LN: Sword Art Online

[shinta|hikari]

I am making this thread to contain discussion for SAO Light Novel.

I have read up to the latest translated novel, so any discussion about them is welcome.

[Dark Dragon]

I really enjoyed volume 5 and 6. I really hope that they'll go back to GGO sometime in the future because the atmosphere and game-play was very appealing to me.

[shinta|hikari]

A GGO movie would be absolutely epic.

I find the GGO arc to be the darkest among the novels. It is also fairly compact, so it could fit in a 2hr movie. It could also use a high budget, so I am hoping the disappointment anime actually sells to make this future possible.

Cutting bullets with a light saber in a world where no one else could really sums up Kirito.

[MasterOfMoogles]

I wonder if they're turboing the anime so much because they're trying to get to GGO in 26 episodes.
Volume 1 isn't really that long, so let's assume they squeeze A Murder Case in the Area into 1 episode, and then 2 episodes of vol1 (floor 74 boss + ambush murder attempt), then Yui, then a couple more (duel + floor 75 boss), and SAO arc is done. That puts it at episode 10.

Fairy Dance, you could probably get away with about 8-10 episodes.
And that leaves 6-8 for GGO.

Apparently Sinon has a voice actress according to some sites, so maybe they will go for it. I really would have liked to see them expand on SAO more, though. First Day in particular is a pretty epic story. And cutting down Aria to the bare bones was sad.

I'm not sure whether I like Fairy Dance or GGO more. I think GGO probably has the more interesting story, and I like Sinon better than Sugu.

What do you guys think about Alicization so far? I didn't really like vol 9 much (cliffhanger at the end of Interlude is craaaazy though). You grow to like all of the characters and then they don't show up.

[Dark Dragon]

I'm in the middle of Rosario and not a hurry to finish because i know vol 9 ends at a half way point. I honestly think it would be best if they end it with ALO since GGO is more of a side story and would make for an extremely awkward ending to the anime.

[shinta|hikari]

GGO is really better off as an OAV or movie.

I hope they stop at Alfheim, because that is an absolutely necessary part of the story. I bet they are rushing all the sidestory content, but when they hit the main story, they will pace it down a lot. Asuna needs to be developed after all.

EDIT: Is anyone reading or finished reading the Alicization arc?

[MasterOfMoogles]

I've read Vol 9, the first book in Alicization.

I really enjoyed Rosario, too, by the way. The side stories in Vol 8 are pretty awesome as well.

[shinta|hikari]

Rosario was okay. I didn't like the fact that someone actually beat Kirito, but it is excusable since she is a dying girl that lived in VR for the longest time.

Alicization feels like a whole different story. I started feeling a bit bored in the middle, but I guess the last fight scene made up for it a bit.

What do you guys think happened to Kirito? Did he go into a coma and using the new system is the only way to revive him by fixing his fluclight?

[Hitokiri]

I wonder if they're turboing the anime so much because they're trying to get to GGO in 26 episodes.
Volume 1 isn't really that long, so let's assume they squeeze A Murder Case in the Area into 1 episode, and then 2 episodes of vol1 (floor 74 boss + ambush murder attempt), then Yui, then a couple more (duel + floor 75 boss), and SAO arc is done. That puts it at episode 10.

Fairy Dance, you could probably get away with about 8-10 episodes.
And that leaves 6-8 for GGO.

Apparently Sinon has a voice actress according to some sites, so maybe they will go for it. I really would have liked to see them expand on SAO more, though. First Day in particular is a pretty epic story. And cutting down Aria to the bare bones was sad.

I'm not sure whether I like Fairy Dance or GGO more. I think GGO probably has the more interesting story, and I like Sinon better than Sugu.

What do you guys think about Alicization so far? I didn't really like vol 9 much (cliffhanger at the end of Interlude is craaaazy though). You grow to like all of the characters and then they don't show up.

I haven't started Vol 5, but it seems to me that the GGO arc is a natural break. From what I gather, GGO has nothing to do with Vol 1 - 4, other than some of the characters. GGO is mostly made of new characters right? They could finish Vol 1-4 this season without rushing it any more than it has already, then start a completely new season for Vol 5.

[MasterOfMoogles]

GGO mainly is about Kirito and the new character Sinon, but there are some ties back to SAO that I think make the story really interesting.

Regarding Rosario, Kirito says he isn't the best player in the world. However, he doesn't really get serious anymore, and won't pull out dual blades unless it is super important. He also doesn't have Elucidator or Dark Repulser anymore, which would probably help him out. And he doesn't use the other sword he got from the other side story either.

Regarding Alicization:
There are a couple options, but since not everybody has read that far, let's just leave it at that. I am hoping for more real-world interactions. Mainly because I just love the whole harem situation Kirito has gotten himself into. Kirito is such a player, and he doesn't even try.

