Persona 4 The Golden Animation

Persona 4 The Golden Animation (ペルソナ４ ザ・ゴールデン) is an animated adaption of Persona 4 Golden, the 2012 re-release of Persona 4 for the PlayStation Vita. The show is produced by A-1 Pictures, one of the studios that created the animated cutscenes of the original game.

Original Run

 * MBS/TBS: July 10, 2014 - September 25, 2014

Profile
Announced on May 2, 2014 during a special Niconico broadcast called "Dark Hour TV ~Persona Hour~", Persona 4 The Golden Animation will tell the story depicted in Persona 4 Golden and include the events surrounding the new character introduced in the Vita port, Marie. The adaption will be directed by Tomohisa Taguchi who also directed the second Persona 3 movie and supervised by the director of the first anime, Seiji Kishi. Katsura Hashino is credited for the story concept while Shigenori Soejima is responsible for the character design. Tetsuya Kobayashi will provide music in addition to series veteran Shoji Meguro.

Episode 1 - The Golden Days

 * At the end of this episode, Marie mentions to Yu that "Long Nose" never talked, this may be a reference to Igor's original Japanese voice actor, Isamu Tanonaka's death in 2010.

Episode 2 - The Pefect Plan

 * The costume theme postcard of Chie and Yukiko is somewhat similar to their Twin Dragons attack in the game.

Episode 3- I have amnesia, is it so bad?

 * In the Velvet Room, as Marie is wondering about her true self/identify, inside of Margaret's book there are images of the Investigation Team members who had already accepted their Shadow Self that are actually flashbacks from the original anime.

Episode 4 - The Mayonaka Ohdan Miracle Quiz!

 * During the quiz challenge, Marie appears in an All-Out Attack with the others despite not being a member of the Investigation Team.

Episode 5 - Let's go get it! Get Pumped

 * Kanami makes a cameo appearance, although on her poster, she wears her outfit in Persona 4: Dancing All Night, and appear in her game character design instead of her anime character design like the other characters.

Episode 6 - See? I Told You Yu.

 * This episode's focus on Adachi's backstory and his point of view before Yu arriving Inaba on April.
 * When Adachi first arrives at Inaba and meets the Moel Gas Station Attendant, he is seen wearing his detective attire instead of wearing casual clothes like he was seen in the flashback of the original anime's True End Episode - No One is Alone.

Episode 7 - It's cliché, so what?

 * In anime, Yu realize Adachi's motive right away without informing the others about him unlike in the game where he tells them.
 * When both Izanagi clashed with each other, Yu and Adachi saw each other's own world perspectives, but Yu's was not shown.
 * Yu used Magatsu-Izanagi to defeat Ameno-sagiri although in the game, he can only achieve it when maxing Adachi's Social Link in March.
 * During the battle with Adachi, he summons the maxed social link Ultimate Personas of the Investigation Team and the Doijima Family, although he doesn't summon other social links.

Episode 8 - Not So Holy Christmas Eve

 * It is revealed all of their memories of Marie has been erased completely. In which it was a hint from the previous episode since in the ending, the Investigation team was not present and memory panel is completely blank.


 * The opening theme replaced by Key Plus Words from Persona 4 Animation, with only difference on "Persona 4 Golden Animation" logo

Episode 9 - A missing piece

 * Most of the images they spend together in during summer to fall from the previous episodes are seen in Rise's cellphone.
 * The only image not present was the trivia quiz game they created for Marie. As it's impossible without any memories of her, the quiz game never existed.
 * The costume theme postcard of Yosuke and Teddie is somewhat similar to their Junes Bomber attack in the game.
 * Yu does not take anyone when he got lost in the snow unlike in the game where the protagonist can choose one of the girls or the guys.

Episode 10 - Not a friend anymore

 * In the beginning of episode, it's similar to the new cutscene, except that Chie does not reach out to the TV to be grabbed by Margaret and pull the rest of the Investigation Team in; instead Yu comes closer to the TV after hearing Margaret's voice and enters alone. However, Yu's friends do follow him, only to be separated in different areas of the Hollow Forest.
 * Strangely, after entering the TV world, most of the Investigation Team's outfits immediately changed to their school uniform. Yu's outfit, however, did not change immediately upon entering.
 * The costume theme postcard of Kanji and Naoto is somewhat similar to their Beauty and the Beast attack in the game.
 * The Investigation Team faced Marie during their ski trip instead of going on the next day.
 * This is the first episode where Yu and his friends are defeated by Kusumi-no-Okami.

Episode 11 - Let it OUT! Let it GO!

 * When Yu enters inside of Kusumi-no-Okami, his main weapon unknownly appear despite of never bringing it.
 * During Valentine Day, the chocolate that girls helps Nanako making it for Yu with, bares a strong resemble to Slime.

Episode 12- Welcome Home

 * In anime, at the ending of the episode, Marie never get to reunited with Investigation Team although in the game, she reunited with them and had a group photo together.
 * This episode is similar to the True Ending of original/remake game except there are differents that was not feature in the remake game:
 * Teddie decide for everyone writing their wishes and put it in a time capsule.
 * Marie gets processes by Izanami in order to communiate with Investigation Team.
 * Kaguya is used to defeat Izamami instead of Izanagi-no-Okami.
 * When Marie becomes one with Izanami, she disappears in Yomotsu Hirasaka instead of the Velvet Room.


 * See: List of Persona 4 The Golden Animation Episodes

Music

 * Opening theme
 * "Next Chance to Move On" by Shihoko Hirata
 * "Next Chance to Move On" by Shihoko Hirata


 * Ending theme
 * "Dazzling Smile" by Shihoko Hirata
 * "Dazzling Smile" by Shihoko Hirata

Trivia

 * All the major characters and social link characters appear in the opening introduction (except Margaret),  although some of the minor characters also appear such as Mitsuo Kubo, Saki Konishi, Yuuta Minami, and Aika Nakamura.
 * The series appears to based off a "New Game+" scenario, as during the battle with the numerous shadows in the first episode, Izanagi was able to use techniques like Mazionga and Megidolaon, despite being summoned for the first time.
 * So far starting from Episode 2, all introduction episodes begin with Yu finding Marie's poems and reading it in the Velvet Room until Marie arrives, in embarrassment as she doesn't want him to read her poems until Episode 7.
 * There are notable differences between the remake and original anime, including but not limited to:
 * The main events are skipped completely, focusing solely on the Golden exclusive scenes, essentially making the show an add-on to the original anime.
 * The entire anime mainly focuses on Marie's and Adachi's Social Link, while other Social Links aren't acquired.
 * The character designs are similar to the original anime and  Persona 4 Golden' s anime cutscenes, however some of the characters have differently colored hair or eyes.
 * The battle against the Shadows are rarely shown until Episode 7.
 * The party members of the Investigation Team (except Yu) use their default Personas instead of their new Ultimate Personas until Episode 11
 * Although in the original anime, the Investigation Team's Persona evolve to their Ultimate Personas in Episode 24.