Sword Art Online: Progressive Movie - Hoshi Naki Yoru no Aria

This feels cheap and forgettable from start to finish. The characters are cheap, the dialogue is cheap; the visual effects, sound effects, and music are equally lifeless and unremarkable. At no point does the film manage to leave a lasting impression or show any real sense of care. The film claims to deliver a “game-like” experience, but what it actually resembles is a clickbait mobile game scam. The systems feel shallow, the combat is lame, the tactics sound lame, and the sense of heroism feels completely artificial. Nothing about it comes across as convincing or satisfying. SAO might have been serviceable fourteen years ago, but nothing has changed in those fourteen years. While the franchise has shown signs of evolution in arcs like Alicization, this entry falls back on familiar ideas without refining or recontextualizing them in any meaningful way. It functions as an alternative version of SAO, yet offers no reason to exist for anyone who has already seen the original and felt no desire to revisit it. The sound design is especially problematic. SAO once again relies on excessive deep bass and piercing high-pitched effects; sounds constantly overpower one another, and the mix is never balanced. Instead of enhancing scenes, the audio design makes them more tiring to sit through. The overall impression is that this movie exists not out of creative necessity, but because the SAO IP can still be monetized; an attempt to squeeze more value out of a familiar brand rather than offer anything genuinely worthwhile. No matter how you look at it, this feels like a cheap anime film, neither memorable nor rewarding in terms of storytelling, technical execution, or ideas.

First of all I'm a late fan of SAO franchise I only found out about this anime around 2020 and then I got hooked up and binge every episodes, specials and ova of this anime. Now back to the movie If I were to describe it on short sentence it is definitely like remake or re-telling of the first several episode of season 1 it wasn't half bad as what other people claim it to be in this case it is your typical movie of an anime with a non canon character in it to spice up the story and a with little more detailed about the story of the first season sprinkled with little back story of asuna and her best friend in school who happens to play SAO and encourage her to try it. You can compare the premise of this story to their video game adaptation the story is pretty much the same with the exception of added side stories, side quest, and in depth character background of each character. I recommend it to long time SAO fans to refresh their memory of how asuna and kirito first met. All in all I enjoyed this movie that I rate 10/10.

Finally a SAO show that is well written and well paced, and more specifically without relying on the "God Kirito" thing to do and solve everything on its own. He still exists, and still is very strong and powerful, but now, everything feels well done, maybe even better than the original, especially without the constant feeling that everything was being distorted to fit with the God Kirito narrative, and finally making the characters, the story and world feels more real, more believable, while also maintaining the usual high standards of animation and sound effect, with the best part being obviously the fight choreographies. Seems to be a very promising change in the way they worked on it, and also gives high hopes for the continuation

