Square Enix surprised everybody last year when it announced the anime adaptation of The World Ends With You, the 2007 Nintendo DS JRPG. While some would say the announcement was less exciting than NEO: The World Ends With You's, the long-anticipated sequel arriving on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 this summer, the company's sudden attention on one of its most underappreciated franchises has taken fans by surprise to say the least. Now, just over two months from its debut, a trailer for The World Ends With You's anime adaptation has revealed its stylish opening.
The World Ends With You: The Animation was announced in July 2020 with a collaborative tie-in to Anime Expo Lite, where it was revealed. The anime is being produced by DOMERICA, the animation studio behind the CG in Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, and Shin-Ei Animation, the studio behind the Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan franchises.
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The newest trailer for the anime adaptation focuses on the show's opening sequence, which mostly features clips that appear from the show itself rather than entirely unique animation. The music is performed by the video game's composer Takeharu Ishimoto, who is also working on the soundtrack for the game's upcoming sequel.
The World Ends With You first released for Nintendo DS in 2007 and was met with warm critical reception but underwhelming sales. The game featured character designs from Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura, who has been vocal about wanting to develop a sequel to the game for years. The game was ported to Nintendo Switch in 2018 with new content under the title The World Ends With You: Final Remix. Both the anime adaptation and sequel were announced in 2020, with the anime set to air in April 2021, and the sequel following in summer 2021.
The World Ends With You: The Animation will air exclusively on Funimation in April 2021.