SAO Tries to Meet Aohana & Ends Up Somewhere Else
- Episodes : 12
- Genre : Action, Sci-fi, Game
- Airing Date : July 2018 - September 2018
- Studios : Lerche
Contains Spoilers
Shichisei no Subaru (Seven Senses of the Re’Union) Introduction
In an online MMORPG known as Union, the strongest group of players are known as Subaru. Six members in total, they are actually a group of elementary school students who are beyond powerful. Using their special skills known as “senses”, they become so powerful that they are unable to be stopped. However, a boss fight goes awry and a member of Subaru, Asahi, is killed in game. That death happens in reality as well and drives a massive wedge between all of the members of the team. Shocked and at a loss, they try to move on. Years later, another incarnation of the game known as Reunion sees Haruto, the leader of Subaru, log in. He ends up going through a dungeon and opens a treasure chest. Inside, much to his surprise, is Asahi from six years ago, unchanged. She has no memory of what has happened and she doesn’t realize or believe that she is dead in the real world. She cannot log out though, so something is afoot. Slowly but surely, the members of Subaru all reunite in this new game to figure out what is going on with Asahi and try to piece together their friendships from 6 years prior.
1. You Are a Fan of MMORPG Inspired Anime
If we could only bring up one point as to why you should check out Shichisei no Subaru, it would be for the in-game setting. The show overall does a great job of portraying life in an MMORPG and feels a lot like Log Horizon meets Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko Janai to Omotta? among others. Battles are constant with magic being cast and swords clashing. It’s enough to make anyone want to go jump into a videogame and live out their fantasy lives.
2. The Story is Overall Heartwarming
Shichisei does also do a good job with a heartwarming story. Sure, you are not going to be on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next, but you certainly get a Hai to Gensou no Grimgar vibe where the characters struggle with reality as they know it and seeing Asahi alive in-game. No one outright rejects her, but each of the members of Subaru have their own reasons for staying away to eventually warm up to coming back. Seeing that personal growth is very rewarding.
1. You Have Been Bamboozled
Shichisei no Subaru wanted to be the next SAO with Anohana mixed in, but to be brutally honest, we have no idea where the story went. Haruto was scarred, as one is when a childhood friend dies, and when he finds Asahi, he is in denial. The group comes together once again under the premise of understanding what happened to Asahi when, boom! Suddenly people want her for her sense. There is a plot. Subaru fights. Wins. He has to go save Nozomi, saves her, and then… the end. You. Have. Been. Bamboozled. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
2. The Voice Acting Was Weak
The thing almost all authors dread is having their work be training wheels for seiyuu or for seiyuu who are trying to get back in the game. With the exception of Kaito Ishikawa (Takanori) and Takuma Terashima (Clive) almost all of the seiyuu there were minor role seiyuu or fairly new. Takanori was a semi-villain and Clive was not around too much beyond being the but of jokes or stepping in at the last minute. You just ended up seeing the seiyuu swing and miss. It’s not that the voice acting was terrible, but just that they did not bring that vigor that other seiyuu bring to really give those characters a third dimension. Ultimately, it feels as if Shichisei got the short end of the stick.
Final Thoughts
Lerche kinda tried with Shichisei no Subaru. While they nailed Asobi Asobase: Workshop of Fun to the point that it has become one of the best comedy anime in years, Shichisei just spun its wheels and really didn’t go anywhere. Sure there was a premise, but sadly, the anime never even got there and ended up distracted somewhere else. Side note, the light novel just happened to come to an end in September too, so while there is no more original story left, there will also be no more anime! Talk about doing the viewer dirty… what are your thoughts? Did you enjoy it enough to give it a pass or are you still upset about how things turned out? Be sure to let us know down below. Till next time!
Author: Nagareboshi
