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caribbeanprncss's review against another edition
5.0
The last part of ALO arc, another which the anime follows faithfully.
rekastormborn's review against another edition
5.0
I love this series. This was an amazing wrap up to the story line so far that reaches all the way back into books one and two as well as book three. I loved the anime, and I loved this book even more. This was the one with the most extra in the book compared to what I remember from the anime (though it has been a few years since I watched it, so take that with a grain of salt).
Kirito is still him, but also vulnerable and courageous in new ways too. Suguha's arc is also wonderful in this book. It was a very satisfying wrap up to the story thus far, but doesn't make me any less eager to start on book 5.
Kirito is still him, but also vulnerable and courageous in new ways too. Suguha's arc is also wonderful in this book. It was a very satisfying wrap up to the story thus far, but doesn't make me any less eager to start on book 5.
absentminded_reader's review against another edition
4.0
After finishing this book, I feel confident in reading the rest of this series. This was my least favorite storyline in the anime because it was so creepy. Not only was there a subplot featuring a struggle with incestuous feelings, but the soft hentai scenes were distasteful. I also thought that Asuna was reduced to a damsel in distress, which was a crying shame since she was my favorite character in the first series due to her phenomenal strength, courage, and heroism.
However, the book was in many ways a different experience than the anime. With two books crunched down to fourteen-ish 24-minute episodes, there was a lot left out.
I don’t feel like I can do this book justice, however. The fan translation was rough. I simply did not enjoy it, so I plunked down the money and bought the platinum edition box set. I’m going to re-read the entire series from the beginning with a professional translation.
I can say this for now. The incestuous plot line was handled with far more nuance and delicacy in the book than the anime. It was nowhere near as creepy, it felt properly resolved, and addressed interesting online issues of falling in love with an avatar without knowing who the other person truly is. The same goes for the abuse scenes. Although I didn’t like Asuna as a victim, she was far more courageous and fierce in the book then she was in the anime. The abuse scenes featuring her were moments of inappropriate touching in the book, but they were downright rapey in the anime. Reki relies on sexual exploitation to define villains—something regarded these days as a bad trope. Since he doesn’t do the same to his male characters, I do question it as a cheap ploy for character development.
I will withhold reviewing further until I read a proper translation. Overall, the book was good and resolved well. Seek out the Yen press edition.
However, the book was in many ways a different experience than the anime. With two books crunched down to fourteen-ish 24-minute episodes, there was a lot left out.
I don’t feel like I can do this book justice, however. The fan translation was rough. I simply did not enjoy it, so I plunked down the money and bought the platinum edition box set. I’m going to re-read the entire series from the beginning with a professional translation.
I can say this for now. The incestuous plot line was handled with far more nuance and delicacy in the book than the anime. It was nowhere near as creepy, it felt properly resolved, and addressed interesting online issues of falling in love with an avatar without knowing who the other person truly is. The same goes for the abuse scenes. Although I didn’t like Asuna as a victim, she was far more courageous and fierce in the book then she was in the anime. The abuse scenes featuring her were moments of inappropriate touching in the book, but they were downright rapey in the anime. Reki relies on sexual exploitation to define villains—something regarded these days as a bad trope. Since he doesn’t do the same to his male characters, I do question it as a cheap ploy for character development.
I will withhold reviewing further until I read a proper translation. Overall, the book was good and resolved well. Seek out the Yen press edition.
mary_rose's review against another edition
3.0
I give it 3.5 stars.
I don't think I can review this book properly because it was only a few days before I started reading it that I watched the fairy arc of SAO. I think because of that I found this half of the story boring and a bit more slow moving than the other SAO novels. It was still fun, still interesting, still full of everything we love from SAO, but just not as exciting or enthralling. The end of the book however was just as magical as the anime.
I don't think I can review this book properly because it was only a few days before I started reading it that I watched the fairy arc of SAO. I think because of that I found this half of the story boring and a bit more slow moving than the other SAO novels. It was still fun, still interesting, still full of everything we love from SAO, but just not as exciting or enthralling. The end of the book however was just as magical as the anime.
bookishlybecca's review against another edition
5.0
Can these really just be getting better and better?! I LOVED this volume of the SAO light novel series! It was really cool being able to experience a couple of new scenes that don't show up in the anime. I love getting extra little details on things and this book definitely delivered on that front. I can't wait to read the next one!
jolovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
This will be a mainly positive review, because on the whole there weren't many things I didn't like in the second part of Fairy Dance.
I wasn't bothered by Asuna's damsel-in-distress/Princess Peach status. There was no way it would have been believable for Sugou to give her a weapon whilst in the cage. Also, she does get out of it for a short while and uncovers a key piece for Kirito - which would never have enabled him to save her without it. I still think she's a kickass heroine despite being locked away.
I did think the slugs groping her was unnecessary, not every bad person sexually assaults their victims (btw, in case you were wondering, the assaults aren't *graphic*. They aren't pretty, but it's more like, "hands sliding up her dress", not actual full blown description of her private parts being violated or anything). The more I watch of anime the more I see it's kind of the *norm* for that stuff to be in there. Like, I haven't watched heaps of anime, and this is the first series I'm reading from a Japanese author. But I definitely see more rape-y situations happening in anime verses Aust & American T.V.
So, for me, I don't think this volume wrecks Asuna's character for me. I don't think she should be put down as a character because she was held in a cage. She did all she could in the situation she was in.
