A long-form promotional anime titled Unanswered//butterfly has been announced for the upcoming console game Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad, which is set in the universe of Sword Art Online.
The anime, produced by Polygon Pictures, will run for 110 minutes and is described as a feature-length promotional project tied to the game. It will be bundled with select Japanese editions of the title, including the Ultimate Edition, Premium Edition, and Premium Edition Dengeki Special Pack.
The special will also be screened at a promotional event in Japan on May 9 ahead of the game’s launch, and the project is expected to be shown or distributed separately for promotional purposes.
The story returns to the deadly world of Sword Art Online, the first full-dive VRMMO where dying in the game also means dying in reality.
Emirun and Rex, who knew each other in the real world, reunite by chance inside the game after it becomes a death trap. The two join a map exploration party to learn how to survive in the unforgiving environment.
Their situation changes when they encounter a mysterious Player Killer known as the Black Swordsman. Emirun arrives to find Rex collapsed in despair and the swordsman standing over him. After their entire scouting party is wiped out, the pair begin training under the prodigious swordswoman Asuna in hopes of avenging their fallen comrades.
In the world we already know to have players turn on one another, the story follows the two as they search for a new beginning within the popular game. The voice cast includes:
- Tomoyo Kurosawa as Emirun
- Koki Uchiyama as Rex
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Kirito (Black Swordsman)
- Haruka Tomatsu as Asuna
The staff:
- Original Work: Reki Kawahara
- Original Character Draft: abec
- Director: Tadahiro “Tady” Yoshihira
- Screenplay: Keisuke Makino, Tadahiro Yoshihira
- Music: kegani (LIVE LAB.), Pan (LIVE LAB.), Iruma Rioka (LIVE LAB.)
- Animation Production: Polygon Pictures
The theme song “Reach for the Rainbow” will be performed by Iori (voiced by Reia Kato) and Lara (voiced by Rina), with lyrics, composition, and arrangement by a2c and TERRA of MintJam.
Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad is scheduled to launch July 10, with the Unanswered//butterfly promotional anime included in select editions of the game.
Source: Sword Art Online Official YouTube
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