Sword Art Online: Alicization | Episode 1 and 2 Review

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Goddamnit I still remember too much. Episode one despite it’s length was everything I read in the light novel all those years ago. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, on Twitter I had mentioned the one of the reasons why I stopped watching SAO after GGO was because I was a curious young boy and found the light novels online.

I’m a little late to the party, however, I think it’s time that I catch up with SAO. The reason why I put it off for so long was because I read the light novels years before the Alicization adaptation. So I spoiled it for myself, shame on me. Originally tweeted by Otaku Central (@OOCentral) on September 18, 2021.

Being dingus, I read up until Volume 13 or 14 (I can’t quite remember).One thing I can remember with certainty was that I did read a little bit into the “Alicization” Arc. I specifically remember episode one in the light novel because the next day I went to my cousin boasting saying “I read the light novel to SAO and guess what? Kirito dies”. Back then I thought I was all cool because I knew the future, little did I know that a few years later, not only would be a more immersed in the world of anime, but the Arc that I read the beginnings of was eventually going to be animated. When I found that out, I was really disappointed in myself because I had effectively spoiled at the time one of my favourite anime in Sword Art Online. After GGO that was when I stepped away from the series, apart from Ordinal Scale but that’s besides the point. Allow me to share my views on the episodes I’ve watched.

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Even though I read the novels all those years ago, the only thing I actually remember is Kirito ‘dying’. Everything else has been wiped from memory, like Kirito in episode two. Like him, I do not remember anything, but for Kirito it’s a little more extreme because it doesn’t seem as though he can remember anything from the world he came from. However, in classic Kirito fashion, he still has his swordsman skills and understands that the world he is in is some time of virtual world that feels all too real.

That aspect of things is really interesting. In my opinion SAO, is what I think we can get close to in terms of gaming. That has always been my view on things, everything that Sword Art Online has been up until this point could be something that we reach in our lifetime. I also think that SAO serves as a what could happen if greed and other individualistic ideal take hold of the gaming world and turn it into something that is beyond our recognition.

I assume that many, if not all of you have already seen Sword Art Online: Alicization so I doubt that I’m spoiling anything. But something else I do remember from the light novels, which I’m sure is something we’ll get into eventually, was that Kirito is in this virtual world in order to keep his body in the physical world from dying. Similar to what they did with Yuuki in season two but they have found a way to prevent death. Putting him in this virtual world will not only keep his body safe and alive in the real world, but will also help Kikuoka develop this world.

Slowly stepping back into the world that is Sword Art Online has been refreshing to say the least. I am honestly looking forward to catching up, that’s for sure.