Rumors are circulating about a live-action Persona TV show produced by Netflix. This would be an incredible development and, if it happens, it needs to make one change if it wants to properly adapt the RPG series, especially if it wants to appeal to those familiar with the source material.
The main question Persona fans are asking about the live-action show is whether it will be a direct adaptation of the mainline entries in the series, or if it will tell a brand-new story. While the idea of a direct Persona adaptation might seem laughable, especially considering how long the games are, it bears mentioning that there have been several successful anime shows and movies in the past, which did a fine job of condensing material.
The Persona TV Show Needs To Leave Japan
Regardless of whether the Persona show is an adaptation or something new, it needs to finally leave Japan and set its story in another country. This would be a much better fit for a new tale, as while the story of Persona 4 could, in theory, be transplanted to a small town in America, the end result might be too different from the games.
The Death Note fans who endured the horrors of the Netflix adaptation might be crying foul at this point, but the reason why that version was awful was due to the horrible writing and needless changes. It had nothing to do with the fact that Light and L were Americans.
A Persona TV show set in the United States of America or Europe might already be on the cards due to the realities of filming, seeing as the rumored production company, 21 Laps Entertainment, is based in New York City. While it’s possible that the Persona show could be set in Japan, it’s more likely that Netflix would have used a company based in the country to make the show if that were the case.
It’s wise for the live-action show to abandon the storylines from the video games, as they’re just going to draw negative comparisons. The best bet is to go in a new direction, with a story involving characters thrust into a supernatural world with creatures that won’t be instantly familiar to them.
Setting the show in a boarding school in a big city would be a smart choice. It can keep the overall world and gameplay loop concepts of a student balancing their social life with dungeon crawling, while using a narrative of an appropriate length and pacing for a live-action TV show.
The Persona Games Aren’t Ready For A Change Of Scenery
While the Persona TV show offers the perfect platform to try out stories in different settings, the video games might not be ready for that. For one thing, the Persona game releases are so sporadic that fans haven’t had the chance to get sick of similar settings just yet, even if there is a vocal demand for older characters and the return of a female protagonist.
There’s also the reverse of the TV show issue, as the Persona video games are primarily made by a Japanese studio. Setting a game outside Japan would mean showcasing an international location from the perspective of developers who wouldn’t be as familiar with the lifestyle and education of the local students.
Atlus will likely shift the Persona series to another country at some point in the future, though likely still with a Japanese protagonist, but it’s something that’s going to take a lot of time and care to get right. For the time being, there’s enough potential for Persona stories in places the developers are familiar with to prevent the need for going abroad, and international stories should definitely be left to Netflix’s adaptation.