Persona 3 the Movie 2: Midsummer Knight's Dream

As the season changes from spring to summer, Makoto Yuuki remains alongside the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES). The team continues to defeat Shadows large and small, but they now clash with a new enemy: Strega, a group of rogue Persona users who wish to keep the Dark Hour to their advantage—it seems that Strega may hold a clue to the Dark Hour's true nature.

While SEES enjoys summer vacation in Yakushima, they are joined by Aegis, an amnesiac android designed to destroy Shadows. While she proves herself to be a powerful ally, she is inexplicably drawn to Makoto and constantly remains at his side. As they delve deeper into the mysteries of the Dark Hour, the nature of the mysterious connection that binds these two together is slowly unveiled.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Yuuki, Makoto Main

Ishida, Akira Japanese

Aegis Main

Sakamoto, Maaya Japanese

Kirijou, Mitsuru Main

Tanaka, Rie Japanese

Sanada, Akihiko Main

Midorikawa, Hikaru Japanese

Aragaki, Shinjirou Main

Nakai, Kazuya Japanese

Takeba, Yukari Main

Toyoguchi, Megumi Japanese

Iori, Junpei Main

Toriumi, Kousuke Japanese

Yamagishi, Fuuka Main

Noto, Mamiko Japanese

Koromaru Main

Takahashi, Shinya Japanese

Amada, Ken Main

Ogata, Megumi Japanese

Taguchi, Tomohisa Director, Storyboard

Iida, Satoki Sound Director

Kosaka, Harume Episode Director

Fukushima, Toshinori Episode Director

Reviews

Aug 13, 2024

JayremyTM

Recommended

First of all, AIGIS IS FUCKING BEAUTIFUL IUEGOUBEGIUOBIUPGEHBGIUOEBNGIOWBIFO.

Anyway, the animation is much improved from the last one, though that's pretty much expected. The opening scene is pretty wild. I'm not sure why they chose to kick off the movie with that one, but anyway, that's beside the point because I couldn't care less about that one fan service moment, even though it’s pretty funny. I still don't like the Japanese dub that much, but I think the voice actors all did a great job regardless—probably because I'm too used to the English dub. I wish there were a fan dub for this one like ... the first movie, but that's still fine. I'm watching to see where this second movie leads from the first. The action scenes are also better; it’s like they took a step forward from the previous movie in a lot of ways. As a Persona fan, I’ve enjoyed this movie so far in many aspects. The fan service feels unnecessary in some parts, though. The opening music is a banger, even though I still prefer Burn My Dread from the previous movie.

Makoto just had character development in this movie when he should have already been able to get along with others in the previous one. Now, he’s learning to have fun and showing slightly more personality around his friends at the dorm. I don’t hate it—I’m even happy they took a step forward with his character—but I just wish they had done it earlier so they didn’t have to lazily drag it out to the second movie just to eventually make him more charismatic. It makes sense regardless, because by the end of the first movie, Makoto had become more compassionate and started caring for his friends, rather than just following commands as if he were assigned to do so. Yukari was able to get over the fact that SEES was using Makoto and such, and now she feels more like a happy, well-adjusted woman who can get along with others in this movie. This is a step forward from the first movie. I was thinking they could have added the part where she was worried about always being the one who needed saving and never being able to save others herself. Then, she could have overcome her anxiety to awaken her Theurgy attack. Junpei has a much better portrayal in this movie; his character feels more balanced, lively, and not as gloomy as in the game. Compared to the first movie, where he was portrayed as too ruthless and vigilant, this is a welcome change. Character development shows a lot more in this movie, indicating that the first movie didn’t do a good enough job, so they had to bring all of that into the second movie of the trilogy to make everything feel more lively and sensible in terms of character. I wish Akihiko were cooler and calmer, but this movie kind of makes him feel like a side joke character. I don't really mind, though; it's nice to see one of my favorite characters have some fun for a change, so thanks to this movie for that. I don't know why, but Akihiko's summer outfit is diabolical. They could have made a change in the adaptation, but no, this man is wearing something that looks like underwear and comes across as some kind of freak. This is one of the reasons why I don't really want to sit through the summer parts of anime—they either end up being outrageous fan service or something I just can't be bothered with at all. Aegis's presentation and portrayal, right down to her writing in this movie, is insanely good, and I’m not trying to be hyperbolic just because she’s my favorite Persona character—it’s actually really well done. In contrast to all the other characters, they introduced her to the series as if she’s Rei Ayanami to Makoto’s Shinji Ikari. They kind of rushed Ken's introduction, showing him as just a kid who can walk around during the Dark Hour, and suddenly he’s able to use Persona powers. However, I do like the backstory where he gets to avenge his mother’s death by defeating the exact Shadow that killed her two years earlier. While he might initially seem like he doesn't have much information or reasons for us to care about him, his backstory is simple yet well-written. Strega's introduction is also rushed, making them seem like typical evil villains who kill people and enjoy manipulating the Dark Hour, turning it into their playground but I think every character still has a good portrayal regardless. Takaya's introduction is simple but well done, and the same goes for Jin. His persona is pretty cool too.

