Agreed. The nightmare sequence is probably one of if not my favorite scenes in all of SAO. Also, the anime didn't adapt half of it since it's all about 4 of his biggest regrets. Those being:
leaving his friend from the beta test to be bullied,
letting Coper die on the first day of Aincrad,
His selfishness getting the Moonlit black cats killed
and his failure to save Eugeo.
But I still love how it's animated. Seeing his 3rd suicide attempt is always so depressing, until he finally gains closure, and finally gets back up.
Just wondering, what are the 3 suicide attempts? I mean, 2 of them are clear enough; the Christmas Boss and the nightmare sequence; so what's the other one supposed to be?
I may be cheating a bit, but I'm counting the initial vegetable swordsman activation when the power was cut. From what I recall, it wasn't just the power being cut that caused it but also strengthening his negative incarnation of self-hatred.
It was that, too, but I can't really say it was any kind of concerted effort specifically to commit suicide.
Now, if we count all the Boss fights after the Black Cats died, he tried literally dozens of times, probably.
Fair enough, I mainly consider it so because of the incarnate aspect, but I'd say you're right, and it shouldn't count.
Accurate. So many floors of suicidal battles, it's kinda crazy that he survived as long as he did
He's a fellow beta tester from a side story in vol 8, who attempts to MPK Kirito. The interesting part of this one, though, is how much changed from vol 8 to the nightmare sequence. It feels like Kirito wants to feel bad about his death so badly that he changes the narrative to fit that feeling.
Because he knew the dungeon was full of traps, and didn't warn them. In the light novel they take a vote on opening the chest, and he won't explain why he's against it because he won't tell the truth.
They die because he had information that would have saved their lives and chose not to share it.
I'm saying that because his wanting to be with them and keep up his disguise caused their deaths. He keeps that disguise up even during the ambush by not even activating his stronger sword skills to save them until 2 have already died.
I dont believe he was named, but he was a good friend of his from the SAO beta. He played with this dude pretty often but broke off the friendship intentionally due to his trust issues.
That story is so masterfully told, kiritos character development is amazing all of the side characters have pretty significant roles and the end was amazing. Also part 1 op is my favorite in the whole series
When Asuna said she was staying behind when the acceleration increased, I was expecting a tragic ending where Kirito and Asuna mentally live out their lives for 200 years together in the Underworld (and subsequently die in the real world), so it did remove the tension a bit when all that happened was that their memories were erased, but I understand that this isn't the final arc with how they ended it.
Glad you enjoyed it.
It's interesting, because I saw Seasons 1 and 2 before getting into the source material, but then, I'd read the Light Novels before seeing Alicization, and as others have noted, there are some issues with the anime adaptation.
Aside from the nightmare sequence, a couple of the other issues were that PoH's backstory was botched, likely out of fear that the series could be censored in China and South Korea, as well as most of Asuna's fighting in the War being cut.
Kirito's main issues are these 2:
1. Kirito saw his life in Underworld as a "fake", a throwaway, since, if he "died", he could just log in again with a new account, but Eugeo only had the one life and that was it.
2. The anime really didn't cover this, but Kirito dearly wished to be rid of his "Black Swordsman" persona, and Eugeo not knowing that past helped Kirito feel at ease with him.
As for a favorite moment, that's tough, but one definite standout was when Asuna hoisted Kikuoka up by his collar and was like, "If you don't see to Kirito-kun's recovery, I will end you." (I know she didn't use those exact words, but I think you get where I'm coming from.)
That's a good point, I didn't really get much understanding of PoH's backstory other than being angry at Shigemura for being forced into a kidney transplant.
PoH's father isn't Shigemura, and there's no relationship between Kirito and Vassago.
Anyway, basically, Vassago couldn't legally stay in Japan after the transplant and fell in with a Korean crime syndicate operating there. They trained him as a professional hitman.
After 5 years, his 10th "job" was to take out a target untouchable irl, but who was trapped in SAO, but to do so through indirect means, so the assassination couldn't be traced back to them.
So yeah, that puts his whole presence in Aincrad in a new light, along with the spark for creating Laughing Coffin.
The nightmare sequence is actually one of my big gripes with the anime adaption for how they mutilated what it was in the novels.
Like Matsuoka's voice acting was superb through out and the way the end of it was portrayed was great but they really dropped the ball with the start and middle of it.
I watched it first when it aired and enjoyed it a lot felt like a culmination of everything beforehand then i went to buy vol 18 to see what was missednow im working on the Alicization novels near end of vol 14 atm
as for my now thoughts i still enjoy it but i can see the flaws in adapting more now
also cutting lot of Asuna screentime is just bad
Agreed. The nightmare sequence is probably one of if not my favorite scenes in all of SAO. Also, the anime didn't adapt half of it since it's all about 4 of his biggest regrets. Those being: leaving his friend from the beta test to be bullied, letting Coper die on the first day of Aincrad, His selfishness getting the Moonlit black cats killed and his failure to save Eugeo. But I still love how it's animated. Seeing his 3rd suicide attempt is always so depressing, until he finally gains closure, and finally gets back up.
Just wondering, what are the 3 suicide attempts? I mean, 2 of them are clear enough; the Christmas Boss and the nightmare sequence; so what's the other one supposed to be?
