This Anime TV Film is an addition to the SAO series. Is it any good? Here’s my Sword Art Online Extra Edition Review.
Sword Art Online Extra Edition is a made for TV movie that takes place after the events of the Sword Art Online TV series. I already reviewed Sword Art Online here, so you can check that review for info on art work, music, and voice acting. All of that remains the same in this movie.
I usually refrain from posting any spoilers in my reviews, but Sword Art Online Extra Edition has very little content, I think it’s best to reveal a few small points so I can actually write about something.
This made for TV film is one hour and 43 minutes long. It takes place after the events of the 25 episodes of the Sword Art Online series. The main character, Kirigaya Kazuto (also known as Kirito), is called in by a school counselor. In actuality, he was called in to speak with a detective of sorts who is in charge of the Sword Art Online and Alfheim Online cases. While in the office, he recounts the events of SAO and ALO since this man helped Kirito find Asuna in the real world after Sword Art Online was cleared.
The movie shifts in and out of clips from the past to present day. In addition to Kazuto’s recollections, a side story plays out at the school’s pool. Kazuto’s sister, Suguha, is learning how to swim with help from Asuna, Silica, and Lisbeth. They also talk about the SAO and ALO, but more about how they first met Kirito. So, for the first hour and twenty minutes of the movie, everyone covers the events of both SAO and ALO.
The last twenty minutes of the film takes place within Alfheim Online. The gang reunites to have a little fun at the beach, then decides to take on a side quest for Yui. It’s nothing groundbreaking and wouldn’t even make a very great episode by itself, but it does slightly tie into the swimming scenes from earlier since the quest takes place in an underwater castle.
Overall, this film is a nice stroll down memory lane to watch once or twice, but it definitely is not worth buying. It’s best to re-watch the entire series than see these clips compressed into an hour and twenty minutes. If you still would like to buy Sword Art Online Extra Edition as a huge fan of SAO, the prices are going higher and higher, and the limited edition is very hard to find. It seems as though the Blu Rays are no longer being produced. You can still get the standard edition Blu Ray at Amazon for around $70.