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Sword Art Online: Progressive Manga #5
Sword Art Online Progressive, Vol. 5
En 2022, Kirito, un adolescent sans histoire, se retrouve piégé avec 10 000 autres joueurs dans un jeu en réalité augmentée massivement multijoueur : Sword Art Online. Pour regagner leur liberté, les joueurs devront compléter les 100 étages qui composent l'Aincrad, leur prison virtuelle. Mais le moindre faux pas pourrait être fatal, puisque qu'un game over dans le jeu entraînera une mort réelle. Kirito, le joueur solo, se lance dans une course effrénée pour sa survie, dans un monde où l'art de l'épée dicte la loi des plus forts.
192 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2016
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356 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 1, 2024
Very good
August 22, 2018
for a spin-off that was tripping over itself saying it'll be about Asuna's growth in SAO... there sure is too much Kirito everywhere!
Otherwise: hey, ya know what we haven't had in SAO for too long? Big-breasted pointy-eared elves!! And a hella fanservice bathing scene!
Yeah, have some random 2 elvish races Quest now! (which, again, is the least game-like bit of writing on the planet. If a player is dumped into this with zero clear coherent choices on how to proceed so early on....Or you know, it never being set up that Aincrad even had elves)
blah blah blah all the fight scenes are still terribly laid out & make no sense. All the fanservice is still cringe~y. The only redeeming moment is Asuna trying to reconcile idea of NPCs vs real-life players
Otherwise: hey, ya know what we haven't had in SAO for too long? Big-breasted pointy-eared elves!! And a hella fanservice bathing scene!
Yeah, have some random 2 elvish races Quest now! (which, again, is the least game-like bit of writing on the planet. If a player is dumped into this with zero clear coherent choices on how to proceed so early on....Or you know, it never being set up that Aincrad even had elves)
blah blah blah all the fight scenes are still terribly laid out & make no sense. All the fanservice is still cringe~y. The only redeeming moment is Asuna trying to reconcile idea of NPCs vs real-life players
May 22, 2017
If this series could get over its stupid obsession with fanservice, it might actually be completely worthwhile, and something I could actually recommend to my friends and library patrons.
In this volume, there's some very interesting conversations about how "real" NPCs are, and how non-repeatable quests work--that it's a slightly different reality for different players, depending on the choices that were made. It's very philosophical and interesting to think about--but it's hard to take it seriously when it's bracketed by the boob-gags and the bathing scene.
I get that I am not really the "target audience" of this series, but as a gamer, I'm interested in the non-fanservice parts--there's some worthwhile topics in this series, AI-related moral questions and such. I'll put up with the ridiculous fanservice for that good stuff, but I don't have to do it with a smile: thus, two stars instead of the four I would otherwise give it.
In this volume, there's some very interesting conversations about how "real" NPCs are, and how non-repeatable quests work--that it's a slightly different reality for different players, depending on the choices that were made. It's very philosophical and interesting to think about--but it's hard to take it seriously when it's bracketed by the boob-gags and the bathing scene.
I get that I am not really the "target audience" of this series, but as a gamer, I'm interested in the non-fanservice parts--there's some worthwhile topics in this series, AI-related moral questions and such. I'll put up with the ridiculous fanservice for that good stuff, but I don't have to do it with a smile: thus, two stars instead of the four I would otherwise give it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2017
Makes some interesting philosophical points about NPCs in a game world. I knocked off a star for (A) the confusing battle sequences and (B) the groan-worthy fanservice of the bathing scene. (Though at least the story has a sense of humor about that . . . ?)
January 3, 2022
4.25 🌟 (it would probably be 5 stars if it weren't for the fan service 🤡)
Honestly this was the best volume yet. I loved the Elf War Quest in light novels, so it was really great to see Kirito and Asuna meet Kizmel for the first time in this form as well.
Honestly this was the best volume yet. I loved the Elf War Quest in light novels, so it was really great to see Kirito and Asuna meet Kizmel for the first time in this form as well.
June 5, 2017
great addition to the progressive world!
July 9, 2017
So good! This volume explores NPC quests.
October 2, 2017
Next one
I enjoy this story better than the original. I can't wait till the next one. I have already preordered the next one.
I enjoy this story better than the original. I can't wait till the next one. I have already preordered the next one.
