Reviews

I preface this review with the source material is always by far superior. This is definitely true of P5tA. If you have played Persona 5 (or like me, played it twice within 2 months of its release), this show is a satisfactory reminder of the fantastic experience of playing the game. The music is all either true to the game or new but suitable. That in itself is a pleasant surprise - I found myself getting goosebumps when certain familiar songs started to play.

Much of the story is also pretty surprisingly true to the source. However, as with all past and present Persona animations, the art itself and the character development simply cannot live up to the source. As it stood, the art in the animated cutscenes in Persona 5 lacked soul - that is also true of this anime. It is also impossible to expect the anime to be able to relay the development of each character that you experience with each social link in the game in this type of medium.

This show serves an adequate function as a post-gameplay portrayal of the story of Persona 5. If you have not played the game, don't do yourself the disservice of watching this show. As a stand-alone, it does not hold up as anything more than mediocre. Watching this anime, you won't feel compelled to play this absolutely amazing game. But you should. You should play it, and then come back and allow this show to just help you reminisce on the amazing sights, sounds, and characters produced by one of the (if not THE) best Persona games in the series.