Sword Art Online

[Kraco]

The dead guy got what he deserved. It was partially his fault the whole thing happened. He didn't do it on purpose, but he cluelessly insisted on doing it plus even put the guilty guy in charge of supplies. He paid the highest price, so that's it, but he's in no need of a memorial service.

I agree with David on this thing breaking some dam inside Kirito so that he suddenly pushed forward. Who knows, without this incident their relationship could have remained Asuna making roundabout advances and Kirito half evading, half enjoying it for a long time. Now, I suppose, it struck Kirito that he might never get the chance to get rid of his virtual virgity unless he does it the first chance he gets. Well, actually he wasn't planning that far, being who he is, but maybe his balls already did even if his mind didn't.

[MFauli]

Awww, another gay hero, as this latest episode revealed.

Pretty girl gets naked, tell her "I only wanted to sleep in the same room, nothing else!"

:/

Anyway, I watched all 10 episodes in like two days. Question: Is the manga also this rushed? Each episode seems to make a big jump forward. Kind of my main complaint about this anime. Oh, and I´m a bit annoyed by some characters admiring Kirito´s skills, when he himself explained in earlier episodes that strength is wholly dependent on your level, "MMORPGs are unfair in that regard", were his words. So, watching him do cool moves may be eye-pleasing, but it´s totally NOT impressive. It´s the reason why I myself am not playing any MMORPGs, because they´re devoid of personal skills, except for abstract management-skills, sure.

[Y]

Awww, another gay hero, as this latest episode revealed.

Pretty girl gets naked, tell her "I only wanted to sleep in the same room, nothing else!"

:/

Anyway, I watched all 10 episodes in like two days. Question: Is the manga also this rushed? Each episode seems to make a big jump forward. Kind of my main complaint about this anime. Oh, and I´m a bit annoyed by some characters admiring Kirito´s skills, when he himself explained in earlier episodes that strength is wholly dependent on your level, "MMORPGs are unfair in that regard", were his words. So, watching him do cool moves may be eye-pleasing, but it´s totally NOT impressive. It´s the reason why I myself am not playing any MMORPGs, because they´re devoid of personal skills, except for abstract management-skills, sure.

Is it possible for this post to be any more wrong?

[MFauli]

Is it possible for this post to be any more wrong?

Enlighten me, master.

[MasterOfMoogles]

It is HEAVILY implied that Kirito and Asuna got it on.

[Y]

To elaborate on what MasterofMoogles said, not only did they obviously have sex, but MMORPGs typically have a very high skill ceiling as well as a grind, and the pacing of the show is actually glacially slow because despite the large passage of time between episodes, nothing of any account happens for like 8 or 9 episodes in a row with regards to the plot, it's all spent telling boring vignettes. IN addition I know your comment about "another gay hero" was just a joke, but there's a dearth of gay protagonists in every medium. So basically everything you posted was wrong.

[MFauli]

No, I actually thought they didn´t have sex. Of course, episode 11, which came out today, made it clear it happened.

And what I meant with "rushed" was the sudden jump. Episode 1 started on floor 1 and it is explained how there´s a dangerous boss at every floor´s end. We actually get to see how strong floor 1´s boss was. Then next episodes and they´ve conquered like 20 floors. That´s what felt "rushed" to me. And it kept happening.

As for the new episode, I dunno. Kritio and Asuna playing "home" feels weird. Also, what this anime unfortunately ignores is the reality of MMORPGs. The woman at the end of the episode and the three children ... um, what is that?! Children that young wouldn´t be playing MMORPGs, and such ab uptight woman wouldn´t play it, either. Sword Art Online kinda neglects its fantastic elements and simply puts real world-people inside its world. Kind of a missed chance to portray drama, but I guess it wasnt what the author was going for.

[MasterOfMoogles]

Arguably, most of what is skipped wouldn't be very interesting.
Do you want to see Kirito grinding solo for days on end? Most of the boss fights probably end up being pretty uneventful since they should be overleveling everyone and playing it super safe (though I would like to see the boss fights where they said they had trouble. They recently said they hadn't lost anyone since 67 or something, but we never get to see that fight).
Instead of showing all of that, we just get the side stories, little adventures Kirito had throughout the 2 years that show something about either the people he meets, the world, or himself.

