Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II

Episodes 1-2

These first two episodes work far better together than alone. The first episode is setup—it's been six years since the first season. After that amount of time, it's likely you only remember the core conflict of the series: Pitohui, as a thrill junkie, had turned Gun Gale Online into her death game—her alternative to Sword Art Online. If she died in the game, she would kill herself in real life.

To save her friend from herself, Llenn was determined to kill Pitohui in the game—banking on the promise they made to meet each other in the real world if Llenn could defeat Pitohui in GGO. This way, she hoped to override Pitohui's contradicting plan to kill herself. Though it was a close-won fight, Llenn succeeded and made Pitohui give up on her death wish. This series picks up several months later at the next Squad Jam where Llenn and Pitohui, along with their respective battle partners Fukaziroh and M, have decided to team up and win the tournament.

More than anything else, the first episode's goal is to remind you of all the characters outside of the main four. While Llenn and Pitohui's battle drowned out all other drama in the narrative by the end, there were different teams encountered along the way—and most of them wanted Pitohui dead. Then there is team SHINC, who Llenn promised to battle (hence her participation in the Squad Jam this time).

Episode 1 also gives our heroes a bit of a handicap. None of them (aside from Llenn) have been playing much GGO for the last three months. Pitohui's been on tour and M, as her manager, has been with her the whole time. Meanwhile, Fukaziroh has been playing her main game, Alfheim Online. To say the players are out of practice is an understatement—and they have never worked as a full team before.

That's not the only way the deck is stacked against our heroes. As we see in Episode 2, most other teams, either wanting revenge or taking out one of the front runners, have decided upon a truce until Llenn and the others are dead. This, plus the battle royal game mechanic of the island sinking into the ocean, makes survival an uphill battle.

Because of all this, the second episode is the opposite of the first; instead of all talk and setup, it's all action. We get to watch how Llenn and her friends upset the odds by first stalling for time and second luring their myriad opponents onto a battleground of their choosing. It's a fun series of battle scenes that allow our leads to bounce off one another—and makes you wonder just how good the group would be if they'd ever actually practiced together.

All in all, taken as a pair, these two make for a strong start to the series. While lacking in the personal drama that made the first season so great, this still works to ease us back into the world—showing just how exciting and fun this post-apocalyptic game of battles and bullets can be.

Episode 1 Rating:

Episode 2 Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• I love the visuals of the opening and how they give as much screen time to Karen and Elsa as Llenn and Pitohui.

• Why is everyone so mean to Llenn in Episode 2? She's out there being bait and they keep teasing and playing pranks on her.

• While I doubt this series will ever have quite the stakes of the first season, I hope the second has more than just whether they'll win a tournament.

• My other hope for the season is the furthering of Karen and Elsa's relationship outside of the game. I'd like to see them team up to deal with real-life and in-game challenges.

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II is currently streaming on Netflix.