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SQUARE ENIX’s popular Action RPG The World Ends with You is being made into an anime. If you’re not familiar with this RPG property, The World Ends with You first released on the Nintendo DS in 2008, followed by iOS/Android in 2012, and then Nintendo Switch in 2018. The game boasts strong popularity not only in Japan but also overseas, particularly in the United States and Europe. It was developed by the creators of the popular Kingdom Hearts series with Tetsuya Nomura, also known for his work on the Final Fantasy series, as the creative producer and character designer.
In The World Ends with You, Neku, a boy who hates interacting with other people, awakens in Shibuya’s Scramble Crossing and finds himself trapped in a strange competition known as “the Reapers’ Game.” In this “Game,” Players must complete a set of seven daily missions. Success ensures their survival, while failure means their entire existence will be erased. Now an unwilling participant in this contest of the highest stakes, Neku fights to stave off erasure and live another day.
At the end of last month, it was announced that Anime Expo 2020, the largest anime convention in North America, would be canceled due to COVID-19. However, the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation announced it would instead host the event online as Anime Expo Lite. Alongside that announcement, new artwork for The World Ends with You anime was released as the key art for Anime Expo Lite, sparking excitement and speculation among fans around the world. More details about the anime will be announced worldwide via a special broadcast starting Friday July 3 at 6PM PDT. A special site featuring a countdown to the broadcast as well as the official Twitter account will both be unveiled on Thursday June 25 at 8AM PDT.
Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles.
