History YMMV / Persona5TheAnimation

* InternetBackdraft:
** Shared with ''VideoGame/Persona5DancingInStarlight'', but much like with ''Anime/Persona4TheAnimation'' and ''Anime/Persona3TheMovie'', some people are none too happy that the manga name for the protagonist (Akira Kurusu) is not the name used for adaptations (Ren Amamiya), while others have embraced the change.
** Episode 26 ending with [[spoiler:Goro shooting the protagonist, and saving the final stretch of the game for two [=OVA=]s]] has been met with significant criticism, with many fans feeling disappointed with the overall quality of the show.
** The fact that [[spoiler:the final arcs of the game are being made into two [=OVA=]s]] in and of itself has been met with criticism, as many fear that, like with other parts of the show, it will be rushed through too quickly. [[spoiler:This also ties to an interview revealing that the alleged InterfaceSpoiler that shows episodes beyond 26 was revealed to have been misleading on purpose, which angered fans further.]]
** With the anime ending the way it did, many fans were afraid that the "twist" that Masashi Ishihama alluded to [[spoiler:would either be TheUntwist or no twist, and nothing would be changed for the [=OVAs=]. These fears were confirmed after both [=OVAs=] aired, where the endgame is identical to the game with no significant deviation. The only notable difference is a voice-only cameo of Akechi that appears in "Stars and Ours", where he encourages the Thieves to stand up against Yaldabaoth.]]

* EpilepticTrees:
** One common theory is that the anime will deviate from the video game by having [[spoiler:Akechi somehow survive]]. Not only does the anime have greater focus on him, but in the anime, [[spoiler:Akechi manages to kill his cognitive self (which is implied to have killed him in the game), and some people are less convinced that he died fighting the other Shadows.]] Ultimately, it's only implied, [[spoiler:with Ren hearing his voice telling him to get back up to face Yaldabaoth,]] but another theory is that this could be building up towards [[UpdatedReRelease Persona 5 Royal]], which was announced at the very end. Adding to this theory is that [[spoiler:Akechi was added back into the credits of ''Proof of Justice'', walking alongside the other Thieves.]]
** With the announcement that Ren will have a mystery date at the opera house in the ''A Magical Valentine's Day'' OVA and the reasons listed above, many have speculated that said mystery date will turn out to be [[spoiler:Akechi]].

** The OVAs were heavily criticised for this as well, due to having to compress each of the final two dungeons ''and'' the ending into two separate OVAs that are less than an hour long each. As a result, [[spoiler:the climactic battles with Akechi, Shido and even Yaldabaoth are ridiculously short, with the fight against the Holy Grail being completely omitted.]]

** One common theory is that the anime will deviate from the video game by having [[spoiler:Akechi somehow survive]]. Not only does the anime have greater focus on him, but in the anime, [[spoiler:Akechi manages to kill his cognitive self (which is implied to have killed him in the game), and some people are less convinced that he died fighting the other Shadows.]] Ultimately, it's only implied, [[spoiler:with Ren hearing his voice telling him to get back up to face Yaldabaoth,]] but another theory is that this could be building up towards [[UpdatedReRelease Persona 5 Royal]], which was announced at the very end.
** With the announcement that Ren will have a mystery date at the opera house in the ''A Magical Valentine's Day'' OVA and the reasons listed above, many have speculated that said mystery date will turn out to be [[spoiler:Akechi]].

* EpilepticTrees: One common theory is that the anime will deviate from the video game by having Akechi [[spoiler:somehow survive]]. Not only does the anime have greater focus on Akechi, but [[spoiler:in the anime, Akechi manages to kill his cognitive self (which is implied to have killed him in the game), and some people are less convinced that he died fighting the other Shadows]]. Ultimately, [[spoiler:it's only implied, with Ren hearing his voice telling him to get back up to face Yaldabaoth]], but another theory is that this could be building up towards [[UpdatedReRelease Persona 5 Royal]], which was announced at the very end, and/or a third OVA focusing on him.

