Japanese fans of the Sword Art Online light novel series know all about the importance of attending the seasonal Dengeki Bunko festivals in Tokyo. This is the main stage on which Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works and its Dengeki Bunko imprint make all their big announcements regarding the series, and it was no different at the Dengeki Bunko Autumn Festival held in Akihabara on Sunday, where it was revealed that Sword Art Online will be made into a new anime movie, with an all-new storyline from its creator Reki Kawahara.
The hugely popular collection of light novels made its first appearance as an anime series in 2012, followed by a year-end special in 2013 and another anime season for the small screen in 2014. Now, the Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) in which the characters are immersed will finally be getting the big-screen service it deserves, with the announcement of the first Sword Art Online animated film.
Take a look at the special announcement video released by Dengeki Online below. Featuring highlights from the anime series, the short clip is a tantalising reminder of the characters, the action and the relationships we’ve fallen in love with over the years.
Next is…? What a way to leave us wanting more! Further information about the upcoming movie will be revealed in the next issue of Dengeki Bunko Magazine on October 10.
What we do know is the new film will be an entirely original work, directed by Tomohiko Ito, who was also at the helm for the anime TV series. Shingo Adachi, who also worked on the anime adaptation, will be in charge of character design once again.
The January 27 release of a new soundtrack collection was also announced at the event. Called Sword Art Online Music Collection, it will feature 131 songs spread across four discs, including Yuki Kajiura’s music from the series, along with previously unreleased tracks and a bonus Blu-ray Disc featuring footage from Kajiura’s performance at the “Sword Art Online: Sing All Overtures” live concert. Fans will also be able to vote to decide which characters appear on the cover of the disc set.
With the movie’s release date yet to be announced, we’ll be waiting to check out Dengeki Bunko Magazine on October 10 for more information. Just a few more sleeps and we’ll let you know what we find out!
Source: Dengeki Online
Top Image: YouTube/Dengeki Online
Insert Images: YouTube/Dengeki Online