February 15, 2019
Fan service in a few panels of this manga is over the top. I get it, but still seriously I feel like I’m in junior high. Story is vastly different than anime. I watched the show first and I really liked it. This version is awesome too, different but really good!
September 28, 2019
Ooh, backstories! Now we're getting somewhere...
August 1, 2020
Premiere wants to destroy her priestess robes, so she never has to become priestess. Despite everything done to save him, Genesis is done in the game.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
December 28, 2021good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2022
Still too much ecchi, and maybe the story of the light novel is better.
December 30, 2025
Review to come!
March 26, 2017
"What matters is that we survive."
March 31, 2017
Not the best of the Progressives
While a thoroughly enjoyable read, the pacing in places was rushed, and had some inconsistencies with previously established story. Still, not awful.
While a thoroughly enjoyable read, the pacing in places was rushed, and had some inconsistencies with previously established story. Still, not awful.
April 2, 2017
This was a really exciting installment. It also had an important lesson for Asuna regarding the difference of real life players and ones that are generated by the game.
April 3, 2017
I enjoyed this. I can't remember the light novel as well, but I don't really recall the falconer and wolf handler featuring in the story. Perhaps they did. The story is entertaining as usual, either way. There is some fan-service during the bathing scene, but that's to be expected.
April 17, 2017
Just can't focus its element
It can't quite focus on things that make it interesting. It very off into odd elements they author tried to introduce is the shows Excalibur arc. Already, there is too much kirito and not enough feelings of progressive.
It can't quite focus on things that make it interesting. It very off into odd elements they author tried to introduce is the shows Excalibur arc. Already, there is too much kirito and not enough feelings of progressive.
April 18, 2017
In Summary
The human co-stars leave the stage and a lineup of NPCs take their place. In treating the NPC Kizmel as a real person, Kirito and Asuna get swept into her narrative of revenge. While it is an engaging tale, it also takes the attention away from the human players’ life-or-death dilemma, which leaves me, like Asuna, wondering how emotionally invested I should get with these elves.
The Review
A brand new arc begins as Kirito and Asuna step onto the third floor. To start, we have a sweeping change in cast. Except for Kirito and Asuna, everyone we’ve met thus far–Agil, The Rat, the Legend Braves–exits the stage, and new characters enter the story. However, these aren’t fellow players trapped in Kayaba’s death game. They’re NPCs.
NPCs of the Elf War quest to be exact. Unlike the rock smashing quest of the previous volume, this campaign lasts several floors and requires players to choose a side. Thus, our heroes align themselves with the dark elves and their female knight Kizmel. Our resident “beater” Kirito continues to guide newbie Asuna by explaining the quest’s general framework, but like so many other things in SAO, this quest has changed since the beta. For one, the NPCs’ AI has improved so drastically that their interactions are near indistinguishable from those of real people. For another, the script isn’t nearly as rigid as the beta’s. As such, Asuna regards Kizmel like an actual person and plunges them down a quest route that Kirito didn’t think possible.
Given that this is the “Elf War quest,” there are plenty of battle scenes. Along with elves, giant falcons and wolves dive into the fray, which makes for interesting action. However, this conflict has nothing to do with humans (i.e. the trapped SAO players). All the passion driving this drama belongs to the NPCs, and the creators dedicate an entire chapter to the dark elves’ backstory (which the players never actually witness). While Kizmel’s tale of loss is gripping, this history–as Kirito reminds Asuna’–isn’t real past events but a mere construct of the game.
This brings Progressive to an interesting point. Before, the players’ life and death struggle dominated the plot; now the story centers on characters who were never alive to begin with. While it does demonstrate how elaborate the SAO world is, having Kirito and Asuna get sucked into the NPCs’ story makes it feel as if the creators have run out of ideas for our hapless trapped humans and are falling back on pure fantasy.
Speaking of fantasy, Kizmel is, as Asuna aptly puts it, “most definitely a male-created fantasy.” Between her, her late sister Tinel, and Asuna, the creators have plenty of material for fanservice. The bathing tent scene in particular lays it on thick. While it does also include comedy at Kirito’s expense and unexpected relationship advice from Kizmel, it’s really just an excuse to show Asuna and Kizmel naked in a tub together.
