Asuna Yuuki
Sword Art Online character
Asuna, as she appears in Sword Art Online
First appearance	Novel Volume 1, Chapter 5 Progressive Volume 1, Aria of a Starless Night, Part 1 (Chronological) Manga Aincrad Manga Stage.001 Progressive Manga Chapter 001 (Chronological) Anime Episode 01 (Cameo) Episode 02 (Actual) Game Infinity Moment
Created by	Reki Kawahara
Voiced by	Haruka Tomatsu (Japanese) Cherami Leigh (English)
In-universe information
Race	ALO: Undine
Gender	Female
Family	Shouzou Yuuki (father) Kyouko Yuuki (mother) Kouichirou Yuuki (older brother)
Spouse	Kirito (boyfriend/husband)
Nationality	Japanese

Asuna Yuuki (結城 明日奈, Yūki Asuna) is a fictional character who appears in the Sword Art Online series of light novels by Reki Kawahara. She is mononymously more commonly known as just Asuna (アスナ), her player name in the eponymous video game which the novels are set in. Asuna appears as the lover of Kirito; as well as the female lead, she is in the novels a sub-leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath (血盟騎士団, Ketsumei Kishidan) guild, notable for being the strongest guild in Aincrad. She is depicted as having earned a reputation as a skilled player in-game, giving her the nickname Flash (閃光, Senkō), which, coupled with her physical attractiveness, have made her well-known and sought after by other players.

Both Asuna and Kirito have become popular characters in anime and manga fandom, frequently appearing on lists of the most popular anime characters. Additionally, Asuna has featured in numerous official Sword Art Online merchandise, and has been the subject of mixed to mostly positive critical reception, with focus on her relationship with Kirito, attractiveness, and role in the series.

Creation and conception

In an interview with series creator Reki Kawahara, the author noted that the female characters in Sword Art Online were not based on anyone he knew in the real world, with him stating "I don’t usually make a character, setting, or anything before I start writing. As I write the story, the girls become what they are now. So, somehow, I don’t know exactly, but somehow, my subliminal idea or some hidden emotion creates the characters to be strong and capable." Kawahara also added that he wrote the series to demonstrate that he views online gaming not as a social ill or escape from real life, and thus decided to show games in a more positive light in his light novels.^[1] In another interview with Anime News Network, interviewer Lynzee Loveridge noted that Asuna is a "very strong, capable female character", likening her to Genji's mother in The Tale of Genji, to which Kawahara agreed.^[2]

At Sakura-Con 2013, Kawahara noted that "the character of Asuna I might have created a little too perfectly for Sword Art Online. When teamed up with Kirito, there were hardly any problems the two as a pair could not overcome", in response to whether Asuna was a "tricky character" to develop.^[3] In an interview with Haruka Tomatsu, Asuna's voice actor, she said that "rather than having something similar to her, I feel that to me, she is the ideal person that I would want to become. After all, she can cook, she's smart... I think that she's the type of woman I wanted to become and admired. Leaving aside if I can cook well, though, I really like to cook. I don't really know if I can say if we are alike because of that, though."^[4]

Abilities

Lambent Light (ランベントライト, Ranbento Raito) is Asuna's signature one-handed rapier. She continued to use it as her main weapon of choice until the fateful battle on the 75th Floor. Kirito used this rapier to stab and defeat Heathcliff in the final battle, thus clearing the game. Her rapier, combined with her speed, earned her the nickname "Lightning Flash.”

Appearances

The main heroine of Sword Art Online and main protagonist of the seventh volume and the Progressive series (which tells the entire Aincrad Arc through her perspective), Asuna – who is 17 – is a friend and later to be girlfriend and the in-game wife of Kirito in Sword Art Online and Alfheim Online. The sub-leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath, a medium-sized guild acknowledged as the strongest guild in Aincrad. Being one of the few women that play SAO and extremely attractive, she receives many invitations and proposals. Asuna is a strong-willed, and an accomplished player known in-game as "the Flash" for her extraordinary fast skills with the rapier. Later, she falls in love with Kirito and they marry in-game after saving him from being killed by Kuradeel. Towards the end of the SAO arc, she saves Kirito from a killing blow by Heathcliff at the cost of her life. However, her death was only in-game and she is reunited with Kirito shortly after the death of Heathcliff.

