Persona 4 the ANIMATION – 16

「Although the Case Was Closed」

One thing that separates great detective stories from good ones is the creativity of the “traps”. Now I’m not necessarily saying that Persona 4 is a great detective story by any means, but how many of you concentrated so much on looking for the usual places that traps exist (like false suspects and misleading evidence) that you failed to realize that the detective themselves may be a trap?

Persona 4 the ANIMATION – 11

「Catch Me If You Can」

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When bears turn into boys, eat popsicles? This week’s episode was all about surprises and persevering through them, and even though I already knew most of the forthcoming revelations, this adaptation added enough of its own touches to keep things interesting.

Persona 4 the ANIMATION – 10

「Real Me Doesn’t Exist」

Sometimes, we don’t know who exactly our true self is, but just knowing that one exists and having the resolve to find it out can be just as important as its eventual acceptance. Both Rise and Kuma weren’t as lucky as the others, who had Shadows that spelled out exactly who their true self was, but they do share the determination to discover it. This mere realization is enough to awaken their Personas.

Persona 4 the ANIMATION – 09

「No one sees the real me」

Most celebrities aren’t allowed the simple luxury of being able to shape their public identities by themselves. They’re usually surrounded with a cadre of publicists and managers who meticulously plan every aspect of their public appearances, and while some might not mind and even welcome this influence, Kujikawa Rise (Kugimiya Rie) is not one of those people.