Sword Art Online the Movie -Ordinal Scale- has finally made its way to streaming platforms.
Sword Art Online the Movie -Ordinal Scale- is now available to stream on Crunchyroll and Funimation as of Friday, Nov. 5. The film is available in both English and Japanese audio with the option for subtitles.
Sword Art Online, originally a web novel written by Reki Kawahara, follows Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya and Asuna Yuuki on their journey through a variety of virtual reality MMORPGs. The story was originally published on Kawahara's website from 2002 to 2008. However, following its explosive popularity, the story was adapted into a light novel illustrated by abec, a manga illustrated by Tamako Nakamura and serialized in Dengeki Bunko Magazine, an anime produced by studio A-1 Pictures and several video games. Sword Art Online has since seen massive commercial success, with the light novels having sold well over 20 million copies worldwide.
Sword Art Online the Movie -Ordinal Scale-, originally released in Japan in February 2017, is the first film in the franchise. Produced by Aniplex and studio A-1 Pictures, the movie is directed by Tomohiko Ito and based on the original work of creator Reki Kawahara, as well as a screenplay written by Ito.
The story takes place in 2026, four years after the Sword Art Online incident of the original series. A state of the art device called the Augma has been developed in lieu of the NerveGear and Amusphere. Unlike the virtual reality utilized by its precursors, the Augma utilizes augmented reality which allows its users to safely play while still conscious. Kirito reluctantly joins Asuna and their friends to play the most popular game on the Augma, Ordinal Scale. However, they soon find out that there is more to the game than meets the eye.
Since its release, Sword Art Online the Movie -Ordinal Scale- has grossed $29.3 million worldwide at the box office. It's now ready to stream on Crunchyroll and Funimation as of Friday, Nov. 5 at 8:00am PST. Fans looking to catch up on the anime before watching the movie can view the full series with an audio of their choosing on both of these platforms as well.
Those looking for more after watching the movie can purchase tickets to the second film in the franchise, Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night, which go on sale Nov. 12. This film is set to release on Dec. 3.
Source: Crunchyroll, Funimation
