Persona 4 (Anime)

Persona 4 the animation is a television anime series based on the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 video game by Atlus. Produced by AIC A.S.T.A. and directed by Seiji Kishi, the series revolves around Yu Narukami, a second year high school student from a city who moves to Inaba to live for a year with his uncle and cousin. After acquiring a mysterious power called "Persona", he embarks on a journey with his new friends to uncover the truth behind a bizarre series of murders involving the distorted TV World, as well as a phenomenon called the "Midnight Channel". The series aired on MBS between October 6, 2011 and March 29, 2012. An additional 26th episode, featuring the story's true ending, was released on the 10th DVD/BD volume on August 22, 2013. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series in North America, simulcasting it on Anime Network as it aired and releasing the series on DVD and Blu-ray in two collective volumes on September 18, 2012 and January 15, 2013 respectively.

Plot
Inside a limousine, Igor, and his assistant Margaret, introduce themselves to the unseen visitor, and explain the nature of their location, the Velvet Room, a place that exists between "dream and reality".[8] Igor mentions something special is in store for their guest.

Yu Narukami arrives by train to the rural city of Inaba, where he will be living with his detective uncle and cousin for a year, beginning classes at Yasogami High School the following day. Someone who cuts class soon discovers the corpse television announcer Mayumi Yamano hanging from a television aerial, and a crime scene of this murder is later investigated. Yu goes out with Yosuke Hanamura and Chie Satonaka to Junes, a department store Yosuke's father manages, to celebrate their friendship. Chie brings up the Midnight Channel, a strange "television show" that appears on rainy nights. The three later meet Saki Konishi there as well. Back at home, an interview is shown on the news about a girl who had witnessed the murder. As it later rains during the night, Yu feels a strange ambiance as it tries to pull him into the television, but he manages to free himself. Although relaying this event to Chie and Yosuke the next day yet dismissing it as a dream, they head to Junes to see what will happen on a widescreen television. The news shows that Saki was actually the one being interviewed, and as Yu touches the television, he starts to pass through. Yosuke, out of shock, accidentally knocks the three of them into the television, where they enter a world shrouded by fog. They find a room with a noose and encounter an anthropomorphic bear named Teddie, who hands Yu a pair of glasses allowing him to see through the fog. Suddenly, they are attacked by creatures known as Shadows. Just as the group are pinned down, Yu's power awakens as he summons his Persona named Izanagi to defeat the Shadows.

In the Velvet Room, Igor and Margaret present a key to their guest, welcoming him to return whenever he wishes. Margaret also reveals the guest's Persona is a Wild Card, providing infinite possibilities.

Yu, Yosuke, and Chie return to their world, thanks to Teddie. The next day, Yukiko Amagi rejects a disturbed student's request for a date. Yosuke wants to take Saki to see a movie, but an assembly is called in, where it is learned that she has died. Yosuke proposes a theory that not only people who appear on the Midnight Channel will die, but also the television world is somehow connected to their deaths. Yu and Yosuke return to the television world, having Chie remain behind. Teddie accuses Yu and Yosuke of pushing people in, leading to their deaths. After they discover that his body is hollow, they manage to convince him otherwise and offer to help find the culprit. Teddie leads them to the twisted shopping district, mirroring the Inaba Shopping District, where they find the Konishi family's liquor store. Inside, Yosuke hears Saki's suppressed thoughts about her hatred towards him and his association with Junes. Suddenly, a doppelganger of Yosuke appears, claiming to be the manifestation of his boredom of the countryside. Yosuke denies these claims, causing the doppelganger to turn into a Shadow. During the battle, Yu manages to make Yosuke accept the thoughts his Shadow expresses, allowing Izanagi to defeat it transforming it into Yosuke's Persona named Jiraiya. Yu and Yosuke return to their world, finding a worried Chie waiting for them. As they return home, Yu and Yosuke resolve to find the culprit.

In the Velvet Room, Igor explains that Personas are strengthened by the bonds one makes with others, and Margaret notes that their guest has formed the bond necessary for the Magician Arcana so far.

