Sword Art Online: Alicization - Episode 2 (Review)
By: Mithrandiel
Miss my review last week? You can find it here!
After an odd double-episode premiere last week, how does the latest chapter in the Sword Art Online: Alicization get the story rolling as it moves into week two? Gladly, we get to see a different angle of Kirito as he explores an unfamiliar world, and the plot begins to move forward ever so slightly.
Spoilers Ahead!
Summary
Following the attack by Laughing Coffin’s last remaining member, Johnny Black, Kirito awakens in an unfamiliar world. Having been in his share of fantasy and virtual worlds, he quickly determines that it doesn’t appear to be a game. For the sake of diligence, he attempts to log out, as well as call to staff members to abort the dive. Neither of these things are successful.
So, what else is he to do but begin wandering? In his travels, he hears a strange noise that triggers a set of strange memories, and following it he discovers a blonde haired man under a massive tree. Confused by his sudden appearance, he asks Kirito if he’s a child of Vecta.
Vecta, a dark and nefarious God, appears to enjoy wiping peoples memories and spiriting them away to other lands. So, when someone mysteriously appears in such a situation, they’re determined to be a “Child of Vecta”. Kirito concedes that they may very well be what he is.
The young man introduces himself as Eugeo (to the shock of no one), and offers to bring Kirito back to the village once his work is done.
As the two share some food, Eugene summons a digital command window - confirming that they are indeed in a virtual world of some sort. Eugeo recounts the tale of Alice to Kirito, who feels strange that the names all seem so familiar.
Eugeo shares that his Calling, which is essentially described as one’s assigned path in life, was to be a woodcutter - more specifically, to chop down the Gigas Cedar. The “Demon Tree”, as it’s known, is draining resources from the nearby landscape, preventing the village from expanding its wheat fields.
His job is to strike the tree 2,000 times in the morning and the afternoon. Shirking from this Calling is a violation of the Taboo Index that we were introduced to in the opening episodes, and is the main reason why he hasn’t pursued Alice to the central city.
Eventually the pair makes their way back to the village, where a man-at-arms known as Zink interrogates Eugeo and Kirito. After insulting Kirito and mocking Eugeo’s Calling, Kirito boldly claims that his previous Calling was that of a Swordsman. Zink is amused and asks him to demonstrate his skills with a blade.
Surprisingly, Kirito is able to execute a Light-based sword skill to slice a training pole in two. Zink and Eugeo are both left flabbergasted, and Kirito is admitted into the village.
He finds lodging at the village within the church, contemplating the structure of the virtual world that he’s in, and trying to plan his next move.
Review
I'll admit I was a bit put-off by last week's debut episode: the two-part structure felt overly fractured (even though there was an intentionality to it), and the pacing was painfully slow up until the final moments, where things went into narrative overdrive.
However, after watching this week's episode, and refreshing myself on last week's premiere, I can see that they're taking full advantage of the 24-episode run that Alicization will get to enjoy. As of right now this appears to be a double-edged sword, since the time they're spending to get the story situated is boring some aspiring fans to death and scaring them away from the season until there's more for them to binge. At the same time, for fans eager to spend time in a gradually expanding Sword Art Online universe, Alicization may very well begin to hit its stride in the coming weeks.
I know I've been gushing over Goblin Slayer's animation quality, but Sword Art Online: Alicization is certainly no slouch when it comes to visuals.
There are some seriously stunning environment and landscape shots throughout the episode, and Kirito's movements during his bungled attempt at woodcutting (you have to see it) and his quick swordsmanship demo are both promising peeks at the action to come.
Perhaps my favorite element of Alicization now that it's getting started properly is the fact that we get to peek inside Kirito's brain a bit more. Going through his train of thought when he first awakens in the virtual world is fascinating - his process of elimination, the means by which he tries to log out or discern Eugeo's identity (is he an NPC? a test player?), and his struggles with things like turning off a lamp. This is addressing a fairly common critique of Kirito: that he's an overpowered MC with more plot armor than your typical protagonist, and he just face-rolls his way through adversity. Kirito is uniquely challenged by this world because it's equal parts familiar, and unfamiliar. You know that this experiment in tempering his abilities is successful when you wonder if he'll actually be able to demonstrate his sword skills in the closing minutes of the episode. Sure, he succeeds, but for the first time in a long time - you weren't sure he would.
Overall, I'm pleased with where Sword Art Online: Alicization is heading now. If you're looking for high-octane action fresh out of the gate, these opening episodes of Alicization aren't going to deliver. However, if you're looking for a lighter fantasy experience than Goblin Slayer, this seems to be checking all of the boxes.
