- Don't look at me, that's how the subtitles worded it.

- Four slashes radiating from four directions should at least look flashier than this.

- This really doesn't feel like two years. And why does Kirito care so much about Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of SAO? Not that it's a problem. It's just... I see little reason to think this when grinding for EXP.

- Kirito is a dick to digital rabbits.

- What a dilemma, we need to cook the rabbit. I say we get some taters. You know, poh-tay-toes. Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew.

- A wild Asuna appeared.

- What a polite escort, glaring daggers at everyone Asuna touches.

- How nice, you maxed your cooking skill! Thanks for reminding me that I still need to level up my "Give a [radio edit]" skill!

- Kirito offers some of the meat to Asuna if she cooks it. She demands half. Kirito backs down like the little bitch he is.

- God Egil, don't make it gay.

- Asuna invites Kirito to her house and her escort, Kuradeel, is all like "no fun allowed" and is a total buzzkill, dude.

- Y'know, even if we are to consider that Kuradeel's motivations are justified, he really doesn't have to phrase it in this manner.

- I suppose to a younger viewer, ditching your escort is considered to be a Good Thing. But Asuna is a pretty Big [radio edit]ing Deal, being vice-commander of the largest guild in SAO. It's not far-fetched to be suspicious of some solo player you've never seen before.

- You know what else is "huge, and mostly empty?" A cave. I'm talking about a cave. Dafuq did you think I was talking about.

- Good God, these visuals are wasted on a story like this. I mean, they fit in an atmospheric sense, but this story is such shit.

- Again though, the scenery is nice but feels a bit cheap when you think about everything being enclosed in that huge flying black citadel thingie we saw in the first episode.

- dafuq kind of currency is Cor

- What is this, furniture for ants!?

- hawt

- Wait, a relatively small rabbit yeilds a slab of meat this size? Where did that bone come from?

- Asuna suggests making a stew. You know, I was kidding when I said that but I NOW OFFICIALLY HAVE SAO-SPECIFIC CLAIRVOYANCE.

- Oh goodie, we get to see Asuna's max-level cooking skills.

- Step 1: love-tap the meat with your knife.

- Step 2: wait what

- Step 3: WAIT WHAT

- I am so disappointed.

- "Cooking in SAO is oversimplified. It's boring." Yet you still have to place it in the oven for 25 minutes. SAO a shit.

- Do we at least get to see the end result, much like how Lisbeth's oh-so-legendary blacksmithing technique did? Haha, nope.

- I mean, two years is a Long Time to be trapped in an MMO. I get that. It just doesn't feel like that because we're only 8 episode in.

- We're told that 500 players out of the 10,000 people who first entered SAO are actually in the front lines. The rest are apparently enjoying the virtual world. I don't blame them, given that you can claim you've maxed many skills yet have absolutely no [radio edit]ing clue how it's actually done.

- Asuna's motivation for getting back into the real world seems a bit... simplistic. I don't mind that, honestly. This is, after all, just a game. A game where people die when they are killed.

- So Kirito makes this face and Asuna responds with this. Asuna is such a kind person.

- ha ha ha oh wow

- Asuna touches upon Kirito's solo player status, wondering why he's never joined a guild after all this time. Kirito seems to have a legitimate reason, but for now we get the "waah I'm too strong for my own good" excuse.

- ooh, scary.

- Asuna offers to party with Kirito, since apparently she's the only person in the whole wide world who can even compare to how strong Kirito is. Hell, she has to threaten him with additional shading on her face to get him to finally agree to party with her.

SAO pls.

- Look man, you were invited to a nice young lady's house for dinner and just secured a second date. Now's not the time to contemplate existence.

- are we doing this again sao

- are we

- are we

- So, here's the issue at hand. In order for Asuna to duo with Kirito, she needs to basically ditch her guild duties and her escort. A legitimate concern because she's kind of a Big [radio edit]ing Deal, especially when she doesn't inform her guild leader, AND considering the existence of player-killing guilds, but the argument's being twisted more towards Kuradeel's questionable methods of keeping tabs. Exhibit A: He watches her house early in the morning. Exhibit B: He's been doing this for the past month.

- And why for the love of God does Asuna have to cower behind Kirito's broad, manly shoulders as if Kuradeel is some overbearing parent? Oh, right, because of the average viewer demographic.

- Oh come on, that is so unprofessional of an escort. Why is this anime going to such lengths to villainize this guy?

- Kirito do you even understand the amount of problems this is going to make? She didn't inform the guild leader that she was ditching and she fails to understand the big picture of her being escorted. All because of some solo player that the guild leader, who is essentially responsible for his subordinates, is completely unaware of. Couldn't you just ask him for permission? Like, does that ever cross their minds that they could just ask the guild?

- Kirito, please, I'm pretty sure that's not how it works.

- Okay, let's not talk about how Kirito and Asuna might be even the least bit selfish and instead talk about how jealous Kuradeel is of Kirito's power.

- 1v1 me scrub

- kill me please.

- This guy in the crowd seems to elicit a reaction out of Kuradeel.

- These sword stances are silly.

- Consider this. Kuradeel obviously has less distance to travel in order to hit Kirito. Kirito, in response, moves from this position to this one. How the [radio edit] did he do that before Kuradeel hit him?

- *sigh*

- *double sigh*

- Hahaha look at this moron. He clenches his fist in rage before hurriedly browsing through his UI. This anime's pretty funny when it doesn't want to be.

- You know, this line is meant to demonize Kuradeel further, but I'm actually inclined to believe him.

- Wow, even Asuna gets the chance to say "[radio edit] the police".

- Apparently telling off your escort expends so much energy that you almost pass out. I mean, come on. Take more vitamins if you have to, girl.

- That guy from earlier is part of a player-killing guild. Implying that Kuradeel has something to do with them? Maybe? Is it even possible to be part of two guilds at the same time?

- Okay. She's essentially saying that, by taking the front lines as seriously as she did, people like Kuradeel are inclined to believe that she should only spend her time focused on her guild. That's a legitimate concern. Her position in the guild means that she's forfeited some of her freedom in exchange for authority. Spending time with Kirito runs against that principle.

- Yet the justification behind her following through with her playing hooky is a shaky one. I doubt Asuna's superiors would have invalid complaints about her ditching the guild to fool around with Kirito.

- Wow, this show sure likes its four slashes radiating from four directions.

- They seem to have stumbled upon the boss room. Asuna makes the exceedingly independent decision of grabbing ahold of Kirito's sleeve and asking for his opinion on the matter. Like a good waifu should.

- Okay, I know that they're holding their swords in the other hand, but them holding their teleport crystals like this is kind of silly.

- Welp, that's a boss.