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EP. REVIEW: The World Ends with You the Animation


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Covnam



Joined: 31 May 2005
Posts: 3627
PostPosted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 7:30 pm Reply with quote
It's been fun revisiting the series this way. The music has been great so far too =)

Quote:
In the game, this is much more clear; in the anime, it's an occasional “blink and you'll miss it” flash of a pin whenever Neku fights and channels an ability.


It's very odd that this flash is all you seem to see. (So far) There's no mention of Neku's powers being related to pins which is a key point in the game. Not just for collecting, but it also explains how Neku's abilities are so varied compared to the others.

If they aren't even going to bring up Neku's pins, I presume we also won't have fashion play a part either :/

Of course an anime adaptation of a game can't be the same, but it's odd that such key elements aren't really present.
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pixelatedlenses
ANN Reviewer


Joined: 15 Apr 2021
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 7:56 pm Reply with quote
Covnam wrote:
It's been fun revisiting the series this way. The music has been great so far too =)

Quote:
In the game, this is much more clear; in the anime, it's an occasional “blink and you'll miss it” flash of a pin whenever Neku fights and channels an ability.


It's very odd that this flash is all you seem to see. (So far) There's no mention of Neku's powers being related to pins which is a key point in the game. Not just for collecting, but it also explains how Neku's abilities are so varied compared to the others.

If they aren't even going to bring up Neku's pins, I presume we also won't have fashion play a part either :/

Of course an anime adaptation of a game can't be the same, but it's odd that such key elements aren't really present.


I screamed when Twister played in episode 2. It feels just like boring up the game all over again!

I agree: it's really weird that they didn't explain Neku's abilities past a flash of an emblem/icon. I'm definitely thinking fashion -and food- won't play a role in the series. But like your said, there's just not enough time for those details, you know?

Still, it's a shame that those weekends -which are so critical to gameplay- aren't being featured. They didn't even mention why Shiki and Neku were so in sync, which feels like a good tidbit to throw in.
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OtherSideofSky





PostPosted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 8:09 pm Reply with quote
Not seeing the pins more is definitely weird, but fashion getting the axe is 100% understandable. The game didn't model any of the different outfits, and I very much doubt the anime can afford to either. The only difference is that the game could get away with an equipment screen that's not reflected in the visuals.
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pixelatedlenses
ANN Reviewer


Joined: 15 Apr 2021
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 8:12 pm Reply with quote
OtherSideofSky wrote:
Not seeing the pins more is definitely weird, but fashion getting the axe is 100% understandable. The game didn't model any of the different outfits, and I very much doubt the anime can afford to either. The only difference is that the game could get away with an equipment screen that's not reflected in the visuals.


That's actually a really good point about the clothes. They kind of were always up to your imagination, and add much as I'd love to see Neku fighting Noise in a bunch of stylish gear, It'll probably never happen.

I do, strangely, feel like they've integrated the feeling of a double screen fight well. Anytime Shiki and Neku are in sync really reminds me of the original DS release, though that might just be nostalgia talking.
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so751



Joined: 15 Jun 2016
Posts: 28
PostPosted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 8:23 pm Reply with quote
I'm not bothered by them not covering the fashion part too lol. It would have probably fudged up the aesthetics they were going for with this adaptation lol. Like, imagine Neku in Lolita clothing fighting a boss lmao... maybe as an offshot scene or post credits but not as a main focus in the episode lol

Did anyone get hit hard by Shiki's backstory at the end-ish of Ep 2 tho? I already knew the story from the game, but for some reason, seeing it animated hit me in a different way that was more moving.

I definitely agree tho with the review that for anyone who's had zero exposure to this series, there's been a lot to take in. But the animation art is so nice, love how they managed to somewhat maintain the Tetsuya Nomura art style with the thicker outines and flatter colours.
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pixelatedlenses
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Joined: 15 Apr 2021
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 9:02 pm Reply with quote
so751 wrote:

Did anyone get hit hard by Shiki's backstory at the end-ish of Ep 2 tho? I already knew the story from the game, but for some reason, seeing it animated hit me in a different way that was more moving.


