SAO Abridged Parody: Episode 17

[@connorwalters9223]

I love how Suguha says “that’s the plot of The Lake House”. It’s a small little point of connection between her and Kazuto, since he’s also constantly making movie references.

[@sartajdhaliwal9462]

Duude I didn't even notice that! Nice catch

[@connorwalters9223]

@@sartajdhaliwal9462 Thanks! Also, later on Suguha says “That’s a terrible movie!” when Kazuto says “Fools rush in!” Fools Rush In is the name of a shitty rom-com from the 90s.

[@finaladvance5085]

Heithcliff would be jealous beyond reason

[@repulser93]

@@connorwalters9223 Oh damn, I remember why it sounded familiar now! I watched it in high school Spanish class!

[@17jacoyne]

Thing is tho…kirito wasn’t entirely wrong

[@Axel-zw4wj]

Wait a minute... Kirito mentions that he has asthma. Maybe that's why his mom pulled him out and offered him an alternative instead, and knowing how little Kirito talks about his problems maybe he didn't tell Suguha that that was the reason why he didn't fought against the decision. It was for his health, not for him just getting bored. So, Suguha playing how fun Kendo was without him must have felt like she was taunting him. Like 'Haha, I have so much fun in the sport you like so much and that you can't do because you have fragile lungs!' Jesus Christ if this is the case I will cry.

[@mr.aloohead840]

Holy shit, I think you're right on the money

[@kaison12205]

I also put that together it’s a very grounded backstory with the only villain being the miscommunication caused by circumstance

[@Arcalargo]

​@@kaison12205 And two children who don't know how to communicate/articulate their feelings in a way that isn't confrontational or demeaning.

[@wooba849]

Man, what a phenomenal read of the situation. We've got just enough details sprinkled in for it to work, and it does. Nice job putting everything together!

[@c.o7993]

It could also be the change and the SAO shit happened so quickly that they never had a real chance to talk about it

[@moonlight.z6543]

I love how when Kirito realizes who Leafa is, his first thought is that she's doing this to make him miserable. It's a mirror of how when Suguha realized that Kazuto is in her game, she thought he's there to mess with her.

[@emimimimimimimi]

their relationship is so broken and withered that they automatically assume the worst of each other

[@calshcards]

His is justifiable. Her's is from a guilty conscience based on how she knows she's treated him for years

[@birubu]

Especially since he knows he took her to see Asuna *after* having met Leafa and still assumed she bought the Amusphere *after that* to fuck with him. High emotions and logic aren’t the best of friends.

[@tami7992]

@@calshcards definitely

[@joakobm60]

@@calshcards 2 sides of the same coin

[@chasemcnab7610]

“Traumatize your captors more than they traumatize you.” - Asuna

[@dudeinadoughboy4327]

Reverse Stockholm Syndrome... Helsinki Syndrome

[@HadleyCanine]

Become ungovernable :3

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@dudeinadoughboy4327 Eh. Still better than Copenhagen Syndrome.

[@Atomic_Aegis45]

Asuna's the art of war

[@Ishan-f7w]

Honestly though, after seeing what Shoji does to his colleagues, I think he may deserve it at least little (like basic fear, if not the outright trauma he's experiencing here)

[@coltonthedrummer]

They took a tasteless incest plot line and turned it into a wholesome tearjerker. Magic.

[@miep3934]

They got the Midas touch of writing

[@elimDBZ]

Idk why Reki even bothered making suguha and Kirito cousins in the first place. He could have just written them as siblings or maybe he wanted an excuse to write an incest plot cause apparently he used to read stories with suggestive sexual situations you would see in Berserk

[@RobotRebelCinema]

I mean it really wasn't incest since they were basically only step siblings in the original show...

[@godjesus2107]

People hating on the cousin love.

[@ricardomonteiro870]

@@RobotRebelCinema brother, they were step siblings cuz kazuto's aunt and uncle took him in after his parents died. they're fucking cousins

[@mistermonologue2442]

Side note: If Kirito cared enough to visit Suguha he would have seen Leafa on her ceiling and known it was her.

[@SinHurr]

Ho ly Shit. You're right. ten billion out of ten points to you

[@lithoselsteinii6892]

Well, she *was* a massive asshole to him. I can't exactly blame the traumatized teenager for not wanting to visit the person bullying them from the moment they came back from the Death Game ™. Which doesn't mean it was Suguha's fault, either. Kids are kids. Kazuto was an asshole brother when he was younger - but, again, he was younger. They were, I believe, 13 when SAO started.

[@miep3934]

YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARD!!!! You just made me appreciate this episode even more than I already was... And this is why SAOA is great. It's like the opposite of chewing gum, the more you chew, the more flavor you get.

[@miep3934]

@@lithoselsteinii6892 I think that just speaks to how far both of them let their relationship deteriorate to the point where "Going to your siblings' room" is off the table. I have a sister I have a poor relationship with as well so I can definitely say, that is how it be.

[@rainerernst7410]

Based

[@drhysr9545]

AINT NO WAY THEY MADE KIRITO AND SUGUHAS SUBPLOT THIS HARD HITTING, THEY JUST KEEP ONE UPPING THEMSELVES THAT LAST SCENE GOT ME TO TEARS

[@zorenflame3007]

how vil ggo be (if thay do seson 2 that is)

[@alexpalmer7018]

they didnt have the weird sexual undertones, which alone helped a lot, but goddamn they put in the LEG WORK to make it HIT

[@Tge97]

@@alexpalmer7018 as well as that voice acting holy shit

[@alexpalmer7018]

@@Tge97 omg the voice acting. I'm blown tf away

[@VeganStories]

Right? I’m still wiping tears here

[@batch_2731]

I just realised something. Because they aren't swearing in game, Kirito can use a System Command in the final fight to turn off the profanity filter.

[@VeryFinalBoss]

He said ass in the final dungeon area. It's off in there.

[@thekrabwithscarf]

​@@VeryFinalBossHe said "ash"

[@VeryFinalBoss]

@thekrabwithscarf even with earbuds I swore he said ass, but you're right.

[@kmomo5697]

@@VeryFinalBosshe said sex when learning how to fly though

[@milktenders6219]

@@kmomo5697not a swear

[@leonmercury3732]

I'm glad they turned the whole... tentacle scene into something very palatable and very in-character for their rendition of Asuna. Asuna's not trapped in there with them, they're trapped in there with her...

[@Hr1s7i]

I wonder if that brainwashing tech they're developing is going to even work on a demonic entity. One can only hope.

[@SquareoftheLightOnes]

Im waiting for the entire alfheim arc to be completed before watching any of it because that storyline was so uncomfortable to watch front to end and I can't get disappointed like that again. But reading this all my fears are put to rest and now I can't wait until the arc is finished so I can marathon it all.

[@ronaldomendoza7578]

​@@SquareoftheLightOnes Lets just say you may feel some sympathy for the people trapped in there (with Asuna)

[@arcanejack]

I was wondering how they'd go about it and once again they nailed it. They took an unwatchable scene and made it rewatchable.

[@92_dumanggasamuelsitorus34]

Now i feel bad about tentacle slug(shoji) this man deserve a very long relaxing vacation

[@jaybynes1021]

When you about to cry bc 1.SWE turned an incest plot into a wholesome and valid troubled sibling relationship plot 2. They left off on this heavy cliffhanger that you're probably gonna have to endure for another year 3. In the end you know it's probably best for them to take their time for this masterpiece 🥲

[@Novellous210]

I stared waiting SAO Abridged when it first came out when I was in high-school I just hate waiting a whole year to see the next episode but the jokes in here I think will make step-dad laugh I just want more Droid sound affect in those fight scenes

[@michaelp4418]

@@Novellous210 now that you mention it that’s kind of crazy. When the first episode came out, I was in middle school, and now I’ve graduated, gotten my degree, and been on 2 deployments

[@teslagasoline5629]

@@michaelp4418 I started watching either on episode 1 or 2, I forget, but I was still in elementary school. The hype of a new episode coming out in middle/high school when they started taking a bit longer to come out was insane. Now I have a full time job and am looking at getting a freakin house loan....

[@treythomas7193]

Honestly if you think about it's not that long a wait. You know it's coming and then it just surprises you. I'm waiting for the day an episode comes out on my birthday

[@RichterTheRat]

Valid? Lol. Suguha is an idiot and I don't feel bad for her.

