One Worldwide Plaza

One Worldwide Plaza is the largest tower of Worldwide Plaza, a three-building commercial and residential complex in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), One Worldwide Plaza measures 778 feet (237 m) tall and has an alternative address of 825 Eighth Avenue. The tower is the easternmost building in the complex, which occupies the entire city block bounded by Eighth Avenue, Ninth Avenue, 49th Street, and 50th Street and is built on the site of New York City's third Madison Square Garden. Adjacent to One Worldwide Plaza to the west are a public plaza and two residential buildings.

The classically inspired building contains a three-story granite base, a brick midsection with setbacks, and a pyramidal copper roof with a glass lantern. Inside, there are storefronts and entrances to the New York City Subway's 50th Street station, while three double-height lobbies lead to different sets of office floors.

Worldwide Plaza was developed in the late 1980s by a syndicate led by William Zeckendorf Jr. Upon opening, One Worldwide Plaza was nearly fully occupied, with two anchor tenants: advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather and law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore. During the mid-1990s, the office space was leased at a very low price. The Blackstone Group acquired the complex in 1996 and sold it to Equity Office Properties in 1998. When Blackstone took over Equity Office in 2007, it sold the office building to Harry Macklowe, who lost the building to foreclosure. George Comfort and Sons took over One Worldwide Plaza in 2009. American Realty Capital New York bought a controlling stake in 2017, selling off a non-controlling stake to RXR Realty and SL Green Realty.

## Site

Worldwide Plaza was developed in the late 1980s by a syndicate led by William Zeckendorf Jr. One Worldwide Plaza, the easternmost structure in the complex, was designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). To the west are two residential buildings, Two and Three Worldwide Plaza, designed by Frank Williams; they are respectively composed of a 39-story tower and a series of five- and six-story-tall townhouses. In addition, the complex contains 57,000 square feet (5,300 m2) of retail space, as well as theaters and a garage. According to Zeckendorf, Worldwide Plaza was intended to be "a self-contained community and also a destination point for other people in the city".

The Worldwide Plaza complex is built on the site of New York City's third Madison Square Garden (MSG). Following the opening of the current Madison Square Garden arena at 34th Street, the former arena was closed in 1968 and demolished. By the 1980s, the surrounding area consisted mostly of lower-income tenements and small retail buildings, and The New York Times described the area as "a neighborhood best known for pornography and cheap bars".

## Architecture

One Worldwide Plaza is a 50-story office skyscraper measuring 778 feet (237 m) high, with a pyramidal roof at its top. Several architectural details of One Worldwide Plaza were inspired by early-1930s classical designs, specifically the Art Deco style. The building is divided horizontally into three sections: a base, shaft, and capital. The materials used in its construction were sourced from a variety of locations. The brick was manufactured by Glen-Gery at a factory in Pennsylvania, while the windows were made in Wisconsin. By contrast, the roofing and precast concrete were made in Canada, the structural steel was bought in Luxembourg, and the project used Brazilian granite and Italian marble. HRH Construction was the building's general construction contractor.

Including the residential buildings, the complex was to cover 2 million square feet (190,000 m2), more than the maximum size allowed without zoning bonuses. Under normal zoning regulations, the maximum floor area ratio (FAR) for any building on Worldwide Plaza's site was 10, but the developers received two bonuses of 2 FAR each, bringing the FAR to 14. The developers added a midblock plaza for the first bonus and renovated the adjacent 50th Street station for the second bonus.

### Facade

The base of the building is three stories tall and is designed to relate to the neighboring residential buildings. It is clad with gray-purple granite and contains outwardly curved entrances on all four sides. These curved sections contain Renaissance-inspired colonnades with granite pilasters, behind which is an oval passageway with a vaulted ceiling. The building's two original anchor tenants, advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather and law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore, had their own entrances. This was because Ogilvy & Mather had requested a private entrance during the building's construction. Ogilvy & Mather's entrance faced 49th Street; Cravath, Swaine & Moore's entrance faced Eighth Avenue; and other tenants had an entrance facing west. The entrance on the northern elevation, facing 50th Street, is used for retail rather than as an office lobby.

The rest of the facade is made largely of brick and is designed in a manner reminiscent of the Gothic Revival style. Glen-Gery was hired to manufacture the brick because it was one of the few contractors capable of manufacturing the tinted brick that the developers wanted. The main section of the building is clad with maize-colored brick, but the windows at the center of each elevation are emphasized by vertical strips of rust-colored brick. The facade originally contained single-paned windows, which gave the effect of a flat facade. The building contains several setbacks, which are decorated with white brick that is designed to evoke the appearance of stone. The building's shallow setbacks give it a much larger floor area than older Art Deco skyscrapers in New York City, which had deeper setbacks and consequently less interior space.

The tower is topped by a pyramidal copper roof with round dormer windows. The pyramid has eight sides and measures 150 feet (46 m) tall. The design of the roof was inspired by the pyramidal roofs of several other New York City office buildings in the early 20th century, such as the New York Life Building and the Helmsley Building. The building is crowned by a pyramidal glass lantern.

### Interior

Childs constructed three lobbies at One Worldwide Plaza, each with a separate entrance. Each lobby was originally decorated with Fiore di Pesco marble. There are storefronts along the ground-level colonnade adjacent to the three lobbies, as well as on both levels of each lobby. In addition, there are restrooms along the western side of the arcade. The two-story-high lobby on Eighth Avenue was used by Cravath, Swaine & Moore, which installed security checkpoints on both levels of the lobby, reducing the amount of retail space there. On each side, visitors had to take an escalator from ground level to the upper lobby, where they could access the elevators. Each lobby had access to a bank of elevators. There are four elevator banks in total, comprising 22 passenger elevators and two truck elevators. The building's base also contained a day-care center sponsored by Cravath, Swaine & Moore for its employees' children. Northwest of the lobbies is a truck elevator on 50th Street.

The building contains a steel superstructure weighing 19,000 short tons (17,000 long tons; 17,000 t). Each floor slab is made of concrete, which is poured onto a metal deck. The floor slabs measure 165 by 165 feet (50 by 50 m). The maximum structural load on each column was 2,000 short tons (1,800 long tons; 1,800 t) on average. These loads were carried down into the concrete spread footings at the building's foundation. The superstructure was stiffened by moment frames at the building's perimeter, which were braced to the elevator core. Concrete masonry units were then installed around the outermost beams of the superstructure, providing waterproofing.

One Worldwide Plaza contains 1.5 million square feet (140,000 m2) of office space. The upper stories each have 20,000 to 72,000 square feet (1,900 to 6,700 m2) of rentable space. Each story has an open plan, and the slab-to-slab height of each story is 13 feet (4.0 m). The restrooms, staircases, and elevators are clustered near the building's core. The banks of elevators taper off at higher levels. For example, the 21st and 28th stories have space for three banks of elevators, although only two elevator banks serve these levels. Cravath, Swaine & Moore originally occupied the 38th to 49th stories. The New York Times described the offices as using 50 short tons (45 long tons; 45 t) of marble and 1,285,000 square feet (119,400 m2) of mahogany.

### Other features

#### Public plaza

A mid-block public plaza separates One Worldwide Plaza from Two and Three Worldwide Plaza. The New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) had approved the construction and maintenance of the public plaza in exchange for additional floors in the office tower. The plaza originally covered 26,800 square feet (2,490 m2), but its owner reduced the plaza's size by 10 percent in 2002 as part of a lawsuit settlement. During the summer, the plaza hosts the Worldwide Plaza Summer Concert Series. Jerold S. Kayden wrote of the buildings' plaza: "Its half-acre size, numerous movable chairs, comfortable ledge seating, food service at north and south ends, decorative water fountain, and landscaping of trees and shrubs render it highly functional for the diverse audience."

The landscaping of the plaza includes over 40 trees, numerous plantings, and seating. The plaza also contains a fountain called "The Seasons", which was designed by sculptor Sidney Simon. Four bronze statues of standing nude women, each representing a season, hold up a globe. Below the globe are four fountains, each carved in the shape of a man's head.

#### Amenities

The complex also has a health club measuring 35,000 square feet (3,300 m2). The health club was originally operated by Bally Health and Tennis. Beneath the plaza is a 450-spot parking garage with 450 or 473 parking spaces.

Beneath the public plaza, there was originally a multiplex cinema with six screens, operated by the Cineplex Odeon Corporation. The multiplex's lobby was just below ground level, while the auditoriums themselves were in the second basement level. The cinema operated until 2001 and was converted into New World Stages, a complex of five Off-Broadway theaters, in 2004. The multiplex was completely reconstructed as part of that project. The modern theatrical complex contains a double-level lobby, accessed by escalators from 50th Street.

#### Subway entrance

One Worldwide Plaza's basement contains two entrances to the southbound platform of the 50th Street station of the New York City Subway, served by the . There is an elevator entrance on 49th Street and an escalator entrance on 50th Street. The entrances were built in exchange for 162,000 square feet (15,100 m2) of additional space. They contain a mezzanine, escalators, elevators, and stairs. The Zeckendorfs also commissioned artist Matt Mullican to create an etched-granite mural for the station, which cost \$150,000. The mural, measuring 70 feet (21 m) tall, contains black relief panels depicting the site's history. A closed stairway on 49th Street was also refurbished as part of the project.

## History

### Early proposals

After the third Madison Square Garden was demolished in 1968, the site was operated as a parking lot for nearly two decades. Several proposals for redeveloping the site had all failed due to a lack of funding. In 1966, a "Cinema City" with two office towers, two Broadway theaters, four movie theaters, and several film and recording studios was proposed for the site. Three years later, New York City Center proposed developing a four-theater complex, a film production center, and a new home for the American Film Institute on the site. In 1973, Cushman & Wakefield and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill were hired to study the feasibility of constructing a large commercial showroom complex on the site similar to the Merchandise Mart in Chicago or AmericasMart in Atlanta. The complex would be topped by a tower.

