SAO Alternative: Gun Gale Online Episode 3 (Review)

By: v.o.lynnPito and LLENN meet up at the usual haunt, and break down the Squad Jam for the four or five audience members that are as new to shooters as LLENN was in the first episode. Tentatively agreeing with a ton of pressure from Pito, the rest of the episode takes place in the span of a few days, confirming the trajectory to get us to the Battle Royale we see in episode 1.It’s hard not to be impatient with some parts of this episode. The hope that LLENN has about getting to go to the concert, the conversations she has with her friends. The title, “Fan Letter” refers to missing out on the tickets and a plea for the idol to play at a bigger venue (which I can only HOPE is a special event in GGO later, because that feels like a brilliant OVA story).Even so, this episode brings a few pieces together that needed to happen. M-san is introduced to LLENN via Pito, who promptly disappears to allow the Squad Jam team to calibrate.Seeing LLENN in action during her evaluation with M is actually really fun. M is a lot more wooden in this episode than in the first episode. Before seeing LLENN’s skills, he has a “stuck with the n00b” vibe: he doesn’t know what to expect, and seems a bit aloof for all of his candor.We know that LLENN has come a long way from the first day that she stepped into GGO, and the time and practice she's put in has paid off. She takes direction well, so it’s easy to see why Pito would pair her with an experienced player like M.All in all, a solid episode. The pacing’s a little all over, and I’m kind of anxious to find out how she gets to finally become buddies with the college girls that she keeps avoiding, but certainly not the worst episode to come in on.You could even do the watch order as 2, 3, 1 if you were starting the series today. Then again, that opener really is a blast... so watching them in the correct order is probably the best way to go.