elsa75 - 2016-01-23 04:47:37

cummings.sydney - 2015-04-13 13:48:31

i think its alright in its own pace ..story was pretty meh but overall i enjoyed it. 

fledner - 2014-10-04 17:44:55

In a few years when I am dying of testicular cancer because I was short $1.49 for chemo theraphy, I will think back on my time in watching this anime and know in my heart it was worth it. 

emerald45 - 2014-09-27 19:17:02

Persona 4 The golden animation, or P4GA, is definitely a tricky anime to review. It's not exactly something I'd review for the wide public, because the anime wasn't made for non-fans of the series. It's a 12 episode "ova" (for lack of a better description) about the events of Persona 4 Golden, a PS Vita game that is a remake of the original JRPG, Persona 4 on PS2. The anime was suppose to cover all the exclusive Golden events not found in the original Persona 4 game to allow fans of the original and Persona 4 the animation to experience the Golden scenes in a fully animated manner. When this was originally announced, I was rather psyched to hear it. I'm a huge Persona 4 fan, and it ranks as one of my favorite JRPG's of all time, so..needless to say, I was pretty hype for this. However, I feel like this anime didn't really live up to the fans expectations.
The plot starts off with Yu Narukami, our main protagonist, entering Yasoinaba, a small rural Japanese town with virtually nothing to do. There, he encounters Marie, who hands him a note he accidentally dropped while getting off the train departing to Inaba. Marie is our other protagonist and, unfortunately, TSUNDERE of the series. In the game, she is an optional social link and potential side dungeon you can do during your playthrough of the game, as someone who's never actually played Persona 4 Golden on the vita, it is nice to actual experience a new character. However, as I got further into P4GA, I started to retract that statement.
Plot - 
So, when it comes to the plot of P4GA...well, there's hardly any plot. Unfortunately, this is due to the fact that most of the original plot of the game and first anime is skipped due to time constraints for a 12 episode series, and because the series strictly wants to focus on the golden only events. Any newcomers to Persona 4 should not expect any explanation on the plot regarding this anime,  considering this wasn't made for newcomers at all, but it's still a big disappointment to even slightly introduce the plot in the first place, which did irritate me both as an anime reviewer, and as a fan of the series. If you really want to experience the plot, I'd suggest playing the game (The vita version is your best bet, but the PS2 version is also very good) or watching persona 4 the animation (albeit, it's ending wasn't the best). The only real plot we receive in P4GA is how Marie is essentially a mysterious character with amnesia. By request of the velvet room assistant, Margaret, Yu decides to help Marie remember her past while also experiencing new memories with Yu and his friends through hanging out in Inaba. What are these exact experiences? FANSERVICE! No, seriously. It's fanservice. From going to the beach in skimpy swimsuits, to trying out different wardrobes at the mall, Yu, Marie, and their friends basically just go around hanging out. Now, again, these events did occur in P4G on the vita, so I'm not exactly complaining...however, none of them originally involved Marie with the exception of a few scenes. This actually becomes a huge complaint I had with the anime, but I'll get to that in a little bit.
Now, don't get me wrong. This anime's fanservice isn't a bad thing. Since it was created for the fans, of course as fans, you'd wanna see some fanservice, right? Well, not really, but hey, it's something for us to enjoy! On a more serious note though, the fun, fanservice scenes did provide some decent humor that Persona fans will find entertaining, especially if they haven't experienced the Golden cutscenes before. On the flip side of that, you'll also find the new character, Marie, is heavily forced into this anime. As stated before, in the vita game.. she's barely involved in the major plot of the  game until near the end. However, this adaptation decided to put her in almost every side event that was in the golden. Now, I'm all for creative liberties, but I'll be honest, I feel that if you are making an adaptation for a game that already had a strong plot, there's no need to heavily change things around. One of the worst ways they did this was with the ending, and (this goes without saying, but) SPOILER ALERT - Marie defeats the final boss of the anime with a hug. No, I'm not kidding..she hugs her to "death". Now, of course this is thoroughly explained how this happened in the last episode, however, it bothers the hell out of me that a character that was originally a social link in the game (social links being side stories you involve yourself with to grow bonds with other characters) and somehow developed into a character that beats the FINAL FUCKING BOSS! 
Characters - 
