Sword Art Online gained traction as an anime series, which began as adaptations from novels written by Reki Kawahara. Since then, his books have sold over 19 millions copies worldwide. The franchise dabbles in the “what-ifs” of virtual reality gaming – the pros and cons, if you will. Of course, it isn’t without the frills, ruffles, and caricatured fantasy. It’s no wonder the series is as popular as it is.

Now, Kawahara is back with an original story for the new movie – Ordinal Scale.

Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale is set to release in North America March 1, 2017, before the first quarter of the year has gone. The premise focuses on an augmented reality device called ‘Augma’, a “wearable console” created for a new ARMMORPG (Augmented Reality MMORPG) game titled Ordinal Scale. Augma allows users to perceive a completely different reality while maintaining their physical presence in the real world. Check out the trailer for the movie, below:

Many characters fans have come to know and love will be making it to the movie as well. The main characters being Kirito and Asuna. Don’t forget Yui, Suguha, and Keiko! The movie takes place in the year 2026, when the Augma was developed to compete against devices such as NerveGear. However, a “nightmare” decides to invade the game and cause a terrible disturbance for the gang. Once again, the hero must rise to the occasion and save the day.

Here’s a list of all the characters to show in Ordinal Scale:

• Kazuto Kirigaya (a.k.a. Kirito, voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka)
• Asuna Yuuki (voiced by Haruka Tomatsu)
• Yui (voiced by Kanae Ito)
• Suguha (a.k.a. Leafa, voiced by Ayana Taketatsu)
• Keiko Ayano (a.k.a. Silica, voiced by Rina Hidaka)
• Rika Shinozaki (a.k.a. Lisbeth, voiced by Ayahi Takagaki)
• Shino Asada (a.k.a. Sinon, voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro)
• Ryotaro Tsuboi (a.k.a. Klein, voiced by Hiroaki Hirata)
• Andrew Gilbet Mills (a.k.a. Agil, voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto)
• Akihiko Kayaba (voiced by Koichi Yamadera)
• Yuna (voiced by Sayaka Kanda) new
• Eiji (voiced by Yoshio Inoue) new
• Dr. Shigemura (voiced by Takeshi Kaga) new

The last three character will be making their first public appearance in Ordinal Scale, meanwhile all other characters were revealed in one or both of the Sword Art Online series. Want to attend the premiere of the new movie for yourself? There are a few going on worldwide, starting on February 18, 2017 in Japan.

Unfortunately for those in the United States, tickets have already sold out. Otherwise, the movie will debut in select theaters in Germany and China in Spring of 2017. No dates are specified for the latter two.

People residing in Australia, however, still have a chance, according to MadMan Entertainment. Ordinal Scale will be screened during the Madman Anime Festival, following thereafter will be reveals in select cinema locations throughout New Zealand and Australia. Stay tuned!

Are you a fan of the Sword Art Online franchise? If so, which ‘season’ did you like the most? What are your thoughts and expectations for the movie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you!

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