The World Ends With You
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The World Ends With You
Overview

For the bosses, see Koki Kariya (Enemy), Koki Kariya (Berserk), and Koki Kariya (Expert Mode)
"I like the field, simple as that. You can feel the pulse out here. People's ideas conflicting, changing... I like bein' in the audience. I'm a stargazer."
— Kariya to Uzuki

Koki Kariya (狩谷 拘輝 Kariya Kōki) is a Harrier class (though could easily class into Officer) Reaper and Uzuki Yashiro's partner in The World Ends with You. He returns in NEO: The World Ends with You.

Appearance[]

Kariya has wavy coiffed orange hair, brown eyes, and pale skin. In The World Ends with You, he wears what appears to be a black zip-up hoodie vest with a white silhouette of a ribcage printed on it, slightly unzipped to show his white v-neck undershirt; pale pink-brown pants, and white loafers. A wallet chain hangs from his pants' waistband. His parka can be collected as a Gatito thread, Lollipop's Parka. He wears black framed yellow-tinted sunglasses, and often has a sucker in his mouth, giving the impression of a cigarette.

In NEO: The World Ends with You, he wears a black vest with an unfastened belt with a patch on the right side of his chest of a skeletal hand squeezing a strawberry, open so it exposes his low-cut white undershirt with a dark grey silhouette of a skeletal torso. The strawberry is meant to symbolize his heart and tie into his biological rib motif. He wears light blue ripped jeans showing a bright red layer underneath, and white shoes with a black heel. His hair is shorter, and retains his yellow-tinted sunglasses, and he retains the habit of sucking on a lollipop.

A constant of Kariya is his Reaper wings and his lollipop. As a seasoned Harrier bordering on Officer, his wings are small and smooth showing his expertise. His lollipop is pale brown in The World Ends with You. It was changed to a bright red in The World Ends With You Final Remix and remains so in NEO: The World Ends with You. In NEO, he also has a blue lollipop.

Personality[]

"Although he carries himself with a casual demeanor, he is considered to be the Reapers' "big brother". He always prefers to work beside Yashiro. Oozing confidence, this stoic perfectionist takes great pride in his work."
— Game manual description
Neo-Koki-holding-his-blue-lollipop-sprite

Always holding a bean paste lollipop, Kariya is exceptionally cool-headed and unusually friendly towards Players for a Reaper. Unlike his prideful partner Uzuki, he has no problem expressing gratitude towards Players who help them. For him, being a Reaper is simply a job and nothing personal, and he often appears lazy when it comes to work. He often calms down Uzuki's more aggressive and impulsive behaviour and reminds her of the rules of the Game. The only times Kariya himself expresses any anger in The World Ends with You is when he found out that he was being used by Mitsuki Konishi for a long time, and when he sees the first Taboo Noise. Kariya often has a habit of referring to Uzuki as “girl” in a rather chill tone, and he doesn’t seem to worry about most things.

In The World Ends with You, he spends most of his time playing games with Uzuki which he usually wins. The loser of these games treats the winner to a bowl of ramen. They play these games even with serious subjects, such as finding out the origin of the Taboo Noise. He enjoys an easy, fun life, the exact opposite of Uzuki. Despite the differences in attitudes and goals, Uzuki and Kariya are friends and work incredibly well together, fighting like two halves of a whole[3]. The two even have their own special light puck, similar to Neku's (explaining why Uzuki and Kariya can take out the Taboo Noise, who can only be defeated by people who have a light puck).

In truth, Kariya's carefree attitude hides how powerful he really is and he is shown to be very observant and quite clever, noticing changes in his surroundings and how suspicious Joshua is. Although he's been offered several times to Officer-class, Kariya would much rather sit back and relax than exert effort in completing his assignments. He later explained the true reasoning for his attitude and why he declined the promotion to an enraged Uzuki who thought he was being patronising or maybe wasting his chances because he has "a crush on her or something": being an officer meant that he couldn't be out and about in Shibuya; he would "only strut around looking important all day," a life he sees as "boring". He describes himself as something of a stargazer, as he greatly enjoys feeling "the pulse" of Shibuya and observing its ever-changing nature and people by close distance, which is also something he'd be unable to do if he was of very high status. Though, he also indicates that he greatly enjoys being with Uzuki on top of all that and spending time with her is very important to him. Somewhat similarly to Sanae Hanekoma, he sees the differences and variety in human beings as a good thing, and he notices and seems very uncomfortable when Shibuya starts to turn homogenous as a result of its people being mind-controlled.

