Accel World

Accel World

First light novel volume cover, featuring Kuroyukihime
アクセル・ワールド
(Akuseru Wārudo)
Genre Action, Cyberpunk, Romance
Light novel
Written by Reki Kawahara
Illustrated by HiMA
Published by ASCII Media Works
English publisher
Demographic Male
Imprint Dengeki Bunko
Magazine Dengeki Bunko Magazine
Original run February 10, 2009 – present
Volumes 19
Manga
Written by Reki Kawahara
Illustrated by Hiroyuki Aigamo
Published by ASCII Media Works
English publisher
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Dengeki Bunko Magazine
Original run May 2010 – present
Volumes 5
Manga
Axel World
Written by Reki Kawahara
Illustrated by Ryuryū Akari
Published by ASCII Media Works
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Dengeki Bunko Magazine
Original run May 2010 – present
Volumes 3
Manga
Accel World / Dural: Magisa Garden
Written by Reki Kawahara
Illustrated by Ayato Sasakura
Published by ASCII Media Works
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Dengeki Daioh
Original run January 27, 2012 – present
Volumes 4
Anime television series
Directed by Masakazu Obara
Written by Hiroyuki Yoshino
Studio Sunrise
Licensed by
Hanabee
MVM Films
Network Tokyo MX, TVS, CTC, tvk, TVA, MBS, AT-X, HBC, RKB, BS11
English network
Original run April 6, 2012 September 21, 2012
Episodes 24 (+ 2 OVA episodes)
Game
Accel World: Ginyoku no Kakusei
Developer Banpresto
Publisher Namco Bandai Games
Genre Fighting game
Platform PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable
Released September 13, 2012
Game
Accel World: Kasoku no Chōten
Developer Banpresto
Publisher Namco Bandai Games
Genre Fighting game
Platform PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable
Released January 31, 2013
Anime film
Accel World: Infinite∞Burst
Directed by Masakazu Obara[1]
Written by Reki Kawahara
Studio Sunrise
Released July 23, 2016

Accel World (アクセル・ワールド Akuseru Wārudo) is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by HiMA. The series began publication in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko imprint from February 2009 and is licensed in North America by Yen Press. Two manga series began serialization in Dengeki Bunko Magazine from May 2010, with another series beginning serialization in Dengeki Daioh in January 2013. An anime adaptation by Sunrise aired in Japan between April and September 2012. An English-language version began streaming on Viz Media's Neon Alley service from April 2013. Two video games were released for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 on September 13, 2012, and January 31, 2013, each containing an original video animation episode. An anime film titled Accel World: Infinite Burst featuring an original story by Kawahara has also been announced and will premiere in 2016 .

Plot

Haruyuki "Haru" Arita is a short, overweight boy who is frequently ridiculed by delinquents at the Umesato Junior High School. Using his Neuro Linker to escape the torment of real life, he logs onto the school's Local Network cyberspace where he always plays virtual squash alone, and his innate video game skills bring him to the attention of Kuroyukihime (literally meaning "Black Snow Princess"), the school's popular and attractive female Student Council Vice-President.

After helping him against the delinquents, Kuroyukihime introduces Haruyuki to Brain Burst, a secret program that is able to accelerate the human cognitive process to the point at which time appears to stop. Haruyuki soon learns that Brain Burst is more than just a program, but an Augmented Reality Massively Multiplayer Online (ARMMO) Fighting Game where people fight each other in fierce duels in order to obtain Burst Points which can be spent for acceleration abilities in the real world.

Kuroyukihime then enlists Haruyuki's help in reaching Level 10 within Brain Burst by defeating the "Six Kings of Pure Colour" and ultimately meet the creator of Brain Burst to learn its true purpose. With every challenge they face in the Accelerated World, Haru and Kuroyukihime, under their aliases "Silver Crow" and "Black Lotus", gather trusted allies, confront treacherous enemies and their bond grows stronger while working to attain their ultimate objective: to reach the highest in-game level and meet the game's creator.

Media

Light novels

Accel World began as a light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by HiMA. Originally, Kawahara entered the first novel in the series into ASCII Media Works' 15th Dengeki Novel Prize in 2008 and the novel won the Grand Prize.[2] The first novel was published by ASCII Media Works on February 10, 2009 under their Dengeki Bunko imprint.[3] As of June 2015, 18 volumes have been published.[4] At their Japan Expo USA panel, Yen Press announced the rights to publish the light novels in English.[5] The first volume was released on July 22, 2014.[6]

No.TitleJapanese releaseEnglish release
1Kuroyukihime's Return
Kuroyukihime no Kikan (黒雪姫の帰還)
February 10, 2009[3]
ISBN 978-4-04-867517-8
July 22, 2014[6]
ISBN 978-0-316-37673-0
2The Red Storm Princess
Kurenai no Bōfūki (紅の暴風姫)
June 10, 2009[7]
ISBN 978-4-04-867843-8
November 18, 2014[8]
ISBN 978-0-316-29636-6
3The Twilight Marauder
Yūyami no Ryakudatsusya (夕闇の略奪者)
October 10, 2009[9]
ISBN 978-4-04-868070-7
March 24, 2015[10]
ISBN 978-0-31-629637-3
4Flight Toward a Blue Sky
Aozora e no Hisyō (蒼空への飛翔)
February 10, 2010[11]
ISBN 978-4-04-868327-2
July 21, 2015[12]
ISBN 978-0-31-629638-0
5The Floating Starlight Bridge
Hoshikage no Ukihashi (星影の浮き橋)
June 10, 2010[13]
ISBN 978-4-04-868593-1
November 17, 2015[14]
ISBN 978-0-31-629639-7
6Shrine Maiden of the Sacred Fire
Jōka no Miko (浄火の神子)
October 10, 2010[15]
ISBN 978-4-04-868969-4
March 22, 2016[16]
ISBN 978-0-31-629640-3
7Armor of Catastrophe
Saika no Yoroi (災禍の鎧)
February 10, 2011[17]
ISBN 978-4-04-870276-8
September 20, 2016[18]
ISBN 978-0-31-635819-4
8Binary Star of Destiny
Unmei no Rensei (運命の連星)
June 10, 2011[19]
ISBN 978-4-04-870550-9
December 13, 2016
ISBN 978-0316317610
9Seven Thousand Year Prayer
Nanasennen no Inori (七千年の祈り)
October 10, 2011[20]
ISBN 978-4-04-870954-5
10Elements (Side Stories)
Elements
December 10, 2011[21]
ISBN 978-4-04-886241-7
11Carbide Wolf
Chōkō no Ōkami (超硬の狼)
April 10, 2012[22]
ISBN 978-4-04-886521-0
12Red Emblem
Aka no Monshō (赤の紋章)
August 10, 2012[23]
ISBN 978-4-04-886795-5
13Waterside Beacon
Mizugiwa no Gōka (水際の号火)
February 10, 2013[24]
ISBN 978-4-04-891330-0
14Archangel of the Tempestuous Light
Gekkō no Daitenshi (激光の大天使)
June 7, 2013[25]
ISBN 978-4-04-891608-0
15Ending and Beginning
Owari to Hajimari (終わりと始まり)
October 10, 2013[26]
ISBN 978-4-04-866005-1
16Shirayukihime's Slumber
Shirayukihime no Madoromi (白雪姫の微睡)
February 8, 2014[27]
ISBN 978-4-04-866320-5
17Cradle of the Stars
Hoshi no Yurikago (星の揺りかご)
October 10, 2014[28]
ISBN 978-4-04-866936-8
18Black Twin-Bladed Swordsman
Kuro no Sokenshi (黒の双剣士)
June 10, 2015[4]
ISBN 978-4-04-865189-9
19The Allure of Nega Nebulus
Nega Nebulus no Inryoku (暗黒星雲の引力)
October 10, 2015[29]
ISBN 978-4-04-865438-8

Manga

A manga adaptation titled Accel World illustrated by Hiroyuki Aigamo began serialization in the May 2010 issue of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko Magazine. The series has been collected in five tankōbon volumes, released between July 27, 2011,[30] and February 27, 2014.[31] A four-panel comic strip manga titled Axel World. (あくちぇる・わーるど。 Akucheru Wārudo) illustrated by Ryuryū Akari also began serialization in the May 2010 issue of Dengeki Bunko Magazine. Three tankōbon volumes were released between July 27, 2011,[32] and October 26, 2013.[33] In February 2014, Yen Press announced they had licensed Accel World for English release in North America.[34] The first three volumes were released on September 23, 2014, December 16, 2014, and March 24, 2015 respectively.[35][36][37]

Accel World
No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBNEnglish release dateEnglish ISBN
1 July 27, 2011[38]ISBN 978-4-04-870630-8September 23, 2014[39]ISBN 978-0-316-33586-7
2 July 27, 2011[40]ISBN 978-4-04-870634-6December 16, 2014[41]ISBN 978-0-316-29634-2
3 August 27, 2012[42]ISBN 978-4-04-886421-3March 24, 2015[43]ISBN 978-0-316-29635-9
4 February 27, 2013[44]ISBN 978-4-04-891398-0July 21, 2015[45]ISBN 978-0-316-30216-6
5 February 27, 2014[46]ISBN 978-4-04-866389-2October 27, 2015ISBN 978-0-316-30614-0
Axel World
No.Release date ISBN
1 July 27, 2011[47]ISBN 978-4-04-870619-3
2 August 27, 2012[48]ISBN 978-4-04-886808-2
3 October 26, 2013[49]ISBN 978-4-04-866082-2
4 March 27, 2015[50]ISBN 978-4-04-869342-4
Accel World / Dural: Magisa Garden
No.Release date ISBN
1 August 27, 2012[51]ISBN 978-4-04-886934-8
2 April 27, 2013[52]ISBN 978-4-04-891617-2
3 January 27, 2014[53]ISBN 978-4-04-866238-3
4 September 27, 2014[54]ISBN 978-4-04-866839-2

Anime

An anime TV series adaptation aired in Japan between April 6, 2012 and September 21, 2012.[55] The opening theme until episode 13 is "Chase the world" by May'n and the ending theme is "→unfinished→" by Kotoko. From episode 14 onwards the opening theme is "Burst the Gravity" by Altima and the ending theme is "unite." by Sachika Misawa.[56] Warner Home Video, ASCII Media Works, Namco Bandai Games, Sunrise and Genco were involved in the production of this adaptation. Viz Media announced the streaming of the anime on Hulu as of April 6, 2012.[57] An English-dubbed version premiered on Viz Media's online streaming service, Neon Alley, on April 19, 2013.[58] A new anime film titled Accel World: Infinite Burst featuring an original story by Kawahara has been announced and confirmed to be released on July 23, 2016.[1]

Video games

Two video games based on the series were developed by Banpresto and published by Namco Bandai Games for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable.[59] The first of these, Accel World: Awakening of the Silver Wings (アクセル・ワールド ─銀翼の覚醒─ Akuseru Wārudo -Gin'yoku no Kakusei-), was released in Japan on September 13, 2012. The second one, Accel World: The Peak of Acceleration (アクセル・ワールド ─加速の頂点─ Akuseru Wārudo -Kasoku no Chōten-), was released in Japan on January 31, 2013. The limited edition versions of these games include an original video animation of the anime series (Blu-ray Disc for the PS3 version, DVD for the PSP version).[60] In Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman for PSP, Silver Crow is an unlockable costume. In Sword Art Online: Lost Song, Black Lotus is an obtainable character and is also one of the opponents you can defeat.[61]

Reception

Anime News Network reviewed the series and gave a story rating of A+, stating a similar basis of Sword Art Online with improved characters.[62] Richard Eisenbeis of Kotaku praised the anime for its well-thought out story, relatable main character, and great villain protagonist, but criticizes the anime for its third arc. At the end, he says that the anime starts out strong, but ends on a weak note.[63] Nifrigel declared great things about the anime in terms of soundtrack, characters, and story, but strongly criticized Reki Kawahara's lack of knowledge in the subject of virtual reality.[64]

References

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  2. 第15回 電撃大賞 入賞作品 [15th Dengeki Bunko Prize Winning Works] (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
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  5. "Yen Press Adds Sword Art Online, Accel World Light Novels, More Madoka Magica Manga". Anime News Network. August 23, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
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  56. "Accel World Future Teen Light Novels Get Anime". Anime News Network. October 1, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  57. "Accel World Viz Media to stream Accel World anime". Anime News Network. April 6, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
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  63. "Accel World Starts Strong, But Ends Wrong". Kotaku.com. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  64. "Nifrigel's Otaku Review: Accel World Review". Plantowatch.blogspot.com. Retrieved November 20, 2015.

External links

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