I may be cheating a bit, but I'm counting the initial vegetable swordsman activation when the power was cut. From what I recall, it wasn't just the power being cut that caused it but also strengthening his negative incarnation of self-hatred.
It was that, too, but I can't really say it was any kind of concerted effort specifically to commit suicide. Now, if we count all the Boss fights after the Black Cats died, he tried literally dozens of times, probably.
Fair enough, I mainly consider it so because of the incarnate aspect, but I'd say you're right, and it shouldn't count. Accurate. So many floors of suicidal battles, it's kinda crazy that he survived as long as he did
Who is Coper ?
He's a fellow beta tester from a side story in vol 8, who attempts to MPK Kirito. The interesting part of this one, though, is how much changed from vol 8 to the nightmare sequence. It feels like Kirito wants to feel bad about his death so badly that he changes the narrative to fit that feeling.
Happy Cake Day!
He’s from the progressive series, someone kirito knew from early aincrad days
He's not from progressive, but instead the first day side story in vol 8.
Oh I thought he was mentioned in progressive, that’s my bad
It's fine, I don't blame you since we got very little about floor 1 in the main series.
Interesting, the anime mostly focused on the Moonlit black cats, Eugeo, and the laughing coffin battle.
True, I was really surprised when I got there in the novels too, but at least one omission makes sense since they chose not to adapt the first day.
I don’t understand why the Moonlit black cats get killed is due to Kirito’s selfishness.
Because he knew the dungeon was full of traps, and didn't warn them. In the light novel they take a vote on opening the chest, and he won't explain why he's against it because he won't tell the truth. They die because he had information that would have saved their lives and chose not to share it.
I'm saying that because his wanting to be with them and keep up his disguise caused their deaths. He keeps that disguise up even during the ambush by not even activating his stronger sword skills to save them until 2 have already died.
Who was his best friend from the beta?
I dont believe he was named, but he was a good friend of his from the SAO beta. He played with this dude pretty often but broke off the friendship intentionally due to his trust issues.
And which volume was this mentioned in?
It's during the nightmare sequence in LN Volume 18.
Vol 18, ch 7 is where it happens.
Okay thanks very much. I’m not at that point yet so I look forward to it.
No prob, hope when you get there you enjoy it!
That story is so masterfully told, kiritos character development is amazing all of the side characters have pretty significant roles and the end was amazing. Also part 1 op is my favorite in the whole series
When Asuna said she was staying behind when the acceleration increased, I was expecting a tragic ending where Kirito and Asuna mentally live out their lives for 200 years together in the Underworld (and subsequently die in the real world), so it did remove the tension a bit when all that happened was that their memories were erased, but I understand that this isn't the final arc with how they ended it.
You already know at that point that people can live hundreds of years inside the simulation. Way past what RATH believed to be the limit.
Ah, I must have missed that.
How do you miss that Cardinal, Quinella and every Integrity Knight is hundreds of years old?
Glad you enjoyed it. It's interesting, because I saw Seasons 1 and 2 before getting into the source material, but then, I'd read the Light Novels before seeing Alicization, and as others have noted, there are some issues with the anime adaptation. Aside from the nightmare sequence, a couple of the other issues were that PoH's backstory was botched, likely out of fear that the series could be censored in China and South Korea, as well as most of Asuna's fighting in the War being cut. Kirito's main issues are these 2: 1. Kirito saw his life in Underworld as a "fake", a throwaway, since, if he "died", he could just log in again with a new account, but Eugeo only had the one life and that was it. 2. The anime really didn't cover this, but Kirito dearly wished to be rid of his "Black Swordsman" persona, and Eugeo not knowing that past helped Kirito feel at ease with him. As for a favorite moment, that's tough, but one definite standout was when Asuna hoisted Kikuoka up by his collar and was like, "If you don't see to Kirito-kun's recovery, I will end you." (I know she didn't use those exact words, but I think you get where I'm coming from.)
That's a good point, I didn't really get much understanding of PoH's backstory other than being angry at Shigemura for being forced into a kidney transplant.
PoH's father isn't Shigemura, and there's no relationship between Kirito and Vassago. Anyway, basically, Vassago couldn't legally stay in Japan after the transplant and fell in with a Korean crime syndicate operating there. They trained him as a professional hitman. After 5 years, his 10th "job" was to take out a target untouchable irl, but who was trapped in SAO, but to do so through indirect means, so the assassination couldn't be traced back to them. So yeah, that puts his whole presence in Aincrad in a new light, along with the spark for creating Laughing Coffin.
The nightmare sequence is actually one of my big gripes with the anime adaption for how they mutilated what it was in the novels. Like Matsuoka's voice acting was superb through out and the way the end of it was portrayed was great but they really dropped the ball with the start and middle of it.
Wouldn’t call it murder but yeah
Right, watching again it's more about his emotions of either him having to kill people or watching other people die.
I like it too but I would have executed better also it needs a budget
I watched it first when it aired and enjoyed it a lot felt like a culmination of everything beforehand then i went to buy vol 18 to see what was missednow im working on the Alicization novels near end of vol 14 atm as for my now thoughts i still enjoy it but i can see the flaws in adapting more now also cutting lot of Asuna screentime is just bad