Kariya also spends a great deal of time telling Uzuki about the old days of being a Reaper, and seems to know more about the Reapers' Game than he lets on, further indicating there is more to him than it seems. For example, he both knew about Taboo Noise (curiously, Joshua does not, implying he might have been in the UG for longer than the Composer) and was able to predict what was happening to Shibuya (though it was too late, as he and Uzuki fell victim to the O-pin's mind control). In NEO: The World Ends with You, Kariya also knows about the Higher Plane, something that is usually only privy to high-ranking Reapers. Kariya also talks about how they have never had so many Games in a row, indicating that he has been participating in the Game for a long time.

In The Animation, he is sometimes portrayed in a bit more malicious way in regards to his duty as a Reaper, as he whispers to and even seems to mock Beat right after Rhyme's erasure and is shown grinning maliciously like his partner and seems to take more enjoyment out of teasing the Players than his game counterpart. However, he also retains his good side and straight up helps the Players a couple times, at one point even stopping Uzuki from going after Neku and Beat with what appears to be just an excuse. He also seems amused and even relieved when Beat comes to rescue Neku from them, as he appears to believe they can help with Shibuya's bad situation. When he fights, he often does so casually, but acts more serious when protecting his partner or dealing with a very strong opponent. He is very worried of Uzuki when she seems hurt or sick, which turns out to be the start of the mind-control. He is also the only person who seems to like Sho Minamimoto's art and seems to like him even a little, appearing curious and amused by his unpredictable nature and likes how the unusual way he runs things gives him less work. He is shown watching people he finds suspicious without them noticing him.

After the Shinjuku Reapers take over Shibuya, he dislikes it and he gets into disagreements with Uzuki over it, souring their close relationship into a more distant one between a worker and their boss. Kariya criticizes her for constantly following the rules to the point of ridiculousness, while Uzuki believes his more (albeit quite passive due to the threats of erasure) rebellious attitude can put him in danger. However, he also acknowledges to the Wicked Twisters that Uzuki did her best with the position she was thrust into and that people shouldn't be too hard on her. Due to his dislike of how Shibuya is running, he is even more friendly and helpful with Players and offers them some information, though he tries to be discreet about it and is nominally on the Shinjuku Reapers' side. The Twisters figure he is scheming against them at first and he indeed does have a mischievous side. When their words cause Uzuki to yell at him, he appears very passive-aggressively angry with them for a moment. He and Uzuki eventually end up actively working with the Twisters out of their love for Shibuya and they become close again towards the end of the game, deciding to continue their old ramen routine. He is once again amused by Sho's unique character and would like him to rejoin their ranks, though Sho strongly declines.

Story[]

Week 1[]

Kariya appears often during the Game, although not as often as Uzuki.

He first appears to Neku and Shiki on the fourth day when he and Uzuki set a trap for Beat. Rhyme saves Beat from the trap and instead is erased. When confronted by Beat, Kariya mocks him by saying that Rhyme died only because Beat was too foolhardy to look out for her. He and Uzuki then retreat.

On the seventh day, Beat approaches Uzuki and Kariya, apparently to find out how to release Noise from Pins. Although Uzuki is not too keen to talk to Beat, Kariya wants to find out what he wants to know.

Week 2[]

During the first day the second week, Kariya and Uzuki are discussing having Sho Minamimoto as Game Master. Although Uzuki dislikes Minamimoto's way of running the Game, Kariya likes it because it means they have less work to do.

On the second day, while he and Uzuki are finding out which routes are open or blocked by walls, they are attacked by Taboo Noise. After Uzuki calls the appearance of the Noise in to HQ, the two are tasked with investigating the Taboo Noise.

Later, on the fourth day, he seems to notice that Joshua is actually playing the Game alive. He eventually witnesses Joshua using his power on the fifth day and reveals that Joshua is playing the Game whilst still living. He acknowledges the illegality of the situation but chooses to let it slide for the time being.

Week 3[]

On the first day, Kariya and Uzuki discuss Mitsuki Konishi's appointment as the Game Master. Kariya notes that it will be hard for Uzuki to get Konishi to promote her. Konishi later tells Kariya and Uzuki to target Beat and Neku and gives them a fake Rhyme pin to bait them (although Uzuki and Kariya think the pin is real). Konishi promises Uzuki a promotion and notes that Kariya should have already been promoted.

