Persona 5: The Animation
Volume 1 artwork, showing the lead character Ren Amamiya
GenreVigilante[1][2]
Created byAtlus
Anime television series
Directed byMasashi Ishihama
Produced by
  • Kazuki Adachi
  • Ken Kawakita
  • Kozue Kaneniwa
  • Yoshikazu Tanaka (#1–27)
  • Hirohito Shindō (#28, OVAs)
Written by
  • Shinichi Inotsume
  • Kazuho Hyodo
  • Noboru Kimura
Music byShoji Meguro
StudioCloverWorks[lower-alpha 1]
Licensed by
Original networkTokyo MX, GTV, GYT, BS11, MBS, AT-X
English network
Original run April 8, 2018 March 23, 2019
Episodes26 + 3 specials + 2 OVAs

Persona 5: The Animation is an anime television series produced by CloverWorks based on the video game Persona 5 by Atlus.[lower-alpha 1] The anime series is directed by Masashi Ishihama and written by Shinichi Inotsume, with Tomomi Ishikawa adapting Shigenori Soejima's original character designs for the animation. Atlus employee Kazuma Kaneko created the original demon designs, while music composer Shoji Meguro reprised his role from the game.

The 26-episode series aired in Japan between April and September 2018, followed by four special episodes; one aired in December 2018, a second in March 2019, and two more releases bundled with the Blu-Ray releases in May and June 2019. Additionally, an animated television special by A-1 Pictures, The Day Breakers, aired prior to the game's Japanese release in September 2016. The series is licensed by Sony's Aniplex of America in North America and Crunchyroll Store Australia in Australia.

Voice cast

While most of the voice cast from the original game reprise their roles, several voice actors from the original game were replaced. In the Japanese dub, Miyu Matsuki and Kazunari Tanaka, the voice actors of Chihaya Mifune and Junya Kaneshiro respectively, died in 2015 and 2016, so they were recast by Haruka Terui and Takahiro Fujimoto. In the English dub, Shinya Oda is voiced by Eden Riegel (who also voices Hifumi Togo), rather than Barbara Goodson.

Character Japanese[3] English
Ren Amamiya (Joker) Jun Fukuyama Xander Mobus[4]
Morgana (Mona) Ikue Ōtani Cassandra Lee Morris[4]
Ryuji Sakamoto (Skull) Mamoru Miyano Max Mittelman[4]
Ann Takamaki (Panther) Nana Mizuki Erika Harlacher[4]
Yusuke Kitagawa (Fox) Tomokazu Sugita Matthew Mercer[4]
Makoto Niijima (Queen) Rina Satō Cherami Leigh[4]
Futaba Sakura (Navi / Oracle) Aoi Yūki Erica Lindbeck[4]
Haru Okumura (Noire) Haruka Tomatsu Xanthe Huynh[4]
Goro Akechi (Crow) Sōichirō Hoshi Robbie Daymond[4]
Sae Niijima Yūko Kaida Elizabeth Maxwell
Sojiro Sakura Jouji Nakata Jamieson Price
Tae Takemi Yuka Saitō Abby Trott
Munehisa Iwai Hisao Egawa Kaiji Tang
Yuuki Mishima Daisuke Sakaguchi Sean Chiplock
Sadayo Kawakami Mai Fuchigami Michelle Ruff
Toranosuke Yoshida Keiichi Noda William Salyers
Ichiko Ohya Yumi Uchiyama Amanda Winn Lee
Chihaya Mifune Haruka Terui Sarah Anne Williams
Hifumi Togo Tomomi Isomura Eden Riegel
Shinya Oda Aki Kanada Eden Riegel
Caroline and Justine / Lavenza Aki Toyosaki Carrie Keranen
Suguru Kamoshida Yūji Mitsuya D.C. Douglas
Ichiryusai Madarame Yukitoshi Hori Kyle Hebert
Junya Kaneshiro Takahiro Fujimoto Jalen K. Cassell
Wakaba Isshiki Minako Arakawa Erin Fitzgerald
Kunikazu Okumura Hirohiko Kakegawa Christopher Corey Smith
Masayoshi Shido Shūichi Ikeda Keith Silverstein
False Igor / Yaldabaoth Masane Tsukayama David Lodge
Real Igor Isamu Tanonaka (archive recording) Kirk Thornton

Production

The anime television special The Day Breakers was announced in September 2015 during Atlus' stage event at the Tokyo Game Show.[5] In July 2016, the title of the special was revealed as Persona 5: The Animation – The Day Breakers with Takaharu Ozaki as the director, Shinichi Inotsume as writer, Toshiyuki Yahagi and Keita Matsumoto as the character designers and A-1 Pictures as the studio. It premiered on September 3, 2016[6] with a runtime of 24 minutes on Tokyo MX, later airing on GTV, GYT and BS11.[7][8] Aniplex of America licensed the special in North America in October 2016.[9]

The 26-episode anime television series adaptation was announced in July 2017 for a 2018 premiere, with CloverWorks animating the series.[lower-alpha 1][3] The anime series is directed by Masashi Ishihama and written by Inotsume, and features adapted character and demon designs from the game by Tomomi Ishikawa and Kazuma Kaneko, respectively.[12] The soundtrack was written by the game's original lead composer Shoji Meguro, who wrote both new material and arranged music from the game. Lyn performs the series' opening and ending themes; the opening themes are "Break In to Break Out" (episode 1–13) and "Dark Sun" (episode 14–26), while the ending themes are "Infinity" (episodes 2–13), "Found a Light" (episode 8), and "Autonomy" (episode 14–26).[13][14] The series aired on Tokyo MX and other networks from April 7 to September 30, 2018.[15] The first half of the epilogue to the series, titled Dark Sun..., aired on December 30, 2018.[16] A second TV special, titled Stars and Ours and listed as the second half of the epilogue, was aired on March 23, 2019.[17][18] Two final special episodes were announced to be included as extras with the 11th and 12th Blu-Ray/DVD volumes of the series.[19]

Aniplex of America has also licensed the series in North America with Crunchyroll simulcasting it.[20] Aniplex of America released the complete series on Blu-ray on September 29, 2020, including an English dub with the cast from the game reprising their roles.[4] Despite the release of Blu-ray, the English dub was available early on August 18 as digital release exclusively on Funimation, which all 26 episodes including 2 special episodes available on that date. Anime Limited acquired the home video and digital rights to the series for the United Kingdom.[21] As of April 2023, the series, along with other anime titles licensed by Anime Limited are currently available on ITV's streaming service ITVX.

