Persona 4 Golden the Animation: Episode 1 [First Impression]

Wooo, this season Midnight and I bring you Persona 4 ~golden~ the Animation. WOOOO!!! I saw the entire first series and so comparisons will be fun. WILL THERE BE MORE CREEPER ADACHI? I hope so.

Oki’s Review

Golden starts with an entirely distinct opening all it’s own, the introduction as well as the representation of the characters being different enough to see that perhaps the Golden anime isn’t something of folly: perhaps they are taking it almost a completely different direction than the normal anime to comply with the games changes. Wooo!

The very first scene of the episode shows Yu, the protagonist, getting off his train and checking his schedule. It serves as an introduction for a new character and also to show…somehow more sexual attraction than Yu has shown before? O_o Will it not be Yosuke, his boyfriend, that’s totally the one getting the most attention and instead one of his many female love interests? My god.

Can I just say I’m already pleased at the change in direction? The previously awful and distracting gradient for every character meant to imitate the in game art style was so jarring, only seeing it now done in normal animation style shows me just how bad it was before. Yowza that’s pretty.

Nanako is adorable of course! Grrrr gijd they make her so cute I can’t stand it in Golden. And she was cute before! The family stops to get gas before heading home and Yu gets a strange headache, but he quickly overcomes it and they return home. What ensues is the most moe fucking adorable singing of the Junes theme song from Nanako and Yu. I CAN’T. SO MUCH CUTE!

Yu’s dorkiness is in full flight as he meets Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko and immediately seems to be fine with casual conversation with them. Not to mention they can talk about sir dork the teacher and have a normal time- but I suppose most people coming into the Golden Animation know exactly what they’re in for, so that probably isn’t too jarring. Of course while talking to his new classmates Yu learns of something called the Midnight Channel, which supposedly shows you your soul mate.

Yu finds during this hour he can put his hand in the tv-. . .and can I just say they make Yu so much more of a dork. Like, on accident, he just casually acts normal even in situations where it shouldn’t be. TV where my hand goes through? I’m going. COME ON YU PACE YOURSELF HERE! Yu and his friends end up falling into a TV where Yu follows a mysterious figure through the fog that he believes was a girl. They end up finding a frightening room and a creepy noose in it…and then a giant talking bear. Which Yu casually offers his hand to YU WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU GIANT BEARS ARENT FOR HAND SHAKING!

Your mom taught you manners a little TOO well. . . the bear tells them they should leave and they note they can’t, but just before the creature can lead them out they are attacked. As it seems they’re done for . . . suddenly a voice that was speaking earlier during Yu’s headaches comes once again. ‘I am thou’ it speaks. . .’Thou art I”

Yu then has flashbacks to a dream, and in it the same girl from the train station was there. . . he reaches out and calls out to an inner power ‘Persona’ and manages to fight off the things around them.A swarm of them descend on the group but Yu’s persona is easily able to wipe out an entire horde of them- suddenly the game makes more sense I guess. A horde of monsters attacking you can probably kil you as easily as some levels suggest.

Seriously though THATS A LOT OF FREAKING SHADOWS O_o HOLY SHIIIIT

Yu saves them all and then at the end we see instead the full conversation between the mysterious girl, Margaret, and Igor. We learn Marie’s purpose is somehow integral to Yu’s fate, and that he must utilize her existence just as everyone elses. Margaret proposes that he take her to the outside world, as she has no experience.

Marie reveals she has no idea who she is, and has no memories of anything. In fact, she doesn’t even remember picking up the schedule Yu dropped earlier. She becomes reminiscent and nostalgic for something she doesn’t even recall until Yu kind of kills the moment for her with his staring. A Plus mannerisms Yu!

Yu agrees to show her around and the episode ends with the promise of more trips between the two.

I have to say, I’m interested to see how they show all the different things in Golden. I’ve never played it myself, though Midnight has played it many times, so for me it’s an entirely different experience and a good way to pick up on what I can’t play until I get a vita. I’ll be watching this all season so stick around and be excited as the two of us share our opinions, from someone who has played it to someone who hasn’t!

Midnight’s perspective coming soon!

Oki

 

~*~

Midnight’s impression.

Whoo! Unlike Oki I have played Persona 4 Golden, I also saw the original anime as it aired.  I literally had a Vita bought for me so I could play this game. So let’s see how the anime will handle it. The opening uses a version of the song from the game, they keep some of the psychedelic stuff they did with it but toned it down as well.
Not even gonna lie, my favorite part is here with Adachi and the Moon Arcana girl. Ai? That’s her name right? she’s like my least favorite social link so I forget her often.

I know Oki pointed this out but damn this animation is gorgeous! The last anime went out of it’s way to seem a lot like the game. This time it’s just pure slick animation. They waste no time introducing Marie, the first meeting is pretty much the same way it was in the game.
They managed to make this scene at the gas station FAR less awkward then it’s been in ANY other media! HOLY CRAP, THIS JUNES SCENE MIGHT BE THE CUTEST THING EVER. HOLY CRAP.

Yu is amazing in this version. They went too far to keep him the silent protag in the last anime, this time he really has his own personality going on. Huh, they really waste no time and get you into the plot a lot faster this time around as well.

                                                                                                          They’re wearing, the persona 3 school uniforms! I can’t! I just can’t!

Huh, this is a really interesting turn this anime is going with. I can assure you, this entire part with the shadow apartment building and following the shadow of Marie is not in the game. Well, back on track, they run into the room where Miss Yamano dies….before they find out about her dying in this version…

YU INTRODUCES HIMSELF TO TEDDIE LIKE IT’S NOTHING, OH MY GOD! This is amazing! Anyway, Teddie gives Yu his glasses and offers to show them their way out when the shadows attack!

Well, this is where they die.

No, just kidding. Yu hears his persona in his head and summons Izanagi for the first time. There is a giant hoard of shadows that all come together and rain down on them. Okay anime, we get it, Yu is a complete bad ass.

Well uh, as Izanagi takes down mount Shadow. It’s like playing on New Game plus…on hard mode. Anyway, episode 1 ends early at just about 17:30 minutes but we have stuff after the credits to watch.

Back to the Velvet room we meet up with Marie formally, Well her personality hasn’t been changed an inch from the way it was in the game. Margaret asks Yu to show Marie the outside world. She doesn’t remember their meeting at the station earlier, much less anything else about who or what she is.
Yu takes her to look over the city, she speaks some poetry. That’s also taken from the game. So is her tsundere attitude about it.

This really does seem like a new game plus, they’re skimming over a lot of things quickly and you know? I’m okay with that, I’ll say this. This anime so far isn’t for people who haven’t played the game or seen the first anime but so far for people who have, this is a great addition. Also, does anyone else hope that even in a dream sequence they do the accomplice ending? I would laugh hysterically if they covered that in an odd nightmare.