On the third day, after Uzuki's defeat to Neku and Beat, he tells Uzuki his reasons for denying promotion and advises her to slow down.

On the fourth day, he directly confronts Neku and Beat. While they are asleep, he locks their keypins in several boxes, forcing them to unlock each box to reach the area he is in. After his defeat, he and Uzuki fight Neku and Beat simultaneously. He attacks Neku on the lower zone, while Uzuki fights Beat on the top zone. After their defeat, he gives Beat the Rhyme pin, discovering that it is a fake. To apologize, he gives them his keypin. While talking to Uzuki later, he helps her realize her true ambition: to get promoted not just for herself, but to benefit the lower-class Reapers being used as pawns by the Reaper Officers. However, right after this, both of them are possessed by their O-Pins.

On the fifth day, Beat and Neku find the possessed Kariya and Uzuki and defeat them. Instead of erasing them, they leave them unconscious on the ground.

This Day Ends with You![]

In This Day Ends with You!, Kariya, Uzuki, and Yodai Higashizawa host the Tin Pin Slam-off to steal everybody's pins. Later, Rhyme claims that Kariya stole all her pins, but this was a ploy to lure the "Kindred Spirits" into a trap. The Spirits later return, catching the Skullers in Miyashita Park. As the fourth battle, Kariya faces off against Neku, Kariya advises Neku to just go with the flow, then attempts to buy him off with ramen, to no avail. When Neku wins their Tin Pin match, Kariya congratulates him and asks him if he feels better now, which Neku confirms. After the Spirits win against the Skullers, Kariya leaves for ramen.

A New Day[]

Kariya himself does not appear in A New Day. However, a false version of him created by the Reaper Coco does appear and battle Neku and Beat. This Kariya notably has a swapped personality with Uzuki. He finds his job effortless and thusly wants to do as much as he can. At the same time, the illusionary Uzuki finds the idea of promotion as a way to simply receive more work.

NEO: The World Ends with You[]

After the Shinjuku Inversion three years before NEO: The World Ends with You, Kariya along with substitute Game Master Uzuki welcomed the Shinjuku Reapers into Shibuya. She becomes Kariya's boss, causing them to separate and work independently. He is one of the Shibuya Reapers along with Uzuki and Coco.

Kariya first appears in REAL(eyes/ize/lies) (Week 1, Day 4). Susukichi, after tricking the Wicked Twisters into not doing the day's mission, threatens to fight them. Kariya intervenes and orders him to not add injury to insult for a new team when Susukichi is on the winning team. Susukichi leaves. Kariya advises the Wicked Twisters to keep their guard up and look out for Players who have their back, and Players looking to backstab them. Nagi notes he's much more forthcoming than other Reapers: Kariya says he helps newer Players in hopes they can beat Ruinbringers, who he is tired of seeing them win. Kariya tells them the Twisters have big shoes to fill in Shibuya, mentioning a Player who turned the Game on its head (likely Neku Sakuraba). He encourages them to cause trouble and leaves. He then compliments Rindo for his imprinting ability in HEAD2HEAD (Week 1, Day 5). Upon hearing the Twisters intend to fight one of the teams, he suggests they fight the Deep Rivers Society after fully preparing.

At the beginning of Week 2, the Wicked Twisters are searching for a legendary Player who saved them on GamE thEorY (Week 1, Day 7) - they assume he is Neku but he is actually Beat. Fret paraphrases Kariya calling Neku a legend to Kubo, who says Kariya may be exaggerating because he loves Shibuya. Kariya finds them later that day and asks them about the search for Neku. Fret asks if Kariya enjoys being a Reaper and why the Reapers make them play the Game: Kariya replies that a job's a job, and compares the Game to a huge talent show to find high-potential Players. He suggests the Twisters focus on themselves rather than Neku. Rindo counters that having a powerful Player like Neku would increase their chance of winning, and Kariya admits they have a point. In LiVing LeGend (Week 2, Day 2), the Twisters meet Kariya at Shibuya Hikarie. He reports he found Neku coming from the Scramble Crossing to Expressway Underpass. He says it would be hard to find Neku assuming it truly is Neku. He warns them to be careful and wishes them good luck.

