Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 26 "True Ending" OVA (Completed)

I remember a time when a Director's Cut release meant something, but these days they mostly seem to be more or the same with the odd new scene or moment shoe-horned in here and there - so it goes with the Director's Cut of Persona 4: The Animation's twenty-fifth episode.  Still, at least it served as a reminder before delving into the real meat of this particular offering - the additional bonus "true ending" episode to the series, subtitle No-one Is Alone.

After beginning by teasing us with some brief shots of what appears to be a battle between protagonist Yu and the Velvet Room's Margaret, we return to normality, jumping forward in time from the events of episode twenty-five to see Narukami joining the gang in preparations for his farewell party.  Indeed, all seems to be as normal as the usual suspects goof around... but is everything really as it seems?  Something appears to be up, and a letter received by Yu from Adachi confirms it - the Midnight Channel's rabbit hole goes deeper still...

More specifically, the whole thing leads to the first meeting Narukami had after arriving in Yasoinaba, and lo and behold Yu soons confirms his suspicions as he finds the true mastermind between both the Midnight Channel and his own powers.  With Narukami in a vulnerable state as he laments the fact that he's about to lose his friends, this new suspect puts him through the wringer as he points out that the rest of humanity will take none too kindly to our hero doing his part to dissolve the fog that previously enveloped the town, thus stripping people of the opportunity to pruriently see the weaknesses of their fellow man.  Just as all hope is lost, and with Narukami seemingly prepared to accept an illusory happiness rather than his reality, it's Margaret who arrives to save the day and remind Yu of the importance of the truth in everything that he's done up to this point.  This time the struggle really is over, and they all live happily ever after.  Probably.  Who knows, I live in the UK so I can't even play Persona 4 Arena...

For all of my quibbles with the original ending to Persona 4, it still did a pretty good job of rounding things off to the point where this "true ending" didn't really feel necessary beyond the fact that it was part of the original PlayStation 2 game.  Having watched this episode, I'd really rather it had been left out to be frank, as this additional episode was a clumsy, muddled and disjointed affair - sometimes deliberately so admittedly, but it never really seemed to add anything particularly of value to everything which had gone before.  On top of this, it feels as though ever expense was spared in the production of this episode, with decidedly shaky animation quality which only added to the feeling that the whole thing was hurriedly stuck together in the name of boosting Blu-Ray sales.  I guess it's good for fans of the game to get a feeling of closure from the series thanks to it covering all of the angles of its source material, but as someone who hasn't played the game from beginning to end, part of me wishes that they hadn't bothered with this OVA in its current form.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 25 (Completed)

It's always a little worrying when you hear news of an OVA "True End" episode before you've finished watching a series proper itself, but anyhow, here we are at the TV finale of Persona 4's animated outing.

Narukami and company might have finally tracked down and outed the individual responsible for starting the string of murders and disappearances around Yasoinaba, but the culprit in question is hardly repentant for what he's done - far from it in fact, he seems to be welcoming the merger of reality and the world of Shadows in the hope that the latter will take hold and bring forth what he sees a more suitable place for himself give his apathy towards the real world which he's fed up of.  There are, however, still signs that this isn't entirely the case, as a refusal to pull the trigger and kill Narukami exhibits, and ultimately its the strength of will of our heroes which turns things around and puts paid to their final opponent.

At least, that's the end of the line for their final human opponent, as they soon face an ever graver concern in the form of Ameno-sagiri, the being who created the world beyond the television and the Midnight Channel within it, even going as far as to suggest that he allowed select individuals to enter this world by his own will.  That said, the being in question claims to simply be the will of mankind, who seek to escape reality at every corner by creating their own false worlds to enjoy and worship.  He may have a point, but he has reckoned without the strengths of the bonds between our group of heroes - when push comes to shove and Narukami's life is in danger of being extinguished, their reaction is sufficient to win the day, sealing this mysterious world before it collides with reality - for now, at least.

