Didn't take long for someone to encode a HD copy of Persona Trinity Soul episode one and put it on the net today. Isn't today's technology great? With quad core processors and megabit broadband it only takes a fraction of the time it used to take. In fact, there were multiple versions up which proves how popular the Persona 3 game must have been. Thanks for the RAWs guys!

Summary of Episode 1 - The Special Class A Potential

The story begins with a mysterious red haired girl floating under the sea. As she points to the sun above, a submarine is wrenched out onto the surface by the Japan Coast Guard. Ryo arrives from the Ayanagi Police Department by helicopter and waits for the submarine to be opened. No one is inside. All that's left is a mix of food, paper and tools. Just as Ryo secures the crime scene, a white feather flies by him. He walks to the side of the ship and says, "Are you here?"

Meanwhile, his brothers Shin and Jun were on a plane back to Ayanagi City. Shin is sound asleep but suddenly jumps up from his seat. It was the third time he had the cramps on the plane. It was that same dream where something came out of his body and he was thrown into a battle. Then he almost lost. Jun doesn't quite get what he means. Maybe his brother was just tired from the sudden move back home. Their aunt was in a relationship now so they don't want to bother her too much and hope it goes well. Jun seemed to be bothered about something else though.

Arriving at the airport, their older brother is no where to be seen. Jun isn't surprised. Shin tries to call him on his house number but no one picks up. It had always been like this. Ryo was always busy working. They were a family of three yet they can't even get a hold of their brother's mobile number. He could have at least made time to see them again. It's been 10 years since they last saw each other after all. They decide to head out for something to eat.

On the other hand, Ryo was making his way back to the station while reporting to someone on the phone. The three submarine members had all disappeared but he couldn't link it to the recent Reverse cases yet. They have yet to examine the specimens they have so far. Could it be a coincidence that the victims are the ones they have on their list? No it couldn't be. Ryo already has them under protection. The voice agrees it's a good move since they can't lose any more precious special class A potentials. Ryo hangs up only to find Eiko calling seconds later. She had finished examining a Reverse victim.

At the lab, Eiko and Ryo takes another brief glance over the victim before covering her. She was the third victim and was no different from the other two that were discovered. The bodies looked as if they were turned inside out and it's unknown how it was done. Eiko feels sorry for the three high school students. Leaving the body behind, Eiko is reminded of Ryo's brothers. They must also be in high school by now.

Shin and Jun were on their way back to their old home but they find themselves locked out. Ryo had changed the lock. As Shin fumbles around, Jun calls him to the back where some of the forest that used to be there could still be seen. The two walks down the path and remembers the time when they used to play together here. Shin fell off one of the trees. However, what really troubled them was their sister Yuki that time. She managed to get up but couldn't get back down so she burst out crying. With a sad look, Shin remembered she was pretty heavy. Jun apologises in place of his twin sister with a smile.

Back at his office, Ryo was looking over the list of potential Reverse victims he was sent. His phone rings. Picking it up he hears one of his subordinates Katayama crying out. Ryo rushes over to where Katayama was stationed. His other staff members were already inspecting the crime scene. A shocked looking Katayama was lying against a fence unable to speak. A school bag and a guitar case is left with traces of blood in the area. It appears there was another Reverse victim. After confirming the victim's ID, Ryo decides to check on the other students he has under protection. Tomohiro rings up the personnel but they don't pick up. Something was wrong. Ryo rushes off.

At the other end, Shin and Jun were dining away at a family restaurant discussing about Shin's dreams again. He picks up a card and draws out what he saw to show Jun. Suddenly, they hear a girl sitting nearby shouting at a guy. She tries to slap him but misses and ends up falling on the floor. Unwillingly she takes what looks like a bill before she leaves. That reminds Shin should complain about the way their older brother's been treating them. But Jun changes the subject back to the dream again. Shin had finished drawing the thing that killed him.

Changing scenes, a guy has broken into an apartment and has a girl pinned down. A strange creature appears out of him and it pulls out something similar from the girl. As it tries to devour the girl's creature, the girl is in pain. It looks as if her body was going to be turned inside out. Just then, the guy notices someone approaching. It was Ryo and he too had a creature projecting from his body. With his finger pointed out towards the guy, the creature attacks and a fight ensues. Losing the battle, the guy tries to escape by jumping off the building only to be badly shot by Ryo's creature. Ryo manages to save the girl just in time but the guy gets away.

Shin and Jun were now on their way back to the house from the restaurant but they spot something interesting. In the middle of the desolate roads, there was a fortune teller. Shin tries to ignore him by walking ahead but stops when he says, "We meet again." With masks laid out before him, the fortune teller says they had met before once, in between the voids of consciousness. Shin has no idea what he was talking about. The fortune teller continues talking, removing his mask to reveal someone with large somewhat crazy looking eyes and a long nose. He tells of how something has awakened within Shin before his voice trails off into silence.

Shin suddenly finds himself outside their house with Jun sleeping next to him. Ryo was there too but he doesn't seem too happy. He was demanding to know what they were doing sleeping outside. Then he reminds Shin where the spare key was hidden and also the house's access code which was a combination of their birthdays. For some reason, Ryo seemed to have forgotten about their sister Yuki.

Inside, their brother still seems to be pretty cold towards them. He tells them their things have been moved upstairs and they should go take a bath. Shin complains about the changed lock indirectly by saying the bathroom better be the same as before. Ryo answers he doesn't lock the bathroom door. With that, Shin makes his way upstairs but Jun pauses for a moment gazing at Ryo. Feeling his gaze, Ryo turns round and Jun makes his way upstairs.

Meanwhile, Shin was unpacking his things but was still mad at the way his brother was acting. He could have at least said, "It's been a while", "I missed you" or something along those lines. Maybe he was shy. Just as Shin was putting up his sculptures onto a shelve, he spots a familiar figure. It looked exactly like the fortune teller he met earlier.

He decides to go out again and drops by Jun's room to let him know. Jun is a bit angry that his brother didn't knock. Shin apologises, telling his brother to sleep soon since they have school tomorrow but he doesn't say where he's going. He makes his way down the stairs only to find Ryo who seems to have something to talk to them about. Shin walks on saying he has to go to the convenient store first. As he leaves, Jun can be heard talking with himself and the dress that was laid out before him.

Soon, Shin was back at the spot where he and Jun met the mysterious fortune teller but he was no where to be found. Was it a dream? But Jun had been there with him too. He walks on and hears someone in pain near some warehouses. It was the guy Ryo was chasing earlier. He walks over to see if he could help. Suddenly, the very same creature appears once again but seems to be out of control this time. It attacks Shin. Shielding himself in fear, a green light glows before Shin and he sees a sword appearing out of his body. The guy's creature backs off as another creature also emerges from Shin. With a single slash of its blade, the enemy creature was no more. Shin points into the sky.

Thoughts

So, all the premiere spoilers were true. That was a pretty good first episode although the opening animation and song wasn't that great. It gives you a brief intro about what's happening and lets the viewers know what kind of characters the Kanzato brothers are. There was a nice touch of mystery and dark atmosphere about but, it wasn't quite as heavy as the kind P3 had. Persona designs weren't that cool looking at all compared to the game, I can say that. While watching the show I had to smile when I heard "Changing Seasons" at the restaurant and also a piano version of the "Velvet Room" playing in the background when Igor appears.

With these guys taking pills and Yuuji's Persona (the bad guy) going out of control, it feels very much like a deja vu of Strega. From the look of things, that red haired girl might be the brother's lost sister Yuki. She was wearing that feather around her neck and the same thing flew by Ryo on the ship but, what has happened to her? It's implied she fell off and hurt herself during the woods scene because it sounded like Shin had a hard time carrying her to get some help.

Jun seems to have a twin personality which maybe due to the shock of losing their sister. He appears to be keeping her dress as a memento so he could be trying to keep part of her "alive".

As for Akihiko on the phone, it might be him since the voice does sound the same. In the ending credits you see his JP voice actor Hikaru Midorikawa listed but with no character name next to it. He should have quite a major role since his name is separated from the other voice actors who doesn't have their role named either.

Ending animation was just weird with those animal heads and the song wasn't that great either. I was expecting the screen to be filled with some kind of fantasy or sci-fi imagery out of the norm.

However, interestingly enough, a 2ch poster speculates the different heads represents people going through the Major Arcanas used in tarot cards. For example, the first guy with the bucket for a head is The Fool, the very first card numbered zero. The dog headed girl symbolises up to arcana number three, The Empress. The poster is probably right about this.

Well, next episode is entitled "Kagenuki" which is this ominous game that high school students have been participating in lately. I'm guessing this "Kagenuki" game (which literally means throwing away your shadow) is either the Marebito luring students to get their Personas (their "shadows") taken away or, them trying to recruit more members. Should be interesting.