The content of this piece was written during a viewing of the first episode of Persona: Trinity Soul on November 6, 2010. Edits have been made for spelling and grammar, but the rest is completely untouched, and un-edited from its original format.

Stylistically, this feels more like old-school Persona than new-school, and that's fine by me. Also, Jun is apparently a male character. He just looks, talks, and sounds like a girl. Whoops!

4:40 PM:Hi, everyone. It's time for another showblog.

4:41 PM:Today's feature rounds out .@nisamerica week with Persona: Trinity Soul.

4:41 PM:This series is loosely based on Atlus's Persona 3. As someone that wasn't thrilled by the last two games, I expect a degree of mediocrity.

4:41 PM:But enough about that. I'd like to get the basic information out of the way before we get going.

4:41 PM:Directed by Jun Matsumoto (Senko no Night Raid)

4:41 PM:Character Designs by Yuriko Ishii

4:41 PM:Taku Iwasaki (Angel Heart, Black Cat, Gurren Lagann, Witch Hunter Robin)

4:41 PM:Animation Production: A-1 Pictures (Birdy the Mighty: Decode, Kannagi, Valkyria Chronicles)

4:41 PM:Opening Theme: Breakin' Through by Shuhei Kita

4:42 PM:Ending Theme: Suicides Love Story by Nana Kitade

4:42 PM:Now, let's get started. :)

4:43 PM:Opens to a girl... in water? drowning?

4:43 PM:While opera music plays, she points up at the surface. wat

4:43 PM:Shit's goin' down already. They're sending the sub in .

4:44 PM:And out comes a detective? Calls himself Kanzato

4:44 PM:In the sub, they find: a half eaten sammich, equipment, and... no person

4:45 PM:"Please remain outside to preserve the scene T_T" I found our serious one :3

4:45 PM:"Are you there? :o" ...huh? >->

4:45 PM:Opening credits - generic rock is go

4:46 PM:Wonder if we'll see Philemon or Virgil in this...

4:47 PM:Philemon in particular would make me happy :D He was badass.

4:47 PM:And the show's starting with... a guy sitting in a plane?

4:47 PM:"That scared me o_o" Apparently, his neighbor's noticed this is a common tend

4:48 PM:"I was fighting for my life in my dream :D" "The dream where you transform? :o" ...wat

4:48 PM:"I bet you're just tired :D" or crazy

4:48 PM:"Auntie got a boyfriend :D" wat?

4:48 PM:That was a flimsy excuse for a plot

4:49 PM:And the two are waiting at the airport, talking about their supposed ride >_>

4:49 PM:From the sound of things, they're related to the local police chief... or something. Yeah, they'll be waiting a while >_>

4:50 PM:"The three of us are the only family we've got." "A family who doesn't know each other's cellphone numbers :D" Oh snap

4:51 PM:And back to attractive cop man... who's talking about Reverses... or something >_> I dunno

4:51 PM:And "A Latents" which may be important?

4:51 PM:"I finished the autopsy of another Reverse :D" What's a reverse, then? >_>

4:52 PM:...Oh. '_' "They're turned perfectly inside-out like worn and discarded clothes :D" ... ew :|

4:53 PM:"They were only high schoolers D:" So ah... that makes it weirder. Could be cults, perverts, or crazy demons

4:53 PM:Back to the kids... who got stuck walking. Poor kids. :|

4:54 PM:"I remember the house being bigger :D" Everyone does.

4:54 PM:Kanzato likes frogs. Fun fact

4:54 PM:Hah. Kanzato changed the lock on 'em

4:54 PM:"The forest is still here :D" ...kay?

4:54 PM:The sight of a forest in winter... it's as awesome as it is lonesome

4:55 PM:Looks like this bears some memories. They're reminiscing.

4:55 PM:Apparently, the girl has... had? a twin sister. Interesting

4:56 PM:"He was quite protective of you :D" ...OK?