 Character development in this anime is not very good compared to anything Persona 4 related. Basically the only character who get slightly developed is Yu, Marie, and Adachi (the original antagonist of Persona 4 and Persona 4 the animation). Although it's nice to see these characters develop through the series, I feel as if the other, very likable characters took a back seat. This to me isn't what makes persona 4 a  well liked series. It's a series about growing bonds, and making friendships. Yeah, that sounds corny, but in the games it did it masterfully and was well represented in the original anime. P4GA just focuses most of the development for Marie, and she's a Tsundere for christ sake. Marie was already a very disliked character in P4G on the vita because of her Tsundere personality, and although her personality is a little different in P4GA, she still retains that rather unlikable Tsundere essence to her, while also being too involved in points of the plot that shouldn't involve her. As stated before, she defeats the final boss of the series, which, to me, should have been done by Yu and his friends. Yeah, you know.. the ones with the Personas? Hell, even the strongest Persona in the game, Izanagi Okami, took a back seat for Marie's hug attack against Izanami. Outside of Marie though, Yu is definitely improved upon in this adaptation of the series. He seems a lot more confident, although there's still nothing significantly outstanding about his personality either. You do see from time to time that he does have his ways of showing his personality though, whether it be a mistake he made, or him caring about his friends. In the original anime, Yu's character development went from him having NO personality, to being a very joking character that also cared for his friends. Glad to see the series didn't go about that route again, as it's rather boring to have a main protagonist have absolutely no emotion.  Adachi's backstory is also explained rather well in this adaptation, and shows how dark and tormented he really is. Unfortunately, Adachi was another character that didn't get much screen time either, but the amount of scene he was apart of did very well to show him off. 
Music - 
The music is roughly the same from Persona 4 the animation. You'll hear tracks for the anime that are also found in P4 the animation, and tracks for the original game. The opening and ending, as well as a redone version of the Junes concert song of P4GA are the only real new tracks we get, and they are absolutely excellent. The ending, although heavily involves Marie, is catchy and tells the story of Marie in a symbolic way. Even if you don't like her, you gotta admit that ending credit made her seem very deep. My only complaint about the music is that I wish it did add more new tracks, but it is what it is. 
Animation -
The animation for P4GA is pretty solid. The action scenes are few are far between, so it's nothing impressive, but the animation in the first episode absolutely destroys anything you see in P4 the animation and for the rest of P4GA. I wish there was more action to add to that solid first episode scene, but unfortunately, in a 12 episode series where the story revolves around golden animation scenes, you won't be finding that. Some people have argued that P4GA's animation blows P4 the animations out of the water. I'd definitely say in some areas, this is true, but you also have to remember that P4 the animation is 26 episodes and has far more action scenes in it than P4GA, which is only 12 episodes. I think it's a little unfair to say P4GA is superior. 
Personal Enjoyment -
My enjoyment of the anime is rather complicated. Don't get me wrong! As a fan of P4, I enjoyed this anime. However, the ending did not do this anime any justice, and in my opinion hurt its overall score. Not to mention the fact that Marie is interjected far too much in this anime to the point where the characters take a back seat, which annoyed the hell out of me as a fan. Yes, I realize this story is suppose to involve Marie and Yu, and i'm not saying they should redo some of the dungeons that were in P4 the animation involving the side characters and their shadows, but at the same time, don't add Marie in scenarios she was never originally apart of in the game just  because Marie is one of the main focuses of the anime. Again, this series is about bonds and friendship. So, those bonds need to be shown, but unfortunately weren't shown very well. 
Overall, I think Persona 4 the Golden animation is solid for persona fans. This is not an anime any new fan should watch, since you'll be lost from episode one. However, this anime still, in my opinion, a mediocre adaptation for the game, and thus kinda makes you wonder whether or not this really is "for the fans" or just a way to squeeze Marie into the P4 gang of characters. 
Personal Score -
On a scale from 1 to 10, Persona 4 The Golden Animation gets a 6 out of 10 for me. It's great for the fans, and I am one of the fans, so I did enjoy it for the most part, but overall, it's not for everyone and I cannot give it a higher rating because of that. Not to mention it definitely has its share of problems when it comes to character interjection, and the last fight of the anime. If you are a fan, you'll probably enjoy it, but I'd recommend just playing the games. If you are a newcomer, you should definitely not watch it. Stay away from it like a plague. It will seem like the worst anime in existence without proper knowledge of the original plot and other characters.

jerome92 - 2014-09-26 02:57:10

I thought this was a rather interesting take on what could be done with this show. I was expecting the series to just be a re-hash of the original P4 anime/game with the additional Marie and Adachi related story events from Golden mixed in. Though, the fact that it became more of a slice-of-life show with purely the P4G side events and eventually the additional post game dungeon mixed in was a nice surprise. If you've seen or played either the original anime/game or P4G it will not be anything new other than just seeing it played out in a different medium. The music and characters are the same though the designs differ slightly.

Overall, it was still rather average and could be seen as either incredibly dull or an interesting alternate perspective. If you're fan of Persona 4 and looking for more interaction with the characters or just don't want to play through Golden (which you should), I would recommend watching it.

vchamplin - 2014-09-18 06:39:59

                Persona 4:The Golden Animation Review (Spoiler Free)

P4GA is an adaptation that can eitherbe one of the best or one of the worst depending on your experience with thisfranchise. If you have already played the game or at least watched the first animation (Persona 4 The animation), you may enjoy this adaptation as well. BUT! If you have yet to play the game or even watch the previous animation...you may not enjoy it as much...

Things to note: Some references and comparisons of Persona 4 the animation (P4A/The first animation) will be included in this review.

STORY: 6/10 or 3/10

P4 and P4GA, tho share the same timeline, has its own set of objectives. 

The first animation's objective is to find out the ‘truth’ behind the murder mystery occurring in their small town, Inaba, while also coming to terms with oneself. Whereashere in P4GA, it is mostly about making new memories and trying to solve the mystery surrounding Marie, our new character.

Also notethat most of P4GA in general happens in between of the actual series. So yeah, knowing the events of that series is pretty important!

ForExisting fans, it is a faithful adaptation tho with a couple of changes here and there especially towards the end. Since this adaptation's focus is Marie, it makes more sense to end the anime with her in mind than to give it the original ending (again). 

Every episode (almost) is also a joy towatch. Character interactions are great and Marie fits in nicely with the gang (More on that later). 

The ‘CalendarSystem’ is a little more useful here as you would be more aware as to which point in time you are currently at, since we’re skipping the majority of the events thattook place in the first animation/Game.

One of its best points in its story telling is how they made use of its atmosphere. When things seemed off, you'd noticed the duller colour pallets they'd used from the beginning of the episode. Though it really isn't that subtle.  

For the problems, it has some. From episode one, it does nothing to tell you what kind of adaptation this is going to be. Hence many people, including myself, were greatly annoyed by how rushed it was. But that is just episode 1. Episodes to follow still has pacing issues but much better to cope with since by then, we know what events we are going to skip. Some may find this annoying, some may not even after episode 1. Personally I started to warm up to this idea as I thought it was kind of relatable that I myself would fast forward events I have already experienced in the game. Watchers from the previous series may not adapt as quickly. 

As I mentioned earlier, most of the events in P4GA happens in between of the actual series. Keyword: MOST. A number of events are repeated over from the previous with Marie now shoved in. It may already sound boring and repetitive to some, but what made it good was having to see Marie's interactions with everyone else. Only towards the end of the series, now looking back, I finally understood why they had to re-adapt those events (No Spoilers).

For newcomers, EVERYTHING'S HORRIBLE! You’d be confused as episodes go by. Like “Who arethese new characters?!” “Where did they come from?!” “What are they talkingabout?!” “Who’s in hospital?!” "Is this a joke/reference?? I DON'T GET IT!!" These are just some of the questions you mightbe asking yourself frequently as you watch.