Madman Entertainment will release the series in Australia and New Zealand.[22]

Episodes

No. Title Director[23] Original air date[24]
0"The Day Breakers"Takaharu OzakiSeptember 3, 2016 (2016-09-03)
Lock-picking gang leader Kazuya Makigami robs restaurants with his absentminded underlings. Widely known in Shibuya for their acts of vigilantism, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, consisting of Ren Amamiya (Joker), Morgana (Mona), Ryuji Sakamoto (Skull), Ann Takamaki (Panther) and Yusuke Kitagawa (Fox), plot to reform Kazuya without directly involving the police. Kazuya and his underlings are lured to Café Leblanc in Yongen-Jaya, but the Phantom Thieves of Hearts scare off Kazuya's underlings with a security alarm. As Kazuya's Shadow is drawn to Mementos, the Prison of Sloth, represented by a twisted version of the subway station, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts target him for performing domestic violence on his younger brother Naoya Makigami. Kazuya's Shadow transforms into the demon Mithras out of frustration, but the Phantom Thieves of Hearts eventually manage to purge his arrogance after a tough battle. Before Kazuya's Shadow dissolves, he requests the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to deliver his drawer key to Naoya. Back in the real world, Kazuya publicly laments the crimes committed by him and his underlings, leading to their arrest by the police. A photo of Naoya winning against Kazuya in a kendo competition is found inside the drawer.
1"I am thou, thou art I"Masashi IshihamaApril 8, 2018 (2018-04-08)
After being captured by the riot police while trying to secure a briefcase inside a casino, Ren starts recalling the past when he is interrogated by prosecutor Sae Niijima over his actions as the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. After first arriving at Shibuya by subway, Ren travels to Yongen-Jaya in order to serve his one-year probation by staying at Café Leblanc, owned by Sojiro Sakura. Ren was expelled from high school a year ago for being falsely accused of assault. At night, Ren subconsciously falls asleep when he sees a mysterious phone application called the Metaverse Navigator. Ren awakens as a prisoner inside the Velvet Room, where he briefly meets prison master Igor and twin prison wardens Caroline and Justine. The next day, Sojiro enrolls Ren at Shujin Academy. During a downpour, physical education teacher Suguru Kamoshida drives off with Ann. Thanks to the Metaverse Navigator, both Ren and schoolmate Ryuji find themselves at Shujin Academy, though it transforms into Kamoshida's Palace, the Castle of Lust, full of knights in black armor with stoic masks. Kamoshida's Shadow imprisons and tortures them, prompting Ren to awaken his Persona called Arsène.
2"Let's take back what's dear to you."Hitomi EzoeApril 15, 2018 (2018-04-15)
Ren and Ryuji manage to escape from Kamoshida's Palace and return to the real world, thanks to Arsène. On his first day of school, Ren is assigned by homeroom teacher Sadayo Kawakami to sit behind Ann in class. It is shown that Igor bestowed the Metaverse Navigator to Ren in the first place. Ren later overhears that Ryuji is being blamed for causing the track team to be disbanded. Ren activates the Metaverse Navigator so that he and Ryuji can enter Kamoshida's Palace again. Ryuji confirms a rumor that Kamoshida is abusive towards his students, like Ann's friend Shiho Suzui, during volleyball practice. Ren and Ryuji liberate talking cat Morgana from a prison cell. Upon facing Kamoshida's Shadow again, Ryuji blames Kamoshida's Shadow for ruining his reputation on the track team, thereby awakening his own Persona called Captain Kidd. Ren assists with Arsène while Morgana assists with Zorro. The three of them retreat to the library upon seeing Ann's Cognition. Ren and Ryuji part ways with Morgana for now and return to the real world. At a restaurant, Ryuji learns that Ren received a one-year probation after he tried to protect a woman from a corrupt politician.
3"A beautiful rose has thorns!"Akihisa ShibataApril 22, 2018 (2018-04-22)
During their investigation, Ren and Ryuji try to talk to Shiho about Kamoshida's abuse, but Ann abruptly takes her away from them. Later on, Ann comes clean to Ren, revealing that Kamoshida is blackmailing her in order to keep Shiho on the volleyball team. Ren and Ryuji is told by Morgana that there is a risky way to reform Kamoshida. As a result of Kamoshida's abuse, Shiho attempts to commit suicide by jumping off the school rooftop, resulting in a coma. Ren, Ryuji and classmate Yuuki Mishima confront Kamoshida about this, but Kamoshida threatens to expel them. With no other option left, the Metaverse Navigator is activated as Ren, Ryuji and Morgana discuss that Kamoshida's Palace must be erased in order to reform Kamoshida. They secure an infiltration route to Kamoshida's Treasure. Ann inadvertently follows the others inside Kamoshida's Palace, only to be captured by Kamoshida's Shadow. Encouraged by Ren to avenge Shiho, Ann awakens her Persona called Carmen. Ren, Ryuji, Morgana and Ann force Kamoshida's Shadow to fall back. Back in the real world, the four of them plan to obtain Kamoshida's Treasure during their next mission.
4"Steal it, if you can"Seiji HaradaApril 29, 2018 (2018-04-29)
Ren, Ryuji, Morgana and Ann, collectively the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, post their calling card on the school bulletin board, sparking attention from Kamoshida. As Kamoshida's Treasure will only be visible until morning, Ren, Ryuji and Morgana purchase some supplies. Meanwhile, Ann visits Shiho in the hospital. At night, Ren, Ryuji, Morgana and Ann enter Kamoshida's Palace in order to steal Kamoshida's Treasure. Ren manages to recruit a patrolling demon named Pixie as a second Persona. Upon reaching Kamoshida's Treasure in the form of an ornate crown, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are confronted by Kamoshida's Shadow, who transforms into the demon Asmodeus. Ren, Morgana and Ann fight Asmodeus with his volleyball spikes. Guided by Igor in the Velvet Room, Ren uses the power of fusion to combine Arsène and Pixie into a new Persona called Agathion. This allows Ryuji to steal Kamoshida's Treasure from Asmodeus's head and revert Asmodeus to Kamoshida's Shadow in defeat. Kamoshida's Palace collapses when Kamoshida's Shadow repents his actions. Back in the real world, Kamoshida publicly admits to his crimes and turns himself in to the police. Morgana decides to room with Ren, while Ann is relieved that Shiho woke up from her coma.
5"The Phantoms"Tatsuma MinamikawaMay 6, 2018 (2018-05-06)
