“It’s so warm…you and I are both data in this imaginary world, yet…”
Summary
Kirito needs a new one-handed straight sword to accompany his Elucidator, and is referred by Asuna to a smith shop run by the blacksmith Lizbeth. After easily smashing the best sword she has on display, Lizbeth tells him about a special ingot on the 55th floor that would easily make a strong sword for him, and they head off to locate it. While fighting the ice dragon guarding the ingot, they fall into a pit, later discovering the ingot while realizing that it was in fact the dragon’s nest. Lizbeth forges the sword Dark Repulser for Kirito, and is seconds away from confessing before Asuna bursts in, leading her to realize the relationship in-the-making between the two.
Impression
With another side story comes another haremette female acquaintance of Kirito – the second one to be precise. Yoruko doesn’t count, because they pretended to kill her off in a story that was far too sad for her and the people around her. Lizbeth on the other hand is the definition of cheerfulness, who makes up SAO’s resident moeblob and face-expression-maker all at the same time. You always have one of those; the people that make a variety of dramatic and unusual faces that never fail to entertain. Though to be fair, Kirito did walk in and break her best longsword with no warning. I feel that somewhere in that happy expression is a person who has a lot of complex emotions inside – both at the start of the ep in private (when she had just forged a sword) and at the end, when talking about being trapped in the game and what she feels is real in a virtual world. I wouldn’t go so far as to say her happiness is a mask, but certainly she’s making the best of her situation, cheering up both herself and the people around her.
That’s why it really made me sad seeing her so disappointed in realizing it was an unrequited love. Both that and the fact she had Asuna for a rival made me really feel for her, especially since she was so selfless in making the choice to give up on him, knowing that her best friend liked the same guy she did and seeing the obvious chemistry between them. From the viewpoint of an anime fan, it was unlucky that she fell in love with Kirito, the main hero with the hax skills, because each of these new girls is going to end up having an unrequited love for Kirito in some form. It goes without saying that Kirito x Asuna is the only way to go, and I ship it as well – it’s just that nice girls like Lizbeth (or Silica) deserve being happy as well, and it’s sad to see it being unlikely since this is one of the shows where I actually care about the support characters (instead of those shows where each harem member gets boobs and a clichéd personality).
Lizbeth’s whole feelings came from Kirito walking in one day, needing a new sword! I’ll leave the question of “why does he need one if he has Elucidator” hanging in your minds, and move on to the material gathering they did to make Dark Repulser. As always, SAO pulls even a dragon battle off in a cool fashion, with that slight arrogance of glossing over it in still frames – because of course, Kirito will prevail xD I’m sure that protectiveness for Liz and him not wanting to let her fight was again in memory of Sachi, as was the falling into the hole. Kirito said himself that in SAO, all the players live for survival, and in essence for themselves – but not everyone is like that, and dying alone in a virtual world is a very dark prospect. If you’re going to jump into the pitch black unknown, isn’t it better to do it together with a friend? Coming from a solo player like Kirito, it shows how much he’s grown and changed the things he values most.
Even in SAO, not everything is bleak, and like how there was definitely a way out of the dragon’s nest, the scenery was pretty much a visual reminder of that. For Liz, its sometimes the simple things like the warmth of Kirito’s coat and now, the warmth of her own heart that keeps her going. I can tell that Kirito’s maintenance visits to her shop will be a highlight of her day, even if she’s not quite ready to confess to him once more.
Thus ends the last side story for now – there’s still another one later, but that’s not for a while yet. If next episode’s title, “The Black and White Sword Dance” is what I think it is, then we’re officially starting SAO’s main story! Of course, it refers to something very specific that would be spoiling the fun by mentioning any further xD Along with the package we get more helpings of epicness, Asuna and everything else that makes SAO the cool experience it is. These side stories have been good fun and helpful in explaining more about the game and its mechanics, but in the end a linear story is best. Well, we have waited, and shall be rewarded!
Reading your review for past eps, I finally decided to start read SAO’s LN,
When I watched the past episodes of the anime, I must admit that I was pretty much confused. Like, why do Kirito leave Klein, or why do beta testers are so much hated, etc etc. So reading the LN is like an enlightment for me^^
I’m so happy for this ep, since Liz is one of my favorite character in SAO ^^
Though I’m kind of disappointed that they didn’t animate Liz’s inner heart conflict when forging Dark Repulser.
I’m glad you decided to pick up the LN! There was definitely lots of backstory about beta testers in Aria – in general, there’s a lot more inner monologue and explanation in the light novel, with the reader able to see everything about Kirito’s train of thought and decisions, which is why it’s much more captivating at times.
Liz’s inner conflict is the same – we read all her thoughts and feelings as they grew, which is why impact would have been lost in animating her emotions while forging because it seemed more like a teenage crush in the anime, compared to something genuinely special she feels for Kirito in the novels.
I hate to keep drawing comparisons though, since I do appreciate the changes that have to sometimes be made in adaptations.
It’s always interesting to see Kirito’s awesome deduction ability and sometimes-childish thoughts in the novel. In the anime, he seems more mature and calm, but it’s cute in its own way ^_^
I sometimes found myself can’t help but to compare XD but I’d say both the anime and the novel are great on its own way. If the novel has more detailed explanations, in the anime we’d get to see the cute facial expressions and awesome sword skills in motion >ww< Though a VRMMORPG is impossible for our current technology… XD
Err, sorry, it seems some of my comments are deleted, thus the last words may be not make sense XD
This is what I mean to write on previous comment XD :
Speaking of adaptation, do you think SAO will get a game adaptation? I mean, SAO’s system is definitely awesome, especially the sword skills >w< Though a VRMMORPG is impossible for our current technology… XD
Probably WordPress messing up again. And I think SAO has some kind of game on PS3 like Accel World does, but a proper MMO…maybe not. It’d take a massive amount of work, but it may happen if the series is popular enough. Madoka got an online game if I remember correctly…
That’s why both reading the novel and watching the anime gives you the best experience of the series you can get. Especially when all but one of the volumes so far are translated, there’s no excuse for not reading the novels if you’re okay with spoilers xDD
Another awesome episode for SAO( it is becoming quite normal for SAO isn’t it? haha).
I liked Liz’s charachter, she is just so happy and cheerful, and it kind of made me feel a little sad for her in the ending of the episode( that scene between the two in the nest was so beautiful). But i still think Asuna and Kirito belong together so, i’m cheering for them o/
The fight was awesome, and Kirito seems(yet again), to be able to solo most bosses of the floors he has passed through, not to mention his strenght, speed and other things that make me think he is op in almost all battle statuses in SAO. What i missed though, is how he got his Elucidator( FINALLY, THE SWORD FROM THE OPENING! AND IT LOOKS AWESOME! Has Asuna gotten hers yet? I’m guessing so.). i’m guessing he needs another weapon to use for some “sacrificial equipment means”, but we will see. So next episode starts the main arc eh? YAY! And it looks like it will be Kirito and Asuna’s story! Yay, even better!
Speaking of the Novels, i’ve read some… Aria in the Starless Night is enormous, and i found out Kirito and Asuna met differently in there, so i guess i will think of reading more of it.
Yup, Asuna should have her Lambent Light rapier at this point in time. And it’s a good guess, but though Asuna does appear, if the title is what I’m thinking of it’s not really referring to her and Kirito xD