Be advised while care ahs been taken to minimize story related spoilers within the review there may still be spoilers within. Please read at your own risk. Back in the year 2012 during the summer anime season of that year while browsing through the list of various anime’s that will be airing within that period there was one anime that caught my eye. Out of the 244 titles that aired that season the one that caught my eye was one entitled Sword Art Online. From the genre tags and the summary provided the premise was something that in the year 2012 was truly unique in that, unlike its opposite numbers that focused on more standard settings such as schools, supernatural worlds and ancient China the series promised a brand-new world that gamers have always imagined of being able to step into which is that of a game world breathtakingly created to resemble that of a high fantasy world that was far more real than anything else seen before whether in terms of sight, smell, taste and pain. As both a gamer and lover of anime that was what led me to the series and become a fan of what would soon become a most popular franchise not just domestically but internationally as well. While the original series was a trendsetter in the world of anime that pioneered what is now the Isekai genre and popularized it to the public the series itself wasn’t perfect and had plenty of flaws that even the most die-hard fan would have to admit. However, no world is perfect and despite its flaws the series main themes of friendship, bonds and the act of working together with people across all age ranges and social classes to overcome insurmountable odds is one that I enjoyed the fullest through SAO 1, SAO2, Ordinal Scale movie and finally Alicization. Now you may be asking so what does Aria of a Starless Night bring to the franchise that we don’t already know. Let’s find out. The overall story of the movie rather than focusing solely on Kirito and Asuna’s first days within the world of Aincrad after it become the infamous death game that it will later be known as focuses as its centerpiece the life of the series main heroine Asuna Yuki both prior to her entry into the game and her first days in the game itself. While the series itself did an excellent job of introducing and showcasing the character of Asuna as a kind, considerate and friendly girl who fought hard to protect her friends as a powerful swordswoman while being Kirito’s equal in both skill and foresight it in my eyes didn’t serve to give her much depth as a character that can be used to expand upon her. While SAO2 through the Mother’s Rosario Arc did serve to provide some limited expansion of Asuna through the intro of her tense relationship with her mother Yuuki and family situation as a result of the SAO incident the effects on character depth while nice to see was rather limited. In this however the movie’s overall narrative I felt served to provide Asuna with the expansion that she desperately needed to have as a character. While SAO had long revealed to us that Asuna was the daughter of a rich family that had deep connections to the game itself prior to this movie we knew next to nothing about what her daily life was like before SAO. What were her life goals, what concerns did she have as she woke up each day and what kind of issues that she kept hidden behind her ever-present smile? These were all valid questions but the answers for them were not forthcoming until now. While the insight into Asuna’s relationship with her friends, school life and bond with an almost perfect family proved to be interesting it also acted as an excellent foundation from which the series original character Mito would both be introduced formally into the narrative while setting the stage for her eventual personality change that Asuna would go through as she enters the world of SAO with her. Though the social standing of Asuna served to give her a comfortable life that was full of happiness and friends it also, unfortunately, created a sense of loneliness within her as well as there were few people who she can truly open her heart to until she met Mito. On the surface, Mito and Asuna were people that socially were polar opposites in terms of personality and under normal circumstances would have few opportunities to meet let alone interact with each other. While Asuna was warm, friendly and welcoming to all Mito was quiet, aloof and difficult to know. However, this kind of relationship was what made the ensuring bond between the two that much more heartwarming as within the world of SAO the two girls while bonding with each other to become fast friends that could be honest to each other also served to complement each other both martially and personally as via their every interaction they slowly changed and improved each other as individuals. Their bonding moments while sweet and heartwarming to see did well to instill within Asuna the combat knowledge that would prove vital to surviving within the harsh world of SAO. Visually the series I felt was really impressive with particular regards to both the world of SAO itself that we last visited 8 and a half years ago and to the designs of both the main cast, monster designs and combat animation and to the fights themselves. While the locations that were visited within the movie weren’t especially many as they were limited to only the locations featured on the first floor I felt that the one’s that were used synergized well with the monster designs that while doing a good job of showing how dangerous the world of SAO can be also showed just how important friendship and bonds with your allies are as no matter how powerful you get and how proficient you are with your blade of choice there’s a limit to how much you can face by yourself. Combat has always been one of SAO’s chief hallmarks and in this, the fights presented within the movie were I felt flawless as they were both incredibly detailed and backed by the hard-punching OST of the famed musician and composer Yuki Kajiura that made each fight not only brutally clear but also reflecting well on the life and death struggle that those fighting on the frontlines as they confront fearsome and devious monsters and floor bosses go through as they try to cut a path to freedom by putting both their lives and trust in their skill with their blades on the very line. Though the battle with Illfang and his cronies was one that I had already seen back in 2012 the battle presented here was no less tense and awe-inspiring as it was back then and in this instance, I felt it was even more so due to the twin sides of the bonds of trust that tied Asuna and Kirito together and the sense of forgiveness and atonement for Asuna and Mito that served to make the climactic fight against Illfang that much more dramatic and satisfying to see. While the series main voice cast was limited to the trio of Kirito, Asuna and Mito with the support limited to those provided by Agil, Klein, Kibaou and Diavel overall I felt that each of their performances was excellently done with Haruka Tomatsu and Inori Minase’s portrayal of Asuna and Mito being one of the highlights of the movie. Overall conclusion Overall Sword Art Online Progressive Aria of a Starless Night I felt was an excellent movie that had among its main strengths a unique premise that served to provide a much needed and long-awaited expansion of one of the series best characters in the form of Asuna through its strong narrative, excellent characters, combat scenes, music and excellent voice acting. However, while I did enjoy the movie a lot, I felt that as a character while Mito’s surface traits and role within the narrative was finely done I felt that there wasn’t enough depth within her for her assigned seiyuu Inori Minase to work with that limited the potential growth for her as a character a fact that I felt limited her role within the second half of the movie to that of a mere supporter. If Mi…

As a long time SAO fan and avid reader of the light novels for both the main series and the Progressive series, I approached this movie knowing it was going to be different from what I had watched and read before. Instead of directly adapting the first Progressive novel that I know like the back of my hand, this movie chose to give fans something new that immediately caused debates: Asuna's POV. And it was fantastic. Story - The story deviated from the first Progressive light novel in a few ways, but all of these changes felt very realistic and gave Asuna a more detailed character than I think the source material gave us for her at first. There were some lulls in the story, but overall it pulls the audience in to Asuna's experience and makes us want to watch her grow and improve as a character. Art - The art looks very nice mostly in close-ups or action sequences. There were a few wide shots that lost some nice details here and there, but otherwise it is very clean and well-animated. The panoramic shots of the first floor of Aincrad and the locations within it were particularly stunning. Sound - SAO's soundtrack has always been impressive, and this stayed true to that. We heard a mixture of familiar, beloved soundtracks with newer takes on it and newer sounds being included. As always, SAO is pleasing to the ears. It definitely filled me with some nostalgia as a long-time fan. Character - Once again, Asuna's character shines in a way I feel like it hasn't before in the anime. It was a beautiful and emotionally provoking look into Asuna's feelings, connections to other players, and her personal motivations. Aside from Asuna, we are introduced to a brand new character who feels very realistic, and I fell for her without much effort. The pair's interactions were what gave this movie's characterization its strength, no doubt, and I am truthfully disappointed this character is anime-only. To provide a brief note on Kirito, a friend accompanied me who is not a fan of his character at all, and her comment was, "If he were more like this in other parts, I may have actually come to like him. This is the best version of Kirito!" I think her words summarize some of my feelings, even if I have always loved him; this is definitely the best he has looked as a character. Enjoyment - For a story I have watched in the first season and read in a light novel, I enjoyed this movie so much because of its fresh, new take. I was able to walk into this movie knowing there were parts I didn't know. It was wonderful to see a new character I hadn't met yet and make a decision about whether or not I liked her being there. It was also highly enjoyable to me to watch someone else's perspective on the first few weeks of being trapped in SAO. Kirito was beta tester, so his perspective is entirely different from Asuna's, who entered the game for the first time when the service started.

