According to recently released statistics, the sales of Light Novel Sword Art Online have surpassed 30 million copies in print.
Sword Art Online, abbreviated SAO, is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. The series is set in the near future of the arrival of the VRMMO world. The light novel series was published under the ASCII Media Works Dengeki Bunko label from April 10, 2009. An anime series produced by A-1 Pictures premiered in Japan from July to December 2012. An anime series A second season titled Sword Art Online II was released in July 2014. In the same year, a special episode of Sword Art Online: Extra Edition was released. In 2017, the movie Sword Art Online: The Boundary of Illusion was released worldwide. An anime film adaptation of Sword Art Online: Progressive titled Sword Art Online Progressive: Hoshi Naki Yoru no Aria premiered on October 30, 2021 in Japan. The second film titled Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk is scheduled to premiere in 2022.
According to the Japanese newspaper Sankei News, in an article about the Sword Art Online anime’s 10th anniversary exhibition, it was mentioned that the number of copies of Sword Art Online’s Light Novels has surpassed 30 million worldwide!
This is an impressive number in the light novel industry, as it can be said that 30 million copies are at the top of the list of LN works being released today, surpassing many other hit works like Toaru Majutsu no Index, TenSura, (30-31 million copies worldwide including manga and spinoffs), Suzumiya Haruhi, Mahouka, Slayers… (20 million.)
Kawahara Reki wrote the first volume in 2002 to enter the ASCII Media Works Dengeki Game Novel Prize (currently Dengeki Novel Prize) competition, but was not reviewed because the page limit was exceeded. Instead, he posted the series on the internet under the pseudonym Kunori Fumio. Over time, he wrote three more volumes and several short stories. In 2008, he again entered the competition and wrote Accel World, this time he won the grand prize. In addition to Accel World, he was asked by ASCII Media Works to publish his first work, Sword Art Online. Kawahara agreed and withdrew the online version. The series was republished as a paper novel starting on April 10, 2009. On October 10, 2012, the first volume of the Sword Art Online: Progressive series was released. Progressive follows Kirito’s journey on the first and second floors of Aincrad. The second volume was published in December 2013.
There are also a number of doujinshi written by Reki Kawahara himself under the pseudonym Kunori Fumio, titled Sword Art Online Material Edition. The latest volume of Material Edition is volume 12 released on May 5, 2014. The author also collaborated with Kurusu Tatsuya to write several other doujinshi, Lisbeth Edition, Silica Edition and Pina Edition. These doujinshi add additional information about the characters from the original series.
>>> See More: ‘Strict’ regulations so that Marvel can restrict actors from revealing secrets
>>> Get the latest news about movies/story here.