Atlus U.S.A. announced a few months ago at Tokyo Game Show 2014, they'll be having a new installment to the Persona video game series, Persona 5.
Originally slated for release in Winter of 2014, the game has been given a new release date in, 2015. No exact release date has been announced, but there is one teaser released for the title, with a brand new teaser recently revealed at the PlayStation Experience this past weekend. And fans couldn't be more pleased. The Persona video games gave birth to the anime show, with the huge popularity for the game, it was no surprise they began production for show. The anime began with a spin off series to the Persona 2 and 3 games called, Persona: Trinity Soul, with Persona 4: The Animation following right after, and then Persona 4: The Golden Animation.
Persona 5 Official Teaser 2
Persona 4: Trinity Soul
The first series, Persona: Trinity Soul, aired in Japan in 2008 on Tokyo MX. A few years later, even though the anime was announced to be released in 2010, it wasn't brought to the U.S. until 2013. Trinity Souls takes place about ten years after the events in the PlayStation 2 and 3 game, in the city of Ayanagi. After a serious catastrophe occurs known as the, Apathy Syndrome, weird events begin to breakout with everyone clueless and fearful for their lives. People begin to disappear and police investigate an unusual case where the victims are literally turned inside-out. They believed these incidents were caused by a secret organization conducting tests that awakens the Persona.
- Episodes: 26
- Aired: Jan. 2008 - Jun. 2008
Persona 4: The Animation
Persona 4: The Animation, is solely based on the PlayStation game, Shin Megami Tensei: Person 4. This anime series is known around the franchise to be faithful to the video game. The story follows Yu Narukami, who moves to the town of Inaba to live with his uncle, who is a police detective, and his cousin, who is a sweet innocent, little girl. As life goes on for Yu in his new town, he hears rumors of a strange show, Midnight Channel, which seems to only air on television during rainy weather. As his curiosity takes over, he learns that during this time the T.V. acts as a portal to another dimension.
Yu and his new friend, Chie, enter the portal and learn that the world within it is filled with monsters known as, Shadows. The world is cloudy and foggy, making it almost impossible to see, but they come across an friendly character named, Teddie, who gives them special glasses to help them see clearly in the fog and thus starts a friendship that last throughout the series. While inside this dimension, they come across an alternate image of themselves (Shadows) and fight to figure out who they really are inside. Once, they've figured it out, they receive a Persona card and their very own, Persona, that is directly tied to them spiritually and physically. To explain a little, a Persona is Shadow itself, but is controlled by the wielder and has incredible powers and strength.
After this event, they discover a relationship between a set unusual and weird murders occurring in the town, with the victims being viewed on the Midnight Channel before their deaths. This leads to Yu and Chie finding and saving fellow students from their school, who soon after, become Persona holders and close friends. They team up and vow to uncover the culprit who is still at large, and who somehow has a strong connection to the other dimension.
- Episodes: 25
- Aired: Oct. 2011 - Mar. 2012
Persona 4: The Animation Official Trailer
Persona 4: the Golden Animation
Persona 4: the Golden Animation takes after the PS Vita game, Persona 4 Golden, which is an alternate story that follows the same characters in “The Animation” series. In this series, the group of friends help a new character who is from the Velvet Room, Marie, find her lost memories. The series pretty much has new scenarios from “The Animation”, with those scenarios being from the game directly. nothing really big here but the explanation of the Velvet Room which is place to upgrade, fuse and strengthen the Personas.
- Episodes: 12
- Aired: Jul. 2014 - Sep. 2014
Persona 4: The Golden Animation Official Trailer
There are also four movies for the anime that help elaborate on the actions and story of the series in its own way, but that's a whole new topic. The movies are: Persona 4: The Animation - Factor of Hope, Persona 3 The Movie: Part One - Spring of Birth, Part Two - Midsummer Knight's Dream, and Part Three - Falling Down.
Author: Alfonso "Fonzy" Ortiz