Credit given where credit is due: Sword Art Online is almost single-handedly responsible for the isekai genre. It is also one of the first series (outside of the big three) to break into the west and have mass appeal over there. Hell, it's popularity has kept it around and well... it's basically anime Star Wars at this point. And just like Star Wars every year or so we're gifted with seemingly endless spin-offs, sequels and reboots. Now we have SAO: Progressive, as movie that breaks down the actual good parts of the original series into a slower and more "progressive" journey. Oh, and the entire story is flipped so now it's from Asuna's perspective. While I agree that the best parts of Sword Art Online were that parts that were actually set in Sword Art Online, and that yes, we did need a slower, bigger story set during the years in Aincrad, this isn't exactly how I pictured it. When the film isn't feeding you flashy re-animated scenes you've already seen in the original series, it's introducing new characters and story elements that don't really add anything. (We are only one movie in mind, so there's plenty of room left for improvement.) Mito is pretty bland and doesn't really have that big of an impact on the story when all is said and done, even if it is set from Asuna's perspective. If you want more Asuna, then by all means dig in. But if you want a genuine SAO movie with way more characters you know and love and a plot that is (slightly) more intriguing, please watch Ordinal Scale. Re-treading old ground isn't a bad thing, you just gotta make sure not to step on the roses.

• Story - Starts off right from the beginning of SAO and with some more background for Asuna. They focused more on showing how beautiful the world of Aincrad is, how newbies train, and what their struggles are (and more drama) and such so the pacing is a bit slow. Anyway, it ends with Kirito and Asuna defeating the first floor. Nothing really changed much. 7/10 cause I was left waiting for the actual meat and I was worried the movie would end with just the Slice of Lifey parts of SAO. Plus the signature rape scenes of SAO was nowhere to be found. • Art - Good as always as what'd you expect with newer SAO. Although the battles were not as flashy as those found in alicization, they still tried to make it look awesome especially since they are still newbies and their skills weren't supposed to be flashy in the first place. There were also some unneeded fanservice scenes which could've been cut for more battle time but I guess those are more important. 8/10 awesome, but expected more. • Sound - You have that signature battle theme of Kirito which I hate but always does not cease to make me feel shivers even if I don't want to (it's awesome). The sound effects in particular I think is kinda meh and there were times where I just found them stupid, even Kirito's "let's go, asuna" or something along those lines, during the final battle felt out of place and forced that it actually made me chuckle. 8/10 you'd think they've mastered this by now with all of their SAO titles but I guess not. They at least mastered the songs though and ED was awesome as is per usual for LiSA • Character - The main focus is Asuna, Kirito, and Mito. All three were, at the very least, decent. 7/10 I disliked how useless Asuna was most of the time and how she was always like a baby. I know she doesn't play games but does she not know how to live? Still, the two other characters were fine but seeing as we see all this more from Asuna's perspective, she might have been designed that way so her development would be more satisfying but since this is a movie and not a series, it is kinda infuriating to watch. • Enjoyment - I think for first time watchers this would be awesome. But for those who've watched SAO before, I think we all know how SAO has always been and with the added expectations on its back, the first part of SAO Progressive only has more reasons, and is more likely, to "fail". Such is the case for me as even Ordinal Scale and Alicization I found awesome even with their own flaws. But yeah this was a waste of time for me and it would've been more fun to rewatch the original SAO instead since with that, at least I'd get the full experience (and some good ol' classic rape scenes, SAO's finest). 1/10 does not bring much to the table aside from being a more modern SAO experience. Pretty basic and in other cases, bland. Overall - 6.2/10

