# Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale (劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン -オーディナル・スケール-)
**Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale** (劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン -オーディナル・スケール-) is a 2017 Japanese animated science fiction action film and the first theatrical feature of the *Sword Art Online* franchise, built on a completely new original story written by the series' creator [Reki Kawahara](https://www.edgepedia.org/reki-kawahara) rather than adapted from any published novel volume[1](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/pdf/354344) • [2](https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/documents/global/news_release/20161003_f4i3n.pdf). Directed by Tomohiko Ito and produced by A-1 Pictures, it was released in Japanese theaters on February 18, 2017, in a simultaneous worldwide release[2](https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/documents/global/news_release/20161003_f4i3n.pdf) • [3](https://bukuro-souken.com/en/article/16825/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Japanese release | February 18, 2017, distributed by Aniplex; 119 minutes; rated G in Japan[1](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/pdf/354344) |
| Story | Original screenplay by Reki Kawahara and Tomohiko Ito, not adapted from the light novels[4](https://sao-movie.net/us/staffcast/) |
| Setting | 2026, four years after the development of the full-dive device NerveGear; a new AR wearable device, the Augma, drives a boom in the ARMMORPG "Ordinal Scale"[1](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/pdf/354344) |
| Key staff | Director Tomohiko Ito; character design Shingo Adachi (concept by abec); music Yuki Kajiura; animation A-1 Pictures[4](https://sao-movie.net/us/staffcast/) |
| North American box office | $1.35 million in the first four days across 560 theaters, an opening weekend record for Aniplex of America[5](https://aniplexusa.com/pdf/PR_031517_SAO_the_Movie_Ordinal_Scale.pdf) |
| Franchise context | The *Sword Art Online* light novels had sold 12.5 million copies in Japan and 19 million worldwide as of August 2016[2](https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/documents/global/news_release/20161003_f4i3n.pdf) |
| Later home video | 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray released February 28, 2024, followed by Dolby Cinema re-releases in Japan[6](https://sao-movie.net/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
The film is set in 2026, four years after the development of the full-dive device NerveGear, which triggered the rise of virtual-reality gaming[1](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/pdf/354344). A next-generation wearable device called the Augma challenges the NerveGear and its successor, the Amusphere: it drops the full-dive function entirely and instead uses augmented reality, sending visual, auditory, and tactile information to users while they remain awake and conscious[1](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/pdf/354344) • [7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/sword-art-online-the-movie-ordinal-scale). Its safety and convenience make it an instant hit, and the exclusive ARMMORPG *Ordinal Scale* (OS) sweeps the world[1](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/pdf/354344).
Kirito, the "Black Swordsman" who once led the clearing of SAO, takes up the new game along with Asuna and their companions, but the game proves to be anything but harmless entertainment[1](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/pdf/354344) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sword_art_online_the_movie_ordinal_scale). As players find the line between the [virtual world](https://www.edgepedia.org/virtual-world) and reality blurring, their worst nightmares begin coming true[9](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/sword-art-online-the-movie-ordinal-scale/). The new characters include the mysterious songstress Yuna, Eiji, the second-ranked player in Ordinal Scale, and Professor Shigemura, developer of the Augma[2](https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/documents/global/news_release/20161003_f4i3n.pdf). A review account notes that partway through the film Asuna loses her memories, and the effort to recover them supplies the urgency the story runs on[10](https://apieceofanime.com/2017/03/10/sword-art-online-ordinal-scale-review/).
### Place in the franchise
The film was positioned as part of an effort to revive the franchise ahead of a possible third season and to open opportunities overseas[12](https://www.kaorinusantara.or.id/english/3662). Because it is an original story written for the film rather than an adaptation, its events sit alongside the light-novel continuity. Its characters Eiji and Yuna later appeared as selectable fighters in the video game *Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream*[13](https://as.com/meristation/analisis/analisis-de-sword-art-online-fractured-daydream-dentro-del-multiverso-n/).
The film has remained in circulation: as of 2026 it streams in the United States on Hulu and [Crunchyroll](https://www.edgepedia.org/crunchyroll), and can be bought or rented on Amazon Video, the Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home[7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/sword-art-online-the-movie-ordinal-scale). Kadokawa marked the property's longevity with a 4K [Ultra HD Blu-ray](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultra-hd-blu-ray) on February 28, 2024, and Dolby Cinema re-releases in Japan that year[6](https://sao-movie.net/).
## Production
**From VR to AR.** The film project began at the end of 2014, after the second season of the TV anime ended, but nothing was settled until 2015, when Reki Kawahara supplied ideas and the team decided to build the story around augmented reality rather than virtual reality[3](https://bukuro-souken.com/en/article/16825/). Director Tomohiko Ito, who also serves as general manager of Aniplex's script room, explained the choice as a deliberate change to the game setting: in AR players can only move their own bodies as they would in real life, and since swords do not physically exist, one-on-one sword fights had to be depicted carefully, with team play used to fill the gap[3](https://bukuro-souken.com/en/article/16825/).
Ito initially worried that AR would look technologically backward next to the series' VR settings, and that staff unfamiliar with the technology would be hard to brief. The huge success of *Pokemon GO* resolved this: he could simply describe Ordinal Scale as a game where you fight in *Pokemon GO*, and he credited Niantic for making AR a familiar presence[3](https://bukuro-souken.com/en/article/16825/).
