Persona 3 The Movie: #4 Winter of Rebirth Review (Anime)
Here it is. The final Persona 3 movie. I can finally hold it in my hands. Persona 3 The Movie: #4 Winter of Rebirth is the climax to the outstanding collection of movies that replicate one of my favourite games near perfectly, and the final movie might be the best one of them all.
Following on from where the third movie left off, we find out more about Makoto’s earlier life as well as more about the mysterious Aigis and Ryoji. Many questions are answered as S.E.E.S fight their biggest battle so far against an incredibly threatening foe, and it’s one where there’s a good chance they won’t make it back. There’s more than a little to get teary eyed at, and it’s a movie that gave me goosebumps — I’m so happy that these movies turned out as well as they did, and I’m very happy with how Persona 3 was ultimately adapted. Adapting such a colossal game couldn’t have been easy, but A-1 Pictures have done magnificently.
A-1 Pictures have done magnificently.
Winter of Rebirth features the biggest battles of all four movies including a showdown with Persona-user team Strega, and a battle against a grand foe with the power to destroy all life — if you don’t like CGI then you might not enjoy how Nyx is presented, but I think it was a great use of CGI which blended in well with the brilliant 2D artwork. A-1 Pictures have proven themselves capable in the past with fluid action – particularly their use of presenting 2D imagery as if it were 3D – and they’ve put that experience to good use here.
The handling of emotion in Winter of Rebirth is masterful, especially as much of the movie is bleak (other than the hilarious segment with Elizabeth), and it strongly resonated with me. Colourful, slick battles and poignant scenes are filled with heartful passion, and they’re well-balanced throughout the movie. Winter of Rebirth is a beautiful movie, and A-1 Pictures have provided some of their greatest work so far with it.
The handling of emotion in Winter of Rebirth is masterful.
The only thing that I think is missing from this collection of movies is the lack of an English dub, which is made more notable considering that the game’s voice-over was fantastic. It’s lovely to see the Japanese voice-actors reprise their roles where they give some of their best performances, breathing life into emotive scenes and bringing their characters to full fruition.
Remixes of some songs such as “Burn My Dread” and “Deep Breath, Deep Breath” sound wonderful – and you might recognise some from the Persona 3 Reincarnation album – and a remix of original song for the movies “Memories of You” plays during the credits. Shoji Meguro is an expert composer and the anime original songs are every bit as good as those that were originally featured in the game, making for one of the most exceptional film soundtracks you’ll ever come across.
Winter of Rebirth is bittersweet and emotional, and it’s a hopeful story that’ll stay with you long after it ends.
It might not be the most uplifting quote from this movie, or at all, but “living is just as hard as dying” is something that really hit me — the circumstances might be different, but there’s a lot for people to relate to. The cast of Persona 3 and its narrative are so well written, and all I wanted was the best for these characters who were giving it all. It’s not all fun and games and Persona 3 is packed with many life lessons and its theme of life and death is relatable. Persona 3 will leave you thoughtful and itching for another watch, and it truly is one story that I’ll never forget. Winter of Rebirth is bittersweet and emotional, and it’s a hopeful story that’ll stay with you long after it ends.
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