So Persona 4: The Animation comes to an end (well, kind of) in a hugely satisfying and well-produced finale which worked perfectly to tie up the series and bring us a happy ending to proceedings.  Despite its early mis-steps, which were thankfully quickly cleared up, watching Persona 4 has been a terrific experience from my perspective of someone who hasn't played the original game beyond a few hours after starting to watch the series.  It's rare to find a series that manages to make its story elements which could be regarded as "filler" so consistently entertaining, and at times these comedic side-stories threatened to eclipse the main thrust of the series itself - thankfully, when it came to the crunch the show's "proper" story-telling was similarly impactful, with its only disappointments coming courtesy of some cop-outs and odd decisions from the source material rather than anything this adaptation specifically got wrong.  With a UK release on the horizon, I'll genuinely be looking forward to watching Persona 4: The Animation again in the future, and as an example in how to adapt a video game to anime well this must surely be one of the strongest reference cases out there.  It's a job incredibly well done for the most part, and I hope that its "True End" bonus episode does nothing to spoil that.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 24

Having effectively hit the reset button on its major piece of Nanako-related drama next week, we're all set to focus simply on tracking down the killer as we reach Persona 4's penultimate instalment - first, though, it's time for Yu and Yousuke to have a completely pointless punch-up, while Teddie returns to the scene after vanishing last time out.

With these points of note out of the way, it seems that several members of the group have started to piece together worrying discrepancies relating to a certain individual close to the case.  Once confronted, said individual seems as generally harmless as ever, but as the pressing questions continue so we see that person becoming more and more skittish, eventually reaching the point where they can take no more and do a runner via the nearest television set.  The spoilers start with earnest after the following image, so if you haven't watched this episode yet and want to keep the surprise just that, look away now.

Giving chase to the culrpit, the gang find themselves in a strangely desolated, ruined approximation of Yasoinaba's shopping district - an area which seems to be presided over entirely by Adachi, or at least by his Shadow who they eventually track down thanks to Teddie, with his real-world alter ego nowhere to be seen.  Not that this stops said Shadow from confessing to Adachi's crimes, explaining how and why (well, if "because I felt like it" counts as a good reason why) he committed those initial crimes, and even how he egged Namatame along into committing his own misdeeds in the name of "saving" others.  That's our culprit fingered then - but can Narukami and company actually do anything to stop him, and perhaps more importantly the "fusion" between reality and the fog-laden netherworld that seems about to take place?

After setting off my "cop-out plot twist" alarm was set off at full pelt by last week's Persona 4, can I also confess to being a bit disappointed by this week's big reveal?  I mean, Adachi?  Really?  Really?!?!  I'm all for a shock revelation in a murder mystery story, and I wasn't expecting it to be anyone obvious (there wasn't even anyone obvious to suspect any more by this point), but they could have at least made for a more believable crazed serial killer, or at least thrown in more than one measly clue during the course of the series to tease people in the right direction.  Again, I realise that this is just the adaptation running its course, so it isn't the fault of the anime per se (and I have no bones with this episode for doing the best it can with that source material, it's another pretty decent effort), but simply picking the least likely individual to be the killer... well, it kind of sucks and feels decidedly lazy - even Nanako would have made for a more compelling final reveal.  Never mind a new ending for Mass Effect 3, is it too late to demand one for Persona 4?

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 23

For all of their successful rescues throughout the series, it seems that when push really came to shove our gang of would-be heroes were left powerless to do anything about Nanako's fate, which makes for a decidedly maudlin opening to this twenty-third episode of Persona 4.

Understandably given the circumstances, the thoughts of many soon turn to vengeance in the wake of the events of the previous episode, beginning with Dojima's attempts to force his way into Namatame's hospital room despite his own injuries.  Although this attempt fails, it still leaves the rest of the group open to confront the suspected killer, and his room soon takes on a dark tone as many of said group's members increasingly bay for revenge against Nanako's killer, either directly or by throwing him into the world beyond the television.

Ultimately however, Narukami himself has a change of heart and spares Namatame, despite harbouring doubts as to whether he should have done so - beyond this, he soon realises that the only real way to find justice is to continue their investigation into the murders, and there's no better place to start this than with Namatame himself.  Thus, we're thrust into this suspect's back story, where we quickly learn that Namatame was little more than an ill-judged hero himself, who saw the initial midnight channel broadcasts and murders and decided to kidnap future individuals who appeared upon before keeping them somewhere "safe" in the strange world beyond the TV.  Essentially then, both Namatame and Narukami and company were both deceiving one another when it came to their logic and reasoning, creating a circle which surely saved lives but also made finding the real killer all the more difficult.  Of course, none of this will bring Nanako back, but then again maybe it doesn't need to...

