World Trigger

In Mikado City (三門市, Mikado-shi) (280,000 inhabitants), a "gate" to a different world suddenly opens one day. Monsters called "Neighbors" (近界民（ネイバー）, Neibā, lit. "Near-world people") start appearing from the gate. Humans are overwhelmed at first when their weapons are found to be useless against Neighbors, until a mysterious organization appears that is able to repel the Neighbors' attacks. The organization is called the National Defense Agency, or "Border", and has appropriated the Neighbor technology called "Triggers", which allows the user to channel an internal energy called Trion and use it as a weapon or for other purposes. By activating a trigger, the body of users is replaced by a battle-body made of Trion which is stronger and more resistant.

Four years later, people in Mikado City have grown used to the occasional battles with the Neighbors, and have returned more or less to their everyday lives. Border has become popular. One day, a mysterious white-haired student named Yūma Kuga (空閑 遊真, Kuga Yūma) transfers to the local school. Kuga is actually a strong humanoid Neighbor, a fact that he wants to hide from Border. In the school he meets another student, Osamu Mikumo (三雲 修, Mikumo Osamu), who is secretly a C-class Border trainee. Since Kuga is completely oblivious about life in Mikado City, it falls to Mikumo to guide him through it, and to prevent him from being discovered by Border.

World Trigger is written and illustrated by Daisuke Ashihara. The series started its serialization in the 11th issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump published on February 9, 2013.[2] Due to health issues on the part of the author, it was put on hiatus after the 50th issue in November 2016.[3] The series returned in the 48th issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump on October 29, 2018 and ran until the 52nd issue on November 26, then it was transferred to Jump Square on December 4, 2018.[4] Shueisha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on July 4, 2013.[5] As of February 4, 2021, twenty-three volumes have been released.[6]

In North America, Viz Media licensed the series for English release in 2014.[7]

In May 2014, an anime adaptation of World Trigger was announced to start airing in October of the same year.[8][9] The series is produced by Toei Animation and was broadcast on TV Asahi from October 5, 2014 to April 3, 2016.[10][11][12][13] The series is directed by Mitsuru Hongo with series composition by Hiroyuki Yoshino. Toshihisa Kaiya and Hitomi Tsuruta are the character designers and animation directors, and the music is composed by Kenji Kawai.[14] The cast includes Nobuhiko Okamoto, Rie Kugimiya, Hideyuki Tanaka, Nao Tamura, Jun Fukuyama, Tomo Muranaka, Yūki Kaji and Yūichi Nakamura.[15][16][17] The series was slated to run for 50 episodes,[18] but ended up having 73 episodes.[19] In summer 2015, the World Trigger Summer Festival 2015 event announced World Trigger: Isekai Kara no Tōbōsha, a brand new series with an original story not presented in the World Trigger manga, and with new characters and concepts.[20] This "new series" actually ended up being the "Fugitive Arc" of the anime, which ran from Episodes 49 to 63. On March 7, 2016, it was confirmed that the World Trigger anime would end, after it was announced that TV Asahi would be replacing the time slot airing it with sports programming.[21] The Nagoya trio Sonar Pocket performed the anime's first opening theme, "GIRIGIRI" (ギリギリ, lit. "Borderline").[22] The second opening theme is "Ashita no Hikari" (アシタノヒカリ, lit. "The Light of Tomorrow") by AAA.[23] The third opening theme is Dream Trigger (ドリームトリガー, Dorīmu Torigā) by Pile.[24]

In North America, Toei announced in July 2015 that they would be producing an English dub with Ocean Productions.[25][19] The series began airing in the United States on Primo TV on January 16, 2017.[26] The English dub became available on Crunchyroll on February 11, 2020.[27] In September 2020, Crunchyroll announced a "home video and electronic sell-through distribution" partnership with Sentai Filmworks to distribute anime titles on home video.[28]

During Jump Festa '20, it was announced that the series would receive a second season, with the cast reprising their roles.[29] Toei Animation is returning to produce the anime.[30][13] Morio Hatano is the new series director, while the rest of the staff are reprising their roles.[31] The second season premiered on TV Asahi's NUMAnimation block on January 10, 2021.[32] The opening theme is "Force" by TXT, and the ending theme is "Mirai Eigō" by Kami wa Saikoro o Furanai.[33]

During Jump Festa 2021, it was announced that the series will receive a third season, with the second season airing for one cour (season).[34][35]

A PlayStation Vita action game developed by Artdink titled World Trigger: Borderless Mission (ワールドトリガー　ボーダレスミッション) was released in Japan on September 17, 2015.[36] An iOS and Android game developed by Ganbarion titled World Trigger: Smash Borders (ワールドトリガー スマッシュボーダーズ) was released on July 21, 2015.[37] It was later released on PlayStation Vita on February 17, 2016.[38] Both were published by Bandai Namco Games.