- Primary Subject: Persona (Live-Action Series Adaptation)
- Key Update: Netflix announced a live-action Persona series adaptation produced alongside 21 Laps Entertainment and SEGA.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: June 30, 2026
- Quick Answer: Netflix is developing a live-action Persona series, but fans worry a Western crew and adapting the game’s social bond system will compromise its Japanese identity.
Netflix has announced that a live-action Persona series is currently in the works.
This isn’t the first time Netflix has turned a video game IP into a show. The streaming service also produced the live-action adaptation of The Witcher, as well as animated TV shows like Arcane and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
While those shows were great, I’m on the fence about how Netflix will adapt Persona — and it has a lot to do with the nature of the game itself.
Why I Don’t Think a Persona Live-Action Will Work
Across the Persona games, the bond system is a major part of gameplay. Going out of your way during free days to bond with characters, gain skills, and develop their Personas is integral to beating bosses and crawling dungeons.
Credit: SEGA
It takes up most of the game, allowing players to actually form a bond with the characters they like. A live-action adaptation would take away all of that and have set relationships for certain characters. That’s half the fun of the game — not being able to experience it and do it for yourself feels like a hollow experience, and I don’t know how Netflix will fill that void.
Another thing that also concerns me about the Persona live-action is the fact that the majority of people tied to the series aren’t Japanese. Christopher Monfette, the executive producer, showrunner, and writer of the adaptation, is American. Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, and Robert Atwood of 21 Laps Entertainment, who are also executive producers, are American too.
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That’s not to take anything away from their expertise and experience; I do not doubt that they are great at what they do, but this does have me worried about the authenticity of the Persona live-action and how it will be set.
It doesn’t matter whether they choose to adapt Persona 4 or Persona 5; across the board, all Persona games are set in Japan. The characters are Japanese high school students who live double lives. During their spare time, they explore areas that are inspired by actual places in Japan and are confronted with systems and activities that are unique to the culture.
Credit: SEGA
Will this be faithfully represented in a show with a mostly Western crew? The only Japanese producer on the show is Tohru Nakahara, from SEGA. While I could hope that his presence will ensure that the Persona series will faithfully represent Japan, I honestly don’t bank on it.
I can see them taking the approach they did with the Kakegurui live-action BET, where the main character is Japanese but it’s set in America, and the show was rewritten to be more Westernized.
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I can imagine how unhappy Persona fans will be if they opt for a location shift, because it goes against the Japanese high school immersion you get when you play the game, and it’s the backbone of the whole Persona series.
In Japan, high school is considered a significant developmental stage and the pinnacle of youth. This is evident in Persona, as you have to wrestle with rebellion, discover your identity, and form Social Links as you deal with high school life and dungeon crawling.
So, do I think Netflix will be able to faithfully adapt Persona (I’m guessing it’s Persona 5 due to the popularity, but they might just take the premise and make their own thing) into a live-action? No, but I’m open to being pleasantly surprised.
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