Watching the second season of Sword Art Online, which appears to be precisely the same plot as the last one: someone’s killing people in a virtual MMO and Kirito has to find out what’s going on, eventually triumphing through his Mary Sue status or Indomitable Will that overrides the very function of computer code somehow. Blah. You’d think the manufacturers of this kind of VR gear would do extensive testing to ensure their devices cannot be used to kill people under any circumstances, especially after four thousand people were essentially massacred in precisely such an incident. Of course, the writers are careful to state that they’re not sure what’s happening and it could be some trick, but who cares? The result is the same, not that I’m actually expecting this show to maintain any sort of internal technological logic after the past season. LOL.

I think I only watch this show for the mindless entertainment value and banal curiosity, as there’s really nothing special to distinguish the series from any other anime. (No wonder it’s so popular.) On another note, I’ve always been exasperated that SAO, in typical Japanese fashion, has never capitalized on the admirable dedication that Kirito shows to Asuna despite being surrounded by an inexplicable harem of girls who are all functionally indistinguishable from each other. This is pretty much his only unique and redeeming character trait that I like him for. Instead, it takes the shallow, repressed Japanese route of showing two married people acting super secretive in public or something. After all the shit these two have been through, why haven’t they moved in with each other? Why aren’t they fucking like rabbits? Being young less-than-twenty somethings, I’m pretty sure that’s on both their minds.

Also, why is Kirito bringing a lightsaber to a hardcore exclusive, gun-based MMO and somehow making it work? Oh, right.