mean by "relationship", though I guess they officially started going out @ ch.16 in vol.1

[Dann of Thursday]

Originally Posted by Aphrah

No, just the Aincrad arc.

I don't understand why some people are expecting it cover all 100 floors..

So, is it like a version combining some of the side stories all into one big chronological volume so there's clarity?

Well, that would take far too long honestly. They didn't even get to 100 anyway.

[Sixth]

Originally Posted by kyp275

I'd say the entire Aincrad arc is one giant plot hole, with everything that's been written so far being little more than snippets here and there



Depending on what you mean by "relationship", though I guess they officially started going out @ ch.16 in vol.1

I mean, when were both of them realize that they love each other.