[shinta|hikari]

GGO has many ties to the previous novels, particularly Kirito's past in SAO. I don't think it has enough content for even a single cour series though. It would just feel dragged out.

BTW, who is your favorite harem girl in SAO?

[Hitokiri]

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I want to start reading, but I usually read before I go to bed. The last time I read Volume 1, I finally went to sleep at 4AM and was a zombie at work.

Out of all the side story girls, I like the blacksmith. I think she had the deeper, more conflicted one-sided love towards Kirito. Finally letting go of her emotional barrier only to find out he's already spoken for by someone she's good friends with.

Their stories aren't complex, but she was the one I resonated with more. What are your picks MoM and shinta|hikari?

[MasterOfMoogles]

If I were to rank them, I would probably go with:
Sinon
Asuna
Lizbet
Sugu
Scilica

Lizbet and Scilia just don't show up enough. Liz is interesting in that she actually understands the harem dynamic going on.
Sugu... I'm not really a fan of "Cousins can marry in Japan!" Though, all of Fairy Dance is just hilarious with Lyfa falling so hard for Kirito and she just has no chance.
Asuna is great, but perhaps too perfect. I do like what the author did with all of the side stories, retconning some stuff from Vol 1 to bring us Aria, Rondo, Monochrome, and Murder Case in the Area, which all have some good Asuna scenes. I also think she grows a lot as a character in Rosario.
I really like Sinon and her interactions with Kirito. I think she is the best addition to the harem, and could perhaps be the only competition for Asuna. She also gets some good action scenes both in GGO and Caliber.

Kirito really only belongs with Asuna, though.

Does Argo count in the harem? I really wish there was more of her. Kirito and Argo's relationship in Aria is interesting. I want to see more side stories with her.

If you like Lizbet, you should love chapter 3 of this:
http://mangafox.me/manga/sword_art_online_minami_juusei/
It is basically SAO 4-koma.

[shinta|hikari]

Sinon is number 1 for me. She is simply cool. The way she took down the gatling gun user in the beginning of the GGO arc is fantastic. Her backstory is also the most fleshed out. She is also able to connect to Kirito the most because of their common background of guilt and cowardice.

And you know, a small girl dragging around a huge sniper rifle, gap moe.

I also really like Asuna. I like the fact the she isn't really perfect. She is just extremely hard working, and that pays off in the end. I wonder what will happen to Asuna if Kirito actually dies (or at least she is convinced that he did). It would be a great story to tell.

[MasterOfMoogles]

Really? Aria and Rudolph were too fast paced, but I thought Scilica's story was well done. Murder Case in the Area seems to be going pretty good so far, too.

I was hoping they would have Heathcliff show up, but it looks like they're cutting him out of this side story. The comments he makes are so blatant that it would probably just give away the huge twist later.

If we get the Kirito/Asuna stakeout and XaXa/PoH/Johnny Black next episode for the conclusion of the mystery, I think it will have been pretty good. I am disappointed at no Heathcliff "ramen" scene, but oh well or Kirito testing the pick on his own hand with Asuna standing by with tons of health potions, but I don't think that is a serious downside.

[Dark Dragon]

When i was reading volume 1 of SAO, there was a constant feeling or urgency and oppression up until Kirito and Asuna marriage. That somehow made the event feel even more special because there is sudden relief and a change of pace. They're really disrupting the flow of the story right now with this order of episodes. Another thing is what I've already said in the anime thread and that is the author clearly wrote these side stories for audience who already had extensive knowledge of how SAO works. The ramen scene is very tongue in cheek because everyone already knows Heathcliff true identity and it just gives some extra depth to his character. All this is nice, but when you put it in this order, it just feels very messy as a whole. The story becomes episodic and the episodes feels very disconnect from each other (which they were, because they all take place in different volumes).

[Buffalobiian]

Not sure why Alicization is taking so long. Honestly, I'd rather see the remaining ME's get translated as I don't really like Alicization so much so far. Maybe it will get better, though.




I like Alicization the least among the existing novels, mainly because it departs so much from the usual SAO formula. However, that also provides opportunity for so much more, especially because the writer has also matured and is now capable of tackling more serious themes.

Okay, I've moved discussion to comparisons between SAO LN and Anime to another thread so that posters and readers can have a more organised discussion regarding the actual topic they're interested in.

The forum doesn't let me split posts up, so I've instead cut/pasted relevant sections and tried to put them into order.

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FAQ:

1) Where can I discuss the Light novel with people? Here

2) I only want to talk about the anime. Where do I post? The SAO thread in the anime section (http://forums.gotwoot.net/showthread.php/20784-Sword-Art-Online)

3) How about if I want to compare the aired episodes of SAO with the LN portrayals? Click this to be redirected to the correct thread (http://forums.gotwoot.net/showthread.php/20966-Sword-Art-Online-Comparisons-between-the-Light-Novel-and-the-Anime)

4) Where do I go if I want to speculate about how LN would/could be adapted into unaired episodes, movies or other media? Discuss here.