I have to admit that before this point, the rest of my writing was done while I was still watching the movie, jotting down my thoughts as they came. So, from this message onward, I'll be sharing my final thoughts after having finished the movie. First of all, the ending was very impactful and painful for me, especially as someone who really likes Shinjiro. What I appreciate most about this movie, and what probably makes it the best among the Persona 3 films, is that it is the most balanced in terms of pacing and emotional shifts. The tone and all the elements it offers are well integrated. Ken’s storyline, especially the revelation about the true culprit behind his mother’s death, is surprisingly well-written. I was impressed by how the movie made Ken seem like a good character for the first time. I’ve never liked Ken and have always found him annoying, but the way his story intertwines with Shinjiro’s was very well done, and it actually resonated with me. While some parts of the movie felt rushed, I appreciated that this one made an effort to incorporate the social links into the overall narrative, unlike the first movie where they were barely touched upon. Aigis adds a lot of humor and joy to the film, and Junpei is much better portrayed this time around, as I mentioned earlier. Shinjiro’s voice acting is a major reason why I care about the Japanese dub of Persona 3. It's the same voice actor as Zoro, and I love hearing him as Shinjiro too. Overall, this movie is easily the best of the series because everything just seems to work much better than in the first movie, which felt boring and too straightforward, lacking in character development. As for Strega, they are actually a solid group of villains. Although they didn’t get as much screen time as they deserved, they were still effective in their roles. Takaya, in particular, became even more hateable after what he did.

Easily their best one but I’ll come back and edit if my opinions change whatsoever.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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May 2, 2024

XOArama

Mixed Feelings

Just like the first, this wasn't anything exceptional. We get more development in this one, though, which is nice, but I still feel like some parts are too rushed. Ken and Shinjiro's relationship gets a bit more development here, which is nice to see, but it's also at the cost of any development with Makoto. Not a fan of the way they've been doing Makoto, still very stiff and unimportant so far. Aigis is about the same, and I'm hoping they hit the landing in pulling off those characters in the rest of the movies. Despite these concerns, there are promising aspects to the series, ... and I'm eager to see if the subsequent movies can deliver a more balanced and satisfying portrayal of these beloved characters.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Dec 12, 2015

Arsene_Lucifer

Not Recommended

Persona 3 The Movie: No. 1, Spring of Birth was done by AIC A.S.T.A. studio which despite not being a good film I would have preferred if they continued making the films over A-1 Pictures studio. A-1 Pictures had their chance at the Persona franchise with Persona 4: The Golden Animation. Instead of refining Lerche’s earlier anime adaptation, titled Persona 4: The Animation, on the same game A-1 Picture created what is best described as a cash grab. Now they’re in charge of creating a sequel to an average video game movie adaptation. Like with Persona 4: The Golden Animation, A-1 Picture doesn’t seek out ... to make improvements, and instead makes sure you know it’s an A-1 Pictures product. What I find funny is during the opening sequence, Makoto says “I don’t know why, but I feel really good” looking up into the sky revealing director Tomohisa Taguchi name. Almost as a way to reassure viewers this sequel is in good hands. It might seem unimportant, but this is the same director behind Persona 4: The Golden Animation. Persona fans, let that sink in as I delve into this bad sequel.

