Watch Order
0 / 3 watchedTV series then both films in release order.
About Arpeggio of Blue Steel
Arpeggio of Blue Steel began as a 12 episode TV series in 2013 from Sanzigen, adapting Ark Performance manga about the Fog fleet blockade. Cadet Gunzo Chihaya commands the rogue submarine I-401 with Mental Model Iona against flagships Kongou, Haruna and Kirishima. The run covers the Yokosuka escape, an island supply mission and first talks with Mental Models.
Two films followed in 2015: Ars Nova DC recaps TV with new scenes, and Ars Nova Cadenza gives the new final battle. Watch TV first, then DC as a bridge, then Cadenza for the ending. Later manga chapters were never animated, so TV plus Cadenza is the complete screen story.
Good to know
Watch the 12 TV episodes first, then Ars Nova DC, then Ars Nova Cadenza. DC recaps the series with added scenes, so it works as a refresher before Cadenza. Cadenza assumes you know Iona, Gunzo and the Fog commanders from TV. The manga runs past this point but no further anime adapts it, so these three entries form the full path from blockade to academy finale.
