I wanna talk about my understanding of the current work and why I think Fujino's script is reasonable, even though it's not perfect.
Asuna is a wealthy heiress who has received elite education since she was young and has been under immense pressure from her mother. Therefore, she chose to play SAO and became trapped in it. In the game, Kirito fought alongside her, giving her the motivation to survive in the world of Aincrad. In this unique environment, she slowly fell in love with him. But back in reality, Kirito's halo faded, and the pressure from her mother returned. Kirito didn't handle this issue well. In the original story, Kirito once again saved Asuna in ALO, and through her interactions with Yuuki Konno, Asuna became even stronger.
Unfortunately, in Fujino's world, none of this happened. Instead, Asuna met Inoda. Before Asuna's true personality was fully formed, she tended to escape from pressure. However, her time with Inoda gave Asuna a sense of being needed and the freedom that indulgence brought. On the other hand, Fujino's Kirito chose the wrong way to solve the problem—going abroad for studies and working hard to gain Asuna's mother's approval. This actually was a brave way to face pressure and hardship. If it wasn't for Inoda, all of this would have worked out. But unfortunately, the relaxed atmosphere of being with Inoda gradually led Asuna in the opposite direction of Kirito. It's a bit like smoking weed, definitely not a good behavior, but it brings happiness.
Additionally, some things happened between Asuna and Sugō that damaged her mentally. This also led her to not make rational choices in some extreme situations. On the rainy night, if she had firmly refused Inoda, she could have just left. It was raining outside, not knives falling. But what did she do? She went to the bathroom to masturbate. Even after being raped, she didn't report it to the police. So it's not surprising that she forgave Inoda later on. You can't judge a woman by what she says, but by what she does. Fujino's Asuna just enjoys the feeling of being pulled into the abyss by Inoda.
Asuna is a wealthy heiress who has received elite education since she was young and has been under immense pressure from her mother. Therefore, she chose to play SAO and became trapped in it. In the game, Kirito fought alongside her, giving her the motivation to survive in the world of Aincrad. In this unique environment, she slowly fell in love with him. But back in reality, Kirito's halo faded, and the pressure from her mother returned. Kirito didn't handle this issue well. In the original story, Kirito once again saved Asuna in ALO, and through her interactions with Yuuki Konno, Asuna became even stronger.
Unfortunately, in Fujino's world, none of this happened. Instead, Asuna met Inoda. Before Asuna's true personality was fully formed, she tended to escape from pressure. However, her time with Inoda gave Asuna a sense of being needed and the freedom that indulgence brought. On the other hand, Fujino's Kirito chose the wrong way to solve the problem—going abroad for studies and working hard to gain Asuna's mother's approval. This actually was a brave way to face pressure and hardship. If it wasn't for Inoda, all of this would have worked out. But unfortunately, the relaxed atmosphere of being with Inoda gradually led Asuna in the opposite direction of Kirito. It's a bit like smoking weed, definitely not a good behavior, but it brings happiness.
Additionally, some things happened between Asuna and Sugō that damaged her mentally. This also led her to not make rational choices in some extreme situations. On the rainy night, if she had firmly refused Inoda, she could have just left. It was raining outside, not knives falling. But what did she do? She went to the bathroom to masturbate. Even after being raped, she didn't report it to the police. So it's not surprising that she forgave Inoda later on. You can't judge a woman by what she says, but by what she does. Fujino's Asuna just enjoys the feeling of being pulled into the abyss by Inoda.
