Shin Megam Tensei persona 3 was a sleeper hit RPG. It combined a compelling story with a unique blend of dating sim and dungeon crawling, it surpassed all expectations. So naturally when something becomes a success, there comes less talented people to milk it. Here comes Trinity Soul.
Taking place 10 yearsv after Persona 3, the main characters are three siblings looking to reunite for the first time in years, heading towards Ayangi city. There, police are investigating cases of Apathy Syndrome that is spreading again. Predictably enough the main characters get involved, awakening beings called Personas for their own use.
It's bewildering why they didn't just make an anime OF Persona 3, the material certainly warrants it, and I think they would've had an easier time making an adaptation rather then a sequel.
Trinity Soul has some good elements, but not enough to sustain itself. The references and use of P3 characters are more interesting then the actual show. I kind of like where they were trying to go with the story, the whole Outsider thing had potential but mostly to waste.
The main characters are annoying. Nothing endearing about them and it dosen't help when they constantly bicker. Unlikeable characters and constant bickering is a turn off. Conflict is one thing, but it get's a bit ridiculous with them. They have all the personality of a log.
When it comes down to it, the story can't hold itself up. It seems like they took a small line of thought and stretched it out, like they just barely had the concept of what they're doing. It sounds odd reading this I'm sure but there's no better way to explain it.
It also dosen't feel much like persona 3 or 4, it feels closer to the older Persona games, which would be all right but seeing as it's a sequel to persona 3, it should have more in common with that then the earlier ones. This is mostly a minor complaint but with a bad show, even minor things start to mean more.
The atmosphere is incredibly dark and sppoky, I can give it points there. If the story matched the atmosphere, we would have a classic anime.
The battles themselves are nothing to write home about, and I'm not a fan of this Persona class system. It makes the Personas more like Pokemon which I think kind of demeans them and the Persona mythos in general.
If you're a fan of the earlier Persona games, you might appreciate the similarities this show holds to them. If you're a fan of Persona 3 and 4, you'll probably be disappointed with how they followed up P3. If you're not a Persona fan, this probably won't interest you much. A good anime adaptation would transcend the boundaries between fan and non fan, but this dosen't particularly please either side.
3.5/10