** The pacing. Many people who played the game are upset over how much didn't make it into the anime, particularly when some of their favorite parts are left out, as well as the overall rushed feel, and strongly recommend that anyone interested in Persona 5 play the game instead. Others, however, argue that a lot has to be cut out for a 100-hour RPG to fit into 26 episodes and two [=OVAs=], and consider the anime a good way for those who doesn't have the time to play the game to experience the story.

** The OVA "Dark Sun..." is also heavily criticised for this as well. [[spoiler:The OVA is less than an hour long (which is equivalent to two episodes), and has to fill in the events of Shido's palace. The confrontation with Akechi especially is [[AntiClimaxBoss disappointingly short]]]].

* VanillaProtagonist: Ren Amamiya. In contrast to [[Anime/Persona4TheAnimation Yu Narukami]] and [[Anime/Persona3TheMovie Makoto Yuki]], Ren is treated mostly as a non-entity throughout the series and he only speaks short sentences in response to other characters, with some notable exceptions. Instead, the series places more focus on the development of his fellow Phantom Thieves as well as his confidants.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Why didn't Ren bother to help Youji Isshiki when he was getting beaten up by the loan sharks? Was it because Ren knows Youji's a terrible person and thinks he deserves it, because the incident with Shido and the woman made him less willing to help people who might end up betraying him, or some combination of the two?

** Also in a minor case, [[HateSink Sugimura]] [[AdaptedOut does not appear]] to harrass Haru further during the scene where Haru watches the live broadcast of Joker's 'suicide'. Fans immediately tend to think that Haru ''immediately'' finished her Confidant off-screen and booted Sugimura ASAP before the final heist.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Why didn't Ren bother to help Youji Isshiki when he was getting beaten up by the loan sharks? Was it because Ren knows Youji's a terrible person and thinks he deserves it, because the incident with Shido and the woman soured him toward helping people who might end up betraying him, or some combination of the two?

* EpilepticTrees: One common theory is that the anime will deviate from the video game by having Akechi [[spoiler:somehow survive]]. Not only does the anime have greater focus on Akechi, but [[spoiler:in the anime, Akechi manages to kill his cognitive self (which is implied to have killed him in the game), and some people are less convinced that he died fighting the other Shadows]]. Ultimately, [[spoiler: It's only implied, with Ren hearing his voice telling him to get back up to face Yaldabaoth]], but another theory is that this could be building up towards [[UpdatedReRelease Persona 5 Royal]], which was announced at the very end, and/or a third OVA focusing on him.

** The anime ending with [[spoiler:Goro shooting the protagonist, and saving the final stretch of the game for an OVA]] has been met with significant criticism, with many fans feeling disappointed with the overall quality of the show.

** In "Stars and Ours", while [[spoiler: Akechi's fate]] remains as ambiguous as ever, [[spoiler: his voice can be heard by Ren encouraging him not to give up against Yaldabaoth]], at least clarifying [[spoiler: what he would have wanted him and the rest of the Theives to do.]]

* EpilepticTrees: One common theory is that the anime will deviate from the video game by having Akechi [[spoiler:somehow survive]]. Not only does the anime have greater focus on Akechi, but [[spoiler:in the anime, Akechi manages to kill his cognitive self (which is implied to have killed him in the game), and some people are less convinced that he died fighting the other Shadows]]. Ultimately, [[spoiler: It's only implied, with Ren hearing his voice telling him to get back up to face Yaldabaoth]], but another theory is that this could be building up towards [[UpdatedReRelease Persona 5 Royal]], which was announced at the very end.

** With the anime ending the way it did, many fans were afraid that the "twist" that Masashi Ishihama alluded to [[spoiler:would either be TheUntwist or no twist, and nothing would be changed for the [=OVAs=]. These fears were confirmed after both [=OVAs=] aired, where the endgame is identical to the game with no significant deviation. The only notable difference is a voice-only cameo of Akechi that appears in "Stars and Ours", where he encouraged the Thieves to stand up against Yaldabaoth.]]

** With the anime ending the way it did, many fans were afraid that the "twist" that Masashi Ishihama alluded to [[spoiler:would either be TheUntwist or no twist, and nothing would be changed for the OVAs. These fears were confirmed after both OVAs aired, where the endgame is identical to the game with no significant deviation. The only notable difference is a voice-only cameo of Akechi that appears in "Stars and Ours", where he encouraged the Thieves to stand up against Yaldabaoth.]]

** With the anime ending the way it did, many fans were afraid that the "twist" that Masashi Ishihama alluded to [[spoiler:would either be TheUntwist or no twist, and nothing would be changed for the OVAs. These fears were confirmed after both OVAs aired, where the endgame is identical to the game with no significant deviation. The only notable difference is a voice-only cameo of Akechi that appears in "Stars and Ours", where he encouraged the Thieves to stand up against Yadalbaoth.]]

** With the anime ending the way it did, many fans were afraid that the "twist" that Masashi Ishihama alluded to [[spoiler:would either be TheUntwist or no twist, and nothing would be changed for the OVAs. These fears were confirmed after both OVAs aired, where the endgame is identical to the game with no significant deviation except only a voice-only cameo of Akechi in "Stars and Ours" where he encouraged the Thieves to face Yadalbaoth.]]

** With the anime ending the way it did, many fans were afraid that the "twist" that Masashi Ishihama alluded to [[spoiler:would either be TheUntwist or no twist, and nothing would be changed for the OVAs. These fears were confirmed after both OVAs aired, where the endgame is identical to the game with no significant deviation.]]

* EpilepticTrees: One common theory is that the anime will deviate from the video game by having Akechi [[spoiler:somehow survive]]. Not only does the anime have greater focus on Akechi, but [[spoiler:in the anime, Akechi manages to kill his cognitive self (which is implied to have killed him in the game), and some people are less convinced that he died fighting the other Shadows]].

** The Traitor suffers this [[AdaptationalWimp even worse than in the game]] in the OVA "Dark Sun...". [[spoiler:Despite all the [[AdaptationExpansion expanded build-up]] Akechi has in the anime, he gets defeated by Ren one-on-one rather easily, and the rest of the Phantom Thieves don't even need to step in. The battle with him lasted less than ''five minutes''. It's especially embarrassing considering that [[AdaptationalBadass Adachi]] in ''4'' was a more of a climactic boss than Akechi.]]

** With the anime ending the way it did, many fans are afraid that the "twist" that Masashi Ishihama alluded to [[spoiler:will either be TheUntwist or no twist, and nothing will be changed for the OVA.]]

** In Episode 24, when the two investigators are questioning Sojiro over whether he "did anything specific for Futaba," Ren says, in as many ords, "He made curry." ItMakesSenseInContext, considering what the curry means for Futaba, but it's an unintentionally hilarious non-sequitur that doesn't really help Sojiro's case.

** In Episode 22, when Ryuji and Morgana talk about the possibility that the conspiracy lured them into a trap, their expressions are unnaturally calm, especially considering that even the ''possibility'' of the PhantomThieves being an UnwittingPawn is disturbing them.

* EpilepticTrees: One common theory is that the anime will deviate from the video game by having Akechi[[spoiler:somehow survive]]. Not only does the anime have greater focus on Akechi, but [[spoiler:in the anime, Akechi managed to kill his cognitive self (which is implied to have killed him in the game), and some people are less convinced that he died fighting the other Shadows]].

** During Ryuji's argument with Morgana in Episode 18 Crunchyroll's subtitles for one of Ryuji's lines says, "Aren't you actin' for your own ''benfit'' here, too?!" an embarrassing typo that takes away from the scene. There are other typos, but none in a scene this dramatic.

** The director mentioned in an interview with the magazine ''PASH!'' that [[BaseBreakingCharacter Akechi]] will be receiving more screen time in the series (along with FanService for all the characters). True to form the fact that Akechi has appeared in nearly every episode as of this writing in some manner has made it more annoying for people who aren't fans of him, since it invokes the negative feelings fans had about how another polarizing character was handled in ''Anime/Persona4GoldenTheAnimation''.

