Aside from the major Persona announcement this weekend, fans in Japan will have another piece of Persona media to look forward to with Persona 3 the Movie #1: Spring of Birth which which also comes out on the 24th. This week’s Famitsu magazine features an interview with director Noriaki Akitaya and Atlus sound developer Shoji Meguro
Director Noriaki Akitaya, who has directed anime titles such as Bakuman and Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2, starts out by talking about how his involvement in the upcoming film began.
“I’ve always loved Atlus games, and have been playing them since Shin Megami Tensei on the Super Famicom, so as soon as we began talking, I immediately jumped on it,” shares Akitaya with a laugh. “However, unlike a game that reflects a player’s decision, an anime is something that will be ‘viewed’ by customers. If we can get as many Persona 3 fans to feel something and enjoy the film, that is one of my focuses, of course, even as a fan.”
“As an anime creator, I seriously put a lot of thought into choices such as what to leave behind in the episode, and what to take out,” Akitaya says.
Famitsu asks Akitaya to share some more of those thoughts.
“The hardest part was getting the protagonist, who is ‘the player’ in the game, and making him into a character named ‘Makoto Yuki’ for the film, then figuring out how to integrate him into the story,” elaborates Akitaya. “Staying true to his speech and behavior from the original game is one of the more difficult parts of making it into an anime. I was very careful about getting the detailed gestures right, one by one.”
Shoji Meguro who worked on the music of Persona 3 shares some of his thoughts on the production of the upcoming feature film.
“Judging by what has been said thus far, I feel that they care a lot about Persona 3, and I truly feel grateful for it,” says Meguro. “I was also in charge of the music for Persona 4’s game and anime, and the enthusiasm shared by the staff members have always been great; it’s very reassuring.”
Next, Meguro talks a bit about Persona 3, which was released about 7 years ago, and featured a unique pop-like soundtrack with vocals.
“What made me decide to go with that composition, was the user interface that had a fancy atmosphere to it,” shares Meguro. “In order to make new songs for the film, I felt the need to give it a deeper feeling, so there will be many sounds from string instruments.”
Meguro also reveals that there are 10 new tracks for the film, and each one is made with a Persona 3 vibe in mind. When asked how the songs will be used during the movie, he mentions that the sound director balanced things out by deciding which parts should have the new tracks and which parts should have the game’s original music, instead.
Finally, a message from Akitaya and Meguro, for the fans waiting to see the movie:
Akitaya: “I believe that Persona 3’s charm lies within the coolness of the characters, more than anything. We pride ourselves in having made a movie that might just make you want to play the game after watching it, so please look forward to it.”
Meguro: “Just like we felt for the Persona 4 anime, it would bring us no greater pleasure than if you could look forward to both games and anime. By all means, please experience the world of Persona 3 with your very own eyes and ears.”
Persona 3 the Movie #1: Spring of Birth will be released in Japan on November 23rd.
