THE Sword Art Online: Kiss and Fly manga volumes focus heavily on relationships in the SAO series. For example, much of the first volume focuses on Kirito and Asuna. Although we see both of them and their closest allies featured prominently in a continuing story in the first part of the second volume, I feel like someone else really steals the show. Sword Art Online: Kiss and Fly volume 2 marks the beginning from the manga adaptation of the Sisters’ Prayer storyline, doing a wonderful job of telling the story of Yuuki, Aiko and Merida and showing another side of FullDive VR games and experiences.

Editor’s Note: There will be some spoilers for the first part of the Sword Art Online: Kiss and Fly the storyline of manga volume 2 “Sisters’ Prayer” and the characters Yuuki, Aiko and Merida below.

In general Sword Art Online series we hear about life in danger SAO incident that resulted in real-world deaths, but the tale “Sisters’ Prayer” examines another way FullDive VR games can affect people’s lives. The second half of volume 2 of Sword Art Online: Kiss and Fly the manga presents the new retelling of this story. Yuuki and Aiko are terminally ill sisters who essentially live in a hospital, with Aiko having sacrificed a chance to experience more advanced experimental Medicuboid FullDive technology so that her sister could be in a safer environment. The two inhabit a Serene Garden hospice VR world. It’s peaceful, without fighting or risk.

So as we first learn about the situation, we see these two young women understand that the person behind the systems they use and the experience they enjoy was also linked to the deadly virus. SAO incident. So there’s this moment where the sisters, and we as readers, have to reconcile the idea that Akihiko Kayaba might be responsible for villainous, criminal behavior, might also be responsible for technology that gives individuals who suffer a chance to be free, to live. , and to create more memories.

In doing so, we also begin to touch on the relationships between Yuuki and Aiko, and later Merida, in Sword Art Online: Kiss and Fly. The three girls living with terminal illness meet at Serene Garden, bonding over bug catching, pancakes, and VR games. It’s comforting to see this immediate connection. It’s as if the reasons why they might be in this VR world take a back seat. Instead, they can form a real, meaningful bond together. They can plan to spend time together, which they probably would never be able to do otherwise.

This means that we can also see the Sword Art Online: Kiss and Fly The manga’s “Sisters’ Prayer” storyline addresses a different problem. Are these VR games valuable? Is this something that should be used for these palliative care patients? Are they missing out on final, real experiences and “wasting time” here? I appreciate the way it is addressed, even briefly.

Given the nature of the Sword Art Online: Kiss and Fly manga series, what we see here of Yuuki, Aiko and Merida is more of a teaser. This is the first part of a larger piece that will be explored more later. But what is here is very valuable. In a short time, it makes important connections and gets the reader thinking about interesting questions about who created certain VR technologies and how they are used.

Volume 2 of Sword Art Online: Kiss and Fly the manga is available now on Press on the yenand volume 3 will be debut January 21, 2025. He also dealt with light novels and outside of Japan. The anime is streaming on Crunchy roll.