Despite the completion of SAO, Asuna remains unconscious and is instead detained in another virtual reality called Alfheim Online. She is forced to play the role of «Titania the Queen of Fairies», with Nobuyuki Sugou, the man responsible for imprisoning her, playing as Oberon, the Fairy King. This is done so that Sugou could marry Asuna in the real world, while she is unconscious and thus take over RCT Progress Inc. She attempts to escape the World Tree where she is imprisoned and manages to steal a GM card, and is caught, and sent back after two slime guards verify she is the captive. When Yui's voice is heard, she throws the GM card down to her. Upon being released, she creates two avatars for Alfheim, Asuna (the Undine Healer) and Erika (and the Sylph battle character), and went on to continue living together with Kirito. She enrolls at the SAO Survivor School with Kazuto Kirigaya in the real world after everything ended. In the real world, Asuna's parents want her to follow in their footsteps. However, after living in SAO and meeting Kirito, she gains a different perspective and looks back on her past with disgust. She officially becomes Kazuto's real-life girlfriend and dreams of marrying him and having a family with him in the future.

Asuna is also a major character in Alicization. After Kirito disappears off the grid after Johnny Black's attack, Asuna discovers the existence of the Ocean Turtle and requested the help of Rinko Koujiro, who helped her get on board and convinced Kikuoka to let her stay. When the Dark Territory began their attack, Asuna logged into the Underworld under the super account, the Goddess of Creation, Stacia.

Reception

Critical commentary

In a review, Richard Eisenbeis of Kotaku hailed Sword Art Online as the smartest series in recent years; Eisenbeis particularly noted how the romance between Kirito and Asuna is explored bringing "definition to exactly what love is like in a virtual world."^[6] However, in the second half of the novels, criticism was levied at the aspect of turning Asuna into a damsel in distress trope, stating that a strong female lead was "reduced to nothing but the quest item the male lead is hunting for."^[7] Eisenbeis further complained that "in the first arc of Sword Art Online, Asuna was a strong fighter and one of the leaders who thousands depended on to get them through the death game alive. In the second arc, she was powerless, locked in a literal bird cage and molested by her captor while waiting for her hero to rescue her. In Gun Gale Online, she was little more than a spectator cheering on her man. And even in Calibre, she was just another member of the ensemble cast."^[8]

Responding to this criticism, Karen Mead of Japanator.com disagreed, writing that "in Asuna's case, her actions are instrumental to her own rescue; if she hadn't broken out of her cell and gone exploring late in the show, Kirito wouldn't have gotten the card he needed to get to where she was and rescue her", thus invalidating her role as a damsel in distress technically, though the criticism itself was still seen as valid. The claim that Kirito serves as a "Gary Stu" type character was also contested, citing his relationship with Asuna.^[9] Nevertheless, Eisenbeis praised the fourth arc of Sword Art Online as it focuses primarily on Asuna's point of view – an "excellent choice" in his opinion, as it "allows Asuna, who suddenly went from strong female lead to weak damsel in distress in the series’ second arc, to once again come into her own and develop as a character." The arc as a whole was called "both heartbreaking and beautiful."^[5]

Popularity

Asuna is one of the most popular characters in Sword Art Online.^[1] In a fan poll by anime website Charapedia, 10,000 respondents voted on their favourite couples in anime, with Asuna and Kirito topping the list.^[10] Kirito's confession to Asuna also placed third in a list of the top twenty "anime and manga love confessions" by the same website.^[11] A third Charapedia poll, which asked fans to list their favourite "cool" women in anime, had Asuna placed second with 525 votes.^[12] A fourth, which users listed the "top 20 female anime/manga characters not to provoke", had Asuna listed in third place.^[13] A fifth, where respondents ranked the "top 30 [anime] characters they’d like to work for", had Kirito placed twenty-ninth and Asuna twenty-sixth.^[14] Yet in another Charapedia poll, "Asuna" was first on a list of the "top 20 anime characters Japanese fans would name their children after"; "Kazuto" (Kirito) placed fourth.^[15] A Chinese website, Bilibili, took a reader poll to find the most "moe" characters of 2015; Asuna winning the female third place and Kirito listed in the male top 8.^[16] Asuna and Kirito were awarded first and second respectively in a character poll by Dengeki Bunko (the publisher of Sword Art Online) for their light novels.^[17] Additionally, Asuna scored first place in a Tokyo Otaku Mode survey where users polled which anime characters they most want to date, where 2,845 respondents from 100 countries participated.^[18]

Kirito and Asuna again made a list of the "[Top] 7 Couples Who Make Love and War" by Anime News Network, writing "love blossoms on the virtual battlefield and the two wed before taking on the game's creator together.^[19] Otamart, a popular Japanese app that specializes in anime, manga and idol products, polled users in which characters look best in swimsuits and yukatas, with Asuna placing 13th (for swimsuits) and 15th (for yukatas) respectively.^[20] Another Otamart poll asking users to rank the anime characters they would want to give chocolates to for Valentine's Day had Asuna placed both 10th on characters men wish to give chocolates to and men wish to receive chocolates from.^[21] The August 2014 issue of Newtype published results of a recent character popularity poll, with Asuna placing 4th for all female characters (Kirito placed 1st in the male character category).^[22] Asuna was ranked the eighth "Top 25 Hottest Anime Babes [of] 2013."^[23] Italian restaurant La Ricetta in Zama, Kanagawa features pancakes prepared with anime and video game character art, including Kirito and Asuna.^[24]