After another great episode which leveraged its emotional impact fantastically for the first half of its episode before delivering a more measured, logical second half, the whole thing was rather ruined by the story pushing the reset button upon Nanako's death to deliver perhaps one of the biggest cop-outs I've seen in anime - it's a cheap trick to shift us towards an unqualified happy ending, and it makes those strong emotions which I mentioned at the start of this week's episode feel cheapened as a result.  I'm not going to say that this has ruined the Persona 4 experience for me or anything of that kind, because it couldn't be further from the truth, but it is a bit disappointing to see a series that's been so relentlessly superb for much of its story to employ such cheap plot twists.  Still, I'll be tuning in with bated breath next week, albeit with the resignation that it might see more characters inexplicably resurrected.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 22

Nanako is in danger, and the culprit seemingly responsible for the Midnight Channel disappearances has been tracked down - are we entering the gang's final battle to solve this case?

First things first however, as Nanako's safety takes priority and a dip inside the world of the television brings us to a heaven-like vision brought forth by Nanako herself out of continued grief for her deceased mother.  Although Taro Namatame tries to make a run for it with Nanako in tow, he's soon cornered, with his insistence that he's trying to "save" those he's dumped inside the TV world falling upon deaf ears.  Such is Namatame's insistence that he ultimately finds himself surrounded by Shadows who bestow upon him the ability to control others and their Personas - a trick which makes life decidedly difficult once he takes control of Narukami.

Ultimately though, Yu manages to break this "spell" before later helping his comrades to do the same, and giving them to opportunity they need to take down Namatame and save Nanako.  With the former taken into custody and the latter rushed to hospital where she remains for some time before showing signs of recovery, it seems that the case really has been solved this time.  But is this really the end of the story?  With Yasoinaba finding itself blanketed by fog day after day, something is clearly amiss, and even Nanako's fate is still anything but assured...

All of this adds up to another great episode of Persona 4 - by this point it almost doesn't need to do anything special, as its story alone has enough in the bank to keep you hooked.  With a pretty slick action scene making up the first half of the episode before lulling us into a false sense of security on multiple counts during the second, we well and truly have the rug pulled out from underneath us in its closing moments.  Is its story really going to take such a cruel turn, and in what direction are we headed next?  It's these exact questions that has me on the edge of my seat as we wait for next week's instalment.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 21

The time for goofing around has well and truly come to a close, as the Midnight Channel kidnappings suddenly threaten to visit very close to home indeed.

With Narukami receiving a threat to stop investigating the disappearances at the tail-end of last week's episode, the need for the gang to step up their investigation becomes even more pressing as it's clear that it's somebody close at hand to at least Yu himself.  But where to start?  With Narukami distracted by Nanako falling ill on account of the changing season while she generally doesn't seem to be herself, things come to a head when he receives a second letter threatening that someone close to him will be the next victim unless his investigation ceases.

Unfortunately for Narukami, Dojima snatches the letter from him and sees its contents, and before we know it Yu is hauled off to the police station to be questioned about what's going on.  Needless to say, Dojima has no time for Narukami's story of Shadows and Persona, leaving him to think over his response behind a locked door for the night - or at least, that's the plan until word reaches all and sundry that Nanako is missing.  With Dojima still having no time for Narukami's story, or indeed the attempts of his friends to back him up, it's up to the gang to convince his subordinate Adachi to allow them to do what is required to save Nanako, as their knowledge of the investigation finally appears to put a name to the culprit in the case.

For all of the fun I've had during Persona 4's light-hearted episodes, to the point where I wondered aloud whether I even cared about the whole murder-mystery angle of the show any more, I have to confess that this was a brilliant episode, with its second half in particular proving to be gripping as it moved things forward at great speed to close in around the killer with Nanako's life at stake, and with Narukami's character in particular proving to be a fantastic portrait of anguish and frustration throughout.  It seems that we're all set for the show's big finale now - I just hope it doesn't disappoint against the backdrop of a series that has been decidedly excellent for the most part.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 20

Now that the culture festival is over, what are our group of friends going to do in its immediate aftermath?  Most of their plans are put paid to by Narukami needing to look after Nanako for the night, but it seems that all is not lost as Yukiko (rather involuntarily) invites the whole gang to spend the night at her inn.

Yes, that's right, after ticking off the culture festival we move on to a hot springs instalment!  You can probably guess most of the rest of the episode from here, with the boys stumbling into the girls bath on a couple of occasions (even if it turns out to be justified) while worrying about whether there room is haunted and making yet another error as they try to join the girls in their room on the floor below.

