# The World Is Still Beautiful
**The World Is Still Beautiful** (Japanese: それでも世界は美しい, *Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii*) is a Japanese shōjo manga series by Dai Shiina (椎名橙), serialized in Hakusensha's *Hana to Yume* magazine from 2012 to 2020 and collected in 25 volumes.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) The story is set in a world of declining rainfall, where Nike Remercier, a princess with the power to call rain through song, is married off to the child conqueror Livius I, the Sun King.[2](https://hanayume.com/soreseka/) A 12-episode television anime adaptation by studio Pierrot aired on Nippon TV in 2014 as a commemorative work for *Hana to Yume*'s 40th anniversary.[3](https://www.ntv.co.jp/soreseka/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Creator | Dai Shiina (椎名橙); three one-shots in *Hana to Yume* before serialization[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) |
| Serialization | *Hana to Yume* 2012 No. 2 to the 2020 combined No. 11/12 issue[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) |
| Volumes | 25 collected volumes under the Hana to Yume Comics imprint; 143 chapters[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) • [4](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AF%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%84) |
| Circulation | Over 3 million copies as of September 2020[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) |
| Anime | 12 episodes, studio Pierrot, Nippon TV, April to June 2014[3](https://www.ntv.co.jp/soreseka/) • [5](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=15853) |
| Main cast | Rena Maeda as Nike Remercier; Nobunaga Shimazaki as Livius I[3](https://www.ntv.co.jp/soreseka/) |
| Themes | Opening theme "BEAUTIFUL WORLD" by Joanna Koike; ending theme "PROMISE" by Rena Maeda[3](https://www.ntv.co.jp/soreseka/) |
## Plot and setting
The story takes place in a world where rainfall has been steadily declining.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) Nike Remercier is the fourth princess of the "Rain Dukedom" (雨の公国) and has the power to make rain fall; her ability, called "amefurashi" (アメフラシ, rain-calling), works through her beautiful singing voice.[2](https://hanayume.com/soreseka/) • [3](https://www.ntv.co.jp/soreseka/) She loses a game of rock-paper-scissors and, reluctantly but for the sake of her country, is married off to Livius I, the Sun King of the "Sun Kingdom," a great power of clear skies.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) • [2](https://hanayume.com/soreseka/)
Her husband is not what the rumors suggested. Livius is said to have conquered the world within three years of his enthronement, yet he is still a child.[2](https://hanayume.com/soreseka/) The publisher's description frames the series as a "destiny romance" (ディスティニーロマンス) between the boy king and the rain-calling princess.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) The final volume closes the story with the world, on the brink of collapse, restored in exchange for Nike.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035)
## Publication
Dai Shiina published three one-shots in *Hana to Yume* before the series began serialization in the magazine's 2012 No. 2 issue.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) *Hana to Yume* is a Hakusensha magazine published twice monthly, on the 5th and 20th.[2](https://hanayume.com/soreseka/) [Anime News Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/anime-news-network) lists the manga's vintage as March 5, 2009 to May 20, 2020, spanning issues 2009 #7 through 2020 #12/13.[6](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=15854) The publisher's own record gives the serialized run as 2012 No. 2 through the 2020 combined No. 11/12 issue; the sources also differ in their stated starting points and final issue numbering.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) • [6](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=15854)
The series ran to 25 collected volumes and 143 chapters under the Hana to Yume Comics imprint; volume 1 carries ISBN 9784592188728 and volume 25 ISBN 9784592216407.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) • [4](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AF%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%84) The final volume was published in August 2020.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035)
## Anime adaptation
The television anime was announced on January 14, 2014 and aired as a 40th-anniversary commemorative work of *Hana to Yume*, with original story credit to Dai Shiina.[4](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AF%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%84) • [3](https://www.ntv.co.jp/soreseka/) It was produced by studio Pierrot, directed by Kazuhiro Kamegai, with series composition by Shinzō Fujita, character designs by Ichirō Sakuma, and music by Yasusuke Yamashita; Chisa Yokoyama narrated.[4](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AF%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%84) Nippon TV lists the series as 12 episodes.[7](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2014/02/the-world-is-still-beautiful.html) Anime News Network dates the broadcast from April 5 to June 28, 2014, with 23-minute episodes, while the Japanese reference record gives April 6 to June 29; the one-day difference reflects the two sources' dating conventions and both are reported as stated.[5](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=15853) • [4](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AF%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%84)
