![persona 5 the animation persona 5 the animation](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/0e/cd/b6/0ecdb6a9c03849f68da609d4ae11fdf2.jpg)
![persona 5 the animation persona 5 the animation](https://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/anime/1858/98023l.jpg)
Persona 5 sticks to its theme even to a fault despite being rather fond of its unmistakable appearance, early on I found its UI a bit claustrophobic at some points, and I imagine that if you feel the palette is abrasive then the entire game might be an endless nightmare. The phantom thief imagery is similarly ever-present, leading to a game that always feels like itself and is damn proud of that. Otherwise vibrant colors are still all over the place during the mundane scenes, and the game’s love of strong contrasts never fades. Obviously the entire game isn’t monochromatic, but reds and blacks remain the theme that dyes your adventures, particularly as you delve deeper into Mementos’ secrets. After completing it I can confirm that the excitement built up for even such usually minor details was warranted: not only was Persona 5 as mechanically smooth as it seemed, it truly committed to the aesthetic from the teasers.
![persona 5 the animation persona 5 the animation](https://personacentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Persona-5-the-Animation-Ren.jpg)
Those are aspects players tend to tolerate at best, so it was quite rare to see major excitement for the usually tedious parts of operating a videogame. Ever since the promotional footage started surfacing, it became apparent that the slickness was woven into the very core of the game, integrating the menus in striking fashion and making the transitions unusually satisfying. Red and blacks dominate this game, and its ransom letter aesthetic constantly reminds you of your position as a phantom thief shrouded in mystery. But the focus of this piece is a less inspired element that plays a nevertheless interesting role: the 2D animated cutscenes of the game.Įven if you don’t pay much attention to visual matters, particularly within videogames where the interactivity keeps you preoccupied, Persona 5’s bold voice is almost impossible to miss. And I don’t mean the game’s set of animations either, since those are actually rather strong there is more character in the high-five baton pass skits than the explicit narrative can sometimes muster, and while it’s limited I appreciate the effort put onto details like Futaba Sakura’s body language. I’m not talking about Persona 5 The Animation: The Day Breakers, though that is admittedly a poor effort as well – so much so that the plan executed in this promotional anime, based off the Mementos sidequest “ Phantom Thieves VS Burglary Ring”, is dismissed in-game as a bad idea. Having recently completed the game and enjoyed it an immense amount, I can say without a doubt that the animation of Persona 5 isn’t very good. For those worried about spoilers, the few pieces of footage beyond the initial stages are marked as such, and it contains no concrete references to the narrative events. The time has come to talk about the animation within the latest entry of the Persona franchise: the role it plays within the game’s very distinct aesthetic, its shortcomings, and the artists who were in charge of it.