Okay, so there is some evidence of how Yukiko has changed since confronting her Shadow, and a hugely important letter received by Narukami at the end of the episode, but that's about all you get in what is otherwise very much a run-of-the-mill filler episode.

That's pretty much all there is to it really - a couple of minor laughs and that important post-credit ending don't really make up for an episode which felt a bit lazy, truth be told, and not up to the same glowing standard of entertainment that much of the show has delivered.  It's something I can forgive seeing as we seem to be launching right back into the thick of the story next week though.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 19

It's a well-known fact that Japanese law states that no high school anime can be completed without a culture festival episode... so whaddya know, here's Persona 4's culture festival episode!

Compared to the ordinary fare normally offered up as such events, it seems as if there's a al to push everybody's limits at this particular festival, with the gang's class somehow voting to stage a "group date" event of some kind, while the surreptitious entry of the girls into the beauty pageant is soon reciprocated by the boy's being entered into a cross-dressing beauty pageant.

Against a backdrop of Rise continuing to face her own issues as they pertain to her celebrity status, and with Narukami making friends with a wannabe musical girl with little outright talent to offer, the general goal of this week's instalment is very much a comedic one, with Yuu revelling in an opportunity to explore his feminine side while the festival also plays host to a fortune teller who is more than a little familiar to our protagonist...

It's at times like this that I find it hard to remember that Persona 4: The Animation is a murder-mystery story at heart, simple because it proves to be so marvellously adept at producing hilarious filler episodes such as this one.  Despite a huge drop in animation quality for the most part (it really does look terrible more often than not - was it "let your child animate an episode of anime" day at AIC?), and even without much grounding in the rest of the series, I couldn't help but laugh my way through this episode as it deployed its humour consistently and amusingly.  In terms of using its characters and using them well, I get the feeling that this series simply can't be beaten, and although it should maybe be focusing on its proper storyline at this point I simply can't get mad at Persona 4 for not doing so when it gets me laughing so often.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 18

With the Midnight Channel quiet once again, Persona 4's eighteenth episode gives us an opportunity to explore another side-story and some of the characters within it.

The episode begins in distressing fashion as we witness a hit-and-run accident - an event which seems to have special significance for detective Dojima as he sets about investigating the incident with even more vigour than is usual for him.  This all ties into daughter Nanako's current concerns, as she wonders about her mother, whose picture is conspicuously absent from her home while her death has never been fully explained to Nanako, and her dad's seeming lack of interest in her.

It's left to Narukami to act as an intermediary here, as Dojima becomes more and more focuses upon his work, even leaving an ill Nanako to Yuu so that he can continue his investigations, while Nanako herself begins to wonder whether Dojima is even her real father.  Things finally come to a head as Narukami's exhausted uncle admits that he's almost certain not to attend his daughter's class observation day, which leads to Nanako fleeing the house in tears - a moment which, perhaps, finally leads Dojima to realise where he's been going wrong and to open up a new chapter in the life of his family.

Despite having little if anything to do with the show's main story, this turned out to be another solid and well-paced instalment which worked well as a stand-alone episode in its own right all the way through to its genuinely emotional finale as it filled in another chunk of the back story of some of its characters.  Persona 4 certainly seems to have the measure of its characters and how to deliver by utilising them properly these days, which bodes well as we move deeper and deeper into the series, even if we have the predictable school festival episode coming up next.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 17

Even in the Velvet Room people can make mistakes, no matter how much they protest otherwise.  Nonetheless, I digress, as this seventeenth episode of Persona 4's animated outing returns to the gangs attempts to save Naoto from himself.

With a premature ageing ray amongst the weapons at the disposal of Naoto's shadow, a successful rescue mission won't be easy, which makes for a protracted action sequence before Teddie's regenerative abilities and some teamwork amongst the party's members ensure that they win the day, thus giving Naoto an opportunity to face their hidden self and admit that at the real core of his worries are not his.. sorry, her gender or a need for acceptance as a detective, but simply that she wants people around her that he can call friends.  He's certainly come to the right place in the regard.

Following this ordeal, Naoto's clear recollection of her kidnapping gives us at least some clues as to both the identity of the murderer and the reason behind the way corpses of the victims have been disposed of, while also confirming that Mr. Morooka's murder was indeed a copycat incident.  The question is, of course, where the gang's investigation goes from here - a question best left for next week's instalment as the remainder of this week's episode largely involves itself with bringing Naoto into the core of the group.

