Anime Expo Lite, which is an online event replacing the canceled Anime Expo 2020, is set to take place this Summer from July 3-4. The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) has officially revealed the key art for the upcoming event, and right off the bat, you might notice some familiar faces that are front and center. All of the major characters from The World Ends With You are featured in the program for Anime Expo Lite, and this alone has sparked the fanbase to speculate that there might be a new project being teased for the event.
As you can see in the above tweet, Neku, Shiki, Joshua, Beat, and Rhyme all appear in grand fashion with 2020 at the bottom. The two characters in the far back are Ai and Xeno, the two main mascots of Anime Expo who are always shown in the key art. SPJA makes note of the design and states that this was the intended Anime Expo 2020 program cover before it was canceled due to the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It’s important to note that the speculation for a new project is just that, speculation, as Square Enix has yet to make any comment of their own. Still, this hasn’t stopped the fans from making their own guesses as to what’s in store for them when Anime Expo Lite happens.
For those who don’t know, The World Ends With You is a JRPG title that launched in 2008 for the Nintendo DS. The game was critically acclaimed for its use of the DS stylus, as well as the progression mechanics, and the excellent storyline. Despite being essentially one-off title for Nintendo’s handheld console, the game has garnered a massive cult following, with fans hoping for a potential sequel to arrive one day. Square Enix has teased this notion by re-releasing the game on iOS and Android devices as The World Ends With You: Remix, and most recently for the Nintendo Switch as The World Ends With You Final: Final Remix.
While it is exciting to see some of our favorite characters in the key art, all of this hype and anticipation could be for nothing. If anything this could be the foreshadowing for an official anime counterpart, which would more than likely satiate the fans, as the probability of a true sequel is not very good. We’ll just have to wait and see, but we’ll be keeping our eyes out for any further news or information before or during the event. Anime Expo Lite will take place from July 3-4 and will be available for free.