Ren, Ryuji, Morgana and Ann enjoy an exquisite lunch buffet after pawning Kamoshida's Treasure, which was actually a gold medal. At the elevator, Ren and Ryuji unknowingly run into politician Masayoshi Shido. Ren, Ryuji, Morgana and Ann ultimately decide to continue being the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. After Mishima sets up a Phantom Aficionado Website, or Phan-site for short, so people can send requests to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Ann spots a request to deal with office teller Natsuhiko Nakanohara, who is a stalker. Morgana takes Ren, Ryuji and Ann to Mementos, a Palace of the general public. They easily defeat Nakanohara's Shadow. Mementos is able to expand, thanks to the awareness of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Revealing that he lost his memories, Morgana explains his desire to reach the bottom of Mementos in order to regain his human form. Later on, Ren starts being a test subject for Tae Takemi, a doctor who owns the Takemi Medical Clinic. Upon returning to Café Leblanc at night, Ren meets popular teenage detective Goro Akechi.
6"Our next target is..."Kazuki OhashiMay 13, 2018 (2018-05-13)
Yusuke Kitagawa, a sophomore in the fine arts division of Kosei High School and mentored under painter Ichiryusai Madarame, asks Ann to be the model for his next piece of artwork. Meanwhile, student council president Makoto Niijima grows suspicious about Ren, Ryuji and Ann always socializing on the school rooftop. After viewing an art exhibition, Ren, Ryuji, Morgana and Ann learn that Madarame plagiarizes artwork from his pupils, according to the Phan-site. Ren, Ryuji, Morgana and Ann go to Madarame's rundown shack of an art studio, where Yusuke only expresses complete admiration for Madarame. Yusuke reveals that he was orphaned before being raised by Madarame, who has been his inspiration ever since. Initially assuming that they were mistaken, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts activate the Metaverse Navigator, only to discover that the art studio is really Madarame's Palace, the Museum of Vanity, full of female curators and security guards with heart masks. They overhear that Madarame's Shadow intends to plagiarize Yusuke's artwork. Back in the real world, Yusuke claims that he willingly allows Madarame to use his artwork. At a mall, Nakanohara confirms that he was a former art student who witnessed Madarame committing plagiarism.
7"He is my other self"Yusuke MaruyamaMay 20, 2018 (2018-05-20)
Ren and Ryuji bump into a journalist named Ichiko Ohya. With Ren and Ryuji needing to alter Madarame's cognition in order to gain further access into Madarame's Palace, Ann distracts Yusuke by dressing in layers while Morgana unlocks a storage room just as Madarame returns to the art studio. The storage room exposes the fact that Madarame plagiarized his most known artwork called Sayuri, which was never lost but stolen. As Ren and Ryuji still struggle to gain further access into Madarame's Palace, Yusuke inadvertently follows Ann and Morgana into Madarame's Palace. Madarame's Shadow admits that he only cared about the money. As Yusuke gets captured, he finally sees the truth, leading him to awaken his Persona called Goemon. However, Madarame's Shadow retreats after Yusuke showcases his power. Back in the real world, Yusuke tells the others that his late mother died when he was three years old. Yusuke then agrees to officially join the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
8"Put an end to all this and use your own artwork for once."Toshiki FukushimaMay 27, 2018 (2018-05-27)
After posting the calling card all over the art exhibition, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts secure an infiltration route to Madarame's Treasure, though it turns out to be a decoy. Madarame's Treasure is actually the original artwork of Sayuri, painted by Yusuke's late mother, who died from a seizure. Madarame's Shadow transforms into the demon Azazel and attacks by spraying black ink. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts awaken their Personas in order to revert Azazel to Madarame's Shadow before he is defeated by Yusuke. Madarame's Palace collapses when Madarame's Shadow repents his actions. Back in the real world, Madarame publicly admits to his crimes. With the fame of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts on the rise, Yusuke decides to move out of the art studio. Since Yusuke cannot move in with Ann, Morgana suggests that Yusuke should stay at Café Leblanc instead. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts celebrate with hot pot for dinner, motivated to reform more corrupted hearts after concluding that they each have their own troubled pasts. The next day, Yusuke decides to move in to the dorms, though he leaves the original artwork of Sayuri with Sojiro.
9"Operation maid watch"Hitomi EzoeJune 3, 2018 (2018-06-03)
While the Phantom Thieves of Hearts wait for their next target, Morgana suggests for the others to continue their academic studies as normal. Thanks to a flyer, Ren, Ryuji and Mishima request a maid service for a vacant room. As Ryuji and Mishima chicken out at the last second, Ren discovers that Kawakami moonlights as a maid named Becky. The next day, Ren saves Kawakami from being scolded by English teacher Chouno. After noticing that Ryuji is being bothered by his former track teammates named Nakaoka and Takeishi, Ren contacts Kawakami to meet him in his bedroom for discussion. It is revealed that Kamoshida mocked Ryuji's single mother, which provoked Ryuji to take a swing at Kamoshida. Kawakami confirms that the track team is being revived with a new track team advisor named Yamauchi, who was Kamoshida's colleague. At a restaurant in Tsukishima, Ren overhears Yamauchi saying that he leaked rumors to Nakaoka and Takeishi. After school, Ryuji makes peace with Nakaoka and Takeishi, telling them to disbelieve the rumors. Later on, Kawakami informs Ren that Yamauchi will no longer be the track team advisor.
10"I want to see justice with my own eyes"Kazuki OhashiJune 10, 2018 (2018-06-10)
During a field trip to a television station, Ren, Ryuji and Ann spectate a daytime talk show interviewing Akechi as the guest. Akechi claims that the Phantom Thieves of Hearts should be tried in a court of law. After school, Makoto blackmails the Phantom Thieves of Hearts with a recording of their identities as evidence. She states that she will delete the recording if they reform the boss of a crime syndicate which targets students. Ren and Makoto exchange contact information after they find the base of operations for the crime syndicate located in Shibuya. Ren later meets up with Ichiko at a bar in Shinjuku, where Ichiko says that the name of the boss of the crime syndicate is Junya Kaneshiro. The next day, the Metaverse Navigator leads the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to Kaneshiro's Palace, the Bank of Gluttony, seen hovering over Shibuya.