In December 1976, developers Frank Stanton and Victor Elmaleh of the World‐Wide Group proposed Hippodrome Park, an indoor amusement park that would cost \$30 million. The name was a homage to the former New York Hippodrome. The amusement park would have been designed by Randall Duell and would have included a variety of rides, restaurants, and films. The structure would have been enclosed in glass, which would have allowed the park to operate year-round; it would also have contained a 500-seat parking lot in the basement. The City of New York was supportive of the project as part of its initiative to clean up nearby Times Square. Ultimately, the developers chose not to spend \$12 million on an option for the site.

Conglomerate Gulf and Western Industries acquired control of the site in 1977 as part of its acquisition of the Madison Square Garden Corporation. The company devised plans in 1980 for a mixed-use project on the site, including an office building on Eighth Avenue and apartments on Ninth Avenue, both designed by SOM. Its proposal called for a three-story retail podium supporting a 52-story office building and two 60-story apartment towers; the development would have contained a combined 2.3 million square feet (210,000 m2). Gulf and Western operated the site as a parking lot in the meantime. The company had decided to sell the site by 1984, as its long term strategy did not include the redevelopment of the old Madison Square Garden.

### Development

Gulf and Western sold the site to a group led by William Zeckendorf Jr. in December 1984 for \$100 million. His partners in the project included Arthur G. Cohen, an independent real-estate investor; Victor Elmaleh and Frank Stanton, the principals of the World Wide Realty Corporation; and KG Land New York Corporation, a subsidiary of Japanese company Kumagai Gumi. The group had to raise a \$12.5 million letter of credit and finalize their sale within 18 months. Zeckendorf and his partners announced in January 1985 that they had selected SOM to design the new complex. Zeckendorf hoped that the development would improve the character of Hell's Kitchen and Eighth Avenue, similar to how the construction of Axa Equitable Center four blocks northeast was intended to improve Seventh Avenue. It was one of several development projects planned within Hell's Kitchen, which at the time was characterized by physical decay and high crime. Zeckendorf said of Hell's Kitchen: "Ten years from now people will look back and marvel at how bad this neighborhood was."

#### Planning

SOM began designing the project in early 1985. The advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather, which was negotiating to lease a large amount of space in the building, was involved in the design. Zeckendorf's syndicate announced in November 1985 that it would erect a mixed-use complex on the MSG site, costing \$500 million. The complex would include a 45-story office building on Eighth Avenue, as well as a 38-story condominium tower and several 6- and 7-story residential buildings to the west. There would also be six underground movie theaters, a health club, and a 450-space parking garage. Ogilvy would occupy 600,000 square feet (56,000 m2) in the office building. Ogilvy provided additional funds for the complex's construction in exchange for a 17 percent equity stake and some of One Worldwide Plaza's income. In addition, the complex would receive an eight-year, \$60 million tax abatement. The developers obtained two zoning bonuses for the site by adding a midblock plaza and renovating the 50th Street station.

Members of the local Manhattan Community Board 4 opposed Zeckendorf's project, citing the buildings' height and the lack of low- and moderate-income housing. Community members also raised concerns that the development would cause gentrification by pushing out lower-income tenants and family businesses. Some residents protested the project by requesting that Ogilvy & Mather withdraw from the project. Zeckendorf Company officials began negotiating with community board members "the day after" the board announced its opposition, and Zeckendorf announced in early 1986 that he would add affordable housing to the neighborhood. He proposed renovating 132 apartments in other parts of the neighborhood, rather than adding these apartments to his new development. Zeckendorf made six other modifications to the project to improve neighborhood residents' quality of life, including storefronts for local merchants, a day-care center, and job training.

In July 1986, the New York City Board of Estimate approved Zeckendorf's development. Manhattan borough president David Dinkins, a supporter of the project, said the developers could not sell 60 of the complex's luxury units until all of the affordable units had been sold. The developers had to acquire another 70 affordable units to provide enough affordable housing for the complex. They ultimately fulfilled this requirement by acquiring six buildings on the block to the south. That October, Gulf and Western finalized its sale of the site to the joint venture of Zeckendorf, Cohen, KG Land, and Worldwide Holdings Corp. Zeckendorf also leased the theatrical complex to the Cineplex Odeon Corporation.

#### Construction

A groundbreaking ceremony for the complex was held on November 12, 1986. That month, workers began excavating the site to 17 feet below grade; the excavation was completed by February 1987. Newsday reported that the development of Worldwide Plaza would relocate the western boundary of Midtown Manhattan westward to Eighth Avenue. In June 1987, the Sonnenblick-Goldman Corporation secured a \$545 million construction loan from a syndicate of 15 banks in the United States, Japan, Canada, and Europe. The financing was one of the largest real estate loans in New York City history. In exchange for receiving the loan, the development group provided a letter of credit and personal guarantees worth \$100 million. The Wall Street Journal described the loan as part of a trend wherein "the mere mention of a Zeckendorf project had bankers falling over each other to offer financing".

At the time of Worldwide Plaza's development, demand for office space in New York City had declined following Black Monday in 1987. The design of One Worldwide Plaza's basement and ground level was impacted by the location of the new subway entrances at the base. While the developers negotiated with the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) for a year and a half, contractors started pouring the foundations. The concrete for the foundation was poured by April 1987, and work on the steel superstructure began the following month.

The construction of the complex proceeded as scheduled until July 1987, when ironworkers went on strike for three weeks, delaying the project by approximately one month. By the end of 1987, it was taking longer than expected to install the stonework inside the lobby. Installation of the exterior masonry had fallen three months behind schedule and did not commence until February 1988. The stonework ultimately cost significantly more than HRH Construction's original estimate.

#### Completion

One Worldwide Plaza was topped-out with a ceremony on May 20, 1988, in which ironworkers inscribed their names on a beam that was then lifted to the roof. Work on the interior finishes began that month. The interior fit-out of Ogilvy's offices, originally slated to begin in April 1988, did not begin until that November. The completion of Worldwide Plaza was ultimately delayed by four months and exceeded the original budget by 10 percent.

Most of the space at One Worldwide Plaza was leased even before the building was completed. In August 1988, the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore leased 370,000 square feet (34,000 m2) in exchange for a 7 percent equity stake in Worldwide Plaza. The lease occurred at a time when the offices of all of Manhattan's accounting firms and corporate law firms were east of Sixth Avenue. The law firm's lease also stipulated that Zeckendorf buy and demolish an adult movie theater just north of One Worldwide Plaza. Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Ogilvy & Mather each had their own entrances and elevators, and the developers gave large "work letters" to both firms, compensating for the cost of interior furnishings. These two tenants alone accounted for 55 percent of the space. By early 1989, more than 90 percent of the space at One Worldwide Plaza had been leased. Advertising agency N. W. Ayer & Son agreed to move into 335,000 square feet (31,100 m2) at One Worldwide Plaza, and it also took an equity stake in the complex. Record label PolyGram had leased 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2).

### Opening and early years

Worldwide Plaza was completed in 1989, and a temporary certificate of occupancy was issued that February. The Worldwide Cinemas multiplex beneath the complex opened in June 1989, and Cravath, Swaine & Moore moved into One Worldwide Plaza that September. Ogilvy's offices were completed behind schedule, costing the developers several million dollars. By then, Zeckendorf was developing several additional structures along the midtown section of Eighth Avenue, including two buildings directly next to Worldwide Plaza. Soon after the complex opened, Lifetime Cable Network also leased space at One Worldwide Plaza, as did electronics company Philips. The residences within the complex were not fully sold until 1993, and a quarter of the retail space was still empty in 1996.

Although the offices were fully occupied in the mid-1990s, the office space was not as profitable as Zeckendorf had originally projected. Three of One Worldwide Plaza's largest tenants had only agreed to rent space in exchange for equity, while other tenants such as PolyGram, Microsoft, and Roberts & Holland paid less rent per square foot compared to other Midtown buildings. In addition, Deutsche Bank held a \$600 million mortgage loan on Worldwide Plaza. In the wake of Black Monday, the developers were barely able to make mortgage payments as long as the building's original tenants continued to pay rent.

By 1996, Deutsche Bank was looking to sell its mortgage. Zeckendorf's syndicate wished to find a partner to help buy the mortgage from Deutsche Bank, with little success. At the time, One Worldwide Plaza was fully occupied by several large tenants with long leases, but the average rent for office space had decreased about one-third since 1990. That October, the Blackstone Group bought the mortgage from Deutsche Bank for \$300 million. Blackstone extended PolyGram's and Ayer's leases. Ogilvy had decided to relocate, though other companies quickly expressed interest in Ogilvy's vacant space. In October 1998, Equity Office Properties agreed to acquire the complex for about \$310 million, and it also agreed to assume the \$268.1 million in debt on the property. As part of a pilot program, Captivate Network installed electronic screens in One Worldwide Plaza's elevators, and the majority of the building's elevators had these screens by late 1999.

### 2000s and early 2010s

The administration of mayor Rudy Giuliani sued the owners of Worldwide Plaza and two other buildings in 2000, alleging that these buildings' privately owned public spaces violated city laws. At Worldwide Plaza, two restaurants had illegally taken over many movable chairs and tables, which had been installed there as "public amenities". The suit was settled in mid-2002 after Equity Office applied to convert ten percent of the plaza's space into a private dining area for the complex's restaurants. Meanwhile, the Loews Cineplex at Worldwide Plaza closed in early 2001 after its operator went bankrupt. The former multiplex temporarily served as office space for accounting firm Deloitte later that year after that firm's offices were destroyed in the September 11 attacks. The multiplex then became an Off-Broadway venue, Dodger Stages (now New World Stages), in 2004.