[@Xenoxvvv]

Asuna being so desperate about opening a menu here is a nice throwback

[@kennmarlow4889]

MY GOD I FORGOT ABOUT THAT 😂

[@Titan360]

"Oh god, I think I can feel my lungs trying to kill me."

[@phantomknight356]

🤣🤣🤣 Glad someone else noticed that

[@valentds]

that's the only reason she failed to log out

[@gingerinajacket8519]

I am still waiting for when it is revealed that she had access to a menu the whole time she just didn't know because it has *inverted controls*.

[@xanderfulton3186]

It really gets me when Suguha is sarcastically going “So what do you get out of this” and then shuts up when she sees him holding Asuna’s hand. “Oh shit. He really cares about her”

[@samuelsoliday4381]

Everyone talking about the Suguha scene, but no one talking about Asuna frocing poor Shouji into falsely admitting to sexual assault by threatening to eat his dog.

[@JasperSynth]

nom nom

[@oldfatheroak2760]

Nom nom

[@Menirz]

Tbf, she didn't make him claim that, he just - for some reason - decided to use that as a cover instead of admitting to almost letting her go.

[@samuelsoliday4381]

@@Menirz Still scary af.

[@amazingmagic56]

*_nom nom_*

[@greyskieshappymind]

"Right in my cake" "Why are you thinking about dessert at a time like this?" A very little line exploring the very big thing: Kirito missed a lot of internet cultural development in those two years

[@ElEscolta]

Danm, that's true, they probably lost so much internet memes and lingo in that time 😂

[@dartdevious561]

@@ElEscolta he might even still use ... OLD MEMES

[@tachrayonic2982]

Dude, there's a profanity filter.

[@glennbriggs6490]

C'mon guys. Let them have their cake....and eat it too 😈😂

[@zorenflame3007]

@@tachrayonic2982 we stil call ass cake. but he wode not know that.

[@professorhubertj.farnswort7979]

“She seems so gentle like an angel. Yeah Lucifer maybe” That one made me crack up 😂

[@DanielKA1996]

Well.. Lucifer WAS the most beautiful angle

[@StarkRaven59]

Kaz knows what he's getting into.

[@lazulenoc6863]

I mean, she's not wrong.

[@J43RH]

he mumbles it as well, like he's scared she could wake up any second and end him XD

[@vicenteisaaclopezvaldez2450]

Imagine they finally rescue her and when everything calms down she mentions it.

[@radioactiveassassin5218]

Asuna really went from "I.....don't know how to open the menu" to "Please, for the love of gosh, JUST LET ME OPEN THIS MENU!"

[@jakeh8780]

This ain’t even a parody anymore. It’s a work of art.

[@justaweebwithsubjectivetas9019]

Always has been

[@redstreak-lm3rm]

I second that

[@hcook1023]

On par with TeamFourStar Hellsing Ultimate is still the best took a serious anime and made it a comedy

[@darkvizardking69]

@@hcook1023 you know it's a good show when the writers still manage to make serious scenes serious but at the same time know when to put the jokes in.

[@cjbig7827]

after the first episode I realized that. 100% True. also how is the side plot more enticing than the original main story of the anime 🤣

[@Arcalargo]

I just realized that Asuna looked up Shoji's personal information in the admin console before trying to log out. That's how she found out about the biscuit.

[@rhiannon5313]

I didn’t even consider that. I just assumed that she was putting something in play for one of the later episodes.

[@Deflamed_Sphere]

ooooh that makes sense

[@WishMakers]

That makes so much sense holy shit

[@The-Dragonborn1]

Damn that makes sense now

[@ihavenonamestilldonthaveon8970]

I was hoping she was gonna turn off the profanity filter

[@Swingset25]

Just realized that Kazuto's asthma line in the World Tree at 20:38 could explain why his mom wanted him to stop learning Kendo. It's a perfectly reasonable explanation for why his mom wouldn't want him to pursue such a physical sport. And Kazuto probably hid it from Sugu so he wouldn't seem weak. Which only made it worse when she tried to get him to go back to Kendo by showing off how fun it was. For Kazuto it just felt like she was rubbing in his face all the things she could do, but he couldn't because of his asthma. It also plays into why he loves games so much. They're a competitive field where he isn't limited by his condition. Amazing writing SWE. It fits Kazuto's character perfectly, and also hints at the true reason behind the relationship breakdown. A miscommunication because Kazuto didn't tell her about his asthma. EDIT: It might even have originally been that Kazuto didn't want Sugu to feel bad that she could do Kendo, but he couldn't. Just, sad to imagine, yet entirely in character for all parties.

[@TheGreatBackUpVIDEOS]

HOLY-I DIDN'T CATCH THAT! Why are they so good at writing?! How did we go from the boar slaying pebble to that??

[@RockAvengers]

THIS.

[@drakematsen4978]

@@TheGreatBackUpVIDEOS I'm not sure I like your subtextual claim that the Mythril Pebble of Pig Smiting was not peak writing.

[@everythinggirly916]

Now I'm more invested in Kazuto's relationship with Suguha than him saving Asuna.

[@dylanbaker6395]

It's these kinda things that make each episode worth the wait. They may take half a year per episode, but that's only because they are taking every step they need to take to write actual gold.

[@ricardoalonso8376]

Japan, take notes. This is how you make a dysfunctional sibling relationship without creepy tensions.

[@liarliarplants4hire]

Me: “ I don’t think they’re paying attention…” Japan: [Doodling on their notes]

[@kickflippro3]

Aren’t they cousins in the anime? Still weird, but significantly less birth defects.

[@usemoarmeemz5898]

Its Japan, dont question it...

[@EduardoMora69]

Meanwhile Japan makes some of the weirdest incest subplots and you'll still watch it because it's anime

[@Jdirjrbtbjdi]

​@kickflippro3 theyre cousins raised in the same house, I assume they're cousins cause it's okay and legal to marry cousins there. Weird af and barely legal like some step bro stuff but a bit worse

[@SingingSpock]

I continue to love how they’ve allowed Yui to not only be a psycho but also still a psychologist AI who helps resolve the interpersonal conflict between Kazuto and Suguha.

[@hollowshield2315]

hey, understanding the human psyche just means you know how to break it better

[@linkofdoom24]

Also how to invade there minds apparently. If that water part is anything to go by XD

[@Ninjamation345]

@@hollowshield2315 Harley can vouch for this

[@ethansolorzano5989]

NGL i completely forgot that she was meant to be an ai to help players with their mental health issues, til you brought it up.

[@Ricardo_Rick]

to be fair in this episode she was just a mean jerk and kinda psycho, uless you count sugu hearing her in her mind somehow

[@nataliemolnar9280]

I love the fact that Asuna has clearly gotten out before and rampaged enough that she’s driven the game admins to therapy.

[@E1Alpha]

We actually were already shown this at the end of episode 14. I remember dying of laughter when Asuna slipped out of her cage and basically sent everyone into a panic.

[@jacksonscott3667]

“Oh lord… *IT’S IN THE VENTS!!!”* Asuna straight up turned a fairy game for kids (and racist teens) into Alien Isolation.

[@underintact134]

Nom nom

[@ALJ9000]

@@jacksonscott3667“It’s in the walls. *IT’S IN THE GODDAMN WALLS!!!!* ”

[@Infinitewolf_05]

@@E1Alpha we knew she got out, but we didn't know she drove the admins into needing therapy

[@GolemsandGoblins]

Something I just realized. Yui gets qualities from both of her parents. She has Kirito's heart and neuroticism. She also has Asuna's caring nature, and psychopathic tendencies!

[@GolemsandGoblins]

Hey Shoji...

[@kintamas4425]

@@GolemsandGoblins his dog is gonna disappear later isn’t it? We know Asuna follows through on her promises. I don’t think we’ve seen her break a single one.

[@vtolwariors8429]

@@kintamas4425 well shoji did let her go

[@chara2974]

truly the best of both worlds

[@Daybreak-Five]

I did find it odd the Asuna in her only came out once in Alfheim.

[@_-SPIDER-_]

I am wholeheartedly convised that they binged all of SAO on mute and just brainstormed what they could fill the scenes with and i love it (seriously though, the writing is such perfection and the voice acting is so perfect)

[@jimmygoodlove1139]

They actually seem to be referencing the original (HIGHLY SUPERIOR TO THE OFFICIAL ANIME) light novels with this episode! Much to my incredible joy, they appear to be adding back in Kirito's extensively fucked up and traumatizing backstory from the novels that the anime cut entirely. But yeah, the writing team behind this abridged series is awesome in general.