If you released a virtual reality game, I'm pretty sure people of all ages and types would try it. Asuna isn't a gamer, for example.

I think you're crazy if you don't think there are little kids playing mmo's.

[Buffalobiian]

HorribleSubs - Episode 11

[Roko]

Is it just me, or did the pace suddenly slow to a crawl? Most of the episode felt like fanservice. I guess there was some fleshing out of characters in that we got to learn more about what kind of people those 2 are (seems like Kirito's only a cold bastard when he's fighting/on the front lines), but other than that, I thought this ep was aimed more at shippers. Hope they get back to the action soon. Yui hasn't really caught my interest.

[Buffalobiian]

The pace has slowed in that for the past 3 weeks or so, the episodes actually follow on directly from each other instead of jumping multiple levels.

I was watching this show with the expectation that it was going to go for 13 episodes.. but now that I've been reminded that it'll go for 2 seasons.. I'm unsure about how I feel about the way things are progressing.

[Kraco]

I really hope this Yui case and the interference looking aberration will lead to something bigger than just an individual arc for Yui. It's clear simply beating the level all the way to the top is the natural main thread of the story, but I wouldn't mind if there was something else going on, even if that's not really mmorpg like. But this isn't just another mmorpg anymore. Although another possibility would be that in RL cops and other officials are messing with the servers or some "test subjects'" nervegear and causing trouble inside the game.

[glitch]

It's also possible that the game spawned them a kid. Yui didn't have a cursor/interface.
But with the static and the other kids, I guess it ain't likely.

[MFauli]

It's also possible that the game spawned them a kid. Yui didn't have a cursor/interface.
But with the static and the other kids, I guess it ain't likely.

That´s what I thought, too. It´s an MMORPG, after all, so Asuna wouldn´t ever get pregnant in the typical fashion. Instead, a child would simply pop up out of nowhere. That it is possible to have such advanced AI was proven when the pet-revival-episode was shown.
Actually, it´s the most likely outcome, the more I think about it.

[Kraco]

Actually, it´s the most likely outcome, the more I think about it.

Which is exactly why I wouldn't want that to be the case. But on the other hand it could make sense. If death is present, why not life as well? Not that it could ever have the same impact. Kirito was all alone when the others were planning to distract monsters by allowing them to massacre NPCs.

[shinta|hikari]

Isn't it funny how Asuna mentioned that suddenly carrying an NPC should normally result in a sexual harassment warning? It makes sense though, since if that wasn't the case, every single virgin geek playing SAO would be raping the female NPCs left and right.

[Buffalobiian]

On the other hand, I thought that it wasn't a case of the system spawning them a child because they'd:

1) know about such a feature from info brokers,
2) be given a baby instead.

Edit: wonder what the harrassment warning encompasses..

[shinta|hikari]

I really wanted to see Asuna and Kirito trading places for the shoulder ride. It would have been hilarious if they were seen in that state instead.

[Kraco]

I really wanted to see Asuna and Kirito trading places for the shoulder ride. It would have been hilarious if they were seen in that state instead.

Kirito was so embarrassed and hesitant to carry even Asuna that there's no way he would have allowed himself to be carried after they were seen by the fishermen, in fact not even without that incident.

What I found funnier is that ghost stories scared Asuna inside a game full of monsters.

[Ryllharu]

This episode was so damn bad. "Nauseating" doesn't begin to describe it. "Contrived" almost nails it though.

I doubt the game randomly spawned them a child, considering this is the girl who flashed before Kirito's eyes as he was about to die in episode 9, before he and Asuna had sex. The one I (among most others) thought looked like Sachi.

Also, horrible voice acting by Itou Kanae playing Yui. You can really only do so much with dialogue written this badly, but she's better than this, and has played plenty of children before.

edit:
@MFauli: This is why neither of us recommended Sword Art Online. It's just not very good.