Persona 4: The Golden Animation

Whoa, boy...this is a complicated one, but I feel like I need to talk about this before any more weeks go by.

As I explained in my Summer preview post, Persona 4: The Golden Animation is something of a second season or, more accurately, a retelling of a previous series (Persona 4: The Animation).  Truth be told, it's the anime of Persona 4: Golden, the PS Vita port of the PlayStation 2 game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4.  See, look, things are already getting complicated.

So I've been religiously watching P4:GA, now into it's fourth week, and have come to a very...involved...opinion of it.

Short version: I love Persona 4: The Golden Animation, but I would absolutely not recommend it.  NOW LET ME EXPLAIN!

As I've previously stated (several times), P4:A, that is to say Persona 4: The Animation (not to be confused with Persona 4: Arena...we'll acronymize that using its Japanese suffix 'The Ultimate' as P4:U) has already come and gone (you can catch it on Hulu if you like, I recommend it) with a 26 episode run in 2012 and, with the assistace of one movie, The Factor of Hope, covered all of the core plot.  That being said, I went into P4:GA under the assumption that it was going to cover it all again, but with the addition of the new content that came from P4G (that's the Vita game...yikes this is turning into a labyrinth already).

Well...I was half right.

As it turns out, P4:GA focuses only on the additional content and pays no nevermind to the the central overarching story, the P4 part of P4G.  Well, that may be a little unfair of me, it gives it a passing nod in the first episode and then abandons it in episodes 2 and we haven't really heard from it since.

I'm not kidding, folks.  Characters are just showing up in P4:GA and we're just expected to be okay with that shit.  Allow me to put this in a bit of perspective for you.

***CAUTION: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS***

Let's make an example out of Kanji Tatsumi, my favorite character in the game.  Now, in the story, Kanji doesn't join the Investigation Team until after he's been featured on the Midnight Channel, preliminarily investigated, kidnapped, faced his Shadow, and then saved by Yu and the gang.

In the original anime (P4A), this takes 7 episodes, after which time we know who Kanji is, know what his deal is and have a general idea of who the hell he is and what his role in the group is.

In P4:GA, he just...shows up in episode 2 with no...anything!  He's just there, and nobody addresses it.  AND THEN THEY DO IT AGAIN WITH RISE IN EPISODE 3!

To this end, I have come to the conclusion that P4:GA is very much a companion series to P4A.  It's for people, like me, who have seen the original show or have played the game.  It's for people who already know about the Midnight Channel, the murders, the Shadows, the Personas, and like it.  And, honestly, those people don't need my recommendation, they're going to watch this show or not no matter what I say.

And to the others, who wouldn't know...well, it would just be an exercise in confusion, so to them I say, watch the original and then come back to it.  Without going into an instance-by-instance explanation, the show plays like a New Game + anyhow (let's just say that the Hero, Yu, makes choices in the show that would only be accessible in the game on a second playthrough)

Which brings me to the first thing I said about this P4:GA.  I absolutely love it.

Because I've already played through the game, thrice, and I've already seen the original series.  What I wanted out of this show was to explore all of the new and exciting bits that I've only experienced one-and-a-half times now (I'm currently working on my second playthrough of P4G).

I wanted to relive the Okina station event, the beach event, the concert, and the Winter break ski trip.

I wanted to meet Marie again.

And that's really what P4:GA is about: Marie.

Marie was an entirely original character introduced in P4G, she was one the defining aspect that changed it from a simple port to a completely new experience.  And P4:GA is ultimately about her journey.

Without giving too much away, I'll just say that Marie is very connected to the other world, the fog, and...all that stuff.  In short, Marie is a big deal and has been featured in every episode so far, even appearing in events that she was absent from in the game.

To put an incredibly long opinion short: do not watch Persona 4: The Golden Animation if you are new to the whole universe of it.  It will not make any sense if you have not played Persona 4, or at the very least have seen Persona 4: The Animation.  That being said, I'm finding it wonderfully enjoyable and an absolute treat, so you should make the effort, go the distance, reach out to the truth, and get yourself caught up.

Summer 2014 Anime Preview

I realize that I've been...a little negligent with this blog recently.  I would apologize, but I haven't really been watching a lot of anime recently.  No lie, folks.  But here's the good news, with the frankly oppressive heat in my neck of the woods, Summer is upon us, and that means a fresh, new anime lineup (among other things).

However, I would like to break protocol for a brief tangent here.  BBC America has been running their new show The Musketeers for three weeks now and it's SUPER good.  The first season's already had it's 10 episode run on BBC proper so if you don't feel like waiting...you know...there are ways of watching this show.  It's just great, quality television if you're into that sort of thing.

Anyways, I recently scouted the Summer Lineup at http://static.neregate.com/2014/06/neregate.com-Summer-2014-Anime-Chart-v3.jpg 

Among the admittedly staggering number of options this season, more than a handful of shows have caught my eye, or the eyes of those I directly associate myself with.  I can't promise I'll watch all of these shows, but if you're looking for a recommendation based on book covers and the judgements formed therein, you've come to the right place.

First, I think I'll touch on the returning favorites.  I told myself a while ago that I wouldn't do "second seasons" on these kinds of posts, but I figure a recommendation to pick up a second season is a retroactive recommendation for the original, so before we touch off on the new stuff, let me introduce the reigning champions.

