The World Ends With You (TWEWY) is one of the most unique video games ever made. And I mean that in every sense of the word. No other game feels the same to play, no soundtrack feels the same to listen to, nor does any story feel the same to experience. Unfortunately, though, this originality is as much a curse as it is a blessing. Let me explain. Even among fans of JRPGs, this game remains one of the more obscure titles in the genre and there are a few reasons for that. Not the least of which was how the game is played. The peculiar combat system has a very steep learning curve and is a big turn-off for a lot of people. As a DS game, it utilized both screens in very different ways. The way it works is that the player controls two separate characters simultaneously, one on the top screen, and one on the bottom. One character is controlled via the buttons, and one via the touch screen. Personally, I am a big fan of the game’s combat, but I can see why it wouldn’t be appealing to most people. Regardless, with the game’s selectable difficulty enjoying the story should not be an issue. The narrative of TWEWY is simply too amazing to miss out on.
It would have been in the summer of 2015 when I first played TWEWY. Back then I would have been just about to enter my freshman year of high school. I had no idea what the game was even like when I bought it. The only reason why I even picked it up was that the characters from the game were featured in a Kingdom Hearts game. Very quickly I found myself in love with the fast-paced action and the likable characters. It’s a little embarrassing to say now but back then I related a lot to the protagonist Neku Sakuraba. The way that he thought and the lessons he learned really resonated with me for some reason. Since then, I have played the game an additional 3 times. And each time I did, my affection for the game only grew. Every time I would find something new to appreciate about it, whether it be the way the narrative is intertwined with the gameplay or the little details in the dialogue that let the player infer new things about the characters and their personalities. In my most recent playthrough, I was paying extra attention to how each of the main characters changes as the plot progresses, and all I can say is that this game has some of the best character development I have seen in any piece of media. It is important to also note that the last two times I played this game, I played the Nintendo Switch version. I mention this because the Switch version of the game simplifies the combat so it could take place on a single screen and has the player controlling only one character. However, I still think the combat in the DS version is better because the two characters fighting at the same time overlaps with how the characters fight in the story. Several boss fights also feel clunky to play in the Switch version because the boss was originally designed to be fought via the dual-screen system.
Originally released in July 2007 in Japan and then in North America and PAL regions in April 2008, TWEWY was developed by Square Enix and Jupiter Corporation. The former is well known for their RPGs, and the latter specialized in games made for handheld consoles, the most notable of which being the Picross series of games. It was directed by Tatsuya Kando and produced by Tetsuya Nomura. Nomura, famous for his work with Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, was also the lead artist and character designer. The composer, Takeharu Ishimoto, also worked on a great number of Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts titles. Surprisingly, TWEWY is one of only three games that Kando has directed. His only other directing credits being Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, also released in 2007, and Neo: The World Ends With You, which is still in development.
Critically, TWEWY was a massive hit, scoring mostly nine out of tens from such publications as Nintendo Power, IGN, and Game Spot. IGN, in particular, gave it multiple rewards including best Nintendo DS role-playing game, best story for a Nintendo DS game, best new IP for the DS, and the best Nintendo DS game of the year. Nintendo Power even ranked it as the tenth best game released on a Nintendo platform throughout the 2000s. However, when it comes to how well the game sold, it’s a much different story. While technically a commercial success, TWEWY sold just under 400,000 copies by March of 2009, which is much less than Square Enix had hoped, especially considering the popularity of the DS. This would continue to be the pattern every time the game was re-released. The most recent port, The World Ends With You: Final Remix, which was released in October of 2018 for the Nintendo Switch, has sold only 270,000 copies according to VGChartz. These low sales are the main reason that TWEWY remains relatively unknown.
Many of the reviews mention the transformation that the main character Neku goes through throughout the course of the game as one of the best parts of its narrative, and I couldn’t agree more. Neku’s conversion from a typical edgy teenager to a social and likable human being is, in a word, fantastic. So, without further ado, let’s take walk through his journey.