**Real-world locations.** Because of the AR gimmick, the film shows many real places. Ito selected locations that offered open battle space and recognizable landmarks, and the entire film was shot (as reference) in Tokyo. The Akihabara UDX building, where the story first appears, was specified by Kawahara himself from the plotting stage, a location familiar from the Dengeki Bunko Autumn Festival[3](https://bukuro-souken.com/en/article/16825/).
**Staff and cast.** Kawahara wrote the script with Ito; Shingo Adachi handled character design and served as chief animation director, working from abec's original novel illustrations; [Yuki Kajiura](https://www.edgepedia.org/yuki-kajiura) composed the music; and A-1 Pictures produced the animation, as it had the TV series[4](https://sao-movie.net/us/staffcast/) • [1](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/pdf/354344). [Yoshitsugu Matsuoka](https://www.edgepedia.org/yoshitsugu-matsuoka) voiced Kirito (Kazuto Kirigaya) and [Haruka Tomatsu](https://www.edgepedia.org/haruka-tomatsu) voiced Asuna, with Sayaka Kanda as Yuna, Yoshio Inoue as Eiji, Takeshi Kaga as Tetsuhiro Shigemura, and Koichi Yamadera returning as Akihiko Kayaba[5](https://aniplexusa.com/pdf/PR_031517_SAO_the_Movie_Ordinal_Scale.pdf). The English dub cast Bryce Papenbrook as Kirito and Cherami Leigh as Asuna[5](https://aniplexusa.com/pdf/PR_031517_SAO_the_Movie_Ordinal_Scale.pdf).
## Release and reception
Kadokawa announced a simultaneous worldwide release on February 18, 2017, unusual for an anime film at the time, and opened an English-language website for the novels to raise international awareness ahead of it[2](https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/documents/global/news_release/20161003_f4i3n.pdf). In North America, Aniplex of America reported $1.35 million grossed in the first four days across 560 theaters, an opening weekend record for the company's theatrical releases, and the English-dub version returned to theaters on April 22, 2017, for a limited engagement[5](https://aniplexusa.com/pdf/PR_031517_SAO_the_Movie_Ordinal_Scale.pdf).
Critical response was modest in volume but positive on aggregate: Rotten Tomatoes lists a 100% Tomatometer from five critics and an 80% Popcornmeter audience score from more than 50 ratings[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sword_art_online_the_movie_ordinal_scale). Metacritic lists no critic reviews but a user score of 7.6 from 60 ratings, in the "Generally Favorable" band[9](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/sword-art-online-the-movie-ordinal-scale/). IGN's Alex Osborn scored it 7.5/10, calling it a solid original story for fans awaiting a third season[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sword_art_online_the_movie_ordinal_scale). Reviewers highlighted the film's reflections on humanity's relationship with technology[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sword_art_online_the_movie_ordinal_scale), while a Crunchyroll review found the direction lifeless outside the action scenes but judged that the film achieves a peak of fan service in Kirito once again becoming the Black Swordsman[11](https://www.crunchyroll.com/th/news/features/2017/3/17/feature-sword-art-online-ordinal-scale-review).
## References
1. [劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン －オーディナル・スケール－, allcinema database](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/pdf/354344)
2. [KADOKAWA news release, October 3, 2016: worldwide simultaneous release of Sword Art Online The Movie -Ordinal Scale-](https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/documents/global/news_release/20161003_f4i3n.pdf)
3. [Interview with Tomohiko Ito, Director of "SWORD ART ONLINE THE MOVIE -Ordinal Scale-", Bukuro Souken / Akiba Research Institute, February 18, 2017](https://bukuro-souken.com/en/article/16825/)
4. [SWORD ART ONLINE The Movie - Ordinal Scale - Official Site (US), Staff & Cast](https://sao-movie.net/us/staffcast/)
5. [Aniplex of America press release, March 15, 2017: Ordinal Scale makes $1.35 million in first four days of North American release](https://aniplexusa.com/pdf/PR_031517_SAO_the_Movie_Ordinal_Scale.pdf)
6. [劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン -オーディナル・スケール- 公式サイト](https://sao-movie.net/)
7. [Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/sword-art-online-the-movie-ordinal-scale)
8. [Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sword_art_online_the_movie_ordinal_scale)
9. [Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/sword-art-online-the-movie-ordinal-scale/)
10. [Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale Review, A Piece of Anime, March 10, 2017](https://apieceofanime.com/2017/03/10/sword-art-online-ordinal-scale-review/)
11. [FEATURE: "Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale" Review, Crunchyroll News, March 17, 2017](https://www.crunchyroll.com/th/news/features/2017/3/17/feature-sword-art-online-ordinal-scale-review)
12. [Sword Art Online Ordinal Scale Review, KAORI Nusantara / Indonesian Anime Times](https://www.kaorinusantara.or.id/english/3662)
13. [Análisis de Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream, MeriStation](https://as.com/meristation/analisis/analisis-de-sword-art-online-fractured-daydream-dentro-del-multiverso-n/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Films by genre, form, and subject › Animated and short films › Japanese anime features › Released 2014 to 2026*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license