All in the all, this made for another hugely enjoyable episode of Persona 4: The Animation - the balance between action, serious stuff and comedy was pretty much spot-on, and the slow-down for the second half of the episode was forgiveable as a way of wrapping up the arc and getting us ready for whatever the show has up its sleeve next.  This kind of accomplished and confident adaptation certainly feels like a million miles from the show's stumbling start, which makes me very glad indeed that I've persevered with it.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 16

Did you really think that the murders and mysteries within Inaba had been solved and cleared up?  Of course not, and after a decidedly quite spell it appears that it's time for the Midnight Channel to begin broadcasting once again.

This chain of events is brought about by "student detective" Naoto, who makes an appearance on television both to show his prowess and discuss how he still has doubts that the case upon which he worked has really been solved.  This is a theory that he then goes on to espouse directly to our group of would-be crime-fighters, showing that he hasn't completely overlooked the relationships between them and how the group in question might have formed.

Given that TV appearance to provoke any potential criminal into action, it's no shock to find Naoko appearing on the Midnight Channel - first indistinctly, but then in a very obvious fashion via some kind of mad scientist alter-ego.  That means it's time for the gang to head off into the world beyond Junes' TV for the first time in a while, although Rise's inability to track down Naoto means they have to decamp back to the real world to do some digging befre they can find him.  Once there, it seems as if Naoko already has the better of his sobbing, childish Shadow... at least, he does until he denies that the wailing individual before him is part of Naoto's true personality.  This means that it's time to do battle again, as we learn in more ways than one that Naoto isn't quite who he seems.

Having said that I was ready to return to the more mysterious elements of this series after rather a lot of frivolity within Persona 4: The Animation of late, I was certainly thrilled by what we saw here - a well paced, plotted and directed affair which made great use of Naoto's personality and intellect while also taking us back to the heart of the series in compelling fashion.  The potency of its cliff-hanger was perhaps weakened by a reversion to comedy, but this does little to take the sheen off a great episode.  I've thoroughly enjoyed Persona 4's frequent dips into comedy, but those moments work so much better when they have the kind of fare on show this week to sustain them.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 15

With the fun (or hardships in Narukami's case) of the summer over, it's back to school for a new term as we hit episode fifteen of Persona 4: The Animation.  Not only that, we also get a new transfer student to ponder, with young assistant detective Naoto Shirogane joining the school to suggest his increased prominence within the series moving forward.


Still, if going back to school is normally a thing of anguish, there's no such worries here as the first activity upon their return is the school's field trip to give the students a dose of excitement before they've even started.  That said, this isn't so much your typical school trip but rather a "cultural exchange" with another school in the rather fancy Tatsumi Port area, making for an impressive yet ultimately dull first day for all and sundry.  Things only really begin to get interesting once evening draws in, and the students find themselves housed in a rather "interesting" hotel while the gang find themselves with an unexpected visitor in the form of Teddie.

With the second day of their trip to themselves, it's time to go out and explore, although the group soon get split up before Narukami runs into Chie rather bravely (and impressively) fending off some would-be muggers picking on a poor young local.  The resulting conversation between the two of them signifies an increasing closeness in their relationship - a thought interrupted by news that Rise has managed to find a club for the group to hang out in.  Cue lots of drinking (but it's not alcohol, honest!), proof that Yuu is the king of cool no matter what his state of sobriety and an ultimately rather weak King's Game in that very anime-esque way we're all used to.

Aside from bringing Naoto into the fold, and despite being part of the original game I believe, it's probably fair to say that this is effectively more filler for the series as it edges ever-so slowly back towards some more serious fare.  Thankfully, if there's one thing Persona 4 has managed ably it's presenting less important aspects of its adaptation complete with a shed-load of entertainment, something which the series manages again here with great use of Narukami's staid character and with plenty of funny and laugh out loud moments to keep things ticking over.  In a way,  I almost prefer this side of Persona 4 to its murder-mystery aspects - then again, I'm just about ready to return to something a little more meaty after the fun and frolics of recent weeks.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 14

After presenting Nanako's view of the summer last week, this time around it's Yuu Narukami's turn to get the focus turned upon his relaxing summer - at least, it would have been relaxing were it not for a certain fox.

