‘I should watch something…’
If you enjoyed Atlus’ blockbuster JRPG Persona 5 and thought “Y’know, I’d love to see this exact same story again, but told really breathlessly and not quite as well,” then you’re in luck, as Persona 5 the Animation joins the Funimation streaming service today.
All 26 episodes of the 2018 anime are available to watch via Funimation, along with the “Dark Sun” and “Stars and Ours” special episodes. Viewers in North America and Canada can check out the entire series with a choice of both its original Japanese or new English dub. The latter sees the original cast of the video game stepping back into their respective roles as Joker, Ryuji, Haru, Morgana and Lady Ann, et al.
Persona 5 tells the story of a young student who is sent to Shujin Academy in Tokyo as part of his probation following a self-defence altercation. Under the care of cafe owner Sojiro Sakura, our protagonist soon falls in with a group of equally troubled students, each denied justice in one way or another. Upon learning of a strange alternate universe, where one can “steal the hearts” of the callous and cruel, the friends form an outlaw group known as The Phantom Thieves, determined to correct the course of those who prey on the innocent and helpless.
Persona 5 the Animation condenses the video game’s mammoth storyline into around 30 episodes, and is not particularly successful in doing so, biting off a little more narrative than it can chew for its running time. Still, it’s worth checking out for Persona 5 fans, and at least this new Funimation stream will cost you a durn sight less than the shockingly priced Blu-ray set.
Persona 5 Royal is available now on PS4.
Persona 5 the Animation streaming on Funimation [Siliconera]