Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night | |||||
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |||||
Japanese name | |||||
Kanji | 劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン -プログレッシブ- 冥き夕闇のスケルツォ | ||||
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Directed by | Ayako Kōno | ||||
Screenplay by | Yukito Kizawa | ||||
Story by | Reki Kawahara | ||||
Based on | Sword Art Online: Progressive by Reki Kawahara | ||||
Produced by |
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Starring | |||||
Cinematography | Yuki Ōshima | ||||
Edited by | Kiyoshi Hirose | ||||
Music by | Yuki Kajiura | ||||
Production company | |||||
Distributed by | Aniplex | ||||
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes | ||||
Country | Japan | ||||
Language | Japanese | ||||
Box office | US$9.07 million[1][2] |
Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night (Japanese: 劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン -プログレッシブ- 冥き夕闇のスケルツォ, Hepburn: Gekijōban Sōdo Āto Onrain Puroguresshibu Kuraki Yūyami no Sukerutso) is a 2022 Japanese animated science fiction action adventure film based on the Sword Art Online: Progressive light novels written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec, and a sequel to the 2021 film Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night. The staff and cast from the first film reprised their roles, including production by A-1 Pictures and direction by Ayako Kōno, with character designs by Kento Toya and music by Yuki Kajiura. It was released on October 22, 2022.
Plot
[edit]In December 2022, the two lead guilds ALS and DKB, along with a few other players, defeat the 4th floor boss. The two guilds are somewhat at odds with each other over how to complete the game. After, main characters Asuna and Kirito along with side character Argo discuss a New Year's party planned by the two guilds. Asuna and Kirito go into the dungeon below the 5th floor's main town, where Asuna overhears two other players have conceived a plan to destroy the two guilds; the plan includes the guild ALS walking out of the party to kill the 5th floor raid boss, where it had otherwise been a joint effort.
Kirito and Asuna later discuss the negative impact that ALS killing the raid boss would have on the effort to finish the game and then confront the leader of ALS, Kibaou, who acknowledges the plan's existence. He reasons that the 5th floor boss has a powerful item that would give his guild the advantage in clearing the floors, but that he was forced into the plan by a faction within his guild. He gives a mixed blessing to Kirito, Asuna, and any other group who attempts and succeeds in killing the raid boss before his guild attempts to kill it. Kirito and Asuna gather a few members for their raid but fail to recruit Mito who is still disappointed by her actions in the previous film.
Kirito, Asuna, and their raid group enter the dungeon and kill the monsters on the way to the raid boss. They discuss strategy before sending Kirito and Argo to scout the raid boss' room, only to start the fight by accident. The fight initially involves the boss' arms and legs attacking the players when the players step on lines on the ground. Shortly, the rest of the raid joins the group but set off the same attacks unwittingly. They eventually do enough damage to the raid boss where it exposes a crest, known to be a weakness, before the head hides itself. When the group attempts to retreat, the head comes out of the ground and seizes Asuna, who is freed by the surprise appearance of Mito. Then the crest begins appearing at random locations on the arms and legs of the raid boss; after a number of attacks on the crest, the raid boss materializes as a golem with the crest on his face. They subsequently destroy the golem and retrieve the rare item. While the rest of their party leaves to the 6th floor, Asuna and Kirito confront the now-arrived guild ALS. Kirito provides two conditions for providing the item, neither of which the guild then agrees to, but otherwise the guild peacefully departs.
Later, on New Year's Eve on the 5th floor, Kirito and Asuna are ambushed by another player. They briefly scuffle and then the unnamed player disappears, wherein Kirito and Asuna realize the existence of a group or guild dedicated to killing other players. The film concludes with the two enjoying fireworks.