Persona 3 The Movie: #2 Midsummer Knight’s Dream continues the story of Makoto Yuki from the first film leading a group of Persona users to eliminate “The Dark Hour”. This movie opens with a shower scene in a motel room. The film is gracious enough not to provide viewers with a recap of the previous film to pad the running time, but not smart enough to provide context as to why two teenagers are in a motel seemingly about to have sex. I know what happened since I played the game, but even with that said I’m watching a movie not playing it. External knowledge should not be required to understand the first scene of a movie. Once Yukari Takeba finishes showering, putting on a towel while Makoto takes off accessories around his neck. Yukari, and Makoto stare at each other in the middle of the room for a bit before Yukari blushed from embarrassment. The opening scene ends when Yukari slaps Makoto in the face then cue in title card. No scene, can better express what it felt like to see the film. It was, in every metaphorical sense, a slap to the face as a fan of the Person 3 video game.

Now, I want to emphasize this is an A-1 Picture production because it takes 17 minutes before anything significant like story actually appears in the movie. Yes, it takes that long before anything story wise actually starts moving forward in a film that’s around an hour, and forty minutes long. The most important thing relating to story that happens within those first 17 minutes is introducing the passive villains Strega. Everything else is spend on fan service like a scene at a beach involving Junpei Iori describing the swimwear of the female characters as the camera shows them off. Granted, this also happened in the video game, but at least they (the female characters) received some characterization at that point in the video game. Since the last movie didn’t develop the cast into dynamic characters it’ll make you shake your head as this is most of the female characters’ biggest contribution in the film. Another aspect it failed to do within those 17 minutes was introduced anything meaningful to use later on in the film story. After an opening action scene, the characters are next seen on a boat heading to an island, then proceeds for around 10 minutes on the beach on non-story related activity.

Pass those first 17 minutes the film finally provides explanations for questions that should have been answered in the first film. So now you’ll finally get an answer for why Gekkoukan High School transform into Tartarus in “The Dark Hour”, why the Shadows were released into the world, how to possibly eliminate “The Dark Hour”, and how many of the powerful Shadows that appear during a full moon need to be defeated. All of this information would have been useful in the first film! This is basically damage control for the insane decision for characters to withhold information for no good reason. Narratively it leaves the viewers with no exposure to Persona 3 wandering in the dark when information needed to understand how the film world function gets addressed in the sequel. Thankfully, the one good decision from the story was explaining the concept of artificial Personas. Explaining what makes them different from regular Personas, and the consequences they hold. It’s not a focal point in the film, but at least some attention is given to it.

Out of all the material that could have been cut from the film it’s beyond comprehension why the one, and only scene in “The Velvet Room” was left in when all that was said in it was enjoy life to the fullest, and beware of Shadows. This added absolutely nothing of value to the story. The inhabitants of “The Velvet Room” don’t appear again the film besides this one scene. The film was also in need of direction, and main goal to accomplish in the story. There’s a moment in the film where Shinji cooks for a dog while wearing pink cooking apparels. Then, the camera turns around to show an expressionless Aegis staring at Shinji. This causes Shinji to sweat with hip hop music (Mass Destruction by Lotus Juice) playing in the background repeating “Baby, baby, baby”. I just described a pointless moment in the film that the creators of the film approved to animate in the film, even though the first 17 minutes does nothing to move the story forward. Choices like these are the reasons why these Persona 3 films fail to tell a story properly.

While still discussing the first thirty minutes of the film I should get across this sequel ruined one of my favorite scene from the video game. It’s after Yukari sees footage of her father dying (plus a revelation discerning Shadows too), and Makoto goes to the beach at night attempting to make Yukari feel better. I very much like this scene allot in the video game besides being a tender moment gave Yukari more depth as a character. It also ended on a humorous note showing the group strong friendship in hard times. So, when I saw the altered scene play out it was for a different purpose. What should have been a character defining moment for Yukari ends up being the set up to an introductory action scene to show off Aegis capabilities as an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon killing a dozen or so shadows. I wouldn’t have mind the action scene if A.) Cell Phones were not shown working in the "The Dark Hour" even though the first film establishes technology doesn’t work during “The Dark Hour”, B.) The action scene happens after Yukari sees footage of her father dying which dramatically voids Yukari of a meaningful moment, and finally C.) If in the previous film a single character had no trouble fending off a powerful Shadow in his first time of combat in Tartarus what makes you think I’m going to believe two unarmed characters will be in danger from an encounter where they are surrounded by a dozen weak Shadows.