Having lost her umbrella on account of said fox, Narukami decides to buy Nanako a replacement - a task which is easier said than done for a jobless student.  Thus, our protagonist takes on a part-time job tutoring a kid to try and make the required money; a decision which snowballs as he finds himself unable to refuse the opportunity to assist other people in the town.

Before we know it, Narukami is helping out with childcare, assisting old ladies, fishing, flirting with nurses, dressing as Teddie and giving first aid - although never all at the same time, I should hasten to add.  While this is no doubt doing wonders for his social standing, it certainly isn't doing much for his physical health as be the end of it the poor guy is exhausted.  Still, all's well that ends well as we end with happiness for all and sundry.  Ahhhhh.

Much like Nanako's take on things last time around, there were some great comedy moments within this week's Persona 4 - perhaps not quite enough to drive the episode from beginning to end, but just about enough to make it somewhat entertaining even if it was the epitome of filler.  Perhaps I'm being a little less generous because it feels like so long since we last had some "proper" Persona action between this arc and the New Year break, so hopefully we get back to business as usual as soon as possible next time around - a possibly forlorn hope with it covering school trip territory.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 13

After a break for the New Year, Persona 4: The Animation returns just in time for... another break, this time in the form of a summer break for Narukami and company.

Not that our protagonist seems to have any intention of using the summer and the apparent resolution of the town's murders for some rest and relaxation - instead, we see a decidedly tired and listless Yuu leaving the house early every day and returning late at night looking even more exhausted.  Exactly what is he doing - does he have a girlfriend?  Narukami is quick to scotch such rumours, but who knows the real truth.

Frustrated by her surrogate big brother's constant disappearances, young Nanako decides to fashion herself upon a popular TV magical girl detective and do some investigating... and no, that doesn't mean she cosplays as anyone from Tantei Opera Milky Holmes, before you get confused.  With her relevant garb, Nanako sets off to tail Narukami, only to find herself distracted or otherwise unable to keep up with him more often than not.  When she does finally manage to seemingly catch him "in the act", he's being bossed around by a girl, thus confirming the suspicions that he has a girlfriend, although further investigation shows that this isn't the case and throws even more confusion upon the question of what he's up to.  Still, as the summer ends all seems to be well, as Yuu returns to his usual self just in time to celebrate with Nanako and his friends.

With next week set aside to explain Narukami's mysterious whereabouts, it looks like we're all set for a double-header of filler content here exploring these summer travails.  Then again, although I'd rather have started the year with something a little more substantial I can't pretend to have been too dismayed by this episode in general - it had some wonderful moments of comedy that at least helped to pass the time quite nicely in the absence of any other real tension, and it's the show's comedy that still gives me my biggest kick out of watching Persona 4 for the most part.  If part two of this small arc can bring us something a little deeper to offset the relative fluffiness of this episode, I'll be content with it overall.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 12

It seems as though we have the killer in our grasp through the eyes of most people, with the decidedly odd Mitsuo handing himself in to the authorities.  Is he really the killer though?  Such questions are only reaffirmed as he becomes the latest person to make his appearance on the Midnight Channel.
  With a view to apprehending him as much as rescuing him in mind, our Persona-wielding team set off to find and take Mitsuo from the world beyond the television screen, finding themselves dumped into the video game world created by Mitsuo's Shadow in the process. 

 

While Teddie has enough vim and vigour to see off most of the challenges in their way alone (well, more or less), the others can concentrate on Mitsuo himself as they ponder whether they're at the cusp of catching the killer.  Is this really the end of the group's journey together?  It's this thought which drags Narukami into the mindset of their opponent's Shadow, as we're thrown into an alternate reality where the end of the murder investigation sees Narukami's new-found friends slowly but surely drifting away from him, leaving him isolated and powerless.  Luckily for him, he's rescued from this overwhelming ennui just in time to deal with the actual business before him of defeating this Shadow, something that only he can do with the plethora of Persona at his disposal.  So, the murderer has been plucked away back to the real world and confessed to all his crimes - is that the end of the story?  Of course not, we're only half-way through the series, silly.  Perhaps the biggest issue facing this episode of Persona 4: The Animation was how to depict Narukami's situation as brought about by Mitsuo's Shadow - it's a tough thing to depict at the best of times without either treating the audience as dumb or giving the game away too soon.  In all fairness to the series it didn't go down either of these routes, yet there was still something unsatisfactory about the sudden sideways leap taken by the episode which is never fully explained when it comes to an end.  Still, to make up for that we were granted possibly the slickest and most ambitious action scene the show has granted us yet, as well as some great little sprinklings of humour that has become as much (if not more) of a part of watching Persona 4 as the murder mystery element of the series itself.  Either way, I'm more than a little interested as to what this series is going to deal us next, and that's praise indeed given its stumbling start.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 11

No matter how impressive their efforts in rescuing potential victims from the strange netherworld beyond the television, it seems that Narukami and company still aren't capable of saving everybody, as we find ourselves with another body strung up by a television aerial in Inabi.

