Sword Art Online -Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night has received its first trailer. Aside from Kirito and Asuna, the 46-second preview provides a glimpse of new characters and threats, Argo, and a shot of a hooded figure who seems to be Mito, the original character introduced in 2021’s Sword Art Online -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night.
Mito is set to have at least a brief appearance in Scherzo of Deep Night, with the newly announced cast info listing the return of Inori Minase as the character. The freshly revealed cast members include Kaede Hondo as Liten, Yuusuke Kobayashi as Morte, and Tomokazu Seki (reprising his role) as Kibaou.
More staff information was also released. Like the first movie, Scherzo of Deep Night‘s staff includes Aya Akizuki and Keisuke Watanabe as sub-character designers, Yusa Itou as art director, Naomi Nakano as color designer, Yuki Oushima as photography director, Kengo Oda as CG director, and Yuki Kajiura as music composer. Tomimi Ishikawa and Hiroshi Nakajima are no longer listed as sub-character designer and co-CG director respectively.
Scherzo of Deep Night is set to premiere in Japan on September 10. Like Sword Art Online -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night, it is based on the Sword Art Online Progressive 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 previously revealed returning staff include Ayako Kounou as director, Kento Toya as character designer and chief animation director, and Yasuyuki Kai as action director and monster designer. A-1 Pictures is the animation production company. Meanwhile, the main cast includes Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Kirito, Haruka Tomatsu as Asuna, and Shiori Izawa as Argo.
The first volume of the Sword Art Online Progressive light novels was published in 2012, a few years after the first Sword Art Online volume in 2009, while the eighth and latest volume was published in June 2021. The books are published under Kadokawa’s 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: Aniplex YouTube channel
