A new and exciting trailer for the Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk movie has just been released online.
When it comes to Isekai franchises, there are a few anime that stand above the rest: Re:Zero, KonoSuba, Overlord, Tanya The Evil and of course, Sword Art Online.
Following an extremely successful TV run, Sword Art Online is now looking to emulate the success of its 2021 movie ‘Aria of a Starless Night’ as we wait for more light novels to be published in Japan.
Thankfully, a brand new trailer for the Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk has just been shared online.
New trailer shared online for Scherzo of a Dark Dusk
Following the premiere of Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night movie, a sequel film called Scherzo of a Dark Dusk was announced to be in production.
Very few details about the film were actually initially revealed, but it was confirmed that the movie would premiere in Japanese theatres by the end of 2022.
Then, last month, two new key visual posters for Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk were shared online, which also confirmed the domestic release had been set for September 10th, 2022. Sadly, an international release date still remains TBA.
This week, the first teaser trailer for the upcoming anime film premiered on YouTube – see below. Alongside the new PV, it was confirmed that director Ayako Kono would be returning for the new movie, with the following story preview:
“This may be a game, but it’s not a game. The world’s first VRMMORPG [Sword Art Online] has been turned into a death game. More than a month has already passed since 10,000 users were trapped in the game world. Asuna, who has conquered the first layer of the steel floating castle [Aincrad], has teamed up with Kirito. Asuna, who has conquered the first level of the Steel Floating Castle [Aincrad], continues her journey to the top floor in partnership with Kirito.” – Scherzo of a Dark Dusk, via Aniplex YouTube.
The preview continues, “With the help of the female informant Argo, the attack seemed to be progressing smoothly, but the group of top players leading the attack, the ALS (Aincrad Liberation Squad) and DKB (Dragon Knights Brigade).”
“A conflict breaks out between two major guilds that should be fighting together. Behind the scenes, a mysterious figure is active in the dark. In the midst of dangerous battles with death next door, a different ‘threat’ than the ‘attack’ is being unleashed on Asuna and Kirito. Asuna and Kirito are caught in the middle of it all!” – Scherzo of a Dark Dusk, via Aniplex YouTube.
Still no word on when the anime series will return
As of July 2nd, there is still no word on when the Sword Art Online anime series will return, with more information on the future of the franchise expected to be shared after the upcoming movie premieres in September 2022.
The last time we saw the hit series was back in September 2020, when episode 96 (Season 3 Part 7: Alicization Lasting) premiered in Japan. Since then, we have seen two theatrical movies announced as fans wait patiently for more source material from the original light novel and manga adaptations to be published.
The continuity and sequencing for Sword Art Online content is seriously complicated, with retellings of the same early arcs from multiple characters’ POV (Aria of a Starless Night) only serving to complicate things further.
As a basic overview, A-1 Pictures has claimed that they will eventually adapt the complete Sword Art Online franchise, but that they need to wait until the available source material has been published.
The ‘Unital Ring Arc’ is not expected to have released enough content until at least the end of 2023, meaning that fans will have to prepare themselves for a very long wait on season 4; which may itself be split into multiple parts/arcs in a similar way to Alicization.
You can find more information here.
By Tom Llewellyn – [email protected]
Gaming Trailers
Tom Llewellyn
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Tom Llewellyn is the Head of World Content, Anime, and Comics at HITC Entertainment and also helps oversee all things deemed ‘nerd culture’ at Forever Geek. After gaining a BSc degree in Animal Behaviour, Tom continued his education with a Master’s degree in Science Communication (MSc) and post-graduate research; with his own independent project being published in the Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens in 2021. Since joining GRV Media in early 2020, Tom has amassed over 48 million views on his content and has conducted interviews with various actors and filmmakers from the wonderful world of anime.
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