The World is Still Beautiful

The World is Still Beautiful, known in Japan as Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii, originated as a manga series by Dai Shiina before being adapted into a twelve-episode anime by Studio Pierrot in 2014. The series emerged during a period where fantasy-romance narratives were finding a dedicated audience, focusing on the story of Nike Lemercier, a princess with the ability to summon rain, and her betrothal to the Sun King, Livius Ifrikia. The production sought to balance high-fantasy aesthetics with intimate character development, drawing on traditional shoujo storytelling tropes while grounding the emotional stakes in the shifting political landscape between their two kingdoms.

The character designs and animation style were crafted to emphasize the contrast between Nike’s free-spirited nature and the rigid, often melancholic atmosphere of the Sun Kingdom. Studio Pierrot employed a soft color palette and flowing animation techniques during the performance of the rain songs, which serve as a narrative centerpiece. Upon its release, the series was received as a charming addition to the romance genre, praised for its musical integration and the chemistry between the leads, though it is frequently noted for its reliance on established genre conventions rather than subverting them.