News
The World Ends With You Anime Debuts Worldwide in 2021
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
A panel at the Anime Expo Lite virtual event on Saturday revealed that the anime adaptation of Square Enix's The World Ends with You (Subarashiki Kono Sekai) action role-playing game will be available worldwide in 2021. The title of the anime is The World Ends with You the Animation (Subarashiki Kono Sekai The Animation).
The panel also revealed promotional video and a visual.
Takeharu Ishimoto is returning from the game to compose music for the anime. He stated he created music this time based on the fact that the anime is now in a different time period and is for an anime instead of for a game. The panel featured background music that will be in the anime.
Kazuya Ichikawa (Monster Strike the Animation, Clean Freak! Aoyama kun, Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note) is directing the anime. Midori Gotou at SANZIGEN is the screenwriter. Tetsuya Nomura and Gen Kobayashi are credited with the character designs. DOMERICA (Flying Witch Petit) and Shin-Ei Animation (Mysterious Joker, Doraemon) are producing the anime.
When Ichikawa was asked whether the anime will follow the story of the game, he said the staff kept some parts and changed some parts in the anime in order to adapt it for the anime, but whether the story follows the path of the game, he stated he could not reveal that information at this time. He also stated the anime will depict Shibuya as it is today, instead of from 2007 in the game. The cell phones in the game will also be smartphones instead of flip-phones in the game.
Kōki Uchiyama is returning to the franchise to voice Neku. Other cast members include Anna Hachimine as Shiki, Subaru Kimura as Beat, Ayana Taketatsu as Rhyme, and Ryōhei Kimura as Joshua.
Nintendo's website describes the game:
Complete the mission...or face erasure. That's all Neku knows after regaining consciousness in the middle of a busy intersection without his memories. Now he and his partner must fight to survive a life-or-death game in this twisted tale with more turns than the urban labyrinth of Tokyo they're trapped in.[...]
In the crowded chaos of Tokyo, players of the Reapers' Game must complete daily missions or face total erasure. Neku might not be enthusiastic about forging relationships, but with his very life on the line, he'll need to learn how to work together with a partner—and fast: they only have seven days.
Jupiter and Square Enix developed the original The World Ends with You game that shipped for Nintendo DS in Japan in 2007 and in the West in 2008. The World Ends with You -Solo Remix- smartphone game developed by h.a.n.d launched for iOS devices in 2012, followed by Android devices in 2014. The World Ends with You -Final Remix- game shipped for the Nintendo Switch in Japan in September 2018 and launched in the West in October 2018. Characters from the game franchise also feature in the Kingdom Hearts game series.
Update: Added higher quality visual from 4Gamer. The anime's official website also revealed more cast members.
Source: Anime Expo Lite livestream
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history