Sword Art Online Episode 5 is about the mystery of a new kind of player killing. The safe areas of town are only supposed to allow people to die from duels, but someone has found a way around that. They have killed two members of the former Golden Apple guild. The mystery has not been solved yet and the next episode will probably reveal what the cause of these killings is.
I can not imagine why anyone would name their guild golden apple, there are not many happy stories about golden apples and this episode did not change that. The golden apple guild is like Eris’s golden apple of discord bringing discord to Sword Art Online. Their rare agility item brought about the wide spread player killing technique of the sleep PK. Now because of their guild leader dying yet another player killing technique has been discovered and spread throughout Sword Art Online. Then no one will be safe even in the towns. The Trojan War came about because Menelaus’s wife was stolen and Grimrock is doing this because his wife was killed. So like the golden apple bringing about the Trojan War the golden apple guild is bringing new brands of player killing into the game.
There seems to be an ongoing tread where people send the leader of their guild to do something and bad things happen. Why does the guild leader need to go alone? Why don’t they all stay together in this harsh environment or at least send a small group with the leader? Especially when they are dealing with something rare that others might want.
I feel like I am missing something at the beginning of the episode when Kirito does not want the NPCs killed. I do not know whether he is used to being concerned for people’s lives or if he is just being irrational. It is better that objects in the game go down than real human lives being wasted to defeat a boss. Maybe this is something that was better explained in the light novel.
It was interesting to see Kirito’s take on enjoying the environment in the game. Unlike a lot of players that are just striving towards the end of the game he is enjoying what he has now. Even when someone is in a bad situation there are things to appreciate if they look around. They could die anytime so they should try to appreciate the life they are living even if it is in a game. This episode in particular shows that death could come for them all when they least expect it.
Can’t wait to see the next episode and see if there are other effects the golden apples have had on Sword Art Online.
