Accel World, take a bow.
Summary
With the power of Gale Thruster, Haru takes to the skies and engages Nomi, overpowering him with incarnation and landing successful hits, until Chiyu heals him to full health once more. Nomi gloats until Citron Call’s true effect takes hold -time reversal- and his wings are returned to Haru, their rightful owner. Accelerating with his wings and the armament, Haru destroys Nomi and puts an end to him for good, despite his pleas to spare his life.
Back in the real world, Haru meets Kuroyukihime once more, and learns that ex-Burst Linkers retain no memories of their time in the game, as so to protect the secret of Brain Burst from getting out. Helping KYH and Sky Raker reconcile, he reflects on the power of acceleration and looks up towards the sky.
Impression
Has Accel World ever had such a majestic OST? Silver Crow himself was so gar this week, and it just makes me look back and think how far he’s really grown from way back when he first got Brain Burst. He’s strong – but more than that he’s confident and loyal, having faith in both himself and his friends. Sky Raker’s (I should call her Fuuko now) Gale Thruster made a reappearance, and I felt it was really symbolic of all of Haru’s values – working so hard to take back what was stolen from him, and surpassing his own limits with his incarnation.
And the result? Nomi getting utterly destroyed. Seriously, the entire dragging out of this arc all came rushing back at that single moment when Nomi was speared with Haru’s incarnation. Once defeated, all he can do is whine like the pathetic coward he truly is, offering bribes like points or loyalty in order for them to spare his lives. This is usually the moment where the good guys reform the evil guy and they gain a powerful ally, but this isn’t Medaka Box. He deserved getting kicked out, and he brought everything on himself. Haru had no regrets as well, which is the way it should be. I thought I’d feel a bit of pity during Nomi’s final moments, but it was very Kotomine Kirei-like for me to keep smiling all throughout that. Hmm.
Of course, Chiyu’s ability to reverse time (instead of healing) could actually have been deduced a few episodes ago, and I mentioned something to do with her ability healing HP but getting rid of the killer move gauge, which would fit perfectly with time reversal. It fits with Chiyu’s internal scarring and wishes as well – she doesn’t want to heal Haru and Taku, she wants to go back to the time of their childhood days where everything was lovely and they still believed in friendship, love and magic. Well, the first two exist in AW anyway, in the form of a very cute Haru x KYH scene. Does it mean they’re going out now? Ah whatever, they were pretty much unofficially dating before all of this even happened. She has a nickname in Sacchan, by the way. It’s not her real name though, which might be Sachika, fitting with her seiyuu.
Topping it all off we have Scarlet Rain and Blood Leopard turn up one more time to tell us that memories of Brain Burst are in fact removed once it gets forcibly deleted, which would make a lot of sense as the program isn’t known to anyone in the outside community at all. It also explains Megumi’s forgotten memories as an ex-Burst Linker, as well as the reason why Red Rider isn’t out on a blood hunt for Black Lotus. Most importantly, Nomi is a normal person again, whose voice still slightly irritates me but has no bad intentions that I can sense. I hope the case really closes on him once and for all, and we can move on. Memory removal is another link to SAO, as Kirito’s initial memories of the Underworld while diving using the Soul Translator are all gone as well – he can’t remember his dives. If these memories are all stored in a certain part of the brain (or neuro-linker I suppose) then the concept might not be so far-fetched.
To sum it up, I’m well and truly satisfied. We got epic action behind an amazing soundtrack, plus the prospects of a Season 2, with light foreshadowing around 2nd loli Shinomiya Utai (or rather Ardor Maiden) as well as a little girl on a bus that looks oddly similar to Kuroyukihime, and may or may not be her sister. Even I haven’t read that far, though glancing at just the gallery for the LN can be good enough to give the game away xD The vast majority of our questions were answered, perhaps at the cost of things working out a little too conveniently – but it was a good show in the end, and that’s how I’ll be remembering it.
AW OST is breathtaking, I think it was the main highlight during this episode as the fight against Nomi ended faster than I had expected it to- which is why I feel that the fight was a bit anti-climax. On top of that, I was seriously disappointed that we didn’t get to see KYH kick some ass either, after having her been lacking screentime for so long, ahhhhh it’s real bummer.
Even seeing the guy begging and wailing for help, not once did I pity him. Having lost his memories totally purified the guy, I was like, “WTF”, and it was definitely for the better, and the best thing Haru has done. I honestly wasn’t sure if Haru was actually going to deliver the final blow since he’s a bit of a soft type, so I’m glad that he did.
I’m a bit disappointed that Takku didn’t get to play a larger role taking down Nomi, I think I was more or less expecting earlier on that both he and Haru would tag team in the final battle.
Haru x KYH’s scene was ADORABLE, KYH was just the cutest thing when her face went all red. Perfection.
I preferred the shorter fight, since it was exchanged for a conclusion and proper wrapping up of the whole arc, Better than a whole-episode thing leaving us hanging at the end, anyway.
Taku kinda lost his arms, which definitely made it difficult for him to do anything xD But with Nomi’s greatest injustice being pointed at Haru, its fitting that Haru remorselessly cut him down in the same way Nomi would do to him.
Great review and good way to end the season but SPOILERS FOR SAO! Some of us haven’t gotten that far yet…
YEAH, FINALLY NOMI GOT WHAT HE DESERVED! FINALLY!
This episode was amazing, a really fitting way to close this season of AW( which i expect to be one of many, since i enjoyed this anime a lot, :D). The fight between Haru and Taker was sort of short, but was okay, and as you all stated, it was accompanied with a beautiful OST( as well as other moments of the episode were). So Chiyu had a plan( i was like “OH NO, AGAIN?!” when she healed Nomi), and it worked out quite well in the end. Her power surely fits her “scars” and
I think that, at some point, Chiyu will/will be able to restore Sky Haker’s legs( btw, why didn’t her legs come back like with the others?).Anyway, felt a little pity for Nomi and also thought Haru wouldn’t finish him, but looking at the end, he seemed to be doing better without all of that.
Kuroyukihime was so cute when her face went all red from Haru’s statement, by the way, about that misunderstanding( which was funny),did she think that he was proposing to her or something?
I’m really glad Raker and Kuroyukihime made up in the end. So one more for the main cast i guess, and i’m glad it is Fuuko/Raker. :DNow, to wait for the season 2( they practically stated that there would be/they want to make one with that ending anyway). Meanwhile, i will probably try the novels if i get impacient of waiting.
Ah, btw thanks for the reviews Vantage, it was really enjoyable to read and post on it every week, and i will probably miss it.