**Cast and music.** Rena Maeda voiced Nike Remercier and [Nobunaga Shimazaki](https://www.edgepedia.org/nobunaga-shimazaki) voiced Livius I.[3](https://www.ntv.co.jp/soreseka/) The opening theme was "BEAUTIFUL WORLD" by Joanna Koike and the ending theme "PROMISE" by Rena Maeda.[3](https://www.ntv.co.jp/soreseka/) • [5](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=15853) The central insert song, "Ame Furashi no Uta ~Beautiful Rain~" (アメフラシの歌〜Beautiful Rain〜), with lyrics by Natsumi Watanabe and composition and arrangement by Yusuke Sakamoto, was sung by Nike (Rena Maeda) in episodes 2 through 11, with an orchestra version in episodes 6 and 12.[3](https://www.ntv.co.jp/soreseka/) • [4](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AF%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%84) Episode 12 also featured "Ame Okuri no Uta" sung by Tohara Remercier (Chisa Yokoyama).[4](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AF%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%84)
**Coverage of the manga.** The 12 episodes adapt only the first 19 chapters, the first 4 volumes of the 25-volume manga, and use anime-original beginning and ending sequences.[8](https://myanimelist.net/anime/22101/Soredemo_Sekai_wa_Utsukushii) Episode 1, "晴れの大国" (Land of the Sun), was an original prequel built from a story Dai Shiina drew based on a reader letter, later published in *Hana to Yume* 2014 #11 as "#0 晴れの大国〜Side Nike〜"; episode 2, "雨の公女" (Princess of the Rain), corresponds to manga chapter 1.[4](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AF%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%84) The adaptation therefore ends far short of the manga's conclusion, covering 19 of 143 chapters, about 13 percent of the story.[8](https://myanimelist.net/anime/22101/Soredemo_Sekai_wa_Utsukushii)
## Reception and sales
Cumulative circulation of the manga surpassed 3 million copies as of September 2020.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) On Anime News Network's reader ratings, the manga holds a Bayesian estimated score of 7.684 ("Very good−"), ranked #1087 of 3601, with an arithmetic mean of 7.625; the anime holds a Bayesian estimate of 7.492 ("Good+"), seen by 923 users, with an arithmetic mean of 7.593.[6](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=15854) • [5](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=15853) The manga's reported arithmetic mean is slightly higher than the anime's.
## By the numbers
Serialization lasted about eleven years from the first one-shot in 2009 to the final chapter in 2020, or eight years of continuous serialization from 2012.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) • [6](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=15854) The story reached 25 volumes and 143 chapters, with circulation above 3 million copies by September 2020, an average of roughly 120,000 copies per volume.[1](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035) • [4](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AF%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%84) Against that scale, the 2014 anime covered 19 chapters out of 143, about 13 percent of the story, in 12 episodes.[8](https://myanimelist.net/anime/22101/Soredemo_Sekai_wa_Utsukushii) • [4](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AF%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%84)
## References
1. [それでも世界は美しい（椎名 橙） - 情報一覧, よみのま (Hakusensha yominoma)](https://www.yominoma.jp/details/11035)
2. [それでも世界は美しい｜花とゆめ【白泉社】](https://hanayume.com/soreseka/)
3. [それでも世界は美しい｜日本テレビ](https://www.ntv.co.jp/soreseka/)
4. [それでも世界は美しいとは - Weblio辞書](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AF%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%84)
5. [The World Is Still Beautiful (TV) - Anime News Network](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=15853)
6. [Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii (manga) - Anime News Network](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=15854)
7. [The World Is Still Beautiful - NIPPON TV (English)](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2014/02/the-world-is-still-beautiful.html)
8. [Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii - MyAnimeList.net](https://myanimelist.net/anime/22101/Soredemo_Sekai_wa_Utsukushii)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Anime and manga › Manga titles, publishers, and magazines › Shōjo manga titles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license