This time around the victim is the teacher of some of our Persona-wielding crew, Mr. Morooka - a moron he may be, but his untimely death leaves all and sundry wondering whether they've been barking up the wrong tree with their investigation thus far, even if it's nothing that lamenting over a bowl of udon won't fix.

Murder aside, this episode still brings its fair share of surprises, not least the visit of Teddie to the real world - not only that, but it seems that he's spent the intervening period growing his own real-life, human body to strut around in - and rather dashing it is too.  Meanwhile, we have a couple of other oddballs to concentrate on - the boy with the cap who has been loitering around the area previously introduces himself as Naoto Shirogane, a young detective working on the murder case himself in an official capacity.  Then we have Mitsuo, the weird guy who asked Yukiko out earlier in the series who has only taken a turn for the creepier since then.  Indeed, Mitsuo even insists that it's he who is the murderer, seemingly putting an end to the quest to find the killer - but surely things can't be that simple, especially given that the Midnight Channel has fired up once again...

It might not grab the attention quite as much as recent episodes coming as it does between rescue arcs as it does, but if you'd almost forgotten that there was a murderer on the loose to worry about (as I admittedly had for a while back there) then this brings that concern back to the front and centre of the series via some interesting developments which hold more than enough interest to power the episode.  Add to that the show's growing confidence in terms of humour and leveraging its characters, and Persona 4: The Animation is still going strong.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 10

Despite identifying Rise as the next likely victim of Inaba's killer, it seems that the Persona-wielding gang can do little to prevent her from being dumped into the world within the television, as before they know it Risette's turns on the Midnight Channel take on an even more risque form.  Shame that record button didn't work huh, Narukami?

Anyway, with Rise kidnapped, there's only one thing for it, so it's time for our now five-strong team to find Teddie and chase down Rise and her Shadow.  Thankfully, tracking her down is little problem, and we soon find ourselves outside a decidedly shady club where a whole phalanx of Risettes are strutting their stuff, complete with bodyguard Shadows to protect the main focus of our concerns.

While Kanji's sheer strength is enough to see off the bodyguards, Rise's Shadow itself is a different kettle of fish - a being with the ability to analyse the powers of the Persona it fights against, making defending herself easy while her offensive abilities leave the gang with no room to retaliate.  Just as it seems to be all over, help appears from an unusual quarter - Teddie himself, who shows what he can do by single-handedly defeating Rise's Shadow before she finally finds room in her heart to accept her exhibitionist tendencies and desperation to be accepted and loved by others.  It seems that Rise isn't the only one with such problems however, as any celebrations are cut short by the appearance of Teddie's own shadow, representing his frustrations and uncertainties surrounding his lack of past memories.  It takes a finally push from Narukami and Rise in particular to help Teddie overcome his Shadow, meaning that we now have two more additions to the Persona ranks.

While the climatic battle with Rise's Shadow felt a little rushed and short-lived, and as a result quite anti-climatic, the reason for this soon became clear, with the revelations surrounding Teddie offering a surprising twist to the story while adding another aspect to proceedings into the bargain.  What this means for the show going forward is unclear, but as episodes go this offered us a fun ride that proved that it still has the power to turn the tables to avoid the risk of becoming overly formulaic, and that can only be good news.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 9

Now for something completely different... seemingly a million miles away from the sleepy town of Inaba, this week's Persona 4 introduces us to a pop idol and soon to be movie star named Rise Kujikawa (or Risette to her fans) - not that it seems like she'll be holding this position much longer, as she announces her intention to quit to her manager just before going on stage.

With her announcement out in the open, it's revealed that Rise will be moving to Inaba (or all places), where one of her relatives runs a tofu shop.  Of course, this is big news for all in the locale, and given her numerous television appearances Narukami and company fret that she might well be the next victim of the town's killer.

