The only experiences I've had with JRPGs back then are Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, and the like. However, Persona 4 Golden showed me that JRPGs can do this kind of interplay of social sim and dungeon crawling. Playing Persona 4 Golden can remind you of high school memories with your friends, whether by going to the beach or just hanging out after school. Sure, this game does that anime cliche of "power of friendship", but this game uses it so well that you can't help but appreciate not only the friendships you have forged in this game, but also the friendships you forged in real life.
It might be outdated compared to Persona 5 or Persona 3 Reload, but Persona 4 Golden still compels to this day with one of the best cast of party members in a JRPG, an engaging combat system, a storyline that hooks you into its murder mystery from the start. And of course, who can forget Shoji Meguro's wonderful soundtrack? From Heartbeat, Heartbreak's cloudy days to fighting against shadows with Reach Out To The Truth playing in the background.
Persona 4 Golden is also a perfect candidate for a GOG release even with its online features, as it is worth owning permanently and there are other games from SEGA that are DRM-free. Hopefully when the day comes, SEGA would put more Persona games and hopefully SMT titles! All in all, Persona 4 Golden is not only one of the best JRPGs ever, but it's also one of the best games ever. I would recommend starting with this one so that you're going to appreciate gameplay and quality of life changes in Persona 5 and Persona 3 Reload.