During Sound♪Surfer (Week 2, Day 3), the Wicked Twisters meet Uzuki. They mention Kariya helping them and Uzuki swears she'll teach Kariya a "lesson or three". During 🡒urbaNlegendZ (Week 2, Day 4), Beat tells Uzuki that he and the rest of the Twisters are playing the Game despite not being dead. Kariya sees Beat again in Noisrevni (Week 2, Day 5) and welcomes him back to the game, then asks what the Twisters said about him to Uzuki - he says he felt like Uzuki gave him "four or five" lessons. He is also disturbed like Uzuki to hear the Twisters are not actually dead: Beat suspects the Shinjuku Reapers and Kariya admits he doesn't know their plans, but they used to be friendly when he and Uzuki gave them refuge in Shibuya. He advises them to keep playing and leaves. When Shoka says the Shinjuku Reapers plan to destroy Shibuya during CHECKMATE! (Week 2, Day 7), Uzuki and Kariya hear her from 104 Building. While Uzuki is shocked and indignant, Kariya apathetically suggests the Shinjuku Reapers had a hand in their own Inversion.

During Week 3, Uzuki struggles between following Reaper orders to help destroy Shibuya and her own loyalties to the city. Kariya joins her in SuDDeN DeaTH (Week 3, Day 1) to attack the Twisters with Plague Noise, who use their hypothesis of being able to attack Plague Noise using UV light. Kariya comments afterwards it looked like Uzuki was coaching them with the Noise. Beat asks whose side Kariya is on: he says "nominally speaking" he is on the Reapers' side and compares himself to a stargazer.

In Come🡒🡐back (Week 3, Day 4), Tanzo Kubo attacks and infects Kariya with Plague Noise. Nagi Usui uses Dive to erase the Plague Noise inside his mind, and Fret uses Remind so he can remember his identity. Kariya warns them to look out for Kubo, and Uzuki asks what is the importance of advising Players. Kariya retorts it's more important than pretending their titles matter. He suggests that Uzuki needs to break the rules if she wants to save Shibuya, but notes that the Reverb means Shibuya is no longer vibrant as it was. He suggests the Wicked Twisters find Kubo at Tipsy Tose Hall. Later, with a lack of Shibuya Syndrome sufferers to fight the Wicked Twisters, Kubo attempts to re-infect Kariya and use him to attack the Twisters. Kubo states he has to list both Uzuki and Kariya as traitors to the Reapers: Uzuki argues their loyalty is to Shibuya and not him. Kariya asks Rindo and Beat to fight off Kubo while he and Uzuki take care of Plague Noise at the UG-RG border. He thanks Uzuki for being a great boss who cares deeply for the city and her subordinates, then they leave.

On the final day, Kariya greets Neku and pledges along with Uzuki that he'll do anything he can to save Shibuya. In the second iteration, Kariya is unsurprised to learn Kubo is from the Higher Plane, as "everyone from there is some kinda weirdo". In the third iteration Kariya is being swarmed by Plague Noise at Cat Street. Sho Minamimoto appears and erases them all, and advises Rindo about how to manage Soul Pulvis produced by Replay. Kariya remarks that even with consequences, time travel sounds good, and that he didn't expect Minamimoto to give advice. Minamimoto retorts he's only interested in himself. Kariya says that despite Minamimoto's eccentricity, he can't complain if Minamimoto is on their side.

In the ending, Kariya encourages Minamimoto to rejoin the Shibuya Reapers, but he declines, calling them garbage Reapers. Uzuki decides she is going to take a vacation, and decides to join Kariya for ramen, and it is implied they have become a duo again.

Relationships[]

Uzuki Yashiro[]

"It's you 'n' me, girl. I'm lucky I got such a great boss. One who cares so much about her city—and her subordinates. Makes me feel like I can take on the world."
— Kariya to Uzuki, Come🡒🡐back (Week 3, Day 4)

In The World Ends with You, Uzuki has only been a Reaper for two years, and Kariya still calls her a "spring chicken," further implying that Kariya has been in the Harrier business for a long time. Kariya regularly turns down promotions because he enjoys hanging out with Uzuki while she in turn ruthlessly scrambles for advancement. Often times when Uzuki is enraged, it's Kariya that calms her down. One method he uses is to create a small competition between themselves to do things like erase more players. Often times, the reward for these games would be the loser buying the other a bowl of ramen. This creates a much more playful attitude between the pair. He and Uzuki also share a special light puck that allows them to share their energy.