Neku’s tale begins with him walking down the streets of Shibuya the ward in Tokyo mumbling to himself. “Shut up” and “The world only needs me” are among what he mutters. So right off the bat, it is established that Neku doesn’t much care for other people. One of the first things players may notice about Neku is that he always wears headphones. This isn’t just for flashy character design though. It is shown early on that Neku wears these so that he can tune out the outside world. Shortly after this scene, Neku finds himself waking up in the middle of a crosswalk. He is confused and does not know where he is or who he is for that matter. None of the passersby can see or hear him, and he just passes through them all while being bombarded by the thoughts of countless people. But before he can get a handle on his surroundings, his phone gets a weird message. It tells him to reach the 104 building within an hour or be “erased.” Then before he can fully process that information, a timer appears on his hand and a bunch of monsters attack him from out of nowhere. Neku manages to run away when a girl approaches him and asks him to make a pact with her. Neku agrees, mostly because he is panicking, and the two of them are enveloped in light. With the pact formed, Neku and his new partner Shiki, are now able to fight the creatures known as noise. It turns out that Neku has an innate talent for using attacks called psychs. After the fight, he asks Shiki what is going on and she is confused that he doesn’t know. Shiki explains that they are players in the Reaper’s Game, where they must complete missions over the course of seven days or else, they will be erased. She also explains that players cannot fight the noise without a partner. Supposedly, this all should have been explained to Neku when he entered the game, but Neku has amnesia and does not know how or why he is participating. All players have a player pin identifying them and it allows them to scan people, or read their minds. However, they cannot scan other players or reapers. For some reason though, Neku has two player pins. Shiki notices this and notes how weird it is but neither of them really question it any further The two of them then complete the mission and move on to day 2.
On day 2, Neku makes it pretty clear that he wants nothing to do with Shiki. He barely responds to her when she speaks to him and he mostly just thinks rude comebacks in his head while she tries to ask him if he has any idea how to clear the day’s mission. Neku instead tries to figure out everything by himself without consulting her and won’t even accept Shiki’s praise when he does work out a solution. In his own words, he doesn’t “give a rat’s ass” if other people think he is rude. It is during the second day when Neku and Shiki meet fellow players Beat and Rhyme. Beat confronts Neku claiming that he is a reaper because he cannot scan him, but Rhyme gets him to calm down and reminds him he can’t scan other players. After that misunderstanding is cleared up, everyone introduces themselves. Everyone except for Neku who is standing off on his own away from the group facing the other way. Shiki suggests that they all work together to clear the mission and while Beat and Rhyme are down, Neku refuses. Saying “I’m not opening up to anyone. Ever. Other people hold me back.” Shiki apologizes for Neku’s behavior saying that he is just confused, but in reality, Neku is actually socially inept and shy and hides his insecurity behind anger. “I can’t count on other people because they are clueless.” Neku says this but Shiki is able to solve the riddle that was the day’s mission, but he refuses to admit she was useful. Even though Neku does not have his memories, it is clear that at some point in his past he was hurt as a result of interacting with other people. It is here at the conclusion of day 2 that Neku is his most cruel. After the mission is cleared, Neku and Shiki are confronted by a reaper who is frustrated that they survived. This reaper tells Neku that if he kills his partner, she will let him out of the game early. Neku is initially a little hesitant but the reaper tells him that Shiki was a spy for the reapers the whole time and that was the reason she checked her cell phone so often. The reaper, having taken note of his behavior up to this point, eggs him on. “Screw everyone else right?” She makes Neku question his own values and way of life. Neku, not wanting to admit he was wrong about people, agrees to kill Shiki. After all, what was the harm in getting rid of someone who had wronged him and lied to him?
Day 3 begins with Neku waking up alone in a dark space. With Shiki nowhere to be found, the only conclusion he could make is that he went through with killing her. He is overcome with intense feelings of guilt and anger. How could he have been so stupid that he fell for such an obvious lie? Despite how he feels, Neku attempts to get a feel of his surroundings when he bumps into none other than Shiki. Seeing her alive makes him remember what actually happened. It turns out that just as he was about to erase Shiki, a man named Mr. Hanekoma stops him and tells off the reaper for breaking the rules and issuing a fake mission. Hanekoma, or Mr. H as Neku calls him, explains that he is a sort of guardian for the Reaper’s Game. His job is to make sure the game goes on without anyone breaking the rules. Then, after chastising Neku for being an idiot, Mr. H gives the pair some advice. The most important of which is to always trust your partner.
