Persona 5 the Animation is Just Right for the Lazy Gamer

Easier to Watch than a 50 Hour Gaming Experience

Otaku Voice Staff

Most Japanese role playing games are known for their extended playing time. Some classics garner upwards of 40 hours. The Persona games, especially Persona 5, are no exception to that rule. At over 50 hours in you can be as much as only halfway through Persona 5 and loving it.

Persona 5 the Animation just released its first episode last week. It already looks to be a release from the extended time it takes to play through the game. Don’t get it wrong, the game is excellent, but the length of an anime makes it easier to get the full story in a shorter amount of time. Having the story fully animated is perfect for lazy gamers that have a cursory interest in the game, but not the time to invest. Its not unreasonable to want to budget your time with something less interactive. Trying to steal the hearts of the evildoers of the world takes a serious investment.

The first episode takes us through nearly 2 hours of the game in a mere 22 minutes. It moves much faster than the game, getting to the heart of the show at the very end of the first episode. The anime introduces us to nearly half of the most important characters and the first boss from the game, Shujin Academy’s P.E. teacher Kamoshida. We meet Sakura, owner of leBlanc and the protagonists guardian. Finally, we meet two of our best friends and companions, Anne and Ryuji.

Being an anime does have its downside. Playing Persona 5 is an experience unlike other games. Going through daily life during school hours and then charging into the other world to steal people’s hearts is something that can only be imitated in the show. It is a weird grind that many gamers choose to avoid. Watching the anime gives everyone a chance to experience a game that is basically an anime already.

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[Streaming on Crunchyroll]
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