A new teaser, character design, and key visual for the upcoming Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night movie appeared. Though there is no concrete release date as of yet, the film will premiere in Fall 2021. [Thanks, Anime News Network!]
The teaser, at over a minute and a half long, shows off the movie’s action and drama. Shots of Kirito, Asuna, and Mito fighting are interspersed with quieter moments, such voice-over taken from Asuna and Kirito’s first meeting.
You can watch the teaser here:
Inori Minase will voice the new character Mito. Minase is also known for playing Hestia in Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Meteora in Re:Creators, and Itsuki Nakano in The Quintessential Quintuplets. She will join Yoshitsugu Matsuoka and Haruka Tomatsu, who will reprise their roles of Kirito and Asuna, respectively.
Sword Art Online: Progressive is a spin-off that more deeply explores Kirito and Asuna’s early days in the game, as well as the beginning of their journey into Aincrad Tower. In contrast, the original Sword Art Online only mentions the events of Progressive in the form of flashbacks, due to the storytelling jumping around the timeline.
The Sword Art Online: Progressive ~ Aria of a Starless Night ~ movie was first announced in November 2020, and the movie will premiere in Fall 2021. The English Sword Art Online novels and manga are published by Yen Press.
