Rewind: Sword Art Online I & II

Sword Art Online has the potential for both great entertainment and great philosophical discussions. Unfortunately, SAO's inconsistent quality undermines its potential, and a lot of people don't take it seriously... including me.

In my opinion, Sword Art Online is a tricky anime to think and talk about. Here's why:

1. Sometimes, it can almost trick cynical folks into thinking it might be a good anime, or at least an enjoyable one. Then it takes a nosedive, letting down all fans with snobbish tendencies.

2. A lot of people love it, so when an anime newbie asks, "What do you think of Sword Art Online?" I have to watch my words. Seriously, that's one of the trickiest questions a newbie can ask me. On the one hand, I don't want them to think the anime fandom is exclusive and snobbish. I don't want to hurt their feelings, and I don't want to make anime-watching a chore full of critiquing. On the other hand, I want to give them an honest answer, which means I'd rather not sing SAO's praises.

3. SAO's frequent dips in quality allow cynical anime fans to ignore its strengths as a philosophical discussion starter.

Death Gun in SAO II, ep 12. Doesn't he look nice and creepy
and like something out of a Terminator 2? I like this shot.

First, let's talk about what I do like about SAO. The animation is nice—just about everyone will tell you that. But more importantly, there's action. There are sword fights, a cool main character... Some people complain about how Kirito is too powerful and doesn't have much room to grow as a swordsman. Me? I don't take issue with that. It boosts the entertainment value for me, and the entertainment value is pretty much the only reason I kept watching... well, that and I wanted to see what people were talking about.

The scenario is pretty clever, too, and not just because video games attract otaku. As I'll mention in the later part of this post, SAO explores "What If" questions that are relevant to philosophical and scientific questions today. For example: "If human experience is filtered through our neurological system, then what if we could hijack that system so people experience virtual reality as actual reality?" The last arc in SAO II has one of the best "What If" questions: "What if we could use virtual reality to help—and perhaps one day treat or even cure—chronically ill patients?"

Now, here's what I don't like about SAO:
I wrote about this in my post "Sword Art Online Confuses 'Shock' with 'Fitting Climax.' Again," as well as in a Tumblr post, so I'll confine my list of grievances to an actual, limited list.

1. Kirito and Asuna's relationship is often unbelievable. It feels like they were playing house in the first season's ALO arc. And in the GGO arc of SAO II, it's like they aren't really dating. Again, see the links above, especially the Tumblr one, for more ranting. Between writing those and complaining to my friend, I've ranted about their relationship too much already. Ugh...

2. Kirito's sister/cousin/whatever, who goes by Leafa online, has a crush on him, and it's not handled very well. It's clearly just there for some weird entertainment value, and it does not add any significant psychological conflict to the show. Oh, and Leafa's crush has apparently completely evaporated by SAO II.

3. There is gratuitous sexual harassment and abuse. I'm not saying it should be cut out entirely from the series. And it's not like it's in every episode or anything. But there's a difference between "shock" and "fitting climax," as I wrote in an earlier blog post.

Yuuki and Asuna in a safe version of ALO, just playing the game
and beating level bosses. Look at them. Do you see why I have a
hard time taking things seriously in ALO? (SAO II, ep 24)

4. The depth and seriousness in SAO is inconsistent. In the first arc, thousands of lives are at stake. Players must learn to navigate and beat this VRMMORPG in order to survive and escape back into the real world. In the second arc, Asuna is in very real trouble, and there are still many lives that need saving, but... the characters all become fairies, and I can't take them seriously. Plus, as important as Asuna is to many people in the audience, the stakes in this arc just aren't as high.

Then you get to the second season... the GGO arc is nice and dark. There's a murder mystery, and Kirito appears to wrestle with some post-traumatic stress. But after that, it's right back to a safe version of ALO, where Kirito and the gang go on a quest that's only slightly more exciting than the ones you go on in your typical MMORPG. Finally, the last arc is, in my opinion, of higher quality again—lives are not at stake, but the emotional conflict and character development are better than in much of the show.

I think that gives you a taste of SAO's inconsistent quality. I must repeat, though, that I did enjoy the last arc. And, in the last minutes of the last episode, Kirito and Asuna have a great conversation about the implications of virtual reality technology. Here's a brief quote from Kirito:

"I thought that the closer the real and virtual world got, the better the future would be. But the more the boundary between them blurs, the more it starts to trick people."

Yeah, Kirito is obviously much more than a simple swordsman-gamer or tech geek; he's gained some wisdom in his trials these past couple years. His conversation with Asuna is worth going back to, since it has applications to our world today and in the near future.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that SAO could have been amazing. From what I understand, the science fiction in this show is much more than just a gamer's fantasy. It's based partially on current predictions about humans, computers, and virtual reality. It opens questions about what the human experience is—How well could virtual reality mimic bodily reality? If we could program a virtual reality that would trick our senses into believing it to be true, if we could make ourselves feel like virtual experience was physical experience... would it be real?

