Persona 4 #03 — Grinding Cranes

October 20th, 2011

 

It’s the little things that count.

Impressions:

Well, they’re certainly cruising right along. I have the feeling that they’re probably rushing to get at least the main four of the cast in place and will then spend much longer on the later dungeons. Either that, or we’re in for episodes upon episodes of social links. It was still a competent and fairly enjoyable episode though. The biggest issue at the moment is that these scenes really lack any kind of decent impact given the lack of build towards them. Not that the game didn’t have this problem too, but the role of adaptations should be to represent things in an appropriate way for the new medium. A brief (emphasis on brief) flashback to begin the episode about Chie and Yukiko’s childhood friendship as at least a valiant attempt to add a little more depth and meaning, but there was still more time spent arguing with what was obviously an evil version of yourself and then angsting over it rather than actually developing it like it should have.

Anyway, AIC’s continuing to do a competent job with the production and whatnot. I do really like how they’re handling the boss battles for the most part in regards to the action and intermixing it with all the robble robble "you’re not me" screaming by having the other characters actually involved in fighting and protecting the mental-breakdownee while it’s going on, but like I already said, it’s still lacking a little oomph to it to give it meaning instead of just being decent eyecandy. I chuckled probably more than I should have about Yuu randomly folding swans to grind his stats. Elizabeth popping out of nowhere to remind him that he could switch personas was amusing for probably the wrong reasons too. I can already see the Pyro Jack shifting into a Jack Frost for the Yukiko battle and it makes me both laugh and groan. I guess that answers how they’re going to handle his personas then.

Preview:

If you’re reading this, it means that I forgot to change the template.

Posted in Persona | 7 Comments »

7 Shouts From the Peanut Gallery

  • U.Renko says:
    October 20, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    Dominatrix Bananahead!!!

  • seibaru says:
    October 20, 2011 at 6:32 pm

    Yeah, this was a pretty enjoyable episode. I like the fact that they are actually applying the game mechanics into the show, from the persona summoning animation to the actual switch out; something I haven’t really seen since Star Ocean EX, and boy the things I can say about that show. Just one little thing about your review Aroduc, I believe you meant to say Margaret, not Elizabeth; Elizabeth was in P3.

  • AceRailgun says:
    October 21, 2011 at 1:00 am

    I laughed when I saw the paper swans as well. These little touches really add to the experience that’s for sure. Its also good to see that AIC is working on making Yu a proper character. He seems more witty now.

  • Ryugan says:
    October 21, 2011 at 12:09 pm

    social links social links social links social links social links social links social links social links social links social links social links social links social links social links

  • Azure says:
    October 21, 2011 at 1:09 pm

    Surprised you didn’t have anything to say about the continued overuse of shading and prolonged closeups in the fight scenes, Aroduc. I guess they don’t bother you as much as they do me (and boy do they ever).

    Still, like you said, the writing’s been fairly competent so far and I guess that trumps any little nags over the short bouts of fighting we get.

    • Aroduc says:
      October 21, 2011 at 1:47 pm

      The action here really hasn’t been impressive. It reminds me a lot of Zexcs style action. Just enough to actually be animated and sell itself as an action series without completely embarrassing itself through endless stills or talk talk talk talk talk, but little more beyond that.

  • Andhros says:
    October 22, 2011 at 1:51 pm

    It has been a good lead up in terms of episodes. It is a watchable adaptation to say the least. The pacing matches the game in the sense that we rush through the primaries and then we investigate the others.

    I am really curious how they will handle the social links. We have already had an interaction with the two who make up strength. And the music side of sun made a cameo at the same time.

    I just hope that they will have to deal with the intermediate bosses, cause that would be a good place to lay the smack down, versus the shadow fights. Also I am unsure how happy I am that the fight through the dungeon could be a mindless shadow bloodbath hack’n’slash. I knew that the novelty of this game would make it difficult to adapt, but I am a little upset that strategy has gone out the window to be replaced with the “rush” mode of fighting.