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Sword Art Online has been an immensely popular light novel since it first came out. But during the anime adaptation, the series hit a roadblock and posed a unique challenge to author, Reki Kawahara.

Moonlit Black Cats from Sword Art Online. [Credit: A-1 Pictures]

The story-telling in the light novel was episodic and had chronological cut-offs at multiple points. While the readers loved the pacing, turning the work into a 25-minute episode was turning out to be a herculean task for the production team. Naturally, they requested him to expand his story for the anime.

New Stories Were Written to be Adapted Into Anime Kirito from Sword Art Online. [Credit: A-1 Pictures]

The production teams usually take creative liberties in filling the gaps from the original sources, whether light novels or manga. The Sword Art Online production team wanted to stay authentic and not let the series feel fragmented.

Reki Kawahara stepped in as requested and...

New York, NY (1/5/24) – Yen Press, LLC announced nine new titles joining its June 2024 lineup, including seven manga, one novel (Demons' Crest), and one artbook (Visions 2023__Illustrators Book).

A Sinner of the Deep Sea

By Akihito Tomi

The ocean covers about 70 percent of the earth's surface—a whole world, yet unknown to humanity… And in its depths, a nation, thousands of meters beneath the waves. There, the mermaid Jo has been whiling away her days in peace. But that tranquility is shattered when her friend Ryuu is locked away for breaking the gravest of undersea laws: that humans must never know of the world below.

But why would Ryuu let the secret slip? And who did she tell? The curtain rises on Jo's adventure to save her friend—and on her love..!?

Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra

Original Story by Fehu Kazuno

Art by Yasaiko Midorihana

“I reincarnated as an evil god.” Takuto Ira,...

Sword Art Online Volume 21 by author Reki Kawahara and artist abec has finally been released in Japan. The new book launches the Sao: Unital Ring story arc that is a direct sequel to the ending of the Alicization arc in Volume 18. Unital Ring’s new characters are both a blast from the past and a connection to the future. Already, fans are noting the direct link to Accel World with the introduction of a new Sao character named Kamura Shikimi. And, what’s this… rat girl Argo is back!? Besides the Ordinal Scale movie and the Progressive series, Sword Art Online: […]

The post Sword Art Online: Unital Ring (Volume 21) released: Accel World connection and new Sao girls Argo and Kamura Shikimi revealed [Spoilers] appeared first on Monsters and Critics.

There are many famous crossovers in gaming history, and whilst many of them are flawed, some (such as Marvel vs Capcom 2, Battletoads vs. Double Dragon and many more) are sublime. I’d never played either an Accel World or a Sword Art Online game when I came into Accel World vs Sword Art Online, so I entered it with an open mind, and I’ve spent a fair few hours over the past few days in researching both series.

Both Accel World and Sword Art Online were created by Reki Kawahara, and feature a back catalogue of Manga comics and cartoons that deal with fairly light, adventurous plots and themes. Both focus heavily on the advanced, virtual reality worlds that are present in each fiction and, I discovered, fans of Kawahara have long suspected that the worlds crossed over anyway. It isn’t even a massive spoiler for me to...

Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe have revealed the pre-order contents and the official Accel World vs. Sword Art Online release date – which is now set for 7th July 2017.

The PS4 digital pre-order will give access to the Sao Origins Pack that features 4 different costumes; Kirito and Sinon Ggo Avatar Costumes, Knights of The Blood Oath Costume, Kirito Fairy Dance Avatar Costume and an additional playable character – Sachi. Plus, for those who are part of the Bandai Namco Entertainment Loyalty Program and request it, the Sao Ordinal Scale Pack that features Kirito and Asuna Ordinal Scale Costumes and a second Playable Character – Yuna will be made available from the 7th July – 7th August in limited quantities for free. To get this pack, the player has to connect to www.bandainamcoent.eu , subscribe to the loyalty program if one has not already and request the code that he/she will receive by mail.

Sega have today announced a partnership with Japanese video game developers Ecole and French Bread to bring Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax to the West for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2015. For those unaware of the title, Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax is a 2D crossover fighting game featuring popular characters from Japanese novels published under the Dengeki Bunko label.

The Dengeki Bunko collection boasts a vast array of beloved characters who lend themselves flawlessly to this highly balanced, easy-to-learn, high-action 2D fighting game. In Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax players attack, guard, and take damage in order to build their Climax Meter, allowing them to execute moves which recreate highlight scenes from the original novels, even adding specially arranged animations for characters who do not fight in the original works. The game includes characters from numerous Dengeki Bunko works alongside several fan-favorite Sega characters brought together in Sega-themed environments.

Playable characters include...

The following is a list of all comic books, graphic novels and specialty items that will be available this week and shipped to comic book stores who have placed orders for them.

Andrews McMeel

Fun With Kirk And Spock Hc, $14.95

Antarctic Press

Gold Digger #212, $3.99

Steam Wars #5, $3.99

Archie Comic Publications

Archie 1000-Page Comics Explosion Tp, $14.99

Archie Comics Digest #253, $4.99

Avatar Press

Caliban #1 (Facundo Percio Final Frontier Cover), $3.99

Caliban #5 (Facundo Percio Design Sketch Incentive Cover), Ar

Caliban #5 (Facundo Percio Regular Cover), $3.99

Caliban #5 (Facundo Percio Terror Cover), $3.99

Caliban #5 (Facundo Percio Wraparound Cover), $3.99

Crossed Badlands #50 (Michael Dipascale Trophies Cover), $5.99

Crossed Badlands #58 (Christian Zanier Red Crossed Incentive Cover), Ar

Crossed Badlands #58 (Christian Zanier Regular Cover), $3.99

Crossed Badlands #58 (Fernando Heinz Fatal Fantasy Cover), $3.99

Crossed Badlands #58 (Ignacio Calero Wraparound Cover), $3.99

Crossed Badlands #58 (Tim Vigil Torture Cover), $3.99

Extinction Parade War #1 (Raulo Caceres Leather Cover), $19.99

Extinction Parade War #1 Deluxe Collector Box Set, $99.99

George R.R. Martin’s In The House Of...