11"Let's be friends, shall we?"Akihisa ShibataJune 17, 2018 (2018-06-17)
Akechi tries to ask Makoto about the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, but she does not say anything. Sae is the older sister and legal guardian of Makoto, while their late father was killed in the line of duty as a police officer. Meanwhile, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts find victims in the form of automated teller machines in the streets. Later wanting to prove herself useful to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Makoto willingly leads them to a club, the base of operations of the crime syndicate. However, Kaneshiro threatens to leak an incriminating photo of them in the club to the school if Makoto does not pay a debt of three million yen. Since Makoto is now considered a "customer" in Kaneshiro's Palace, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts use the Metaverse Navigator to bring Makoto to Kaneshiro's Palace, full of policemen in riot gear with gas masks. As they finally gain entry to Kaneshiro's Palace, Kaneshiro's Shadow believes that Makoto is a meek little pushover. Angered by this, Makoto awakens her Persona called Johanna. Since they have not secured an infiltration route to Kaneshiro's Treasure yet, Ren, Ryuji, Morgana, Ann, Yusuke and Makoto retreat for now.
12"I found the place where I belong"Tatsuma MinamikawaJune 24, 2018 (2018-06-24)
Makoto manages to bond more with Ren at an arcade as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts eventually secure an infiltration route to Kaneshiro's Treasure and post the calling card in the streets of Shibuya. At Kaneshiro's Palace, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts confront Kaneshiro's Shadow, who transforms into the demon Bael. The bank vault changes into a robot piggy bank called the Piggytron, but the Phantom Thieves of Hearts manage to revert Bael to Kaneshiro's Shadow before defeating him. With Kaneshiro's Treasure unveiled as gold bars, Kaneshiro's Shadow warns the Phantom Thieves of Hearts about a man using the Black Mask as an alias who can explore Palaces. Kaneshiro's Palace collapses, and Kaneshiro's Treasure turns out to be a golden briefcase containing counterfeit money. Ren learns from Makoto that Kaneshiro turned himself to the police and confessed to his crimes after giving her debt relief and retracting the photo threat.
13"Dreams and Desires"Toshiki FukushimaJuly 1, 2018 (2018-07-01)
While Akechi visits Café Leblanc and plays chess with Ren, they discuss the methods used by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. After school, Yusuke confides in Ren that he is finding himself in an art slump. Yusuke asks Ren to be his bodyguard while he paints artwork inspired by the desire of Mementos, but Yusuke only receives harsh criticism from an art dealer named Akio Kawanabe. Although Kawanabe offers to invest in Yusuke as a young artist, Yusuke declines the offer because he is not a sales hook. At a batting cage, Akechi informs Ren that Kawanabe may be into some shady practices, though there first needs to be actual evidence of this. Yusuke eventually manages to get out of his art slump thanks to some encouragement and support from Ren. Moreover, Ren discovers that Kawanabe's subordinate was committing the crimes, allowing Akechi to arrest Kawanabe's subordinate. As Yusuke paints artwork inspired by the dreams and desires of Mementos, Kawanabe praises Yusuke for his artwork. Kawanabe reveals that he was close with Madarame before they had a falling-out. Yusuke still declines Kawanabe's offer in order to pursue his own hope.
14"What life do you choose?"Yoshifumi SasaharaJuly 8, 2018 (2018-07-08)
While looking around Shinjuku with Ren, Makoto spots a fellow student named Eiko Takao working at an after-school salon. Makoto and Eiko hit it off as friends since they have a similar taste in a pencil case shaped like a panda. Mishima encounters Ichiko at a bar. Makoto calls Ren in for a favor by meeting up for a double date with Eiko and her host boyfriend named Tsukasa. Worried about Eiko being scammed by Tsukasa, Makoto tells Ren that her late father was a police officer. Ren and Makoto expose Tsukasa for being a scammer, though Eiko is too stubborn to believe this. Since the Phan-site reported multiple women being scammed by Tsukasa, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts defeat Tsukasa's Shadow in Mementos. Afterwards, Ren learns that Eiko apologized to Makoto, while Makoto aspires to become a police officer just like her late father.
15"I am Alibaba"Tomohisa TaguchiJuly 15, 2018 (2018-07-15)
After the term finals, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts watch a fireworks show, though their enjoyment is cut short when it begins to rain. As a mysterious international group of hackers known as Medjed issues a public warning to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Ren is contacted by someone using the alias named Alibaba, who threatens to reveal the identities of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts unless they can reform a hacker named Futaba Sakura. When Ren asks to meet Alibaba in person, Alibaba suddenly calls off the request and asks the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to not look into Futaba any further. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts soon realize that Futaba may be related to Sojiro. Meanwhile, Sae threatens to revoke Sojiro from having custody with Futaba as his adoptive daughter. After causing a temporary citywide blackout, Medjed plans to attack Japan unless the Phantom Thieves of Hearts reveal their identities. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts then ascertain that Alibaba is actually Futaba in disguise. At night, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts sneak inside Sojiro's house and come face-to-face with Futaba.
16"This place is my grave"Hitomi EzoeJuly 22, 2018 (2018-07-22)
After the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are caught sneaking inside Sojiro's house, Sojiro explains that Futaba witnessed a traumatic event when her biologically mother Wakaba Isshiki committed vehicular suicide two years ago, resulting in Futaba becoming a shut-in a few months ago after developing agoraphobia and suffering from auditory hallucinations. Although Sojiro believes that Futaba just needs to be left alone, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts later decide to reform Futaba after discovering that she may have a Palace. As summer vacation begins, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts contacts Futaba, who views her bedroom as a tomb where she will die. Using the Metaverse Navigator, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts enter Futaba's Palace, the Pyramid of Wrath. They encounter Futaba's Shadow, who hears voices of being blamed for Wakaba's death. After discussing a plan of action, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts become aware of Futaba's deteriorating mental state from losing Wakaba. When they are blocked from reaching Futaba's Treasure behind a barricaded bedroom door, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts eventually persuade Futaba to invite them inside her bedroom, where she opens up and directly asks them to reform her.
