Best Anime Recs for Persona 3 Reload Fans

As one of the best JRPG franchises out there, the Persona series is multifaceted, ambitious, and excellent in everything it aims to accomplish. A combination of a high school life sim and an exhilarating turn-based dungeon crawler, Persona is a franchise that has something to offer everyone. Ever since the 2016 release of Persona 5, the series has exploded in popularity; its latest mainline game, Persona 3 Reload, only secured the franchise’s status as one of the best in the genre.

Following the protagonist as he tries to juggle his daily school life with the exploration of a mysterious structure known as Tartarus, a parallel world filled with violent Shadows that merges with reality every night, P3R is unique both in terms of plot and gameplay. However, if fans of the game are looking for something similar to the thrilling mysteries and stylish charm of P3R, anime has plenty of stories that capture the same atmosphere in a different format.

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Durarara!!

Tired of his mundane life, Mikado Ryugamine decides to move to Ikebukuro, a district in Tokyo, when a friend invites him. With everything from invisible gangs to rumored beings, Ikebukuro is full of connected mysteries where people’s pasts intertwine with the present.

Release Date

January 7, 2010

Cast

Hiroshi Kamiya , Daisuke Ono , Miyuki Sawashiro , kari wahlgren , Johnny Yong Bosch

Studio

Brain’s Base

Durarara!! would be a perfect anime for those who enjoy exploring the unique locations of Tatsumi Port Island and the eccentric confidants inhabiting the city most. An enthralling urban fantasy set in the heart of Ikebukuro, Durarara!! is a web of narratives that clashes the stories of the most peculiar people, from local gang leaders and yakuza bosses to supernatural monsters, like the city’s legendary headless rider, Dullahan.

Just like in P3R, the series’ protagonist, Mikado Ryuugamine, is a high schooler and a newcomer to the city. Yet, his story is far from the most perplexing in Durarara!!, as every exceptional character he meets in Ikebukuro has enough going on to be the hero of their own show.

9 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Heavily Inspired the Persona Franchise

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

The story of the Joestar family, who are possessed with intense psychic strength, and the adventures each member encounters throughout their lives.

Release Date

October 6, 2012

Seasons

5

Studio

David Production

Franchise

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Characters By

Hirohiko Araki

The cult-classic shonen series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has been one of the most obvious Persona influences since the franchise’s creation. The battle system of the game involves characters summoning manifestations of their psyche — the titular Personas — which are very similar to Stands. Yet, Persona echoes JJBA in more than just its battle system.

Diamond Is Unbreakable is the part most reminiscent of P3R in terms of plot, featuring a colorful cast of teenage fighters who uncover menacing mysteries in a small Japanese town. Overall, any Persona fan would feel at home exploring the eccentric world of JJBA.

8 Puella Magi Madoka Magica Has Tons of Unexpected Depth and Darkness

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

A creature named Kyubey offers Madoka and Sayaka a wish if they agree to become ‘magical girls’ and fight abstract beings called ‘witches’. However, a magical girl named Homura is, for uncertain reasons, determined to stop this agreement.

Release Date

January 7, 2011

Creator(s)

Akiyuki Shinbo , Gen Urobuchi , Ume Aoki , Shaft

Cast

Christine Marie Cabanos , Cristina Vee , Carrie Keranen , Sarah Anne Williams , Cassandra Lee Morris

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

1

Studio

Shaft

Writers

Gen Urobuchi

Franchise(s)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Directors

Akiyuki Shinbo , Yukihiro Miyamoto

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10 Best Anime That Get Surprisingly Dark After A Few Episodes

Dark tonal shifts have proven to be an effective narrative device in various anime shows, giving the narrative an added level of unpredictability.

Of all Persona games, the third installment in the series has always been the most esoteric and dark in terms of plot. Gradually transitioning from lighthearted to apocalyptically calamitous, Persona 3 Reload shares surprising similarities with Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a magical girl anime with a shockingly dark twist.

Thematically, both franchises focus on the struggles of unwilling, accidental heroes, the heaviness of the burden of being the world’s savior, and the tragedies that break out when the supernatural clashes with the ordinary. Moreover, both series place a lot of emphasis on stylistic uniqueness, so those who appreciated P3R’s bold approach to creating distinctive visual aesthetics would hold Madoka Magica’s style in esteem.

7 Persona 4: The Animation is the Best Persona Adaptation

The Persona franchise has several official anime adaptations, including four movies dedicated to Persona 3 specifically. Yet, if any P3R fans are looking for a Persona anime that does the franchise justice, there’s no better pick than Persona 4: the Animation.

Closely following the plot of the game, the anime tells the story of Yu Narukami, a newcomer in the small town of Inaba who gets sucked into a mysterious foggy world inside of a TV that seems connected to the serial murders plaguing the area. Persona 4: The Animation captures the unique, enchanting atmosphere Persona games are famous for faultlessly, and the P4 cast is one of the most endearing in the entire franchise.

6 Dark Gathering’s Supernatural Horror Vibes Are Reminiscent of P3R

Persona 3 is one of the darkest entries in the series, both visually and thematically. The game’s vibe and aesthetic are reminiscent of supernatural horror at times, similar to those of Dark Gathering.

A rare phenomenal outlier in the modern horror landscape, Dark Gathering follows the story of Keitarou Gentouga, a college student with an outstanding spiritual presence who gets roped into helping a young exorcist, Yayoi Houzuki, to find her mother’s spirit. While the show’s horror sequences can be genuinely terrifying and even grotesque, Dark Gathering also features plenty of comedic slice-of-life elements — a duality familiar to all Persona players.

5 Soul Eater is a Stylish Supernatural Adventure

Soul Eater

Set in the Shinigami technical school, the series revolves around a partnership between a weapon meisters and a human weapon. Trying to reach a ranking of “Death Scythe” they must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and 1 witch.

Release Date

April 7, 2008

Creator(s)

Atsushi Ohkubo

Cast

Laura Bailey , Micah Solusod , Brittney Karbowski , Monica Rial , Todd Haberkorn , Jamie Marchi , Cherami Leigh

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

2

Studio

Bones

Creator

Atsushi Ohkubo

Writers

Akatsuki Yamatoya

Franchise(s)

Soul Eater

Directors

Takuya Igarashi

One of the most outstanding features all Persona games have in common is their eclectic, dashing style. Modern Persona games like Persona 5 Royal and Persona 3 Reload masterfully utilize the technological advantages at their disposal to elevate the gaming experience through uniquely captivating aesthetics. The Soul Eater anime shares plenty of similarities with Persona in terms of its supernatural plot, yet the two franchises’ most obvious commonality lies in their shared devotion to style.

Set in a fantastical world plagued by many supernatural evils, Soul Eater follows the students of the notorious Death Weapon Meister Academy — a school for shikigami and their weapons. The anime’s stellar aesthetic sense paired with its close focus on the value of relationships and intimate bonds makes Soul Eater a perfect anime for Persona fans.

4 Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is a Stellar Mix of Fantastical Action and Relatable Interpersonal Drama

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

A group of seven mages gets chosen to become masters of seven classes of heroic spirits, in order to fight and win the Holy Grail.

Genre

Action

Language

English, Japanese

Number of Seasons

2

Debut Date

October 12, 2014

Studio

Ufotable

In the lore of Persona, the titular monsters the protagonist and his friends summon are based on various mythological and historical figures. A similar concept lies at the heart of Type-Moon’s Fate series, although the heroic spirits in Fate are much more autonomous than Personas and are characters in their own right.

Compared to other popular anime in the franchise, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works is lighter in tone and features a lot of entertaining interpersonal drama due to its protagonist, Shirou Emiya, being a high school student who entered the Holy Grail War by accident. Together with his knightly Servant, Saber, and his brash, temperamental classmate Rin, Emiya enters the death game for the Holy Grail despite knowing nothing about sorcery and magic.

3 The Monogatari Series is an Unexpectedly Sophisticated Harem Romance

Monogatari

The Monogatari series revolves around Koyomi Araragi, a third-year high school student who has almost restored his humanity after briefly becoming a vampire during spring break. 

Release Date

July 3, 2009

Cast

Hiroshi Kamiya , Eri Kitamura

Seasons

3

Studio

Shaft

Creator

Nisio Isin

Number of Episodes

100

Streaming Service(s)

Funimation

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While P3R’s action gameplay deserves endless praise, the life sim portions of the game are arguably even more responsible for its popularity. There are few slice-of-life or romance anime that approach developing their characters similarly to Persona, yet the game series shares some undeniable similarities with the Monogatari franchise.

Following Araragi Koyomi, a half-vampire who constantly finds himself helping eccentric girls with their problems, both personal and supernatural, Monogatari is a stylish, witty, surreal take on the harem genre. The Monogatari approaches the commonly dismissed trope from a totally unique perspective and gives its heroines actual depth comparable to that of P3R’s love interests.

2 Assassination Classroom Showcases People’s Growth Under Extreme Circumstances

Assassination Classroom (2013)

Original title: Ansatsu kyôshitsu.
A powerful creature claims that within a year, Earth will be destroyed by him, but he offers mankind a chance by becoming a homeroom teacher where he teaches his students about how to kill him. An assassination classroom begins.

Release Date

February 18, 2015

Cast

Jun Fukuyama , Bryce Papenbrook , Vic Mignogna , Patrick Seitz , Jessie James Grelle , Luci Christian , Michael Johnston , Mike McFarland

Seasons

2

Creator

Yûsei Matsui

Production Company

Fuji Television Network, Lerche

Number of Episodes

49

Assassination Classroom’s Class 3-E is filled with seemingly irredeemable delinquents no one believes could ever climb up from the bottom. However, they are presented with a unique opportunity to prove themselves — all they have to do is kill their new teacher, a mysterious octopus-like monster responsible for destroying the moon.

A shockingly heartfelt tale of friendship, personal growth, and self-realization, Assassination Classroom shares many thematic parallels with Persona 3 Reload in terms of how it approaches characterization and humanizes the seemingly monstrous. And the show’s eccentric, somewhat absurd action only adds to its unorthodox charm.

1 Boogiepop Phantom Surreal Atmosphere Would Remind the Viewers of Tartarus

A cult classic of avant-garde anime, Boogiepop Phantom is a surreal collection of episodic supernatural mysteries, all connected to the urban mystery of Boogiepop — an enigmatic shikigami existing in the legends of Shinyo Academy. Dark in its presentation and convoluted in its themes, Boogiepop Phantom is the closest thing in anime to P3R’s atmosphere of haunting gloom.

While the two franchises share little in common in terms of story, the mood Boogiepop Phantom establishes through both its visuals and sound design is very similar to that of investigating the anomalies of Tartarus. The non-linear, puzzle-like approach the anime takes to fleshing out its mysteries makes the watching experience akin to playing a game.