NieR:Automata Anime - What We Know So Far
2B or not 2B: That is the question. Of course, when William Shakespeare wrote those words, he was talking about the nature of the self and not sentient androids -– or was he? "NieR: Automata" is a popular video game from Square Enix and Platinum Games that in itself is a sequel to "NieR," which is a spiritual successor to an earlier franchise known as "Drakengard" (via CBR).
Released in 2017, "NieR: Automata" follows protagonists 2B and 9S, two androids from the YoRHa line that are tasked with guarding the remnants of humanity. However, these two androids and their unlikely compatriots are faced with an enemy from the stars who is technological in origin. These invading machines are utterly ruthless, but soon, the true nature of what has happened to humanity becomes apparent and what will continue to happen on multiple playthroughs of the game reveals different parts of the story from different angles.
Recently, it was announced that 2B will soon be gracing screens outside of her video game world, so what do we know about this upcoming project?
Aniplex has boarded the NieR: Automata anime television series
Revealed during a February Square Enix YouTube livestream marking the fifth anniversary of the release of "NieR: Automata" and marked by a tweet from Aniplex of America, the video game franchise has earned itself an anime adaptation. Unfortunately, little is known to supplement the sparse information that has been provided thus far. Luckily, we do know that the "NieR: Automata" adaptation will be a television show, as opposed to a limited series or a feature-length film.
We also know the company that has been tapped to bring 2B to television screens. The company in question is the famous Aniplex, who is known for "Sword Art Online," "KILL la KILL," and "Your lie in April" (via Aniplex). Aniplex has also been involved with "Fullmetal Alchemist" and "The Promised Neverland," per Polygon's coverage of the adaptation announcement.
At the moment, there is no production timeline as to the release for the "NieR: Automata" anime, nor is it known who will be the voice actors involved. However, the story for "NieR" is robust with plenty of room for twists and turns, and the characters of the video game are surprisingly diverse for artificial beings, and each have their own personalities and drives that can sometimes become twisted when exposed to certain elements of truth, which can turn friends into foes, or make villains just a little bit more relatable. Still, it will be interesting to see how the "NieR: Automata" anime develops, and let's just hope that it isn't exposed to a logic virus somewhere along the way.