Merchandise

The character has received positive critical reception, and her popularity has led to her being featured in several promotional efforts or merchandise of the series. This includes two swimsuit figures of Asuna and Leafa, another character from Sword Art Online.^[25] There is also a "cooking version" figurine of Asuna, which released in May 2016.^[26] She also features in promotional advertisements for a series of Umaibo puffed corn snacks by Namco.^[27] An interactive digital assistant app titled "Wake Me Up Asuna", in which Asuna provides the user with information such as wake-up calls, current weather, fortune, and appointments, was released in June 2015 in Japan, followed by an international release in English.^[28] In the app, Asuna herself appears in multiple costumes, including her Knights of the Blood uniform and a yellow sweater. The app itself is free though users have to pay for English voice recognition and subtitles.^[29]

Sword Art Online girls (including Asuna) feature in a merchandise lottery by Bandai, with Anime News Network humorously noting that "the girls of Sword Art Online have brought in a pretty penny for the franchise's creators, whether the characters are lounging under parasols or starring in their own manga spin-off."^[30] Replicas of Asuna's "Wind Fleuret" and Kirito's "Elucidator" rapiers have been built.^[31] There are also Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon Sword Art Online-branded perfumes for sale; "Asuna" is described as " a sweet, irresistibly refreshing scent of galbanum and jasmine."^[32] Sword Art Online glasses based on the characters had a "Fairy Dance Asuna" model "inspired by [her] time in Yggdrasil, the World Tree", and "these glasses have pale pink frames with a red ribbon and flowing hair depicted on each arm."^[33] There are also earphone jack figures of Asuna (in both regular and Titania versions), Leafa, and Suguha.^[34] Asuna has featured in several Sword Art Online-related video games. This includes Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax, in which several characters appearing under the Dengeki Bunko imprint are featured.^[35] Asuna, Kirito and Leafa appeared in a campaign by the "Manga Anime Guardians" project in combating anime and manga piracy, with the project being supported by 15 anime production studios and manga publishers.^[36] There are also 3D light-up LED models of Kirito, Asuna, Sinon, Leafa, and Yuuki.^[37]

Thanks Lana B. Leigh for showing off my Badosz The Rock on the Halloween Stream! Please wait some time until the last payload activates, which is a very special MeOw, :))

Leafa (Sword Art Online)

Poosy Destroyer

Suguha Kirigaya (桐ヶ谷 直葉, Kirigaya Suguha) is a fictional character who appears in the Sword Art Online series of light novels by Reki Kawahara. She is more commonly known as Leafa (リーファ, Rīfa), her player name in the fictional Alfheim Online virtual reality MMORPG in which the novels are partially set.

In the real world, Suguha is the cousin and adoptive sister of series protagonist Kazuto Kirigaya (also known as "Kirito"); after he becomes trapped in the eponymous Sword Art Online video game in the series' first story arc, she starts playing a similar VR game, Alfheim Online, to better understand the world in which her brother is imprisoned. After her mother reveals to her that Kazuto Kirigaya is not her biological brother, Suguha starts to develop romantic feelings towards him but is later saddened after realizing his attachment to Asuna Yuuki.

In the anime adaptation, Leafa is voiced in Japanese by Ayana Taketatsu and in English by Cassandra Lee Morris. The character has received mostly positive critical reception, with praise centered on her character development and portrayal.

Appearances

In Sword Art Online

Suguha Kirigaya, also known as Sugu, is Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya's "sister" in the real world; she is in actuality his cousin, as her mother had been raising her sister's child from a young age, though neither Suguha nor Kirito knew about this until later. She is a diligent worker and has been practicing kendo for 8 years, partially to escape the loneliness and isolation in her life. After Kirito gets trapped in Sword Art Online, she begins playing Alfheim Online as a Sylph in an attempt to try to understand him better, and it is at this time that she finds out they are cousins rather than siblings; with her mother revealing to her that he is not her biological brother, but is actually her cousin and was adopted into their family when he was young. This causes Sugu to develop feelings for him that she doesn't really understand; however, because he is trapped inside SAO, she never acts on them. However, when Kazuto awakens after his two-year ordeal, those feelings return, but she realizes that he is already in love with someone else, namely Asuna.