Happy Posting

[shinta|hikari]

Alicization Running 1st chapter (http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Volume_10_Chapter _2) is up!

Read up guys. I will be posting about the chapter soon.

[MasterOfMoogles]

I definitely enjoy the read-world segments of Alicization more than the in-game ones, though now that we know what the heck is going on, Alice will be a bit more interesting.

Talk about sick and twisted experiments, though...

[shinta|hikari]

I am beginning to really like the Alicization arc. The concept of cloning the human soul was really interesting. It raises a lot of questions, some of which were mentioned in the novel itself.

I like how they mentioned Kirito trying to protect NPCs, and how he treats any reality he was in as real. It really does make him seem insane, being able to treat even extremely primitive AIs, if they even qualify as that, like they are beings with value. I would definitely understand if it was a complex AI like Yui, or the fluclights that were in fact the closest beings to humans, but normal NPCs seem to belong to a different category.

Is Kirito obsessed with trying to maintain the sense of reality in whatever world he was in? For what purpose?

I found it weird how smart Asuna was in this novel. She was even arriving at conclusions faster than Rinko, who should be much more intelligent based on her background. The author kept using the "as expected of those who cleared SAO" as an excuse for her intelligence boost, but even in the previous novels, she has never shown that level of deductive capability.

EDIT: I just read the 2nd chapter, and I bet that the observer is a girl in it's normal form.

[MasterOfMoogles]

I'll probably wait until part 4 of the next chapter is finished until I read it.

I'd really like to read The Progressers before I make a judgment on how crazy or not crazy Kirito is regarding NPCs.
There is certainly something to say about treating the world you're in as the real world, though. The author is touching on what it is like to live in a fully digital world.

One of the best things about Fairy Dance was the dichotomy of how Kirito treated the game and how others treated the game. He treats everybody he meets as if he was meeting them for real and it really surprises people and has a strong effect on them. Just because you're seeing an avatar representing someone, does that mean it should be any different from meeting them for real? In the real world, you have people who act like total douchebags on the internet because of anonymity or that they feel like the relationships they would make don't really matter. You don't have to look far to find someone like that. I think it is something interesting to think about with the direction our world is moving towards regarding communication.

Kirito has had a pretty good reason so far to treat each of the worlds he has visited with super seriousness.
In SAO, his life and everyone else's was on the line.
In ALO, Asuna is in danger.
In GGO, there's a murderer on the loose.
In Underworld, he has no idea what's going on, so better to be on the safe side and be serious.

There are definitely some interesting questions brought up throughout the series about relationship and what being human really means. Is Alice a person? What about the other 'people" in that world? Is Yui worth treating like a human being when she's really just a collection of learned responses? Are humans collections of learned responses too?

I wouldn't really say the author is exploring these issues, but he is bringing them up and throwing them out there for people to think about while he tells a fun shounen story.

Asuna hasn't really been shown as being stupid either. She went to a private school and didn't really play games before SAO, right? She came up with lots of boss fight strategies and seemed to be a pretty good leader. None of her deductions really seemed unreasonable to me, given that she had talked with Kirito about some of this stuff and was very suspicious of Kikuoka.

Something tells me there's a LightCube with a backup of Kayaba. Seems like a plot point too good to pass up.

[Marik]

September 6, 2012 - Volume 10 Chapter 3 Completed

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Volume_10_Chapter _3

[MasterOfMoogles]

Not much to say about Ch3. Kirito performed as expected. I hope for the rest of the tournament's sake that they don't ever let him use 2 swords.
I kind of want "It" to be Yui, but I don't really see how that would work.

[shinta|hikari]

Just read part 1 of Chapter 4. New harem member detected.

If Kirito managed to increase his OC and wield two legendary swords, how much of a monster would he be if he used the 16 hit star burst stream in a world where 2 hit skills are the ultimate sword skills?

[shinta|hikari]

Are you guys keeping up with the latest translated stuff? Read on if you are.

So Kirito is suddenly fighting the academy #1. However, he is allowed to use his new sword, which should allow him to unleash at least 4 consecutive hits. I wonder if Kirito will use this to beat the shit out of this guy. The only reason he lost to #2 was because he can't use all of his skills with a practice sword, while the only reason #2 lost to #1 was because of a lack of self confidence. Someone who focuses on strength and single powerful hits should be the easiest opponent for Kirito. His speed and combos can easily overwhelm this guy, especially when they only need 1 hit to decide a winner.

[Marik]

Volume 10 has been completed.

October 1, 2012 - Volume 10 Chapter 4, Volume 10 Completed

[shinta|hikari]

Thank you.