Chie grows concerned after seeing Yukiko on the Midnight Channel, but is assuaged when Yukiko calls her to say she is taking time off from school to help at the Amagi Inn, the inn owned by her family. After confirming with Teddie that no humans are currently inside the TV world, Yu suggests that they watch Midnight Channel at night, which shows Yukiko dressed as a princess proclaiming she is searching for her "Prince Charming" before running off into a castle.[11] The next day, Yosuke reveals two fake swords he found believing they will help in the television world, but both he and Yu are arrested when an officer notices them. Tohru Adachi, junior detective partnered with Yu's uncle, manages to release the boys. Chie, meeting them at the police station, reveals that Yukiko has gone missing, prompting Adachi to believe that Yukiko may be involved with the recent murders. Yu, Yosuke, and Chie later go into the television world, meeting up with Teddie, to save Yukiko inside the castle. Chie runs in ahead of the others, entering a room resembling a bedroom where she hears Yukiko's thoughts about being useless without Chie. During this, Chie's other self appears, scoffing at Yukiko and liking how Yukiko submits. When Chie rejects these accusations, her other self transforms into a Shadow that the boys fight, with Yu discovering his ability to use other Persona in battle. After the battle, Chie accepts that the only thing she cares about is Yukiko's friendship, causing the Shadow to transform into her Persona named Tomoe Gozen. The group leave the television world, unable to find Yukiko, but vowing to rescue her before the fog returns.

In the Velvet Room, Margaret congratulates their guest that he was able to utilize the powers of the Wild Card, and that he has managed to obtain yet another bond to create the Chariot Arcana.[12]

The group returns to the television world to resume their search for Yukiko in the castle, but they instead find her doppelganger who, after summoning Shadows, runs off. Elsewhere, the real Yukiko reminisces about a past incident with Chie followed by the time she nursed an abandoned baby bird back to health and then kept as a pet. When it escaped its cage, Yukiko became overcome with thoughts that, unlike the bird, she would be unable to escape her fate of running the Amagi Inn. When her friends find her, her doppelgänger has been voicing these thoughts aloud Yukiko. The doppelganger welcomes the group before attempting to drop a chandelier on top of Chie. However, Yu reveals another ability allowing him to summon Ara Mitama to protect her. The doppelgänger then begins to rant about how Chie is no longer fit to be her prince and continues attacking them. Eventually, Yukiko rejects her causing the doppelgänger to transform into a Shadow, a bird who sets the area ablaze while trapping the real Yukiko in a birdcage. As the group fights Yukiko's Shadow, Chie reveals her jealousy towards Yukiko, giving Yukiko the strength to break free and allowing the others to defeat her Shadow. After the battle, Yukiko accepts her Shadow which becomes her own Persona named Konohana-Sakuya.

In the Velvet Room, Margaret foretells that their guest will soon acquire two new Arcanas: the Moon and Strength.[13]

While waiting for Yukiko to recover, Yu is asked by Chie to help out with the basketball club, being formally introduced to his teammate, Kou Ichijo. He later spends time with the team's manager, Ai Ebihara, who eventually confides in him about a crush she has on Kou and asks for help. However, upon learning that Kou has a crush on Chie instead, Ai attempts to jump off of the school roof. Yu manages to console her, which causes Ai to force Yu into dating her until she finds someone else. Believing that Chie might be jealous of Yu, Yosuke sets her up to become a temporary manager for the basketball team. Yu later learns that Kou is quitting the team after the next game because of family pressure and wants to leave on a win. During the game, Ai starts to slap fight with Chie due to jealousy, and Kou's team end up losing. Later while eating at the Chinese Diner Aiya, Yosuke notices that his classmate Aika Nakamura works there, since her family owns the restaurant. Kou explains the outcome changed his mind about quitting and Ai lets go of Yu, explaining that she wants to work hard and become a good manager. The next day, Yukiko returns fully recovered to school and the group resumes their investigation.