17"X Day"Kazuki OhashiJuly 29, 2018 (2018-07-29)
After sending a calling card to Futaba, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts gain access to the core of Futaba's Palace, but they are confronted by Wakaba's Cognition in the form of the demon Sphinx. When Futaba manages to enter Futaba's Palace by using the Metaverse Navigator, Futaba's Shadow encourages Futaba to remember that Wakaba always loved her, leading Futaba to realize that Wakaba's suicide note was fabricated by some male researchers who stole Wakaba's cognitive psience research. As a result, Futaba awakens her Persona named Necronomicon, assisting the others in defeating Wakaba's Cognition. After Futaba leaves Futaba's Palace, the others realize that Futaba's Treasure was herself all along, causing Futaba's Palace to collapse. Back in the real world, Sojiro realizes that Futaba needs to rest for a few days after she depleted her stamina. Ren, Ryuji, Morgana, Ann, Yusuke and Makoto visit Tokyo Skytree. Later on, Futaba puts a stop to Medjed with her hacking abilities as promised. Futaba reveals to the others that she was the founder of Medjed, but the group of hackers started using that alias to commit cybercrimes. After having sushi at a restaurant, Futaba asks Ren to help her find out who actually murdered Wakaba.
18"I'll guide you to victory"Akihisa ShibataAugust 5, 2018 (2018-08-05)
As Futaba agrees to become a member of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, the others offer to improve her social skills by planning to take her to the beach. After Sojiro teaches Ren how to cook curry and rice, Ann and Makoto purchase a bikini for Futaba to wear at the beach. The Phantom Thieves have some fun in the sun. At sunset, Futaba tells the others about Wakaba's cognitive psience research, which is tied to Palaces and connected to cases of mental shutdowns and psychotic breaks. The next day, Ren and Ryuji run into Kawakami at a fishing pond in Ichigaya. Ren and Ryuji meet up with Futaba at a store in Akihabara in order to help her buy a game. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts visit Mementos, which has expanded due to their increasing recognition. Later on, Ann is not fully invested in her modeling gig, which is noticed by a fellow model named Mika. When Ren returns to Café Leblanc, Sojiro tells him that Wakaba suspiciously predicted her death. Sojiro gives Futaba some sparklers to light up outside. Upon questioning his humanity, Morgana is reassured by Ren that he is not a cat.
19"Aloha"Harume KosakaAugust 12, 2018 (2018-08-12)
The school starts a new term. Without any leads on who murdered Wakaba, Makoto goes on a mission to extract data from Sae's laptop using Futaba's thumb drive. Ren, Ryuji, Ann and Makoto go on a field trip to Hawaii, where they enjoy food from a burger joint called Big Bang Burger. After his field trip to Los Angeles was cancelled due to a storm, Yusuke meets up with Ren, Ryuji, Ann and Makoto. Ren comes to the aid of Hifumi Togo, who is a professional shogi player and Yusuke's classmate. A scene shows Kobayakawa, the principal of Shujin Academy, suffering a mental shutdown at a crosswalk and being killed by an oncoming truck. While Ren brings souvenirs for Sojiro, Futaba and Morgana, Makoto learns from Sae that Kobayakawa committed vehicular suicide. The extracted data leads the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to investigate Kunikazu Okumura, the CEO of Okumura Foods which owns Big Bang Burger. Kunikazu allegedly stood to profit from people who died from mental shutdowns. Morgana decides to go rogue when the Phantom Thieves of Hearts become divided upon learning about Kunikazu's Palace. Sae tells Akechi that she will somehow take down the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
20"My name is Beauty Thief!"Tomohisa TaguchiAugust 19, 2018 (2018-08-19)
Ren, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto and Futaba approach Okumura Foods and use the Metaverse Nagivator to enter Kunikazu's Palace, the Spaceport of Greed, full of robots with angular masks. As they are unable to be breach authentication through a secured door, they discover that Morgana has allied himself with a girl using the alias Beauty Thief. Back in the real world, Beauty Thief is identified as Kunikazu's daughter named Haru Okumura, who explains that she allied herself with Morgana in order to find out the truth behind Kunikazu. After talking with Ichiko at the bar about Kunikazu, Ren briefly encounters a fortune-teller named Chihaya Mifune in the streets attempting to sell him a Holy Stone. At Mementos, Morgana defiantly chooses to defect from the others and stay with Haru. In the streets, Morgana gets injured while trying to protect Haru from her abusive fiancé named Sugimura. As the others come to the rescue, Morgana admits that he wants to stay with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Haru decides that she wants to call off her engagement with Sugimura.
21"You can call me "Noir""Yorifusa YamaguchiAugust 26, 2018 (2018-08-26)
Haru officially joins the Phantom Thieves of Hearts as they plan to reform Kunikazu. Returning to Kunikazu's Palace, they encounter Sugimura's Cognition in the form of a large robot called a Corporobo. No longer choosing to be subservient to her father, Haru manages to awaken her Persona named Milady and defeat Sugimura's Cognition. The Phantom Thieves secure an infiltration route to Kunikazu's Treasure, later revealed to be a mysterious orb after they send a calling card to Kunikazu in the real world. They confront Kunikazu's Shadow, who transforms into the demon Mammon, and they defeat his army of Corporobo Employees with increasing strength, including four workers, two chief clerks, two assistant managers, two division managers, one general manager and one executive director. Before Kunikazu's Palace collapses, Kunikazu's Shadow admits that he made requests to eliminate his competitors. As the Phantom Thieves of Hearts leave, Kunikazu's Shadow is shot to death by an unseen figure. Back in the real world, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts visit a theme park, and they learn that Kunikazu's Treasure is actually a model spaceship kit. They become shocked when Kunikazu suddenly dies after suffering from a mental shutdown during a press conference.