In the most general sense, Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night is a retelling of a story we have already seen before—namely the first and second episodes of 2013's Sword Art Online TV anime. It covers the story from the time just before the launch of the VR game up through the battle against the first-floor boss. However, that doesn't mean that there isn't a ton of new content. The biggest and most obvious difference between the TV episodes and this film is the change in protagonist from Kirito to Asuna. In fact, other than a few flashes here and there, Kirito doesn't even really properly appear until the film's second half. This allows the film to spend a hefty amount of time showing us Asuna as we've never seen her before. When we are first introduced to Asuna in the TV anime, she is a socially isolated, hooded figure who is single-mindedly focused on clearing the game. The first half of the film is the story of how she gets to this point. Not only do we see her daily life in the real world, but also how she adapts to the death game she finds herself trapped in. Her progression from a pampered, innocent girl to a goal-oriented loner is told well—largely thanks to the inclusion of Misumi. Having a friend teach her the basics makes Asuna's survival up to when she meets Kirito far more believable. Of course, this also brings us to the elephant in the room: the existence of Misumi herself. Misumi—known as “Mito” inside the death game—is a new character to the Sword Art Online franchise. She is not seen in either the original novels or the anime—she's not even featured in the Progressive novels on which the back half of this film is largely based. And while her inclusion makes sense logically and thematically, the fact remains that the vast majority of viewers of this film will have seen the original Sword Art Online and know that by the time Asuna encounters Kirito, Misumi is no longer in the picture. And this being the story of people trapped in a death game, it's not hard to guess at where Misumi and Asuna's arc is headed. Luckily, the film seems aware of this fact and plays around with the viewers' expectations. While it's true Asuna has to be alone by the time she encounters Kirito, that doesn't mean that the film takes the easiest or most obvious route to get there. In fact, the story becomes much more interesting and relatable by taking the unexpected path—connecting the two halves of the film into a singular, cohesive whole as it does so. The second half of the film is largely a retelling of the events of the TV anime's second episode—i.e., detailing the first team-up between Kirito and Asuna. While certain scenes are repeated (though notably now experienced from Asuna's viewpoint), there are a good number of newly-animated scenes taken directly from the Progressive novels as well. It's only in the final action climax where the film directly contradicts the source material and previous adaptations in any major way. And while making such blatant changes is risky in a well-established franchise, doing so makes the film a better stand-alone work. Visually, the film looks great. From the sweeping vistas of Aincrad's first floor to the chaotic and flashy battle scenes, the animation looks crystal clear. It's easily on par with the previous feature film and the best the various TV anime have to offer. As for the aural side of things, many of the established soundtracks return as expected—most obviously the commonly used action theme. Interestingly, the film tends to use it only in scenes where Kirito is present—leaving Asuna's own distinct action theme to shine through for most of the story. All in all, while Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night doesn't come close to reaching the heights of the Sword Art Online story, it is nonetheless a solid introduction to Asuna that details her first steps down the path to becoming the charismatic leader and badass swordswoman we know her to be. Likewise, by seeing the story almost exclusively through Asuna's eyes, the relationship between Asuna and Kirito gets put in a new light that adds new context to scenes we've already seen before. But best of all, it sets the stage for future never-before-animated Progressive tales—and more life and death adventure in the floating castle of Aincrad is never a bad thing.

After watching the first season of SAO, a question might arise in your minds - "how did Asuna get this good? How did she get into VRMMORPG anyway?" This movie shows the opening events of SAO in Asuna's POV, expands on her backstory, and answers those questions. The actions scenes and the music were fire, really enjoyed those. The writing got real sloppy in the second half though. But it was a real treat to see so much characterization of Asuna in the first half. Story: 6/10 The plot felt rather mediocre because we have already experienced many stories like this (yeah ik SAO was one of the pioneers of this genre). Art: 8/10 Nothing much to complain here. The mix of 2D and 3D was a hit. Sound: 9/10 The strongest part of the movie. It had the experienced Iwanami Yoshikazu and LiSA involved. It was a great experience. Character: 5/10 After building up the character Misumi, the movie neglects her a lot in the second half. Also the friendship of the two girls doesn't get proper treatment in the end. Enjoyment: 7/10 Got to relive some great moments of the opening season. Enjoyed the action scenes a lot as well. Overall: 6/10 Could've been higher if they didn't include some sketchy elements like some stuff between the two girls and a monster attack on Asuna.