Neku is happy that Shiki is alive and even begins to openly be concerned with her safety, telling her not to wander off on her own. This is in stark contrast to the previous days where Neku was looking to get rid of Shiki at any opportunity. Trying to clear the air, Shiki tells Neku about her past so that he can better understand her and trust her. She was only looking at her phone so that she could look at a picture of her friend. Neku himself remains frustrated with himself because he cannot open up to Shiki even if he wanted to because of his missing memories.
Regarding day 3’s mission, the only way to clear it was to help out someone with a problem that initially seemed completely unrelated. It’s also important to note that Neku is the one who originally makes the decision to help. However, it is also revealed that Neku only helped the person out because he knew they were a reaper. Beat and Rhyme are also the ones who end up clearing the mission right before Neku and Shiki ran out of time. The two pairs again talk about the possibility of teaming for future missions and everyone, including Neku, agrees. This conversation is also the first time we see Neku smile and laugh when Beat says something stupid.
The beginning of day 4 sees the quartet talking about how frustrating and isolating it is to be surrounded by people who can’t see them. Neku however, says that he likes being invisible. Not having to deal with people is like heaven to him. When the day’s mission arrives, it appears to be very easy, so easy in fact that Beat suggests that they all race to see who can clear it first. Neku, not in the mood for childish games, takes it slow and catches up to Beat regardless because, as Rhyme reveals, Beat let them. But just as they all reach their destination, a noise appears beneath Beat and almost kills him before Rhyme pushes him out of the way and gets erased in his place. Without his partner, Beat is now powerless and has to rely on Neku and Shiki to avenge Rhyme for him. Mr. H also appears and takes Beat away because even though Beat would normally be erased minutes after his partner is, Mr. H knows a way to keep Beat alive. When the battle is over, Shiki begins to cry but Neku gets angry. Suddenly, a thought pops into his head. “It’s just like that one time.” Implying that Neku has had a friend die before. He tells Shiki that he never considered Rhyme his friend and that he only cares about himself. “Who needs friends? You care about them, expose yourself and get hurt.” Neku is sad about what happened but he refuses to let his true feelings show so that he can protect himself from his sorrow, leading Shiki to call him heartless.
On day 5, Shiki immediately apologizes for yelling at Neku but he does not apologize for anything that he said. This day mainly focuses on Shiki and her backstory but it also reveals two key elements about the Reaper’s Game. First, all players are people who have died and are trying to get a second chance. Second, in order to enter the game, someone must first give up what is most precious to them as an entry fee. Of course, this is only news to Neku while Shiki knew all along. It turns out that because Neku valued himself more than anything, his entry fee was his memories, and if he wants them back, he has to clear the game. Shiki’s entry fee is a little more complicated though. It turns out that her appearance is not actually her own. Instead, she looks like her friend Eri. This is because Shiki was jealous of Eri to such an extent that she says that hated herself for being so envious. However, her comparing herself to Eri was reinforcing that she loved herself the most all and wanted her own satisfaction more than anything. Taking away her individuality and giving her the appearance of her friend was the reaper’s way of giving Shiki a constant reminder of what a terrible person she thought she was. Shiki even goes as far as to say that she does not want to come back to life if she is just going to be jealous of Eri again.
Shiki then slips into a depression for most of day 6. This forces Neku to take the initiative and clear the mission with little to no input from Shiki. The day concludes with Neku telling cheering Shiki up. He says, “I like you the way you are.” But Shiki refuses to listen until Neku scolds her. “Cut the crap. You’re you. Live your own life. You’re lucky you have someone to be jealous of.” Neku’s speech, as well as the fact the pair see Eri in town talking about how much she misses Shiki, gets Shiki to resolve to come back to life no matter what. It’s hard to imagine day 1 or 2 Neku trying to cheer Shiki up. He used to not even look in her direction but now he is actively helping her overcome her personal troubles even though it does not concern him. It is clear at this point Neku has figured out that there is no reason not to be honest with himself or others anymore. Day 7 even finds Neku being vocal about his concern for Beat, and he even promises Shiki that they will meet up in the living world and continue to be friends, and he calls her by her name for the first time. Before he only referred to her as “you” but now Shiki is the first person that he is openly calling by their proper name. This marks Neku’s first real connection with another person.
