Last weeks episode say Yu, Yosuke, Chie, & Teddie enter the TV to save Chie’s friend Yukiko, but the group hit a little detour when the had to battle Chie’s shadow. However, now that everything is back on track, with Chie gaining her own Persona, the team once again enters the TV to rescue Yukiko. Spoilers ahead.

Yu (Johnny Yong Bosch), Yosuke (Yuri Lowenthal), Chie (Erin Fitzgerald), & Teddie (Sam Reigel) continue on their quest to save Chie’s best friend Yukiko (Amanda Winn-Lee). Armed with her newly acquired Persona Suzuka Gongen, Chie leads the charge as the group makes their way to where Yukiko is being held captive. However, when they encounter the girl’s shadow; they soon find out that they are in over their heads.

The main focus of this episode is of course Yukiko. We see more of her relationship with Chie from her point of view and it turns out that she is dealing with problems that basically anyone can relate to. Being the sole heir to her family’s Inn she has a lot of responsibility placed upon her at such a young age. She likens herself to a bird in a cage, aching to escape and fly anywhere else. This point is driven home when the episode chronicles how she found an abandoned bird and nurses it back to health until one day it flies out of it’s cage and leaves her.

Yukiko’s shadow

This is where the show shines a bit more than it’s video game counterpart. In the game these things are told to us, whereas in the anime they are shown, which makes for a more satisfying experience for the viewer as we are able to better connect to the characters.  We also get an advancement in Chie & Yukiko’s friendship when Chie admits her own shortcomings to her friend. This adds to both of the girl’s development, and adds a new layer to their friendship.

Yu also advances a bit as a character as he gains the Chariot arcana (which he received because of Chie) and gets a new Persona, Ara Mitama. The fight scene with Yukiko’s shadow is well animated and the castle literally burning around our heroes leads to a sense of urgency as they try to save Yukiko.

Another character focus episode that will turn out to resonate later within the series as we see more of Yukiko and the role she will play as the show progresses. The VA’s continue to a great job conveying the story, seeing as how the whole cast (save Erin Fitzgerald, Sam Reigel, & future characters VA) all worked on the game together.

4/5