Between The World Ends with You and NEO: The World Ends with You, Kariya and Uzuki no longer work together. As his boss, Uzuki is strict on Kariya such as reprimanding him for giving advice to Players. During Week 3, Uzuki struggles between following Reaper orders to help destroy Shibuya and her own loyalties to the city. A turning point for her is when Kariya says their titles are no longer important and it is necessary to break the rules to protect Shibuya - however Kariya also believes the vibrant Shibuya they knew was gone due to the Plague Noise propagated by Reapers causing Reverb. After Uzuki saves Kariya from being infected by Plague Noise for a second time, Kubo states he has to list both Uzuki and Kariya as traitors to the Reapers. Uzuki argues their loyalty is to Shibuya and not him. Kariya asks Rindo and Beat to fight off Kubo while he and Uzuki take care of Plague Noise at the UG-RG border. He thanks Uzuki for being a great boss who cares deeply for the city and her subordinates, then they leave.

In the epilogue, Uzuki decides she is going to take a vacation, and decides to join Kariya for ramen, and it is implied they have become a duo again.

Beat[]

Kariya was constantly antagonizing Beat from the first time they met in Shiki, Day 4, erasing his younger sister Rhyme. He guilts Beat into making him feel responsible for her erasure, and taunts him with how he'll be erased in 7 minutes. He patronizes Beat when he approaches him and Uzuki in Shiki, Day 7 asking to be a Reaper, and during the week which he is a Reaper, nicknaming him Freshmeat. While Uzuki gets offended at Beat's mocking of other Reapers due to his special operation, Kariya ignores his insults and doesn't let it get to him. He threatens Beat when he plans to form a pact with Neku. When Kariya runs Beat, Day 4, he is genuinely upset that the Rhyme Pin he gave Beat for winning is fake, showing that while he mostly wants Beat as a Player and a Reaper erased, he cares about Game integrity.

In NEO: The World Ends with You, Kariya is happy to see Beat again in the Reapers' Game, as well as Beat retaining his sense of humor. He begins to rely on Beat during Week 3, such as asking him to fight Kubo while he and Uzuki fight off Plague Noise in the RG.

Abilities[]

Kariya is a powerful Reaper. Although he is a Harrier-class Reaper, he is at such a low rank by his own choice, even though he has been a Reaper for a long time and has been offered promotion to Officer-class on few occasions.

When in battle, Kariya is quite a formidable opponent. He can fire energy blasts from the air, which explode when they hit the ground doing massive damage to any nearby players. His normal attacks include shooting regular energy blasts that don't explode and shooting shuriken. He is also capable of creating an electrical barrier around him, countering close-range psychs such as Shockwave. However, blocking these moves is possible if the player is quick enough to attack.

Item[]

The following is all of the Kariya-related items that the player can get in the game:

Etymology[]

The kanji for Kari-ya Kōki literally translates to: Hunt, valley, arrest, sparkle. Like Uzuki and the rest of the Reapers, his name also has a reference to an animal's Chinese zodiac sign, in this case, the dog. The 拘 in Kariya's name is nearly identical to the symbol for dog: 狗.

Quotes[]

The World Ends with You[]

  • "Ohh, zing! Now I have to actually try. You know the drill. Loser buys winner a hot bowl of ramen."
  • "Whoa, let's think about this. Put yourself in the Players' shoes. You've made it to Day 4, the mission's a breeze... What are you going to think?"
  • "'Sides... Days off are like love letters from the higher-ups. We can't go full blast all week. We'd never make it."
  • "Ooh, scary. Go on, Skulls. Be the star of your little soap opera. But Skulls, Jr. isn't gone because of us. She's gone because of you. You failed to protect your partner. So face reality. We hunt Players down. You KNEW that."
  • "Take it down a notch before you pop a blood vessel. I don't see a problem. This is our week off, after all."
  • "He can't help it. I'm sure he's worked out some crazy plan-- something way beyond the ken of mundane folks like you 'n' me. I mean, c'mon-- he's the type of genius head case that makes stuff like THIS.
  • "Whoa there, cowgirl. Reapers whackin' folks in the RG is a no-no."
  • "Uzuki... Get on the horn with HQ. Now."
  • "Zing! Where's the love? Yo, Uzuki."
  • "That was one helluva blast. No way a Player could do that. You don't see juice like that in the UG. You know, living folks aren't allowed in the Game. That makes you a rule-breaker. I could erase you right now."
  • "Too much work. 'Sides, that Noise was givin' us hell, too. So let's just say I blinked. Not next time, though. You'll be erased before you know it. ...By Uzuki. Later!"
  • "Whew! You guys saved our butts. We were eight kinds of boned."
  • "Hmm... Just barely. Consider it a loophole. The grey area juuust short of black."
  • "Oh, to be young and foolish again! Try switching on your brain, Freshmeat. If you fight us, you die. Right now you're treadin' on thin ice."
  • "Uh-huh. Ever wonder why they keep the chains ON?"
  • "Yeah, girl. Stop and smell those concrete roses. Now then. Sorry to drag on like that. Here. For your trouble."
  • "Um, villain? Screwin' with you is my job."
  • "On my life. ...Wait, that doesn't work."
  • "For everything. Right now... the UG needs you two to have this."
  • "...... Uzuki, don't you feel it? Shibuya's breaking. The town's... homogenizing. Turning simple. Yeah. Because they're changing, focusing-- all on a single point. Dunno. I just hope that point isn't a period, The End."
  • "A deep question, Blue. But worryin' won't get you anywhere. Life happens like it's gonna happen, man."
  • "Anyway, I guess this is happily ever after. Now, how 'bout we celebrate over ramen?"