Coincidentally, she meets Kazuto's avatar, Kirito, in Alfheim Online after he saves her from an attack by player killers. Unaware of his true identity, she decides to help him on his quest to find somebody which eventually leads them to the world tree. After understanding the depth of his love for Asuna, she resolves to give up on him and instead becomes attached to Kirito in ALO. However, when Kirito's true identity is revealed, she is heartbroken and the two of them have an awkward exchange in the real world where Sugu reveals her feelings for him. Not knowing how to respond or comfort her, Kazuto tells her he will be waiting for her in-game. When they meet up they engage in a fight which culminates with both of them letting down their guard expecting the other one to kill them, but that only leads to them hugging and apologizing to each other. Leafa lets go of her feelings for Kirito and after pulling herself together she helps him rescue Asuna from the top of the world tree.

She regularly plays ALO together with Kirito, Asuna, Silica, Klein and the rest of their group. Leafa, Lisbeth and Silica also feature as protagonists in the spin-off manga series Sword Art Online: Girls' Ops, where they form a team with Kirito away on a study program and Asuna tied up in family affairs.

Reception

Critical commentary

Leafa has received generally positive critical reception. Karen Mead of Japanator critiqued Suguha's character as "a fairly nuanced, sympathetic portrayal of someone falling in love with a blood relation due to an unfortunate set of circumstances, which is entirely different from the 'I love you, Oni-chan!', fetishism that we see all too often in anime [...] We get to know Suguha entirely too well for that", thus debunking criticism of "Suguha falling for Kirito being toxic, awful siscon trash". Noting that the focus shifts away from Asuna towards Leafa in the Fairy Dance arc, Anime News Network's Theron Martin wrote in a review that "Suguha's unrequited love seems more like a play meant to pander to 'Big Brother Complex' fans, though she does get some nice emotional development out of it and some very good scenes later on when the matter of her attempt to replace her misplaced love for Kazuto Kirigaya with Leafa's attraction to Kirito (who is also unknowingly her brother) blows up".

Rebecca Silverman, also of Anime News Network, referred to Leafa as a "somewhat more interesting character" than Kirito, despite her crush on him being "annoying". She referred to her having "promise as a character" as one of the positive aspects of the third Fairy Dance light novel. In his Sword Art Online: Girls' Ops review, Theron Martin also wrote that "given the immense success of the Sword Art Online franchise, it should not be a surprise that it would eventually spawn some manga spin-offs [...] That the first such manga would feature Silica, Lisbeth, and Leafa is also no surprise, as fans have clamored for the former two in particular to get more attention ever since they were first introduced".

Popularity and merchandise

Suguha ranked 6th on a Japanese Charapedia poll of the "anime character they’d want as a little sister" the most, and 2nd counting only the male votes. Another Charapedia survey where 10,000 fans were asked to find the most "charming busty characters" in anime and manga had Leafa placed 3rd with 409 points, though she came 2nd with 370 points for just the male respondents. Asuna, Kirito and Leafa appeared in a campaign by the "Manga Anime Guardians" project in combating anime and manga piracy, with the project being supported by 15 anime production studios and manga publishers. Leafa has also appeared in Sword Art Online-related video games, including crossover title Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax. A pre-release promotion by Bandai Namco for video game Sword Art Online: Code Register allows already registered users to be entered into a lottery where the winner receives a Leafa figure.

Sword Art Online girls (including Leafa) feature in a merchandise lottery by Bandai, where they are depicted in french maid clothing with cooking utensils, with Anime News Network humorously noting that they have "brought in a pretty penny for the franchise's creators". She also features as a swimsuit figurine in a 1/7th scale pose, as well as other bikini-clad figures, such as models of her and Asuna under parasols or as a straw holder. Sword Art Online glasses based on the characters included a Leafa model described as "perfect for those who like Sylvan girls with strength and beauty".

COSQ-023 (JAV Sequel)

Hibiki Ōtsuki
大槻 ひびき
Hibiki at a HibiHata photo exhibition in Osaka
Born	(1988-02-21) February 21, 1988 (age 36) Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan
Other names	Hibiki Ôtsuki, Hibiki Otsuki, Hibiyan
Years active	2008 – present
Height	1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)

Hibiki Ōtsuki (Japanese: 大槻 ひびき) is a Japanese AV actress and an idol singer. Active since 2008, Otsuki became one of the AV industry's most well-known and prolific performers with more than 2100 credited AV appearances. Currently represented by the AV agency T-Powers, she is also a member of the idol group T♡Project.

Cast

• The Aincrad Scientist (Himself) as Kirito
• Hibiki Ōtsuki as Asuna
• Ayano Umemiya as Lisbeth
• Airi Sawada as Silica
• Misa Makise as Leafa
• Chika Arimura as Sinon

Sinon (Sword Art Online)

Succ (Kup Teraz)

Shino Asada (朝田 詩乃, Asada Shino) is a fictional character who appears in the Sword Art Online series of light novels and anime by Reki Kawahara. She is more commonly known by her avatar name, Sinon (シノン, Shinon), her player name in the Gun Gale Online and Alfheim Online video games that the series is set in. She makes her series debut in the fifth light novel volume, titled Phantom Bullet, and the second season of the Sword Art Online anime, voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro in Japanese and Michelle Ruff in the English dub.

