Sword Art Online: Progressive, Vol. 3

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By Reki Kawahara and abec. Released in Japan by ASCII Mediaworks. Released in North America by Yen On.

The cover of this volume of Sword Art Online features Asuna and Kirito shot from above, both relaxing happily as they float down a river in their gondola. It’s a fitting image, as this volume is also very relaxed and leisurely, and though there are some well done action scenes and sword battles, this volume lacks the tension that the first volume had, content to develop the themes it’s had since the beginning: how this world differs from the beta before it, how Kirito and Asuna are both getting closer to each other while also being socially awkward, the ongoing war between the Forest Elves and the Dark Elves, and the pretty scenery of the game itself.

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While Asuna once again gets no narrative voice, we as the audience are learning more about her slowly; she’s clearly from a rich family, and Kirito wonders if her talk of ‘real castles’ means she’s seen some before. But her mixed feelings on Christmas also show us a girl who’s grown up very lonely, and is finally coming into her own as a person thanks to the game – though I suspect she feels guilty about that. As for Kirito, he’s gotten better at seeing when Asuna’s upset, but he’s still terrible at guessing why. In this respect, much as he’s the elite gamer who cannot be defeated and always gets the Last Attack bonus (this remains a highly amusing running gag), he’s still very much a 14-year-old boy, one with his own family issues.

There are several cute bits written for the seasoned fan of Sword Art Online. Lisbeth isn’t named, but we do catch site of someone who clearly matches her description early in the book. Argo appears less than I’d like, but her one major appearance is possibly the best part of the entire novel, as she walks on the water alongside Kirito and Asuna’s gondola, showing off her amazing agility and ability to tease Kirito to the max. There are also some interesting quests, such as Asuna and Kirito’s attempts to get their gondola made by the grumpy retired shipwright in the region, which requires them to fight a giant mutant Prophecy bear, and a secret quest to spy on some fallen elves, which requires them to hide in a crate and leads to accidental gropings that are possibly “amusing” to some.

Which there are some serious moments in the book, particularly Kirito and Asuna both worrying about how long they’ll survive and also keeping pace with one another, overall this book is very light and pacey. If it has a fault, it’s that it may be a bit too light – it’s nice to see Kizmel again, and I sense we’ll get more elves as we go on, but honestly not a lot really happens in this book. It’s a shame, as we’ve now caught up with Japan, so I suspect a wait for the 4th book – where the author has promised a tougher boss fight than the one that barely gets three pages here – will be a while. Still, recommended to Sword Art Online fans, especially those who just like to focus on the two leads.

A Certain Scientific Accelerator, Vol. 1

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By Kazuma Kamachi and Arata Yamaji. Released in Japan as “Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator” by ASCII Media Works, serialization ongoing in the magazine Dengeki Daioh. Released in North America by Seven Seas.

The danger of spinoffs, as always, is that those unfamiliar with the series may be spoiled for later events when they read it. On the other hand, what reader is going to be picking this up having no idea what’s happened in Index already? That said, be aware that this manga series takes place sometime after the fifth novel, due out next month from Yen On, and that if you don’t know who Last Order is yet it may be wise to wait till you read that before digging in. On the other hand, if you are a fan of the index series but wish it had more action scenes, things blowing up, and girls being brutally murdered, this is an excellent series to get involved with.

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For the more experienced Index fan, this manga is interesting primarily for Accelerator’s introduction to the Magical World, though he has no idea that’s what it is. Estelle Rosenthal is, as with everyone in Index who isn’t Touma, involved in some way with a shadowy organization, but for once she’s trying to bring it down. She also appears to be a necromancer, something which baffles Accelerator, who’s never heard of that sort of scientific ability. Given events of later Index books, it’s possible that the whole series may finish without him being any wiser as to her being a magician, but it makes for a good dynamic, particularly as she’s not the stuttering introvert I was expecting Accelerator to be paired up with. Indeed, her casual stripping in front of both him and Last Order shows she doesn’t seem to have too many social cues at all – and she has to be lectured about this by Last Order, who is hardly one to talk.