Voice cast
[edit]Character Name | Voice Cast | ||
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English | Japanese | Japanese[3] | English[4] |
Kirito / Kazuto Kirigaya | Kirito (キリト) / Kirigaya Kazuto (桐ヶ谷 和人) | Yoshitsugu Matsuoka | Bryce Papenbrook |
Asuna / Asuna Yuuki | Asuna (アスナ) / Yuuki Asuna (結城 明日奈) | Haruka Tomatsu | Cherami Leigh |
Argo / Carina Tomo Hosaka | Arugo (アルゴ) / Hosaka Karīna Tomo (帆坂 カリーナ 朋) | Shiori Izawa | Kimberley Anne Campbell |
Mito / Misumi Tozawa | Mito (ミト) [5] / Tozawa Misumi (兎沢 深澄) | Inori Minase | Anairis Quiñones |
Liten | Rīten (リーテン) | Kaede Hondo | AmaLee |
Morte | Morute (モルテ) | Yūsuke Kobayashi | A.J. Beckles |
Agil / Andrew Gilbert Mills | Egiru (エギル) / Andoryū Girubāto Miruzu / (アンドリュー・ギルバート・ミルズ) | Hiroki Yasumoto | Patrick Seitz |
Kibaou | Kibaō (キバオウ) | Tomokazu Seki | Derek Stephen Prince |
Production
[edit]Shortly after the release of Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night, a sequel film and its title was announced, with its release set for 2022.[6] The staff and cast from the previous film reprised their roles, such as production by A-1 Pictures and direction by Ayako Kōno, with character designs by Kento Toya and music by Yuki Kajiura.[7] Eir Aoi performed the film's main theme, "Shinzō" (心臓, Heart).[3]
The film adapted the fourth volume of the light novel series due to one of the overarching storylines of the series not being completed.[8]
Release
[edit]The film was initially set to have an advance screening on August 24, 2022, before a full theatrical release on September 10.[3] However, the release was delayed to October 22 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.[9][10] Aniplex of America licensed the film for release in North America on February 3, 2023.[4]
Its prequel Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night and the film itself premiered on television for the first time on Fuji Television on January 20 and 21, 2024 respectively.[11][a]
Reception
[edit]Richard Eisenbeis of the Anime News Network gave the film a 'C+' rating, praising the world-building, production, and soundtrack, but criticizing its over-reliance to the same tropes presented in its predecessor, making the film "both more predictable and less emotionally powerful."[12] Writing for The Guardian, Phil Hoad gave the film two out of five stars, praising its action sequences and animation, but criticizing its plot, noting "there is precious little ambition here beyond what feels like a clunky and redundant transposition of the videogaming experience."[13] Meanwhile, Nick Valdez of Comic Book Resources gave it a positive review, praising its production and characters, but noted that the film is for longtime viewers and fans of the Sword Art Online franchise.[14]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Aria of a Starless Night is listed to premiere at 24:55 on January 19, 2024, which is January 20 at 0:55 a.m. Scherzo of Deep Night is listed to premiere at 26:15 on January 20, 2024, which is January 21 at 2:15 a.m.
References
[edit]- ^ "Sword Art Online Progressive Scherzo of a Dark Dusk (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ "Sword Art Online: Progressive - Scherzo of a Dark Dusk".
- ^ a b c Mateo, Alex (August 2, 2022). "2nd Sword Art Online Progressive Anime Film Reveals New Trailer, Theme Song by Eir Aoi". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Saabedra, Humberto (November 18, 2022). "Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night Gets North American Theatrical Screenings In February 2023". Crunchyroll. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
- ^ "『劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン -プログレッシブ- 星なき夜のアリア』オフィシャルサイト". sao-p.net (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-07-05.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (November 1, 2021). "Sword Art Online Progressive Anime Gets New Film in 2022". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (July 1, 2022). "2nd Sword Art Online Progressive Anime Film Reveals Trailer, Cast, Staff". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ Kawahara, Reki [@kunori] (November 1, 2021). 原作をお読み下さっている方は、「ロンドやコンチェルトやバルカローレは?」とお思いかもしれませんが、エルフ戦争クエストが完結していない等々の事情により今回は『スケルツォ』が映像化されることとなりました。必ずご満足頂ける作品になると確信しておりますので、応援よろしくお願いします! (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved October 6, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (August 22, 2022). "2nd Sword Art Online Progressive Film Delayed Due to COVID-19". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael (September 6, 2022). "2nd Sword Art Online Progressive Film Opens on October 22 After COVID-19 Delay". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ 【SAO】劇場版『ソードアート・オンライン』全3作品がフジテレビで放送決定。『プログレッシブ』2作品は初の地上波放送. Famitsu.com (in Japanese). Famitsu. December 8, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Eisenbeis, Richard (29 October 2022). "Review: Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night". Anime News Network. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ Hoad, Phil (30 January 2023). "Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night review – dungeon-crawler drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ Valdez, Nick (31 January 2023). "Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night Review: Fall in Love With the Anime All Over Again". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
External links
[edit]- Official website (in Japanese)
- Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night at IMDb
- Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night (film) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia