Episode 1: You're myself, I'm Yourself
(Bleh, Thou art I is cooler)
We start on a very familiar scene for everyone who's played the game. We are at the Velvet Limo Room with Igor and Margaret introducing themselves. And unlike, Persona 4 Arena, it seems that the voice of Igor did rerecord lines. I think. I don't pay that much attention to this game. We got tutorial time to go through. Also, the Tower and Moon fortune telling is shown but not explained. Sad fan is sad.
Intro plays. It's pretty catchy. And like the game itself, totally spoiling on all of the party members. Even those that won't join until next season. Spoiler Opening ahoy! But it is kinda the same as the game in that regard.
And we get a fuzzy yellow image on a television screen. People telling each other to run and the last word we hear is “Narukami.”
And thus, Yu Narukami, our protagonist from the game given his canon name for the first time here, awakens from his sleep. And...nice touch. As he enters Inaba, the title screen music is on for background music. A very nice touch. -hums along- (Then again, Meguro is still doing music for the anime)
Yu finds no one to meet him at the station and nothing around. But around the corner is the Dojima's! His uncle, Ryotaro Dojima, hasn't seen Yu since he was a baby and he has Nanako, his kinda-shy daughter to greet him.
We hear a little tidbit about some singer named Misuzu Hiragi and Dojima exposits a bit that Yu is staying in the small sleepy town, thanks to his parents. After a quick look at this little piece of art
◊ that is totally not going to be a party member later on, we get interrupted by Nanako needing a bathroom break.
We get greeted by a Gas Station attendant and...that voice is different and I don't know why. The normal voice was Karen Strassman and she did a fine job. And she's still here for Nanako. More ambiguity on something I won't be able to get into? -shrug- He offers a part-time job at the station for Yu and shakes his hand and...Yu get's a bit dizzy. For some odd reason.
Anyway, they head home to a small dinner of store-bought sushi because Dojima can't cook. And does his best to welcome Yu. And then, he gets a phone call and heads out. And an awkward dinner happens. Yu correctly asks Nanako if he's a detective and Nanako tells him it's kinda always like this. Nanako only perks up when a Junes commercial jingle from Junes comes on. Everyday's great at your Junes~ -giggles- Always adorable, even if Yu thinks it's a bit odd.
We see Yu unpack and get a flashback announcement of him leaving his school. Unlike the game, where he looks stoic in a similar scene, he looks...sad. -cough- Character development -cough cough-
“So I'm stuck here for a whole year huh?”
He falls alseep and dreams of a mysterious figure challenging him to find the truth, to a very confused Yu.
Next day, (and we get a progression in days like it is in game). Yu is walking to school on a rainy day when he gets passed by someone on a bike, who suffers a critical hit to the nads.
“I'll just leave him be.”
Pfffth. I don't know why I find this funny. Probably because Yu sounds just so, tired. Yeah, I know it's in game but still! -snickers-
And, geez, King Moron er, Kinshiro Mooroka gonkish looks look cringe inducing. Anyway, he's introducing Yu in his usual way and Yu starts to introduce himself but...Mooroka jumps on the idea that he was eyeing a girl in the class and already marks him on his “shit list.” Wait, I thought that was only if he directly challenged King Moron, he'd get insta-listed. Eh, whateves. His rant is interrupted by a girl in a green jacket saving him by asking Yu to sit by her. And so, the class begins. And we get a little peek into the strangely yellow fog...
...where a girl find someone hanging from an antenna...
Welcome to Inaba, ladies and gents!
School ends, and we hear something about the Midnight Channel before an announcement about some incident happening. Green jacket girl Chie asks Yu to hang out with her and her friend Yukiko. Right as they say hello, bicycle guy hastily gives Chie a DVD and tries to leave but she trips him...to find her DVD cracked. And...they like focusing on Yosuke's butt do they? Fan service and an indication of how he's going to be treated. Once again, Yu says he'll leave him be. Eh, not that funny this time around.
As Chie and Yukiko find out about Yu and exit the school, they are watched on by a certain...guy.
We see the incident and see Dojima and his partner and lacky Adachi inspect the body. Adachi gets sick at the sight of the body. Why do I bring this up? Because it should be remembered.
Next day. Yu finally decides to help out bicycle guy out of a trashcan. He introduces himself as Yosuke and he says that he'll treat him to steak. And like a flash, Chie appears, telling him it'll pay back for the broken DVD. After school, they go to Junes, which is “Yosuke's place” as the store son's manager. As Chie complains to Yosuke, we get a little peak and find out Mayumi Yamno (that name better not be indicative of anything) was the one who died yesterday. Chie changes the subject to the Midnight Channel, which appears at midnight on a rainy day and it's supposed to show your soulmate. And it is supposed to rain that night. Yosuke teases her about this and it gets the natural response. Yosuke instantly perks up when he sees Saki-senpai, and talks and chats with her. Yu is told by Chie that she is the daughter of the liquor store owners and that she is only Yosuke's friend. Saki then notes Yu and says that if Yosuke gives him trouble, come to her. He is a bit speechless at this but she says she's kidding. She then heads off to work and tells Yosuke she's up for what he has planned. Which turns out to be a action movie date.
We then see someone who is certianly not Saki being asked about her discovery of the body. It's evening at the Dojima's and Dojima is then shown to be asleep in the back, tired because of his investigation work. Nanako puts a blanket on him and one Junes singalong later, she heads off to take her bath.
Midnight. It is a dark and stormy night. Yu tries out this Midnight Channel thing and initially brushes it off but as it strikes midnight, a certain girl who is definitely not Saki is shown onscreen and Yu hears some iconic lines for Persona fans.
I am thou, Thou art I.
Confused and befuddled, he accidentally slips his hand into the TV and finds himself being dragged in. He pulls himself away and knocks his head against the table. And is generally confused.
Annnd, TV BREAK! This show actually goes into his in-game traits and how they are progressing. For fun, here they are at their most basic.
Courage: Coward
Diligence: Callow
Understanding: Coldhearted (Well, that's kind obvious)
Expression: Rough
Knowledge: Naive
Next day, everyone is nonpluzzed about Yu's story about being in the TV. Yosuke and Chie remarked they only saw shadow people. Chie asks Yukiko if she's seen anything but she says no and immediately leaves for work. What work? Work at her home. Which I don't believe they've gotten into specifics at. Yosuke and Chie joke about trying Yu's trick with a larger TV so off to Junes they go. And the actual exposition about Yosuke being the store son's manager. Whoops. But, he transferred over six months ago, that's new info! Chie actually remarks on how all the stores around town are suffering because of this to Yosuke. Also, that interview about Saki gets shown again, and evidently, she missed school that day.
And Yu sticks his hand in the TV.
Naturally, Chie and Yosuke flip at this. They freak out even more as Yu slips more and more of himself in and...they bump into Yu and fall into the TV. They fall into some strange studio, blanketed in yellow fog. Yu is naturally way to very cool about this as Yosuke and Chie panic. And...off in the distance, a squeaking noise and a strange shape heads toward them, prompting them all to hightail it out of there! They eventually lose this being...only to find themselves in a hotel room with a scarf noose and walls splattered with paint with a poster with a face torn out. And Yosuke is about to go in the room. Ah yeah. That joke. I was eh on it in the game and I'm eh on it here. Though Yu's natural “whatever” response is still kinda amusing. They then find a certain bear outside. He's mad at them but also very, beary scared. He gives Yu some glasses before warning them about the Shadows. Yu's vision clears up and he spots a certain Shadow, a Slipping Hablerie to be precise, advance towards them. The trio flees into the streets nearby and Chie gets licked by the Shadow and knocks her unconscious. (And I smell fuel to be fetishized. Or maybe that's me) The Shadows surround Yosuke and Yu and right before they get attacked...
I am thou. Thou art I.
The Shadows stop their advance and Yosuke looks in awe of Yu.
Thou hast opened thine eyes. The time...IS NOW!
“Per-so-na!”
Cue Izanagi. Cue Yu getting drunk on power. Cue battle music. (Lovingly subtitled) Cue demolishing of Shadows. Cue Yu starting to open his uniform (FAAANSERVICE. Tatsuya is the hottest by the way). Cue Yu getting attacked. Cue “GET OFF ME!” (Ham Bosch. I smell your ham) Cue sword slashing. Cue cut in portart. Cue Zio attack. Cue unbuttoned Yu. (-whistles-) Cue amazed Yosuke. Cue, Yu having shiny scary glasses but then when he turns to Yosuke, AN ACTUAL SMILE! Holy hell, that was the first one all episode!
...eh. Persona 3 was better.
The Card Telling You a Future Has Been Flipped. The Awaken Power Inside of You Will Be Your Guide. Well, Let's Get It Started.
Cue end credits. Which unfortunately, the song is not on Youtube unremixed. Which is a shame because I love “Beauty of Destiny”. The end credits show the new Social Links Yu gains over the episode, a nice counter for progress. This episode is the Fool, represented by Izanagi.
Bonds of People is the True Power
Thoughts on the episode: Well, what can I say. This is exposition I've been over and over again and I know it by heart. As a hook into the series, well, it does it fine enough with plenty of mysteries to go around but a laid-back comedic style of the Slice Of Life the in-game social link style brings.
There is some subtle set ups. A lot from the original game but also some beginnings of Yu's character in this anime. He's kinda...strange...and is deadpan to the point of “What?” but there are some subtle things setting up for some major character development down the line.
But seeing as this is exposition that I have over and over again...yeah, as a fan, I'm not that interested.
Anyway, the On The Next teases us about our first major encounter with something like Yosuke. Hmmm? I see you all tomorrow when we keep on, fighting, for beauty of destiny! (Yes I'm doing this every time why do you ask?)
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