[@dziewiaty]

It sells their work short. They took everything stupid about original and fixed it, like original Sword Art Online being terrible game become a plotline here.

[@Atomic_Aegis45]

Honestly that would still be better than the whole incest plot line thing.

[@privateuser3726]

@@jimmygoodlove1139 Mind spoiling Kiritos backstory for me

[@matthewgreening8982]

The Suguha outburst is the longest I've ever seen SAOA go without a joke and I am so glad it happened. The emotion they put into it made a scene 10× better than the original. That part is truly a masterpiece.

[@dartdevious561]

No jokes, only raw

[@MustacheDLuffy]

Funny enough this episode canonically takes place in 2024

[@paradoxanomaly5403]

It was perfection, especially letting everything linger after her door slammed. The credits rolling, it's just Kirito and the closed door.

[@blazeproxima5558]

This compared to the Canon sceene is 1000 times better. It felt like they were fighting over something truly profound instead of just yelling about how Suguha wanted to F her brother

[@Zack_Zander]

It hits even harder than everything else in SAOA and I love it.

[@KitwaIker]

The fact that they took the flipping incest plot and managed to make it into something that brought me to real tears is nothing short of amazing

[@NJB2012XD]

Absolutely agree! Wow, so much better than the off putting incest crap in the OG

[@kylemitton5373]

Tbf, incest plot or no, that scene was really well done in the show too. (also I think the incest subplot might actually be the only part of this arc with semi decent writing)

[@iliyaans1058]

@@kylemitton5373 👀👀📸📸👀👀

[@truetinkerer]

@@Tasty_Tango45 Dude we knew they were related; the author knew they were related. You can try rationalise it however you want using the authors excuses, it was an incest plot.

[@Xenoborg0519]

@@Tasty_Tango45 I meannn, it *was* kind of an incest plot though. In the original she straight up said she had feelings for Kazuto (who she knew was her cousin) and tried to forget them by falling in love with Kirito instead. Which you’re right about her hating that she had those feelings but it was still definitely canonical incest vibes in that sense

[@danielkaner5156]

I just love the shoji storyline. The fact that Asuna traumatized him so far that in her presence he instantly starts quoting his therapist is just hilarious

[@feiwnakausvkaxbdkebkswowbq8331]

Kyle and Shoji need a spin-off I’d watch it

[@feiwnakausvkaxbdkebkswowbq8331]

Also it’s impressive when you remember she can’t hurt anyone due to the green fairy guy’s coding and she’s just insulting him to the point of trauma 😂

[@D4rtCt]

@@feiwnakausvkaxbdkebkswowbq8331 can't hurt anyone with actual weapons you mean. not that that even matters, Asunas Words are sharper than any weapon in this game :)

[@lilchristuten7568]

​@@feiwnakausvkaxbdkebkswowbq8331 Uh what? You forget that she routinely escapes her cell and beats up the workers?

[@feiwnakausvkaxbdkebkswowbq8331]

@@lilchristuten7568 She doesn’t beat them up. The green fairy guy himself says in the same episode he has no idea how she keeps escaping his coding prevents her from attacking anyone. And when they talk to the guard he immediately starts crying when he hears Asuna’s voice.

[@blazedultimate]

Dear god I never thought I’d be entertained by watching two slugs treat “holding asuna “ like grabbing a rabid dog by the legs, but it’s hilarious

[@carolinenightbloom2778]

changing the incest to an actual relatable sibling conflict made this 100% better. Like wow I felt that so much. I am not crying right now....

[@Spider-Man-257]

I love the show, but even than when the sister/ cousin having a crush on someone who's she's related to was just stupid. Everything else about season 1 was peak for me.

[@pokebreeder2517]

@@Spider-Man-257 for me the first part was way to rushed as i wanted to see more of the world of sao and such

[@HashMyth]

Don't deny it, even soulless be damned rejects of society are crying. It's what separates us from the truly be damned of this nightmare we call living.

[@HashMyth]

​@@Spider-Man-257society and religious beliefs tend to force family connections that are relationships are taboo and wrong. Yet genetics and past societies showed that is actually the better life. (Sure, having way to much identical genetics overlapping can cause major mutations and issues but occasionally doing it was actually beneficial to the genetics of a family tree) Look at all the crazy, mentally screwed people today? Forcing us to accept them when they're actually the thorn in the stem of the rose of society. Causing more harm than good to force opinions as facts, and facts as fiction and denial. Sorry, I'm very scientific and hate seeing society crumble due to corruption, misinformation and denial of what the true happiness of life is... Being happy to accept yourself and the courage to tell the rest of the world to... and I quote, "you do you and I'll do me, and we won't do each other, so fuck off please" 😂

[@magistersolis.3750]

@@HashMyth​​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠You did not just try to justify incest? With genetic purity. No wonder everyone who says “learn to love yourself” are now seen as a bunch of self absorbed idiots. Rules bad. Destroy all rules. Oh no we needed those rules?! 😱

[@philippgabainvonkries5117]

Asuna calls the tech support because even after spending three years in a death game she still doesn't know how to log out 🤣

[@volkbomby1]

Well to be fair she hasnt had much practice with clicking the log out button

[@NA-ud6qm]

or open the menu

[@dinoz2113]

Yes😂

[@taviala1796]

At least she learned how to open the menu

[@TobytheNinja]

Inverted controls… as the default.

[@SA-mo3hq]

"I WILL WRITE MY MEMOIRS IN YOUR MOTHER'S BLOOD!!" I'd expect no less from Abridged Asuna

[@claytabulusshogun]

No profanity filters can save you from Asuna's genuine threats

[@pinkbiohazardmercurialcoll7133]

They deserve all the bad things for playing their part in keeping her in that gilded cage...

[@TheAlterer]

Ahem. You mean... Ass? If you get it you get it

[@diceday4454]

thank you I could not hear her for some reason

[@kingdxy3808]

N😢

[@Nonzerotonin]

13:09 The little slipup for suguha making it more plausible for her to break down later is the kind of little detail that deserves more attention

[@kaysee2428]

I also love how he doesn't even catch the slip!!! Like, he completely misses the whole "you're the worst brother ever" line! It just shows even more how much he disregards Suguha, even if he doesn't realize it's her. Of course he does that to most people, the few exceptions being Asuna, Yue, and MAYBE Tiffany, but still. It drives home the point Suguha tries making that he didn't and still doesn't pay attention to her.

[@martinpetkov6310]

@@kaysee2428 How can you not mention Balls in the list of people Kirito cares about. He changed him so much he used his actual name.

[@darkness_weaver2710]

*Asuna in the next episode is seen buttering a biscuit* "Asuna, what are you doing?" "Preperation." *In the distance* "KEEP HER AWAY FROM ME!"

[@Tge97]

Please. Id wait a year for that punchline. It would also be the biggest build up of a joke in human history as well.

[@battousaicrescent]

This is a very underliked comment

[@MercurialDecree]

Swe provides once again Until next year😢

[@jacksonlee1883]

So that was Sogi(know wrong spelling) Asuna’s favorite punching bag. I feel sorry for the guy.

[@CrashCanuck537]

@@jacksonlee1883 considering how shitty he is to Trish, I feel less bad for him.

[@bucket9144]

Im glad the tentacle monsters were just turned into employees with beef against the model artist, instead of what they originally were. Their conversation was hilarious.

[@ironicweeb4111]

Yeah honestly it’s funny to think that the Model artist, who’s disabled and has specific dietary restrictions, was being bullied by one of the coders so to just fuck with him, he and his entire department gets the slug models instead of the Fairies

[@Jiffles]

Really changed that scene from,"Oh boy, another weird fetish scene?" Into, "I love these idiots!"

[@gorkemaykut5230]

​@@Jiffles poor bastard covering the Fuck up with molestation charges was cherry on top lmao

[@sarowie]

@@ironicweeb4111 Coders? Those act more like low level GMs that are chosen for this strategic position after carefully assessing their moral compass (busted), not for their competence (little).

[@thehoodedteddy1335]

*”Om Nom”*

[@evildrkirby]

"Damn, that's a long pause after this emotional moment. Wonder when it's-" **Special Thanks to our Patrons!** "Oh, you bastards."