In February 2007, after a bidding war with Vornado Realty Trust, Blackstone acquired Equity Office's portfolio, including One Worldwide Plaza and seven other buildings. The firm immediately resold the structures to Harry B. Macklowe as part of a \$7 billion transaction; One Worldwide Plaza alone was worth \$1.7 billion. Macklowe took out a \$7.6 billion loan to fund the acquisitions, which was to come due within twelve months. Macklowe personally pledged \$1 billion, as well as interests in twelve other properties, as a guarantee. By February 2008, the Macklowe Organization had no way to refinance the debt from the previous year. As such, Macklowe surrendered One Worldwide Plaza to his lender, Deutsche Bank. After selling Macklowe's other buildings, Deutsche Bank announced in June 2009 that it would sell One Worldwide Plaza. The next month, Deutsche Bank agreed to sell the building for \$600 million to George Comfort and Sons. One Worldwide Plaza was only 46 percent occupied at the time, and the building still had a 40 percent vacancy rate at the end of the year.

Television station WNET leased space at One Worldwide Plaza in 2010. Japanese investment bank Nomura agreed to lease around 900,000 square feet (84,000 m2) in 2011, bringing the building to 95 percent occupancy. The bank beat out law firm Wilmer Hale, which had also been interested in the space. George Comfort & Sons put the building up for sale in August 2012, reportedly hoping for a \$1.7 billion valuation, almost triple what the company had paid just three years prior. By October 2012, bids for the building only reached around \$1.5 billion. Potential buyers were reportedly worried about the building's tenants including Nomura, which had recently had its credit rating downgraded by Moody's Investors Service, and Cravath, after the law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf had declared bankruptcy earlier that year. Deutsche Bank provided a \$710 million mortgage on the property in February 2013.

### American Realty Capital ownership

American Realty Capital New York Recovery REIT, one of several companies owned by New York real estate mogul Nicholas Schorsch, acquired a 48.9 percent interest in the property for \$220 million in November 2013, as well as the rights to buy the remaining 51.1%. The move came several months after Scott Rechler's RXR Realty had attempted to purchase the building for \$1.25 billion. RXR sued American Realty Capital in an attempt to prevent the latter from acquiring ownership of the building. RXR continued its lawsuit even after American Realty Capital had bought the building. During the 2010s, Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Nomura Securities each continued to occupy roughly 700,000 square feet (65,000 m2). M. Shanken Communications (owner of Wine Spectator) and CBS-TV both leased space in 2014, followed the next year by Howard J. Rubenstein's Rubenstein Associates and Prometheus Global Media. These transactions brought the building to full occupancy.

American Realty Capital placed One Worldwide Plaza for sale in January 2017. The firm exercised its option to purchase an additional 49.9 percent stake in June 2017 for \$277 million, bringing the company's ownership to 98.8%. While the company had initially hoped to sell its entire stake in the building, bidders were discouraged by the property's existing \$870 million mortgage, and foreign entities had decreased their investment in New York real estate. American Realty Capital opted to sell only a non-controlling stake in the building and pursue a refinancing. That September, RXR Realty and SL Green Realty agreed to purchase a 48.7 percent stake in One Worldwide Plaza, valuing the building at \$1.73 billion. Following the acquisition, American Realty Capital owned 50.1 percent of the building's equity and George Comfort & Sons maintained a 1.2 percent stake. At the time, the tenants included Nomura Holdings; Cravath, Swaine and Moore; CBS; and WebMD.

Goldman Sachs agreed to provide a \$1.2 billion loan to refinance the property following the acquisition. The commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) loan closed on October 17 and was one of the largest CMBS loans on a New York office building since the financial crisis of 2007–08. Shortly after origination, Goldman Sachs syndicated 25 percent of the loan to Deutsche Bank. The loan consisted of \$940 million in senior debt and a \$260 million junior loan. At the time, an appraisal valued the property at \$1.74 billion since the building was 98.4 percent occupied and generating net cash flows of over \$85 million a year. In November 2019, West Monroe Partners leased one floor.

## Reception

When One Worldwide Plaza was announced, New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger criticized the cheapness of the building's materials, including the use of brick and the lack of granite, as well as the large massing of the tower and the small size of the driveway. He also noted the building's inspiration from the New York Life Building and Crown Building. Nonetheless, Goldberger wrote: "In general, this is the sort of plan the West Side of midtown Manhattan has been waiting for."

Following Worldwide Plaza's completion, Goldberger declared that the project had "turned one of the harshest blocks of midtown Manhattan into a glittering island of corporate luxury." He did describe One Worldwide Plaza's lower stories as resembling "stone wallpaper" because the cladding was so thin. Herbert Muschamp, also of the Times, regarded the building as one of the city's "Art Deco retreads". Jonathan Yardley of The Washington Post wrote: "Worldwide within its single city block thus epitomizes the transformation from commercial to residential, and it does so in buildings of singular handsomeness and distinction." The architect Robert A. M. Stern described One Worldwide Plaza as "the first office building of any importance to be built west of Eighth Avenue" since 330 West 42nd Street was completed in 1931. Ylonda Gault of Crain's New York wrote that One Worldwide Plaza's completion had "catapulted Mr. Childs to celebrity status in architect circles".

Conversely, Daniel Bluestone wrote for Design Book Review in 1992: "For all of its massive display of urbanity, the recoil of the development from its neighborhood is striking." Nicolai Ouroussoff described One Worldwide Plaza as having a "pointless circular arcade" and said that, like the Hearst Tower several blocks north, the building had a "strained relationship to the streets below". Brendan Gill, writing for The New Yorker in 1990, criticized the project as having "cool reasonableness", which he saw as "a defect that its designers and builders must have seen as a virtue". Gill also disliked the fact that the complex's largest structure (One Worldwide Plaza) was on Eighth Avenue rather than the middle of the block, and he believed the classical detailing to be excessive. Eric Nash wrote in 2005 that the building "lacks Rockefeller Center's sweetly naive spirit, yet still manages to be a distinctive presence on the midtown skyline".

Worldwide Plaza's construction was documented in a five-episode PBS miniseries. In addition, Karl Sabbagh wrote the book Skyscraper: The Making of a Building to complement the PBS miniseries. Goldberger wrote that the series was focused largely on the process of actually constructing Worldwide Plaza, rather than "the majesty and ambition of the American skyscraper", as Childs had intended for One Worldwide Plaza to be.

## See also

- List of tallest buildings in the United States

Office skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

Postmodern architecture in New York City


Antlion

The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which mostly dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey. In North America, the larvae are sometimes referred to as doodlebugs because of the marks they leave in the sand. The adult insects are less well known due to their relatively short lifespans compared to the larvae. Adults, sometimes known as antlion lacewings, mostly fly at dusk or just after dark and may be mistakenly identified as dragonflies or damselflies.

Antlions have a worldwide distribution. The greatest diversity occurs in the tropics, but a few species are found in cold-temperate locations, one such being the European Euroleon nostras. They most commonly occur in dry and sandy habitats where the larvae can easily excavate their pits, but some larvae hide under debris or ambush their prey among leaf litter.

Antlions are poorly represented in the fossil record. Myrmeleontiformia is generally accepted to be a monophyletic group, and within the Myrmeleontoidea, the antlions' closest living relatives are thought to be the owlflies (Ascalaphidae). A 2019 study finds Myrmeleontidae to be monophyletic, aside from Stilbopteryginae and Palparinae, which form separate clades closer to Ascalaphidae. The predatory actions of the larvae have attracted attention throughout history and antlions have been mentioned in literature since classical times.

## Etymology

The exact meaning of the name "antlion" is uncertain. It has been thought to refer to ants forming a large percentage of the prey of the insect, the suffix "lion" merely suggesting destroyer or hunter. In any case, the term seems to go back to classical antiquity. The antlion larva is often called a "doodlebug" in North America because of the odd winding, spiralling trails it leaves in the sand while relocating, which look as if someone has been doodling.

The scientific name of the type genus Myrmeleo – and thus, the family as a whole – is derived from Ancient Greek léon (λέων) "lion" + mýrmex (μύρμηξ) "ant", in a loan translation of the names common across Europe. In most European and Middle Eastern languages, at least the larvae are known under the local term corresponding to "antlion".

## Description

Antlions can be fairly small to very large neuropterans, with wingspans ranging from 2 to 15 cm (0.8 to 5.9 in). The African genus Palpares contains some of the largest examples. Acanthaclisis occitanica is the largest European species, with an 11 cm (4.3 in) wingspan, and most North American species approach this size.

The adult has two pairs of long, narrow, multiveined, translucent wings and a long, slender abdomen. Although they somewhat resemble dragonflies or damselflies, they belong to a different infraclass of winged insects. Antlion adults are easily distinguished from damselflies by their prominent, apically clubbed antennae which are about as long as the head and thorax combined. Also, the pattern of wing venation differs, and compared to damselflies, the adults are very feeble fliers and are normally found fluttering about at night in search of a mate. Adult antlions are typically nocturnal, and rarely seen by day.

Males of most species have a unique structure, a bristle-bearing knob known as a "pilula axillaris", at the base of the rear wing. The abdomen in males is usually longer than in females and often has an extra lobe. The tip of the abdomen of females shows greater variation than that of males, depending perhaps on oviposition sites, and usually bears tufts of bristles for digging and a finger-like extension.