Honestly, it made me tear up. Like I knew that spoiler[Shiki was dead ] but it still hit me like a truck. Seeing it animated, and seeing how they chose to explore her backstory was just really, really good. Definitely heartwrenching to some degree.

Quote:

I definitely agree tho with the review that for anyone who's had zero exposure to this series, there's been a lot to take in. But the animation art is so nice, love how they managed to somewhat maintain the Tetsuya Nomura art style with the thicker outines and flatter colours.


It's a shame because I think TWEWY is a really impactful story, and I think the mechanics of the game are still incredibly creative and really heighten the experience, but if I was an anime-only viewer, I'd be so confused that I'd probably drop the series ahead of the good ol' three episode watch. Then again, I'm not sure what angle they could have gone with all things considered. They don't have the same amount of time you have when you play the game.


Last edited by pixelatedlenses on Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:45 am; edited 1 time in total
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Yuvelir



Joined: 06 Jan 2015
Posts: 1529
PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:43 am Reply with quote
This anime is lucky that it looks so damn good, because otherwise it would be near-unwatchable.
The Shiki and Eri stuff was great, but still pretty fast and brief. And the buildup scenes didn't linger for long enough for the emotions to sink in.
Everything else has been a disaster, caring only about moving through the plot as fast as possible with characters popping in and out in the blink of an eye. It's good to see the characters moving and interacting in ways that a limited sprite sheet and VN portraits don't allow, but that's it.
And the battles, while cool, skew the pacing of the episodes further, making them feel important (when they're actually just arbitrary challenges so the player gets to DO something) while the proccess that the characters are supposed to be more involved into gets the bare minimum amount of time.

I haven't played the game since it originally came out so I know the bullet points that they're supposed but it isn't fresh enough in my heart to use it as a supplement for all the parts and beats that are absent from the anime.
It feels like this is supposed to work as a supplement to the game: play it first, then watch the anime soon after for a highlight reel of key scenes with better animation and composition.

I hope all this rushing pays off later, because right now it's a cool trailer but a poor piece of narrative fiction.
I remember the first arc feeling much shorter than the others, but complex gameplay and distant memories can easily twist that perception. At least there will be Minamimoto.
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pixelatedlenses
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:27 am Reply with quote
Yuvelir wrote:
This anime is lucky that it looks so damn good, because otherwise it would be near-unwatchable.


This is brutally true. I tried to really emphasize that in my review because while I like it, an anime-only viewer must be reeling from information overload..

Quote:
The Shiki and Eri stuff was great, but still pretty fast and brief. And the buildup scenes didn't linger for long enough for the emotions to sink in.
Everything else has been a disaster, caring only about moving through the plot as fast as possible with characters popping in and out in the blink of an eye. It's good to see the characters moving and interacting in ways that a limited sprite sheet and VN portraits don't allow, but that's it.


I think that's part of the thrill of the anime got me. It's different seeing these once static characters move around in Shibuya, though I was shocked at how much ground they covered in two twenty-four minute episodes. They're really packing out on, though I hope the next few episodes have a bit better pacing.

Quote:
And the battles, while cool, skew the pacing of the episodes further, making them feel important (when they're actually just arbitrary challenges so the player gets to DO something) while the proccess that the characters are supposed to be more involved into gets the bare minimum amount of time.

I haven't played the game since it originally came out so I know the bullet points that they're supposed but it isn't fresh enough in my heart to use it as a supplement for all the parts and beats that are absent from the anime.
It feels like this is supposed to work as a supplement to the game: play it first, then watch the anime soon after for a highlight reel of key scenes with better animation and composition.

I hope all this rushing pays off later, because right now it's a cool trailer but a poor piece of narrative fiction.
I remember the first arc feeling much shorter than the others, but complex gameplay and distant memories can easily twist that perception. At least there will be Minamimoto.


I actually really like your observations: this does feel like a solid supplement to get you to report play the game or replay the game. I do have hope that all this rushing will pay off, really on later arcs. Call me cautiously hesitant I'm regards to that, even though I really dig the series.
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rizuchan
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Joined: 11 Mar 2007
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:30 am Reply with quote
I also feel like the super quick pacing in this anime is one of those things where the pacing is a spoiler. I knew nothing about TWEWY when I played it so I had no idea that spoiler[the reaper game repeats and Neku gets new partners.]. The parts of the game covered in what will presumably be episodes 1-3 was long enough that I really couldn't tell how much game was left. But someone going into this blind can probably guess this thing isn't going to end in 3 episodes and there's a ton more story to cover.
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pixelatedlenses
ANN Reviewer


Joined: 15 Apr 2021
Posts: 35
PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:33 am Reply with quote
I definitely agree: the pacing kind of has to be the way it is... for reasons. I also didn't know about that, and remember it being a major shock.

Like i said though, I do think if you're an anime-only viewer, this might be a lot and kind of hard to predict what's going to happen. But maybe that's kind of thrilling too!
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tintor2



Joined: 11 Aug 2010
Posts: 1804
PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:50 am Reply with quote
I really have no idea what to think of the anime so far from a nongamer perspective. Sometimes Neku becomes even more unlikable than Squall from FF8 due to his constant mistreatment to the heroine with the force chuck being as forced as heck (how are they still friends after that? Even George Lucas didn't go that low). However, episode 2 toned him down but to an extreme as he only had common sense talk during a neverending talk about clothing and dreams. Also, while I like the art, there is something really weird with the art as I can't differentiate the characters' ages since everybody seems to have the same height.
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pixelatedlenses
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:53 am Reply with quote
I actually think it's really interesting to hear from a non-gamer who hasn't played TWEWY because that's kind of my impression: Neku is deeply unlikable and after epiosde 1's choke out scene, isn't the greatest guy in the least. Ep 2 really did make him a lot more liable, in terms of toning down his intensity. He's less of an 11 and more of like, a 6 on the intensity scale now.

Also, they do all kind of look like the same height, huh? I'll tell you Rhyme is the shortest and Beat is taller than Neku. They are all high school aged though, if that helps.
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Yuvelir



Joined: 06 Jan 2015
Posts: 1529
PostPosted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 8:37 am Reply with quote
Direction felt a bit weird in the third episode. Like, Rhyme's scene. This time it wasn't rushed but the way it was directed (and the lack of music) feels like it didn't quite have the way it should. Shiki's scene at the end also lacked that little bit of "oomph" for a scene like that since it's such an important spoiler[and devastating] one.

Something that I'm wondering since I don't remember that many details, how many Hanekoma scenes did they skip? It feels like he should have helped them a couple more times before developing that level of trust.

Also on CGI monsters, still better than the spider isekai but that final boss didn't look great.
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KefkaesqueXIII



Joined: 30 Nov 2015
Posts: 121
PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:55 pm Reply with quote
Yuvelir wrote:
Something that I'm wondering since I don't remember that many details, how many Hanekoma scenes did they skip? It feels like he should have helped them a couple more times before developing that level of trust.


The only scene they've skipped that I remember was immediately after the force choke incident, where he fields a number of Neku's questions about his current situation, then gives Neku and Shiki a talk about the importance of teamwork and how they need to trust in their partner to survive. IiRC he also gives Neku a special pin that allows them to do the big special combo attacks in gameplay.

After that, I'm pretty sure the shark attack is the only other time he shows up during these 7 days.
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Yuvelir



Joined: 06 Jan 2015
Posts: 1529
PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 3:28 pm Reply with quote
Huh. I guess being fed vital information will make you trust someone. Not like this rushed pacing could deal with an infodump anyway.
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