[@douglasnevins1598]

See you next year 🤣

[@VorpalxJumper42]

@@douglasnevins1598 😭😭😭

[@daniellevicampscampins8334]

What makes Asuna's torture of Shoji all the better is that the game has an incredibly low pain level. So Asuna's torture of them is so immense that it actually makes them feel immense pain, or she psychologically tortures them so badly that they are still afraid of her. And both options are equally likely knowing her character.

[@TonyBomboozled]

This was the most salvaged episode of Sword Art Online Abridged yet.

[@elfi643]

I’m so glad they dealt with the gross slug scene and actually made it good

[@alexdahcrappypotato339]

​@@elfi643 And no more incest! Hooray!!

[@elimDBZ]

​@@elfi643 fun fact in the official English dub the 2 slug admins were voiced by Tony Oliver (VA for 4th Hokage) and Vic Mignogna (Edward elric) Guess which slug admin put the moves on Asuna?)

[@thatoneguy2886]

@@alexdahcrappypotato339 but also they still care about each otherish, a disturbing number of shows/anime seem to insist that siblings have 3 states----bickering children-best fwends-incest its awesome to see a nuanced and accurate portrayal of "there has been shit and poor communication"

[@Soul.Resonant]

@@thatoneguy2886 Then theres me and my brother who have had 4 conversations this entire year (we share a room)

[@portmanteauesque]

It is time . . . for the ritual. Comrades, the time is now! We must binge watch the rest of the series once more!

[@friendlyindividual]

Indeed, comrade… For it was foretold in the scrolls!

[@ResinUdongeInaba]

The ritual is a must

[@winni1992]

once? how dafuq u pronounce a dozen🤣🙃

[@MaxTheCat-eh5ts]

I binged season one last night and season two at lunch today.

[@backstaber8987]

THE TIME HAS COME

[@gabriella8255]

When kirito’s sister hits him with a rock, the subtitles say “Mithral pebble of kirito smiting” The detail in this show blows me away more and more every time

[@salvadortoscano2534]

WHAT?!

[@TheGamingLegendsOfficial]

@@salvadortoscano2534 I turned on the subtitles for last episode because of the spell chants being undecipherable and kept them on for gems like _Mithral Pebble of Kirito Smiting_

[@JohnSmith-dz2dc]

RIGHT?!? I just discovered the subtitles today and now I need to watch the whole series again

[@matthewvillanueva4420]

​@@JohnSmith-dz2dcas one should

[@rerereuj]

isn't that a callback to episode 1, when kirito makes up a ton of lore about a random pebble

[@FinalFrost]

The fact that they had such a heart wrenching scene end off with complete silence really made it hit even harder than it already did. The aura of "....fuck..." really hits hard. The VA for suguha really put her all into that final line and it shows. Incredibly well done

[@samueletatani1145]

I love how they changed the fanservice scene in to a psichologichal horror where asuna Is the monster

[@Zack_Zander]

And it fits, oh so f*cking well

[@matthewcharles9813]

I do love how they made her so intense and not just passive most of the story.

[@neoswagtwigofthetwignation9778]

She's become even more psychopathic than Kirito.

[@LunetteFox]

"Use the door, Idiot! ❤" Can we just appreciate how she took the extra (valuable) time to carve a heart in there? Also, I love the continuity that Kirito hasn't learned how to land when flying so he keeps just crashing to the ground like a missile. LOL

[@kennmarlow4889]

Every time I hear people talk about this series I learn about the EXTREME care and dedication put into the details.

[@Jacob-WD40]

Also the continuity of Asuna worrying about opening the menu was great.

[@thegoatcarnival]

The classic love story; Boy meets girl, boy accuses girl of war crimes, boy gets really high, girl yells at boy, boy and girl solve murder, boy and girl watch as murderer is beaten to death, boy stabs ghost. That last one is real crucial to the progression. If boy doesn't stab ghost, there's no real romance.

[@johncortex7582]

It more hilarious coz It's what actually happened.

[@ConOn55]

Oh how accurate. How I met my first girlfriend.

[@TheVera800]

Take as old as time, Song as old as rhyme; War criminal and the Sociopath

[@lockheedx33]

I love the "boy stabs ghost" part. Gets me every time 😂😂

[@Aaa-vp6ug]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@TheVera800Sharing fates the same, Beating guys with fame, Entwined on the Warpath, (Sorry I can’t think of better lyrics)

[@LostInThought747]

Fan theory. Trisha has been secretly helping out Asuna with her escapes. She can't do much since they might suspect her and she doesn't have the right kind of access as a modeler, but between realizing the purpose of the experiments and her undying hate for Shoji, she has plenty of reasons to wanna help. In return, Asuna helps make Shoji's life hell from her end with every escape attempt. I bet she even managed to slip Asuna some personal details to help with the trauma. Like the fact that Shoji owns a dog.

[@Aaa-vp6ug]

I’m just gonna boost this! Also, maybe it’s the same Trisha who is Kayaba’s wife! Maybe Bethesda bought up SAO back when it was an indie project!

[@ThatGuyOxygen]

this makes so much sense lmao

[@FirstLast-wk3kc]

Asuna might have got this info during the time before the dmin console. At the start of the scene she says she's been having some fun off stream. Might be getting this info plus extra. Gosh, it might have been Trisha too, as a part of the off camera scene

[@isabelleneckel1153]

As the modeler, she could have hidden something in the model. Like make some weird purple veins spell "my dog's name is Biscuit" or "my mom's name is Petunia" or whatever it actually is.

[@crysisrevelation6132]

🤯🤯🤯

[@logeyperogi1805]

That line “How dare you accuse me of hating you when you clearly never gave a shit about me!!!” My heart broke

[@theacentricbean]

For me the most gut wrenching line was when Sugu said "Was it me?" Because you just know she spent so long blaming herself for her brother abandoning her, telling herself she just wasn't worth it, to the point it turned to rage, and then finally her resentment towards him completely. Absolutely heartbreaking and so much better than the OG sibling strain.

[@JayPaul010]

@27:07

[@aedwardsss]

Dude. Just… so much dude.

[@tralkki]

Is any one else losing the mind at the thought of SAO season 2? I can’t wait to see what they do for gun gale online. Kirito’s avatar change alone will be perfect for jokes.

[@mediokay508]

God that emotion was raw. Fantastic voice acting. 😢

[@NoahofWill]

Can we just give Suguha's voice actress all the props? She really did bring not only the scene, but the character to life in a way that's far too real

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

one my fav things about watching dubs of many series is hearing all the different VA's scaring the coworkers in the vocal booth

[@jacobthompson4444]

I was really impressed with her voice work on this scene. Top notch for sure!

[@sipher1132]

"Just leave me alone....you've had enough practice." Best line

[@AntoniyoGreenwood]

Dear God yes.

[@Lowkeylie]

This girl _needs_ to be in professional voice work if she’s not already. Her delivery on that was so raw.

[@MrScarfman2006]

Just finished rewatching the whole series for about the seventh time, and I cannot describe how badly I need more episodes to exist

[@squirrelbusken-cv4wy]

I know how you feel. But at the same time I don't want to rush art like this. I wonder if they could really dive in and get more episodes done if they where making enough money from this that they did have to have day jobs.

[@redplague8]

Between them and team four star, we could have a lot of really good anime remakes!

[@braedanbaird8851]

Damn, they actually made Kirito and Suguha have a complex relationship that requires development to fix. I’m impressed.

[@thatlonelygiraffeinc.6989]

I liked the origional plot line where suguha has a great personality involving: 1) wanting to incest her brother, 2) wanting to incest her brother in a game

[@MarkEdwardRom]

​@@thatlonelygiraffeinc.6989 I am really trying to believe that this statement is sarcasm 😑

[@theautomator8372]

​@@MarkEdwardRom with how bare bones and basic it is it would have to be sarcasm.

[@omghe]

​@@MarkEdwardRom sadly it isnt, that pretty much sums her up. Thats why to me SAOA is the real canon.

[@n8zog584]

​@@omghe please no. This is the canon one to me. The emotions in this parody held more weight than anything in the original

[@mr_fahrenheight1728]

"Ow, my cake" "What are you talking about cake for?" This is funny, because it implies the Kazuto doesn't understand modern slang; which makes sense seeing as he was in a coma for 2 years.

