Review - Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night (2023)

           Hey guys, Chuck here, and I just got home from seeing the new anime film Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night. This is the third feature film in the Sword Art Online series, and the second of the Sword Art Online Progressive series after 2021's Aria of a Starless Night. 

         So, the movie starts off with the Assault Team, consisting of Kirito, Asuna, Agil and his compatriots, and both the Dragon Knights Brigade and the Aincrad Liberation Squad, two guilds that are sort of precursors to the Divine Dragon Alliance and the Aincrad Liberation Army which would be seen in the series during the Aincrad Arc. The Dragon Knights are led by a player named Lind, while the Liberation Squad is led by Kibaou. Yeah, remember him? The jerkwad mouthing off against former BETA testers like Kirito? Well, he's a guild leader now, and he's assisting in leading the charge as far as the Assault Team along with Lind. Anyway, the Assault Team is preparing to face the Floor Four Boss, which they are able to defeat with assistance from Argo, an information broker who wrote the player's guide, and a former BETA tester. 

      With the Fourth floor now cleared, it's off to the Fifth floor, where everyone celebrates making it as far as they have since Kayaba's death game began just a month prior. In addition, both the Liberation Squad and the Dragon Knights are planning a big party to go down on December 31st, in order to ring in the new year. 2023 to be exact. Anyway, Kirito and Asuna share a dessert with a special buff which allows one to see hidden loot that's laying around. So, the two head around the town, as well as the catacombs, to find some loot. Unfortunately, Asuna falls into a trap after being frightened by an Astral type monsters, and runs afoul of two players making a plan to cause friction between both the Dragon Knights and the Liberation Squad. 

         Evidently, the Floor Boss of the fifth floor drops an item known as a "guild flag," which is good for a single guild, and will grant that guild unlimited buffs during any fight that it's active. So, it's up to Kirito and Asuna, along with allies like Agil, Argo, and even Mito, to claim it first and keep the alliance together, because of it falls apart, then clearing higher floors goes out the window. 

       Okay, so this movie is actually a lot of fun, especially if you're a fan of Sword Art Online. Not only does it fill in a few more gaps as far as telling of what went on on the fifth floor of Aincrad, but it also does a lot of other things, too. For example, we see the growing bond between Kirito and Asuna, who are game partners in this part of the timeline. Now, while their romance comes way later, as well already know from the first season of Sword Art Online, it is nice to see that they still had great chemistry just as game partners in the early days of navigating through Sword Art Online. Bryce Papenbrook and Cherami Leigh definitely have incredible chemistry as Kirito and Asuna, and it's great getting to see how great of a team they were even before everything that is supposed to happen later on. 

      I also like how we see some genuine character from Kibaou, and Derek Stephen Prince does an excellent job providing the voice of this gruff but trustworthy guild leader. I really like seeing how he wasn't just some cold hearted jerk early on, which is kinda neat. Speaking of which, this movie gives a lot of character development for Argo, voiced brilliantly by Kimberly Anne Campbell. I also liked seeing her signature weapons getting used in this movie, something we didn't see in her sole appearance in the first season, as well as her close connection to both Kirito and Asuna. 

       Lastly, the art design in Scherzo of Deep Night is simply stunning. I especially enjoyed the mixture of hand drawn and computer animation during the boss fight against the Floor Five boss, which was an epic fight that had me on the edge of my seat. 

      So, to wrap up my review here, Scherzo of Deep Night answers a number of questions that were left unanswered at the end of Aria of a Starless Night. Is it for everyone? Nah, not really. However, it definitely is one that is for fans of Sword Art Online, both long time and newly found. I'm giving Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night a rating of 4.85/5. 

       Well guys, this is Chuck signing off for now. Be sure to join me on Thursday when we continue Disney Renaissance Month with my review of The Lion King.

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