For those wondering, Last Order’s speech quirk is doubled, thus she sounds like the clones except she says “Misaka Misaka “. This is awkward, but honestly there’s no good way to convey the cutesy way she talks in English, so I’ll roll with it. Last Order herself is captured well here, as we get her hyperactivity and jealousy present and correct. As for Accelerator himself, he gets his defining moment right off the bat, as Estelle battles a mook right in front of his nose, and he never stops reading his book, having directed sound to not hit his ears. this is post-Vol. 5 Accelerator, meaning he’s still standoffish and basically a jerk, but is making the transition from villain to antihero, and nothing pisses him off more than people thinking that he’s been “brought down to Earth’ now, which is what leads to the best fight scenes in the volume.

Throw in a truly terrifying murder scene halfway through (it’s OK, she’s going to get her corpse reanimated so it’s all good), and you have a series that should appeal nicely to Index and Railgun fans, even though Touma and Misaka aren’t in it. Though the preview for Vol. 2 did note that one of the clones will have a big part in Vol. 2, which amused me. It’s spinoff fodder for sales, but done quite well. I look forward to more.

No Game No Life, Vol. 3

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By Yuu Kamiya. Released in Japan by Media Factory. Released in North America by Yen On.

The usual caveats apply: there’s lots of skeevy art of underage girls, Sora spends much time discussing how to secretly film naked girls, and the not-quite-incest plot I was desperately hoping would be avoided from now on gets another peek. That said, I imagine anyone for whom those are a deal breaker would not be reading Vol. 3, so let’s move on to discussing Sora and Shiro, our heroes. It was refreshing seeing the start of this book from Shiro’s perspective, particularly as once Sora returned it went back to being mostly him, as he’s the one that talks. Sora and Shiro not only love each other like family (or more in Shiro’s case), but also idolize each other, and they each get narratives at some point bemoaning that they aren’t good at what the other excels in. Sora at one point mocks those who think this series is about the two growing stronger and maturing, as he points out they’re both already perfect.

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The amusing thing about this, of course, is that it’s almost immediately undercut by Sora’s own actions, something Jibril cheerfully points out. Like it or not, this world is going to make the two of them change. That said, Sora also has a point – in terms of actual gaming ability, and the narrative need for victory, [ ] are already at the pinnacle. We don’t read this series to see how these two learn how to be better players – if anything, Stephanie fulfills that role in a way, though she’s still used almost entirely as comic relief instead. No, our heroes are already the best, and there is simply no doubt they will win – the question is how. Reading the long action sequence in the middle of the book, where they compete in a virtual shooting game against the Werebeasts, it really is astounding how much of the surprise twists were long thought out in advance by Sora beforehand. The same applies to the Othello game at the start.

Speaking of the Werebeasts, Izuna is the one who gets the most development in this book. Before the game starts Sora asks her whether she’s ever had fun playing a game. Of course the answer is no – with the fate of her entire nation always on her shoulders, this is a heavy burden. Plus she always wins, so it’s a boring heavy burden. But after her loss, she quickly realizes how exciting it is to be able to play someone who can kick her ass, giving her something to strive for. As for the fate of her people, what was somewhat clear in the first two books is made more explicit – the main plot seems to be Sora and Shiro uniting all of the 16 species into one nation, and the main difficulty is convincing everyone that they aren’t actually evil.

I’ve mentioned the books main flaws above, but as I hinted before, I really wish the author would do more with Stephanie – we’ve seen flashes of how smart she can actually be when she’s not dealing with Sora and Shiro or being humiliated, and I long to see more. Sadly, the fourth novel looks like a fluffy beach story, so I suspect I won’t get it. Other than that, the humor I liked in the first two books is still there, with lots of popular gaming references. There’s also some vivid horror as well with Sora’s fate towards the start of the book, and later Chlammy’s as well. There’s a fascinating series here beneath all the ecchi posturing and naked fanservice.