Does the Persona 4 anime ruin the story of the game?

[ValentineUK]

So, i've been playing Persona 3 like a fiend for the last few months and am eagerly awaiting getting started on P4. However, I have just been informed that there is an anime based on Persona 4 and I find that to be really intriguing. I have one concern though; if I watch the anime, is it going to ruin the story of the game for me?

If anyone would be able to give me any insight on this, it would be greatly appreciated.



^_^

 

[z121231211]

From what I heard, the story follows the game exactly. I've never seen it but if you're planning on playing the game I'd recommend to play the game before viewing it.

 

[hazabaza1]

Yeah, based on what I've heard it follows the game's story.
Based on what I've seen, the pacing in the anime isn't the greatest, so I say play the game first.

 

[DeltaEdge]

There certainly are minor variations, but yes, the anime most certainly does spoil the game. If you hate spoilers then DO NOT watch the anime until you play the game. I repeat, DO NOT watch the anime until you play the game.

 

[Strain42]

Yeah, since it follows the story, it'll obviously give away big story points like...y'know...who the murderer is.

If you want to experience the story through the game, don't watch the anime.

 

[Erana]

Yeah, based on what I've heard it follows the game's story.
Based on what I've seen, the pacing in the anime isn't the greatest, so I say play the game first.

The pacing is... sadly, focused a bit too much on fanservice. There are a lot of silly moments in the game, yes, but it really isn't worth an entire episode to spend the night at Yukiko's inn.

That being said, when the anime does it well, it does it really well, and its totally worth watching. And this is coming from someone who normally only watches anime to laugh at the so-bad-its-good ones. [http://chipandironicus.com/games/nmh2/3.html]

The "Annaversary of becoming a family" is my favorite by far, managing to frame the strained relationship of a girl and her workaholic dad after her mother's death beautifully, and stands on its own merits as a great, bittersweet story.

Still, its good to watch after you've played the game. The story is part of what tones down the potentially grindy feeling that JRPGs tend to have.

Not trying to change the thread, but it sounds like the question by the OP was answered... sooooo....

If I was bored playing the first hour of the first Persona on PSP, should I just try Persona 3? Or should I really just suck it up and force myself to play through all of them? I get the feeling like I'm missing out on greatness. Any advice?

The series is pretty much stand alone sequels, with common themes and mechanics, a la Final Fantasy. There's little consequence in playing them out of order, other than the general weirdness of playing older games of the same genre after experiencing new ones.

Finding whichever one suits your preferences owuld probably make it easier to get into the general series.

 

[Tanis]

Persona 1 + Persona 2 (both parts) = Same storyline (mostly)

Persona 3 + Persona 3: FES + Persona 3 Portable = Same storyline

Persona 4 + Persona 4: The Animation = Same storyline

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And know you know, the REST of the story.

 

[IWCAS]

By ruin do you mean it's almost exactly the same? Yes. But with any Persona game, you're going to want to play it multiple times. Plus with the game you get to go more in depth with social links. I hated how they did Ai's link; the real link is much better. Another thing is that the ending to a story is much more satisfying when you've had 80+ hours to get to know the characters and maybe learn a little about yourself. Personally I liked the P3 story better; it was much more violent and brutal. P4 has less supernatural umm... "things" in it. I don't want to give anything away so I won't specify what I mean but people who have played both will probably say the same thing.

My point is: You need to play the game.

 

[TakeyB0y2]

Well hells to the yeah, the anime is spoilerific.

And yes, I would play the game first if I were you.

And one of the reasons I say that is because the boss fights as portrayed in the anime are much more epic, dramatic, and satisfying. If you watch the anime first the boss fights in the game might disappoint you.

 

[Smertnik]

In my opinion, if you're planning to play P4 anyway, you can just as well skip the anime entirely. It follows the story very closely and leaves off quite a few bits. And the animation itself is mediocre at best.