The quiet between the storms hit as Haru tries to get himself leveled up a bit.
What They Say:
The battle between Silver Crow and Cyan Pile ends with Silver Crow’s victory. Having reconciled with Takumu, Haruyuki now focuses on training to level up in Accel World.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Accel World may not have sold me completely with the fight that we saw unfold with Haru against Cyan Pile, but I liked the progress the visuals have made for it and the way it kind of ramped things up a bit in a way I had kind of felt they should already have been. Haru’s stake in the Accel World has risen considerably because of what he pulled off, both in the fight itself and how he flew for the first time, but it’s also something that will make an impact on his relationship with Kuroyuki. Protecting her as he did and growing in his skills is something that she wants, but adding it to what came up before she was hit and sent to the hospital, it’s a welcome growth and potential change for their relationship, even if there are still awkward moments to come. Which are utterly adorable.
While Kuroyuki is going through her recovery and is now a bit more protected than she was before, Haru has managed to do something pretty smart here by seeking guidance and help from Takumu in order to take his own fighting abilities to the next level. It can kind of frustrate Chiyuri as she’s not sure exactly what all is going on between this group, but for Haru it’s perfect since it helps ease a tension he had with Takumu but also to grow and learn in a way that he really needs. He has the potential but not the experience or strategy that comes from doing this for awhile. But he’s also got something nobody else does with the wings and that changes what and how he has to fight when you get down to it. Working with Takumu gives him exactly what he needs to start working towards his goals.
While the show does give us some action when it comes to the training the two go through as Haru gets to Level 2, it also spends a fair bit of character time in general. There’s some sweet moments between Haru and Kuroyuki early on, but it’s the later material with Chiyuri and Taukum together talking with Haru as she tries to understand what’s going on and getting somewhat blushed and embarrassed over it all. There’s a lot to like as Takumu shows off the Burst Linker, but it’s just the calm in the storm of Haru’s life. What Haru has to work towards next though is surviving the matches and there’s a path he has a chance to pursue thanks to Takumu with someone else that will help, someone involved in the Accel World that helps the newer players survive when their points are low. It adds a new facet to the series, and a new girl, but it’s just brushing up against the edge of things here so we don’t really get too much.
In Summary:
As Accel World continues, I’m definitely enjoying the character material, the Burst Link aspects and the overall technological aspects with its bit of intrigue. I’m less enamored of the combat/gaming aspect of it, though here it’ kind of minimal and focused more on just helping Haru level up a bit, which isn’t exactly one of my favorite parts of gameplay either. There are some mild changes coming into the series, especially the relationship between Haru and Kuroyuki, but also with the addition of a new character that may shake things up a bit. Accel World has a lot going for it, but it’s a series that I think will be stronger when viewed overall rather than in weekly installments where it’s still coming together.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Viz Media
Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