Okay, with the first 1/3 of the film problems already written about there’s the rest of the film. With newly introduce Cyborg Girl Aegis now part of the main cast the film makes sure to tell audience she has an infatuation with protagonist Makoto Yuki. A love triangle would have benefited the story if done right. Makoto pays more attention towards Aegis in the film than Yukari even though they have known each other longer. Yukari is shown being jealous whenever Aegis says her purpose in life is to be next to Makoto Yuki side. If competently written this would be used to develop Yukari instead of just being used for humor. To add insult to injury Aegis proves to be more powerful, and useful in combat than Yukari who has been fighting Shadows for a far longer time. This romance aspect of the story doesn’t go far beyond Aegis stating she wants to be next to Makoto. Our protagonist shows no interest in either of them, but spends more time with Aegis in the film.

Continuing what was the point of the first film if Makoto didn’t learn to be more open with his emotions! It’s like he reset as a character to learn the same thing in the sequel. However, this film ends on a tragic note which would have made sense for Makoto to be emotionless if that tragic event happened earlier, or if the film was longer to expand on his depress state of mind. It’s headache inducing attempting to figure out why the filmmakers thought this was a good direction to take Makoto character in.

When it comes to characters instead of developing the already large cast this sequel decides to increase its number instead. With the exception of Makoto, all the characters from the previous film are delegated into the background. Including Yukari, and Junpei whom were important in the previous film don’t grow as characters in the sequel. Junpei for instance doesn’t know what he would do after “The Dark Hour” is dealt with, but there’s no exploration on it. Other characters who also pondered this same question in one scene. Beside Makoto Yuki, everyone else’s thoughts on the question feel unimportant. A negative that detracts from the whole group dynamic when its tries to get across SEES is made up of close friends. Any character that was in the sideline in the first film don’t receive better treatment except for Akihiko who receives some characterization. Unlike the first film where the climax allowed him to contribute to the story. In this entry, Akihiko ends up short as his connection with Shinjiro has to be rushed, nor is the idea that they (Shinjiro and Akihiko) are good friends is done convincingly.

A total of seven characters get added to the cast. One of them is Ken Amada who turns out the best developed of the new characters. He has a simple backstory that eventually turns into a sub-plot of revenge. This leads to Ken being more developed as a character since the reasons behind his negative feelings on living are addressed. Koromaru is a dog that can use a Persona who has no backstory to him. Ken says a single line that Koromaru got left behind, but that could mean anything from an owner who forgot his dog to a street dog with no owner. A single line won’t make me care Koromaru, even if he’s a cute dog who can use a Cerberus like Persona. Finally, there is Shinjiro Aragaki who joins SEES fifty minute into the film. Anybody who has played the game (minus maxing out Shinjiro social link in Persona 3 Portable female route) knows Shinjiro fate in the story. His late addition to SEES makes Shinjiro character be rushed, and his impact on the story overall weak. Without much time spend with him, along with other characters, there’s no reason to be invested in their story. He’s also a plot convenience in the film when he goes to the rescue of SEES.

If you complained about Makoto Yuki being overpowered in the first film; this film offers a solution by providing another overpowered character. This time in the form of Aegis who also just as powerful as Makoto. In this film, Aegis is responsible for doing most of the fighting while Makoto is given a handicapped depending on the context. The climatic fight in particular has Makoto pondering his purpose after eliminating “The Dark Hour” for most it. While on the climax, it does a disservice to Junpei, and Yukari characters as they get beaten quickly showing they had not grown stronger since the first film. As a character, Aegis is simply a robot that doesn’t blend well with other human with how she acts. Unfortunately, she doesn’t learn, or wants to seek out what it means to be human in the film. Though, given the archetype of Aegis it’s bound to happen. Her defining trait in this film is being overpowered, and being attached to Makoto Yuki allot.

