PERSONA3 THE MOVIE #1 Spring of Birth (2013)

Persona 3 The Movie: No. 1, Spring of Birth (劇場版「ペルソナ3」第１章, Gekijōban Perusona 3 Dai Ichi Shō) is a 2013 Japanese animated film and the first installment in a film series based on the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 video game by Atlus. Directed by Noriaki Akitaya and written by Jun Kumagai, it is based on the original story by Atlus and distributed by Aniplex. It stars voice actors Akira Ishida, Megumi Toyoguchi, Kōsuke Toriumi, Rie Tanaka, Hikaru Midorikawa and Mamiko Noto. Set in 2009, the film follows the exploits of transfer student Makoto Yuki who, upon moving to Iwatodai City, discovers the Shadow creatures which feed on human psyche during the Dark Hour midnight phenomenon. After awakening to an ability called Persona, Yuki finds himself intertwined in the battle against the Shadows with his new schoolmates.

Development of the film was first announced in a teaser trailer during the limited theatrical release of Persona 4 The Animation: The Factor of Hope on June 9, 2012. Aniplex later announced a Fall 2013 release date and that the main voice acting cast of the original PlayStation 2 game would reprise their roles in the film. The committee that was involved in Persona 4: The Animation was selected for the film and included music composer Shoji Meguro and supervisor Seiji Kishi, both veterans in works of the Megami Tensei franchise. The film was animated by AIC ASTA. The characterization of Makoto Yuki was noted as being particularly difficult during production due to his concept in the original game.

A promotional campaign was launched by Aniplex which also included the release of trailers and merchandise by making use of various mechanisms of the Persona 3 game as they applied to the real world. The film premiered at Tokyo's Shinjuku Wald 9 cinema on November 16, 2013 followed by its release across Japan on November 23, 2013. It made a gross earning of over US$1.9 million at the end of 2013. Critics praised the animation techniques used in the film with focus on its dark visual style. However it was described as being a simple and straightforward movie which lacked a suitable sense of closure. The film was released in Japan on Blu-ray and DVD editions on May 14, 2014, and internationally on imported editions on May 20, 2014. A sequel titled Persona 3 The Movie: #2 Midsummer Knight's Dream was released on June 7, 2014.

Synopsis

Due to an unfortunate accident during the Spring of April 6, 2009, Makoto Yuki (Akira Ishida) arrives in the city late at night on a delayed train. Upon disembarking at midnight, a strange phenomenon grips the city—shutting down all forms of technology and causing humans to become encased in coffins. Unperturbed, Makoto casually makes his way to the Iwatodai Dormitory where a mysterious boy (Akira Ishida) greets him with a contract after which he meets fellow dormmates, Yukari Takeba (Megumi Toyoguchi) and Mitsuru Kirijo (Rie Tanaka), albeit the pair weary of his arrival at midnight.

Actors