Sword Art Online Progressive

Reki Kawahara

Sep 2015 · Sword Art Online Progressive Vol 3 · Sold by Yen Press LLC

About this ebook

"Here we go, Asuna! Hang on tight! Tilnel, launch!" Having said their good-byes to the mysterious elven knight Kizmel, Kirito and Asuna set their sights on the fourth floor of Aincrad. But once they open the door, they find the way forward blocked by a powerfully flowing river. The updated version of the fourth floor has been changed into a water world! When they finally arrive at the floor's town, they're greeted by chalk-white streets and countless gondolas of all sizes. To navigate this place, Kirito and Asuna will need their own gondola--but getting one will involve confronting an eight-meter-tall beast of flame: Magnaterium...And that's only the beginning of the difficulties the fourth floor of Aincrad has in store! Sword Art Online: Progressive, a new version of the Sword Art Online tale chronicling the entirety of Kirito and Asuna's epic adventure through Aincrad, continues!

Ratings and reviews

Unfortunately this is when Asuna is subject to a myriad of rude jokes, not that those are anything new to the anime series (particularly second season of the first project), but I still feel it is in some poor taste (I did find the one where Kirito teases Asuna slightly in the dungeon to be funny, he deliberately set himself up to be the butt end of that joke). Still I do enjoy this rendition of the character and storyline for the most part.

I love the SAO series, especially the original arc and was really glad that they were going back and expanding on that world. Volume 3 was a fun read but didn't really give me an illicit thrill or anything truly new like volumes 1 and 2 did. It was a lot of almost filler with the stupid blacksmith scandal. Still fun, just a little unsatisfied. Here's hoping for volume 4

I can't get into this series. Maybe because the anime was crummy and just plain awful, but this plot is too predictable to me and the characters are as well. It's readable just not something I'd recommend.

About the author

Kiseki Himura is the artist behind the manga adaptation of Sword Art Online: Progressive. Reki Kawahara is an award winning author best known for his light novel series, Sword Art Online and Accel World.