The World Ends With You, an action RPG with urban fantasy elements developed by Square Enix and Jupiter for the Nintendo DS in 2007, has been adapted into an anime that is set to premiere on April 9.
The adaptation was revealed by Square Enix with a teaser website on June 25, 2020, and officially announced on July 3, 2020, as The World Ends with You: The Animation. A new trailer, which features the opening theme, Teenage City Riot by ALI, includes the following description:
"Race through the streets of Shibuya and survive the seven-day Reapers’ Game! Neku awakens in the middle of Shibuya’s bustling Scramble Crossing with no memory of how he got there. Little does he know he’s been transported to an alternate plane of existence known as the Underground.
“Now an unwilling participant in the mysterious 'Reapers’ Game,' Neku must partner up with a girl named Shiki in order to survive. Together, they complete missions and defeat monsters known as 'Noise' as they gradually uncover the true nature of this twisted Game. 'There’s only one way to stay alive in Shibuya: trust your partner.' Will they survive the Reapers’ Game?"
The anime is a collaboration between Square Enix, DOMERICA, and Shin-Ei Animation. The series is directed by Kazuya Ichikawa from a screenplay adapted by Midori Gotou. Tetsuya Nomura and Gen Kobayashi are the lead designers, while Takeharu Ishimoto is composing the music. Since the game was released nearly 15 years ago, some elements have been updated for the anime series, such as the use of smartphones rather than flip phones.
The World Ends With You: Final Remix was released on Nintendo Switch in October 2018. A sequel to the original game, titled NEO: The World Ends With You, is set to be released this summer for Nintendo Switch and PS4. The new game, which features 3D graphics, boasts a new cast of characters playing the Reapers' Game in Shibuya. Ishimoto, the composer for the original game, has confirmed he will create the music for the sequel.
Source: IGN