The antlion larva has a robust fusiform body, a very plump abdomen, and a thorax bearing three pairs of walking legs. The prothorax forms a slender mobile "neck" for the large, square, flattened head, which bears an enormous pair of sickle-like jaws with several sharp, hollow projections. The jaws are formed by the maxillae and mandibles; the mandibles each contain a deep groove over which the maxilla fits neatly, forming an enclosed canal for injecting venom to immobilise the victim, and enzymes to digest its soft parts. The larva is clad in forward-pointing bristles which help it to anchor itself and exert greater traction, enabling it to subdue prey considerably larger than itself. Antlion larvae are unusual among insects in lacking an anus. All the metabolic waste generated during the larval stage is stored; some is used to spin the silk for the cocoon and the rest is eventually voided as meconium at the end of its pupal stage.

## Distribution

There are about 2,000 species of antlion found in most parts of the world, with the greatest diversity being in warmer areas. The best known species are those in which the larvae dig pits to trap their prey, but not all species do this. Antlions live in a range of usually dry habitats including open woodland floors, scrub-clad dunes, hedge bases, river banks, road verges, under raised buildings and in vacant lots.

## Life-cycle

Apart from pit-trap-forming taxa, the biology of members of the family Myrmeleontidae, to which the antlions belong, has been little studied. The life-cycle begins with oviposition (egg-laying) in a suitable location. The female antlion repeatedly taps the prospective laying site with the tip of her abdomen and then inserts her ovipositor into the substrate and lays an egg.

Depending on the species and where it lives, the larva either conceals itself under leaves, debris or pieces of wood, hides in a crack or digs a funnel-shaped pit in loose material. As ambush predators, catching prey is risky because food arrives unpredictably and, for those species that make traps, maintaining one is costly. The larvae therefore have low metabolic rates and can survive for long periods without food. They can take several years to complete their life-cycle; they mature faster with plentiful food, but can survive for many months without feeding. In cooler climates they dig their way deeper and remain inactive during the winter.

When the larva attains its maximum size, it pupates and undergoes metamorphosis. It makes a globular cocoon of sand or other local substrate stuck together with fine silk spun from a slender spinneret at the rear end of the body. The cocoon may be buried several centimetres deep in sand. After completing its transformation into an adult insect over the course of about one month, it emerges from the case, leaving the pupal integument behind, and works its way to the surface. After about twenty minutes, the adult's wings are fully opened and it flies off in search of a mate. The adult is considerably larger than the larva as antlions exhibit the greatest disparity in size between larva and adult of any type of holometabolous insect. This is by virtue of the fact that the exoskeleton of the adult is extremely thin and flimsy, with an exceptionally low density. The adult typically lives for about 25 days, but some insects survive for as long as 45 days.

## Ecology

Antlion larvae eat small arthropods – mainly ants – while the adults of some species eat pollen and nectar, and others are predators of small arthropods. In certain species of Myrmeleontidae, such as Dendroleon pantherinus, the larva, although resembling that of Myrmeleon structurally, makes no pitfall trap, but hides in detritus in a hole in a tree and seizes passing prey. In Japan, Gatzara jezoensis larvae lurk on the surface of rocks for several years while awaiting prey; during this time they often become coated with lichen, and have been recorded at densities of up to 344 per square metre.

The larva is a voracious predator. Within a few minutes of seizing its prey with its jaws and injecting it with venom and enzymes, it begins to suck out the digestion products. The larva is extremely sensitive to ground vibrations, the low-frequency sounds made by an insect crawling across the ground; the larva locates the source of the vibrations by the differences in timing of the arrival of waves detected by receptors, tufts of hairs on the sides of the two hindmost thoracic segments.

In trap-building species, an average-sized larva digs a pit about 2 in (5 cm) deep and 3 in (7.5 cm) wide at the edge. This behavior has also been observed in the Vermileonidae (Diptera), whose larvae dig the same sort of pit to feed on ants. Having marked out the chosen site by a circular groove, the antlion larva starts to crawl backwards, using its abdomen as a plough to shovel up the soil. By the aid of one front leg, it places consecutive heaps of loosened particles upon its head, then with a smart jerk throws each little pile clear of the scene of operations. Proceeding thus, it gradually works its way from the circumference towards the center. As it slowly moves round and round, the pit gradually gets deeper and deeper, until the slope angle reaches the critical angle of repose (that is, the steepest angle the sand can maintain, where it is on the verge of collapse from slight disturbance), and the pit is solely lined by fine grains. By digging in a spiral when constructing its pit, the antlion minimises the time needed to complete the pit.

When the pit is completed, the larva settles down at the bottom, buried in the soil with only the jaws projecting above the surface, often in a wide-opened position on either side of the very tip of the cone. The steep-sloped trap that guides prey into the larva's mouth while avoiding crater avalanches is one of the simplest and most efficient traps in the animal kingdom. The fine grain lining ensures that the avalanches which carry prey are as large as possible. Since the sides of the pit consist of loose sand at its angle of repose, they afford an insecure foothold to any small insects that inadvertently venture over the edge, such as ants. Slipping to the bottom, the prey is immediately seized by the lurking antlion; if it attempts to scramble up the treacherous walls of the pit, it is speedily checked in its efforts and brought down by showers of loose sand which are thrown at it from below by the larva. By throwing up loose sand from the bottom of the pit, the larva also undermines the sides of the pit, causing them to collapse and bring the prey with them. Thus, it does not matter whether the larva actually strikes the prey with the sand showers.

Antlion larvae are capable of capturing and killing a variety of insects and other arthropods, and can even subdue small spiders. The projections in the jaws of the larva are hollow and through this, the larva sucks the fluids out of its victim. After the contents are consumed, the dry carcass is flicked out of the pit. The larva readies the pit once again by throwing out collapsed material from the center, steepening the pit walls to the angle of repose.

Antlion larvae require loose soil, not necessarily, but often, sand. Antlions can also handle larger granular material which is filtered out of the soil during pit construction. The larvae prefer dry places protected from the rain. When it first hatches, the tiny larva specialises in very small insects, but as it grows larger, it constructs larger pits, and thus catches larger prey, sometimes much larger than itself.

Other arthropods may make use of the antlion larva's ability to trap prey. The larva of the Australian horsefly (Scaptia muscula) lives in antlion (for example Myrmeleon pictifrons) pit traps and feeds on the prey caught, and the female chalcid wasp (Lasiochalcidia igiliensis) purposefully allows itself to be trapped so that it can parasitise the antlion larva by ovipositing between its head and thorax.

Recent research has found that antlion larvae often "play dead" for a variable amount of time (from a few minutes up to an hour) when disturbed to hide from predators. The method is effective; it increased survival rates in patches that use it by 20%. Furthermore, they appear to have maximized its usefulness—further increasing the duration is not likely to convey substantial survival benefits to the larvae.

## Evolution

The closest living relatives of antlions within the Myrmeleontoidea are the owlflies (Ascalaphidae); the Nymphidae are more distantly related. The extinct Araripeneuridae and Babinskaiidae are considered likely to be stem groups in the Myrmeleontiformia clade. The phylogeny of the Neuroptera has been explored using mitochondrial DNA sequences, and while issues remain for the group as a whole (the "Hemerobiiformia" being paraphyletic), the Myrmeleontiformia is generally agreed to be monophyletic, giving the following cladogram:

The subfamilies are shown below; a few genera, mostly fossil, are of uncertain or basal position. The fossil record of antlions is very small by neuropteran standards. However, some Mesozoic fossils attest to the antlions' origin more than 150 million years ago. These were at one time separated as the Palaeoleontidae, but are now usually recognized as early antlions.

## Taxonomy

The supra-generic classification within the Myrmeleontidae is disputed. Michel et.al recognise just four subfamilies, with Brachynemurinae, Dendroleontinae and others placed in the Myrmeleontinae.

BioLib includes the following (with selected genera):

- Acanthaclisinae

1. Acanthaclisini Navas, 1912

- Brachynemurinae - 3 tribes:

1. Brachynemurini Banks, 1927
    - e.g. Brachynemurus Hagen, 1889
2. Gnopholeontini Stange, 1994
3. Lemolemini Stange, 1994

- Dendroleontinae (otherwise in Myrmeleontinae) - tribes:

1. Acanthoplectrini Markl, 1954
2. Bandidini Krivokhatsky, 1998
3. Dendroleontini Banks, 1899
4. Nuglerini Stange, 1976
5. Periclystini Stange, 1976
6. Voltorini Stange, 1976

- Myrmecaelurinae (otherwise in Myrmeleontinae) - tribes:

1. Gepini Markl, 1954
2. Isoleontini Holzel, 1969
3. Myrmecaelurini Esben-Petersen, 1918
4. Nesoleontini Markl, 1954

- Myrmeleontinae

1. Maulini Markl, 1954
2. Myrmeleontini Latreille, 1802
    1.  Euroleon Esben-Petersen, 1918
    2.  Hagenomyia Banks, 1911
    3.  Myrmeleon Linnaeus, 1767
    4.  others ...
3. Porrerini Navas, 1913
    1.  Porrerus Navás, 1913

- Nemoleontinae (otherwise in Myrmeleontinae) - tribes:

1. Creoleontini Markl, 1954
2. Delfimeini Krivokhatsky, 1998
3. Distoleontini Tillyard, 1916
4. Glenurini Banks, 1927
5. Gymnocnemini Navas, 1912
6. Macronemurini Esben-Petersen, 1918
7. Nemoleontini Banks, 1911
8. Pseudoformycaleontini Holzel, 1987

- Palparinae (including Araripeneurinae)

1. Dimarini Navas, 1914
2. Palparidiini Markl, 1954
3. Palparini Banks, 1911
    1.  Palpares Rambur, 1842
4. Pseudimarini Markl, 1954

- Stilbopteryginae

1. Aeropteryx Riek, 1968
2. Stilbopteryx Newman, 1838

The following subfamilies have also been recognized by some taxonomists:

- Dimarinae
- Echthromyrmicinae
- Glenurinae
- Pseudimarinae

Antlions of uncertain systematic position are:

- Palaeoleon (fossil)
- Newleon Miller & Stange, 2012
- Samsonileon

## In culture and folklore

In popular folklore in the southern United States, people recite a poem or chant to make the antlion come out of its hole. Similar practices have been recorded from Africa, the Caribbean, China and Australia.