[@diceday4454]

subtle writing and character development

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

@@diceday4454 The idea that him an his girl are gonna sit down one day IRL an be treated like grand parents over the cultural changes pleases me

[@mr.waffles8739]

I'm not really sure what she's referring to tbh, in that context I'd assume crotch, but I've never heard it referred to as that

[@firstconsul7286]

@@mr.waffles8739 It's her butt, she got shot in the ass.

[@gabriel1958]

​@@mr.waffles8739cake means butt

[@Rikkamaru]

I love that where, in season 1, Kayaba's knowledge of movies was meant to show him as a foil to Kirito while in season 2 Suguha's knowledge is meant show that the two of them really were close as kids and probably watched a lot of stuff together.

[@Kilwede1]

underrated comment, take another like :)

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

@@Kilwede1 nice try that's just the plot of the Lake House

[@Kilwede1]

@@senritsujumpsuit6021 🤣🤣

[@emgonzales1799]

I'm not crying you're crying 😭

[@j.c8390]

​@@senritsujumpsuit6021Gentlemen, please, this is the comment section!

[@kaiclarke7452]

7:04 This shows that asuna can’t open the menu which means the reason leave could very easily be that they swapped the menu from the right hand to the left and that simple change is what’s keeping her hostage

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

Love the reincorporation of how Kirito hates crying women because they make him uncomfortable and he just cannot stop himself from helping them

[@lego0788]

The final scene genuinely had my jaw on the floor. Suguha's VA's performance left me speechless

[@Tge97]

Same. you don’t expect when compared to how Abridges usually are. They knew the jokes where over its near the end of the episode so lets make a scene that surprises s everyone’s expectations and hit different.

[@JayPaul010]

I know right she really did that! I wanted to cry because families are really going through misunderstandings like this

[@mediokay508]

And that cliffhanger was perfect. I'm left feeling gutted, which is not an emotion I expect from an abridged series. Yet it makes me want to see the next episode more.

[@firetornado35]

GET THE VA MORE ANIME ROLES!

[@wave1090]

I can't take VAs seriously when they do that exaggerated "cutesy" anime voice. Maybe because I grew up with Spanish dubs, not english ones, and they talk like normal people on those ones. So the performance is lost on me.

[@sonicchaos-ir9kw]

The idea that Shoji would rather be on a list then let his dog die and deal with potentially seeing Asuna is horrifying

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

an ideal women @@gamerguy7066

[@Sweet.peach21]

To be fair…. I would too. Idc if it a lie, my dog WILL NOT die for that

[@matthewmaxfield8443]

plus based on the end of the last episode each time she got out she just ate the employees

[@IFuckingLoveFrenchToast]

I mean their boss is doing exactly that so

[@coraanimates58]

I know at least 2 characters who would agree, maybe some merchants by the names of Tiffany and Lizbeth (strange they were both shopkeepers now that I think about it)

[@vincvids7297]

Today marks the eleventh month with no SAO abridged episode. My body has entered a state of constant anticipation and disappointment at the same time. Colors seemingly fade into different shades of gray, making the horizon into a beautiful painting of melancholy.

[@Tyty-qi2gu]

@@aneesasana5726man I’m waiting

[@AzureRoseMarshal]

Buddy… don’t wanna tell you this, but it’s only at 35% editing..it’s joever

[@Adriethyl]

There's still more year left this year, so following the trend of 1 Ep every year we should be golden.

[@buragi5441]

@@AzureRoseMarshal Editing is not what takes up most of time, it's the script writing. So if they are already editing, the end of the tunnel is near.

[@funninoriginal6054]

​@@buragi5441Have they given word on if the voiceovers are done yet? If so, then yeah once editing is over it's fair game

[@IBW_3000]

Kirito’s first action when he gets admin: *DISABLE PROFANITY FILTER*

[@laplongejunior]

Disable the filter, insult the other admins, then reenable it back before they finish their answer

[@buddyb3165]

Just does Kaiba's Monologe from episode 1 all over again.

[@lowresSandwich]

​@@buddyb3165he threatens Oberon with the video of the melon blowing up

[@salvorhardim5014]

No, when he sees Kayaba's ghost during his confrontation, right before Kayaba's ghost leaves, his parting words will be "Last thing, I swear: I disabled the profanity filter. Have fun with that."

[@laplongejunior]

@@salvorhardim5014 Yeah, why n- Wait a minuuuuute! It can't- *rechecks* Just to be clear, you didn't actually commit an Ep1 quote entirely from memory, right? :0

[@ajflink]

I love how the tasteless...slime scene was changed into two guys fearing for their lives as Asuna seems to inflict psychological torture to them. Also, apparently, whatever Asuna does is so severe, that modeler needs to make new models for their avatars. So, she must be an eldritch honey badger in human form.

[@mudawott]

Honestly the complete recontextualisation of every dogshit tendency that befalls og SAO is astounding. How do you turn a lazy disgusting siscon plotline into this? Everything shes doing makes perfect sense. The rewriting slam dunks it

[@aozorahaou2643]

She EATS their Avatars

[@ac.lonewolf]

"An eldritch honey badger", that's probably the best thing i've seen all day lmfao

[@jacobrzeszewski6527]

She literally did start barking at them, so comparing her to a wild animal is completely fair.

[@jacksonscott3667]

@@aozorahaou2643 ņ̸̦̻̟̭͈̚ơ̵̥̩̺͐̾͂̿͊̏͌̿ͅm̵̦̠͈̠̼͔͙͙̘̯̀͠ ̸̘̮͈͓͙̺͚͙̊̔͛̈́̍̽̅̑̋͘̚͝n̶̨̛̦̆͌̂́̌̒̎͘o̶̡͍͕͍̗͇̭͆̇̾̉̅͂̈́̏͋͒̌͂̚͝m̵͉̜͕̮͚͖̣̖͇̾́

[@zextthenomad2916]

I think Team Four Star said it best recently. "You either end an episode on a joke, or something serious." What a hell of a way to end this episode.

[@PASSWORD323]

Just leave it alone, you’ve had enough practice

[@Cody-5501]

Their mom pulled him out of kendo because he has asthma and that was never explained to suguha so when she’s trying to make sports fun it’s showing off things he can’t do.

[@noahmeserve4720]

Audibly made noises of realization when I read this, I am so glad you commented here and helped me realize just one more amazing detail in this show. Thank you brother :)

[@thatguyshwag]

This! It's all I could think about while she was screaming at him, it's not his fault he has asthma, though he should've explained it to her properly

[@Soni-jd4li]

The year of wait was totally worth for something as high quality as SAO abridged, thank you SWE

[@Korihor666]

Agreed. It certainly says something when multiple fans of something are ok with such long gaps between content because the creators time and time again prove the wait is worth it.

[@destruct0503]

Wdym? Its always a years wait. Thats basically their upload schedule

[@OmegaQuinn]

Honestly for how good the quality is and the better writing than the original I’m fine with waiting a year between episodes with random filler skipped

[@OmegaQuinn]

@@destruct0503at least they are consistent

[@JackReacts]

Has it really been a year!? Damn It felt like the last episode dropped a few months ago

[@samueletatani1145]

I love how they changed this from a fanservice scene to a psycological horror where asuna Is the monster

[@scottywan82]

I love it.

[@3DSCarnaje]

Saw two blue S pfp and thought OP replied to his own comment lol

[@dragonsember]

I love how they made her the one torturing everyone instead of her just getting tortured and violated constantly

[@gahmivolka]

@@dragonsember which is far more believable for her character than what they did originally haha

[@dragonsember]

@@gahmivolka yeah why would she just sit around and wait for something to happen

[@nathanbreadboi9223]

It's amazing that Asuna is absolutely not the damsel in distress here. She's the terrifying person traumatizing the enemy at every given moment. They're trapped in there with her

[@hats4cats]

She's not locked in there with them, they are locked in there with her!

[@gildedphoenix]

technically she's still damsel in distress, but still able to John Wick on employees BARE HANDED

[@hunner3607]

still can't use a menu though lol

[@Hiper_F64]

​@kristopherprime9837so they changed Princess peach for Princess Daisy xd

[@Arcalargo]

*Nom Nom* Shoji

[@SUs0nic]

"I have a plan!" "Lay it on me." "I'm gonna go." "I HATE THIS PLAN!"