The pair then go on to clear the game and earn their right to be resurrected. However, the game’s “Conductor” says that only one player gets to come back to life, and that player is Shiki. Beat, who is also technically a winner, decides to join the reapers instead because he has his own goal he wants to achieve. Neku is then given the choice to either join the reapers like Beat did or play the game again. Unsurprisingly Neku chooses the latter option. Neku’s memories (except the memory of his death) are then returned to him, and a new entry fee is collected instead. But ironically, his fee this time around is Shiki. For better or worse Neku now cares about someone else more than himself. Showing in no uncertain terms that Neku has changed as a person. This time around he will now be playing for both his and Shiki’s lives.
This does not mean Neku is done maturing yet. No sir. The second game has Neku’s values, both old and new, challenged again. This time though, the challenge comes directly from his new partner Joshua. Neku almost immediately dislikes and distrusts Joshua from the moment they meet. First of all, Joshua is a sarcastic jackass. Second, he entered himself into a pact with Neku without his consent. Third, he says that he has been watching Neku. And fourth, he knows too much. Too much about the game, and too much about Neku. It turns out that Neku is actually able to scan Joshua even though he is a player, and each time he does he sees what he can only guess is his own death. It is a memory that Neku does not have and his death is the only thing he does not remember. Despite how overwhelmingly suspicious Joshua is, Neku reminds himself of what Mr. H told him about trusting his partner.
Throughout this second game, Joshua is constantly trying to get him to admit that life is better and less complicated when others are not involved, but Neku stands by his new feelings. Joshua almost purposely seems to be trying to reverse Neku’s character development. Saying things like “People are struggling to peek into their neighbor’s world. They get scared when those neighbors change and think they need to what makes them, them. The more you connect with people, the trickier the rules of society and the more others hold you back.”
On day 3 it is revealed that Joshua is an acquaintance of Mr. H. Neku is shocked that someone like Hanekoma could ever like someone like Joshua. It is also on this day that Mr. H tells Neku to “Enjoy every moment with all you’ve got.” “The world ends with you. If you want to enjoy life then you have to expand your world.” Expanding your world is a metaphor for becoming more open-minded and forming connections with the people around you and is the key message behind TWEWY.
Joshua later reveals that Hanekoma is the graphic designer known as Cat. It turns out that Cat was the only person Neku used to look up in his living life and inspired his motto of living life the way he wants. This makes Neku’s respect for Mr. H grow exponentially but is also the start of another argument with Joshua. Neku says that people should “Screw the rules. Live like Cat. How you want to. People are not meant to figure each other out”. Joshua just smirks. “My thoughts exactly. I’d rather just get rid of them.” Neku goes silent and doesn’t respond, but in his mind, he begins doubting if his world is all he needs.
During this second game, Neku also comes to terms with the fact that he is not special and that every other player has their story and reason to want to win. But regardless, Joshua keeps trying to tell him people have their own worlds and will never understand each other. While Neku may have agreed with this early in the first week, he does not think like that anymore. He no longer writes off other people’s values and knows that he must open up to other people. He tells Joshua that it is best that not everyone is the same and that he believes that while reading people’s minds is easier, he would rather learn about others and broaden his world his own way.
Day 5 brings with it the revelation that Joshua has actually been alive the whole time and that is why Neku could scan him. He was never an official player. Neku’s further scans of Joshua also show him a scene where Joshua shoots and kills Neku. When Neku accuses him, Joshua responds by asking “What if I did?” “What are you gonna do about it.” Neku knows that he cannot win the game without Joshua’s help so he bites his tongue for now.
The next day, a new type of noise begins rampaging and attacking players and reapers alike. Neku attempts to save as many people as he can regardless of whether they are a player or a reaper. However, no other players survive other than Neku and Joshua. Neku is frustrated that he was not strong enough. People are not just strangers to him anymore. Neku barely even acknowledged other players during week 1 but now he sees them as individuals and values their lives.
Similar to the first week, the second week does not have a very happy ending. Neku gets some more of his memory back and sees that Joshua did not shot him. However, before Neku can apologize for not trusting him, Joshua sacrifices himself to guard Neku against an attack that would have killed him. Before he is erased Joshua tells Neku “Give up on yourself and you give up on the world.”
Neku may have cleared the game but he does not get to come back to life this time either because his partner being alive made the game null and void. This also meant that his entry fee of Shiki was not going to be returned. The Conductor then offers Neku the chance to participate in one more game and warns him it will be his last chance. When Neku asks what his entry fee was this time around, the Conductor tells him it has already been collected.