This volume did feel larger than necessary - I guess is a way to put it. When reading the first part of Fairy Dance, a few of the places felt like filler to me. Particularly when Kirito stops the Salamanders from attacking the treaty meeting, but I guess that needs to happen for them to help him get past the bottom of the World Tree.
I feel like the Suguha/Kazuto storyline doesn't add anything to the existing plot, except for it's entertainment value. Like Reki Kawahara says in his Afterword at the back: "This two-volume story was both a continuation of the story from Volume 1, and a very, very long epilogue. At the time I started writing it, I was only planning on having it be about the hero, Kirito, searching for and finding the heroine, Asuna. But the more I added to the story, the longer it grew in the telling."
Despite the extra sub-plot not needing to be there, I really liked it. It's one of my favourites. I really loved how Kawahara created a *sort of* love triangle and managed not to make it a big mess. As much as Suguha is upset about her feelings for her cousin, I like that Kazuto doesn't share or grow this feelings (we'd have words about betraying Asuna if he did), and that he handles the whole situation remarkably well for someone who always seems to get close with the ladies.
It does piss me off that Kirito is the ONLY guy all the chicks fall in love with. And Kawahara does apologise for this in the previous novel. However, it didn't annoy me that Suguha liked him, like I did when Liz and Silicia did. I felt like there was an actual reason for Suguha to develop feelings for him (his sudden niceness to her again/finding out he's her brother/him living on the edge of death for two years/etc.), and the other two girls not so much. I didn't like their insta-love. It felt more like a crush than proper in-love feelings and I wish they'd get over it and move onto Klein (the poor guy!).
Gosh. I'm nearly all talked out!
The only other thing I really want to mention is, the whole episode with Tonky and Jotunhein, felt random. Like, you-know, let's get eaten by a worm just for shits and gigs so we can discover this friendly demonic God, and the best sword in the game. It just didn't feel necessary and more filler. I actually really liked that the anime took it out and put it into the future.
But, I do get that it gave the Sylths and Cait Siths time to get to Alne with all their weapons. So I guess it kind of has a reason?
Overall, another good edition to the story. I'm SUPER looking forward to meeting Sinnon. I love her IRL storyline and cannot wait for the extras that weren't in the anime series! But I swear, if she ends up liking Kirito too!!! RAGE!!
haha :) x
I wasn't bothered by Asuna's damsel-in-distress/Princess Peach status. There was no way it would have been believable for Sugou to give her a weapon whilst in the cage. Also, she does get out of it for a short while and uncovers a key piece for Kirito - which would never have enabled him to save her without it. I still think she's a kickass heroine despite being locked away.
I did think the slugs groping her was unnecessary, not every bad person sexually assaults their victims (btw, in case you were wondering, the assaults aren't *graphic*. They aren't pretty, but it's more like, "hands sliding up her dress", not actual full blown description of her private parts being violated or anything). The more I watch of anime the more I see it's kind of the *norm* for that stuff to be in there. Like, I haven't watched heaps of anime, and this is the first series I'm reading from a Japanese author. But I definitely see more rape-y situations happening in anime verses Aust & American T.V.
So, for me, I don't think this volume wrecks Asuna's character for me. I don't think she should be put down as a character because she was held in a cage. She did all she could in the situation she was in.
This volume did feel larger than necessary - I guess is a way to put it. When reading the first part of Fairy Dance, a few of the places felt like filler to me. Particularly when Kirito stops the Salamanders from attacking the treaty meeting, but I guess that needs to happen for them to help him get past the bottom of the World Tree.
I feel like the Suguha/Kazuto storyline doesn't add anything to the existing plot, except for it's entertainment value. Like Reki Kawahara says in his Afterword at the back: "This two-volume story was both a continuation of the story from Volume 1, and a very, very long epilogue. At the time I started writing it, I was only planning on having it be about the hero, Kirito, searching for and finding the heroine, Asuna. But the more I added to the story, the longer it grew in the telling."
Despite the extra sub-plot not needing to be there, I really liked it. It's one of my favourites. I really loved how Kawahara created a *sort of* love triangle and managed not to make it a big mess. As much as Suguha is upset about her feelings for her cousin, I like that Kazuto doesn't share or grow this feelings (we'd have words about betraying Asuna if he did), and that he handles the whole situation remarkably well for someone who always seems to get close with the ladies.
It does piss me off that Kirito is the ONLY guy all the chicks fall in love with. And Kawahara does apologise for this in the previous novel. However, it didn't annoy me that Suguha liked him, like I did when Liz and Silicia did. I felt like there was an actual reason for Suguha to develop feelings for him (his sudden niceness to her again/finding out he's her brother/him living on the edge of death for two years/etc.), and the other two girls not so much. I didn't like their insta-love. It felt more like a crush than proper in-love feelings and I wish they'd get over it and move onto Klein (the poor guy!).
Gosh. I'm nearly all talked out!
The only other thing I really want to mention is, the whole episode with Tonky and Jotunhein, felt random. Like, you-know, let's get eaten by a worm just for shits and gigs so we can discover this friendly demonic God, and the best sword in the game. It just didn't feel necessary and more filler. I actually really liked that the anime took it out and put it into the future.
But, I do get that it gave the Sylths and Cait Siths time to get to Alne with all their weapons. So I guess it kind of has a reason?
Overall, another good edition to the story. I'm SUPER looking forward to meeting Sinnon. I love her IRL storyline and cannot wait for the extras that weren't in the anime series! But I swear, if she ends up liking Kirito too!!! RAGE!!
haha :) x
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