the best part of SAO, is SAO itself. that statement came up when i was in the middle of watching this movie in the theater. Why you may ask ? let me tell you why. SAO has always have a special place in my heart. I remembered when the first season came up back in 2012, i was still in first grade of junior high school. Being the first anime that got me into this rabbit hole, i was astonished of how the world of anime has portrayed stories. At that time, i always find myself imagining being transported into fantasy world and being the main character and doing all of those OP stuff. It was a fun childhood memory. Looking back at it and revisiting SAO now, it was clear to me that the thing that got me hooked really, really hard was not only the premise of being transported into a fantasy world and being OP, it was also the world building. You see, SAO has lots of arc, we have Alfheim, Gun Gale, Underworld, and possibly more. Deriving from an anime only watcher, i always hated the other arcs beside SAO itself for some reason, and now it came up pretty clear of why it is what it is. The Aincrad Arc was the best, because it only has one goal, to beat the game. By focusing on that one goal, you explore myriad of aspects of the game, you train, you grind, you meet new people, you explore new places, you have fun. And those very reasons is why i really love this part of SAO. The concept of fantasy world mixed with MMO features of games, this is what my 12 years old self loved. Yes, all the other games in SAO has this concept, but one thing that differs SAO from the other is, it was fun. I know it sounds funny knowing that if you die in SAO you die in real life, but that's why it's different from the other. We have real people, trying their best to beat the game, working with other real people, to achieve the very same goal, to escape death. And doing so, we explore so many people with various backgrounds, various personality. They all know what they're going to die if they die in this world, but they still can have fun. That very reason is why i love SAO. And of course, there's the world of Aincrad. I love the concept of 100 floors with each floor having their own theme. We have floors that only has winter, summer, one that has the theme of a lake, castle, and more. With this being the base concept of the world, we have beautiful surroundings and the possibility of discovering new environment is endless! I really could go on and make an essay out of explaining the world of SAO but i midway realized that this was a review on SAO Progressive lmao. This movie is basically a recap of the first two episodes of SAO but with Asuna's perspective. There are some minor changes from the original scene but it wasn't really that major. Upon reading some explanation of what progressive series is, this movie focuses on the details of Aincrad and what they fail to portray in the original anime. In my opinion, they could've done much more with this first movie but they didn't. All they did was just reanimate the first two episodes and added some new stuff and thats it. Albeit we have new characters, and different perspective, it's still feels like i'm watching the same thing. And that is why i'm giving it a 7. Other than that, it feels good to experience SAO again and i'm really looking forward for the second movie. I really hope they do more new things with the second one. I'm writing this review while putting LiSA - Yuke on repeat. and i must say, nothing is more iconic than LiSA doing a song on SAO. She never fails to deliver!

Saw this in theaters. It was really entertaining. More enjoyable than the actual show and thankfully we finally got to see a different side of Kirito that didn't just seem like cyber Jesus. Even though the beginning was a tad too slow for me, I liked asuna's point of view in this and thought it maybe worked better for the storytelling than kiritos point of view. The art was amazing and I liked what they changed and the new characters that were added. Really enjoyed the sound track and how amazing it sounded. My favorite change was most definitely the additions and changes to the boss fight It was Amazing. Would watch a sequel.

[spoiler free] Sword Art Online. Infamous for a myriad of reasons, but omnipresent as the anime community's designated punching bag. The Big Bad of animanga. It is undeniable that SAO has its issues, really. I’m well aware. And yet, it has this allure. This captivating magic. I will never, ever forget watching the Aincrad arc and all it had to offer, despite its issues. Sword Art Online: Progressive - Aria of a Starless Night fixes many of them. In an attempt to remain spoiler-free, I will remain as ambiguous as possible in the coming wording. The Progressive movie is told through the lens of Asuna’s experience on the first floor. Thus, how the movie begins is with a focus on her. Her family life, her grades, her school life… her friends. The first twenty minutes of the movie add more depth to her character than all of Aincrad and Fairy Dance could ever dream of. And it is so much better for it. Thus, when we enter the world of the Nervegear, this time with knowledge of what tragedies will befall Asuna, there is a sense of connection and of foreboding. It is visceral. And this is a common theme throughout the movie. As a cascading effect. Because of the solid setup at the start of the movie, grounding Asuna and Asuna’s relationships–especially to Mito, the deuteragonist of the film–served to amplify each character interaction that followed, then contributing to the next scene. Which makes the twist all the more painful and shocking. Call it a subversion of every trope that usually permeates anime and characters *in* anime. What follows is truly a sight to behold. From the ashes of what was called a series with terrible characters rises a phoenix born of the best of SAO… and then some. However, with this added narrative, changes are necessitated. While, to begin, the movie does not diverge much from the established plot in Season 1, by the halfway mark, a rift begins to emerge between that of the main series and the events that are unfolding. And as the credits roll, it is as clear as day – Progressive canon will not be the SAO that you know and love (or hate, but who are you kidding? You love it.) As usual on its SAO projects, A-1 has delivered on the production quality. Hail sakuga and hail LiSA, for they have made their presences known. I cannot wait for it to hit streaming–there are some amazing shots in the fight scenes that would make for incredible wallpapers. A-1 has also done away with that dreadful style that afflicted War of Underworld, which is a significant plus. To summate, SAO:P is a project that puts on full display what Kawahara can really do. It is not perfect, but for what it’s done in its 97 minutes and the promise it holds for the next 97, it is well deserving of a 9.

