Arguably one of the best Nintendo DS games of all time, The World Ends With You was lauded upon release not simply due to its unique gameplay but also for its sprawling story, engaging soundtrack, and its colorful representation of Japan's Shibuya shopping district and surrounding areas. For nearly 15 years, fans have eagerly awaited a continuation to the story that many thought may never come to fruition — until the announcement of The World Ends With You: The Animation.
Set across an undisclosed number of episodes, The World Ends With You: The Animation adapts the original game and brings Neku's story to the screen as an anime for the very first time. Fans have even more to look forward to as the series draws to a close later this summer, as the video game sequel Neo: The World Ends With You is set for release on July 27, 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC. Even though The World Ends With You: The Animation is only airing on TV in Japan, there are several ways to watch the series no matter where you're located in the world which we'll be discussing in the sections below.
The World Ends With You: The Animation - When & where
The World Ends With You: The Animation airs on MBS and TBS in Japan on Friday nights starting April 10 at 01:25 JST. For those who are looking to stream the series in the United States or elsewhere, though it won't be airing on TV, Funimation is releasing the episodes at the same time as they air in Japan so you can stream alongside the live showing. You can also watch the series on Hulu.
For non-Japan viewers, new episodes of The World Ends With You: The Animation are available to stream at Funimation and Hulu on Fridays at 1:25 PM ET / 10:25 AM PT / 18:25 GMT beginning April 9. At this time, only a subtitled version is available. If you don't have access to Hulu or Funimation in your country, a VPN can help solve that issue quickly.
How to watch The World Ends With You: The Animation live from anywhere
If you're in the U.S., signing up for a Hulu or Funimation subscription is the easiest way to stream new episodes of The World Ends With You: The Animation. However, those who aren't located in the U.S. currently might have a bit more trouble watching the show. Luckily, using a VPN makes it simple to change your location virtually, and gives you instant access to services like Hulu. Whether you are traveling or live outside of the U.S., this is what you need to know.
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Live stream The World Ends With You: The Animation in the U.S.
Hulu and Funimation both give you the ability to stream The World Ends With You: The Animation the moment it begins airing live in Japan. While they both certainly have their benefits and downsides, we typically recommend Hulu for most streamers. At $7.99 per month, Funimation is full of excellent anime series and films you can stream at your leisure, and while that may be a perfect fit for you if that's what you're interested in, there's much more variety and even some of the same content available at Hulu with plans starting at just $5.99 per month.
The World Ends With You: The Animation is available to stream with Hulu's base plan for $5.99 per month, or you can upgrade to Hulu with Live TV for $64.99 monthly. There's also a package that combines Hulu with Disney+ and ESPN+ at a discounted rate of $13.99 per month. You can even start a free trial at Hulu for 30 days of access before paying anything when signing up for select plans.