4:56 PM:And now Kanzato's looking up the Reverses... we get glimpse which is creepy '_'

4:56 PM:"CHIEF! EEEEAAAAAGH D:" ...wat?

4:57 PM:Looks like he got maimed... or something

4:58 PM:Talking about Apathy Syndrome now - fun.

4:58 PM:That was correlated to the appearance of shadows in Persona 3, if I remember right

4:59 PM:Shit's gon' get real, it seems.

4:59 PM:And off our intrepid chief goes

4:59 PM:With some bad rock-rap music. -shakes fist- DAMN YOU MEGURO AND YOUR INFLUENCE D:

4:59 PM:And eyecatch.

5:00 PM:Mid-show analysis: So far, I'm digging this. :) It's a much more subdued, more sedate story so far than recent Persona fare.

5:01 PM:It's not overboard on crazy details (yet), and most of the dialogue is well-written.

5:01 PM:The character designs work well, and the animation and landscapes are great.

5:01 PM:Anyway, on with the show.

5:02 PM:Looks like the high schoolers (names: Shin and Jun) are at some restaurant

5:02 PM:And they're debating how to talk to their relative

5:04 PM:Background music has a track from P3 - fun

5:04 PM:And a drunken girl tries to smack her... boyfriend? And leaves, pissed.

5:05 PM:Looks like Shin's got a strong imagination - he's drawing Personas. :o

5:05 PM:And it cuts to a rape. WTF Japan T_T

5:05 PM:While some guy drools and watches.

5:05 PM:HOLY SHIT IT'S THE MAGIC RAPEMAN O_O

5:06 PM:...And he's raping her mind? wtf.

5:06 PM:Kanzato's on the chase... and he be wieldin' a Persona

5:06 PM:Have to admit - the persona fight is pretty impressive so far.

5:07 PM:Very well animated, lots of action, and not really superfluous... well, OK. Some overboard stuff...

5:07 PM:Like the giant leap off the building they just took XD

5:08 PM:...What a good cover-up. "I'm out of here T_T" basicaly

5:08 PM:Looks like Jun and Shin came across a fortune teller

5:08 PM:...Virgil?

5:08 PM:"We once met in a Velvet Room :D" yep. Virgil

5:09 PM:And he's wearing a mask.

5:09 PM:THERE'S that long-nosed bastard! :D

5:09 PM:Looks like they fell asleep outside the house. >_> How convenient...

5:09 PM:And Kanzato hid a key... under the frog's hat. D: THAT'S THE LAST PLACE I'D LOOK

5:10 PM:Apparently, Kanzato's the two kids' older brother

5:10 PM:And the combination was the birthdays of Yuki and Shin. Again surprisingly simple >_>

5:11 PM:"You know how to use the bath, right? :D" "if it hasn't changed. :D" "I didn't put a lock on it T_T" Burn! :3

5:11 PM:And Shin's pissed that, well... his brother is serious and stressed, I guess.

5:12 PM:Looks like Shin's making Persona statues now, too >_> And there's one of Virgil. how convenient

5:12 PM:And Jun is staring at a kid's dress? '-'

5:12 PM:I guess we'll find out soon enough.

5:13 PM:And out goes Shin... before Kanzato stops him.

5:13 PM:...Jun has issues... she's talking in plurals. >_>

5:13 PM:And Jun's looking for Virgil, I guess.

5:14 PM:Sound is heard: it's just a drug addict.

5:14 PM:"Are you all ri- :O" Magic rapeman is back!

5:15 PM:And out comes... Persona! Of course it is.

5:15 PM:And the persona killed the magic rapeman. See? Rapists never win :D

5:15 PM:And the rapist seems relieved.

5:15 PM:"It's gone :o" and credits.

5:16 PM:Verdict: I am genuinely enjoying this. I came into it expecting some campy, over-the-top show with a tone like Persona 3's

5:17 PM:But instead, it's more sedate, more intense, and plays heavily off the demonic aspects you saw in the original games.

5:17 PM:I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this one.