Sword Art Online Alicization Episode 24 Review
I wasn’t aware until the episode ended that this is actually the end of this season and the story won’t be continuing until October when we get Sword Art Online Alicization – War of the Underworld (that’s a mouthful and a half of a title). So on that note the complete cliff-hanger on an ending makes kind of sense knowing that this will continue but on the back of now 24 episodes of very little really being all that engaging, I’m just kind of left wondering if I will pick up the series when it comes back.
Am I that curious about the fate of fluctlights who’s nature and existence hasn’t actually been satisfactorily explained other than some pseudo sciency ‘soul’ babble that went on way too long and essentially explained nothing? I know the only character I did have any kind of desire to see grow is now dead so that kind of doesn’t exactly help my desire to watch more. I also know Kirito, who I used to really like as a character, has spent the last 24 episodes making me really just bored with his current holier than thou attitude. I need to go back and watch Aincrad again just to remind myself that I actually do like his character.
Honestly, when I do my full series review of this first 24 episodes of Alicization, I’m going to really struggle for positives. For the few shining moments sprinkled throughout, there’s a whole lot of nothing and a lot of babble about less than nothing.
The final episode continues the trend with a fight between the Administrator and Kirito. Kirito who changes back into the clothes of the black swordsman through… not a command or anything. He just kind of wants it to happen and it does. Before someone tells me he’s in a game world, I get that. I also get that at no point in this series has Kirito demonstrated that he can just create things out of thin air without going through an actual command process. And while Kirito has broken games before to pull a victory from nowhere, that didn’t involve equipping a new costume mid-fight.
The Administrator pulling sword skills and the like from previous iterations of the game actually was kind of cool to give credit where it is due. Although, they pull the Godiva hair trope on and on and you just wonder if it really would have been so hard to have her wear clothes during any part of this fight.
Then Eugeo, who I’m pretty sure was already dead, gives Kirito a pep talk and I’m pretty sure his blood turns into a sword. Again with the how and the why? This literally came out of nowhere. Yep, Eugeo turned into a sword last episode but Cardinal did that and there was quite a process. It wasn’t just a hold my hand, say some encouraging words and presto have a sword.
Affiliate Link
Though, of all the stupid things going on in this episode, Kirito’s horror when the Administrator decided to go to his world just kind of made me laugh. We have no reason to believe she’ll be capable of anything once she crosses over. No body, and even if she’s the proverbial ghost in the machine, they can delete her. I kind of feel if they wanted me to take that seriously as a threat, they possibly should provide some context for why that is threatening. Then the senator chasing after her and her reaction actually did make me laugh because it was just so stupid.
In the final moments we see Kirito finally communicating with someone outside the game and things are going poorly. Then we get our cliff-hanger moment with another, oh no did Kirito die kind of moments, but shrug. Honestly, this series has been a mess and the final episode is equally messy.
It really expects you to ask no questions of it or challenge anything. It really doesn’t want you to look for logic. It literally just wants you to jump along to the next cool moment and appreciate it because any other kind of viewing experience makes this one just fall apart. You can’t ask questions because there are no answers (or at least none that make sense).
Can we go back to the days where the crazy guy just wanted to make his own world and trap everyone inside of it?
Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James
- Alicization Series Review
- Sword Art Online Series Review
- Sword Art Online Abridged Review
- How Does Kirito’s Belief in Himself Cause Success?
- Images from: Sword Art Online Alicization. Dir. M Ono. A-1 Pictures. 2018.
I really, really wanted to like this season. The first half really kept be interested! But the things you mentioned about this episode — the unexplained change into this original coat, for example, which would have been amazing with a little work but instead was just WTF — made it really hard.
I’ll be back in the Fall. I liked the original 12 SAO episodes; I liked parts of the next 12; I really liked SAO II (and yes, it had a ton to do with Shino Asada/Sinon); and Gun Gale Online was a lot of fun. So it’s not like I’m one of those folks who just hate SAO.
I hope Roderick J “Jay” Friz is right about how good the next season will be!
I know. I feel bad for not liking this given I’ve spent a lot of time defending SAO from people who blindly hate SAO. But, this one really isn’t very good even when you try to find those positives. There’s just too many things wrong with it as a series and the number one thing that stops me from getting on board is I’m not having fun watching it at this point. The original SAO had its issues but it also had the ability to sweep its audience away on the journey and just go for the ride. Alicization kind of waits until you are on the ride and then it is a stop, start affair that seems to break down every other episode.
I get it, Karandi. The season hasn’t been that interesting so far. When I read the light novel, I had a hard time paying attention. But I saw how cool the second half is, and I just kept going. If I had to sum it up, it’s like if World War III were fought in a VR. Like the big fight I’m Ready Player One but longer.