If you’re a fan of the anime series Sword Art Online and its many different adaptations, then you might be excited to hear that character designs for the franchise’s new manga, Sword Art Online Progressive, have been revealed. The new manga by Kiseki Himura will premiere in the August issue of Dengeki G’s Magazine, and is based on a light novel series of the same name.
The Sword Art Online Progressive light novel is a reboot of the original light novel series (both by author Reki Kawahara). It follows Kirito’s progress through the first two floors of Aincrad, and includes rewrites of two side stories.
Sword Art Online is the story of a gamer named Kirito who, along with thousands of other players, is trapped in a virtual reality MMORPG by the game’s creator. They have to clear the game in order to return to the real world; but if they die in the game, then their real bodies die, as well. Kirito is a loner by nature, but the circumstances of the game force him into contact with other players with mixed results.
The anime series has been licensed in North America by Aniplex USA, and fans will also be able to catch the series on Cartoon Network’s Toonami starting this August. If you can’t wait that long, then Sword Art Online can also be watched via stream on Crunchyroll.
