Blacksmith Dude: "Sure, sword's on the house!"

Kirito thinking furiously: I prefer my blacksmiths sans-beard bro. Where's pink-haired what's-her-name, dammit?!

That episode did not feel like a full 22 minutes. Ugh, a full week's worth of waiting just to see that duel.

What a fantastic episode, I'm so happy we're starting to get into the real meat of the story.

Sortiliena is somehow even more gorgeous here, and her voice is perfect. Volo definitely has the intimidating, uneasy aura he should have, and Raios and Humbert already feel like the scumbags they should be.

Kirito and Liena's spar session was fantastic, but really any fight is always better when it's actually animated. Kirito and Eugeo's little pep talk by his garden was really nice.

I'm glad we got another scene of Kirito talking about / figuring out Underworld in his head, that was great. Starting it with him turning off the lamp was a fantastic piece of cinematography, as was ending it with a shot of the tower.

But man, the highlight of all the great stuff this week was definitely the amazing new version of the main theme that plays when Kirito gets his new sword. Definitely among the best tracks in the series. <3

Great episode yet again, I was not expecting 2 years to have passed in underworld time, but I guess it's nice that Kirito has one place that he doesn't get into trouble time and time again, I mean a whole year in the academy and this is the first trouble he's got himself in! Incredible!

What is it about Kirito and getting powerful swords made out of rare materials for free? Fuck sword skills, this man is a bartering god!

I really liked how this episode showed that Kirito still has a lot of his skill from SAO and ALO but he still doesn't stack up to the most skilled swordspeople in the underworld, which is really nice to see. Personally, I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of Kirito training Eugeo before that sword tournament they talked about, but that might just be me. It's nice that Kirito was able to use the skill that he already had to beat the people that he should be able to beat, but his 2 years of experience in this world and 2 years in SAO doesn't compare to the 10+ years that the best fighters at the academy have had.

Also a really nice cliffhanger, Kirito has way more dueling experience than anyone at the academy will expect him to have has, especially with real swords and the stakes being high, but I mean we saw him get beat by someone that has never got a point off the guy he's about to duel, so the skill difference might more than make up for the experience.

So Kirito managed to pull off a 4 move combo with his new sword, comparing that to Mother's Rosario, which is an 11 move combo, and Startburst Stream, which is a 16 hit combo, Kirito still has a ways to go in terms of his sword skill in the Underworld I think.

"You've spent two years on that garden for a bouquet for your mentor"

Quietly places a flag

What is the missing piece of aincrad style kirito was talking about? I had thought for sure it was dual wielding, but it didn't seem like he was going to do that in his spar or now in his fight.

Please, for the love of all that is holy, let Kirito win that duel.

Please

First they skip the test fights after the years of work they do at the farm and stop before the duel? WTF?! should've waited for next week :/

Uhhmm why isnt Kirito more worried about spending so much time in there. Even if he knows less time is spent in the real world he has still experienced 2 years away from asuna, his friends and family, he doesnt seem at all disturbed by this.

a question (please no spoilers)

in the light novel something happened on the trip? i mean last time we saw them they were just leaving their town, and in 3 mins of episode they just talk about how they arrived 2 years ago, settled and are currently studying with a sempai and now she is departing

i mean, in the light novel something happens in the trip or arrival whatsoever? i felt like this was shortened so much, and then 22 minutes of kirito retreiving a sword and starting a duel

A two year time skip? Why?

Did Kawahara really skip past two whole years in the light novels!?!?!? I guess I understand why they did it here in the anime but I feel like that's a long time to skip when I was looking forward to the journey, especially the part about a tournament they apparently participated in and won.

If there wasn't a time skip in the LN's then I may just have to read them. I feel like I'm missing important and interesting parts of the story. I thought all seasons of the anime did a terrific job of telling a story without the need of time skips (Besides the Aincrad arc but that's understandable as it was written weirdly in the LN's regardless) but two years and a seemingly really important developing arc took place and it was just... skipped?

