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Villians are not one-dimensional characters like typical children cartoons show them as. Villians can be saved or just defeated, it's up to the protagonist or someone else to choose. Remember, villians aren't unsympathetic nor are they unempathetic, because they are as much of characters as the main cast, if not even more. Villians represent what we may become, one of the possibilities, that's why you can't just take out everything with a big fat laser. You have to understand the villian, and understand him/her/it well. How did the villian become a villian? Did someone do this? Was it society as we know it? A ... cultural flaw? Imo, Adachi was one of those unlucky unfortunates that got the short straw in life. Yes, he did kill, but that doesn't cover up his own suffering. Understand the villian, know the villian, take out the villian if you want but don't treat the villian character one-dimensionally, even if he/her/it hates you for trying to understand the situation. Pity the villian? That sometimes may be fine. But the best solution as shown in Persona 4 The Golden Animation, is to SAVE THE VILLIAN.

(like many people who end up not talking to their "friends" past graduation because they were never that close).

I loved The Golden Animation even more than the first anime. Why? It went into greater depth for character development for one of the most pivotal characters, Adachi. The original series depicted little of Adachi, and left little to pity about him, as he was depicted mainly from the Investigation team's view, and felt one sided as a villian, not explaining much about himself and forcing the audience to analyze deeper into him without many clues.
The Golden Animation elaborates on Adachi's self more, how he became like that etc. Adachi was originally a bit of a "good student" kind of person, as seen in ep7, this doesn't mean that every good student who studies hard and as a result doesnt further his/her social relationships like Adachi will become a killer or anything like that.
It's just a possibility that may happen, if let be by either the subject and/or others.

EPISODE 6 AND 7! These are the high rewatch value episodes for 10/10 character development! I can relate, empathize with Adachi about the shittyness of the world, cuz I'm a anti-social existential crisis myself. Adachi's life before discovering the Midnight Television as depicted in episode 6 and further elaborated in ep7 resembles the sort of cruelly realistic life that many people lead, one that is boring and uneventful, a situation that ends up making one view the bad sides of the world. Adachi was nearly improving tho, when he met the Dojimas. He hated the life in the country, and life and people in general.
Of course, as shown in Golden's Adachi arc, when someone else came in (Yu), he started to spiral downward again, so it seemed like Yu's fault here (watch the episodes for more info).

I actually cried, no I actually cry everytime I rewatch episode 7. And when I rewatch episode 6 my heart cringes and I feel myself in Adachi's shoes, because I've had similar experiences and feelings. Some folks might go all insensitive and "JUSTICE" and say one-dimensional things like "Adachi is such an ass" or "so annoying Adachi, go to jail already". Those sort of insensitive things you see on the internet often. But that's called being stuck in the one dimension. Villians are not one-dimensional, not in real life and not in Persona.

The KEY to solving Adachi's suffering was bonds, as Yu reveals Adachi had with Dojima all along, and that Adachi wasn't replaced. Or perhaps that was just an illusion cup? No, play Arena Ultimate and know that this is not true, Adachi DOES have a bond, and he is saved by it by YU who saves Adachi by showing him the bond and understanding Adachi's woes recognizing his own existence as one that may make Adachi's suffering.
That's something you don't get in many anime. The Golden is a masterpiece, tho short. Prepare to cry when you finally do feel Adachi's woes and anger. And when you see him saved, you'll find yourself likely thinking that he's the best villain in Persona 4 you ever faced.