Review: #845
Title: Sword Art Online 14: Alicization Uniting
Series: Sword Art Online - 14th volume
Author: Reki Kawahara
Comments: This is it, the major turning point for the Alicization arc. A bit of a spoiler being that since the next few volumes still has the “Alicization” in its subtitle, we know that this will not be the end; still, it’s pretty close. Believe it or not, but the author managed to stretch the fight against the Administrator (aka the big bad of this arc) across the entire volume. Everything that was built up in previous volumes are exposed here and the end results is equal parts satisfying and corny. The fate of several of the characters is supposed to be melodramatic and inspiring but comes off as rather predictable and generic. Kirito spends much of the time wondering about the mechanics and the how of what’s currently happening instead of reacting, resulting in one of the weakest interpretations of the character we’ve seen in the series. We’re constantly reminded of the Administrator’s beauty and her current attire which feels like it’s pandering to the fan service side of things. Everyone suffers catastrophic damage but somehow, through sheer willpower alone, they get up every time and continue the battle. Basically, anything goes in this volume and the resolution against the Administration is mediocre to say the least. The ending was truly a surprise though; especially the afterword which gave a tease on the direction the next volume is going to go. At the end of the volume, you can’t help but feel miffed at how the objective was achieved after all this effort and time.
Rating: 6/10