Persona 3 The Movie

Persona 3 The Movie is an animated movie series based on the game Persona 3. The first movie, titled Persona 3 The Movie #1: Spring of Birth, was released on November 23, 2013, the second movie, Persona 3 The Movie #2: Midsummer Knight's Dream was released on June 7, 2014 and the third movie, Persona 3 The Movie #3: Falling Down is due for an April 4th 2015 release. A teaser of the first movie was first shown as a 28 second scene at the end of Persona 4 The Animation -The Factor of Hope-.

Release Dates
Persona 3 The Movie #1: Spring of Birth Persona 3 The Movie #2: Midsummer Knight's Dream Persona 3 The Movie #3: Falling Down Persona 3 The Movie #4: Last Episode
 * Japan: November 23, 2013 (Theatrical Release)
 * Japan: May 14, 2014 (DVD / Blu-Ray Release)
 * International: May 20, 2014 (Imported DVD / Blu-Ray Release)
 * Japan: June 7, 2014 (Theatrical Release)
 * Japan: March 11, 2015 (DVD / Blu-Ray Release)
 * International: March 11, 2015 (Imported DVD / Blu-Ray Release)
 * Japan: April 4, 2015 (Theatrical Release)
 * Japan: TBA

Plot
Makoto Yūki is an orphaned teenager who transfers to Gekkoukan High School, on Tatsumi Port Island and, much to his confusion, finds himself experiencing a supernatural phenomenon known as the Dark Hour. After witnessing his new Iwatodai dorm-mates being attacked by mysterious creatures known as Shadows, Makoto goes to their aid and inexplicably awakens to the power of his Persona. Makoto later joins a covert extra-curricular club at Gekkoukan High called SEES, whose members have but one goal: to rid the world of the Shadows.

Music
The Movie's soundtrack is composed by Shoji Meguro. Each movie is accompanied by a main theme, along with remixed tracks from the Persona 3 Original Soundtrack. The soundtrack for the first movie will be included with the Blu-Ray / DVD release. The themes for the movies are:


 * #1 Spring of Birth - "More Than One Heart" by Yumi Kawamura.
 * #2 Midsummer Knight's Dream - "Fate is In Our Hands" by Lotus Juice.
 * #3 Falling Down - "Light in Starless Sky" by Lotus Juice and Yumi Kawamura.

Adaptation Differences
There are differences between the game and movie.
 * Some characters' appearances are modified slightly, such as having darker hair or differently colored eyes.
 * SEES members don't get their weapons in the Police Station like in the game, only get their weapons specially made by the Kirijo Group for destroying Shadows in the movie version.
 * No items or Fusion spell are used for battle Shadows unlike in the game.
 * There are no cut-in effect when first summoning their Persona, and All-Out Attack effect in the movie version.
 * The protagonist gains new Personas after defeating a Shadow from a full-moon operation. The Persona's arcana depends on the defeated Shadow's arcana.
 * No Social Link are acquired in the movie, but it is unknown if Makoto gains the rest of the Arcanas: Temperance, Devil, Tower, Star, Moon, Sun, Judgement or Aeon after all the remaining Shadow Arcana are defeated.

Spring of Birth

 * All the major characters appears in movie intro (except Aigis), while the anime cutscene at the beginning only shows the Protagonist, Yukari, Pharos, and Mitsuru.
 * Makoto doesn't interact much with other social link characters, only a few.
 * It is revealed in the movie that the first victim devoured by the shadow in the anime cutscene was named Sakata Masashi.
 * Some characters make a cameo appearance:
 * Bunkichi and Mitsuko make a cameo appearance during Fuuka's visit at their bookstore.
 * Koromaru and Maiko Oohashi make a cameo appearance together.
 * Ken Amada also appears briefly.
 * Kenji Tomochika appears in the arcade and after exam results are posted.
 * Kazushi Miyamoto makes a brief cameo after exam results are posted.
 * Hidetoshi Odagiri appears while interrogating one of the students of class 2-E.
 * Nozomi Suemitsu makes a brief cameo in Wild Duck Burger.
 * Aigis appears in a post-credits scene.

Midsummer Knight's Dream

 * During the second movie intro, the differences between the movie and game are:
 * Mitsuru, Akihiko and Junpei battle the Arcana Hierophant without Makoto nor Yukari.
 * Makoto and Yukari were captured by Arcana Lovers until they come back to their senses and defeat it a while in the game they were captured after the Arcana Hierophant was defeated.
 * Junpei is the only member to be affected by Arcana Lovers a while in the game it depends.
 * Some characters make a cameo appearance:
 * Noriko Kashiwagi makes a cameo appearance in Yakushima.
 * Mamoru Hayase makes a cameo in kendo tournament.
 * Ryoji Mochizuki appears in a post-credits scene.
 * During their trip on Yakushima, Shadows appears during the Dark Hour a while in the game, Shadows nor the Dark Hour doesn't appear.
 * Ken and Koromaru joined SEES in August and battle against the Arcana Chariot and Arcana Justice early.
 * At the same time, Shinjiro joined the battle and saving the others from Shadow Arcana due to them inhaling toxic gas that Strega activated to kill them.
 * He also joined SEES early instead of September.
 * The SEES members see Takaya's Persona for the first time in August, earlier than in game and similar to the manga.
 * Junpei was not kidnapped by Chidori during September operation against the Arcana Hermit.
 * This is first time SEES witness Shinjiro's Persona goes berserk although this was not feature in the game or the manga.
 * During October 4, the different between the movie and game:
 * Since Chidori was never capture, Takaya decide to killed their data gatherer of SEES, it implied that he was looking for Fuuka Yamagishi (due to Strega's own data gatherer, Chidori was in a weak condition by whether by her Persona or attempt to commit suicide).
 * Shinjiro's death was more gored and dark than the anime cutscene of the game.
 * In the movie version, he died in his childhood friend's arms instead of standing up and takes few step before collapsing to the floor.
 * Shinjiro's funeral was attended on October 15 instead of October 5 in director's cut version, however in the actual film it was October 7.

Falling Down

 * Chidori gets captured by SEES much later than in the game.
 * Akihiko, Ken, and Fuuka's Personas do not evolve into Ultimate Personas, unlike in the game where they do as the story progresses through October.