When she was eleven years old, Shino was involved in a post office robbery, where she killed the armed robber to defend her mother. As a result, she began to develop a fear of guns, deciding to play Gun Gale Online in hopes it would mend her trauma. The character has achieved popularity in anime and manga fandom, often appearing in fan polls and official merchandise, and has received positive critical reception, with acclaim directed at her appearance and depth of character.

Creation and conception

In an interview with series creator Reki Kawahara, the author noted that the female characters in Sword Art Online were not based on anyone he knew personally, with him stating "I don't usually make a character, setting, or anything before I start writing. As I write the story, the girls become what they are now. So, somehow, I don't know exactly, but somehow, my subliminal idea or some hidden emotion creates the characters to be strong and capable."

In real life, Shino wears glasses containing an NXT polymer which could withstand a bullet; although they are not prescription, they provide her with some security as a result of her trauma. Series artist abec told Dengeki Bunko Magazine that the glasses had been created as he felt there were not enough characters in the series with glasses.

Appearances

In Sword Art Online

When she was two years old, her father died in a car accident. Eight years later, while at a post office, an armed robber attempted to shoot a pregnant woman, but lost control of the gun after Shino bit his hand. Afterwards, she shot him three times, killing him. Since, she developed a fear of guns, entering panic attacks whenever one is visible. As a result, she is bullied at school by her peers, with a finger gun being enough to trigger her phobia. To help ease her trauma, her friend Kyōji Shinkawa convinced her to play Gun Gale Online. Known as Sinon ingame, her main weapon is the «PGM Ultima Ratio Hecate II» sniper rifle, which she earned after defeating a monster in a dungeon.

Shortly before the Bullet of Bullets (BoB) tournament, Sinon encounters Kirito, deciding to help him after believing he is female due to his avatar. After Kirito's true gender was revealed, an angered Sinon attempts to leave him, but they meet again during the BoB. The two are confronted by Death Gun, who causes Sinon's PTSD to relapse when his weapon was revealed to be a Type 54 pistol, the same weapon she had used in the post office shooting. She is rescued by Kirito and the two escape, though she is afraid to attack Death Gun. With his help, Sinon overcomes her fear and the two defeat Death Gun Afterwards, the two end the tournament as co-winners after Sinon kills them both with a «Gift Grenade». Upon exiting GGO, Shino is visited by Shinkawa, who congratulates her on winning the BoB. However, angry at Kirito, he attacks her with intentions of committing double suicide, and reveals himself to be one of Death Gun's creators. Shino manages to resist his attack and escape, but is stopped by Shinkawa before she could exit the house; Kirito arrives and fights Shinkawa, the latter eventually being knocked out by Shino throwing her stereo at him.

After the Death Gun incident, Sinon seems to have gotten over her fear and is moving on from the incident, no longer vulnerable to her classmates' threats of using a gun on her. In Agil's café, Shino meets Asuna, Rika, and Sachie Osawa, a woman who had survived the post office incident, who convinces her that she had saved her and her daughter's life. Sinon eventually decides to play Alfheim Online with Kirito and his friends.

In other media

Sinon appears in the Sword Art Online video games. In Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment and Hollow Fragment, she is trapped in Sword Art Online as a result of a glitch while testing a full-dive machine known as the Medicuboid. In the sequel Sword Art Online: Lost Song, she becomes a playable character.

Reception

Critical commentary

Richard Eisenbeis of Kotaku praised Sinon's role in Sword Art Online II, describing her as "easily the deepest character to come out of Sword Art Online". Likewise, Carly Smith of The Escapist found Sinon to be a "breath of fresh air" in a show like Sword Art Online, which could have "ended after its first arc, halfway through the first season." In reviewing the second episode of the Sword Art Online II anime, Salvador GRodiles of Japanator wrote that "Sinon isn't a pushover in battle" and is also "a force to be reckoned with", and found her character to be enjoyable. In concluding his review of Sword Art Online II, Sinon's character and story were praised again, writing "Overall, A-1 were able to wrap up Sword Art Online II's Phantom Bullet nicely. We got to see Shino slowly recover from her trauma and the show did a decent job in explaining the process behind Shinkawa and his older brother's evil scheme – even if their scheme had some far-fetched elements. To top it all off, they were able set things up for the next big storyline in the series."