Lo and behold, before we know it Kujikawa seems to appear on the Midnight Channel, although having seen the broadcast for herself Rise denies that it's her.  While detective Dojima begins to find himself concerned by Narukami's proximity to his case upon catching him acting in line with his own investigations, we begin to dig at least a little into Rise's insecurities and worries as she befriends Narukami.  As Rise's troubles seem to mount yet further and the Midnight Channel makes another appearance, there's no doubt left as to who the next victim of a kidnapping is going to be...

In keeping with recent episodes, Persona 4: The Animation continues to feel like a far slicker, more considered production than its early outings, right the way through from its opening theme this week onwards.  While some of the comedy is threatening to become a little predictable in the way it's presented and handled, it still keeps a light-hearted tone near the surface while also finding time to build its characters and the general setting quite nicely.  This week's instalment might not be quite as memorable as recent episodes, but it sets the tone swiftly and with just the right focus for what is looking like our next major story arc.  Bring it on!

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 8

Having saved Kanji Tatsumi from himself (or at least his Shadow) in last week's hilarious episode, there's an opportunity for a bit of downtime for the gang as the school camping trip pops up on their agenda.

While there is a little time to ponder the culprit behind the murders at the centre of the series, and also an opportunity to make a new friend in the form of the initially hostile but eventually more personable Naoki Konishi (brother of the murdered Konishi, of course), the general aura of the episode is one of light-hearted fun and... well, filler really.

Thus, we get to see Chie and Yukiko's atrocious attempt at making curry, some rather troublesome arrangements when it comes to sharing tents for both the boys and girls, further proof that Hanamura is far too much of a lecherous fellow for his own good, and why taking a dip in the nearby river isn't always such a great idea.

Although nothing will match last week's episode in terms of laugh out loud entertainment value for me, this was still a pretty fun instalment that gauged its humour just about right, making the most of its characters as they bounce off one another while also continuing to really get to grips with using Narukami's deadpan delivery and attitude in the name of comedy.  After a potentially ropey start, Persona 4: The Animation seems to have grown quite admirably into the arguably daunting boots that it had to fill, and hopefully it'll only continue in the right direction as we move ever-closer towards its half-way point.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 7

Considering his demeanour and reputation as a delinquent, Kanji Tatsumi's appearance on the Midnight Channel was an... interesting announcement of his disappearance.  Still, regardless of any impressions left by the turn of his alter-ego, it's time to head back into the mysterious, foggy world inside the television once again.

First things first however, our quartet of heroes and heroines (now bolstered by Yukiko of course) need a lead as to where to find Tatsumi within this world, meaning a quick trip back to reality to find something suitable so that Teddie can pick up Kanji's scent.  That duly carried out (and giving us another hint as to Kanji's true nature in the process), our target is tracked down to a bath house which seems to have become the home for his Shadow.

Given what they find there in terms of Kanji's alter-ego, it's no surprise that the boys on the team aren't too keen to press on, but eventually they're left with no choice but to do so to face up to their toughest challenge yet, as this Shadow and its minions seem largely impervious to the attacks of their massed Persona while proving capable of providing a few "sneak attacks" of their own.  It's only some intervention from the Velvet Room and Narukami's wild card that finally opens up an opportunity to win the day before Kanji himself defeats his own Shadow and embraces his.... let's call it effeminate... side.

While I've enjoyed Persona 4: The Animation in broad terms thus far, this week's instalment took that enjoyment to a whole other level by being outright and utterly hilarious throughout.  Okay, maybe it's a bit cheap making jokes about Kanji's sexuality but hey, I come from a nation that brought the world Are You Being Served? so I'm more than comfortable laughing uncontrollably at such cheap gags and, more importantly, our team of rescuers reactions to the situation.  If you'd missed it over recent weeks (and it hasn't always been obvious to be fair), Persona 4 has now built a fantastic roster of regular characters who do a wonderful job of bouncing off one another in comedy terms here to make for an episode that really couldn't be any more entertaining if it wanted to.  Sure, this isn't exactly a comedy anime at its core, and there's even a serious undertone to this episode beneath all of its superb one-liners and snippets of dialogue, but it's great to see that the series isn't taking itself too seriously, and I feel like I haven't laughed this hard in weeks.  This might just be my favourite anime episode of the autumn season to date.