Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night

Plot

In 2022, Akihiko Kayaba creates the virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game Sword Art Online (SAO). Players use the NerveGear, a second-generation FullDive device that covers the head and redirects brain signals to control in-game characters. On November 6, 2022, 10,000 players log in for the first time and discover they cannot log out. Kayaba announces that they must clear all 100 floors of Aincrad to escape; dying in the game or having the NerveGear forcibly removed will kill them in real life.

Asuna enters the game with her school friend Misumi Tozawa, known in-game as Mito. Mito, a former beta tester, helps Asuna level up quickly by hunting monsters outside the start town. Weeks later, the pair travel to a mountainous area to fight nepenthes, plant-based monsters.

Mito warns Asuna not to kill a nepenthes with a ball over its head, as it will release smoke and trigger a mass attack. Mito tries to save Asuna but is forced over a cliff and cannot reach her. As Asuna's health drops dangerously, Mito panics and disbands their party. Asuna receives the notice just as a more dangerous monster attacks after she defeats the nepenthes.

Production

An anime film adaptation of Sword Art Online: Progressive was announced on September 19, 2020, following the finale of Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld. A teaser trailer and key visual were released the same day. The teaser shows Asuna in civilian clothes looking at an advertisement for Sword Art Online, a VR game developed by Argus and scheduled for release on November 6, 2022. The key visual depicts Asuna drawing her sword with Aincrad floating above her.

The film's trailer was released on AnimeUS and Aniplex USA on November 8 and November 19, 2020, respectively, and the official English website launched on November 19, 2020. Ayako Kōno directs, with Yasuyuki Kai as action director and A-1 Pictures handling production. Voice actors from the anime series reprise their roles, including Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Kirito and Haruka Tomatsu as Asuna.

On March 27, 2021, a theatrical release in autumn 2021 was announced, along with a new trailer and key visual revealing Inori Minase as the new character Mito. The film adapts the first volume of the light novel series, which retells the story from the beginning of Kirito and Asuna's adventure on the first floor of Aincrad. The title "Aria of a Starless Night" comes from the first chapter of that volume. Mito is an anime original character created exclusively for the film series.

Release

The film premiered in Japan on October 30, 2021. Advance ticket booking was announced on December 25, 2020, on the film's official website. The first limited-edition advance ticket, featuring a teaser visual of Asuna standing in front of Aincrad, was sold on the Aniplex+ website from December 28, 2020, to January 11, 2021, and was reported as the world's fastest advance ticket sale.

A stage exhibition was held online at AnimeJapan 2021 from March 27 to March 28, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second limited-edition advance ticket, depicting Asuna and Kirito against the night sky, went on sale from March 27 to April 11, 2021. A Mubichike card special edition ticket sale began on April 10, 2021, with a second edition planned.

The second edition of the Mubichike card was announced, with sales starting July 10, 2021. A new "Mubichike Digital Card" service was introduced, noted as the first digital movie ticket in the history of Japanese cinema. The film and its sequel, Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night, premiered on television on Fuji Television on January 20 and 21, 2024.

Reception

The film grossed approximately 1,326,146,793 yen (about US$11.67 million) in Japan as of December 13, 2021. In the United States and Canada, it earned $1.05 million in its opening weekend, finishing tenth at the box office. Richard Eisenbeis of Anime News Network called it a "solid introduction to Asuna" that reframes her relationship with Kirito, praising the animation, battle scenes, and character arcs, though he felt it did not reach the heights of the main story. Melvyn Tan of Anime Trending noted the enjoyable combination of action and music and welcomed Asuna as the lead, but pointed out stiff non-action animation and a new character that felt tacked on.

Marc York of CBR gave a highly positive review, describing it as a "viewing experience worthy of the big screen" with well-developed characters and cinematic action, and noted that making Asuna the protagonist enhanced the sense of danger. Tamara Lazic of Anime Corner wrote that the film delivers top-tier animation and thrilling combat but found the Asuna-focused retelling and an underused new character made the narrative uneven. Sage Ashford of Comicon.com said positioning Asuna as the lead was a "welcome change" that grounds the series and develops a key character. At the 2022 Newtype Anime Awards, the film received nominations in categories including Best Picture (Film), Best Male Character (Kirito), Best Female Character (Asuna and Mito), Best Theme Song ("Yuke" by LiSA), Best Director (Ayako Kōno), Best Screenplay (Yukito Kizawa), Best Character Design (Kento Toya), Best Sound (Yuki Kajiura), and Best Prop/Mecha Design.