Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night Delayed

The Sword Art Online -Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night movie’s release is getting postponed, with the anime’s website citing production delays caused by the “nationwide spread” of Covid as the reason. It was originally meant to release in Japan on September 10.

Also pushed back are Sword Art Online -Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night‘s August 24 completion screening and its soundtrack’s September 9 release. A new release date for the movie has not been decided yet.

Its prequel, Sword Art Online -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night, premiered in the country on October 30, 2021.

The movies are 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 returning staff from Aria of a Starless Night includes Ayako Kounou as director, Kento Toya as character designer and chief animation director, Yasuyuki Kai as action director and monster designer, Aya Akizuki and Keisuke Watanabe as sub-character designers, and Yuki Kajiura as music composer. A-1 Pictures is the animation production company. 

Meanwhile, the cast includes Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Kirito, Haruka Tomatsu as Asuna, Shiori Izawa as Argo, Inori Minase as Mito, and Yuusuke Kobayashi as Morte.

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 released 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.

The Sword Art Online Progressive light novels have been adapted into manga since 2014. Instead of being adapted as a single, lengthy series, the light novels are divided into separate manga series from different artists, with Sword Art Online Progressive by Himura Kiseki being the first. The others are Sword Art Online: Progressive – Barcarolle of Froth by Shiomi Miyoshi, Sword Art Online: Progressive – Scherzo of Deep Night by Puyocha, and Sword Art Online Progressive: Canon of the Golden Rule by Mugetsu. August 26 will see the release of Canon of the Golden Rule‘s second tankoubon volume.

Source: @sao_anime (1), (2)