Phantastic Mid-Season – Persona 5: The Animation Review

Picking up from the last review I did, we’ve had some good traction and exposition pop into the show and I have to admit, I don’t feel like the pacing is bad at all about the show or that they were unfaithful to the source material so far. Mind you some jokes I get like Morgana allowing Joker out at 1 AM, or the order in which things happen but really nothing too bad has happened to make me dislike my viewing experience or feel like it’s been detracted from nor ruined. In episode, we have our Phantom Thieves breaking into Kamoshida’s palace and finding a number of things including Pixie, another persona with whom Joker “fuses” Arsene with to obtain a more powerful persona. Which is Agathion, a blue daemon in a jar. Additionally we meet a guy who sells guns to kids and a street doctor who gives away drugs for “experimental purposes.” I wish I was creative enough to be making this up.

Defeating Shadow Kamoshida results in IRL Kamoshida obtaining that aforementioned change of heart and confessing his crimes in front of the student assembly. Upon declaring his intent to make amends with his life, Ann yells at him to make up for it by living with what he had done. With this completed, they also obtained a replica gold medal that represented Kamoshida’s treasure and proceed to sell it to go eat a $100 a plate buffet. While I approve of being a fatass and indulging, we see them interacting with individuals who treat them with disdain and scorn for being in such a high class area as high school students. The crew then decides to move out and continue with being Phantom Thieves to change the hearts and minds of shitty people in the world. To this end the one compliant student that helped Kamoshida, created the “Phan-Site” where fans of the Phantom Thieves were posting their requested targets. One that was selected was someone who was stalking their ex- and the crew descends into the communal palace of Mementos, a palace found in the subway station. One quick fight scene later we find that Morgana has lost his memory and was at one point not a cat. We end the scene with Joker meeting a young detective and a random person following the group, specifically Ann.

We then have our good buddy above, Yusuke Kitagawa, confessing that he had been obsessed with Ann and following her around, he bows and gives what sounds like a love confession only to have him explain he’s an artist and wants her to serve as his muse and model for his next painting. Turns out, he’s the pupil of the acclaimed artist, Ichiryusai Madarame. A brief invite to an art gala later, we find rumors that Madrame beats and abuses his students, and steals their work. After discovering his palace, the Thieves infiltrate and find his shadow admitting that his intent was to work Yusuke to death. The group tries to convince him of this one more time before being kicked out. As they are about to give up on this, they set the goal to steal Madrame’s heart after interacting with the former stalker they stole the heart of in Mementos, who stated he was a former pupil of Madrame who ran away and that Yusuke stated he wanted to leave but couldn’t. While some people have stated issue with the show, I’ve said my peace and enjoy the format they’ve stuck with of about 90% story and good VA work, and 10% silly and over the top JRPG battles, with just enough action that my bloodlust is sated, but also quick enough it doesn’t get stale or monotonous. I’m gonna keep enjoying the show and I hope you will too! Let me know what you thought below and check out some of our other articles here at BAYOG, lest Ann tell you what she thinks of you…