22"Is it our fault...?"Hitomi EzoeSeptember 2, 2018 (2018-09-02)
As public opinion of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts start to plummet following Kunikazu's death by supposed cardiac arrest, Haru informs the others that a fake calling card was placed in Kobayakawa's office, leading the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to realize that someone is trying to frame them. As Makoto learns that Sae is put in charge of investigating the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Futaba deduces that someone imitated Medjed and hacked the Phan-site in order to use the Phantom Thieves of Hearts as a scapegoat. At an arcade, Ren witnesses Mishima being obsessed over the Phan-site. In a church, Ren plays shogi with Hifumi as the latter opens up about living up to her mother's expectations. After the midterm exams, Ren watches on the school rooftop as Shiho thanks Ann for saving her life. Upon later discovering that Mishima tried to post a threatening message against the naysayers on the Phan-site, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts find Mishima's Shadow while visiting Mementos. Instead of defeating Mishima's Shadow, they urge him to think things through for himself. Back in the real world, Mishima confides in Ren that he found the right path in supporting the Phan-site.
23"How about a deal with me?"Kazuki OhashiSeptember 9, 2018 (2018-09-09)
The students of Shujin Academy unanimously vote for Akechi to appear as a guest speaker at the upcoming cultural festival. Despite the clear and present danger, Makoto tells the others that she wants to follow through with it in order to gain more information. While playing chess at Café Leblanc again, Ren concludes that Akechi may be a fan of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. On the daytime talk show, Akechi states his belief that the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were not the culprits behind Kunikazu's death. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts enjoy the different booths during the cultural festival. In the school auditorium, Akechi reveals that he knows the identities of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. While in the physical education faculty office, Akechi shows the Phantom Thieves of Hearts some footage of them outside Okumura Foods before explaining that he awakened his own Persona while being faced against the Black Mask. Akechi blackmails the Phantom Thieves of Hearts with a bounty of their heads. Offering to clear their names, he wants them to reform Sae after discovering that she may have a Palace, though they must agree on the condition to disband after the mission is over.
24"A challenge that must be won"Harume KosakaSeptember 16, 2018 (2018-09-16)
Akechi joins the Phantom Thieves of Hearts as they all arrive at a courthouse, where they use the Metaverse Navigator to enter Sae's Palace, the Casino of Envy, full of bouncers with melted masks. They encounter Sae's Shadow, who states that Sae's Treasure is located on the top floor, which is inaccessible to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Akechi reveals his Persona named Robin Hood. Back in the real world, Sojiro is under pressure from Futaba's abusive uncle named Youji Isshiki, who has been demanding for Sojiro to pay child support or give up custody of Futaba. Akechi digs up dirt on Youji, who lost most of the previous child support payments on bad investments. Even though he slips and falls, Youji threatens to sue Ren for pushing him. Futaba manages to reassure two social workers that Sojiro is a good legal guardian. After discovering a calling card in Futaba's bedroom, Sojiro figures out that Ren and Futaba are members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. In Sae's Palace, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts win enough coins at the Dice Game Area in order to acquire a member's card, thanks to Futaba.
25"Jealous Sinner"Tomohisa Taguchi
Yusuke Maruyama
September 23, 2018 (2018-09-23)
After gaining access to the high-rate floor by passing the House of Darkness, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are unable to cross the Bridge of Judgment on the top floor due to an insufficient amount of coins. Ren manages to obtain enough coins in the Battle Arena, despite being outnumbered by three Dancing Witches in the form of the demon Rangda. When Sae's Shadow raises the fee tenfold, Akechi acquires enough coins for the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to cross the Bridge of Judgment, taking advantage of a loophole in the member's card policy by using a second member's card to take out a loan which match their winnings. Once the Phantom Thieves of Hearts secure an infiltration route to Sae's Treasure, they send the calling card to Sae one day before she finishes her investigation. When Sae's Shadow transforms into the demon Leviathan, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts eventually defeat her, and Sae's Treasure is revealed to be a police notebook. Unfortunately, the riot police prepare to raid Sae's Palace due to an anonymous tip, prompting the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to split up and find their way out.
26"I won't let it end here"Masashi IshihamaSeptember 30, 2018 (2018-09-30)
Ren is reunited with Arsène, who urges him to remember everything. He ends up being captured by the riot police, which is reported on the news. An independent politician with a losing streak named Toranosuke Yoshida believes that the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are innocent. Telling the others that Ren is being held in an underground interrogation room at a youth detention center, Akechi believes that the Black Mask may have been the one who gave the anonymous tip. Akechi plans to rescue Ren on his own. At the present time, the interrogation draws to a close. As he remembers an earlier discussion with Morgana and Futaba, Ren asks Sae to show his smartphone to Akechi. As Akechi arrives at the youth detention center, Sae shows Ren's smartphone to Akechi. The other members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts patiently wait and have faith. As he enters the interrogation room, Akechi shows his true intentions by shooting Ren in the head with a silencer before taking his leave.
27 (SP–1)"Dark Sun..."Kazuki Ohashi
Hitomi Ezoe
December 30, 2018 (2018-12-30)