[@angrychef1786]

I love when Leafa said, "Right in my cake!" And Kirito says, "Why are you talking about food? Move your Ash!" To remind us there is a profanity filter😂

[@jameswarkentin540]

Also to subtly point out the memelord internet troll kirito is about two years out of date on pop culture and internet references

[@charlesmillard596]

I predict that once he gains admin privileges, the first thing he’ll do is remove the profanity filter and swear up a storm.

[@Zerochroma15]

Holy shit, Suguha's VA absolutely crushed that final scene, complete pro level work. "you've had enough practice" genuinely gave me chills

[@Lumi21]

Knocked it out of the damn park.

[@tufflucal4037]

@@Lumi21 Who else cried or got emotional at that end scene? Like I was surprised that they did not shy away of what the original scenes were. Both were very emotional and her voice acting was top notch here too. You can tell that even though they aren't the same people that originally voiced these characters, they still took their role seriously. I mean............THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A PARODY. Like Holy Shit give these voice actors an Oscar.

[@NicaNicu31]

@@tufflucal4037 The original was sadly tainted by the whole incest vibe. It's sad that the parody is more poignant than the original.

[@tufflucal4037]

@NicaNicu31 Yea, unfortunately I think a lot of people got fed up with the word Sister and Brother and ignore that TECHNICALLY they're not blood related, which helps to peace my mind a little you know?!

[@NicaNicu31]

@@tufflucal4037 "Technically not blood related" is just an excuse. Reki totally wanted them to be but realized it would alienate some readers. Though, to be honest, that's not even the biggest issue. The real issue is the decision to keep adding waifus to Kirito's harem for some bloody reason. Even the cat and mom fairies started hitting on him. The abridged series shows that you don't need it to be a romance to have a good story, and, in fact, toning down the wish fulfillment wankery actually makes the whole story more compelling. I love that they focused on the Asuna romance and dropped the sister/cousin romance entirely.

[@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

They fixed the incest romance and the tentacle scene. I have no doubt they can handle the 25 percent-legally-distinct-Berserk scene in the finale. Kudos to Sugu's voice actor for her raw performance at the end. The original Suguha was a bunch of lemons, and y'all made LennonDrake out of her.

[@Brasswatchman]

Hee. I see what you did there. And agreed on all points. Masterful, isn't it?

[@michaelkean5969]

good berserk reference=fromsoft video games bad berserk ripoff=whatever the hell that scene with Asuna is in the finale episode.

[@danielramsey6141]

Be Funny if Kayaba appeared as Guts to Kirito and decided to pass Kirito the Keys to defeat Sugou! 😂

[@mattwo7]

@@michaelkean5969 Worse ripoff: Ready Player One copying the scene where Kayaba gives Kirto the seed.

[@kakroom3407]

Sugu's voice actor sent this into kino territory. Real shit, the single best performance I've ever seen in an abridged series

[@hotshot461]

You know it's truly a fanmade parody when the parody reveals just how hard-hitting the original was supposed to be. I sincerely hope that the creators and publishers of Sword Art Online don't try to shut this project down because it's just as good as the original.

[@pepsiisbetterthancoke6283]

"You can't be serious!! What kinda maniac still uses FACEBOOK?!?" You know, all things considered, Sugou using Facebook in 2023 is completely in character.

[@chrisb9143]

Hey, the existence of Asuna saved that man from Chris Hansen

[@elimDBZ]

Doesn't the plot of sao season 2 take place in 2023? Both the canon anime and SWE version?

[@goldencyclone4984]

​@@elimDBZ Should be 2024 or 25 I think. SAO proper starts in the back half of 2022, they're stuck in there for two years so it's 24 when they get out.

[@Dontfucklewithdashuckle]

@@animefan-ji8rd Right now it's 2025 january in the Sao world. the day is I think 15th or 16th I don't remember it that well it's 10 and something

[@professorhaystacks6606]

@@animefan-ji8rd iirc the webnovel was 2018-2020 and it was moved up a bit on LN publication. Still a bit of a shock either way.

[@VorpalxJumper42]

Suguha feeling real pain in this game vs Kirito saying he barely felt anything because it’s a kids game shows how terrible Aincrad really was for him and all the other people that were stuck there. SWE always putting in the details and characterization expertly

[@thestranger954]

Holy crap. Didn't even think of that. Nice catch.

[@princessthyemis]

Oh my gosh I didn't even put that together that's brilliant

[@charlieterry8506]

I didn't notice that part Thanks for pointing that out. God I love this series

[@jaquesvonstraus7287]

@@charlieterry8506 honestly i hadnt considered that to be the reason. i thought it was a weird inconcsistency yet to be explained, like maybe the raid had the pain settings increased to discourage people from trying since its not meant to be beaten

[@thomasparsons9866]

I thought it was from the server maintenance and it “fixed” the pain system.

[@repulser93]

Asuna basically looked at the tentacle monsters and went, "I'm not locked up in here with you, *YOU'RE* locked in here with me!" 5/8/2023 edit: How is it my dumb Watchmen comparison got like 900 likes but NO ONE commented on the reevaluation of Kirito and Suguha's kendo duel in the season premiere?

[@Karmasu_L]

nom nom

[@clawgrehellsing]

Asuna is the most Scariest girl in the this series

[@jeremycaswell]

@@clawgrehellsing ain't she just perfect?

[@bardakasai]

That scene made me laugh so loud, the pure panic in their voices when it comes to Satan Asuna

[@omega40k]

Yea, I love this version of Asuna. lol

[@chriswillett9962]

That ending scene hits like a truck. They took the most cringe part of the cringiest story arc and turned it into an emotionally powerful story.

[@ReTranslated]

You can ABSOLUTELY tell you guys care about this project. The simple fact that you ended the episode without a joke! You just let it sit on that horrible moment of genuine anguish. Bravo SWE. The writing and voice acting are the stand outs in those last few minutes.

[@alenasenie6928]

And with no extra sounds, just quiet, is baffling how some multimillion shows don't show this basic respect for the story.

[@Riku_DarkWielder]

I honestly sat here in silence, tearing up for about 5 minutes after theis ended. Omg that was amazing

[@thomaskilmer]

It hits so hard too when most shows these days don't have the guts to lean on sincerity rather than bathos.

[@The2378AlpacaMan]

i love how they transformed asuna's scenes with the tentacle guys and suguha's plot line. and having kirito crash into the wall not purely out of desperation but to try and glitch through actually makes sense

[@lordcommissar7813]

As somone who used to glitch throw walls in skyrim using a plate yes it makes alot of sense lol

[@wrioculus]

no literally, the number one way to glitch in games? fuck around and find out, which consists of repeatedly running/jiggling into walls

[@TheHappyZappy]

And then the slime monster was just sooo disgusted at the idea that the other one would molest her! Yes! It was so tasteless and needlessly evil in the original, I think I’ll recommend SAO to my friends just so they can appreciate this XD

[@tiltiege7842]

@@TheHappyZappy I have actually done exactly that. Like to understand how good this scene is in SAO Abridged you have to know how disgusting and just plain awful it was in SAO Proper

[@HikariTheGardevoir]

I've been waiting for them to do the slug scene ever since they showed that they were gonna do this part of season 1 as well. It really feels like a kind of redemption to see them work their way around the gross objectification and 'damsel in distressification' of Asuna and even portray her as a force to be reckoned with, like she should be

[@fangirl_did_lie2733]

I love how all the live chat was "we must save my family" together. It was a beautiful experience

[@whitefang2312]

Truly, we felt like family. A family we must save. Always

[@luisfradique2031]

Gary...

[@david-kc5hr]

I cant wait till 2049 when we finally get into the gun gale online arc i cant wait to see the references

[@CrazyHand7894]

And have the villain be played by Lanipator.

[@envfynestt9132]

​@@CrazyHand7894or don fluffles

[@korzenpl]

The reason Kirito will play as a female there is because the game assigns gender based on voice, I'm calling it now

[@blackbankai0354]

“Just leave me alone. You’ve had enough practice.” Well, that hurt more than I expected. Quality writing as always.

[@PNut8421]

Totally. I sat back in my chair and just thought, "damn. That one hit different."

[@jimmybopped1154]

Maybe I’m slow, but what did she mean by “You’ve had enough practice”?

[@RoxyGotMoxy.]

@@jimmybopped1154 she was saying Kirito's had enough practice leaving her alone.