NEO: The World Ends with You[]

  • "Easy there, fella. Ain't no need to add injury to insult. Day's over, and your team's still winnin'. Give the newbies a break, man." - to Susukichi
  • "'Fraid not, man. I'm flyin' solo today."
  • "Nice to meet ya, though. Koki Kariya's the name, and this is our Game."
  • "No need to thank me, man. Just doin' my Reaperly job—for once. Heh."
  • "Meh, don't sweat it. Just think of this as a learning opportunity, kid. It's a Player-eat-Player world out there. Let your guard down, and someone's liable to swoop in and take a bite. Gotta know who's got your back and who's just looking to stab it."
  • "That's 'cause the other Reapers aren't as tired of seein' the same team on top as I am. Figured I'd lend some fresh faces a hand, shake things up. Maybe even get you kids to ruin the Ruinbringers, ya feel me, man?"
  • "Well, you'd better get used to it, kid, 'cause this is just the beginning. You've got some pretty big shoes to fill here in Shibuya."
  • "Anyway, I'm lookin' forward to seeing what kinda trouble you stir up. The more trouble, the better, I'd say...heh."
  • "Yep. We had a Player come through once who ended up flippin' the entire Game right on its head. Heh. Man, what a riot that was..." - about Neku
  • "Gotta say, you've got a hell of a way with words. Not the phrasing I woulda picked, but at least you've got a handle on imprinting."
  • "That's as good a plan as any. A guy like him's gonna be tough to find no matter what you do. Assuming he's the real Neku, that is."
  • "I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm looking for him. But I have picked up a couple breadcrumbs to follow if you're interested."
  • "...Heh. You all don't seem to be looking to take him down. Whatever it is you're after... ...you'd better watch your step. You've still got a lot to learn if you wanna make it through this. Good luck out there."
  • "Yeesh. What sucked the life outta you, kid? The whole "search for Neku" thing isn't treatin' you too kindly? So somethin' else is weighin' ya down."
  • "Hm... Like it or not, a job's a job—ya feel me?"
  • "You've got an inquisitive streak in ya, kid. I dig it."
  • "Think of it this way: the Game's like one big talent show. We're lookin' for the best and the brightest the RG has to offer. They get sent here to play the Game after they die. We evaluate their performance and see who comes out on top. Make sense? Some of 'em join the Reapers. Some of 'em rise even higher in the ranks."
  • "Right—but I'm not talkin' "you as a team." I'm talkin' you. Maybe you oughta focus a little less on Neku and a little more on yourselves."
  • "Huh. I s'pose you got a point there, kid. No need to make yourself shine if somebody else can do it for ya. Although I don't think they had that in mind when they started this up again... Meh. Anyway, you kids got a big week ahead of ya. How you survive is up to you. Just make sure you do. Laters."
  • "Heyyy, now there's a sight for sore eyes! What's happenin', Skulls? So, to what do I owe the pleasure? Got so hungry for some action that you came back for seconds? Heh. Glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor, man."
  • "But enough small talk. I wanna know what you kids said to Uzuki about me. Huh. Aight... Interesting. Makes a Reaper wonder why she decided to tear me a new one, then. Felt more like four or five at least. She also told me somethin' else I wasn't too thrilled about. Said you kids weren't actually dead, but I couldn't believe it."
  • "Meh. Could be. If you wanna know their grand plan, you're asking the wrong guy."
  • "Not always. We got along just fine at first. Even offered to give 'em all a new home when their old one got torn down."
  • "'Sides, it's kinda my fault for goin' against Shiba. He doesn't take kindly to naysayers. That's why there's so few of us left. You don't roll with the punches, you get knocked out."
  • "Anyway, like I was saying: I dunno what your team's deal is, but I'd love to know who's responsible."
  • "Nominally speakin', that is. Ya feel me? At the end of the day, I dig these streets. You can feel the pulse out here. People's ideas conflicting, changing... I like bein' in the audience. I'm a stargazer, y'know?"
  • "A lot more good than pretending our titles matter anymore. I mean you gotta loosen up, girl. Bend the rules a bit. Or else Shibuya's gonna disappear. But maybe that wouldn't be much of a loss."
  • " This place has gotten pretty dull lately, don'tcha think? Shibuya's gonna go up in flames soon, all thanks to us Reapers. The Noise are messin' things up in the RG, too. All those people—all their lives clashing and melding and drifting apart—that's what made Shibuya so vibrant. That Shibuya—our Shibuya—is already long gone."
  • "It's you 'n' me, girl. I'm lucky I got such a great boss. One who cares so much about her city—and her subordinates. Makes me feel like I can take on the world."
  • "Well, fancy that. Must be from a higher plane, then. Figures. Everyone from up there is some kinda weirdo. He fits right in, lemme tell ya. So I can't say I'm surprised." - about Kubo
  • "Rare of you to throw out such a half-baked suggestion."
  • "Count me in, too. I'm gonna fight for Shibuya 'til I keel over. Just be sure to keep your guard up. That Shiba's one tough cookie."
  • "Man, time travel sure sounds slick. Even if it's not without its downsides."
  • "Welcome back, girl. Kinda feels like the fog's startin' to lift for me, too. Aye-aye. Never thought I'd say this, but I think it's time for me to get to work."
  • "You really went above and beyond, girl. If I didn't know any better, I woulda thought you really did have a promotion on the line."