** In the game, the Phantom Thieves meet with Nakanohara in broad daylight, face-to-face. Many a fan's Headscratchers later, the anime makes it an anonymous meeting that starts and ends with a StealthHiBye.

** In the game, the trip to Hawaii was criticized by some fans to be senseless {{Padding}} as the Phantom Thieves don't really do anything there - in-universe during the original game, Ryuji even complained that they were going through the motions of their usual routines despite being in a foreign country[[note]]Granted, during the trip, Haru and Big Bang Burger are introduced, and it's shown that the Phantom Thieves are internationally famous. Meanwhile, back home, Futaba works on Sae's data, Morgana's issues of inadequacy worsen as a result of sitting around with nothing to do, and the principal is killed while the Thieves are out of the country[[/note]]. The anime shows them engaging in different activities together while in Hawaii, such as playing beach volleyball and surfing.

** The pacing. Many people who played the game are upset at how much didn't make it into the anime, particularly when some of their favorite parts are left out, as well as the overall rushed feel, and strongly recommend that anyone interested in Persona 5 play the game instead. Others, however, argue that a lot has to be cut out for a 100-hour RPG to fit into 26 episodes and two [=OVAs=], and consider the anime a good way for those who doesn't have the time to play the game to experience the story.

** Goro Akechi's [[AscendedExtra expanded presence]]. On one hand, many have found that he seems to have a presence as an actual rival and a genuine bond with Ren, and some of the more awkward transitions that stem from his Confidant in the game being automatic are made to flow more organically in the story; the biggest one being [[spoiler:revealing to Ren about his past when he decides to help Sojiro keep custody of Futaba]]; in the game, he drops it rather randomly during the end of August. There's also been praise for his more sympathetic portrayal. On the other hand are fans who dislike him due to [[NeverLiveItDown his game portrayal]] and would rather have him gone, regardless of how the anime has handled him, or feel as though he was unnecessarily or gratuitously shoehorned into the early episodes, long before he becomes relevant to the story.

** [[BigBad Shido]] also suffers this, [[DownplayedTrope though not as bad as the Traitor]]. While the rest of the Phantom Thieves have to fight alongside Ren to defeat him, the battle with him lasts only a few minutes, and many viewers who [[ThatOneBoss had trouble with him in the game]] found it quite underwhelming.

** One of the most common complaints is the fact that the anime has a mere 26 episodes to adapt a game that's dozens of hours long and full of Confidants and other sidequests that, while optional, are essential in developing the characters and setting. A lot of heavy content is compressed to the barebone minimum, with the series skimming through most of the confidants and the more complex elements of the Palaces. [[spoiler:The fact that everything after the protagonist's faked death will be included in an hour-long OVA doesn't necessarily help, since many doubt that the last two dungeons can be covered in that amount of time]].

** Yusuke no longer blackmails Ann into being a nude model for him, which was originally considered both inappropriate following Kamoshida's sexual extortion plot-line, and also [[CharacterizationMarchesOn weirdly out of character for him]].

** In the game, the trip to Hawaii was criticized by some fans to be senseless {{Padding}} as the Phantom Thieves don't really do anything there - in-universe during the original game, Ryuji even complained that they were going through the motions of their usual routines despite being in a foreign country[[note]]Granted, during the trip, Haru and Big Bang Burger are introduced, it's shown that the Phantom Thieves are internationally famous. Meanwhile, back home, Futaba works on Sae's data, Morgana's issues of inadequacy worsen as a result of sitting around with nothing to do, and the principal is killed while the Thieves are out of the country[[/note]]. The anime shows them engaging in different activities together while in Hawaii, such as playing beach volleyball and surfing.

