Underplayed Gems

Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night (2021)

Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night poster
Original title
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
Directed by
Ayako Kōno
Genre
action film, adventure film, animated film, science fiction film
Country
Japan
Runtime
1h 37m
Rated
PG-13
Rating
7.9 of 10 from 336 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Asuna gets trapped in a virtual reality death game alongside other players. She struggles to survive and forms alliances, including a first meeting with fellow player Kirito, as they work to clear the game's first floor.

brisk-pacedadventurousdramatictensevisually polishedaction-heavycharacter-drivenscience fantasy

What happens

Sword Art Online: Progressive – Aria of a Starless Night is a 2021 Japanese animated science fiction action adventure film based on the Sword Art Online: Progressive light novels written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec, which serve as an expanded retelling of Sword Art Online's Aincrad storyline. The film is produced by A-1 Pictures and directed by Ayako Kōno, while featuring character designs by Kento Toya and music by Yuki Kajiura. This is the second film, after Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale, of the Sword Art Online anime series. The film depicts the story of Asuna's initial struggle to cope with being trapped in Sword Art Online along with her friend Mito, the first encounter between her and Kirito, and general in-depth coverage of events that occurred on Aincrad's first floor that were either skimmed over or skipped entirely in the original series. The film premiered in Japan on October 30, 2021. A sequel film titled Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night, which mainly focuses on events on the fifth floor, premiered in Japan on October 22, 2022. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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