Battle Quotes[]

  • "You ready to clock out?"
  • "Alright, game on."
  • "See ya!"
  • "What a pain..."
  • "Never would have thought!.."

Non-Canon Appearances[]

The Animation[]

"A fit and free-wheeling Reaper who works alongside Uzuki. His laidback attitude belies a strong sense of pride in his work."
— Kariya's description in The Animation's official website
Episode 3-3

Kariya in The Animation.

Kariya's role in The Animation is very similar, although he meets Neku and Shiki earlier on day one.

When Rhyme is erased, Kariya also attacks Beat a little in response, while in the game, it was only verbal. After, he and Uzuki go get hot dogs and are confronted by an upset Beat, disgusted by how inhuman and cruel they are. He saves Uzuki from Taboo Noise in CAT. In Turf (Episode), he notices Joshua is playing alive but lets it pass and gives him and Neku lollipops.

Trivia[]

  • According to Tetsuya Nomura, Shibuya Reapers have a hidden kanji in their names that relate to the Chinese zodiac and represent their Noise forms. The kanji for Ko (拘 kō) in his name is very similar to the Dog (狗 gǒu,) meaning his Noise form would be a dog. While it did not happen, Nomura personally really wanted him to transform.
  • With correct timing and two Lightning Rook pins, it is possible for Neku to put Kariya into an inescapable loop of stun. Once this is done, he can only attack Neku's partner.
  • Despite numerous occasions where other game characters go so far as to nickname Kariya "lollipop", it is said in the non-canonical The World Ends with You official manga that the thing that he is always carrying around is actually bean paste. It is also notable that while he never identifies his lollipop as bean paste in the game itself, he never disputes it being a lollipop either, even when other characters call him "lollipop" to his face. This combined with events in the manga not lining up perfectly with certain events in the game present a disputable canon problem, meaning that while Kariya might actually be eating a lollipop in the game, it is most likely bean paste. In the Reaper Quiz game on the Square Enix website, it says that Kariya's favorite flavor of lollipop is bean paste, not that the lollipop is bean paste itself.
    • In The Animation, it is stated that he swaps out lollipop flavors every day.
  • Kariya's eyes are the same color as his lollipop.
  • Kariya's English voice actor is Andrew Kishino, who was a former rapper known as Kish. After little success in that field, he took to voice acting.
    • Andrew Kishino is the only English voice actor from the original game to reprise their role in The Animation.