As the news reports that Ren allegedly committed suicide, Sae hides a still living Ren at Café Leblanc. Ren is reunited with Ryuji, Morgana, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba and Haru. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts took advantage of Sae's cognitive world, which had an interrogation room identical to the one in the real world. Akechi's treachery was known prior to defeating Sae's Shadow. Before Ren was captured, he switched a suitcase containing Sae's Treasure with an empty suitcase in order to prevent Sae's Palace from collapsing. Ren's suicide was staged when Akechi looked at Ren's smartphone, which activated Sae's cognitive world. Futaba previously bugged Akechi's smartphone, finding out that Akechi was the culprit behind the mental shutdown cases. Akechi works for Shido, the mastermind behind everything who is running a politicial campaign to become the next prime minister of Japan. Ren finally recognizes Shido as the man who caused him to have a criminal record. Approaching the National Diet Building, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts use the Metaverse Navigator to enter Shido's Palace, the Cruiser of Pride, full of guards wearing suits and party masks. As they steadily progress further in Shido's Palace, they learn that Shido actually stood to profit from people who died from mental shutdowns. Upon realizing that he was deceived by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Akechi reveals that Shido is his father. Akechi changes his Persona from Robin Hood to Loki before transforming into the Black Mask, expressing envy against Ren during a brief duel. Akechi's Cognition appears with a special assault team and hounds to inform that Shido has won the election, only to be shot to death by Akechi, who forcefully closes a watertight bulkhead door behind him, sacrificing himself so the Phantom Thieves of Hearts can reform Shido. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts secure an infiltration route to Shido's Treasure, sending a calling card to Shido by publicly displaying it on the city monitors. They finally confront Shido's Shadow, who transforms into the demon Samael. After a long battle, Shido's Shadow is defeated and Shido's Treasure is revealed to be a golden ship's wheel. As Shido's Palace starts to collapse, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts escape to the real world after Ryuji seemingly sacrifices himself obtaining a lifeboat for the others. Shido's Treasure is actually a legislator's pin in reality. Ryuji survived the blast, while Shido publicly admits to his crimes.
28 (SP–2)"Stars and Ours"Masashi IshihamaMarch 23, 2019 (2019-03-23)
With Shido being hospitalized and his inauguration postponed until further notice, the public opinion of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts begins to wane. Morgana explains that the Phantom Thieves of Hearts must infiltrate Mementos and steal Mementos's Treasure, which will reform all of society, though this will erase the Metaverse and disband the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Upon entering the Depths of Mementos, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts discover that Mementos's Treasure is the Holy Grail, seen as a sentient being that seeks to subjugate society's cognition. The Holy Grail fuses Mementos with reality, erasing the Phantom Thieves of Hearts from existence. Ren awakens in the Velvet Room, where he is freed from his cell before merging Caroline and Justine into one body as Lavenza, her true appearance. However, a false Igor reveals himself to be the Holy Grail in disguise and leaves to conquer reality, while the real Igor is released from imprisonment. Ren then frees the other members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts from their cells, where they have manifested as they vow to save all of society by defeating the Holy Grail. Morgana remembers that he was created to dispel an evil being from the human spiritual world, while Lavenza explains that the Holy Grail is the fusion of society's desire of sloth. With their existence gradually resurfacing, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts enter the Depths of Mementos again and confront the Holy Grail, who transforms into the demon Yaldabaoth, a malevolent god. Thanks to the Confidants, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts regain full support from society. Ren awakens a powerful Persona named Satanael, which is able to defeat Yaldabaoth. Morgana obtains Mementos's Treasure and dissipates into the sky. With society's cognition restored and the Metaverse now erased, it begins to snow in the city. In order to protect the lives of his comrades and make sure Shido is convicted, Ren agrees to testify in court, admitting that he was the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts and surrendering himself to the police. As a result, he is incarcerated in the juvenile detention center. Igor and Lavenza have completed their duties in rehabilitating Ren in the Velvet Room. Months later, Ren is released from the juvenile detention center, and Morgana is revealed to be still alive. Later on, Ren is taken to his hometown by the others.
OVA–1"Proof of Justice"Yorifusa YamaguchiMay 29, 2019 (2019-05-29)
After three days since Shido was reformed, Ren discovers that Akechi previously wrote "Proof of Justice" in a crossword puzzle book. Ren later investigates their hangout spots, including a billiard hall and a jazz club, while reminiscing when Akechi confided that he was good at billards but bad at cooking. After some digging around, Ren discovers that the Proof of Justice is the name of a popular toy raygun, recalling at an arcade that Akechi desired to be an ally of justice. Upon returning to Café Leblanc at night, Ren reevaluates his proof of justice. This next morning, the news reports that Shido has been hospitalized due to an emergency, causing an alarmed Ren to run off and investigate.
OVA–2"A Magical Valentine's Day"Kazuki OhashiJune 26, 2019 (2019-06-26)
On Valentine's Day, scenarios depicted in first-person perspective are featured with Ren individually spending time with his love interests, including Ann at a theme park, Futaba at an ice rink, Chihaya at a shrine, Hifumi at a swimming pool, Kawakami in his bedroom, Haru at a greenhouse, Tae in her office, Makoto at a love lock bridge and Ichiko at a horse racing track. Each love interest gifts Ren with a box or bag of chocolates, tells him about their future plans, asks if he is going back to his hometown next month, claims that he is their boyfriend and shares a kiss with him. During the final scenario, Ren hangs out with Ryuji at Café Leblanc overnight. The next day, all of Ren's love interests, under the impression that he was cheating on them, barge inside Café Leblanc and gang up on him before taking their leave. The post-credits scene features an additional scenario where Ren spends time with Sae at an opera concert.

