Do you want a more immersive experience with Persona 4? Then this blog post is for you. We’ll explore the differences between Persona 4 The Animation and The Golden Animation to help you decide which one to watch. Prepare for an anime adventure like no other!
Overview of Persona 4 The Animation and Persona 4 The Golden Animation
Persona 4 The Animation is an anime series based on the role-playing video game, Persona 4, developed and published by Atlus. It was produced by AIC ASTA and directed by Seiji Kishi. It began airing on October 8th, 2011.
Persona 4 The Golden Animation is a sequel to Persona 4 The Animation and is based on the enhanced PlayStation Vita port of the original game, Persona 4 Golden. It was released in two cours in 2014 and 2015.
Both Persona 4 The Animation and Persona 4 The Golden Animation follow the same basic story as the original game, though several changes have been made to expand content for those who are familiar with it. In particular, an expanded character cast has been added for both entries which furthers their development onto new plots that aren’t featured in the video game’s storyline.
Storyline Comparison
Persona 4 The Golden Animation and Persona 4 The Animation share many of the same characters and storylines, however there are several distinguishable differences. Persona 4 The Animation follows the original storyline from the video game, while Persona 4 The Golden Animation adds an additional year’s worth of story arcs to give fans of the series an extended and more in-depth look into the world of P4.
In particular, Persona 4 The Golden Animation has added scenes involving Rise Kujikawa and a mysterious new character, Marie. These new arcs flesh out not only Rise’s character but also help to explain some events from previous titles in the series. Additionally, several elements from later persona titles have been incorporated into non-video game adaptations such as Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and Dancing All Night for a more immersive experience for viewers.
Characters Comparison
Persona 4 The Animation (P4A) and Persona 4 The Golden Animation (P4GA) have many similarities, but one of the most obvious differences between the two anime is their characters.
In P4A, the core group consists of Yu Narukami, Yosuke Hanamura, Chie Satonaka, Yukiko Amagi, Kanji Tatsumi and Rise Kujikawa. Other characters include Naoto Shirogane who joins the cast around episode 8 and their teacher Dojima Ryotaro who appears earlier in the series.
On the other hand, P4GA has a larger cast with some additional characters not found in P4A. These additional characters include Marie (a mysterious resident of the Velvet Room), Adachi Tohru (an upperclassman at Yasogami High School), Nanako Dojima (the younger sister of Ryotaro Dojima) and Sho Minazuki – a mysterious being connected to Izanagi-no-Okami. Minor changes have been made to certain personalities from the original animation including Chie Satonaka’s heightened spunkiness.
Both are adaptations of Persona 4 for video game fanatics to indulge in more information about their favorite game characters in an animated series format; however, Persona 4 The Golden Animation offers a much more expansive world for viewers to explore with more nuance as well as unexpected plot twists making it a great addition for those who already watched P4A.
Visuals and Animation Comparison
When comparing the visuals and animation of Persona 4 The Animation to Persona 4 The Golden Animation, there are several key differences. Persona 4 The Animation was produced by AIC ASTA, while Persona 4 The Golden Animation was produced by A-1 Pictures. In terms of the art style, both series have a very similar look and feel but with some subtle differences such as sharper lines in character designs of the newer series.
The animation itself varies greatly between the two series, with The Golden Animation having far superior quality compared with its predecessor. Character movement has been smoothed out in comparison to The Animation where characters can feel stiff and unnatural at times. Additionally, lighting effects have been vastly improved in The Golden Animation. Colors are much more vibrant and detailed as well as facial expressions being clearer for viewers to observe for different emotions or reactions.
Music and Sound Comparison
The music and sound play an important role in each Persona series installment and the same can be said for the two anime adaptations of the fourth series entry. Both of the titles, Persona 4: The Animation and Persona 4 The Golden Animation feature an impressive soundtrack, but quality and selection vary between them.
Persona 4: The Animation has a total of nine composers working on its score while Persona 4 The Golden Animation is entirely composed by Shoji Meguro, who also created all the music behind the game version released in 2008. Though both soundtracks implement numerous songs from the original game to help keep faith with its source material, there are some noticeable differences between their particular approach to creating the vibe for this beloved RPG title.
Voice Acting Comparison
The animated adaptation of the popular video game franchise, Persona 4, consists of two separate adaptations. The original anime adaptation titled, Persona 4 The Animation, was broadcasted in 2011 and is followed three years later by Persona 4 The Golden Animation in 2014. An obvious commonality between the two shows is their voice cast. In a series predicated on its characters and story arcs, voice actor performances can impact one’s experience and overall reception of the show as a whole.
Persona 4 The Animation boasts an impressive all-star lineup that features famed veterans such as Akira Ishida (Kotomine Kirei in Fate/stay night), Maaya Sakamoto (Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost le Shell: Stand Alone Complex); Rie Kugimiya (Louis Armstrong in Last Exile) and Unshou Ishizuka (Jet Black in Cowboy Bebop).
Persona 4 The Golden Animation however uses much more recent young name actors such as Ami Koshimizu (Ryuune Zoldark from Super Robot Wars OG), Tomokazu Sugita (Gintoki Sakata from Gintama) and Aki Toyosaki (Yui Hirasawa from K-On!) for its main core cast along with more recent additions like Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Kirito from Sword Art Online).
Popularity and Reception Comparison
Persona 4 The Animation and Persona 4 The Golden Animation are based on the role-playing video game Persona 4, released by Atlus exclusively for the Playstation 2 console in 2008. Both of these anime adaptations were listed among the most popular TV shows in Japan, but how do they compare in terms of popularity and reception?
Persona 4 The Animation was released in 2011, four years after its predecessor game. It received very favorable reviews from critics for its story and characterization, although many noted that it could have been better executed with 25 episodes rather than the usual 26. This series covers major plot points in the original video game up until near its ending.
Persona 4 The Golden Animation was released three years later in 2014 to coincide with the release of an updated version of Persona 4 called “Persona 4 Golden”. This series serves as a sequel to the original anime series with a new story arc not present in either game or previous anime adaptation.
