Thinking we’d seen every corner of Aincrad’s arc, the franchise just gave us a sweet surprise. The editorial team behind Sword Art Online announced the upcoming release of Sword Art Online Material 1: Sugary Days, a new light novel set to land on Japanese shelves this upcoming August 7. Moving away from brutal survival battles, this volume will focus on maximizing the sweet life of newlyweds Kirito and Asuna, promising to be the most romantic and peaceful episode in the entire series.

The narrative of this new book takes us back to when the dangerous conquest of the 75th floor began. After finally confessing their feelings and marrying in the game, the couple seeks peace. The plot promises to melt fans with direct lines from Asuna like “You can do whatever you want… because you belong only to me, Kirito.” However, the real conflict triggers over a simple domestic whim: the young wife wants a custom rocking chair. To fulfill this wish, our protagonist and his partner turn to Mahokle, a talented player skilled in woodcraft, unleashing an unexpected situation that ruins their evening.

Returning to the game’s early stages is a brilliant and safe move by author Reki Kawahara, especially since his literary creation has already surpassed the massive figure of 30 million copies in circulation globally. Although the extensive Alicization arc gave the main TV series a spectacular finale after 97 episodes aired since 2012, the editorial committee knows nostalgia for the couple’s early days sells. In fact, this paper release will serve as an excellent appetizer while the community patiently awaits the recently announced original film, Sword Art Online -Integral Domain-, set to hit theaters as early as 2028.

With the main survival plot already well explored, do you think squeezing these small romantic anecdotes from daily life in Aincrad is exactly what fans need today?