Sword Art Online: Season 2/ Episode 21 "Swordsman's Memorial" – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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Overview

After an intense boss battle, all eyes are on Yuuki.

Topic 1: The Best Boyfriend In The World – Asuna & Kirito

Topic 2: Boss Battle – Asuna

Topic 3: What Are You Guys Hiding? – Asuna & Yuuki

Review (with Spoilers) – Below

Topic 1: The Best Boyfriend In The World – Asuna & Kirito

With Kirito showing up, as well as Klein, and Kirito using Excalibur, he buys everyone enough time to take out the 20 members blocking the door. A fight which got slightly prolonged by three mages, but Asuna uses her speed, and sword skills, to wipe them out.

Commentary

Two things are worth noting here, the beauty of Kirito and Asuna’s relationship, as well as Asuna proving herself to be formidable on her own. Starting with the relationship, you have to love Kirito’s timing and his desire to not necessarily be the hero in the situation. He knows, without Asuna directly telling him, that his quest for her is important and doesn’t need to know the details immediately, he just wants to make sure she can finish what she started.

As for Asuna, the beauty of her storyline is that, unlike Shinon, she isn’t treated as a damsel in distress. She is shown, once more, as an equal to Kirito. One who may not have the exact same skillset, but is formidable nonetheless. For with her, so it seems, taking down a huge amount of her opposition, and then the three mages, it shows that while Kirito may be able to hold off a horde, with Excalibur’s help, Asuna can do it without Kirito’s special weapon and unique skills.

Topic 2: Boss Battle – Asuna

This boss battle is far from epic but is noteworthy due to Yuuki calling Asuna sis and Asuna really getting close to those of The Sleeping Knights.

Commentary

Perhaps the one thing Asuna doesn’t do as well as Kirito is present a really cool boss fight. For with her more so being a mage than swordsman, and Yuuki doing most of the work, she doesn’t really get to shine here. Well, outside of being a strategist. But Yuuki calling Asuna sis was quite curious, though more on that in topic 3.

Topic 3: What Are You Guys Hiding? – Asuna & Yuuki

After the boss battle, Asuna invited the Sleeping Knights back to her and Kirito’s place for a party, an invitation they take and everyone enjoys themselves until Asuna asks to join them. With that comes a lot of awkwardness. First from Yuuki, then from Siune and the rest of the knights since they plan on breaking up soon. So, to kill the awkwardness, they head to the Swordsman Memorial to see their names and Asuna notes that, once more, Yuuki calls her sis. Something which, when asked about, leads Yuuki to log off. Making things very weird.

Commentary

Right now my mind is racing about who Yuuki is? A part of me thought it was some manifestation of Yui, but that doesn’t make sense. I wondered if perhaps maybe that was her brother, but that doesn’t make sense either. So I’m left with the original idea that Yuuki is maybe dying. However, this “sis” thing is making me wonder if she might be an illegitimate child of Asuna’s father she doesn’t know about. After all, Asuna was locked away in a VR game for more than a year, and it doesn’t seem her family is happy. Leading me to ponder if, on top of being sick, maybe Yuuki is Asuna’s sister. One which wanted to play with her before possibly dying, being sent away or losing access to the VR world for whatever reason. Only time will tell, though.

 

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