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Sword Art Online: Alicization is the third overall season of the Sword Art Online series. It’s the continuation of the overarching Sword Art Online story, following Sword Art Online, Sword Art Online II, and the film Ordinal Scale. Though there was a spinoff series, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, it followed a different set of characters and was meant to act as a side story.
Alicization has run for two seasons already, and it’s a much more ambitious tale than you might be familiar with so far, complete with a “new” vision of protagonist Kirito we met in the first season who has seemingly lived in a virtual world like that seen in Sword Art Online for all time. This season, however, puts some of the show’s other characters in charge for a bit, giving the anime’s main characters some time to breathe. This round of episodes proves that sometimes, it’s best to let the heavy-hitters fade into the spotlight for a bit so viewers can get a more complete picture of what’s going on in the world.
Is it worth diving into, though? That’s what we’re here to answer.
SWORD ART ONLINE – ALICIZATION SEASON 2: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: The camera pans across a beautiful vista with white mountains in the background, then to a forested area where the trees’ leaves are changing. We see inside a garden where it looks like someone is picking fresh vegetables, and when the image gets closer, we see it’s Alice Zuberg (Kayli Mills).
The Gist: The first season of Sword Art Online: Alicization introduced us to Alice, Eugeo (Brandon James Winckler), and Kirito (Bryce Papenbrook), three kids who lived in a village in what appeared to be a virtual game world. Except instead of the world’s inhabitants living in the real world and becoming trapped in the game, they’ve lived there their whole lives. Alice is a blonde who looks just like the character from Alice in Wonderland. Eugeo is a young man who’s set to be a woodcutter in hi s older years. Kirito is apparently a young version of the Kirito we know from Sword Art Online, or potentially a dream of another life that could have been possible.
It’s all a part of Kirito testing tech in the real world called the Soul Translator, which is meant to directly translate human consciousness into a convincing world — hence, where we saw Kirito living and playing with his friends. He ends up getting stuck inside this idyllic reality, only to realize before long he’s spent years there with no way to get out. In the real world, he’s stuck in a coma, which spells out a pretty bleak situation for him.
This season picks up where the first one left off, after a knock-down, drag-out battle between the mysterious entity known as Administrator in the virtual world and Kirito’s new technology damaged. As he remains catatonic in the real world, Alice, fresh from the events of the first season, looks after him every day until he’s back in the game. It’s a lot more complicated than that, so you’ll have to watch the series if you want to see it all. With the first episode, we get to see the aftermath of Kirito having struggled against his damaged equipment as Alice takes center stage.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Sword Art Online in general is an isekai series where the protagonists are generally those plucked from one world and tossed into another. If you enjoy shows like Re:Zero or Log Horizon, you’ll feel right at home here, as those series explore many similar themes and story beats.
Our Take: Giving Alice the spotlight for the beginning of this season was a great move. Longtime viewers are likely going through a bit of Kirito fatigue, given the oversaturation of the character and his associates throughout each iteration of the series. Letting this character have time to breathe while taking care of Kirito makes for a more mysterious episode and beginning to a season that will bring plenty of questions, even for longtime viewers.
That’s because Alice’s case is a unique one. She went through life as a carefree young girl in the world she once knew. After the happenings of Season 1, she’s forced to start over with a new mindset in a new world that she doesn’t even recognize. Now that she’s been branded a criminal for what took place in the previous set of episodes, she must use her own devices to solve the issues set out before her — including Kirito’s situation — and figure out what she’s capable of doing since she finds herself in a new world that she knows nothing about and is actively ostracized from.
Though the first episode may feel a little slow for those used to the nonstop action Sword Art Online typically brings, it’s well worth hanging in there to see the slow burn of Alice’s story unfold. There’s a strong narrative that’s about to stretch out over this arc of the series, and good reason to stay on board – Kirito and Asuna will be back, of course, but for right now, it’s Alice’s time to shine.
photo: Hulu
Sex and Skin: None to be found here.
Parting Shot: After a difficult night, Alice climbs into bed with a catatonic Kirito. All of a sudden, he takes a sharp breath and looks distressed, raising his hand into the air. He’s finally awake, and Alice looks outside — there’s a fire on the horizon, and her sister’s village is being attacked.
Sleeper Star: Alice isn’t a sleeper star, nor her voice actress, especially since she’s the main focus of the series, but her voice actress Kayli Mills is such a powerful force in the season that you could imagine nowhere else taking her role. She embodies Alice’s resourcefulness and new resolve, even in the face of being pushed out of the village she stays in by those who won’t welcome her and actively cast her out.
Most Pilot-y Line: Alice’s sister Selka (Jackie Lastra) runs toward her and suggests that, since it’s so beautiful outside, they go for a walk and bring the catatonic Kirito in a wheelchair along. Alice replies: “It is a lovely day. The fresh air would do him good. Shall we go then, Kirito?” This sets the stage for the episode and situation: Kirito is still down and out, but there’s a glimmer of hope for the future.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Sword Art Online: Alicization Season 2 is an excellent continuation of the previous season that returns with a vengeance. Along with an empathetic hero in Alice, it knows when to swell forward and pull back when dealing with already-established characters. Most importantly, however, it’s an exemplary exercise in giving other characters beyond the main cast a chance to shine. This is going to be an intense season, and if you’ve been following up to now or just want to dive in brand new, Alicization looks like it won’t disappoint.
Brittany Vincent (@MolotovCupcake) has been covering video games and tech for over a decade for publications like G4, Popular Science, Playboy, Variety, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, GameSpot, and more. When she’s not writing or gaming, she’s collecting retro consoles and tech.