There's another, related philosophical topic: what is the difference between humans and an AI like Yui? If the first question asks, "What is human experience?" then the second question asks, "What is human? What is a person?" Is a human just a biological computer? In that case, the main difference between Yui and Asuna is their hardware. But if a human is more than a biological computer, if people consist of both spirit/soul and body/brain, then Yui is not comparable to Asuna and Kirito. She appears to feel and act like a human/person, and perhaps the programming glitch makes her "think" she is a person... but she is, in fact, just a program, and only Asuna and Kirito's interpretation of her actions secure her a place as a full character.

In Sword Art Online, the line between the virtual and the real blurs. By the end, Kirito is figuring out how to get Yui into the real world. The characters rarely get into the philosophy and ethics of it, but it does happen on occasion. I do not remember them asking "What is human?" though, only "What is human experience?" and "How can virtual reality play a positive role—through medicine and entertainment—or negative role in our lives?"

All of these are important questions to ask. What do you believe about human life and personhood? About reality and human experience? I have to ask myself these questions, and then I have to ask one more: Does what I believe really match up with what the Bible says about human life and reality?

These are worldview questions. In other words, the answers to these questions play an important role in how you view yourself and the world around you.

In the last episode of SAO, Asuna's friend, Yuuki, prompts another important worldview question: "Why live if we're only going to die? What is life, and what is its purpose?" My answer is different than Yuuki and Asuna's answer, but that is for another post.

Fall Semester has me Swamped (but I've started the Fall anime season anyway)

I thought about doing a Rewind post today. I recently watched 5 Centimeters Per Second, and that would certainly be post-worthy. But it would require a second viewing to understand better, and I'd want to properly process it... which would require me to use the English-major-Literature-class part of my brain. Unfortunately, that part of me is a little overtaxed right now.

And you know what? I haven't done a real Swamped post in a few months. So, here you go: I'm swamped with homework. I'm terribly behind. I expect to be fully caught up in December... after finals week.

But I have to take breaks, so anime obviously occupies a few hours of every week. I've almost finished Terror in Resonance. I love it, but it's a bit heavy, and when I'm this swamped, I prefer to go easy on the dark plotlines. I'm sure I'll finish it soon. Part of the problem is that, with anime, I feel like I have to have an opinion about what I watch. Sometimes, it's more relaxing to watch live action, because I'm not as critical. I guess this is just a side effect of aniblogging (and anitweeting) that I still need to sort through.

Still, I have started some of the Fall Season anime. I've been wanting to talk about them:

Yowapeda 2, or Yowamushi Pedal: Grande Road, isn't any better than the first round. I know this is a popular anime, but it definitely isn't in my top ten sports anime. When I found out that Yowapeda would return this fall, I was disappointed. I'm still watching it, of course. But the race is barely holding onto my attention. I mainly watch for Onoda (who's barely been in this season's first two episodes)... and to find further proof that Midousuji is an experiment that escaped from Orochimaru's lab.

Midousuji, supposedly a human in his 1st year of high school, mocks
friendship as he races ahead of the other constants—including the aces
of our two favorite teams, even though, in the world of Yowapeda, aces
are supposed to have superpowers (basically). Don't worry, I still take
this show more seriously than Free! and even Area no Kishi.
(Screenshot from ep. 2 of Yowapeda 2)

Log Horizon 2: This show continues to intrigue me, although for whatever reason, it's hard to get very excited about it unless I talk about it with someone else.

Sword Art Online II: A recap episode aired last week, didn't it? Maybe I'll watch it while I clean my room this weekend... no, wait, that is listed as a "TV Special," and not as a regular episode. I can skip it without messing up my episode count on Anime-Planet. Phew. It was hard enough watching this show self-destruct the first time. I don't want to watch a recap of it, unless it's to fuel a rant. I am so irritated with the creators' refusal to deal with relational realities.

Actually, I had fun ranting about that to friends at dinner the other night... so I guess SAO's recent episodes have had some good effects after all.

Daiya no Ace: Still watching and enjoying this, of course. It's the only decent sports anime on my watching list this season... kind of a let down after the past several seasons.

Shirobako: This is my happy anime this season. I need one every season, especially during the school year. In the summer, it was Nozaki-kun. Before that, Tonari no Seki-kun. Haikyuu!! make me happy, too...

... okay, I'm tired now. I didn't intent to write this much, but at least it didn't require as much thought and decision-making as a Rewind post would. Time to go night-night so I can get some homework done this weekend.

Sword Art Online Confuses "Shock" with "Fitting Climax." Again.

I'm too swamped for the Rewind post I originally planned on. But I started this post after watching episode 13 of SAO II, and it has elements of "Rewind" to it, since I think back to a past arc. So... I guess it's "Rewind, Fast forward, Play: Sword Art Online." Or something like that. Anyway, spoilers and recollections of disturbing scenes ahead. Here you go:

I wasn't a huge fan of Sword Art Online's first season. The first half was mildly fun. I enjoyed the fight scenes. Unlike some people, I didn't mind the fact that Kirito was overly capable. I just had fun watching him. But I couldn't take Kirito, Asuna, and Yui's little family seriously—I felt like the teenagers were playing house with their virtual "daughter."

