From the controversy of the actual Persona 1 game, it can be very difficult to find a reason to even give this manga a chance due to the lack of recommendation from the fanbase, but I will say that this is the ideal way to experience Persona 1 for the first time. Although you will miss out on the soundtrack (highly recommend listening to the PS1 ost while reading) and gameplay aspect, the game does not do this manga justice and this read alone is the sole reason Persona 1 is my 2nd favorite game in the entire Persona series, behind Persona
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4. Without it, I would likely agree with the mutual stance that Persona 1 is kind of mid, or at least outdated. But why is this even worth reading in the first place?
Persona 1 is a story that splits into 2 separate sides, which luckily both get adapted in this manga. Although neither is technically more "canon" than the other, it starts with the Sebec route which is debatably the more faithful representation of what Persona 1 really is. They are relatively different as well, but both have their different strengths and appeals. So let's start with the Sebec route just for chronological sake.
The Sebec route is a sort of dimension hopping journey where the main plot thread is stopping the main antagonist Kandori, from abusing the power of the deva system on the world. The deva system is a reality altering machine which causes disarray on the main setting of the game, Mikage-cho. When the main cast plays the "Persona" game, they end up all awakening to their power after sharing the same dream involving someone named Philemon. This leads them to visiting their hospitalized friend Maki, who's been lonely due to rarely seeing friends and family for the past year she's been there. While visiting her, the story begins to shift from a relatively peaceful start, to a sort of trippy world hopping journey as they try to figure out what's really going on.
While the story of Persona 1 is very enjoyable and intriguing, I would say that it's themes and characters are what really makes it stand out. Like what was mentioned prior, Persona is a series which embodies psychological themes. Just like the person who coined the term "Persona", the games are built from the foundation of Carl Jung's psychology on the self. Without spoiling the reason why, this side of the story is oddly enough more of a character study on Maki herself more than anything else. There is also arguably symbolic representation of the Id and Superego as well when looking at character such as Aki and Mai.
What makes these underlying themes noteworthy is that is what one would imagine a series named Persona, should focus on
at it's core. Persona 1's manga is rich in character exploration and focusing on different aspects of the self, as a lot of it's events are linked to internal aspects like desire and the subconscious mind. What's different between modern Persona and older Persona is that it's more vague with it's meaning and leaves it up for interpretation more than the modern Persona usually does, as they tend to explain things instead. (Which is not a jab at all, I love when things spell their themes out and I enjoy both vague and clear explanations almost equally) This adds to the fever-dream like feel of Persona 1, and really gives it it's own identity as well as increases it's immersiveness. It is an insightful experience, backed behind a solid, mysterious story which feels sort of surreal at the same time as it becomes difficult to differentiate what is an altered versus true reality.
While on the topic of characters, the Snow Queen route is an almost entirely character focused plot as it consists of the school getting frozen after the power of a cursed school mask freezes over the entire thing. The cast is required to go through different dungeons and collect fragments of a broken mirror in order to stop the Snow Queen herself. The bosses of these dungeons are actually different students from the school, and we get to explore their mind and lives in order to see what made them the way they are now. While Sebec is all over the place in a sense, this is a nice change of pace since it is primarily in one location and just explores different sides of one big story. Personally, I prefer the Sebec route but I still quite love the Snow Queen and would recommend reading it.
The cast of Persona 1 is very lovable and well developed, way more so than they were in the game as well. Getting to see them express more personality and emotion here and not just have the same singular sprite like in the game, adds a lot in how someone would perceive them. My favorite are the protagonist Naoya, as well as Maki, since they share a lot of history together and are essentially the two main characters of the story, which naturally get them the most time in the spotlight. They have a beautiful history together which goes back to their childhood, and their interaction and development which each other shines as one of my favorite stories in all of Persona as a series. Making Naoya go from a silent protag to a very likable and cool person filled with lots of style and personality was such a bonus that I didn't get to witness on my first Persona 1 experience, which was the PSP game. Although I love and won't talk about them all, some other stand outs where Eriko, Nanjou, and especially Philemon. I love the chemistry and personality between the main cast, and they help lighten up the mood in what could've been a rather depressing experience.
I would enjoy going into deeper analysis on why I praise this manga so highly, but this is meant to be a spoiler free review which only scratches the surface on what this manga covers. I understand it is not everyone's thing, and I do think this manga gives me rose colored glasses towards the Persona 1 game, since they are pretty different. If you are someone who experienced the Persona 1 game and got let down or bored, I really do hope this review gives you another perspective on what the game could have been. If a Persona 1 remake ever happens, I truly do hope they base it off this manga since this is one of the best experiences I had while exploring every entry in this series. If you are someone who is on the fence about giving Persona 1 a chance, I do hope you consider this manga after going through this review. Although I had a pretty boastful and high regard for it, it has its flaws just like anything else, but in the end I feel nothing but appreciation for it and it's potential for even greater heights is hard for me to overlook.
This is an iconic experience which sadly gets buried in time and negative stigma, but it is something worthwhile. It is pretty short when compared to the absurdly long 80 to 120 hour experiences that the Persona 3,4 and 5 games bring, so it isn't much of a commitment either. There is a lot more to be mentioned about this manga, but it is probably best to go in as blind as possible. This isn't like the most revolutionary or life changing read ever, but it sticks with you and is unique enough to leave me always wishing it was longer or just gets a completely new adaptation. I guess a 10/10 rating could be a bit of a stretch, but for what it did in it's short duration, this is a great origin of the series which left me wanting to read the other manga of the Persona games out of the belief that there is extra content I may be missing which can elevate my already super high love for the series.
Jun 4, 2024
Megami Ibunroku: Persona
(Manga)
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From the controversy of the actual Persona 1 game, it can be very difficult to find a reason to even give this manga a chance due to the lack of recommendation from the fanbase, but I will say that this is the ideal way to experience Persona 1 for the first time. Although you will miss out on the soundtrack (highly recommend listening to the PS1 ost while reading) and gameplay aspect, the game does not do this manga justice and this read alone is the sole reason Persona 1 is my 2nd favorite game in the entire Persona series, behind Persona
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