It’s a fine popcorn movie, but it's ultimately pointless just like every other alternate timeline in SAO. The film primarily focuses on Asuna's perspective of the events on the first floor, and it does her character justice, but.... who cares? It's the same shit repackaged, but this time slightly better. SAO in general isn't nearly as bad as some make it out to be; it has contrivances and some uhh… “problematic” elements, but it’s nowhere near the seasonal isekai slop of which it serves as a blueprint for. Aincrad, Mother's Rosario, and Alicization are range from good to really good, though the Phantom Bullet arc is pretty awful. Reki Kawahara needs to just finish the main story and start over with a new series. He’s improved considerably as a writer, and it’s okay to just let SAO be that series that had a really cool premise and alright execution, that we still love because we watched it when we were fourteen. Instead, the man is going to spend the rest of his life trying to continuously tweak it to please the haters who think it's the worst thing ever made.

THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW By complete chance, i found out that this movie is now out on streaming plattforms. As a big fan of the "Sword Art Online" - franchise, watching this movie was of course mandatory. I had high expectations, because this is a retelling of the original "Aincrad" Arc from season 1. Story - 7/10 The story moves with a comfortable pace. It manages to recapture the energy of the original Aincrad arc perfectly. I also noticed that this movie fixed my biggest personal criticism i had about the arc before in the sense that, it never felt truly dangerous or frightening in SAO. The original arc skips directly to 2 years after the start and rushed to the ending. This film depictures SAO as the brutal and unforgiving death-game it was always supposed to be. Otherwise, the pure storyline is nothing special, covering only a very small portion. Given that this is only the start of "Progressive" this was expected, but this movie never felt truly cinematic to me. This feels like the first 4 episodes of a TV-Show. It didn't have the cinematic power of other franchise movies like "Demon Slayer : Mugen Train" or even "Sword Art Online : Ordinal Scale". Saying all that, this is still a well written story which, although being very safe, managed to evoke a lot of Aincrad nostalgia. Art - 9/10 The best aspect of the movie. The animation is amazing both in and outside the fights. The environment is drawn beautifully. This is by far the best visual depiction of Aincrad in the whole series. The fights are fluid and dynamic. The sword-skills are depicted in flashy and bold colors, the monsters were all hand-drawn and the character designs feel strikely modern, without loosing the original look of the characters. Truly fantastic work by studio A-1 Pictures, cementing SAO as one of the most quality consistent looking anime out there. Sound - 8/10 Yuki Kajiura returned once again with her instantly recognizeable tunes. Every fight is perfectly underlined by the soundtrack. The BGM is soft and fits the whole middle-age environment of the game. But like many other Yuki Kajiura shows, the soundtrack feels very samey. The different tracks all blend in with each other, leading to every fight seeming very similar. While some of her other shows like "Madoka Magica" share that problem, others like "Fate/Zero" and even "Ordinal Scale" don't. This movie also didn't feature as many vocal tracks. A big plus in this category is definitely the sounddesign. This is a straight up upgrade from "Ordinal Scale". Every strike feels satisfying and the sounds of the skills are done perfectly. Characters - 8/10 This show features a lot of already known characters while also introducing new ones. The biggest difference between this movie and the rest of the franchise is that instead of Kirito, Asuna takes up the role as the sole main character in this movie. This is her film through and through, giving her a ton of great character development, something the main series is definitely missing. Every event in the film shapes her personality, leading the way to her feelings and appearance in the first TV-show. Kirito is....well, Kirito. No surprises here. The newly introduced character, Mito is the other focus of the movie. Although her development wasn't given that much time, i still thought that she was a pretty good addition to the franchise. Enjoyment - 9/10 This movie can be watched by everyone interested in "Sword Art Online" an can absolutely be enjoyed by someone who never heard of the franchise. But the reason for my high score in this category is the immense amount of nostalgia and the differences of the Aincrad arc. This is why i think that this movie is a must-watch for every fan of the franchise. - Marco_Yooo FINAL SCORE - 8/10

Hoho lezzz goo i finally watch sao progressive today and i gotta say as an sao fan and ln reader I'm pretty happy of this i even think this is slightly better than in the ln but there's still a bits of problems Let's talk about the good thing first they changed quite a lot like a super lot they added new things as well as changes and there's some plotpoints that they didn't include mostly from kirito part but it's completely fine since the asuna being more fleshed out in this movie was better and i feel it was in 2nd floor where i really liked kiritos characterization and also the changes like asuna is completely clueless about the mechanics ingame when they meet kirito at the ln but now she has more knowledge since she has a companion at the beginning the knows a lot in the game which is mito i think this honestly a positive thing so far And now then lets talk about the bad things and the potentialy bad things the discussion about fighting against the first boss was really short it was as detailed as in the ln which i think if they add that this film would be even better and the second one is mito i dont think it's a good idea they didn't kill her character now since i feel she already serves her purpose and she might intervene to the future plotlines depending how they handle it it could be really bad or they would just don't make her appear again which would leave a bad taste of my mouth Anyway i love this movie I'm having a blast watching this and i love the ost god it's so good and the good classic fantasy theme it's always a plus if they add that sao was the one who awakened my fantasy cravings so this franchise hold a very speacial in my heart 8 out of 10