The second arc centered around a new game, Alfheim Online (ALO), and was harder for me to swallow. At first, my biggest problem was Kirito's sister, who likes him in a way she shouldn't. Also, it's generally more difficult to take people seriously when they have long ears and are surrounded by happy fairytale colors. I know Kirito encountered multiple conflicts before he finally reached Asuna, but I barely remember them. I don't think I cared that much.

Here's what I do remember: A creepy older guy made arrangements to marry Asuna, whose real body is in the hospital, while he holds her consciousness captive in ALO. She's kept in a cage in a tree, like a bird, and he comes by on occasion to harass her (using his King Oberon avatar). Near the end of the season, when Kirito finally reaches her, Creepy King makes him watch while he chains her, runs his hands all over her, and promises to rape her comatose body after he's done with her in virtual reality. Kirito gets strength from remnants of the previous villain and saves her. 

There's no actual rape, but the abuse that does happen—and is shown—is very difficult to watch. The guys in the audience are (I hope) empathizing with Kirito, which would be hard enough. But, as a woman, I empathize with Asuna. My skin gets a sick tingly feeling when Creepy King touches her. He might not completely have his way with her, but he still violates her in a way no woman should have to endure. She is completely helpless to stop it, and her one defender is pinned to the ground with his own sword.

When I think back on the first two arcs of SAO, I don't remember much. The icky feelings from that episode overwhelm everything else, good or bad.  

Fast forward to SAO II and Gun Gale Online. I enjoyed the first 10 episodes of this arc, and looked forward to it every weekend. I appreciated that PTSD had a role in the conflict (although I don't think a diagnosis came into play). Then came the 11th episode, in which all action paused in favor of 1) serious conversations with random shots of Sinon's rear end, 2) serious conversations by people in elf/fairy land, and 3) me telling Kirito to tell Sinon about Asuna. Popular opinion of the show plummeted, and my opinion plummeted with it. The next episode was better, but I was disillusioned, and my eyes were opened to faults I would otherwise miss.   

And so we arrive at episode 13... I've stopped taking the conflict seriously, although I tell myself to try. In fact, in the 13th episode, I laugh during a scene that's supposed to be ominous:

There's an intense battle. Death Gun, an ominous mix of Terminator
and Anikin, rasps out: "It isn't over yet. I won't let it end until they find
out, and—" A cute little text bubble pops up. It's laughably anti-climatic.

At this point, I'm only worried about one thing: will the creators recognize that Sinon and Kirito have been physically close on camera with Asuna watching, or will they continue to play with Sinon's feelings and ignore Asuna's? 

Later in the episode, I'm mildly relieved, because Sinon is back in the real world, and her trusted friend Shinkawa has come to keep her company. I want him to take Kirito's place as her protector, so Kirito can go back to Asuna. I'm pretty single-minded about this issue, and my hope blinds me to any warning signs. 

I don't suspect anything until Shinkawa opens the you-said-you'd-be-mine conversation. The scene begins safe: she's elevated, on the bed. He sits on the ground, so he has to look up at her, and his face is well-lit. Then, his posture changes, and his face goes into shadow.

In this split second, my mind goes from "awkward," to "Oh no,
this is really bad." All because of his posture and the lighting.

I have to give the animators props for the angles and shadows in this scene. Shinkawa becomes downright intimidating as he slowly rises above Sinon. At times, we view him from right beside her, so when he rises, like a wave preparing to break, we feel a hint of the intimidation she must feel. I forget that he's a dweeby high school kid. He's become a brute. Instead of protecting and honoring Sinon's beauty, he wants to take it by force, and he has the upper hand in every way. I fear this kind of thing far more than murder—not in the sense that I worry about it in my daily life, but that the idea disturbs me more. Once again, the shock factor of this scene rules my mind.

It takes a few hours for me to think about the scene within the bigger picture. And once I do, I realize... it is completely unnecessary. I mean, in ALO, "King Oberon's" obsession with Asuna was a key part of the conflict from the beginning of the arc. But this arc would survive just fine without Shinkawa obsessing over and assaulting Sinon. The main conflicts thus far, as I understood them, were 1) Kirito uncovering and stopping deaths connected to GGO, and 2) Kirito and Sinon coming to terms with what happened in their past. Yes, the confrontation with Shinkawa provided a climatic opportunity for her to overcome her victim mentality. However, it would have been far more meaningful if he held a gun like the one she shot when she was little. Less shocking for the audience? Yes. But more genuine.

Further, if the goal is to help Sinon overcome her victim mentality, maybe she should be the one to subdue Shinkawa, not Kirito.

Eh, whatever. I enjoy watching Kirito fight, even when it's not beneficial to the story. Besides, his entrance helps solidify the parallelism between ALO and GGO. There's a third parallel, involving illogical disembodied beings who give pep talks, but I think I've covered enough for one post.

Despite my critical words, I'll watch the next episode of SAO the weekend. I'll probably enjoy parts of it. Unfortunately, if the makers keep confusing "perverts" and "shock" with "well-developed conflict" and "actual climax," I can't hope for more than mild amusement in the coming episodes.