Subarashiki Kono Sekai The Animation

One day in the bustling city of Shibuya, a boy named Neku Sakuraba finds himself holding two black pins that enable him to read the minds of people around him. However, these pins also give him the ability to see the "Noise," hostile creatures capable of "erasing" people from existence. After discovering that he is trapped within the confines of the city, Neku receives a message regarding a mission that will nevertheless erase him should he fail.

While trying to fend off a Noise attack, Neku meets a girl named Shiki Misaki who asks him to form a partnership pact with her to fight against the monsters. Shiki explains that she and Neku have become "Players" participating in the "Reaper's Game"—an event spanning over seven days, each featuring a different mission.

As Neku and Shiki both strive to survive each day that passes, they begin to meet other Players and Reapers alike, battle stronger Noise, and learn the truth behind the mystery that this game is shrouded in.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Sakuraba, Neku Main

Uchiyama, Kouki Japanese

Kiryu, Yoshiya Main

Kimura, Ryouhei Japanese

Misaki, Shiki Main

Hachimine, Anna Japanese

Bitou, Daisukenojo Main

Kimura, Subaru Japanese

Raimu Main

Taketatsu, Ayana Japanese

Minamimoto, Shou Supporting

Fujimoto, Takayuki Japanese

Hanekoma, Sanae Supporting

Tsuda, Kenjirou Japanese

Kariya, Kouki Supporting

Katsu, Anri Japanese

Konishi, Mitsuki Supporting

Nabatame, Hitomi Japanese

Miki, Makoto Supporting

Umeda, Shuuichirou Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Aoi, Hiroyuki Producer

Kimura, Yasutaka Producer

Herek, Samantha Assistant Producer

Reviews

Jun 25, 2021

kamiruxii

Recommended

We always get the answer "Just consume (play, read, or watch) the source material instead" when asked if a certain adaptation is good or not. So that means it's bad, right? Well, most of the time, the adaptation will have a hard time living up to the original, due to various limitations, but it doesn't always mean that adaptation=bad. And that is the case in The World Ends With You: The Animation.

Anime-only watchers might feel detached about the story and the characters, because they'll be introduced to us on one episode and then we get to see them go after two to three eps. They ... had to fit an entire 25-hour game (according to howlongtobeat.com) into a 12-episode anime, so there really is no space for character development and proper storytelling. Video-game Neku is this snobby, unthoughtful loner who's rude to all of his partners because of his contempt for humanity, but they had to simplify his personality in the anime into this kid who just doesn't talk that much and gets along with others faster. The story's pacing is rushed and a bit off as well, but I'm surprised they included most of the subplot/subquests in the anime. Among other things, the Reaper Creeper and Tin Pin Slammer arcs were cut off in the adaptation, but there's not much of a use of that here, because the original purpose of that subplot is to introduce the minigame. So, for me, the adjustments and cuts they made are reasonable enough.

Another thing that may probably feel off for those who haven't played the game is the battles. I personally am not a fan of the constant shounen battles, that don't feel different from one another, because they feel empty and repetitive. Then they try to add emotion to these by making the heroes about to lose, but will be saved by the Power of Friendship, or something that anime like Pokemon use as their typical formula on how an episode goes. And the same formula seems to be used here as well, which could've been better if they at least give names to the moves, or show that some of these moves can evolve after a certain time, just like in the game.

"But wait, all of these criticisms, but you didn't rank this anime subpar?" Now let me geek out about the things I like about this show. When I watched the first episode, I'm not gonna lie, I was blown away by how they executed this adaptation. The art direction isn't far from Tetsuya Nomura's original art style of TWEWY (everyone is just not as skinny as they were in the game lmao), and the 3DCG looks just as good and doesn't feel off compared to some anime that use 3D. Even seeing the psych pins' moves, like Pyrokinesis and Piercing Pillar, made me smile, especially when they're battling in an anime version of Shibuya. Then, I got the chills when music from the game's OST, like Calling, Twister, and Underground, started playing, and when I heard some of my favorite seiyuu play as the characters of this anime. I also appreciate additional stuff that wasn't originally in the game, like how they added a scene of Eri buying flowers for her friend.