References[]

  1. Uzuki is 19 years old chronologically in The World Ends with You, and has been working for the Reapers for two years and is considered a spring chicken by Kariya, whose chronological age is older but unknown. He is also stated to be unusually powerful and knowledgeable for someone of his status and in the anime avoids answering when Uzuki directly asks how long he's been around.
  2. NEO: The World Ends with You: Official Guidebook + Setting Documents Collection (新すばらしきこのせかい公式ガイドブック+設定資料集 Shin Subarashiki Kono Sekai Kōshiki Gaidobukku + Settei Shiryōshū) exclusively released in Japan, July 2021.
  3. Noise Report No 82: What's a little insanity among friends? Uzuki and Kariya still operate like two halves of a whole
    Noise Report No 84: What's a little insanity among friends? Kariya and Uzuki still operate like two halves of a whole
Characters in The World Ends with You
Neku SakurabaShiki MisakiBeatJoshuaRhymeSota HonjoNao 777BJCoco AtarashiKoki KariyaMegumi KitanijiMitsuki KonishiSho MinamimotoTenhoUzuki YashiroYodai Higashizawa
Shopkeepers
Aily UenoAkira YoshiiAnna AoiAyu HamaguchiBanzai AyanokojiFumi GotodaFumiko NishimuraHideki KikuchiHikaru KoikeHT MasuokaJun OdajimaKeiichi OkadaKen DoiKyoMakoto MikiMasanori ItoMay KurokawaMie SuzukiMiki KosakaNana MajimaPrincess KRayca HoshiRikako TodaSanae HanekomaShigemi KonnoShigemori IwataShinta IwataTadafumi SatoTak KimuraTatsuya OmuraTsubasaYoji IwataYosh IshinoYumi SheenaYuu Narumi
Other Characters
AiCATEiji OjiEriFutoshiItaru YokoyamadaKen DoiMakoto MikiMinaMr. MewNeku's best friendPin ProfSanae HanekomaShrimpShuto DanTsugumi MatsunaeWizard of SlamVice Wizard of Slam


Characters in NEO: The World Ends with You
Rindo KanadeFretNagi UsuiBeatShoka SakuraneNeku SakurabaSho Minamimoto Shiba MiyakazeSusukichiTsugumi Matsunae Fuya KawaharaKohei ToyohashiKatsuhiko Tanimaru Kanon TachibanaMaito Minami Motoi AnazawaSumio Tanaka Koki KariyaUzuki YashiroCoco AtarashiSho Minamimoto Shiba MiyakazeTanzo KuboAyano KamachiKaie OnoHishima SakazukiShoka SakuraneSusukichiTsugumi MatsunaeTsugumi Matsunae's brother
Shopkeepers
AadivAika KuribayashiAkari MinaminoAkira IshiwaAoi KyobeGenzo KoitabashiHirofumi ItoguchiHiromu TakaharaIzumi AriyoshiJo MakitaJun SonobeKana InadaKaoru NitobeKeiichi OkadaKen DoiKohei SuzukawaLinda WatanabeMai IseyaMasayaMichihisa TadashimaMiharu NakanoMiki SaionjiMiko YamamotoMitsuhide TojoMomoka OwadaNaoto KuwataRei MogiRenka SakumaRieko KawaharaRina TodoRintaro NakagawaRyojiRyoma UtsumiSakura KogaSayoko MorohoshiShinobu SatoSumire ChibaSuzu ItoTakumi MiyanoTamao SasaiTomoko HirasawaTomoyuki KondoTsukihimeWataru KoketsuYotsuba SanoYudai MikiYumi Takita
Other Characters
Ammonia BanksBuddy RapidsEiji OjiEiruGo ModoriyamaHazuki MikagiHide TakenouchiHonoka KondoItsuki KanedaJoshuaKashikiKen DoiMachastreeManami AkitaMarino OriharaMKNMr. MewReaper CommentatorRhymeRiko SekinoharaRyojiSanae HanekomaShiki MisakiShuntaro HarimaTaka the HandymanTaku IhamaTomonamiYoko NorimotoYuika KagaYusei Iseya
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