Unlike some peasant who they are better for watching in 4K monitor (or less) even though they simply torrent from illegal site and watch flat 2D, this is meant to be enjoyed as 4D experience in theater so this review will be written a la movie experience, so Kayaba bless you if this feel like an advertisement for moving chair Story (and execution) If you skip first half (or all) of SAO season 1 for some reason, you can start from this movie SAO is the series who brought Isekai (or anime on that matter) to mainstream audience. Contrast to feel-good isekais that flood the market later, it immediately give not-so-subtle message by giving both body count and telling that the involved party can’t escape. Even though it seem sort of material for a movie, this is a movie with videogame as premise (tutorial, grinding, planning raid) for 2 hours. If you think that’s too much you haven’t play MMO for real (I hope ‘2 hour’ part of the premise don’t discourage you) Character You will see the aforementioned gist of playing MMO from the eyes of newbie (Asuna) and that’s how you show the rosy-colored part of playing game. That’s why gamers play even in between time they become jaded and just pursuing numbers. Having Asuna as the main enchance the range of emotion this movie could show Atmosphere (I guess this is how story is executed) I watched Weathering With You in normal 2D, that’s 10/10 atmosphere material that combine saturation of rain and sound. Both can’t be used here. Instead this movie show the grip of getting trapped in other world, and that’s the first thing you need to get your audience into these kind of ‘trapped in game’ scenario. What follow afterward are affirmation of how players brutally die from mob while our pov character watch (disclaimer, at this point some viewers who accustomed to just watching other players die might feel detached but that’s just majority of gamers). And silverlink manage to do it to make the premise believably scary. Now what’s so special about 4D theater? Feeling how mob get beaten up, how Asuna accelerating and getting physical feeling of battling mobs other than your fingers hitting buttons. This is anime entertainment in its highest form (until they make VR movie, that’s why I bought another ticket) Animation In relation to animation, the game’s Switch system, Asuna’s constant lunging and and players aggroing enemies give reason to show us delicious camera circling animation Sound Choir? They can still use Kalafina? When I hear screaming lady I had a hunch it was Lisa. I knew it was lisa. I can’t comment on anything in particular here. 6, elevated to 7 for songs. Day+1 edit, I remember the Kalafina-esque choir that herald strong enemies and help give tense atmosphere. +1 As anime I give it 9 but as movie experience a solid 10. I wish I can drag other people irl to watch this

honestly a pleasant surprise. the good: I was a massive fan of the first part of SAO so I was quite excited for this movie however i never expected it to be this good. I went into the movie expecting it to be a 7/10 at best but it excelled my expectations in every aspect. It also helps that the story is based around asuna who is my favorite character in the show and a character I have believed for ages that needed more development. the bad: Now I had a few issues with the movie but the major one was changes in previous events shown in the anime or even new events that could leave a lot of fans of season one confused however this problem can be easily overlooked. Other than that the movie was really good and an entertaining watch.

Now this was good, i dont want to spoil but asuna prospective was a good choice for this movie. I wouldve pefered kirito point of view since he is the main character but i like the switch. I loved this cause of the animation visuals art and sounds the story was also good the side characters in the show were more important and had more of a impact to the narrative, To be honest this movie makes kirito look more badass since kirito popped of in a few scenes with great visuals and he was just kicking butt. the show did an amazing job telling as asuna story before sao incident and her scool life, which they showed her life after sao in the mother rosario arc in sao series so her mother and way she treats asuna isnt new, this is definitely a refresher good sao stuff