In the Velvet Room, Margaret is alone, as Igor has gone out, but she congratulates the player on making the bonds related to the Moon and Strength Arcanas.[14]

When his uncle, Ryotaro Dojima, has to back out of going on a trip for Golden Week, Yu decides to take his cousin, Nanako Dojima, to hang out with his friends at Junes, who quickly warm up to her. The next day, Yosuke deduces that all of the victims so far have been women who are somehow linked to Yamano. After a week, on another rainy night, Yu watches the Midnight Channel, and is surprised to see it showing Kanji Tatsumi, a notorious punk who attends his school. Yu, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko discuss how Kanji does not fit the criteria of the first three victims, who were all female. However, there is a link between Kanji and Yamano. Tatsumi Textiles, Kanji's family shop, has a custom-made scarf that was seen as a noose in the first visit to the television world. Upon leaving the shop, the group sees Kanji talk with an unknown young man. The next day after school, Yosuke and Chie attempt to trail Kanji as he meets up with the student from the previous day, while Yu and Yukiko stake out near the shop, in order to catch the culprit. As Yukiko expresses her feelings about what she believes is her destined job at the Amagi Inn, Yosuke and Chie's cover is soon blown. Chie panics and says that it would not be wrong for Kanji to meet up with another boy, but this upsets him to the point that he threatens to beat them. They run away from him, eventually involving Yu and Yukiko in the chase until they manage to lose him. That night, Yu watches the Midnight Channel, only to see Kanji as an overtly flamboyant gay host of a show investigating bathhouses.

In the Velvet Room, Margaret congratulates the guest that he has made a new bond, which has opened up the path to the Priestess Arcana, before Igor warns him that the danger befalling Inaba is coming closer.[15]

When the four enter back into the television world, Kanji is nowhere to be found. It is learned that Kanji made a bunny-shaped phonestrap charm for a little boy, after the latter had previously lost one before. Yu borrows the charm to give to Teddie, who is able to track down the scent, ending up finding Kanji at a steamy bathhouse, who is struggling with his other self in a compromising position. Kanji rejects the fact of being gay, which then transforms his other self into an overly muscular Shadow, flanked by two equally muscular flamboyant lesser Shadows. As it seems that the group is no match against Kanji's Shadow, Yu fuses two Personas into Yamata-no-Orochi, also accepting the bunny-shaped phonestrap charm that Kanji made as something cute. This encourages Kanji to punch his own Shadow, taking it out of the battle. Kanji retorts to his other self that he is not gay but rather afraid of being rejected by either sex, turning his other self into his Persona named Take-Mikazuchi. Several weeks later, Kanji joins up with the group to find out who pushed him in the television world in the first place. That night, Dojima asks Yu if he has been getting involved in anything, aware that Yu was at Tatsumi Textiles and worried that he is getting in over his head.

In the Velvet Room, Igor is out once more, and Margaret muses if their guest is coming because he knows Igor is out, before she congratulates him on acquiring the Emperor Arcana.

Knowing that a school camping trip is coming up, the group will get to cook curry together, so they prepare for the next day with food and supplies. While at the campsite, the curry that the girls prepared had several ingredients to which make it barely edible, much to Yosuke's disgust, yet their classmate Hanako Ohtani loves the curry and eats it all. When Yu and Yosuke go to the first aid tent, they meet Naoki Konishi, who has been feeling left out from activities since his older sister Saki died, as everyone is trying to let him grieve. While the gang is hiding out eating food they have ordered from Aika, Kanji picks up Naoki from his post so the others can talk to him, giving him some peace of mind. That night, when Yu and Yosuke tell Kanji they are wary of sharing a tent with him after seeing his other self, he storms out to break into the girls' tent to prove otherwise, but Chie knocks him out with a rock. An unconscious Kanji is left with a snoring Hanako for the remainder of the night. On the last day of camping, Yosuke convinces the girls to go swimming, as he bought swimsuits for them at Junes. But when they are offended by the boys, they throw them into the river. As they head back to camp, Hanako approaches Kanji, revealing that he is not her type, greatly upsetting him.

Episodes

 * 26

Films

 * Persona 4: The Animation -The Factor of Hope-

Theme Songs

 * Opening


 * "sky's the limit" (Ep. 1 – 12)
 * "key plus words" (Ep. 13 – 22)
 * "Pursuing My True Self" (TV broadcast of the first episode)
 * "True Story" (Ep. 9)
 * "Burn My Dread" (Ep. 15)
 * Closing


 * "Beauty of Destiny" (Ep. 1 – 12)
 * "The Way of Memories" (Ep. 14 – 23)
 * "The Love Detective" (Ep. 13)
 * "True Feelings" (Ep. 18)
 * "Never More" (Ep. 25 & 26)