If you complained about Makoto Yuki being overpowered in the first film; this film offers a solution by providing another overpowered character. This time in the form of Aegis who also just as powerful as Makoto. In this film, Aegis is responsible for doing most of the fighting while Makoto is given a handicapped depending on the context. The climatic fight in particular has Makoto pondering his purpose after eliminating “The Dark Hour” for most it. While on the climax, it does a disservice to Junpei, and Yukari characters as they get beaten quickly showing they had not grown stronger since the first film. As a character, Aegis is simply a robot that doesn’t blend well with other human with how she acts. Unfortunately, she doesn’t learn, or wants to seek out what it means to be human in the film. Though, given the archetype of Aegis it’s bound to happen. Her defining trait in this film is being overpowered, and being attached to Makoto Yuki allot.

Lastly for the characters there are the members of Strega. A group that only has one character who has anything to do in the story. His name is Takaya Sakaki who states his intentions, and make the heroes ponder the questions of their purpose without “The Dark Hour”. Takaya is only in this film to kill off a certain character whose death has not much impact because that specific character short screen time. The other members of Strega don’t do much beside exist. Finally, there’s the character of Pharos who also has little to do in the film. Much like the one scene in “The Velvet Room”, Pharos appearance could have been cut out since he basically states the obvious of something bad is about to happen.

A-1 Pictures is in charge with the production, and thankfully at least that is carried over from previous film. A-1 Pictures doesn’t improve on the animation aspect, but there is not a decrease in quality either from film to film. There’s more variety in the settings. The majority of the movie takes place at night time with the presence of heavy shadows. Like in the previous film, it’s reliance on lighting to create an eerie atmosphere. When in “The Dark Hour” blacks into dark greens and the blues into reds. This carries in the film insistent on color saturation be it making day scenes intensely bright, or making night scenes really dark. Almost as if it’s unable to trust viewers with the time of day a scene takes place in. Particle effects are amped up in the battles from the previous film as members in SEES equals to more Persona on screen using magic attack, or the characters killing shadows. When Aegis is killing a group of Shadows in her first action scene the animation is fluid as she quickly moves around the environment, the framing of shot making it clear to see what’s going on, and the effects to add to the impact of an attack be it heavy flames, or bullet piercing. There is some bad 3D animation during a major action scene that doesn’t blend with 2D animation in the middle of the film. Besides this, the 3D in the film is not jarringly noticeable through its duration.

Voice acting is satisfactory once again. With too many characters, and unequal screen time the majority of the main voice cast from the first film get sideline without being offered single a scene to display their talent. Giving more than half of its voice talent the equivalent of thankless roles. New addition Kazuya Nakai who plays Shinjirou Aragaki gets the most ranged in a rushed amount of time. His performance is noteworthy as despite the speed his character changes tone Kazyua Nakai always sound natural. He makes the swift change in his character easier to accept. Megumi Ogata plays Ken Amada has a steadier change in her performance. Going from uncertain scare kid, too optimistic, to gloomy is handle well through her performance. I might not like the character Ken Amada, but she makes the character convincing. Then there’s Maaya Sakamoto who plays Aegis who has plenty of screen time. Unfortunately, her character is a cyborg trying to learn emotion archetype. However, since Aegis hasn’t gotten philosophical of what it means to be human Maaya Sakamoto is monotone for the whole film. It goes with the character in this instance, but it ends up being a forgettable performance. Sakamoto monotone delivery of her lines does not provide hint of a complex character making Aegis seem hollow than she might actually be.

What really bothers me the most about the performances is voice actor Akira Ishida doesn’t get to expand on his character Makoto Yuki. So he once again has to play the same emotionless, broken leading character from the first film. Ishida is not allowed to be more emotional, more expressive in his portrayal of Makoto Yuki. This film does the biggest disservice to him since by not allowing Akira Ishida to gradually transition his emotionless character to a more expressive one. The film rejects Akira Ishida the opportunity to expand Makoto Yuki beyond what was presented in the first film. It feels like a retread of his performance from the first film. While his retread performance is not bad it doesn’t quite the same effect the second time around.

Persona 3 The Movie: #2 Midsummer Knight’s Dream is a bad film continuing being inaccessible for newcomers, and infuriating for Persona 3 fans for not making the appropriate changes for the material to function as a movie. None of the character are developed enough to care about, there’s no tension because of two overpowered characters, a large cast most of whom don’t contribute to the story, and is predictably boring for anyone who played Persona 3 as it does nothing to throw fans off guard. It looks, and sounds like Persona 3, but by the time the credits roll it won’t be the same emotional roller coaster the video game was.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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