Extras include the title page and table of contents in color and bonus illustrations.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
The human co-stars leave the stage and a lineup of NPCs take their place. In treating the NPC Kizmel as a real person, Kirito and Asuna get swept into her narrative of revenge. While it is an engaging tale, it also takes the attention away from the human players’ life-or-death dilemma, which leaves me, like Asuna, wondering how emotionally invested I should get with these elves.
The Review
A brand new arc begins as Kirito and Asuna step onto the third floor. To start, we have a sweeping change in cast. Except for Kirito and Asuna, everyone we’ve met thus far–Agil, The Rat, the Legend Braves–exits the stage, and new characters enter the story. However, these aren’t fellow players trapped in Kayaba’s death game. They’re NPCs.
NPCs of the Elf War quest to be exact. Unlike the rock smashing quest of the previous volume, this campaign lasts several floors and requires players to choose a side. Thus, our heroes align themselves with the dark elves and their female knight Kizmel. Our resident “beater” Kirito continues to guide newbie Asuna by explaining the quest’s general framework, but like so many other things in SAO, this quest has changed since the beta. For one, the NPCs’ AI has improved so drastically that their interactions are near indistinguishable from those of real people. For another, the script isn’t nearly as rigid as the beta’s. As such, Asuna regards Kizmel like an actual person and plunges them down a quest route that Kirito didn’t think possible.
Given that this is the “Elf War quest,” there are plenty of battle scenes. Along with elves, giant falcons and wolves dive into the fray, which makes for interesting action. However, this conflict has nothing to do with humans (i.e. the trapped SAO players). All the passion driving this drama belongs to the NPCs, and the creators dedicate an entire chapter to the dark elves’ backstory (which the players never actually witness). While Kizmel’s tale of loss is gripping, this history–as Kirito reminds Asuna’–isn’t real past events but a mere construct of the game.
This brings Progressive to an interesting point. Before, the players’ life and death struggle dominated the plot; now the story centers on characters who were never alive to begin with. While it does demonstrate how elaborate the SAO world is, having Kirito and Asuna get sucked into the NPCs’ story makes it feel as if the creators have run out of ideas for our hapless trapped humans and are falling back on pure fantasy.
Speaking of fantasy, Kizmel is, as Asuna aptly puts it, “most definitely a male-created fantasy.” Between her, her late sister Tinel, and Asuna, the creators have plenty of material for fanservice. The bathing tent scene in particular lays it on thick. While it does also include comedy at Kirito’s expense and unexpected relationship advice from Kizmel, it’s really just an excuse to show Asuna and Kizmel naked in a tub together.
Extras include the title page and table of contents in color and bonus illustrations.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2017
This volume of SAO Progressive carries straight on....like literally we're just a few hours on from the end of the last volume, and Kirito and Asuna have just hit the third floor. I've got to say, I'm loving the pace that this manga is taking, a couple of volumes for each floor. It's also funny, along with full of action.
I love getting to know Asuna better in these volumes, we get to know her in Aincrad, and we get to see her past in little flashbacks...and we get to see how she adjusted and coped and became the Asuna we see for most of the main SAO. You guys might remember there was a point in SAO when Asuna refused to sacrifice NPCs...in this volume we see her struggling to deal with NPC's and how different they are. Kirito has a more logical approach. NPC's aren't real...whereas he and Asuna are and could die if they aren't careful. Whereas Asuna doesn't like letting the NPC's die. You see what made her feel that way, it was very well done.
We also indirectly get to know Kirito better too as we see him quite a lot throughout the story, obviously. It's nice to get to see him in different situations, and during the beginning of Aincrad. In the original story there's a load of huge time jumps, and while we know Kirito....I just feel like we get to see that there's more to him, more sides.
I also really love watching Asuna and Kirito's relationship in these volumes. In the original story...they meet a couple of times and then they end up together. In this volume we get to see how their acquaintance started, and watch as their feelings develop and their relationship develops and they get to know each other. They already know each other pretty well...Asuna knew straight away which Elf Kirito sided with in the Beta test...which cracked me up.