The Myrmecoleon was a mythical ant–lion hybrid written about in the 2nd century AD Physiologus, where animal descriptions were paired with Christian morals. The ant-lion as described was said to starve to death because of its dual nature – the lion nature of the father could only eat meat, but the ant half from the mother could only eat grain chaff, thus the offspring could not eat either and would starve. It was paired with the Biblical verse Matthew 5:37. The fictional ant-lion of Physiologus is probably derived from a misreading of Job 4:11.

The French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre wrote that "The Ant-lion makes a slanting funnel in the sand. Its victim, the Ant, slides down the slant and is then stoned, from the bottom of the funnel, by the hunter, who turns his neck into a catapult."

Antlions appear as antagonists in the 1991 life simulation video game, SimAnt, and (in a giant form) in the Final Fantasy series, Grounded, Terraria, Don't Starve Together, Monster Rancher 2, Mother 3 and in the Half-Life 2 video game series as an unrelated alien insect species sharing sand burowing traits with the real antlion larvae. The Trapinch, Vibrava, and Flygon Pokémon evolution line is based on an antlion. The fictional sarlacc from the Star Wars franchise is often compared to the real-life antlion. It also appears as a predator in the film Enemy Mine.

In the third book of Tove Jansson's Moomins series, Finn Family Moomintroll, a rather large and fanciful antlion appears in the second chapter, depicted as a sand-dwelling predator with the literal head of a lion.

## See also

- List of Myrmeleontidae genera
- Vermileonidae - wormlions

Family of insects


Tropical Storm Beryl (1994)

Tropical Storm Beryl caused flooding in several states in the Eastern United States in August 1994. The second named storm and third tropical cyclone of the season, Beryl developed from an upper-level low pressure area over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on August 14. Initially a tropical depression, the system intensified into a tropical storm about 24 hours after forming. Beryl then moved slowly northeastward and peaked with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) before making landfall near Panama City, Florida, early on August 16. Within 12 hours of moving inland, the storm weakened to a tropical depression, but persisted as a tropical cyclone for a few days while traversing the Eastern United States. Beryl was absorbed by a frontal system while situated over Connecticut early on August 19.

In Florida, above normal tides in the panhandle caused erosion, damaged several boats, and drowned two people. Tropical storm force winds left about 20,000 people without electricity, while flooding from heavy rainfall damaged vehicles and roads. Property damage in the state reached about \$5.9 million (1994 USD). Farther inland, Beryl spawned many tornadoes and resulted in flooding as far north of New England. In South Carolina, the state suffering the most damage, a total of 23 tornadoes were spawned, including three rated F3 on the Fujita scale. One tornado in Lexington damaged or destroyed 200 homes and 40 to 50 buildings and caused about 15,000 people to lose power after damaging five electrical substations. The state of New York experienced the worst of the flooding, with flash flooding in the Susquehanna and western Catskills regions. Two deaths and \$12 million in damage occurred in New York. Overall, Beryl left five fatalities and at least \$74.22 million in damage.

## Meteorological history

A large upper-level low pressure area developed over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean to the north of Puerto Rico on August 9. The disturbance moved westward, and despite weakening to a trough in the upper levels of the atmosphere, there was evidence of a low- to mid-level circulation off the southwest coast of Florida on August 12. The next day, surface observations and ship reports suggested the presence of a weak 1,014 mbar (29.9 inHg) surface low pressure system. Moving towards the north-northwest, a cloud-pattern was identified on satellite imagery, and Dvorak estimates were initiated at 00:00 UTC on August 14. Based on data from surface observations, satellite imagery, and information from reconnaissance aircraft, the system is estimated to have become a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC on August 14; at the time, the depression was located approximately 120 miles (190 km) south of Pensacola, Florida.

Initially, the depression was predicted to move inland within the next 24 hours and intensify only slightly. The depression drifted slowly towards the north after being designated, while its poorly defined center of circulation became better defined. Between 16:30 and 20:11 UTC on August 14, the system was nearly stationary; a few hours later, there were indications that the storm's center reformed to the east of its original location. The depression tracked slowly towards the east-northeast while producing rainfall throughout portions of Florida. By early on August 15, the cyclone was becoming further organized, with satellite imagery indicating better defined rainbands. Shortly thereafter, wind observations suggested that the cyclone was approaching tropical storm intensity. A reconnaissance aircraft flight recorded winds of 46 to 49 mph (74 to 79 km/h) to the southeast of the center, while offshore and coastal stations measured sustained winds of 35 mph (56 km/h) and gusts up to 46 mph (74 km/h).

At 12:00 UTC on August 15, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Beryl, based on a reconnaissance aircraft flight observing 58 mph (93 km/h) at an altitude of 1,500 ft (460 m). Possibly influenced by a mesoscale featured noted to the south of Beryl's circulation, the center of circulation began moving erratically after being upgraded. However, in response to an approaching trough, the storm turned towards the north. At 00:00 UTC on August 16, Beryl reached its maximum sustained wind speed of 60 mph (95 km/h) and then made landfall near Panama City, Florida. It is estimated that the storm attained its minimum barometric pressure of 999 mbar (29.5 inHg) about three hours after moving inland. About 12 hours after moving ashore, around 12:00 UTC on August 16, Beryl weakened to a tropical depression. With increasing forward motion, the depression continued towards the north-northeast. At 21:00 UTC, the National Hurricane Center ceased issuing advisories on Beryl, transferring responsibility to the Weather Prediction Center. Despite weakening, the system maintained rainbands accompanied by thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. The low continued to track northeastward; after passing through Connecticut, the low was absorbed into a frontal trough on August 19.

## Preparations

In advance of the storm, a tropical storm watch was posted along of the Gulf Coast of Florida from Pensacola to Cedar Key on August 15. Later that day, the watch was replaced with a tropical storm warning that extended from Fort Walton Beach to Yankeetown. The warning was discontinued for areas west of Apalachicola, and by 12:00 UTC on August 16, all tropical cyclone warnings and watches were lifted. Initially, the public advisories issued by the National Hurricane Center on the storm warned primarily of heavy rain, as Beryl was expected to remain a weak cyclone. However, when the storm slowed in forward motion and the potential for intensification increased, the advisories emphasized the potential for coastal flooding. Tornado watches were issued for parts of Florida. Flash flood watches and warnings were also declared for parts of the state.

Flash flood watches, warnings, and tornado watches were posted for portions of Georgia as Beryl progressed inland. Flash flood watches and warnings were also initiated throughout parts of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. A tornado watch was declared for central and eastern North Carolina on August 17; similar advisories were placed into effect over parts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Flash flood advisories were also issued northward into New York.

## Impact

Tropical Storm Beryl was a weak system, and unlike Alberto, its rapid motion up the Eastern Seaboard spread its heavy rainfall across a large area. Beryl caused inland flooding as it moved through Georgia, across the Carolinas, and all the way to Connecticut. Property damage reached at least \$74.22 million, with \$40 million in damage in South Carolina, \$15 million in Virginia, \$12 million in New York, \$5.9 million in Florida, and at least \$1.32 million in Georgia. Five deaths were reported, while a large number of people – 37 in Lexington County, South Carolina, alone – were injured by the tornadoes Beryl produced as it weakened.

### Florida

Along the coast of the Florida Panhandle, tides ranging from 3 to 5 ft (0.91 to 1.52 m) above normal were reported. Two people drowned due to rip currents produced by Beryl. Several moored boats were damaged, while three people on a fishing boat offshore were rescued. Coastal flooding and erosion occurred, undermining roads and homes and damaging seawalls. The highest observed precipitation total in the state was 10.69 in (272 mm) in Apalachicola, though heavier rainfall likely occurred in areas to the east. In addition, precipitation from Tropical Storm Alberto earlier in the season and Beryl produced nearly 30 in (762 mm) of rain in some areas of the Florida Panhandle in the span of barely more than a month. Flooding occurred in low-lying areas, damaging cars and homes. Oysters in the Apalachicola Bay could not be harvested in the prime winter of 1994, due to runoff from the sediment of rivers, from 10 in (250 mm) of rain. At the Tallahassee International Airport, a sustained wind speed of 53 mph (85 km/h) and a wind gust of 64 mph (103 km/h) were observed. Wind caused minor damage to roofs and downed trees, signs, and power lines, leaving about 20,000 customers without electricity. Damage in the state as a result of Beryl was estimated at \$5.9 million.

### Georgia and the Carolinas

Beryl dropped heavy rainfall in parts of Georgia, with up to 13.59 in (345 mm) observed in Tallulah Falls. About 5 to 7 in (130 to 180 mm) of precipitation fell in Habersham County in less than six hours. Throughout northeastern Georgia, several roads were flooded or washed out, while numerous roads in that state were also effected by mudslides. Pressure from the floodwaters damaged a number of culverts and sewer lines. One death and three injuries occurred in the Chattooga River when a group of people went rafting in the rain-swollen river. The storm spawned at least two tornadoes in the state. The first, an F1 spawned near Hartwell, demolished two mobile homes, tossed two others, and uprooted several large trees, leaving about \$320,000 in property damage. Near Lexington, the other tornado, rated F2, destroyed a two-story wood, 2,500 sq ft (230 m2) wood-frame dwelling; three boiler homes; and two chicken houses, killing about 30,000 chickens. A number of pecan trees were uprooted. The tornado left about \$700,000 in damage.