[@FatherPun]

​@@jimmybopped1154 because like she said, he just abandoned her. So she was always left alone she felt

[@jimmybopped1154]

@@RoxyGotMoxy. ahh okay, she’s saying it because he already has enough mastery of just abandoning her. Thank you for allowing it to hit 5x times harder 😅😭

[@cptbaguette]

The whole interaction between Asuna and Shoji is so goood. You re-wrote her from being a damsel in distress to a terrifying sociopath who's always in control of the situation. SAO Abridged Asuna really gives off the "I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me" vibes

[@nylonswordsman]

Asuna woke up and chose violence

[@DotHackerKite94]

abridged asuna is best asuna. i really didn't like what happed to her character after the first arc. just became one of the harem girls, i don't know if she went back to her oldself in further seasons stopped watching after Yuuki, Which yes was a good bit of the series for her but yeah her character was a huge let down after Aincrad...granted not the worst thing to come out of post Aincrad but it was one of my biggest disappointments.

[@TheSHIELDCap]

​@@DotHackerKite94 Have you ever tried watching Alicization? Just curious since Asuna appeared in War of Underworld while Kirito is in coma.

[@DotHackerKite94]

@TheManWithoutFear no like i said i haven't watched past yuuki's death. I probably should at some point, though. Is it any good?

[@CycloneSP]

@@DotHackerKite94 well, the underworld arc is called the best arc of the series for a reason...

[@justingipson8510]

I love how they originally made us feel bad for shoji, then we find out he's actually a terrible person who steals from someone in a wheelchair...that's just a SMALL detail of this episode that I love

[@esteban20166]

When do they say that? I missed that part.

[@terminaro]

@@esteban20166 When the slugs talk they talk about the same person. First about her being a model designer, then how he stole her yogurt (even tho he knows she has food restrictions) and then how she has "high heels", but instead of being shoes it is actually a wheelchair (the other slug says it)

[@nodrugshere300]

@@terminaro it was “Can’t stand her rolling in on her high horse.”

[@jacksonscott3667]

Also keep in mind that Shouji is actively facilitating the kidnapping of dozens of people who just spent the last few years surviving a traumatizing death game, and is also actively preventing the escape of his boss’ underaged sex slave bride-to-be. Shouji deserves everything that’s coming to him (though Biscuit doesn’t, being an innocent in the matter; Asuna should just break out and eat Shouji instead).

[@TobytheNinja]

@@jacksonscott3667 I mean, I’m pretty sure she has eaten Shoji, probably a couple times. Considering she mentioned that as Plan A in the last episode. Which I’m sure is why this threat is completely believable to him.

[@BubimedesOfficial]

It’s been a year, and this masterpiece still isn’t finished… please, please, please, FINISH THIS AMAZING SERIES!!! Luv ur stuff btw

[@fionn5053]

Usually it takes a year to make an episode

[@BubimedesOfficial]

@@fionn5053 I am now depressed

[@fionn5053]

@@BubimedesOfficial the next episode is probably gonna realise in late August

[@TheQwerty256]

​@@fionn5053 Based on their latest community post there's a chance we might see it at the end of June

[@weeaboobaguette3943]

I just marathoned the whole thing and deeply regret it. I mean, while doing it it was great, but then i saw there was no 18 suggested. The world is really unfair. Why is it illegal to literally enslave authors and literally whip them to literal death until they finish the whole thing ? Is it too much to ask ?

[@orangeapples]

I love that their split is because of Kendo. You can never predict what is the most important thing to someone else, especially an impressionable child who looks up to you. It meant nothing to him and everything to her because it was the thing she and her brother did together.

[@HYPERR3AL]

the way you word it makes it hit especialy hard to be honest

[@nickthepick8043]

This reminds me of the Lego 2 movie.

[@oxvancool8310]

at 20:38 he implies he has asthma and is probably why he had to stop

[@Maribro4]

Shoji’s VA really nailed the terror in his voice

[@hollowshield2315]

and suga's voice acting at the end. you could FEEL the heartbreak there

[@Maribro4]

@@hollowshield2315 I agree! It was really impressive

[@AlexanderTheBloodraven]

”So how DARE you accuse me of hating you when you CLEARLY NEVER GAVE A SHIT ABOUT ME!?” CHILLS. LITERAL CHILLS

[@MrSupersonic2012]

Props to the VA, that felt raw.

[@cha0sniper]

That line *hurt* so much 😭😭😭

[@nef36]

Normally I regret coming to the comments because I always get spoiled, but right now I genuinely have no idea if it's going to be said by Kirito, Suguha, or Nagata.

[@Zombie0591]

Very powerful moment.

[@revi6482]

It was really hard to watch. Never thought they could make the tasteless incest plot into something this sad.

[@vehicle1750]

What the actual fuck? How can a fan parody provoke more emotion from me than almost any media I've seen in the last decade? DAMN YOU FOR HITTING SO CLOSE TO HOME

[@jimmygoodlove1139]

If you enjoyed this, I highly recommend the original light novels! They seem to be referencing Kirito's backstory that was cut from the anime with this scene, and hilariously enough, the abridged series overall seems to be a more faithful adaptation of the original novels than the anime ever was, haha. The anime cut literally so much of Kirito's personality and backstory. It's honestly kind of painful. He was such an interesting character in the books.

[@theawsomeauger2063]

I think another reason why Suguha is upset is not just only the Kendo thing but also because that her brother was in a coma on the verge of getting his brains fried for the past two years, and that definitely didn’t help with her abandonment issues during that time making her feel more alone than ever. But dang, props to the voice actors and crew who made this creepy subplot into something actually emotional and substantial.

[@runegartmann1255]

I think it truly shows the talent of the people behind this amazing project that they could take something extremely poorly written and turn it into something truly emotional that I can imagine many people can relate quite strongly to. I have joked for many years that this is the correct version of the show but with this plot twist I can in all seriousness say that this version is superior in every Way imaginable.

[@josephbriggs2257]

Especially with how he came out of the coma with the whole country hailing him as a hero.

[@AvatarNaty]

Doubly so when he escaped the Death Game and only cared about Asuna. I doubt he was very teary eyed about seeing his sister, which would've just been a knife in the heart. Imagine worrying for two years over your slowly emaciating comatose brother who could die at any time, only to find, when they are awake, that they don't give to shits about you, and are instead fawning over this one random girl. I betcha that Kazuto was the one who instigated the "return to form" with their relationship, somewhat unintentionally, and that just made her retaliate.

[@deadlock9085]

Yea but it didn't have to be said

[@hollowshield2315]

that makes sense, with the "you abandoned me for video games" sentiment getting escalated now that because of his love for them he was no literally at risk of dying at any moment instead of spending time with her. then he comes out the game, hailed as a hero, and his biggest concern isn't her, but this other girl he met there. it would have been hard not to take that personally

[@talkedflyer7251]

I love how they rewrote the tasteless slug scene to one where it’s Asuna torturing them. Asuna snarling at them while they we’re panicking had my gut writhing in pain from laughing.

[@estefanolivares4159]

Nom, nom

[@kayleemccoy2900]

This! I always skipped the original scene and the HR report was so cathartic

[@tomgeytenbeek2207]

“Heyyy, Shoji…” That moment of realisation had me in tears

[@Mepphy99]

"i am gonna eat that biscuit"

[@reeseapperson2081]

"How the fudge do you know about my dog?" I died of laughter.

[@TheSUGA1202]

Suguha and Kirito having a real plot instead of incest is kinda dope ngl.

[@semillakan6]

Yeah them being to stranged siblings that even tho live in the same home are worlds apart from each other due to miscommunication and tragedy is so much better and that final confrontation between them is just a masterpiece of character writing

[@underintact134]

It's been so long since I watched the actual sao that I forgot the plot and now sao abridged is the plot to me

[@terminaro]

@@underintact134 I have vague memories. It is better for you this way xD

[@Nobadi56]

7:39 THE LOGOUT WAS RIGHT THERE. I spat out so much water

[@Aaa-vp6ug]

I think that was for the console

[@GemSurge95]

Besides the sibling confrontation, Kirito's death musings were also well-written. He realized that part of him missed being in the death game because he was way more important there. He also says how messed up that is.

