Sword Art Online (2012)
Anime series · 25 episodes · A-1 Pictures · directed by Tomohiko Itou
ActionAdventureFantasyRomance
Sword Art Online, from A-1 Pictures and director Tomohiko Itou, is an action-adventure fantasy romance. Players of a new VRMMORPG become trapped in the virtual world, where death in-game means death in reality. The male protagonist and other players must clear all 100 floors of the game's tower to escape.
Sword Art Online screencaps & stills
Reference frames from Sword Art Online.
Sword Art Online in motion
Short loops for study, each cut to a single shot.
The story
Sword Art Online plunges players into a perilous virtual reality. Utilizing advanced NerveGear technology, individuals immerse themselves in a new VRMMORPG, only to discover they are unable to log out. The game's creator reveals the chilling truth: they are prisoners within the digital realm. To escape, players must conquer all 100 floors of Aincrad, the game's towering world, and defeat its ultimate boss.
The stakes are terrifyingly real, as death within the game's virtual confines translates to death in the real world. This dire situation forces the male protagonist and his fellow trapped players into a desperate struggle for survival. Their journey through the fantasy landscape is driven by the singular goal of clearing the game, with their lives hanging in the balance with every battle and every floor ascended.
Credits & cast
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Director
- Tomohiko Itou
- Music
- Yuki Kajiura
- Voice
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Kazuto Kirigaya
- Voice
- Haruka Tomatsu as Asuna Yuuki
- Voice
- Ayana Taketatsu as Suguha Kirigaya
Where to watch Sword Art Online
Streaming services that list it. Availability changes by country.
Sword Art Online colour palette
The main colours across the whole series, by share of the picture.
Colour script
The dominant colour of each sampled frame, from the first minute to the last.
Where Sword Art Online happens
stoneforestnightwoodenwallfuturisticfloorcity
Sword Art Online background art
Frames with no characters in them: the places, as painted.
More from A-1 Pictures
More by Tomohiko Itou
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Sword Art Online Extra Edition 2013
Anime like Sword Art Online
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Looks like it
Matched frame to frame, on style and colour.
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic 2012
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Similar stories
Questions about Sword Art Online
Who made Sword Art Online?
Sword Art Online (2012) was animated by A-1 Pictures and directed by Tomohiko Itou.
Where can I watch Sword Art Online?
Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix, iQ, Bilibili TV list Sword Art Online. Availability changes by country.
What anime are like Sword Art Online?
Fans most often recommend Log Horizon, Accel World, BTOOOM!, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?. In look: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Persona 3 the Movie: #4 Winter of Rebirth, Blue Exorcist: The Movie.
See more of Sword Art Online
Every reference frame and clip, searchable by what is in the shot — a character, a place, a light.
Frames and loops from Sword Art Online (2012) © A-1 Pictures, shown at reduced size as reference for study and commentary. Rights questions: copyright@framethrower.ai.