ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Persona 5,’ Volume 6

Persona 5 has one of the best video game narratives of all time. Seeing how the game takes anywhere from 80 to 130 hours to complete, adapting it into any other form of media is a difficult task. Persona 5 Volume 6 by mangaka Hisato Murasaki actually manages to pull it off pretty well, adapting the story near flawlessly into manga form.

Persona 5 Volume 6 is published in English by Viz Media and was translated by Adrienne Beck with touch-up art and lettering from Annaliese “Ace” Christman. Volume 6, which contains chapters 29 through 34, picks up with student body president Makoto Nijimia officially joining the Phantom Thieves. With tensions high, the team must band together to defeat mob boss Junya Kaneshiro before he can ruin their lives.

The Persona 5 manga consistently impresses me. Though it would be impossible to fit the entirety of the game’s story into a few volumes of manga, Murasaki manages to retell the story in a way that newcomers and fans alike can both follow and enjoy.

The main aspect of Persona 5 that really draws most players in is the game’s characters. While you do get to know them throughout the main story, the meat of almost everyone’s arcs comes from side interactions that the player has to initiate. Seeing as how there isn’t room for any of these side stories in the manga, readers miss out on many moments and interactions that make Persona 5 truly great.

As it stands, however, the manga is still a good adaptation. Volume 6 features many fantastic moments with Makoto, one of the strongest characters in Persona 5. Seeing her overcome society’s expectations for her and decide to follow her own path is a joy to read and leads to some very engaging moments.

Murasaki’s art is a bit hit or miss. While most of the volume’s art is very good, several panels just feel off. It’s as if he forgets how characters such as Makoto are supposed to look before magically remembering the next panel. It’s nothing mind-blowingly terrible and doesn’t detract heavily from the experience, but it can be annoying for diehard fans.

The Persona 5 manga began publishing monthly soon after the original game was released in Japan. Since it began publication, Persona 5 Royal, a huge update to Persona 5 with some big additions to the story, was released. Though no one really expected Murasaki to include anything from Royal in his adaptation, fans may be surprised to see some changes to the original story in Volume 6 that foreshadow the inclusion of Royal content. This could just be a throwaway Easter egg, but it’s still a nice bone to throw to fans.

Persona 5 Volume 6 is a joy to read for longtime fans and newcomers alike. Though this story is still much better represented in the original game, the manga does a good job translating the story into a new medium. Volume 6 features some amazing character moments and nods to longtime fans, but inconsistent art holds it back from true greatness.

Persona 5 Volume 6 is available wherever books are sold on April 13, 2021.