Sword Art Online: Season 2/ Episode 6 "Showdown in the Wilderness" – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Overview

Three lackluster battles are made up for with a flashback and Kirito and Sinon getting intimately close.

Review (with Spoilers)

I partly am disappointed in this episode, if just because Kirito’s battles in GGO remain lackluster, and even Sinon’s lacked the excitement of the first one we saw her in. If anything, it feels like the show decided to omit the filler of giving us a proper Sinon battle, much less Kirito, so that this arc can be a bit more to the point. Something which I’m not fond of now, but perhaps is better than the alternative of the show dragging things out until there are only a few episodes left. For more on the episode, look below.

Topic 1: Once Upon a Nightmare – Kirito

With Kirito coming face to face with Death Gun and seeing the Laughing Coffin tattoo, he begins to sort through who Death Gun could be? He and the Knights of the Blood Oath did raid the Laughing Coffin’s HQ and either captured or killed many, but which could Death Gun be? Could he be someone who died and found new life in GGO somehow? Was he someone captured and wants revenge? Also, in terms of the bigger picture, could it be Laughing Coffin still exists and may cause trouble down the road? Who knows? Either way, with Kirito remembering he killed someone it triggers something in him which leads to even Sinon worrying about him. Making it so, despite how upset she is about him tricking her, she tries to see what is wrong.

Topic 2: The Mediocre Battles – Kirito & Sinon

With the battles right now just being qualifiers, perhaps I’m expecting too much out of them. For in the battle we see of Kirito’s, he pretty much fights like he did in the first one we saw when he makes a mad dash, uses his blade like a light saber, takes a few shots, and then with one motion defeats his opponent. As for Sinon, she goes against an amateur as well who she doesn’t even really face off with. He drives a vehicle and she ends up shooting him through the passenger’s side window.

Topic 3: Sinon vs. Kirito

Making you think when these two face off it would be epic right? Well, it doesn’t end up that way sadly. Kirito approaches Sinon like the Undertaker, of WWE fame, and with Kirito touching her hand, and her seemingly starting to develop a crush on him, partly because she thinks he likes her, she seems unable to shoot for the kill. Something which increasingly gets frustrating for her since she is taking the battle seriously and it looks like he is taunting her. Truth is, though, he is just going through something.

Something which leads to them talking, as he snaps out of his mood, and then them having a duel. One which Kirito wins and then he gets nearly pelvis to pelvis with Sinon and talks about how he got as strong as he is. Which is from fighting in life and death situations where his actions could either get him or those he loved, killed. A type of strength Sinon envies and with each word Kirito says, it looks like her feelings of admiration, and perhaps love, increase. And honestly, if it wasn’t for Asuna I would ship these two.

But after their intimate moment, Sinon resigns for she lost their duel. Leaving Kirito to advance to the actual tournament, and Sinon to talk with Spiegel about whatever went on between Kirito and her during those intimate moments I’m sure he saw on screen. Making for an episode which felt a bit lackluster, even with the SAO flashback, though good for the story and the relationship built between Sinon and Kirito. Which may, or may not, cause some drama in the future. Who knows?

Things To Note

Kirito killed 3 people in SAO. Of which one was the dude who was an undercover Laughing Coffin agent, and I believe the other two was during the raid.

I am unsure if Kirito fully realizes the way he touches and handles Sinon is inappropriate or not. And if I remember correctly, he was nowhere near this flirtatious with Asuna when they met.

Death Gun says he is going to kill Kirito.