is a 2013 Japanese animated film produced by AIC ASTA and distributed by Aniplex. It is the first installment in a film series adapting the role-playing video game Persona 3, originally developed and published in 2006 by Atlus. Directed by Noriaki Akitaya and written by Jun Kumagai, it derives from Persona 3's main story campaign (retroactively dubbed The Journey in Persona 3 FES) from the male protagonist's perspective. 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 the Persona, Makoto 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.

Plot

Arriving in Iwatodai, High school student Makoto Yuki witnesses a strange phenomenon grip the city—shutting down all forms of technology and causing humans to become encased in coffins. Makoto makes his way to the Iwatodai Dormitory where a mysterious boy greets him with a contract after which he meets fellow dormmates, Yukari Takeba and Mitsuru Kirijo. The next day, Makoto enrolls at Gekkoukan High School as a second-year with Yukari and fellow classmate Junpei Iori. Afterwards the school's Chairman of the board, Shuji Ikutsuki, asks Yukari to investigate Makoto due to his uncanny characteristics which hint at his "potential" and coincidental circumstances involving the death of his parents during an accident in the city some ten years previous. Meanwhile Makoto finds himself in a place called the "Velvet Room" and becomes acquainted with its master, Igor and his assistant Elizabeth. During the midnight phenomenon, Akihiko Sanada rushes back to the dorm just as it comes under the attack of a swarm of monstrous creatures. Yukari grabs Makoto and flees to the roof. However they are cornered by a giant creature, and Makoto awakens to the power of two Personas to defeat the foes.

After having been unconscious for over a week, Makoto awakens in the hospital to find Yukari, who explains their similarity in having both lost parents during the accident in the past. Ikutsuki, Akihiko and Mitsuru recruit Makoto to the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—SEES to help them fight the Shadow creatures responsible for the Apathy Syndrome by preying on humans during the Dark Hour midnight phenomenon. Not long after as Junpei also joins SEES, Akihiko deduces that they have enough members to begin exploring their school's Dark Hour form, a Shadow-infested labyrinth called Tartarus, where they hope to unearth the mystery of the Dark Hour. Makoto also befriends Fuuka Yamagishi and learns of her strained relationship with class bully, Natsuki Moriyama.

On another full moon, Mitsuru detects an abnormally large Shadow presence aboard a train and deploys Makoto, Yukari and Junpei to investigate. However, the trio are ambushed by the Shadows just as the train begins accelerating. Junpei charges ahead and encounters the Priestess Arcana which overwhelms him. As the train nears an inevitable collision, Makoto defeats the Priestess with Junpei, before stopping the runaway train.

Yukari, Junpei and Makoto go looking for answers from the delinquents behind Port Island Station and learn from Shinjiro Aragaki that the girls had been bullying Fuuka before the latter disappeared that same night. Natsuki confesses to Mitsuru that she and her friends had locked Fuuka inside the school's gymnasium. However, when her friends went to check on Fuuka that same night, she had mysteriously vanished while the latter developed the Apathy cases after being preyed on by Shadows. That night the SEES members deduce that Fuuka may be trapped inside Tartarus and plan to rescue her. Mitsuru elects him to protect Natsuki at the dorm where he listens to Natsuki's reasoning for bullying Fuuka and relates that Fuuka genuinely considers her as a friend.

Afterwards, the SEES members break into the school and find Fuuka inside Tartarus when the Dark Hour strikes. Mitsuru and Yukari come under attack by the Emperor and Empress Arcanas at Tartarus' entrance. Junpei, Akihiko and Fuuka rush to their aid however the Arcanas easily overwhelm all of their Personas. In the midst of the battle, Fuuka also awakens a Persona, Lucia, to defend an entranced Natsuki. With everyone approaching their physical limits, Fuuka uses Lucia to sense the Arcanas' weaknesses and coordinates the SEES members in a collaborative effort which results in the Shadows' defeat. A few days later, Fuuka moves into the Iwatodai dorm and repairs her relations with Natsuki, while life returns to a level of normalcy.

In a post-credits scene, the mysterious boy appears to Makoto and introduces himself as Pharos. Meanwhile, at an undisclosed location, a girl awakens from a slumber.

