Persona 5, Vol. 13

ペルソナ5 [Persona 5] #13

by Hisato Murasaki, ＡＴＬＵＳ (creator)

After being arrested and having to transfer to a new high school in Tokyo, Akira Kurusu is given the goal of rehabilitation and awakened to a new power—the power of one’s true self, a Persona. Using his Persona and the mysterious navigation app Mementos, Akira and his friends take on the role of Phantom Thieves, saving people from the twisted desires of those around them.

The Phantom Thieves’ next target is none other than the prosecutor investigating their case—and Makoto’s big sister—Sae Nijima! In order to clear their names, they have no choice but to accept Akechi’s help in changing Sae’s heart. But they face one of their trickiest palaces yet—a casino built around cheating!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy

200 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2024

Reviews

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't stop laughing at them speed running all the royal confidants this late into the story lmfao

[courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read of 2026 down! As always anything Persona 5 related is a 5 star rating but this is definitely my favourite volume now. All my fellow Shuake lovers strap in and get ready to read this laying on your bed, kicking your feet in the air and grinning ear to ear!

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just caught up to what was on Viz. They don’t have the volumes yet for the chapters I read. So, this is what I have

[Alyssa Denfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 my favorite palace

[fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is just shuake: the manga volume (+ one of the best palace's plot). and i am not complaining! thank you persona 5 manga for dragging me out of my reading slump <3

[Athenae · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars always because persona 5 lol

[Sheepy · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a good adaptation!

[Grace Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collects chapters 72-77

I've been reading the series chapter-by-chapter through Viz. Seeing as this is the latest volume as of now, I'll put my thoughts on the entire series here.

The art and writing are both strong. I haven't played the game, only watched RTGame's playthrough, so I can't really speak to how the manga series compares to the game. As far as I can tell, it's a very faithful adaptation. The characters remain endearing, the plot engaging, and the action is suitably slick and stylish. The presentation is stronger in the game, but that's not really a knock on the manga considering the limits of the medium (no "Last Surprise", alas).

On the flip side, the manga does a decent job of being accessible to those who haven't played the game. It covers the entire plot, though it has yet to touch on some of the side missions/confidants. It doesn't include all of the game mechanics, which I think is fine. It's a different medium; seeing all the gameplay mechanics translated over would get tedious.

However, I do think some things could've stood to be explained better. In particular, Akira being able to use multiple personas. This is a major part of the game, but initially the manga made it seem he didn't have this power. That would've been fine, as it gives the other characters more room to shine, but then this latest arc revealed that not only is Akira able to summon other Personas, he's been able to this the entire time. Perhaps it was shown earlier in the manga and I missed it, but there was no explanation given either way, and no reaction from him or his friends. Even aside from the missed opportunity of having it as a major reveal, I can only imagine how confusing that sequence must have been for any readers unfamiliar with the game.

All that in mind, this would have been a four-star series if not for my biggest pet peeve: the constant sexualization of the female characters. Again, I haven't played the game, so perhaps it's just as bad there, but it feels very pronounced in the manga. Ann especially suffers from this to an uncomfortable degree, but none of the female Thieves are exempt. No scenes are exempt, either; several serious and emotional moments were undermined by the artist's, ah... emphasis. Futaba's arc in particular stood out for this reason. Because of that, I'd say that even aside from my personal discomfort, the fanservice (is that what it would be called?) actively detracts from the story being told. And that's without even mentioning the scumminess of depicting high school girls this way.

Still, the manga is a fun read, and worth checking out for anyone interested in the game. I just wish it would show more respect to both its characters and its audience.