Director: Seiji Kishi
Starring: Ami Koshimizu, Amanda Winn Lee, Daisuke Namikawa, Johnny Yong Bosch, Showtaro Morikubo, Erin Fitzgerald, Yui Horie, Yuri Lowenthal
Running Time: 207 minutes
Certificate: 12
Extras: Director’s Cut Episode 1, Trailer, TV Spot, Textless Opening/Closing Credits
PERSONA 4: THE ANIMATION is based on the wacky and popular Japanese video game of the same name (but without the ‘THE ANIMATION’ part). Many may be turned off by the sound of a videogame adaptation, but considering PERSONA 4 is both a role playing game and partly a simulation game, there is plenty of room to include plot, character development, and comedy as well as the usual action.
PERSONA 4: THE ANIMATION follows protagonist Yu Narukami as he tries to adapt to life in a small town after moving from Tokyo. Yu Narukami is quite a refreshing character as he doesn’t seem to oppose his circumstances. He’s unsure of life in a rural village, but is willing to give it a shot. He makes a few friends, but is soon sucked into a television. As you do. There he finds a strange world inhabited by dark beings known as shadows and a big bear called Teddie. Meanwhile in the small town there are a number of murders taking place, and of course there seems to be a connection between those crimes and the TV world.
The characters are fairly typical of high schoolers, in that they can be quite irritating, but at the same time their youth adds a certain charm to them. The boys may be heroic at times, but they aren’t passed ogling the girls and becoming embarrassed at their teenage awkwardness. As they enter the TV world they discover they have the ability to release a Persona, which is kind of a representation of themselves that can be used to fight the shadows. Sounds fairly standard at this juncture, but what really allows PERSONA 4: THE ANIMATION to succeed is the way in which characters achieve their Personas. They are forced to fight a shadow of them self, a shadow which takes on a darker side of their thoughts and feelings and amplifies it. Resisting this part of their character only makes the shadow stronger. It makes for some wonderful viewing as we see characters battle the most unlikable parts of their personality.
Unfortunately, only the first 9 episodes are available on these discs, and even though it’s a very entertaining series, it doesn’t really take off by the end of this set. That means we are faced with a number of episodes that introduce and set-up individual characters, but the episodes can seem repetitive. This set does include a few episodes that step outside the formula, such as a very funny camping trip, that moves the characters away from the TV world. It also ends on an unbearable cliff hanger, but I suppose that will have me coming back for more.
With gorgeous animation in the real world that captures light wonderfully, and inventive strokes in the TV world, this is a visual treat. Both Japanese and English vocal casts, mainly taken from the game, do an excellent job at creating fluent chemistry between each other. Fans of action will certainly enjoy the rather creative monsters that the shadows appear as, and Teddie is quite the mascot, no matter how mysterious he may be. I am most certainly hooked, but perhaps those not familiar with games will want to wait for a more complete set.
Extras: The director’s cut of episode 1 adds a few bits and pieces here and there which wil of course be the preferred version for any fan.
PERSONA 4: THE ANIMATION is released on DVD & Blu-ray 24th December. You can buy a copy here.