I may be rating this higher than most people because of nostalgia and my love for the game, but I honestly think The World Ends With You: The Animation is not that bad.

So, is it okay to watch this anime without playing the game first? Go for it if you have the time. Should you play the game? DEFINITELY, especially if you have more free time. It's one of the best video games out there and I'm not even exaggerating, because the game mechanics are very well-thought and the OST is just superb, especially if you're into Japanese rock and hip hop. If you could get your hands to a Nintendo DS or 3DS, play the original DS game for full immersion, but you can play that via Switch too, since that one's more accessible these days.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jun 25, 2021

CataOrShane

Mixed Feelings

Before I begin this review, it's only fair that I make a brief reference to the game this anime is based of. Every once in a while I used to try and play it but for whatever reason I never enjoyed it. Despite this, I was pretty excited when this anime was announced because it meant I would get a chance at getting to know the story.

Animation:
I was really into the visuals up until CGI got introduced. I'm very against CGI usage in animes and this one didn't change my mind about it. It looks awful and breaks immersion.


Sound:
1) The soundtrack is ... okay
2) Many of the seiyuus cast have a vast experience and some of them have worked together on many other shows. Although the game was voiced, Hachimine Anna (Shiki) was the only one reprising her role. You can definetely tell it was her 1st anime appearance and hopefully she'll get more roles and improve with experience. Even if she didn't perform as well as her fellow colleagues, I appreciate the continuity they were going for with her character and would've liked to see the same with the rest of the original cast.
3) there were a few instances where the dialog and animation were out of sync and that's something that will always have an impact on the overall enjoyment
4) Sometimes you'll notice the soundtrack and sound effects will be much louder than dialog


Story and characters:
I was into the story up until the 5th episode where I felt the plot and action were getting dull and boring. The characters felt a bit too empty for me to truly care after a certain point. It needed a bit more character development and more substance over the course of the story and the plot twists. It had a promising start for me but as it kept moving towards the end, it kept losing its charm.
The battles were incredibly repetitive with no new moves or strategies and adding CGI to them, it was the worst part of the anime for me.



If you enjoyed playing the game or the first few episodes intrigue you, you'll probably want to watch this and not regret it. However, if you find the start of this anime a bit dull, you can drop it because in my opinion, it does not get better. It's a 6/10 for me. It's fine to watch it on a weekly basis but definetely forgettable.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jun 25, 2021

faeryghost

Not Recommended

Oh boy. This was disappointing.

“The World Ends With You” is my favourite Nintendo DS game, so I was stoked when I heard that there would be an anime adaptation. The game oozes style, brims with uniqueness, and tells a touching story about human vulnerability. But considering that adaptations of video game stories have the tendency to be underwhelming, I did my best to lower my expectations...but damn, I should have lowered them further.

The pacing of the show is all over the place. The narrative burns through instances of potential character development and stubbornly lingers on moments of meandering. Shiki and Rhyme are really only in ... about 3 episodes, leaving very little time to grow attached to them. However, far too much time is dedicated to showing Neku, Joshua, and Beat wander around aimlessly for episodes on end. The storytelling priorities are so out of whack; the anime completely fails to capture the spirit of the original game, and worse, fails to be a compelling, stand-alone narrative.

Worst of all, though, is the animation and sound. Take any still frame of this show and it looks decent enough, but the illusion of quality crumbles the second it’s put into motion. TWEWY The Animation frequently resembles a lagging video game, looking choppy and stilted regardless of whether 2D or 3D animation is being used. The action scenes are ridiculously hard to follow due to jarring camera movements and poor framing; the screen is often just a cluttered mess of colours and shapes.

The music and sound effects are mediocre too, save for the recycled tracks from the game. There’s even a moment about 6 minutes into episode 10 where Beat whacks his skateboard against an enemy and there’s NO accompanying sound effect AT ALL. The enemy just gets launched away in complete silence. It’s all so...sloppy.

So yeah, this is an extremely low-quality adaptation that completely lacks the heart and soul of the original game’s story. Whether you’re a fan of the original game or not, I don’t recommend this anime. In fact, I would advise against wasting your time with it.

Please...if you want to spend your time meaningfully, just play the game or watch playthroughs online. This anime is not worth your time.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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