Sword Art Online: Season 2/ Episode 8 "Bullet of Bullets" – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

After a slightly lengthy prelude, we get to see the Bullet of Bullets 3 contest!

Review (with Spoilers)

After boring qualifying matches, and then Kirito’s breakdown, Bullet of Bullets has finally begun! Leading me to hope that the imbalance of story and quality action is fixed. If just because these gunners are supposed to be some of the best in the game and honestly I think we have got our fill when it comes to story development and drama. Now is the time for some serious action!

Topic 1: A Reminder of What Has Thus Far Happened – Kirito & Sinon

The episode, sadly, spends a decent amount of time rehashing why Kirito has come to GGO, and also features him pretending to be a girl for kicks and giggles. The main focus though is him, once more, using Sinon’s expertise, to figure out the real name of Death Gun, which isn’t listed as one of the BoB players. The names which Sinon say are new are: Pale Ridder, Gunner X, and Sterben.

Making it so one of those names are the dreaded Death Gun. The player Kirito believed he killed in SAO, and who has already announced both Sinon and Kirito will end up his victims.

Topic 2: Rules, Regulations and Basic Information

When it comes to BoB, we are told there are 30 participants who will fight battle royal style. Each of which will start 1000 meters away from each other. The time is somewhere around the afternoon and only when a satellite swoops around the land can you see where everyone is (2). Something which gives snipers, like Sinon, only 15 minutes to find a target and shoot. And while there is a fierce competition within BoB, outside of BoB there are a lot of conversations similar to when people talk about who is the best, or favorite, when it comes to sports like football, basketball, or boxing. Also, there is a lot of gambling and the whole event pretty much seems like the super bowl of online gaming. Especially considering those in ALfheim Online can seemingly watch the BoB in their world.

Topic 3: The Silent Assassin – Kirito and Sinon

Leaving us to talk about the actual BoB match, of which seemingly there is just the one battle royal, and within a few minutes of the battle starting, pretty much things are trimmed down to 21 players. Of which Kirito’s kill count is 0, we see Sinon kill someone by shooting their grenade-like item, and a player kill using his artillery gun. Though, amongst the players, is also the familiar face of Dyne. Someone who gets one kill in before being hunted down by possible Death Gun player #1: Pale Rider. Someone whose flexibility and agility is mesmerizing to the point their battle is like the appetizer to the type of action this season has thus far lacked.

However, we learn that Pale Rider isn’t Death Gun. For while Sinon and Kirito watch from a sniper’s point (1), they see Pale Rider get shot by a laser rifle and the actual Death Gun appear soon after. And while Pale Rider lays down stunned, Death Gun gets his handgun out, which can kill the human player, and he begins to give Pale Rider his final rights. Something which leads Kirito to scream that Sinon needs to shoot Death Gun now!

Things To Note

1. Once again Kirito decides to be rather weird with Sinon by pinning her down while talking to her. Though this is somewhat necessary since she was more than ready to shoot him.
2. It seems the only exception to this rule is the player being underwater, and possibly naked, like Kirito was.