The first local favorite to be making it's triumphant return is Sword Art Online.  I'll admit that I was not one of the pioneers of this show.  I didn't watch the original japanese run and only ended up seeing the first season little over a month ago dubbed on Netflix.  So sue me.

I showed up late to the Sword Art Online party, and partied my ass off with this show.  The first season was amazing, so my cadre and I are super pumped for Sword Art Online II.

Since this preview box provides literally no synopsis, I'll give a brief rehash.  Sword Art Online is about a guy's adventures in "full-dive" MMORPGs (virtual reality.  You literally go inside the game).  The first game, the titular Sword Art Online happened to be created by a mad genius with a god complex who turned the game into a literal reality for the players, and lives were on the line.

Now Sword Art is back, and I am personally going to jump on it so hard it's going to need back surgery.

Moving on to our second returning favorite: Space Dandy 2

If you've been keeping up with this blog, you'll know that I absolutely loved Space Dandy in it's first 12 episode run.  I love each of the characters, it's wacky self-parodizing nature, the art, the animation, the ridiculous premises, and it being simulcast in both Japanese and English.

I cannot overstate how highly I think of Space Dandy.  It's just a great, great show.  Super fun, super funny.  Watch it if you haven't and join me for season 2.

Now, I knew about this next one a long time before I even looked at the chart, but it's finally here, the remake of Sailor Moon, the original Magical Girl

Understand, I have never personally seen enough of Sailor Moon to say I've ever actually watched it, so a lot of the hype was largely lost on me.  But, a lot of my friends are really into it who you wouldn't think would be and my fiance has always wanted to watch, so I'll be along for the ride this time around.

Finally, before we get onto new shows, I'd like to address one final returning show.  Well...more like the anime adaptation of the port of a game which has also had it's own anime adaptation.  I am, of course, referring to Persona 4: The Golden Animation

P4:GA is the anime for Persona 4: The Golden which, as I said, is the PS Vita port of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (originally on the PlayStation 2).  I am a bit of a Persona fan, and 4 in particular, and The Golden had a bunch of additional content that I really loved.  Now, I've already seen Persona 4: The Animation, but only managed to snare part 1 for my collection, so I'm very excited about P4:GA because it's the game I love, with the amazing extra content, and another excuse to give Atlus ALL my money.

And so, with all of the rehashes and revisits out of the way, we can finally address all of the virgin territory that placed between the 6 and 10 on Danny's excitement graph.

First up is Tokyo Ghoul

Seems to me like a zombie show, and I was about to overlook it, but the whole "identities masked in mystery" thing caught my attention.  Are they...like...normal people who need to eat flesh?  I dunno, but I'll check it out.  If it's weak, I'll bail, but a friend of mine has already posted the opening to her Facebook, so I'm guessing that I will at least leave this show with moderate satisfaction.

Next we have Rail Wars

I'm going to be completely honest with you, folks, this show made it onto my docket as a joke.  When I read the premise, my eyes almost rolled out of my skull.  This smacks to me as one of those attempts Japan occasionally makes to turn something completely mundane into something interesting.  I'll get back to you after I've watched episode 1, but prospects are not high on this one.

Moving ever onward, we come across DRAMAtical Murder.

I blame this one on my fiance.  I'm not closed minded or anything, but "boys-love" really isn't my shtick.  But hey, could be eye opening for me.  It could be awesome, I don't know.  Like a...gay Sherlock Holmes or something.  Whatever, I'm down, we'll see where this goes.

This one will come as a shocker, but I am actually responsible for Sabagebu!

Reading the synopsis, I figure it might be like K-On! meets The Hunger Games.

Wait...this sounds familiar.  Oh yeah, that's almost exactly what I thought about blah-blah-blah C3 bu from a year ago, which I totally bailed on after...what...2 episodes?  Whatever, I won't get fooled again.  It gets 2 episodes to impress me and then we're done.

At this point of the blog, we reach the first new show that I'm really excited for, Tokyo ESP

Yes, it's got a crazy premise, I'll give you that, but that's also how Gravity Rush started, and I love the ever-living crap out of that game.  If my instincts are right about this show, I think there will be superhuman streetfights about, so I'm strapped in for Tokyo ESP, and here's to hoping it doesn't go all "gravedigger show" on me (high expectations met with...utter disappointment, you might remember also from a year ago).

Last on the list, we come to Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance.

If you have trouble finding this one (after it airs, of course), try switching the words "Blade Dance" in your search for "kenbu", that might yield better results.  Anyways, Seirei Tsukai, based on the premise alone, seems like it's going to be a fantasy-harem-comedy(?) [<- I'll hedge my bets on that last one].  All in all, I'd surmise it as a "Fantasy Infinite Stratos".  Sidebar, Infinite Stratos is pretty good...and funny.

And those are they.  Granted, there are a ton of other shows coming out this season, so if there are any other shows that catch your eye that you want me to check out, feel free to drop it in the comment section or what have you.  I've got a lot on my plate this season and I can't wait to hit the trail again, watching new shows, spreading the hype on great shows, dropping the hammer on shitty ones, and generally speaking embark once again on this crazy wild journey called life...with anime.

Thanks for reading, have a great Summer Season, folks!