Cast

Main

Akira Ishida as: Makoto Yuki / Protagonist: Having lost his parents in a tragic accident at an early age, Makoto began living in the suburbs with his relatives. In the Spring of April 2009 he returns to Iwatodai City after having lived there ten years previously, and moves into the Iwatodai Dormitory upon enrolling at Gekkoukan High School. However he soon finds life is not as normal as he was expecting when he awakens to a mysterious power called "Persona" and becomes intertwined in a struggle against monsters called "Shadows" whilst simultaneously delving into the mystery that shrouds Iwatodai City. He possesses an ability known as the "Wild Card" which enables him to wield multiple Personas, although his main Persona is Orpheus. Ishida stated that he was quite surprised when he learned of the movie adaptation since a considerable amount of time had passed since its [Persona 3] release. He further noted that he had enjoyed recording the scene of Makoto's initial meeting with Pharos, since he was presented with the roles of both characters.

Pharos: A mysterious boy who appears to Makoto upon arrival at the Iwatodai Dormitory and presents him with a contract. He is usually dressed in black and white striped clothing. Akira Ishida also provided the voice of Pharos and was fond of recording the interaction between both of his characters.

Megumi Toyoguchi as Yukari Takeba: Yukari is a sophomore at Gekkoukan High School and a classmate and dormmate of Makoto at the Iwatodai Dormitory. In the past, Yukari lost her father in a tragic incident and enrolled at Gekkoukan High in order to investigate the details surrounding his death. She is a member of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. Her Persona is Io. Toyoguchi described her character as being an honest "straight shooter" and enjoyed voicing Yukari's scenes with Makoto. Director Noriyaki Akitaya stated that Yukari was his favorite character and jokingly hinted at a romance between her and Makoto in future films.

Kōsuke Toriumi as Junpei Iori: Junpei is a rather upbeat sophomore at Gekkoukan High School who loves cracking jokes. He resides in the same class with Makoto and Yukari and relates to Makoto since being a transfer student himself. Junpei has a habit of charging headfirst into situations without much thought for the consequences of his actions. He develops a rivalry with Makoto despite sharing a close bond with him. Junpei's Persona is Hermes. Toriumi stated that since his character was the same role given to him in the Persona 3 game, he had not changed much of his voice mechanics. He also credited the script for having a "well summarized storyline of the game" and was further impressed by how well the film's depictions of social life and battling were balanced together.

Rie Tanaka as Mitsuru Kirijo: Mitsuru is a third-year student at Gekkoukan High School where her popularity amongst the student body gained her the position of Student Council President. She is heir to the Kirijo Group, a multinational corporation which built Tatsumi Port Island and sponsors Gekkoukan High School. Mitsuru awakened to the power of Persona at a young age and is the founder of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. Her Persona is Penthesilea. Tanaka described her character as a strong lead female because of her [Mitsuru] exceptional leadership skills and feminine dignity. Tanaka also described the Persona summoning scenes as being quite enjoyable.

Hikaru Midorikawa as Akihiko Sanada: Akihiko is a third year student at Gekkoukan High School and resident at the Iwatodai Dormitory. He had been friends with Mitsuru since middle school and upon learning of the Shadows, he too awakened to the power of Persona and joined her cause. Belonging to the boxing team at Gekkoukan High, Akihiko is constantly training to become a stronger fighter. His Persona is Polydeuces. Midorikawa noted that the Persona summoning scenes were his favorite. Midorikawa's co-cast members from the Digital Devil Saga video game were also featured for the supporting cast of the film.

Mamiko Noto as Fuuka Yamagishi: Sophomore at Gekkoukan High School. Her quiet and gentle personality coupled with a rather weak-looking appearance made her fall victim to constant bullying from her classmates. Her Persona is Lucia. Noto stated that the film brings with it the theme of comradery amongst friends working together for a common cause and cited the battle scenes as being "powerful". Noto was also interested in the interaction between Fuuka and Natsuki although she did not elaborate further on this.

Kazuya Nakai as Shinjiro Aragaki: Ex-third year Gekkoukan High student and SEES member, who dropped out of both for his own reasons. He is old friends with Akihiko and Mitsuru, but tends to keep their relationship at arm's length. Nakai was initially surprised at the timing of the film in relation to the release of the game [Persona 3] but noted that the film's story kept true to the game. Nakai also expressed interest in the relationship between the characters Fūuka and Natsuki.

Isamu Tanonaka as Igor: Master of the Velvet Room, a place which exists in the realm between dreams and reality. Due to Tanonaka's death in 2010, archived audio recordings of his role as "Igor" in the Persona 3 game are used for the film. He was credited as giving a special performance.

Miyuki Sawashiro as Elizabeth: