Cult-classic Nintendo DS ARPG The World Ends With You has been making headlines recently. Rumors have been swirling that something big was going to be announced, and sure enough a long-awaited sequel to TWEWY is on the way. It hasn't taken fans long to fall in love with new characters showcased in the announcement trailer, and a favorite character has seemingly already emerged, based on initial Twitter reactions.
The hype surrounding the franchise reached a fever pitch when Square Enix started a countdown last week. Square Enix producer Tetsuya Nomura had teased the possibility of a port of the original DS game a few years back, which did come to Switch, but with today's reveal of a full sequel fans are ecstatic.
NEO: The World Ends With You retains a lot of the same unique flavor that made the original a hit with fans. However, it is the brand-new awkward, nerdy girl Nagi who has apparently made the strongest first impression. Ranking characters is a time-honored tradition in fandom circles, whether it be Persona's most underrated characters, or the best FF7 characters based on limit breaks. When it comes to TWEWY's sequel, Nagi looks poised to take the top slot as the game's only playable female character thus far, if first takes on Twitter are to be believed.
Nagi's design places her squarely into the nerdy girl camp, with her T-shirt apparently sporting a phrase that roughly translates to "my fave is precious." This phrase is commonly used by fans when talking about their favorite character, singer, or artist. Combo this with the plushie hanging from her backpack and her quirky dialogue, and fans quickly came to love it.
The World Ends With You franchise is enjoying something of a renaissance 13 years after the original game's release. A recently-announced anime adaptation covering the plot of the first game is in the works for 2021. Coupling this with the exciting sequel news, fans are definitely getting their fix.
While it has remained on the fringes of Square Enix's franchises, TWEWY fits in well into the deep lore between the company's games. Connections between TWEWY and Kingdom Hearts were elaborated upon in the well-received Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, bringing the game more into the fold after its characters appeared in Dream Drop Distance on the 3DS.
Nagi fans have a while to wait before the TWEWY sequel releases, but after so long between games, it shouldn't feel like too much longer.
NEO: The World Ends With You will be released on PS4 and Switch in 2021.