'Persona 5: The Animation'— Episode 3 Review

I am back, back, back again!!!!

I am finally back with a new review this time for the third review for the third episode of Persona 5: The Animation (Whew! A mouthful already!) I will say that this episode has brought the plot of this series back together as majority of the drama has become more exciting to watch even on a school night (not saying you should as a college student but the temptation was there and I couldn't help myself!!) So I will get right into my review so hold on to your hats and phantom masks because it's going to be a wild review!!!

So recapping from the last two episodes the plot was slightly flawed, but the third episode actually rescued the two as soon as new characters started give an improvement creating a more in depth effect to recover the flaws in the previous two episodes. For the last two episodes, Ren and Ryuji have both summoned their personas (Joker and Captain Kidd) along with meeting their new feline confidant, Morgana ( with the persona Zorro). While the male protagonists' have a time to breath, the friendship between Shiho and Ann starts to unfold even more.

Every beautiful rose has thorns.

So with a little recap of the episode, which starts with Igor stating to Ren has completed his first task; gaining his first comrade which makes his "rehabilitation" easier to work with. Ren then explains to Ryuji the reason of season the cognitive Ann, at least until the school's volleyball game where they both witness first hand the abuse the volleyball team has to endure from Kamoshida. On the other end of the episode, Shiho and Ann are conversing about the rumors of Ren because of his reputation (even though it was nothing but a misunderstanding). While conversing, Ann notices some injuries that Shiho has and questions her only to then tell her to take it easy next time.

One thing I did want to touch on the connection Ren and Ann began to have after Ann argues with Kamoshida over the phone, that is also when Kamoshida is revealed to use Shiho to his lust and advantage in order to get Ann to crack. Ren decides to take Ann out for a friendly drink where Ann opens up to how Kamoshida endlessly tries to use her and Shiho's friendship as a way to sleep with her. No surprise she constantly denies, thus leading to Kamoshida having Shiho as a lustful scapegoat.

Around that time Morgana appears to tell Ryuji and Ren that they can reform Kamoshida's heart by using his Palace, although the consequence of failure could be death. Both thieves were hesitant until they witnessed Shiho jumping off the roof of the school. Ren and Ryuji then find the student that considered an informant and we now know his name is Mishima. He then confesses to what suffering Kamoshida has made Shiho ad the other male and female volleyball members endure. The three boys then go to Kamoshida’s office to expose him and his abusive antics. Kamoshida’s next line will always put himself in my opinion, the worst and most hated characters of the Persona Franchise. Kamoshida then tells the three that they have no solid evidence that he committed these crimes and that Shiho is currently in a coma and if she does wake up, she will most likely be considered a vegetable.

This leads Ryuji to almost attack Kamoshida (thankfully Ren holds him back). Kamoshida then tells the group that he will be reporting them in the next board meeting to have them expelled, but not until he revealed that he blackmails Mishima to spread criminal rumors about Ren around campus. Yes, this guy truly is the Mr. Hyde of this entire anime.

With having no other choice, Ren suggests that they hear what Morgana has to say. Kamoshida needs to be dealt with questions asked later and after having no remorse, Ren actually feels less guilt about re-entering his palace to do just that. Ren and Ryuji set out back into the meta-verse but spotted Ann who was on their tail the entire time.

Inside the palace, to erase the existence of the palace successfully the group will have to steal the core of the person’s desires. Kamoshida’s treasure was then located in the center heart of the castle. The group then heard an alarm that sounds of an intruder being in the palace and they run to check it out. The intruder happens to be Ann who has been pulled into the meta-verse with them and the captured by Kamoshida who then prepares to torture her, while cognitive Ann watches. He then fills Ann with guilt saying that it was her fault that Shiho jumped. When Ann wouldn’t submit to his desires, he used Shiho instead.

The rush of adrenaline and emotions led to Ann awakening her persona Carmen, and she uses her newfound strength to break free her restraints and destroy her shadow self. This happens to lead to the first four-way battle scene of the entire episode which was a long wait.

Once out of the meta-verse, the group fills Ann in on the Palaces, changing people’s hearts and hearing Morgana speaking in the real world. Morgana also mentions that only who entered the palace can hear him while other humans see him as just a regular cat. Ann agrees to join without question as well as vowing to not let Kamoshida suffer until he confesses for all his crimes.

Overall, my final thought on this video would be that it is about time that the climax of this case revolving around Kamoshida and his heinous antics especially seeing that now the phantom thieves are finally awakening for the sake of stopping mental shutdowns from occurring in Shibuya. The graphics of the fight scene were a bit lacking; the personas and demonic cognitions, on the other hand, were more impressive to viewers like me.

I hope that the rest of the episodes I will be able to catch up to and review are a little bit more hopeful but I think I will jump around to the episodes that show boss battles and the persona awakenings.