** One of the most common complaints is the fact that the anime has a mere 26 episodes to adapt a game that's dozens of hours long and full of Confidants and other sidequests that, while optional, are essential in developing the characters and setting. A lot of heavy content is compressed to the barebone minimum, with the series skimming through most of the confidants and the more complex elements of the palaces. [[spoiler:The fact that everything after the protagonist's faked death will be included in an hour-long OVA doesn't necessarily help, since many doubt that the last two dungeons can be covered in that amount of time]].

** Akechi quota[[labelnote:Explanation]]Viewers have taken notice of Goro Akechi's increased number of appearances in the anime.[[/labelnote]]

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Downplayed. While not entirely ''rescued'', Eiko from Makoto's confidant is viewed in a [[AdaptationalNiceGuy more positive light]] compared to her [[TheScrappy game counterpart]]. In the game, she simply breaks up with Tsukasa off-screen and disappears from the game altogether, since the final event with Makoto is a date in your room (if you romanced her) or a meeting in Big Bang Burger (if you didn't). Here, she takes it further by posting his name on the Phan-site, allowing the Phantom Thieves to change his heart, and even apologises to Makoto for being unpleasant to her earlier.
* SoOkayItsAverage: The production values and visuals of the first few episodes have inspired this reaction, that it really just sort of looks like any other game-anime. This can come off as especially disappointing since the ''breathtaking'' aesthetic design is universally considered one of the game's highest points. Later episodes were noticeably better about this, though.

** [[BigBad Shido]] also suffers this. While the rest of the Phantom Thieves have to fight alongside Ren to defeat him, the battle with him lasts only a few minutes, and many viewers who [[ThatOneBoss had trouble with him in the game]] found it quite underwhelming.

*** Furthermore, the reconciliation between Morgana and the other Phantom Thieves proves to be more natural and sensible than that in the game. Ryuji shows more concern over Morgana after Sugimura abuses him, even borrowing a first aid kit to use on Morgana. Ryuji also says in a more assuring way that Morgana is the Thieves' friend, and is never useless, before he apologizes. On the other end, Morgana also sincerely apologizes for his decision to leave the Phantom Thieves.

** Akechi's additional interaction with Ren prior to the Casino Heist is considered a wise adaption. It gives the viewers more time to know about Akechi, and also shows that Ren and Akechi have a lot in common. Moreover, it implies that Akechi's more capable and qualified to receive the Detective Prince reputation than his game counterpart. [[spoiler:Best of all, it provides a surprise element in the end of the season when he's revealed to be TheMole.]]
** In "Dark Sun..." one of the most notoriously mean-spirited scenes in the game cuts off before its worst point. [[spoiler:After Ryuji survives his HeroicSacrifice, whereas in the game [[DisproportionateRetribution the girls of the group beat the shit out of him]], here, the group merely shouts at him while crying about how worried he had them, followed by a cut to credits. Still worse than he deserves, but better than he originally got.]]

** Goro Akechi's [[AscendedExtra expanded presence]]. On one hand, many have found that he seems to have a presence as an actual rival and a genuine bond with Ren, and some of the more awkward transitions that stem from his Confidant in the game being automatic are made to flow more organically in the story; the biggest one being [[spoiler:revealing to Ren about his past when he decides to help Sojiro keep custody of Futaba]]; in the game, he drops it rather randomly during the end of August. There's also been praise for his more sympathetic portrayal. On the other hand are fans who dislike him due to [[NeverLiveItDown his game portrayal]] and would rather have him gone, regardless of how the anime has handled him.

** The fact that [[spoiler:the final arcs of the game are being made into an OVA]] in and of itself has been met with criticism, as many fear that, like with other parts of the show, it will be rushed through too quickly. [[spoiler:This also ties to an interview revealing that the alleged InterfaceSpoiler that shows episodes beyond 26 was revealed to have been misleading on purpose, which angered fans further.]]

** Kamoshida's confession in episode 4 is seen by many to lack the emotional intensity that the game was able to effectively convey. While Kamoshida in the game evokes his guilt by actually grovelling on his knees, he simply just stands on the spot in the anime with a [[DullSurprise rather bored expression]] on his face.