Persona 3

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, P3

Japanese: ペルソナ3

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Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 11

Chapters: 50

Status: Finished

Published: Feb 27, 2007 to Jan 27, 2017

Genres: Action, Drama, Supernatural

Demographic: Seinen

Serialization: Dengeki Maoh

Authors: Sogabe, Shuji (Story & Art), Atlus (Story)

Statistics

Score: 7.80¹ (scored by 3,498 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #1350²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #1500

Members: 13,231

Favorites: 351

Resources

Wikipedia

7.80

Ranked #1350Popularity #1500Members 13,231

MangaDengeki MaohSogabe, Shuji (Story & Art), Atlus (Story)

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Volumes: /11

Chapters: /50

Available on Manga Store
Persona 3
Volume 1
$13.99

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Synopsis

On the surface, SEES—the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—is a completely normal club at Gekkoukan High School. In reality, they are a group of students who investigate a phenomenon known as the "Dark Hour" and eliminate beings known as "Shadows." Only select individuals with "potential" can remember the occurrence of the Dark Hour while others will "transmogrify" into coffins and become susceptible to Apathy Syndrome—a condition that puts its victims in a trance-like state and causes them to lose their will to live.

Transfer student Minato Arisato is one such individual who can remember the events that occur during the Dark Hour, even though he is not aware of his ability. The moment he arrives at the school, he meets a mysterious person who asks him to sign a contract saying he will take responsibility for his own actions. Afterward, he is confronted by the members of SEES, who place him under secret surveillance because they believe he possesses a potential far greater than any of the other members.

One night, Minato is abruptly awakened by Yukari Takeba when a Shadow comes to attack their dormitory during the Dark Hour. Feeling compelled to fight the Shadow, he picks up Yukari's gun but, instead of shooting the Shadow, he turns it on himself, awakening his "Persona." Equipped with his newfound powers, Minato joins SEES to uncover the mystery behind the mysterious phenomenon.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Persona 3 is based on the PS2 game by Atlus of the same title.

The series was published in English by Udon Entertainment from October 4, 2016 to October 29, 2019. It has also been published in Spanish by ECC Ediciones since June 26, 2019.

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Related Manga

Alternative setting:	Persona 4, Persona 5
Other:	Megami Ibunroku: Persona, Persona: Tsumi to Batsu, Persona 3: Comic Anthology - Memento Mori, Persona 3 Portable: Dengeki Comic Anthology, Tartaros Gekijou, Youth Without Youth.: Kochou no Yume, Persona 3 Portable: Comic Anthology - Dear Girl's, Persona 3 Portable: Velvet Blue, Persona 3 Portable: 4-koma Kings, Gekijouban Persona 3: Comic Anthology, Persona 3 FES: Comic Anthology - Brand New Days, Persona 3: Dengeki Comic Anthology, Persona 3 FES: 4-gatsu 1-nichi-hen - 4-koma Gag Battle, Persona 3: 4-koma Kings SP - Commu-hen, Persona 3 Portable: 4-koma Maximum Boy Character-hen, Persona 3 Portable: 4-koma Maximum Girl Character-hen, Persona 3 FES: Anthology Comic - Love Commu!
Spin-off:	Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - Side:P3
Side story:	Persona 3 FES: Alternative Heart, Persona 3: Shadow Cry, Persona 3: Owari no Kakera
Adaptation:	Persona 3 the Movie 1: Spring of Birth

More characters
Characters

Yuuki, Makoto

Main

Aegis

Main

Kirijou, Mitsuru

Main

Sanada, Akihiko

Main

Takeba, Yukari

Main

Iori, Junpei

Main

Yamagishi, Fuuka

Main

Koromaru

Main

Amada, Ken

Main

Aragaki, Shinjirou

Supporting

Reviews

Oct 14, 2019

DiurnalDemon

Recommended

Persona 3 is probably still my favorite video game of all time, since I first played it back in 2012. When I first heard it was being adapted into a film series, I was essentially a typical excited fanboy. But when I watched the movies, they left me disappointed with the final products. Fast forward to a couple years, I heard that the manga series that had been releasing in Japan were finally being localized to North America. I kept my expectations low at this point for obvious reasons, and thank the lord that I did. Because this manga series just blew my expectations out ... of the water and then some.