On the first day of the third week, Neku is fired up and rushes to find a new partner. Unfortunately for him, he is the only player in this week’s game. Meaning that he cannot get a partner and cannot fight back against the reapers or the noise. But just as Neku is backed into a corner, Beat appears and forms a pack with him. Beat says that he never liked being a reaper and does not like when others play dirty.
Admittedly, week 3 sees very little character development for Neku as it is mainly focused on Beat. Though Neku does have to continue to trust his partner even though Beat is incompetent to all things involving thinking. This also makes Neku have to take the lead in solving riddles and clearing missions. But Neku is very patient with Beat and does not get angry with him as he might have before. Neku also showcases that he is a very good friend when Beat has his emotional breakdown on day 5. It turns out that Rhyme was Beat’s sister and Beat felt guilty for getting them both killed because they were hit by a car when Rhyme chased after him after he got into an argument with their parents. The reason Beat joined the reapers was to find a way to bring Rhyme back. The reason we never knew they were siblings before was because Beat’s entry fee for the first game was his sister’s memories of him. She was the only one in his life who accepted him for who he was and never gave up on him. Rhyme was a good and responsible person with actual goals in life so Beat feels that he robbed her of her life. Neku yells at Beat and tells him to stop being such an idiot. “That’s not the Beat I know.” “Don’t go the distance for other people. Do it for yourself.”
Winning this game does not get Neku out of the woods either. Due to Beat’s illegal intervention, this game is null as well. The Conductor then offers Neku the chance to live in a world where everything is easier, and everyone thinks the same. Neku refuses because while it is true, he used to shut everything out with his headphones, he does not anymore. People must clash with each other in order to change. Neku’s world ends with him so he will decide how it should look.
After defeating the Conductor, Joshua appears and says that he will give the Conductor one more chance. The Conductor then integrates Joshua into his noise form and captures Beat and the newly revived Shiki. Neku is forced to fight the final battle alone but he still manages to call his partners’ powers and overcome his final foe.
We then learn that Joshua was the being known as the Composer the whole time; the Composer being the person who runs the Reaper’s Game. Joshua then returns the last of Neku’s memories to him and it turns out Joshua was the one who killed him in the first place. It turns out that the Conductor and the Composer were playing a game of their own and Neku was Joshua’s proxy. Their game was being used to decide the fate of Shibuya and the Reaper’s Game. If Joshua won, he would erase both Shibuya and put an end to the Game for good. Conversely, I the Conductor won the Game would continue. You see Joshua was bored with the way the masses were and wanted a clean slate. And since Neku won, he won. However, he offers Neku the chance to decide the fate of Shibuya for himself. Joshua passes Neku a gun and challenges him to a duel, whoever wins gets to do whatever they want with Shibuya. Neku points his weapon at Joshua while tears run down his face, but instead of pulling the trigger he puts the gun down, and then Joshua shoots him. Despite all that Joshua had put him through, Neku still considered him his friend. Back in week 1, he was willing to kill Shiki because of a lie, but here, even though Joshua did, in fact, wrong, lie to, and essentially betray Neku, he can’t bring himself to take his life.
Neku finds himself waking up in the middle of the same crosswalk and screams to the sky “Are you kidding me?!” It turns out that Joshua has decided to let Shibuya continue to exist. Joshua’s change of heart most likely comes from watching how Neku changed and the fact that every person has the potential to change the way he did.
The final cutscene in the game features narration from Neku and it is not shown who he is meant to be talking to, but it is implied to be Joshua. Neku says that he still cannot forgive him for all that he did, but he accepts everything he learned during his experience. Neku is glad that he met everyone. It is also key to point out that while Neku says he can’t forgive Joshua, he does say that he trusts him. Neku only got as far as he did by trusting his partners and he still considers Joshua one of them. Neku also tells Joshua that he has friends now and is on his way to meet them for the first time in person. Those friends being Beat, Rhyme, and Shiki who were all resurrected as well. Neku wishes Joshua were there as well. Then with a triumphant shot of Neku removing his headphones, the camera pans up to reveal the game’s logo. However, this time the title is “The World Begins With You.” Thus ends the story of how Neku was able to change both himself and his world forever.
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