Can anyone tell me if what was skipped was important or not? If it wasn't I won't feel so left out. Don't spoil anything, a simple "yes" or "no" is suffice.

If the ending OP wasn’t so bad ass, I would be made at how short this episode felt.

That sword is what i am dreaming to have. The texture, the color,the way it looks heavy to wield. Daamn !

So how much time has passed in the real world after this huge 2 year time skip?

Kirito finally has his own sword from the opening and is starting to learn which sword skills he can do, which is what I thought was going to happen last week when the episode title was revealed, so I'm glad that those things did happen. Now we got a fight to look forward to next episode!

I keep meaning to mention how well the OP music, with two singers in harmony (or one singer with a key shift/harmonizer) fits with the OP scene where they are practicing their swordplay in synchronicity.

I'm wondering what Kirito's comment on confidence boosting strength means for him, considering he already persevered from death in both SAO and ALO, from sheer willpower alone

​

(will edit if this is mentioned later on in the episode, writing this as i watch)

EDIT: AT OUR PARTING I CAN'T YES YES YES YES YES

I have a bit of a question when he said he would show her aincrad style I thought he was referring to Dual Blades but it doesn't seem like he is I'm just wondering because when you think aincrad you think of gleam eyes and when he demonstrated his skill over the other survivors but when he actually goes and is prepping for the dual at the end of this episode it doesn't seem to be it he could have been holding a sword and one sheath or something but he didn't I'm curious what he means by aincrad style

Someone explain to me what sword skill he was attempting when training that Volo saw. I don't care about spoilers but PM me for it if it's a spoiler itself.

Imagination is able to get your stronger, maybe if you imagine you can fly, you can actually grow a pair of wings.

You should try it, Kirito-kun ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

If Kirito’s new sword isn’t the most gorgeous thing ever, I don’t know what is

Oh my god, I can't wait until next week! This duel is going to be sick!

will the next episode be bloody?

​

Everything's fine except for the part where one is able to alter own power based on confidence and emotions? That's a lazy excuse for future asspull. Hopefully this won't diminish the already high quality of this season.

I was kind of disappointed with this episode. Not because it was bad, but because it skipped A LOT of the novel and a lot of what it skipped was really important word building stuff. I really don't get why they would abridge the Alicization arc like this either. SAO is both popular and financially successful enough to warrant a longer season to really help flesh it all out.

The beginning really surprised me, as I had expected to see a lot more of Kirito's and Eugeo's journey to Centoria, but they just jumped straight to the capital. I'm pretty sad about that, as I found it pretty entertaining when I read the LN.

Probably the weakest episode yet.

And just like that, the show's good again.

See, fellas. I'm not unreasonable. I just don't want to see teenage girls sneak onto black ops warships. This episode featured neither teenage girls, nor black ops warships, therefore, I like.

It came out better than I thought it might, so I'm happy with that.

And yes, like many others, a big highlight of Episode 7 was getting to see Sortiliena animated, and I also liked the added scene (not in the LN) of happening upon Liena on the street while in town with her hair down.

I did find it kind of uncomfortable seeing Raios and his buddy, because I know what's coming in a few episodes' time. (Even with the little we have seen of them so far, they aren't exactly depicted as giving off a positive air about them.)

I hope we get more in-depth description of the nobles and how they judge themselves, as well as others. This would really help clarify why Sortiliena has such a hard time seeing herself as on the same level as Uolo.

I'm definitely looking forward to the duel next week.

the anime just skipped the whole part when kirito and eugeo start their jurney to the capital city ;-; which is one of the most important part because thats where their friendship delevops also their swordsman skills, the tournament and everything! the chapter was nice and everything but i felt a bit disappointed

WTF is with the animation in this episode? Did you guys saw that. We've got such an amazing art work till episode 6. Now it seems we're going back to potato faces, paper characters and clunky animation.