Unlike the film series, this manga series is much more faithful to the original game with just some minor tweaks. And even so, I think said minor tweaks actually enhanced the overall experience. Now one thing to note is there is one major difference between the manga and the game: the Protagonist's (named Minato in the manga) interaction with the supporting characters (i.e. Kenji and Hidetoshi) are almost non-existent. They still appear in the manga, but their stories aren't explored. This didn't bother me, since the supporting Social Links from the game was never a huge factor of the game compared to it's future sequels. So, in my opinion, this was acceptable. Aside from that, the manga is very much identical to the game.

Story - 10
Although the story of Persona 3 is fairly simple, it's the journey that makes it worthwhile. The dark atmosphere about the Dark Hour, the mystery behind Tartarus, and the plot twists as the story progresses (particularly towards the climax) are all what really pulled me in in the first place. The manga's presentation of the story also reflected that of the FES version of the game (which was also adapted in the Portable version on PSP). This story still holds a very special place in my heart, and I am so happy to see it done justice in this manga adaptation.

Art - 10
Not much to say about the art. Shuji Sogabe's illustrations remain faithful to Shigenori Soejima's original artwork. I guess the appropriate phrase to say is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". And Sogabe definitely followed just that.

Character - 9
Now I know I just said that it was acceptable for this manga adaptation to drop the supporting characters from the game. However, I still think the manga could have still been able to briefly explore each character so that, without spoiling anything, the ending would make a little more sense. But nonetheless, the main cast were still the highlight of the story and they were presented exactly as they should, even towards the end.

Enjoyment - 10
I enjoyed Persona 3 to death back when I first played it in 2012. Going through it again, but in the form of a manga, that enjoyment is still as strong as it was. Though, I'd probably say it may be even stronger thanks to the minor tweaks, as I've mentioned. One thing that the manga added was more humor. I will admit, the amount of humor in the game was lackluster. So it was refreshing to see that even as dark as Persona 3 can get, Sogabe was able to fit a good amount of humor in the manga.

Overall - 10
If you can't/couldn't enjoy the video game because of it's gameplay (believe me, I know that was the game's major drawbacks), this manga adaptation is a perfect alternative. Again, I would probably go as far as to say that this is superior to the game. The Shadow battles are still exciting, the characters are still captivating, and the story is still one of the best stories that I've ever enjoyed. I can't recommend this manga adaptation enough because it is that damn good. All 11 volumes are out now, officially translated in English, so if there was anytime to start reading, it'd be now.

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Sep 21, 2008

Itch

Recommended

Persona 3.
What a wonderful game.
It inspired me so much and brought me to tears many times.
I love this manga, and went out an bought it at a convention. I own 1-3.

The art is GORGEOUS and the storyline is great.
I love this adaption and recommend it highly.

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Aug 2, 2022

BetterBegoneThot

Mixed Feelings

Persona 3 manga is a poor adaptation from the videogame that focus only on the main story. If you only care for that part, then this is the right manga for you. If you, however, prefer some more MC development and side characters (besides the main team), then I'm sorry to say that this isn't for you and you'll be more suited to watch the movies instead. This review is spoiler-free from the main events, mentioning only a few names, and will expose what's so wrong about this source.

>Played the original game, finished a few months after starting the manga.
>Read on retail manga, taking both ...

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Overall what do you think ? pieceofshota - Dec 6, 2010	5 replies	by Disapeared_Ghost »» Oct 25, 2021 4:05 PM
Any difference between Persona 3 Manga and Persona 3 Game? akihiko132 - Jun 13, 2017	1 replies	by DiurnalDemon »» Aug 3, 2019 2:43 PM
Chapter Total? JPthugnificent - Jan 30, 2017	1 replies	by Demon0fAnime »» May 3, 2017 12:02 PM
Poll: Persona 3 Chapter 25 Discussion -Karoshi- - Aug 8, 2014	0 replies	by -Karoshi- »» Aug 8, 2014 11:52 AM
Poll: Persona 3 Chapter 24 Discussion -Karoshi- - Jun 1, 2014	0 replies	by -Karoshi- »» Jun 1, 2014 10:30 AM

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