Review of Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld Part 2
SAO's franchise has always been full of disapproval babbles between the anime fans, we can look that in the continue hate and rants that we can find in every place. However, even if it is hard to accept for several fans, the light novel is considered the best of Japan's decade, where it matters. One of the arcs from that light novel is titled Alicization that concludes with these eleven episodes and that for me, it is probable the best part of SAO's plot until this date leaving aside the new arc (Unital Ring) that is being published right now. The story follows thebasic template of the light novel; we have a Kirito in a coma waiting for his return as the underworld struggles to survive. The fight allows a large number of characters to participate in the story. The action sequences and some of the subplots are concluded (for example, Bercouli), so the development of the main character is completed. We can see tears, blood, gore, betrayal, fear, and many other feelings during these episodes. Maybe the screen gets saturated with action to the point that we can't process what's happening, or perhaps the events are too fantastic to be accepted. Furthermore, those awkward and useless scenes will lead us to wonder why several fans hate SAO, and it's not a problem with the adaptation that is a problem with the novels and the need to promote them with fan service. Albeit this silly impression, the show is able to offer a charming conclusion to Alicization's story arc, leaving the door open for future development.
On the other hand, character development wasn't too impressive. I understand that various characters are introduced. However, I want to remind the audience that several of those characters have already had their development through other arcs of the story. Therefore, it is unnecessary to cover more details because the setting of the story will not allow it. They are just fillers that will help with the conclusion of the battle, and perhaps that is a negative aspect of this series. Asking for further character development when the climax was already set is not wise, but it could have enhanced the enjoyment. For example, giving Alice a bit more context would have been interesting. Still, this second season I feel like she is left behind as a supporting character, and all her development from the previous seasons froze.
From art and technical aspect, the color palette is traditional but exciting nonetheless, the adaptation focuses more on the action sequences than the personal details that could have been expanded. Even if the action was well directed, you would feel like something is missing if you are not an avid SAO fan. I can't complain about the technical aspect of the series, it's good and I think the director and the studio made an excellent adaptation. On the sound, it's okay and it helps with the dynamics of the action, but it's not great. The songs are interesting, especially Anima by ReoNa; for some reason, I like the rhythm and the lyrics.
Finally, the conclusion is acceptable, but sometimes the plot is useless and leads us to think that the story is garbage. However, I think the author is playing with some fictional elements that can give us great emotions and better development in future arcs. I can't recommend this series to all fans because you need to understand SAO's entire plot from the beginning to enjoy the full context, but I do enjoy it until the last episode. One last commentary, it was funny watching Alice coming out from a box lol.