Writing About All Things Pop Culture
Well, everyone, I did what I set out to do. I said that I was going to review every episode of Sword Art Online: Alicization, and managed to do just that. Was the season as good as I hoped it would be? At times, it was. But it had its fair share of moments that made us cringe. And pacing problems, to be sure. But for all its faults, I think that the Alicization arc manages to stick the landing with an emotional epilogue.
So, it turns out that I was wrong about episode count for Aliczation. There are only 47 episodes, not 48. In other words, next week’s episode is going to be the finale for the season. And unless they adapt that Unital Ring Arc, the end of Sword Art Online. Thus, these last two episodes are an epilogue to welcome Alice to the real world. And, we see the Black Swordman come home at last.
At long last, Kirito the Black Swordsman is awake and ready to kick some serious bad guy ass! PoH is going to get what he deserved!
Okay, I’ll admit it. At first, it was fun seeing Sword Art Online not revolve around Kirito. War of Underworld gave the rest of the cast a chance to shine and grow as characters. But eventually, you’ve got to have your main hero take center-stage. Otherwise, the story’s going to get real dull. This week, though, our prayers are finally answered. Kirito the Black Swordsman not only makes his return, but we also see just how scarred he’s been by the events of the series.
Did you guys know that Sword Art Online got a movie a few years ago? I’m not joking; there is, in fact, a Sword Art Online movie in subbed and dubbed format. Called Ordinal Scale, it took place in between the events of Seasons two and three of the anime, and is fully canon to the anime’s timeline. However, I never expected that it would play any factor in Alicization. Turns out I was wrong, because two of the characters from that film end up playing a small yet important role in this week’s episode.
By the way, the action this week is actually pretty good, and we see some of PoH’s twisted backstory.
Okay, people, I will be the first to admit that I had mixed feelings about this episode. Which is not what I wanted to have, since I had been waiting for this moment since Asuna joined the war. On the one hand, this took the moment I waited for since the start of the anime and made it less cool than in my mind. On the other, they closed out with one of the best fights in Alicization, and one that showed us a pretty metal way to die.
COVID-19 May have delayed this anime, but it can’t keep it down for long. After months of delay, SAO- War of Underworld returns. And I’m gonna cover it!
Sword and fist clash in one of the most bizarre matchups in Sword Art Online as the war for Underworld continues. Also, a familiar character appears!
As the war in Underworld progresses, Alice learns of her importance to the Dark Territory and her title as the Priestess of Light.
Sword Art Online has given us its fair share of villains over the years. While at are great hat sinks (*cough* Sugou and Quinella *cough*), I wouldn’t put them on a list of great anime villains. However, the exception to that has to be the big bad for War of Underworld, Gabriel Miller. I said that he’s a sociopath in my last post. However, it’s not until this episode that shows us how much of a gaming sociopath he is.
So, in the latest episode of Sword Art Online: Alicization- War of Underworld, we get stuck with more exposition and no action. Good things come to those who wait.