[@twixchexmix]

yeah that monologue felt very real, feeling a certain way subconsciously despite the rational part of our brain recognizing that we shouldn’t feels very human and, while different, thematically similar to the whole incest subplot but way better done

[@Grizabeebles]

The different kinds of truama in the various SAO sub-plots are all stuff that would take a lifetime of therapy to get over. The fact that it keeps causing characters to have emotional breakdowns, sabotage relationships, or isolate themselves *within* an already isolated digital world is already in the main story, it's just not given the spotlight within the original sources the way it is here.

[@NXTangl]

​@@Grizabeebles the fact that SWE _loves_ SAO is very clear here.

[@DustyRaider]

Saying “no, no, don’t get up” to a comatose patient is something else

[@AdmiralHalsey1944]

Yeah, but remember, they're both a**holes, especially to each other

[@CenrelianGuardsmen]

I’d definitely say it without any shame

[@dazzlemasseur]

I think asuna would find it hilarious 😂

[@valentds]

if only the coma girl said "oh, i was about to get up, see ya in 20 years"

[@addymant]

I really hope Suguha accidentally invokes Kazuto's "your fault" trigger.

[@bluenight1274]

That would oof...just oof..b

[@ALJ9000]

Then realizes just what he went through in SAO? That could be interesting actually.

[@thechonkersking2647]

Uhhhh, I just thought about that and the consequences of it ... and all I can see is a mushroom cloud

[@icchasaki]

THIS YES OH MY WORD

[@tencents6]

I think she just did when she yelled at him for abandoning her.

[@Silentguy_]

Wild to think I was in middle school when this series started and now I’ve been out of college for 2 years and we still aren’t finished lol

[@DoctorM42]

Kirito sees a crying woman yelling at him. INSTANT FLASHBACKS.

[@supernerd8067]

Do it Sachi!

[@gokbay3057]

Crying women, his greatest weakness.

[@lulucamarillo7448]

*Start of flashback* Asuna: *Crying and yelling* "You can't keep doing this to me! This is, like, the second time you've almost died this week! You ever stop to think about how *I* feel? Maybe *I* wanna almost die once in a while, huh! Make *you* cry! AGHHHH I'm such a girl!" *End of flashback*

[@riolufistofmight]

Man, the fact that it just cuts out without even a proper credits sequence, just holding on the frame of the door closed, is POWERFUL.

[@8Robba]

For real. This is using the source material to such a powerful degree - exceeding its cinematography by far, in my opinion. Honestly, not that I saw it, just judging from other anime I saw over time. Because this series is both funny as heck and also fudging powerful.

[@northeast2736]

@@8Robbaprofanity filter got to you too, huh?

[@8Robba]

@@northeast2736 Oh, shirt! Oh, Dang! Motherhugger! You are right!

[@MD.Akib_Al_Azad]

​@@northeast2736theres an enchanment placed upon this land that stops thy forbidden tongue

[@Jolly123123123]

When is the last time you've seen that? aaaaages. God forbid we actually feel something anymore xD

[@thatlonelygiraffeinc.6989]

Asunas continued inability to use a menu is one of the funniest running gags of this series

[@maxrichards3881]

HOW DO I EAT YOU!?

[@h3xad3cimaldev61]

this series has been going on for 11 years and I've been here for all of it 💀

[@thelimesheep4324]

I feel like an underated line is Asuna's "Please for the love of gosh, *Just let me open this menu!"* I love it when SWE always pays back to previous in jokes rather than them just being throwaway gags

[@Otterdisappointment]

“How do I eat you?!”

[@ctnc6059]

@@Otterdisappointment I think she figured that one out. >:D

[@buragi5441]

Or Kirito explaining how he and Asuna fell in love. He broke a promise though, he mentioned the ghost.

[@armadillolover99]

@@buragi5441 I really hope that was on purpose and there’s some payoff with that too

[@CiaranMaxwell]

And, naturally, she hits the wrong button. Then doesn't think to hit "hang up," then "log out." Still having trouble, I see.

[@cinnabunz1532]

That ending. No music, no sound or jokes. Just...wow. You guys are amazing at writing and acting, it was all wonderful.

[@Zelink108]

>abridged is a small hobby by some friends >they release a weekly episode just for fun >they get popular >videos starts to take longer to make >skip forward >turns into actual dub, pushes very serious moments out of the blue >lost the whole purpose of abridged No, this is not what a parody is supposed to be.

[@cinnabunz1532]

@@Zelink108 And who gave you the authority to decide what a parody is lol

[@AlphaOmega08922]

​@@Zelink108 Okay, and? Who cares? OP didn't say anything about this being a good parody, only that SWE has amazing writers and actors. "Losing sight of what a parody is" doesn't negate what they said. Fact is, SWE is absolutely killing it from a writing standpoint. They hit every emotional beat that they're trying to hit, and make you feel the anguish the characters are feeling. Their jokes land exactly where they want them to land, and are good enough that they can riff off of themselves to bring back jokes from the very first episodes, and they still hit just as good as they did back then. The voice acting is on point, and the editors are able to make the delivery stick. Even if you're right about them "losing the purpose of abridged" (which I strongly disagree with, this is a serious hot take) but even if you're right, who cares? SAOA is still a fantastic (and, yes, hilarious) show.

[@edgelord_5numbers]

​@@Zelink108 they're making a better story than the original

[@Primal_Aozora]

@@Zelink108 Lol shut up Nerd.

[@tuckergrimes4189]

It's going to be hilarious when Asuna tells suguha the same story of how they fell in love

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

Girl meet boy girl an boy solve murder .................................. wait for real the death game had that as a quest . . The creator was enthusiastic

[@theepicricemaker6611]

I bet it was a movie made in-show that was based on their love story

[@istoppedcaring6209]

girl meets boy girl can't open menu girl and boy fight boss together, boy wins coat, refuses to share coat until girl learns how to open her menu girl decides to engage in a long series of events to finally marry, marriage means shared inventory so now the coat is mine oh and girls kinda caught feeling somewhere in the middle

[@tgjurassic9229]

@@istoppedcaring620910/10, hope this is added

[@PvtPopper]

@@istoppedcaring6209I would have caught feelings to it’s a nice ass coat

[@nikorek1470]

I love watching, forgeting then rewatching this show again and again and again. I have no clue what dark magic this is but it's better every rewatch.

[@felikatze]

god, the writing. suguha obviously realizes her own behaviour is a big reason kirito shut her out, but we see it from her perspective, too. she's so frustrated that kirito quit, that he's growing more and more distant as his obsession with video games grows- she's putting down his interests and bullying him over it so much because she wants him back. but he doesn't see that, he doesn't *want* to come back to kendo, so suguha's hostility just pushes him into the digital world more. there's also the possibility that he *couldn't* continue kendo. in his monologue after he dies in the world tree, he mentions that he's asthmatic as one of the reasons real life sucks. that might actually be why his mother offered him a new hobby instead. it's just such a realistic conflict. kirito doesnt care about her anymore because she puts down the only thing he feels he's good at, so she doubles down to get him to quit. she grows to believe he's an uncaring jerk because, yeah, that's what he *was.* But from the first season, we've seen him change, and, at least somewhat, let go of that defensive shell. She hasn't seen that, though. She's just seen that games almost killed her brother, and now he's going back in. She can't fathom that he's found geniune love and affection there. But when she sees him with Asuna... That's real. Kirito holding Asuna's hand is real. He does love others- just not her. Not anymore. Instead of a dumb incest plot, she's still jealous of Asuna, but it's different. It's way way different. Why can't he fight for Suguha like that? Why doesn't he want to? THERE'S JUST SO MANY GODDAMN LAYERS TO THIS. I COULD GO ON FOREVER. TEN OUT OF TEN. ABSOLUTELY STELLAR PERFORMANCE ON ALL FRONTS.

[@fabiangamboa1714]

What sells it too is how Kirito is clearly immediately repentant and regretful, and that tracks because we see at the beginning of the first season that Kirito is many things but socially graceful aint one of them and you have to imagine that he wasn't that much better before he got into videogames when he was younger. Its easy to believe he just really didn't notice how much Suguha was struggling all along.

[@Laine2899]

Dude thank you for writing this. It really put the wpisode into perspective for me and honestly brought me to tears because this is kinda like the relationship between me and my brother.

[@gureiratto]

@@Laine2899 :(

[@gureiratto]

yeah sao abridged is 100% better than sao and sao was one of the first anime i ever watched lol

[@Claymoresmash]

One layer is chocolate, the other is vanilla, and apparently another is… foie gras? Poor ducks…