War of Underworld Begins

Sword Art Online: Alicization War of Underworld, Episode 25 Review/Recap

Back when SAO: Alicization ended the dub of its first half on Toonami, I promised that I would continue reviewing the show when part two came out. Now I intend to keep that promise, and I’m not waiting for the dub. Not when this could be the biggest arc in SAO. In addition, I don’t know if Karandi will be reviewing the second half, and I want to pick it up for them. Therefore, get ready to put on your nerve gear for Sword Art Online: War of Underworld.

LINK START!

Recap

Several months have passed since the death of Quinella, and Underworld’s still picking up the pieces. Thanks to the attack on the Ocean Turtle, Kirito’s been left in a coma in Underworld, Abel to move but unable to interact with the world. To protect him from those who still seek to punish him, Alice took him back to Rulid Village, living just outside the village. Alice makes a living helping the village, but they still see her as a criminal, save for Selka.

Meanwhile, Bercouli told the Integrity Knights of Quinella’s crimes, and her death leaves them vulnerable to the Dark Territory. Knowing they don’t stand a chance on their own, the Knights have issued a call to arms, training the people how to fight for the imminent invasion. Despite all this, Alice refuses to leave Kirito’s side, despite the Knights insistence. However, Alice may not have a choice; late one night, she awakens to find the village in flames. The war for Underworld has come.

Review

I knew going in to this that we’d have to wait to see some action, so I didn’t expect a lot to happen in the first episode. However, I stand by my hopes that the second half of Season Three will be better than the first. I say this because based on what I remember from the Light Novels, War of Underworld is not an exaggeration. Sword Art Online is about to go into a full scale war, and they’re bringing their entire cast of main and recurring characters to bare for it. That’s what I want to see in this kind of story: a war bringing together or reuniting characters from all parts of the show. They may not all get the same time in the spotlight, but it would be awesome to see everyone get at least one moment to shine.

Speaking of spotlight, don’t expect it to be on Kirito for most of War of Underworld. He’s stuck in this catatonic state most of the time. Therefore, this leaves more room for everyone else to grow. On that note, I did like some adjustments the anime makes to the Light Novels. For one, they give cameos to the Integrity Knights that Kirito and Eugeo beat; outside of Bercouli, Fanatio, and a few others, everyone else fades into the background. I’m hoping that we’ll get a scene or two showing them fighting in the upcoming war.

Alice’s Plight

This whole episode focuses on Alice, and I thought this was a great idea. We know how hard Alice has had it: arrested because of unfair laws, losing her memories and have them replaced with lies. Even her hometown sees her as a criminal at best, or a freak at worst. I respect her for remaining outwardly calm, but we know how much it’s eating at her on the inside.

With the war for the Underworld now on her doorstep, Alice will have no choice but to become a knight once more, and I look forward to seeing it. This time, though, she’s fighting for a cause worth fighting for. I know the second half started out slow, but I have high hopes going forward.

I give “In The Far North” a 4/5. A slow start, but this can be the calm before the storm.

Also, can we mention how Kirito attracts girls even while in a coma? I’ve lost count of how many girls are attracted to him by now.

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