I'm also loving all the new insights in to Aincrad and I was always so curious about what happened on the other floors and what the other floors where like. Turns out that SAO has Elves on the third floor. Yup. Didn't see that coming. We get a new character in this volume called Kizmel, she's a dark elf and an NPC and I'm interested to see how this is going to play out as Asuna is quite attached. Plus it's a Quest, and I don't recall seeing a Quest before in the original SAO.
The only problem with this volume though...is that I spotted a couple of inconsistencies with the main/original story. Like Kirito makes a comment about SAO not having a marriage system or whatever the wording was, and um.....yeah there is. Because there's that whole murder mystery thing that goes on in the main story. I distinctly remember it in the anime at least. The guy murdered his wife to get an item or whatever it was and they had shared storage because they where married, I think was how it went. Either way, we know they do have a marriage system because.....Kirito and Asuna. There where a couple of other little things too. I mean, we pretty much saw the first floor and then skipped a tonne, so the author kind of has free reign, but some things do stick out as not fitting.
I'm not going to lie to you guys. The art in Progressive is waaaaaaaayyyy better than the original Aincrad arc. Way better. Sword Art Online Progressive is the Aincrad we all deserved and seriously should have gotten. It's so damn good. We get to explore the world of Aincrad, see more of it, see the other floors. It's more fleshed out and so are the characters and their relationships. I know at the end of the SAO Ordinal Scale movie it says "SAO will return" or something, and I know they'll probably do the Alicization arc which is yaaaaay because continuing the story finally BUUUTTT, my heart longs for a Progressive anime too. Because awesome. But for now I'll have to settle for the manga, and I'm a-okay with that!
I love getting to know Asuna better in these volumes, we get to know her in Aincrad, and we get to see her past in little flashbacks...and we get to see how she adjusted and coped and became the Asuna we see for most of the main SAO. You guys might remember there was a point in SAO when Asuna refused to sacrifice NPCs...in this volume we see her struggling to deal with NPC's and how different they are. Kirito has a more logical approach. NPC's aren't real...whereas he and Asuna are and could die if they aren't careful. Whereas Asuna doesn't like letting the NPC's die. You see what made her feel that way, it was very well done.
We also indirectly get to know Kirito better too as we see him quite a lot throughout the story, obviously. It's nice to get to see him in different situations, and during the beginning of Aincrad. In the original story there's a load of huge time jumps, and while we know Kirito....I just feel like we get to see that there's more to him, more sides.
I also really love watching Asuna and Kirito's relationship in these volumes. In the original story...they meet a couple of times and then they end up together. In this volume we get to see how their acquaintance started, and watch as their feelings develop and their relationship develops and they get to know each other. They already know each other pretty well...Asuna knew straight away which Elf Kirito sided with in the Beta test...which cracked me up.
I'm also loving all the new insights in to Aincrad and I was always so curious about what happened on the other floors and what the other floors where like. Turns out that SAO has Elves on the third floor. Yup. Didn't see that coming. We get a new character in this volume called Kizmel, she's a dark elf and an NPC and I'm interested to see how this is going to play out as Asuna is quite attached. Plus it's a Quest, and I don't recall seeing a Quest before in the original SAO.
The only problem with this volume though...is that I spotted a couple of inconsistencies with the main/original story. Like Kirito makes a comment about SAO not having a marriage system or whatever the wording was, and um.....yeah there is. Because there's that whole murder mystery thing that goes on in the main story. I distinctly remember it in the anime at least. The guy murdered his wife to get an item or whatever it was and they had shared storage because they where married, I think was how it went. Either way, we know they do have a marriage system because.....Kirito and Asuna. There where a couple of other little things too. I mean, we pretty much saw the first floor and then skipped a tonne, so the author kind of has free reign, but some things do stick out as not fitting.
I'm not going to lie to you guys. The art in Progressive is waaaaaaaayyyy better than the original Aincrad arc. Way better. Sword Art Online Progressive is the Aincrad we all deserved and seriously should have gotten. It's so damn good. We get to explore the world of Aincrad, see more of it, see the other floors. It's more fleshed out and so are the characters and their relationships. I know at the end of the SAO Ordinal Scale movie it says "SAO will return" or something, and I know they'll probably do the Alicization arc which is yaaaaay because continuing the story finally BUUUTTT, my heart longs for a Progressive anime too. Because awesome. But for now I'll have to settle for the manga, and I'm a-okay with that!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews