Character 4 Area GN 1-3 Assessment
The 2012 fighting game of the same name served as the inspiration for Persona 4 Arena. But, creating a one-to-one version of that game is just not feasible. The game’s story isn’t one cohesive story; rather, it varies depending on the character you’re controlling. There are twelve distinct tellings of the story to pick from as a result. Although it would make sense to focus mostly on Yu’s story—after all, he is Persona 4’s primary character—the manga places Yosuke in the lead role.
Yosuke’s role in the original Persona 4 was mostly that of a sidekick and comic relief. While he overcame this role in the game, deep-seated fears are more difficult to overcome. He is compelled to revisit these concepts throughout the manga in order to determine whether or not he has truly changed. In the process, he emerges from Yu’s shadow to become a self-sufficient hero.
Yosuke’s encounters with Labrys and his desire to save her—he fears she’s just another innocent victim put into the TV world like those in Persona 4—help him mature. Yosuke befriends a Labrys, though, and he’s neither robotic in appearance or personality. Although Labrys is meant to be an even older model of an android than Aigis, the Labrys in the story is not what is expected. One of the manga’s central mysteries is why she is this way, coupled with who actually stole Labrys and who the tournament’s mastermind is.
The fact that this manga is a direct sequel to both Persona 3 and Persona 4—taking place two years after the events of Persona 3 and a month after the events of Persona 4—despite the story’s title, “Persona 4 Arena,” is another compelling feature of the work. This indicates that a large portion of the narrative is on examining the characters’ development in the years after the conclusion of the game for Persona 3. Mitsuru, Aigis, and Akihiko are dedicated to eradicating the Kirijo group’s wrongdoings and defending the world against the darkness.
Particularly Mitsuru and Aigis have compelling character journeys. Mitsuru is coping with the weighty burden of her family’s faults and reputation. She needs an excuse to simply let free and fight, to stop worrying about the future and just live in the present, even if she’s holding up well because of her friends’ support. Regarding Aigis, she is adjusting to the notion that she has a family, namely an older sister who is in great need of her assistance. Furthermore, similar to Yosuke, the conflicts in the TV world resurrect old fears, particularly those related to not being human.
All things considered, the Persona 4 Arena manga is a respectable rendition of the video game that isn’t afraid to take chances with some aspects in order to craft a narrative that defies expectations, particularly for fans of the original title. The art is the one truly bad aspect of the story; although it does a fantastic job of capturing its darkest and most terrible moments, the overall absence of backgrounds gives the entire narrative an oddly sterile sense that detracts from the manga’s overall quality. However, if you’re a fan of Persona and don’t enjoy fighting games, this manga is a fantastic opportunity to read about the characters that you loved in Persona 3 and Persona 4.
