"PERSONA 5 the Animation" review: A great experience with charming characters and a deep story

"PERSONA 5 the Animation": A picaresque romance woven by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts

"PERSONA5 the Animation" is a TV anime series that aired from April 8 to September 30, 2018, and is based on the popular game "Persona 5" by ATLUS. It was animated by A-1 Pictures and directed by Masashi Ishihama. The 26-episode series aired on TOKYO MX and BS11 every Sunday at 12:30am.

story

The story begins in the spring of his second year of high school, when Amamiya Ren transfers to Shujin Academy in Tokyo. After a certain incident, Ren awakens as a persona user and forms the Phantom Thieves of Hearts with his new friends. While they steal the twisted desires of adults consumed by evil desires and reform them, mysterious incidents of mental outrage occur one after another in the city. Set in the big city of Tokyo, this epic picaresque novel unfolds as they live their daily lives as high school students, but operate secretly as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts after school.

character

The protagonist, Ren Amamiya, is a second-year high school student who moved to Tokyo in the spring and transferred to Shujin Academy High School. After a certain incident, he awakens as a "Persona" user, and his code name in the Phantom Thieves is "Joker". Ryuji Moto is a second-year student at Shujin Academy High School, and is a man of action who is kind-hearted, but he is known as a "problem child" at the school because of his violent behavior. His code name in the Phantom Thieves is "Skull". Ann Takamaki is a second-year student at Shujin Academy High School, and is a beautiful girl of quarter American descent. She has a cheerful and honest personality, but her very noticeable appearance makes her unable to fit in with the people around her and she is isolated. Her code name in the Phantom Thieves is "Panther". Morgana is a black cat whose existence is shrouded in mystery. After Ren accidentally rescues her when she gets lost in another world, she lives with Ren and shares her food and sleeping quarters with him. Her code name in the Phantom Thieves is "Mona". Kitagawa Yusuke is a scholarship student at Tokyo Metropolitan Kousei High School's art course. He is a beautiful boy who catches everyone's attention, but his unique sensibility gives him the impression of being otherworldly. His code name in the Phantom Thieves is "Fox". Niijima Makoto is a third-year student at Shujin Academy High School, and is the student council president with a sharp mind and good behavior. He is calm, responsible, and proactive, but he is also a genuine honor student who is serious and does not compromise. His code name in the Phantom Thieves is "Queen". Sakura Futaba has superhuman calculation skills and genius hacking skills, but she is originally extremely bad at communication, and is currently a recluse due to a certain incident. Her code name in the Phantom Thieves is "Navi". Okumura Haru is a third-year student at Shujin Academy High School, and is the daughter of the president of a major restaurant manufacturer. She grew up in a wealthy family and appears elegant and naive, but on the other hand, she is very observant of others. His code name in the Phantom Thieves is "Noir."

staff

The original work is "Persona 5" (Atlus), the original story concept is by Hashino Katsura, the original character concept is by Soejima Shigenori, the original demon design is by Kaneko Kazuma, the director is Ishihama Masashi, the series composition is Inotsume Shinichi, the character design is Ishikawa Tomomi, the music is by Meguro Masashi, and the production is by CloverWorks.

subtitle

The subtitles of each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1: I am thou, thou art I
• Episode 2: Let's take back what's dear to you
• Episode 3: A beautiful rose has thorns!
• Episode 4: Steal it, if you can
• Episode 5: The Phantoms
• Episode 6: Our next target is…
• Episode 7: He is my other self
• Episode 8: Put an end to all this and use your own artwork for once.
• Episode 9: Operation maid watch
• Episode 10: I want to see justice with my own eyes
• Episode 11: Let's be friends, shall we?
• Episode 12: I found the place where I belong
• Episode 13: Dreams and Desires
• Episode 14: What life do you choose?
• Episode 15: I am Alibaba
• Episode 16: This place is my grave
• Episode 17: X-Day
• Episode 18: I'll guide you to victory
• Episode 19: Aloha
• Episode 20: My name is Beauty Thief!
• Episode 21: You can call me "Noir"
• Episode 22: Is it our fault...?
• Episode 23: How about a deal with me?
• Episode 24: A challenge that must be won
• Episode 25: Jealous Sinner
• Episode 26: I won't let it end here

Theme songs and music

The opening themes are "BREAK IN TO BREAK OUT" (episodes 1-2, 4-13) and "Dark Sun..." (episodes 14-26) sung by Lyn with lyrics by Benjamin Franklin and music and editing by Masashi Meguro. The ending themes are "INFINITY" (episodes 2-7, 9-16), "Found a Light" (episode 8), and "Autonomy" (episodes 17-25) sung by Lyn with lyrics by Benjamin Franklin and music and editing by Masashi Meguro.

Ratings and Recommendations

"PERSONA 5 the Animation" brings out the best of the original game while developing a story from an anime-specific perspective. In particular, the character growth and deepening of relationships are carefully depicted, drawing viewers in. In terms of visuals, the beautiful graphics of the original are also reproduced while adding movements and direction unique to anime, making it a work well worth watching.

The first reason to recommend this series is the interesting story. The adventures of the high school students who act as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are full of tension and thrills, building anticipation for the next episode. In addition, the characters are rich in personality, and their backgrounds and worries are explored in depth, making it easy to empathize with them. Furthermore, the music and theme songs also add to the atmosphere of the series, making the viewing experience even richer.

This work is recommended not only for fans of the original game, but also for those who like anime and picaresque romance. Be sure to watch the Phantom Thieves of Hearts in action.