The outer bands of Beryl spawned 23 tornadoes in South Carolina, the largest tornado outbreak on record in the state, until the remnants of Hurricane Frances in 2004 produced more twisters. Several of the tornadoes touched down in the vicinity of Lexington. An F3 tornado in the area damaged or destroyed 200 homes and 40 to 50 buildings, including a shopping center and five electrical substations, which left approximately 15,000 people without power. A total of 40 people were injured by the tornado before it lifted at Lake Murray, after traveling about 5 mi (8.0 km). Another F3 tornado touched down 4 mi (6.4 km) south of Lexington, where it completely leveled a square stick frame home. Three other tornadoes touched down in Lexington County, one of which – rated F1 – overturned a mobile home, causing one serious injury. Outside of Lexington County, a few other tornadoes caused significant damage. A twister that moved along a 2 to 3 mi (3.2 to 4.8 km) path through parts of Union, Spartanburg, and Cherokee counties, deroofing a restaurant in Carlisle and damaging several homes and mobile homes, leaving nearly \$80,000 in damage in Cowpens. The National Weather Service office in Columbia failed to detect a brief tornado in southwest Richland County after the WSR-88D radar went offline for about 22 minutes, while the backup WSR-74 radar did not spot the tornado either.

Heavy rainfall was observed in some parts of South Carolina with about 12 in (300 mm) falling in the mountainous region of the state, including a peak precipitation total of 17.45 in (443 mm) near Lake Jocassee. The Saluda River north of Greenville experienced its worst flooding in at least 60 years, while the Reedy River reached moderate flood stage in Greenville. Several businesses and homes along the Saluda River and its tributaries were flooded or destroyed. Mudslides and flood waters in Oconee County damaged a number of bridges and roadways. Damage in South Carolina reached about \$40 million, with \$37 million of that total caused by tornadoes and thunderstorm winds. After the storm, then-Governor Carroll A. Campbell Jr. declared a state of emergency for Lexington County due to tornado damage and dispatched 100 South Carolina National Guard police to the area.

The storm produced 5 to 9 in (130 to 230 mm) of precipitation in western North Carolina. Flashing flooding and rapidly rising streams forced hundreds of people to evacuate. The French Broad River at Rosman crested at 14.1 ft (4.3 m), nearly 1 ft (0.30 m) short of the record height set during Hurricane Hilda in 1964. Floodwaters washed out bridges and roads and resulted the closure of businesses and schools in several counties. Farther east, Guilford County observed 1.28 in (33 mm) of rain in only 33 minutes, flooding numerous roads and causing 11 car accidents. Several tornadoes were also spawned in the state. The first tornado was an F1 twister that touched down near Earl. It destroyed a mobile home, severely damaged another home, and downed several trees and power lines. An F2 spawned in northern Catawba County near Hickory destroyed two mobile home and another home, damaged several chimneys and roofs, acutely damaged cars and trucks, and overturned a number of trailers. In Iredell County, an F0 tornado damaged six mobile homes, toppled a wall at a home under construction, and knocked over trees and power lines. Another F1 tornado in Harnett County near Buies Creek downed a number of trees and damaged several mobile homes, trapping some people inside.

### Mid-Atlantic

In Virginia, up to 7 in (180 mm) of rain fell in Carroll County. Flash flooding occurred in several counties, though high waters caused little impact other than inundating roads and low bridges. Thunderstorm winds knocked down some trees, with six falling on power lines in Cana, leaving about 500 people without electricity. A tornado touched down near Martinsville and remained on the ground for about 4.25 mi (6.84 km). Throughout its path, the tornado damaged approximately 30 businesses and 100 homes, leaving about \$8.7 million in damage. Ten people suffered injuries due to the twister. In West Virginia, 2 to 4 in (51 to 102 mm) of rainfall in a short period of time in some areas resulted in street flooding in Morgan and Pendleton. In the latter, two homes washed away. The remnants of Beryl spawned two tornadoes in the state. One tornado mainly left downed trees in Morgan County, while the damaged three homes, destroyed a shed, and uprooted trees in Berkeley County. Thunderstorms associated with Beryl's remnants dropped 3 to 5 in (76 to 127 mm) of rainfall in parts of Maryland. Creeks in the region rose to elevated levels, flooding roads, yards, and basements.

Heavy rainfall was also recorded in some areas of Pennsylvania. In Bradford County, the worst of the flooding occurred in the western side of the county, especially in areas adjacent to Buck and Bentley creeks. At Wells Township, State Route 549 was washed out and flooding damaged 8 businesses and 17 homes. In Waverly, the basement of the Village Hall and annex building were both flooded, damaging village archives and police equipment. Throughout the county, about 30 roads, including U.S. Route 6 and state routes 14 and 4028, were closed because of high water or debris, while a bridge in Smithfield Township was washed out. A total of 35 people evacuated from their homes due to flooding. In Lycoming County, the Lycoming Creek crested at heights exceeding records set during Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Nearly all roads in the central and western portions of the county were shut down due to water inundation. About 350 people evacuated or were rescued from their homes, 178 of whom took refuge at Red Cross shelters. A total of 75 homes and 80 trailers were severely damaged or destroyed.

All major streams in Tioga County exceeded their banks, including the Cowanesque and Tioga rivers. About 150 people throughout the county fled their homes due to rising water. Most roads in the county were flooded, including U.S. routes 6 and 15. A 0.5 mi (0.80 km) section of State Route 549 near Daggett was washed out, while two bridges along State Route 328 were damaged. An automotive dealership in Richmond Township suffered about \$500,000 in losses after 60 cars were destroyed or severely damaged. A house burned down in Middlebury Township after flooding forced fire fighters to take 15 mi (24 km) of detours. In Clinton County, a few roads were closed due to flooding, while State Route 144 was shut down south of Renovo because of mudslides. Two boys were rescued from Kettle Creek. Similar flooding occurred in Union County. Along the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County, 15 to 20 farms were flooded, with an estimated \$75,000 in damage to crops. At Shikellamy State Park, four docks and several boats at the marina were damaged, with some boats capsizing.

### New York and New England

Beryl generally produced 1 to 3 in (25 to 76 mm) of rainfall throughout central and eastern New York, peaking at 4.28 in (109 mm) in Tully. The precipitation led to flash flooding in the Susquehanna and western Catskills regions of the state. Numerous streams and rivers overflowed their banks, resulting in extensive flood damage. Tioga, Steuben, and Chemung counties were the hardest hit areas. In Chemung County, damage from the storm is estimated at \$5 million, over half of which was within the town of Southport. Several bridges and over 25 homes were damaged; between 60 and 70 residents in the county were forced to evacuate. Beryl's remnants inflicted \$650,000 in municipal damage to Steuben County, where one man was rescued from flood waters by a local fire department. Tioga County received \$1.5 million in damage; a woman in the town of Tioga drowned after she attempted to leave her stranded vehicle. Another death occurred in the state after a 2-year-old girl fell into the Tioughnioga River near DeRuyter. At least 14 homes were damaged in Otsego County; seven highways sustained severe damage, including portions of New York State Route 7, which was forced to close for several hours. Elsewhere in the state, flood waters reached 2 to 3 ft (0.61 to 0.91 m) in some locations, with roads and basements throughout the region flooded. Damage in New York totaled \$12 million. Light to moderate rainfall extended into much of southern and central New England, particularly throughout portions of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The precipitation peaked at 5.39 in (137 mm) in West Hartford, Connecticut.

## See also

- List of Florida hurricanes
- Timeline of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season
- List of North Carolina hurricanes (1980–present)
- Hurricane Earl (1998)
- Tropical Storm Barry (2001)

Atlantic tropical storm in 1994

1994 natural disasters in the United States


To Your Eternity

To Your Eternity (Japanese: 不滅のあなたへ, Hepburn: Fumetsu no Anata e, lit. "To You, the Immortal") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshitoki Ōima. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine since November 2016, with individual chapters collected by Kodansha into twenty tankōbon volumes as of August 2023. The story is about an immortal being, Fushi, who takes on multiple forms and freely utilizes their respective natural abilities at will, including that of an abandoned white-haired boy and his white wolf, in order to further evolve and stimulate as it learns what it is to be truly human over the decades and centuries.

Ōima, inspired by her own grandmother's death, aimed to write about survival and the character Fushi, who initially is an emotionless stone but gradually develops a self and personality as a result of interacting with humans, young and old alike. In contrast to her previous work, A Silent Voice, To Your Eternity puts little focus on the cast's past but instead, upon the future.

To Your Eternity has been well received in Japan, earning many awards and major sales. Critical response to the series debut was positive, based on the emotional focus on the villagers and Fushi to the point of often earning perfect scores. Despite some skeptical commentary on subsequent chapters lacking the same impact, Fushi's continuous character arc was praised while Ōima's artistry enjoyed positive reviews due to its detailed facial expressions and environments. In North America, the manga is licensed by Kodansha USA for a digital and printed English release. An anime television series adaptation of the manga, produced by Brain's Base, aired from April to August 2021 on Japan's NHK Educational TV; a second season produced by Drive aired from October 2022 to March 2023. A third season has been announced.

