Dengeki Novel Prize
Kawahara entered the first "Accel World" novel into ASCII Media Works' 15th Dengeki Novel Prize in 2008 and the novel won the Grand Prize. The first novel was published by ASCII Media Works on February 10, 2009 under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. As of September 7, 2018, 23 volumes have been published. An anime series debuted in April 2012. After gaining fame from the Dengeki award, Kawahara republished "Sword Art Online" in print. 21 volumes have been published as of December 2018, as well as six volumes of "Sword Art Online: Progressive". An anime series premiered in July 2012, and was followed by a for-TV movie "Sword Art Online Extra Edition" on December 31, 2013 a second anime series, "Sword Art Online II", in July 2014, a theatrical film adaptation, "," in February 2017"," and the first of two seasons for the third anime series, "," in October 2018.