GRodiles also praised the interactions between Sinon and Kirito after Kirito revealed to her his true gender, claiming "the series deserves some props for the way how they executed Kirito and Sinon's recent interaction [...] While most viewers might criticize SAO for having Sinon react negatively towards Kirito when he told her the truth, the guy kind of deserved it for not being honest with her when they first met. Thanks to this situation, we can see both characters develop in a way that won't turn into a mindless sequence where Kazuto pretends to be a woman; thus destroying any distractions that would prevent the show's plot from moving forward." In a review of the first Blu-ray disc of the Sword Art Online II anime, Theron Martin of Anime News Network praised Sinon as a "strong female co-lead", noting how unlike the other recurring female characters of the franchise, she is the only one not defined by her relationship with Kirito, but rather an incident from her past.

Martin continued his review in part two, where he lauded the writing of Sinon's backstory and sufferance of PTSD as "masterful", writing "The way she falls apart even in her Sinon persona when faced with a particular stressor is quite credible, as is the way she struggles to cope with her crushing fear; she is desperately afraid to die, but even more afraid of living with the fear [...] [It] almost seems like a deliberate message is being sent to the audience, and the way she finally finds her resolve and fights back when her life is in serious jeopardy is heartening." He also praised Michelle Ruff's voice acting in the English dub. Anime News Network's Rebecca Silverman also praised Sinon's portrayal, noting her to be "a much more interesting character" than both Kirito or Asuna, as "what makes Sinon a more successful character than any to previously appear in the main series is that she has more depth. Rather than being just a scared or traumatized character, she's someone who is actively working to change herself [...] it feels like this is a turning point for Kawahara's writing skill. Sinon isn't perfectly depicted, but she's got more going on than previous characters." Sam of The Otaku's Study similarly noted how Sinon already established herself as "one of the most developed Sword Art Online characters" despite appearing in only 7 episodes thus far, praising her backstory and contrast between her in-game and out-of-game personas.

Popularity

Sinon is regarded as one of the most popular characters in Sword Art Online. A Charapedia poll which asked fans to list their favorite "cool" women in anime, had Sinon placed 13th with 203 votes. She also placed 8th on another Charapedia poll of the "top 20 female anime/manga characters not to provoke." Sinon was awarded third in a Dengeki Bunko character poll for their light novels. A third Charapedia poll asking respondents to rank their favourite "Short-Haired Anime Girls" ranked Sinon 16th, with 136 points. In a poll by the app Otamart asking users to rank the anime characters they would want to give and receive chocolates from for Valentine's Day, Sinon was ranked 14th and 16th, respectively among male voters. Dorkly listed Kirito and Sinon beating the Death Gun tournament as one of the greatest moments in Sword Art Online. In a poll to determine the characters who would appear on the cover of abec's Sword Art Online art book, Sinon finished with the third-most votes.

Anime website GoBoiano listed "Sharp Shooter Sinon" as one of the positive aspects of Sword Art Online II, noting her intelligence and strength, as well as Kirito not knowing her outside of gaming allowing the two to bond in a way different to the other girls in the franchise. She also made a list of their "14 Anime Marksmen That You Can't Hide From", where she ranked 14th, as well as the "15 Anime Characters You Wish You Could Waifu", with author Aaron Magulick adding "Sinon is calm and cool, but she'll snipe you right in the heart. Once you get past her cold exterior, you'll find a loving person that'll protect you from afar. Which works when you're stuck in a gun-based mmo." A Newtype character poll had Sinon placed first in female characters, notably edging out fellow Sword Art Online character Asuna. In a fan contest where respondents chose between 41 options for the next Sword Art Online figurine, Sinon placed fourth (Gun Gale Online version) and ninth (Alfheim Online version).

Merchandise

The popularity of the character has resulted in several official Sword Art Online merchandise featuring her, for example as a 1/8th scale Sinon statue. Sword Art Online girls (including Sinon) feature in a merchandise lottery by Bandai, where they are depicted in french maid clothing with cooking utensils, with Anime News Network humorously noting that they have "brought in a pretty penny for the franchise's creators." There are also Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon Sword Art Online-branded perfumes for sale; "Sinon" is described as "a mature scene of marin citrus and herbs. It uses green apple, herbs and lime above muguet, rose, jasmine and cyclamen above musk and brandy." Replica Sinon glasses were created by Cospa and serve both as a cosplay prop and also as prescription glasses. She also appeared in promotional advertisements for the video game Sword Art Online: Lost Song. There are also 3D light-up LED models of Kirito, Asuna, Sinon, and Leafa. A Sinon figurine was featured as a prize in a Banpresto Sword Art Online lottery in November 2014, along with other merchandise. Additionally, Kirito and Sinon also appear in anime-themed Christmas cards by San Diego card creator and retailer Papercut Dragon. A fanmade Grand Theft Auto V mod allows users to play as the character. Three character songs based on Sinon have been released: "Solitary Bullet", "Blazing Bullet" and "Relief Bullet", all of which were sung by her Japanese voice actress Miyuki Sawashiro, though "Blazing Bullet" was a duet featuring Kirito's voice actor Yoshitsugu Matsuoka.