Reception

The anime received mixed reception. Joe Ballard from CBR praised the anime for the portrayal of the characters that stays true to the original game. However, he criticized the pacing as it doesn't allow the time for those character developments to truly affect the audience. He also criticized how most of the female characters are subjected to excess fan service moments. He finds the shots from purposely sexualized camera angles are unnecessary and demeaning, stating that "it feels like a slap in the face to their personal struggles, especially considering one of the palace storylines revolves around physical and sexual abuse and the resulting mental health struggles."[25] Megan Gudman from the same site praised the anime for bringing back Lyn and Shoji Meguro's music and the expansion of Ren and Akechi's relationship, but criticized the dull animation and its poor handling of the Confidant characters.[26] USGamer criticized Joker's relatively silent personality in the anime adaptation, negatively comparing him to the more talkative Yu Narukami in Persona 4: The Animation.[27]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 The anime adaptation was originally credited to A-1 Pictures.[3] However, the credit was transferred to CloverWorks after their separation from the studio in October 2018.[10][11]
  2. In Australia via Crunchyroll Store Australia (formerly Madman Anime)

References

  1. "'Persona 5' Anime Releases New Key Visuals". ComicBook. Archived from the original on March 24, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  2. Clemons, Jared. "The Real-Life Personas Behind, the Phantom Thieves". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on March 24, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "Persona 5 Game Gets TV Anime Series in 2018 (Updated With Video)". Anime News Network. July 30, 2017. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Hazra, Adriana (July 5, 2020). "Aniplex USA to Release Persona 5 the Animation Complete Set on Blu-ray Disc". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  5. "Persona 5 RPG Gets TV Anime Special, Opening Song by Lyn". Anime News Network. September 19, 2015. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  6. "Crunchyroll to Stream Persona 5 the Animation -The Day Breakers- Special". Anime News Network. September 2, 2016. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  7. "Persona 5 TV Anime Special & Manga's Launch Dates Announced". Anime News Network. July 19, 2016. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  8. "Persona 5 Anime Special's Preview Video Reveals A-1 Pictures Animation". Anime News Network. July 19, 2016. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  9. "Aniplex USA to Release Import of Persona 5 the Animation -The Day Breakers- Special". Anime News Network. October 16, 2016. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  10. "PERSONA5 the Animation". CloverWorks. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  11. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (October 1, 2018). "CloverWorks Anime Studio Separates from A-1 Pictures, Remains Subsidiary of Aniplex". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  12. "Persona 5 TV Anime Reveals Staff, Promo Video, April Premiere". Anime News Network. December 24, 2017. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  13. Farrell, Reilly (April 4, 2018). "Shoji Meguro returning for Persona 5 anime". Video Game Music Online. Archived from the original on April 7, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  14. "Persona 5 Anime's 2nd Promo Video Previews Lyn's Opening Song". Anime News Network. March 25, 2018. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  15. "Persona 5 TV Anime Reveals April 7 Premiere, Makoto Visual". Anime News Network. February 28, 2018. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  16. "Persona 5 the Animation Dark Sun Special Reveals Visual, December 30 Broadcast". Anime News Network. November 25, 2018. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  17. "Persona 5 Anime Gets New TV Special in March (Updated)". Anime News Network. December 30, 2018. Archived from the original on January 12, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  18. "Persona 5: Stars and Ours Anime Special Airs on March 23". Anime News Network. February 8, 2019. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  19. Aetas Inc. "アニメ「ペルソナ5」のBD&DVD最終巻にバレンタインエピソードをOVAとして新規収録". www.4gamer.net (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  20. "Aniplex USA Licenses Persona 5 Anime". Anime News Network. February 16, 2018. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  21. Hanley, Andy (April 2018). "ANIME LIMITED ACQUIRES UK RIGHTS TO PERSONA5 THE ANIMATION". Anime Limited. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  22. "We'll be getting this too! Stay tuned for a local release date... #Persona #P5A". Twitter. July 5, 2020. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  23. "STORY – PERSONA5 the Animation". p5a.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  24. TVアニメ「ペルソナ5」- アニメ – TOKYO MX (in Japanese). Tokyo MX. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  25. "Why Persona 5: The Animation Fell Short of Its Epic Game Counterpart". CBR. June 24, 2020. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  26. "5 Things The Persona 5 Anime Did Right (& 5 It Did Wrong)". CBR. January 27, 2020. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  27. "Persona 5: The Animation Has a Chance to Right the Wrongs of its Predecessors". USGamer. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
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