The upcoming Sword Art Online -Progressive- Kuraki Yuuyami no Scherzo (Scherzo of Deep Night) movie has received a Fall 2022 Japanese release window and a teaser visual that shows protagonists Kirito and Asuna facing off against a towering boss.
The previous Sword Art Online -Progressive- movie, Aria of a Starless Night, premiered in Japan on October 30. The main staff of that movie includes Ayako Kounou (86 EIGHTY-SIX storyboarder) as director, Kento Toya (Sword Art Online Alicization War of Underworld co-character designer and co-chief animation director) as character designer and chief animation director, and Yasuyuki Kai (My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission key animator, Haikyu! The Movie: Battle of Concepts co-action animation director) as action director and monster designer. A-1 Pictures is the animation production studio.
The Progressive movies are based on the Kadokawa-published spin-off light novel series that expands on the “Aincrad arc” of the original and still ongoing Sword Art Online series. Scherzo of Deep Night is the title of the story in Sword Art Online Progressive‘s fourth volume.
Yen Press describes the volume as:
It’s been just two months since they were trapped in the game of death that is Sword Art Online, and Kirito and Asuna continue their struggle at the vanguard of progress through the game. The fifth floor of Aincrad is a mazelike ruin, and the two dare to take pleasure in raiding it for the treasure it contains. Upon returning to the fourth floor, it’s time to do some questing on behalf of the Elf Lord Yofilis–but here begins Asuna’s discontent, for in doing so they will have to face her least favorite monster ever…
The first volume of the Sword Art Online Progressive light novels was published in 2012, while the eighth and latest volume was published in June 2021. The books are published under the Dengeki Bunko label.
Both the main and Progressive Sword Art Online light novels are written by Reki Kawahara with illustrations by abec. A manga adaptation of Sword Art Online Progressive by Himura Kiseki ran from 2014 to 2018 with seven tankoubon volumes.
Source: @sao_anime