You're Fighting The Wrong Enemy

Malaysia could be blacklisted from future anime movie releases

A statement from Odex, the distributor of SAO Ordinal Scale, hints of possible blacklisting for Malaysia for future anime movie releases

By the looks of it, the chances of us getting more anime movie releases just got a whole lot slimmer, no thanks to a bunch of movie goers who recorded Sword Art Online Ordinal Scale and shared it online.

The news comes from GSC Movies (as announced on their Facebook page) that due to the actions of these people, the whole anime movie screening scene might have become a lot duller. As it is, we don’t typically get many anime movies on the big screen (with the exception of stuff like Kimi No Nawa/Your Name), and these few people have essentially wrecked it for the rest of us.

Here’s what GSC released on their recent announcement:

“Calling all SAO fans, it has come to our attention that some of you guys had recorded some of the movie and illegally uploaded it online.

This is a serious issue, we understand that you are great SAO fans, but by making illegal recordings, you have tentatively limited our ability to arrange for another World Release in Malaysia in the future.

We would greatly appreciate it if anyone would report any leaks they find online! Please and thank you! #GSCMStories #SAOMovie“

In short, due to this turn of events GSC will be having difficulties securing more anime screenings locally. Sword Art Online Ordinance Scale is distributed by Odex Private Limited, and we’re trying to get in touch with them and GSC to shed more light on the issue.

In the meantime, if you happen to come across any leaked videos of footage from the movie, please do inform GSC and hope that we can still be trusted enough to get our movies.

Many times later: The Odex Pte Ltd, the Singapore-based company that distributes Sword Art Online Ordinale Scale for the region, has put out their own statement on the matter on their Facebook page. The leaks in question were traced back to the fan screening in both Malaysia and Singapore that were held on the Valentine's month. The clips in question had 8 to 10 minutes of the movie in them.

While many might think this is a small matter, the licensors for Japan take the infringement really seriously, according to Odex. As such, Odex says that there might be a likelihood of Malaysia and Singapore being blacklisted for future anime releases.

Here is the statement from Odex in full:

SWORD ART ONLINE movie 8 min leak from Singapore & Malaysia

Dear SAO fans,

We received a notice from Japan that there are SAO movie video leaks ranging from 10 secs to 8 mins; and the source was traced to Singapore & Malaysia’s Fan Screening on the last February.

Regardless of the reason or circumstances surrounding the unauthorised recording of the movie, this incident has serious repercussions on our local anime community.

The irresponsible actions of the minority who carried out the unauthorised recording drew flak from Japanese licensors because this is a serious infringement of copyright, resulting in the very likelihood of Singapore and Malaysia being blacklisted for future anime film release.

While ODEX is doing its utmost to limit the damage suffered, we seek your help to alert the cinema management of any unauthorised photography or videography taking place during the screenings.

We work to bring the latest and popular anime movies to the big screens of Singapore and Malaysia, this will not be possible if there are movie leaks damaging the integrity of our local anime community.

We need your help to stop unauthorised recording in cinemas.

Thank you.

ODEX Private Limited

PLEASE HELP TO CIRCULATE THIS INFORMATION AMONG YOUR FRIENDS

Look, we know that many fans would love to share their experience while watching a highly anticipated anime movie in the theatres. However, Japan has always been REALLY testy when it comes to copyright infringement.

It doesn’t help that Malaysia, in general, has had a dubious reputation when it comes to the subject of piracy. For many, a 5-10 minute video clip might not be much, but it can lead to severe consequences, like what’s happening now.

And if you think only the Sword Art Online franchise will be affected, think again. Odex holds the bulk of the popular anime movie distribution rights for the South East Asian region and past movies they’ve distributed include the Naruto and Boruto anime movies, the One-Piece anime movies and many more.

So can you imagine IF Malaysia and Singapore gets blacklisted, that’s a big chunk of popular anime movies that we WON’T be able to see. Hopefully it doesn’t come to a full blacklist and the Japanese licensors will be able to forgive us for now.

We’ll be keeping an eye on this issue and will update as more develops.

This is actually Indians' fault, Encouraged by Americans!

Prepare to meet your biggest enemy again, Asuna!

Let's Fight!