## Plot

### Season one

An otherworldly being called the Beholder creates a white orb (later named Fushi by a rambunctious young girl). Fushi takes on the form of a rock, then a dying arctic wolf. Fushi meets a white-haired boy living alone who mistakes him for his pet wolf, Joaan. After the boy dies, Fushi takes his form. He travels to the land of Ninannah, and meets a young girl called March, who was chosen as a sacrifice to a large white bear named Oniguma. March names Fushi and teaches him the rudiments of speech, and how to use his hands. Fushi defeats Oniguma, and he, March, Parona (an older sister figure to March), and the elderly woman Pioran, are taken prisoner by Hayase, to Yanome. They escape, but young March is killed protecting Parona and becomes a spirit. Fushi part ways with Parona and leaves Ninannah to escape Hayase, who is determined to control Fushi.

Accompanying Pioran, Fushi begins to speak like a child. As they travel to Takunaha, they are attacked by a plant-like being that can steal Fushi's forms and memories, a Nokker. Fushi kills it, regaining his memories. In Takunaha, Fushi meets a boy named Gugu, who was disfigured in an accident after saving Rean. Gugu saves Fushi from another Nokker, and Fushi, Gugu and Rean become friends. For four years, Fushi refrains from transforming or creating objects in order to live as a human. A Nokker attacks and Gugu was killed in the process while sacrificing himself to save Rean, who becomes a spirit like March. Fushi leaves Takunaha, paranoid of Nokker attacks, followed by Pioran.

Hayase pays a girl named Tonari to lure Fushi and Pioran onto a prison ship to Jananda island. Fushi enters the island's gladiatorial tournament. In the final round, Fushi faces Hayase, who reveals she killed Parona, assuming her form. An enraged Fushi is defeated by Hayase, who captures and attempts to rape him. Tonari and her friends come to try and save him, but at the same time, Nokkers attack the island, and three of Tonari's friends are killed. Fushi kills the Nokkers, and leaves the island with Hayase, abandoning her to die in the ocean, where she is attacked by a Nokker. Fushi reunites with Pioran and travels to an uninhabited island, but she develops dementia. Before her death, she asks the Beholder to have herself reborn as something useful to Fushi, a horse that Fushi later acquires.

### Season two

Fushi remains on the island for forty years, until Nokkers begin attacking humans off the island. As he prepares to leave, he meets Hisame, the nine-year-old granddaughter and reincarnation of Hayase. Hisame's left arm contains the Nokker which had merged with Hayase. The two travel to the site of the Nokker attack, where they meet the grown Tonari and Sander. Hisame tries to kill Tonari, and is wounded herself, but escapes. Tonari dies in front of Fushi, and becomes a spirit. Fushi rescues Hisame and refrains from killing the Nokker in her arm after she agrees to leave him. For the next two centuries, Fushi avoids extensive human contact, and is regularly visited by the obsessed Hayase's reincarnations and descendants; one of which is a male named Kahaku. They establish a religious cult called the Guardian Force, worshiping Fushi and opposing the Nokkers. After rival religions begin denouncing Fushi, Kahaku removes Fushi from his solitude to further improve his image.

The two are captured by Prince Bonichen, who had been instructed by Tonari to find Fushi. Bon lends his princely approval to Fushi and the Guardians, becoming a target for those opposed to Fushi. Bon witnesses Fushi resurrect a dead princess, but hides the fact from Fushi. Fushi is arrested by another kingdom and forced to demonstrate resurrection, but fails. Both Bon and Fushi are imprisoned, with Fushi encased in solid iron. Fushi escapes and rescues Bon, faking his death. The Nokker in Kahaku's arm warns that the Nokkers will attack the large city Renril in one year. Bon and Kahaku gather allies and warn the city, while Fushi further develops his ability to create objects from nothing.

In disguise as Booze Man, Fushi destroys and recreates buildings in Renril as extensions of his body. Hundreds of Nokkers attack the city, and during the battle March is accidentally resurrected. Tee of Bon's allies are killed, and Bon tells Fushi they can return to life. Fushi uses them to defend the city, resurrecting them where needed. As the battle continues, Kahaku's Nokker attacks Fushi, returning him to his original orb form. Bon kills himself near Fushi, giving him his form. Able to see the spirits of his friends, Fushi remembers them and returns them to life, and the battle is won as Fushi regains strength. Kahaku leaves the city with his Nokker, and later kills himself and his Nokker, but not before expressing his strong love for Fushi.

Fushi tells his friends he will make the world peaceful, and resurrect them after he has done so. He sleeps and spreads his body across the planet, to stop the Nokkers from returning. Fushi's friends live their lives and all die as Fushi sleeps. After 600 years, Fushi's body encompasses the entire planet, now at a modern level of technological advancement. During his sleep, the Nokkers become microscopically small, secretly living inside of and controlling human beings. Kahaku's Nokker lives in the brain of Mizuha, the eighteenth reincarnation of Hayase, and this Nokker leads the others in preparation for Fushi's return.

### Season three

After awakening five centuries into the modern era, Fushi resurrects the eleven spirits following him, including his closest friends March, Gugu, Tonari Dalton and Bonichen. The Beholder transforms himself into a twelve-year-old boy, calling himself Satoru. Fushi meets a boy named Yuki, and Mizuha, who falls in love with Fushi, being Hayase's great-great-great-great-great granddaughter and ninth reincarnation. Mizuha murders her mother, but she returns to life without Fushi's involvement, alerting him to the Nokkers' return. As he learns that the Nokkers are now living peacefully among humanity, Fushi becomes confused about what to do. He attempts to fight the Nokkers on his own, but Hayase's Nokker launches an attack on Yuki's school.

Hayase's Nokker is ultimately killed, and its organization collapses, but Nokkers continue living among humans. Satoru offers Fushi omnipotence, but he refuses. Before losing his memories Satoru reveals that he created the world out of boredom, then wanted to die in his creation, leaving Fushi to watch over it. After six decades, knowledge of Nokkers has become commonplace, Yuki dies, and Fushi leaves Yuki's home with his resurrected closest friends.

## Characters

Fushi (フシ)

A divine creature who can change his form and grow objects from his body. He was sent to Earth to preserve information and experiences. Through his journey he learns how to communicate with humans.

Nokkers (ノッカー)
Shapeshifting and parasitic entities that attempt to thwart the Beholder and Fushi's purpose in preserving all that exists. They are recurring antagonists throughout the series, one of which actually merges with the human Hayase, and continues to have some power over her many reincarnations/descendants over the centuries.

The White-Haired Boy
A young and lonely unnamed boy and the very first human being Fushi meets in the form of his good longtime wolf friend Joaan. After he dies, Fushi takes his form, often using it as a default appearance.

March (マーチ, Māchi)
A young girl who adopts Fushi after escaping from a sacrifice ritual.

Parona (パロナ)
An exiled villager; a friend and older sister figure to March.

Pioran (ピオラン)
An elderly woman who takes care of Fushi. She ultimately dies of old age and is reborn as a horse who aids Fushi over the decades as per her dying request.

Hayase (ハヤセ)
(Japanese); Kira Buckland (English)

A warrior who tries to sacrifice young March and later killed her. She takes an obsessive interest in Fushi and his ever-developing otherworldly abilities. She served as a primary antagonist for the first few arcs of the manga, and first season of the anime. Her descendants and reincarnations then entirely devote themselves to protecting Fushi in her stead and intend to carry on her twisted bloodline for future generations as devoted cult-like unit called the Guardians.

Gugu (グーグー)
A young man who works in Booze Man's restaurant after being treated by the latter when he was nearly dying and thus covers his damaged face with a mask.

Shin (シン)
Gugu's older brother who abandoned him.

Rean (リーン, Rīn)
A wealthy young girl who frequents Booze's store as she befriends Gugu and Fushi.

Booze Man (酒爺, Sake Jī)
The owner of a distillery and friend of Pioran.

Tonari (トナリ)
A young girl who accompanied her father when he was exiled to Janada, an island for criminals.

Hisame (ヒサメ)
Hayase's granddaughter and the leader of a group called Guardians, who seek to protect Fushi.

Kahaku (カハク)
A distant male descendant of Hayase and current leader of the Guardians.

Bonchien Nicoli la Tasty Peach Uralis (ボンシェン・ニコリ・ラ・テイスティピーチ=ウラリス, Bonshen Nikori Ra Teisutipīchi Urarisu)
An extremely eccentric prince of the Uralis Kingdom, who seeks to capture and get close to Fushi.

Torta (トルタ, Toruta)
Bonchien's little brother.

Pocoa (ポコア, Pokoa)
Bonchien's little sister.

Fen (フェン)
One of Bonchien's ghost confidantes.

Nixon (ニクソン, Nikuson)
One of Bonchien's ghost confidantes.

Todo (アイリス, Airisu)
Bon's love interest.

Cylira (サイリーラ, Sairīra)
The head of the Church of Bennett, a religious organization opposing Fushi, believing him to actually cause the conflict with Nokkers.

Kai Renald Rawle (カイ・レナルド・ロウル, Kai Renarudo Rouru)
An experienced soldier in the Uralis army.

Hairo Rich (ハイロ・リッチ, Hairo Ritchi)
A skilled soldier and a member of the Church of Bennett.

Messar Robin Bastar (メサール・ロビン・バスタル, Mesāru Robin Basutaru)
A mysanthrope soldier, who is secretly a prince of Renril.

Alme (アルメ, Arume)
The princess of Renril and acting queen, Messar's half-sister.

Iddy (エコ, Eco)
A mute little girl from a distant village, where people use vases to communicate, who Fushi takes in.

Cam (カム, Kamu)
A chubby and cheerful soldier of Renril, who is attracted to Yuiss.

Yuiss (ユイス, Yuisu)
A stoick archer in Renril's army.