A majestic return to the Aincrad arc! The existence of this film is no accident; it stems directly from the fans' desire to revisit the first arc of Sword Art Online, which has always stood out for its rich, immersive, and above all, dangerous world. Aincrad had that constant sense of tension: every battle mattered, every mistake could be fatal. Like many fans, I always wanted to see this beginning of the story in more depth, with more time to breathe and develop its characters and conflicts. And, honestly, this film delivered exactly that; it was a true feast. Besides awakening a strong sense of nostalgia (I confess I left wanting to rewatch the entire first season), the film also very competently expands on what we already loved. But the great difference here is the change of perspective. Instead of following Kirito, who already enters the game with some experience, we see everything through Asuna's eyes, which completely changes the narrative dynamic. The choice to focus on Asuna was extremely successful. Through her, the world of Aincrad becomes more frightening, more unknown, and much more human. We feel her insecurity, her difficulty adapting, the psychological weight of being trapped in a deadly game. This not only makes the experience more immersive but also helps reinforce something that, in the original work, sometimes went by too quickly: how brutal it was to survive in that world, especially for novice players. Asuna's development here is undoubtedly one of the film's strongest points. Her evolution is gradual, believable, and emotionally engaging. And, of course, we can't forget the relationship between her and Kirito. Seeing them before they became the couple we know adds an extra layer of depth to the romance. Their connection is built gradually, naturally, which makes everything more meaningful and genuine. Another positive point is that the film recaptures that "freshness" that the beginning of SAO had, that mix of adventure, tension, and discovery. For those who, like me, were a little apprehensive about the later directions of the series (especially after Alicization), this film serves almost as a reconnection to what made the series so special in the beginning. Overall, it's an extremely enjoyable experience. Fun, exciting, and nostalgic in just the right measure, the film not only revisits Aincrad but enriches it. It serves both as an excellent entry point for new viewers and as a meaningful gift for longtime fans. As someone who has followed Sword Art Online for years, I can say without hesitation: this film rekindled something in me. That flame that made me fall in love with the series at the beginning has started to shine again, and that alone makes it all worthwhile. I highly recommend it. =================================================================================================================Versão em Português===================================== Um retorno majestoso ao arco de Aincrad! A existência desse filme não é por acaso, ela nasce diretamente do desejo dos fãs de revisitar o primeiro arco de Sword Art Online, que sempre se destacou por seu mundo rico, imersivo e acima de tudo, perigoso. Aincrad tinha aquele senso constante de tensão: cada batalha importava, cada erro podia ser fatal. Assim como muitos fãs, eu sempre quis ver esse início da história com mais profundidade, com mais tempo para respirar e desenvolver seus personagens e conflitos. E, sinceramente, esse filme entregou exatamente isso, foi um verdadeiro banquete. Além de despertar uma forte sensação de nostalgia (confesso que saí com vontade de rever toda a primeira temporada), o filme também expande de forma muito competente aquilo que já amávamos. Mas o grande diferencial aqui é a mudança de perspectiva. Ao invés de acompanharmos Kirito, que já entra no jogo com certa experiência, vemos tudo pelos olhos da Asuna, isso muda completamente a dinâmica da narrativa. A escolha de focar na Asuna foi extremamente acertada. Através dela, o mundo de Aincrad se torna mais assustador, mais desconhecido e muito mais humano. Nós sentimos sua insegurança, sua dificuldade em se adaptar, o peso psicológico de estar presa em um jogo mortal. Isso não só torna a experiência mais imersiva, como também ajuda a reforçar algo que, na obra original, às vezes passava rápido demais: o quão brutal era sobreviver naquele mundo, especialmente para jogadores iniciantes. O desenvolvimento da Asuna aqui é, sem dúvida, um dos pontos mais fortes do filme. Sua evolução é gradual, crível e emocionalmente envolvente. E, claro, não podemos deixar de falar da relação entre ela e o Kirito. Ver os dois antes de se tornarem o casal que conhecemos adiciona uma camada extra de profundidade ao romance. A conexão deles é construída aos poucos, de forma natural, o que torna tudo mais significativo e genuíno. Outro ponto positivo é que o filme resgata aquele “frescor” que o início de SAO tinha, aquela mistura de aventura, tensão e descoberta. Para quem, assim como eu, ficou um pouco receoso com rumos posteriores da obra (especialmente após Alicization), esse filme funciona quase como uma reconexão com aquilo que fez a série ser tão especial no começo. No geral, é uma experiência extremamente agradável. Divertido, emocionante e nostálgico na medida certa, o filme não apenas revisita Aincrad, mas o enriquece. Ele serve tanto como uma excelente porta de entrada para novos espectadores quanto como um presente cheio de significado para os fãs antigos. Como alguém que acompanha Sword Art Online há anos, posso dizer sem hesitar: esse filme reacendeu algo em mim. Aquela chama que fez eu me apaixonar pela obra lá no início voltou a brilhar, e isso, por si só, já faz tudo valer a pena. Recomendo fortemente.

Aria of a Starless night is a movie in the SAO series that has Asuna as the main character. The movie is about Asuna and how she ended up playing SAO. The story more broadly is first about Asuna's daily life, living situation and situation at school and friends she has there. After that the story is about how she started playing SAO and how she experienced the start of SAO. The story ends a few minutes after the first boss fight. Overall the story is pretty good, it follows the same story as the original SAO, just from Asuna's point of view and remains pretty true to the original. Some scenes are modified a bit compared to the original anime but not in a bad way. The main characters are Kirito, Asuna and one of Asuna's friends. Asuna's character is developed way more and since she is the focus of the movie, Kirito receives less attention and acts a bit different/out of character. Asuna's friend is an okay character but the main role she serves is just introducing Asuna to SAO. The animation is good. The voice acting, music and sound are also good. Overall this is a neat movie that will show you more about Asuna's life and her start in SAO. It's probably worth watching since you discover more of who she is as a character but it's not necessary.