Yuuki (Sword Art Online)

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Yuuki Konno (紺野木綿季, Konno Yūki) is a fictional character who appears in the Sword Art Online series of light novels by Reki Kawahara. She is mononymously more commonly known as just Yuuki (ユウキ) Starting in Serene Garden, she and her guild eventually arrived at ALfheim Online, where she became known as Absolute Sword (絶剣, Zekken) due to winning sixty-seven consecutive duels on the street, including one against Kirito. Prior to becoming known as Yuuki of ALO, Yuuki Konno was a child suffering from AIDS since birth. Her parents, as well as her twin sister Aiko, were infected too.

Creation and conception

In an interview with series creator Reki Kawahara, the author noted that the female characters in Sword Art Online were not based on anyone he knew in the real world, with him stating "I don’t usually make a character, setting, or anything before I start writing. As I write the story, the girls become what they are now. So, somehow, I don’t know exactly, but somehow, my subliminal idea or some hidden emotion creates the characters to be strong and capable." Kawahara also added that he wrote the series to demonstrate that he views online gaming not as a social ill or escape from real life, and thus decided to show games in a more positive light in his light novels.

Abilities

(S)he is an Imp in ALO, and she starts fighting anyone by promising one Original Sword Skill (OSS) to make a combo attack 11 times if she is defeated: due to his invincible status, she is nicknamed Absolute Sword (絶対剣, Zekken).

Appearances

One of the main characters from Volume 7. She was an Imp in ALO, she started dueling anyone promising an 11-hit Original Sword Skill (OSS) if she's defeated: due to her undefeated status she's given the title "Absolute Sword". Eventually Asuna fights her but loses. After the fight Yuuki asks her to help defeating the 27th Floor boss with her guild the "Sleeping Knights" in desire to etch all their names on the Monument of Swordsmen to make a memory. After certain events, which include the defeat of the boss it is revealed that Yuuki has HIV/AIDS and the guild members are patients in terminal state: to test the Medicuboid device, designed supposedly by Rinko Koujiro, in care for future patients. Yuuki forms a strong bond with Asuna, in reminder of her late elder twin sister Aiko Konno. With the time passing Yuuki's condition deteriorates and after she entrusts her OSS «Mother's Rosario» to Asuna before she dies peacefully in ALO, surrounded by over 1000 players from every tribe in the game, including her guild members, Asuna and her friends.

Sword Art Online girls (including Yuuki) feature in a merchandise lottery by Bandai, where they are depicted in french maid clothing with cooking utensils, with Anime News Network humorously noting that they have "brought in a pretty penny for the franchise's creators." She also features in promotional advertisements for a series of Umaibo puffed corn snacks by Namco. Richard Eisenbeis of Kotaku complimented Yuuki as a "powerfully human" character, writing "Like with the classic Beowulf, Yuuki finds her meaning and immortality in the written word. For her, having her name (and those of her soon-to-pass-away friends) on a virtual wall for all eternity is proof that she existed. To her, even that is enough."

Yuuki was awarded fifth in a Dengeki Bunko character poll for their light novels. Date of birth May 23, 2010.

Reception

Critical commentary

In a review, it is hailed that Yuuki, she’s a fun character to add to the mix, as it stands, Yuuki’s backstory is definitely very tragic but at least the trilogy handles it well. Yet through her friendship with Asuna, she gets so much more. She makes friends, is able to attend school, and even returns to her old neighbourhood.

In a critical response, HurinTalion states that Sword Art Online would have been better if Yuuki Konno was the protagonist and stating that Kirito is a Gary Stu and that it was a problem to put him as the main character. Nevertheless, Eisenbeis praised the fourth arc of Sword Art Online where Yuuki is the heroine in the Mother's Rosario arc.

Popularity

In an official character popularity poll hosted by Dengeki Bunko for the cover of abec Art Works, Yuuki ranked second. A second survey affirms Yuuki the fourth place of the most popular characters of Sword Art Online. Yuuki was awarded fourth in a Dengeki Bunko character poll for their light novels.

In a fan contest where respondents chose between 41 options for the next Sword Art Online figurine, Yuuki placed 5 and 24.

Merchandise

The character has received positive critical reception, and her popularity has led to her being featured in several promotional efforts or merchandise of the series. She also features in promotional advertisements for a series of Umaibo puffed corn snacks by Namco.

Sword Art Online girls (including Yuuki) feature in a merchandise lottery by Bandai, with Anime News Network humorously noting that "the girls of Sword Art Online have brought in a pretty penny for the franchise's creators, whether the characters are lounging under parasols or starring in their own manga spin-off." There are also 3D light-up LED models of Kirito, Asuna, Sinon, Leafa, and Yuuki.

Rest In Piece, Forever Miss!

Thanks For Reading

Is This The End Of The Dank Orange? Or It's Just A Beginning! We're Now In A Middle Of The Story (Hold My Beer! Are You Thirsty? Give Me A Booze Of Can)

References

External links

• Characters at the Sword Art Online official Japanese website
• Characters at the Sword Art Online official North American website