I'm a huge wannabe fan of the Persona games. I own almost all of them, but have had the time to play very few outside of Persona 4. As games, they are achingly stylish and wonderfully complex. The daily activities and memorable characters make them as close to actually playing an anime as we've ever gotten, but they are also huge time-sinks, especially given the replay value from how relationships can be manipulated throughout.
Persona 5 is the latest game. I have the steelcase edition sat downstairs, but have yet to find the time to play it. I've watched my friend James play a few levels, and I can confirm at least that the characters portrayed in this first episodes are identical, stylistically.
The anime opens with what appears to be a daring heist on a casino. Our masked hero, clearly aided by other unseen characters, is about to make his flamboyant escape, but is instead trapped, arrested and taken away to be beaten in a police cell. It's not the most illustrious starts for an anime protagonist, but at least it grabs attention.
Cue flashback, and we meet Ren Amamiya, a teenage delinquent with a criminal record and currently on probation. Transferred to a new school and forced to live at a cafe called LeBlanc, owned by a grumpy older man named Sojiro Sakura, Ren is understandably distant. Following an incident with his PE teacher, a lecherous cretin called Suguru Kamoshida, Ren and his classmate Ryuji find themselves transported to a mysterious castle where they are attacked and imprisoned by a shadow-version of the distasteful teacher.
It's a lot to take in, and I haven't even touched on the fleeting appearance of Igor, a series mainstay, in his "Velvet Room". This takes a form suited to the visitors psyche, and Igor is surprised to see that Ren has created a prison with himself as an inmate. Igor decides that he could be a useful pawn in his fight against ruination.
By the end of the episode we see Ren about to confront Shadow Suguru with his Persona, Arsene. Persona are spirits that aid the characters by providing powerful attacks, and the animation does a terrific job of announcing this impressive new player to the narrative.
Overall I enjoyed my time with Persona 5 - the designs are mature and sharp, with some fantastic Persona effects that render them mysterious and edgy. The idea of a group of thieves fighting shadow monsters with Personas certainly appeals, and honestly I may end up watching the series instead of playing the game to save myself some time!
The music, by game composer Shoji Meguro, is a mix of new tracks and familiar tunes rearranged from the original score. It absolutely evoked the feel of the series, and between the stylish animation and audio accompaniment, I felt very much at home in the Persona world. The CGI is especially good, though that's becoming less rare as technology improves.
Herein we have a slight dilemma however. The anime follows the main story of the game, which means that it's full of spoilers for those who want to play the game, and possibly overly familiar to those who already have. This raises the question of who exactly the show is for, so please be aware this is less an addition to the game and more an outright replacement.
In summary then, you need to be the right person for the show. If, like me, you have limited free time to invest, then Persona 5: The Animation may in fact be the perfect way to experience the Persona world. For those planning to play the game, I'd advise staying clear and then returning if you crave a more passive means of Persona 5 consumption. As the former, I can say that episode 1 hooked my interest, and this is one I'll be following to the end.
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