Voice Cast

 * Japanese


 * Daisuke Namikawa as Yu Narukami
 * Shotaro Morikubo as Yosuke Hanamura
 * Yui Horie as Chie Satonaka
 * Ami Koshimizu as Yukiko Amagi
 * Tomokazu Seki as Kanji Tatsumi
 * Rie Kugimiya as Rise Kujikawa
 * Romi Park as Naoto Shirogane
 * Kappei Yamaguchi as Teddie
 * Akemi Kanda as Nanako Dojima
 * Unsho Ishizuka as Ryotaro Dojima
 * Mitsuaki Madono as Tohru Adachi
 * the late Isamu Tanonaka as Igor
 * Sayaka Ohara as Margaret
 * Hina Nakase as Saki Konishi
 * Tsubasa Yonaga as Naoki Konishi
 * Kanae Ito as Ai Ebihara
 * Ai Maeda as Chihiro Fushimi
 * Daisuke Ono as Ko Ichijo
 * Tomokazu Sugita as Daisuke Nagase
 * Aoi Yuki as Aika Nakamura
 * Osamu Ryutani as Kinshiro Morooka
 * Hitomi Nabatame as Noriko Kashiwagi
 * Natsuko Kuwatani as Sayoko Uehara
 * Mitsuhiro Ichiki as Shu Nakajima
 * Miki Ito as Eri Minami
 * Ikuko Tani as Hisano Kuroda
 * Tsuyoshi Takahashi as Mitsuo Kubo
 * Ryo Agawa as Hanako Ohtani
 * Hisao Egawa as Master Daidara


 * English


 * Johnny Yong Bosch as Yu Narukami & Tohru Adachi
 * Yuri Lowenthal as Yosuke Hanamura
 * Erin Fitzgerald as Chie Satonaka
 * Amanda Winn Lee as Yukiko Amagi
 * Troy Baker as Kanji Tasumi (Ep. 1 – 12)
 * Matthew Mercer as Kanji Tatsumi (Ep. 13 – 26)
 * Laura Bailey as Rise Kujikawa
 * Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Naoto Shirogane, Noriko Kashiwagi & Hisano Kuroda
 * Sam Riegel as Teddie & Shu Nakajima
 * Karen Strassman as Nanako Dojima
 * J.B Blanc as Ryotaro Dojima
 * Daniel Woren as Igor
 * Michelle Ann Dunphy as Margaret
 * Jessica Straus as Saki Konishi & Hanako Ohtani
 * Derek Stephen Prince as Naoki Konishi
 * Julie Ann Taylor as Ai Ebihara
 * ??? as Chihiro Fushimi
 * Vic Mignogna as Ko Ichijo
 * David Vincent as Daisuke Nagase
 * Cassandra Lee Morris as Aika Nakamura
 * Kirk Thornton as Kinshiro Morooka
 * Wendee Lee as Sayoko Uehara
 * Valerie Arem as Eri Minami
 * Kyle Hebert as Mitsuo Kubo
 * Christopher Corey Smith as Master Daidara

Trivia

 * Igor's voice actor, Isamu Tanonaka, is credited as "special performance." This is because his voice work was taken from archival recordings, as he passed away in January 2010.
 * In ep 19 during the cross dressing competition Inaba is dressed as Marilyn Monroe, Hanamura as a high school girl, Narukami as a Japanese yankee, and Kuma is Alice from Alice in Wonderland.
 * In Episode 08 at 16:41, Chie and Yukiko enter Yuu and Yousuke's tent, with Satonaka greeting them with "chiwassu" (a contracted form of "konnichiwa" + "desu"). This way of greeting is the trademark of Kotori Shirakawa from the Da Capo series, which is also voiced on all the anime adaptations by Chie's voice actress, Yui Horie.
 * In episode 13, Magical Detective Loveline is a parody of the show Tantei Opera Milky Holmes. The titular character Loveline, looks similar to Sherlock Shellingford of Tantei Opera Milky Holmes.
 * In episode 13,you can see a red Mazda RX-7 FD3S behind Nanako around 11:48.
 * In episode 15, many elements of Persona 3 are added, since it takes place at Tatsumi Port Island, the setting for Persona 3. Most to all the music used in this episode is from Persona 3. Some cameo characters include Chihiro Fushimi, the school nurse teaching classes, and Nozomi Suemitsu and Kenji Tomochika can be seen at the ramen shop in the background.