Animation/Visuals: 6.5/10

The animation quality's the same in everyone's eyes be it if you're a pre-existing fan or not. But of course, everyone has an opinion on what good animation should look like. So here's mine,

Animation: The quality varies from episode to episode. 

The first few episodes range fromgood to great. While certain episodes that follows ranges from decent to reallybad (I am not sure if it’ll be fixed in the Blu-ray release but until then, Itshall get a rating it currently deserves). 

The close up shots are one of the things they do good consistently. Lips, expressions, objects are beautifully drawn which is a real shame to be compared to its next scene with off-modelled static animation. But really tho, THOSE LIPS ARE JUST

Visually: I would say it is quite consistent throughout the series. It looks clean as well as vibrant and the backgrounds are nicely detailed. With only the poorly drawn characters ruining it from time to time.  

Sound/Ost: 7/10

VA: 

The original cast reprised their roles for this adaptation and they still do a great job capturing their characters. Which is kinda expected since they have been voicing them for years in numerous adaptations and games.

OST: 

Forexisting fans: Most are either from the gameor the previous animation so if you liked that, you might love some of its new additions.

For newcomers. It’s nothing extravagant, but some are good enough to listen to by itself.

OP/ED: TheEngrish may turn some people away (myself included) but after a couple of episodes, I'mloving it.

Characters: 6/10 or 3/10

Most of the characters in this adaptation already had their respective development in the first animation. So characters discussed below are mostly ones that plays a major role (to some extent) in the Golden Animation. 

Marie had afairly alright development throughout the series and would be great if she had more time to build herself as a character rather than just relying on her tsundere archetype. 

For those who have only watched the Animation, You might get disappointed. Not many accepted her presence in this adaptation 'cause of how 'shoehorned' it felt. I mean it's more or less like adding a new character in a show you already like. If you don't mind that, then go ahead. If not, you have been warned.

Adachi: I personally felt that hehad a little more focus in this series than he needed to since he already had a dedicated 2 parter in the original animation. The build up to his story here was still done beautifully but was tremendously disappointing as time ran out and the rest of the arc had to be rushed through. Hence, I still preferred the first animation's telling of Adachi. It had a good build-up and a fantastic climax to his arc.

Yu (The main protagonist in both animations) is somewhat different inthis one, as noticed by many. He’s more confident and cockier than ever. I cansee why people can get annoyed by him immediately ‘cause of how “out ofcharacter” he seemed. Having played the game multiple times now, he reallyisn't! Many refers to him as a New Game+ character which is what heessentially is. And to some that may not know what that is, it basically means all courage, knowledge etc he mastered in the first animation is retained as he now unknowingly "revisits" the events here. Not to say that this is a sequel! Take it as an alternate universe with a "What if" scenario (What if Yu's a New Game+ Character) that's inserted in to spice up the show and make things slightly more interesting. 

For newcomers: You’d definitely not have any attachments to any of the characters in P4GA. 

Enjoyment: 8/10 

Despite it's many flaws, I still enjoyed this series as a whole. It’s not perfect but definitely a great watch for whoever's already familiar with all things P4. It’s fun, entertaining andeven gets you tense at times. Tho execution of certain areas may disappoint, I can't deny that it did had its moments. I'd recommend this anime to anyone who’s played the game or enjoyed thefirst animation. 

For new comers, It isn't an adaptation worth coming into blind. If you're still interested, I recommend watching the first animation or better yet, play the game. 

Conclusion:

"So is it one of the best or one of the worst?!" you may ask. And to my reply - It's really up to you. It did many things good and bad that it's not that surprising to have divided opinions for this series. Personally, I'm on the 'LOVE IT' side and it's completely fine if you're on either side as long as you have your reasons for standing your ground ;) 

And with that, my final score for this series will be 7/10 or 3/10

Watch it on: 

Daisuki.net/P4GA

Crunchyroll.com/P4GA