Sera (セラ)

Sebas (セバス, Sebasu)

The Beholder (観察者, Kansatsu-sha)
The narrator and Fushi's creator who threw Fushi, as the Orb, to Earth in the series' beginning to observe it as it further changes form and acquires more and stimulation. He ultimately makes the choice to abandon his creation and have his own fey/vital spiritual essence reborn as a young human boy named Satoru.

## Production

Manga artist Yoshitoki Ōima conceived the title To Your Eternity after learning that her sick grandmother was going to pass away. At the outset, she was only certain of the title's nuance, but could not arrive at a decision. With the encouragement of colleagues, she eventually chose To Your Eternity. The decision to give the manga a fantasy setting was taken for the freedom it afforded, with supernatural beings offering unusual possibilities. She compares To Your Eternity to her other works, and states that, while A Silent Voice focuses on characters in the present confronting their past, To Your Eternity focuses on the future. She also mentions exploring the theme of death in Mardock Scramble, A Silent Voice and To Your Eternity. The character Fushi originated from Ōima's work in primary school, although the setting changed before the series started. Fushi was originally to be female, but a colleague suggested a male protagonist for a different appeal. Ōima wanted to make the protagonist neutral, and said she prefers neutral female characters. Each volume cover represents a character's dream such as the first one, which depicts the unnamed youth finding freedom. According to Oima, Fushi does not want to forget the people he meets on his journeys.

Characters featured in the series are based on real life personalities. For example, Pioran reminded Ōima of her deceased grandmother. She furthermore expresses some guilt for having characters die. There are approximately 13 characters that are greatly affected by Fushi and which, before the series' beginning, would lead Ōima to the title, "Ash Swords of 13 People" (『13人の灰剣』), before being replaced by "To Your Eternity". When it came to drawing, March was Ōima's favorite character due to her short stature. Furthermore, Ōima says she likes drawing children in confined places.

The overall setting is that of a main character being "a boy who knows nothing". Ōima wanted the reader to find themself, like Fushi, in this situation where they do not know anything. It is for this reason that she did not give prominence to any character other than the hero. A common theme portrayed in the manga is death and immortality. To reinforce the blank slate themes, she decided to create a white universe, which was how she obtained a snowy landscape. As characters living in this snowy region are not part of an indigenous population, she decided not to depict them as, for example, Inuit. For research, she watched several documentaries in order to learn how to make the boy look like he was living in a world of "survival", with limited resources and skills. To accomplish this, she had to think deeply about what was practical under such difficult circumstances. March was created to be talkative and balance the quiet ones. The manga presents the climate, disease and the polar bear as obstacles to the human will. Ōima elaborates that people have to live with these challenges, and it is to show how to overcome them that she included them in the scenes.

### Adaptation

Director Masahiko Murata [ja] expressed surprise when first reading the manga series, initially believing the young villager would be the lead character rather than Fushi. He felt that the themes Ōima was approaching were thought-provoking, which he found challenging. Murata stated that, as minor parts of the manga were changed, the anime would stay true to the original printed version. The official Twitter account of the anime series stated that the main theme presented through March (and later Fushi) was the notion of growing into adulthood.

In casting the actors, Reiji Kawashima's voice quality was befitting for Fushi—from his point of view. "The Observer", played by Kenjiro Tsuda, is a narrative role that was not all that involved in the story due to Murata's view that Tsuda's voice was "cool". The first episode only had two voice actors: Kawashima and Tsuda. The former expressed relief when working as he felt that Tsuda was a friendly person. Tsuda felt that Kawashima was a passionate actor, exemplified by his early arrival for each episode's recording session. Kawashima thought his character to be exhausting based on his varied experiences, while Tsuda felt Fushi was too mysterious. Rie Hikisaka, who plays March, enjoyed Kawashima's work and his interactions with Pioran. For the sixth episode, Kawashima expressed difficulty portraying Fushi's lines due to the fact that the character was learning how to speak. Ryoko Shiraishi commented that while she enjoyed voicing Gugu, the character's fluid personality made the work more challenging.

## Media

### Manga

Yoshitoki Ōima debuted To Your Eternity in issue 50 of Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine on November 9, 2016. It was Ōima's second series featured in the publication, the first being the critically acclaimed A Silent Voice. The series' first arc finished on December 4, 2019, while the second started on January 22, 2020. Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on January 17, 2017. As of August 17, 2023, 20 volumes have been released.

On January 17, 2017, Kodansha USA announced that they would digitally publish the first ten chapters of the series on various digital platforms. Thereafter, they would publish the manga's new chapters simultaneously with the Japanese releases. The first printed volume in North America was released on October 31, 2017. The seventeenth volume was released on July 26, 2022.

### Anime

On January 8, 2020, Kodansha announced that the manga would receive an anime television series adaptation, to air on NHK Educational TV. The series was animated by Brain's Base and directed by Masahiko Murata, with Shinzō Fujita handling series composition, Koji Yabuno designing the characters, and Ryo Kawasaki composing the music. Originally scheduled to premiere in October 2020, the series was delayed until April 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series aired from April 12 to August 30, 2021, and ran for 20 episodes. A second season was announced in the final episode of the first season. Drive replaced Brain's Base in animating the second season, while Kiyoko Sayama replaced Masahiko Murata as the director. The rest of the main staff are returning from the first season. It aired from October 23, 2022, to March 12, 2023, and ran for 20 episodes. A third season was announced in the final episode of the second season. Crunchyroll has licensed the anime for streaming outside of Asia. Medialink has also acquired the series to stream it under its Ani-One brand. Hikaru Utada performed the series' opening theme song "Pink Blood", while Masashi Hamauzu composed "Mediator", which was used for the ending.

## Reception

### Manga

The first collected volume of the series sold 29,288 copies, ranking 17 on the weekly Oricon manga chart. Its second volume ranked 34, selling 22,565 copies in its first week, while its third debuted at 41 with 20,445 copies sold.

The manga was nominated for the 11th edition of the Manga Taishō awards in 2018 and it managed to gain a total of 47 points. In 2018, Ōima won the Daruma de la Meilleure Nouvelle Série at the Japan Expo in Paris, France for To Your Eternity. In May 2019, it won the award for Best Shōnen Manga at the 43rd annual Kodansha Manga Awards, alongside The Quintessential Quintuplets. In both 2018 and 2019, Anime News Network listed it as one of the best series for young readers. The first five volumes were listed by the American Library Association as one of the best manga series written for a young audience in 2019.

The manga's narrative and setting have been praised by critics like Otaku USA due to its multiple fantasy and drama elements. However, he felt the story provided in the first volume lacked the emotional impact from the mangaka's previous work, A Silent Voice. Two reviewers from Anime News Network (ANN) and one from UK Anime Network gave the first volume perfect reviews, impressed by the narrative's depth in exploring the multiplicity of characters as well as how the first chapters handled the lonely youth who met Fushi in an Ice Age-like area. Two other writers from ANN wondered whether the new chapters would carry forward the emotional impact of the first. Anime UK News was engaged by the manga's first chapter based on the characterization of the unnamed villager rather than by Fushi. As the manga progressed, Fushi's character arc was the subject of praise as he was closer to acting like a human in contrast to his nearly emotionless introduction. As a result, writers felt the tone of the series was still tragic, thanks to the handling of this character. Manga News furthermore enjoyed the series' time-skips as Fushi's immortality allowed him to blend in with newer, more modern scenarios.

The critical response to the artwork was mostly positive. Anime UK News praised the way Ōima drew the pages, by giving the characters detailed features and the way its settings were presented. Similarly, Manga Mexico writer Tania Ávila praised the artwork—especially in the later chapters of the first volume. Fantasy Mundo noted that the drawings helped to further detail the characters and improve their emotional value. The Fandom Post felt that the artwork "is light on textures and right with detailed backgrounds once the story moves from the snowfields to the forest" and felt that the wildlife was often drawn strangely. UK Anime Network praised the way the backgrounds were detailed and how the author built the characters' emotions.

### Anime

The anime adaptation also attracted positive reactions. IGN listed it among the best anime series of Spring 2021, directing readers to its portrayals of Earth's culture but refrained from further explaining the premise to avoid spoilers. In a Filmmarks survey, To Your Eternity was voted the ninth "Most Anticipated 2021 Spring Anime Ranking". In the website Anime Trendz, the series was often listed as one of the most popular series from 2021. In 2022, the series was awarded Best Drama at the 6th Crunchyroll Anime Awards, and was nominated in the Kids: Animation category at the 50th International Emmy Awards.

Three ANN writers gave the anime's premiere a perfect score, based on the emotional storytelling involving Fushi and the nameless youth, most notably when the latter, initially cheerful and talkative, quickly becomes filled with despair, as he cannot find any other people in the region. Similarly, The Fandom Post gave the series' premiere a perfect score despite having read the manga years before, based on the cast's performances and Utada Hikaru's theme song "Pink Blood" which helped to convey a moving story. James Beckett, from the same site, continued reviewing the anime and while still enjoying the anime, was afraid of it becoming too melodramatic. Comic Book Resources felt the adaptation series was well done and given an appealing soundtrack as the emotional scenes became stronger thanks to the music provided. Critics praised the bonding involving Fushi, March and Parona, noting how heroic they were for each other while providing opportunity for more entertaining scenes. However, March's death in the fifth episode was found to be heartbreaking. Fushi's increasing display of humanity was praised, with the sixth episode giving him enough screentime to become the sole main character. Fushi's fight with Oniguma was also listed as the seventh best anime fight from 2021 by Crunchyroll.

The prison arc, however, was panned by Anime News Network for lacking the appeal of previous arcs as well as the animation being poorly done.

Japanese manga series and its adaptations

Anime postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic