#Dojima makes me emotional

[psychedeliclulu]

Me being absolutely normal while I brainstorm my fic with my trusted ally ⭐

[todayisafridaynight]

I bring it up because I just wanted to know no I can be proud of Daigo too!!!

i think it's ok to be proud of daigo dojima for getting this far with The Nastiest deck of cards he was dealt :) good for him :)

[jujumin-translates]

★ A3! New Characters "KICS" Details

Someone already TL'd these on Twitter but I figured I'd do my own TL over here for the Tumblr crowd!

These characters will appear in ACT4!, which is being released starting in spring 2024.

Towa Ichinoe (CV: Daigo Kato)

An extremely puppy-like boy who loves all of MANKAI.

Occupation: 1st Year at Hanasaki Academy

A huge ultrahigh-intensity fan of MANKAI Company and and oshi of Spring Troupe's Masumi. He attended middle school in the countryside, but convinced his parents to let him move to Tokyo. He also lives with his aunt and works part-time for her at a flower shop on Veludo Way. He loves rice.

"Hey, hey, hey, could we take a pic together, please!?"

Ibuki Dozono (CV: Shuichiro Umeda)

A high-energy genderless youth.

Occupation: 2nd Year at Tsukushi High School

They like to stand out and have become quiet famous! They started posting videos online that went viral due to their enthusiastic personality and they've become a bit of a celebrity. They're a happy-go-lucky person who lives their life by the mindset of "Life's a win if you enjoy it the way you want to!" They like potatoes.

"Huh~, so there's some people who don't know of THE Ibuki~?"

Keiku Karashina (CV: Hayato Dojima)

A violent boy who's emotionally-lacking.

Occupation: 2nd Year at Ouka High School

A boy who has nothing in his life to be passionate about so he spends his days fighting instead. He's insensitive to both his own emotions and to the emotions of others. His favorite food is shortcake with strawberries on top.

"'It hurts' is easy to understand... ain't it?"

Kureha Nishiki (CV: Yuri Ise)

A narcissistic boy who's 120% confident in himself.

Occupation: 3rd Year at Ouka High School

A super confident guy who thinks he be good at anything at all. He's an idiot who can't make up his mind during critical moments, but he's loved by everyone around him at school because of his natural cheerfulness. He's addicted to tea and works part-time at a cafe. He likes Western-style sweets.

"Just leave it to me and everything will be okay!"

[karmautistic]

souyo will never not be good. like the whole town in visibly pining for u and u go for yosuke hanamura the one guy who is trying to hide it and doing the worst possible job

they r so loser4loser

also literally any getting together souyo drabble mayhaps?

LIKE LITERALLY imagine being the guy who basically saved Inaba and the world , you're a team leader because you make smart and level headed decisions.

And then you see Yosuke, this bumbling idiot who doesn't even know how to thunk before he speaks and you're like. Yeah yes. This one.

In terms of getting together... I think it's so so important that Yosuke confess first. His internalized homophobia is such a large hurdle he needs to get over bc he's like basically almost confessing the entire game ("Like you. You're really special to me." ??????) And then backing out immediately.

And Yu is both... patient but slightly intimidated by the way Yosuke approaches the idea of being gay,, he wants to give Yosuke the time to overcome his own feelings because he's not stupid. He can yell that Yosuke likes him or at the very least is struggling with accepting the fact that he's queer.

But I mean. There's also that part of him that is scared of rejection. He's still just a teen and he can't bare the sting of having Yosuke say no to his face, especially if it's going to be coupled with some statement about how he's "not gay" in a slightly upset? Disgusted? Offended? Tone. Yosuke is his partner who he trusts and cares for deeply and the idea of him being Disgusted or uncomfortable around him feels like the end of the world.

Basically Yu is anxious and emotionally constipated and Yosuke *needs* to overcome his struggles before this can work so I think a huge part of really overcoming it is him confessing first

NOW HOW THE CONFESSION GOES... You KNOW it's started by Yosuke doing something a little bit gayer than usual, followed by silence, and him yelling "BYE" and running away while he processes for a bit. Bonus points if its a build up of things over one week and it really makes him think.

For example: asks Yu to practice kissing for a future gf, says "love you!' When hanging up the phone one night, instinctively reaching for his hand to not get lost in a crowd, etc. It has Yosuke constantly on edge,, all those emotions he tried to stuff down are coming back full force, and now he can't even look at Yu without feeling warm in his chest.

And one night, on a whim of adrenaline an impulse, he runs all the way to the Dojima residence (bc he's dramatic. Too dramatic for over the phone.) And the moment he sees Yu opens the door he just blurts out "I THINK IM IN LOVE WITH YOU."

There's. A deafening moment of silence that's quickly followed by embarrassment as he realized he just yelled this over the Dojima's having dinner. Oops.

Anyways, Yu would ask him to come in and they'd talk upstairs about. Well about everything,, they talk about Yosuke, how scared he was to admit to this part of himself... why he felt that way but realizing he needs to stop caring ehst others think because it hurts him to hide it... and because he loves Yu and knows Yu would never judge him. Yu talking about his internal worries as well, worried that Yosuke would avoid hum like the plague or be annoyed with him for liking him.

And then... they just kinda lay down together and slowly recount all the moments they've had together. The first time they entered the TV world, riding scooters together, Yosuke pulling him out of the Mitsuo hallucination, how angry and protective Yosuke had gotten not just over him, but especially Dojima and Nanako at the hospital, saving the world... everything.

And reiterates "You're really special to me, partner..."

LETS GO GAY PEOPLE

[beezonia]

let me explain some stuff for the fae in btcsm

——

Four courts - Four seasons - One ruler who oversees the changing of the seasons

The four courts have representatives that oversee their courts work and feedback to the king

These four and the king make up the council of fae

So these are

Maruki - King

Mitsuru - Winter

Yukiko - Spring

Dojima - Autumn

Eri - Summer

———

So pretty much all fae are born into a court

Winter fae - More coordinated then most, good with tactics. Tend to be a bit emotionally constipated

Spring Fae - Soft hearted, green thumbs these fae are more tuned to the world around them

Summer Fae - Boisterous, free spirited these fae know how to celebrate

Autumn Fae - observer’s, more in tune to emotions and pain they stay close together without even meaning to

———

That’s about it!

[yakuzacanons]

I'm loving your blog so much!!! I really enjoy your headcanons! ^w^ May I request a part 2 of the "how they would text you" headcanons? I'd love to see how Ryuji would text!

Yes, absolutely! Also, to the rest of my inbox, I go beddy soon (the movie double feature was like 6 hours and I am exhausted) but I will get to the other asks TOMORROW, pinky promise. Headcanons below da cut as per usual. Goog nite.

Ryuji Goda

Decent at texting but his reply times are terrible. He often just forgets to check his phone. Even if he sees the notification, he's the type of person to think "Oh I'll reply to them soon" and forget because he feels in his brain as if he did already reply by just thinking about it. Sends lots of pictures of clothes, jewelry, and the like and asks what your opinions are on them. He knows what emojis are but can never decipher what emotion they are actually trying to convey. Absolutely not up to date on texting slang and tends to type pretty formally.

Ryuji: I meant to text back earlier but I ended up forgetting because I was so busy, my apoliogies.

You: (¬､¬)

Ryuji: Does that image mean you are mad at me or that you are happy to hear from me?

You: What do YOU think?! ⸨◺_◿⸩

Ryuji: Ah, the former then. That one is particularly scary looking.

Nishikiyama Akira

Probably the fastest texter of all the characters and the quickest to reply. He's usually good at being up to date on more modern things, at least better than Kiryu is. Flirtatious texter and most likely to send "You up?" texts. Totally loves sending you selfies when he's really feeling himself. Also sends pictures of really good views he finds, like from a rooftop in Kamurocho with a great view of the city lights.

Nishiki: Hey, check out the view from this restaurant.

You: Oh wow, very pretty.

Nishiki: It would be even prettier if you were here (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

You: Nishiki!

Nishiki: Lol, sorry, couldn't help myself ★~(◡ω◡✿)

Daigo Dojima

Primarily uses his phone for work so he's pretty quick to check notifications or respond to messages. Prefers phone calls as he can hear your voice and it makes for a nice break from all the other mundane calls or important emails at work. Rarely if ever sends pictures via text and selfies make him camera shy but if you're very close to him, you could totally twist his arm into participating. Surprisingly has a decent grasp on emojis.

You: How're you doing?

Daigo: Tired. Long meeting. ╥﹏╥

You: I believe in you! I'll treat you to dinner afterwards so do your best.

Daigo: Ah, that's very kind, thank you. I look forward to it. ( ◡‿◡ *)

Mine Yoshitaka

The worst texter. He's super dry in his responses, never uses emojis, and is very good at forgetting to check his texts. He mostly uses his cell phone for work so when he isn't work, he has notifications silenced. However, if you're very important to him, he will enable the buzzer on his phone so you can get through to him. In contrast, he's the best at taking pictures of you using a cell phone. Never has his phone out during meals as he doesn't want to be rude. Would prefer to video chat the most as it's the next best thing to actually seeing you.

You: Mine, are you even actually reading my texts?

Mine: Sorry, I was working out.

You: It's okay, you can make it up to me by sending me a post-workout selfie. ٩(◕‿◕)۶

Mine: You think you're funny, huh? Fine, just because I like you.

[princedetectives]

nanako is one of the most well written characters in persona 4

⚠️ major spoilers for p4 up to its 7th dungeon in here (yes im talking to you kaylingo)

ive been thinking about nanako a lot over the past few days and, man, i feel like she doesn't get enough appreciation. she rivals akechi as my favorite persona character ever because of how precious she is, yes, but also because her writing is so perfect.

because, let's be honest, a lot of parts of this game aged poorly, especially in a modern lens. i could make a list. i have made a list actually which i give to my friends who start p4 to warn them (hi kaylingo!). you know, like the bathhouse scenes, the poor representation, the countless times the female characters are treated weirdly. the fat girl who only exists for fatphobic jokes. i could go on. nanako is not included in this.

in fact, nanako is one of the most compassionately written characters i've seen. she is just as important to the whole investigation team as she is to yu. she is never treated as a hassle to watch over. she's actively included in things they do. everyone is gentle with her (her very first social link where yosuke finds out her mom is dead and so softly apologizes, the little things like that). everyone loves nanako. that's so important, both for her and the story as a whole.

the justice arcana

nanako being the justice arcana is pretty baffling at first. the wiki says it's thanks to her deep care about right and wrong, but to me that's not as satisfying as:

nanako reflects everyone's sense of justice

this is clearest during Heaven: nanako's death is the reason the investigation team turns murderous, desperate to avenge her. nanako ends up in danger thanks to nametame's skewed messiah complex. nanako being in danger gives dojima the energy to launch a desperate attempt to finally catch the culprit and save her, wrecking and getting terribly injured in the process. importantly, nanako being in danger is what gets adachi panicked enough to slip up and reveal himself as the killer, thus allowing justice to finally catch up to him.

seeing her like this makes every character's actions much more fascinating. she doesn't deserve anything happening to her in the slightest. it's unfair and unjust. everyone knows this. what we see during Heaven is each character's attempts to save her, even nametame.

Heaven is my favorite dungeon in the game. in my book it even beats every palace in persona 5. everyone's love of nanako is stronger than ever in the most painful way. there's so much raw emotion and it's so well written the entire way through.

a few characters specifically stick out to me, like naoto, who chides themself for not figuring out nanako could be in danger sooner and being the person to initially suggest turning murderous against nametame.

teddie, who's so distraught over the injustice of nanako's death and his inability to keep the promise that gave him a place in the world that he loses all will to live. he can only live in the human world with her around, and she only comes back to consciousness upon hearing his voice.

and adachi, who, in an episode of the golden anime, is seen muttering to himself alone in the hospital pushing the blame of everything onto yu (episode 6, i told you, yu. the anime is usually really dinky but that episode is genuinely a masterpiece somehow.), which further proves his warped perception of justice. because he cares about her too. the anime proves that to him, yu took his place in the dojima family, and he's extremely bitter about it.

in conclusion

nanako's role as the collective little sister is so important. she helps everyone throughout their social links and brings out the sides of people that wouldn't be seen otherwise. before Heaven, each dungeon was fairly impersonal, saving people they hadn't met before, which drastically changes with her kidnapping.

nanako gives everyone the strength to solve the case. she's the light that guides them to the clues they've been looking for throughout the past 8 months. nanako is the justice arcana because, without her, the case goes unsolved, and it's all thanks to the love everyone has for her. she's the best depiction of anything like this i've ever seen.

[disaster-caster]

what are your feelings about the persona 4

THIS. THIS IS THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION REALLY. i love talking abt my interests dnbcjsjxnsksns

persona 4 is not my favourite persona game, but it’s not a bad persona game either. there’s parts of p4 that i really really love — hell, kanji is one of my favourite persona characters of all time, and that’s a pretty coveted spot considering akihiko sanada is up there as well.

there’s SO many parts of p4 that are done really well, but i find that lots of character arcs and moments lack the gut punch and emotional finisher if that makes sense. there’s definitely arcs and s. links that are the exception (nanako, dojima, kanji to an extent etc) that i think are the exception but that’s what they are — exceptions. the norm, imo, don’t always reach the emotional payoff i like in persona s. links.

the biggest elephant in the room for me is yosuke. i adore yosuke, and i like what he’s set out to be character-wise in the beginning. but in removing his romance they’ve turned his internalized homophobia (which he externalizes @ kanji) into just plain homophobia. and it’s vicious too, honestly i don’t even know why kanji stays friends with all of them with the way yosuke treats him. an internalized homophobia and overcoming your own insecurity (which is already a focus in yosuke’s link) would have added far more connection and empathy for him. instead he just seems like a dick, which SUCKS because he really is a genuinely sweet kid, yosuke has moments that i ADORE. but it gets undermined by his homophobia that is never meaningfully acknowledged.

despite all of that though, persona 4 is the first persona game i recommend to people. it has a fun narrative that is easy to understand and get into. small town murder mystery is so much fun & investigating for clues is one of my favourite parts of p4.

so i guess my answer is : it’s complicated! i love p4! but i also have my reservations about it. that is all!

[callmearcturus]

oh god where did i leave off. oh fuck i left off with THAT? oh geez sorry

in my defense, the music in the next area is great so i didn't want to leave and i'm almost to the boss i think? Reverie, Yukiko, and Kanji make a DEADLY team, and while I am Big Mad at Yosuke:

he starts every battle first and has tentafoo/Cause Panic. so. he's just maddeningly useful, idk what to say.

Huh I somehow thought the other character was next but it's Rise time!

Man. I like Rise a lot. Out of all the romance options she's the only one I'm considering at all because she's neat. Rise is an idol who is taking a break from the business to return home to Inaba and recuperate. And right from go, she is just on another level from everyone else.

She knows about the Midnight Channel (though doesn't understand it's a supernatural hit list yet) and is aware of the dangers around her. The Idol business in all its forms across the world fucking Sucks and it's clear to see it's had an effect on her, like emotional stretch marks from having to mature really fucking fast. She's been in her late 20s since she was 13 and it shows.

Oh and she's working in her family's tofu shop for the time being.

/googles ganmodoki

oh i would try this in a fucking heartbeat. Also, Yosuke, bro, what do you mean you don't eat tofu. Like... no tofu ever? I'm American and I eat tofu. It's good.

(I do genuinely want to eat more tofu but I cook for a whole household and they are less willing to let me experiment with tofu. Please pity me. 8C I heard if you squeeze out all the liquid or even freeze them first, they become really easy to fry? Anyway. Sorry, I cook a lot.)

Anyway aw shit Rise inadvertently reveals to Dojima that we're working this case. Worse, Dojima is not immediately angry or confrontational about it. OH NO, he purposefully avoids being confrontational about it.

Instead he puts Adachi on our tail.

Look at that man's face. Does this motherfucker have a single candle on behind those eyes.

Which leads to discovering a stalker who Adachi arrests as the murderer.

GODDAMMIT ADACHI. Whatever, it gets him out of our fucking hair.

buuuuut in that time, Rise got got. goddddddfuckingdammit.

An idol who's shadow self is on some level genuinely an exhibitionist. Whoo boy that's... a lot. Also, out of all the shadows, I find Rise's the most creepy, weirdly? Maybe because Idol Culture scares the shit out of me and I don't even remotely understand the appeal. It's like this terrifying black box of concepts I can't divine anything out of.

In TV World, I feel SUPER BAD for Teddie. I keep flying through these dungeons in one or two days and not really coming back to the TV World to see him. Which is a shame because I genuinely love Teddie! I think he's top three characters for me right now.

I was trained in the unhallowed halls of Tartarus, I know how to curbstomp a dungeon, okay? I wish I was around more for Teddie. 8C

YOSUKE HANAMURA WE ARE GONNA STEP OUTSIDE IF YOU MAKE TEDDIE SAD, DO YOU HEAR ME?

i just went from Big Mad to cackle in like a minute. CHIE OH MY GOD. "Aw buddy, you're sad? Yeah, you can hit on me, I'm cool with that!" i'm dying. it kind of says a lot about Chie's opinion of Teddie vs everyone else since she's the one who shoved the boys into the river at camp.

She has standards, is what I'm saying, and I respect them immensely.

say what

omg yes yes yes yes yes yes lemme see it what is it

STAR SOCIAL LINK: GET. THE STAR IS SO FUCKING GOOD FOR TEDDIE TOO! The Star comes after darkness has fallen and you are lost in the night with no sense of direction. It is the pinprick of light in the distance, the hope that gets your feet moving again after the despair has settled in. It is not a promise of warm or answers or completion, but it is sign that the story is not over, that you aren't over, and encourages you to follow to the next page.

TEDDIE IS GREAT FOR THE STAR, AAAAAAH!!!!!

[korereapers]

Title: Don't go wasting your emotion

Fandom: Persona series/Persona 4 (the Golden?)

Pairing: Tohru Adachi/Dojima Ryotaro

Rating: Ex-fucking-plicit

Tags: SPOILERS, unhealthy coping mechanisms, canon typical violence, manipulation...

It may not seem like it, but this is kind of a happy fic. God knows Adachi doesn't deserve it that much, but eh, I love fucked up characters and I am also a believer that people can actually be better. So. Yeah

AO3

Adachi has never been too fond of… well, intimacy.

It’s not that he had bad parents while growing up, like many therapists theorize. He gets calls from them from time to time, but he doesn't really answer or call back. What is there to say, anyways? They probably feel like they failed as parents, and Adachi is inclined to agree. He ruined his own life, his job. And that was even before he murdered two people. He would laugh if he even found it funny anymore.

What a pain…

So, yeah, it's not that he had an especially hard life growing up. A regular kid, a smart one, top of his class, not too good at socializing. Increasingly good at pretending to be, while never getting too close at anyone.

"You're zoning out."

Dojima's voice is music for his ears, and he feels his lips tugging upwards. It's not happy, but it's… pleasant. That's a step, he guesses.

"Ah… sorry. You know how it is. I get distracted sometimes."

Dojima raises his eyebrow, disbelief in his features. He knows by now. He knows him, after all this time.

It has been seven years. Seven long years in which Adachi found even a duller place than Inaba. Calmer, too, in a way. He didn’t have to pretend anymore back then, didn’t have to deal with almost anyone, and that was fine by him.

Jail was a blessing, in some ways. 

“I don’t think anyone could get distracted while someone’s sucking their cock.”

Adachi’s lips turn upwards, in a small smile that Dojima easily recognizes. He has seen enough of these while he was visiting him back in prison.

“Is that what your detective intuition is telling you? Didn’t work that well last time.”

It’s such an obvious taunt, and yet, Dojima has to swallow his anger, knowing pretty well that the feeling will become more gray hairs, and maybe some muscular pain. He has gotten better at dealing with it, and he knows what Adachi is doing.

He cannot allow it.

“I thought you were long done with this game.”

The words are murmured against Adachi’s erection, and he can feel him tremble in arousal. Still, his eyes are blank when he looks at him, almost lifeless. He is good at this, at pretending, at putting a wall between him and the whole world.

“Aw. But I’m never really done playing, Dojima-san.”

Dojima’s smile is bitter, almost a little sad. There is still some fire in his dark eyes, though. He has known this man for years now. He knows how he works. He knows what he doesn’t want Dojima to see, what he wants to hide from the world.

“I am, though.”

And before Adachi can utter a single word, his mouth goes back to him, a calloused hand encircling him gently but solidly. He tastes him with his tongue, his gut burning when he hears the sound Adachi makes, when he feels his cock twitch against his palm.

“That’s… that’s not fair.”

A part of him becomes childish when Dojima plays dirty. It’s a dynamic they both recognize. It might have filled Adachi with anger and resentment, back in the day, but it was safer. Known. A painful solace in a world going to hell.

“Are you going to do something about it?”

Adachi’s eyes are piercing. It’s a miracle he didn’t notice, back in the day. They drill into him, clever and calculating, a timebomb ticking behind them. Maybe he is that good of an actor. Maybe…

“I thought I understood you. And yet you keep surprising me. Again and again.”

Dojima looks up, facing him. He doesn’t stop licking him, keeping him interested, the touch so light Adachi can only pant in frustration. He used to do this to Dojima, back in the day. Never truly wanted him to reciprocate, for reasons that now he understands. He doesn’t allow himself to be vulnerable, but Dojima has other plans.

“Is it that hard to understand? You’re dear to me.”

That’s when Adachi snaps, so suddenly that Dojima does get surprised. His tantrums come and go quickly, like a bored child, like an emotionally stunted one, incapable of dealing with his own emotions. Not that Dojima can say anything about the matter.

“I fucking killed two people. I could have killed more. I almost got Nanako dead, for God’s sake!”

That does sting. He feels tempted to punch him, right in the face, to break his nose, maybe split his lip. Make him bleed, make him pay.

“I made your life hell!”

That’s when Dojima stops. He stops, his body moving so quickly that Adachi does recoil, like in the old times, instinctively. That’s a man that doesn’t fear pain, and still…

Luckily for him, Dojima doesn’t hit him. His hands are on Adachi’s cheeks, keeping him close, breathing so angrily that he swears Adachi can taste it in the air.

“That’s it. That’s the Dojima I-”

But Dojima doesn’t allow him to continue. He stops his venom with his own lips, the kiss less and less angry, a thumb brushing against Adachi’s face, making his eyes show a hint of something. Something that’s not bitterness, or anger, or disgust. Something as true as any other part of him.

“You…” he murmurs against Dojima’s lips, and he swears that his voice is shaking. “You did it again… I severed this connection to you, and still…”

“You’re dear to me,” Dojima repeats, as if talking with an extremely difficult child. “You are dear to Nanako. You are family. I…”

Dojima has never been good at this shit. What is he going to say, anyway? That he loves him? That the feeling that burns inside of him, that threatens to make him explode, is the purest form of love? That he saw guilt in Adachi’s eyes, all of those years ago, even if it was only for a brief moment? Even if it was not for the victims and it was for him. And fuck it all, Dojima has always been a selfish prick. He would run to Hell itself only to be able to take his hand and save Adachi from his own misery. He already has.

“I don’t… I don’t understand. You keep coming back to me. You keep pulling me close… I…”

“I want you,” Dojima manages to say, a knot in his throat. “I want you, with me. Call me selfish, but I will never give up on you. Never.”

Adachi's grin trembles, a crack in his façade.

"That's not very smart, sir."

Dojima sighs against his lips, his hands cupping the back of Adachi's head, feeling his hair, strangely better kept after prison. Maybe he had finally started eating more. Maybe, for once, he could afford it.

"I don't give a shit."

The futon moves when Adachi shakes in place. Never too brave, not in front of the undeniable truth. He makes a sound when Dojima gets closer, and for a man so obsessed with lust, he can barely react to even the smallest amount of care.

"Why… why don't I just suck you off and-"

"Dammit, Adachi. Just let me do this."

The desire is clearly there, but there is also fear. Fear that Dojima sees him, the real him, under all of his layers. Finally, after all of these years.

"I know what you did. And you didn't do it for my nephew."

Adachi gulps, his eyes on Dojima's lips as he speaks.

"I know you were terrified for Nanako. I know you were worried about me."

"I never…"

"You cannot lie that well. I cannot deny all the bad. But I cannot deny the good either."

Adachi kisses him. If it's to silence him, or out of genuine feelings, Dojima doesn't know. Maybe a bit of both. He kisses him, and Dojima feels dizzy. They might be naked, but this is the first time Dojima feels that something truly intimate is happening.

"You do not want… what I can offer you."

"I do." Dojima answers, and damn, he is being honest. Yeah, he knows, he knows this is unreasonable and outright mad. But he wants it, he wants him, every nook and cranny, every dark bit, every lighter one.

"You can't save me," Adachi insists, his voice broken, "I am beyond that. I'm sure you've read the reports, and you have no idea of what I can-"

"Shut. The fuck. Up," he groans, and Adachi's eyes shine in something like recognition. Bad habits die hard. "I may not be able to save you. But I can at least try to be fucking supportive while you learn to save yourself."

Adachi blinks, and Dojima realizes, his eyes are a little wet. No matter the shit he has done, his actual age… he still behaves like an overgrown child, sometimes.

"I can destroy your life. I already did it once."

The insistence is almost endearing, but Dojima knows him better by now. He recognizes desperation when he sees it. And Adachi is currently reeking of it.

Dojima lowers his voice, speaking slowly, as if trying to make himself clear.

"First of all… no, you didn't. Second…" and he speaks with a small smile on his lips, "try."

Adachi seems surprised at his display of bravery. Cowards, both of them, unable to face their reality, their true feelings. Either always running away, or letting themselves sink with his darkest desires. Adachi's lips curl upwards, clearly amused.

"Didn't know you had it in you."

"I'm full of surprises."

But Adachi's smile turns less sinister, goofier. A middle ground between both sides of him. Dojima cannot have enough of it.

"Okay… okay."

"Good."

Acceptance is more than good enough. Adachi seems to surrender, and Dojima takes that as a cue to keep going.

Dojima's mouth doesn't go back to him. Not yet. He pumps him with his hand after spitting on the palm. Adachi's ears become redder, his arousal so obvious it makes Dojima's head spin.

That’s when he tries something, the words burning in his throat before he even dares to say them.

"You are loved. Whether you like it or not."

Adachi's eye twitches, the words making him clearly nervous. He wasn’t expecting that.

Good.

"Loved?"

"Deal with it."

A pause. And then-

"You? Love me?"

"Shut up. Don't make me repeat myself."

Adachi lets out a snort, and Dojima sees the headache coming yet again.

"Little old me? Aw…"

"If only you didn't hide behind that wall of yours, rookie…"

Adachi's smile turns sad.

"Not a rookie anymore…"

Dojima doesn't give a flying fuck. They may be older, more tired. Adachi may have been a deceiving piece of crap, but he is still that man, young and nervous, that entered his office one day after being transferred. The man who got his coffee right, only when it really mattered. The man who stayed when everything seemed lost. No murder can change that. Nothing can change his affection. Absolutely nothing.

"Still deserving of love."

Adachi says nothing, the gears behind his clever eyes working efficiently, but probably not enough. This doesn't really have a logical standpoint, after all. Nothing smart about it. Nothing Adachi can analyze from that cynical perspective of his.

"No need to overthink it. Just accept it as it is."

There is still some shadow of suspicion and disbelief in Adachi's dark eyes, but Dojima guesses that's more than good enough. Good things come for those who wait. And he might be getting older but… maybe even because of that, he can wait as long as needed.

"What about Chisato?"

The question is not meant to be cruel, and Dojima faces it as such. He sighs, his grip tighter on Adachi's cock, making him squirm.

"You sure make a handjob harder…"

Adachi laughs a second before Dojima realizes his own pun, and he groans deeply. Not deep enough to avoid the question, though.

"I will always love her. You know that."

Adachi grimaces, and Dojima swears he sees a glimpse of jealousy behind his eyes. But then, the feeling disappears from Adachi's eyes, almost expertly. Dojima cannot allow him to dodge the conversation.

"That doesn't mean that what I feel for you is any less important."

Adachi furrows his brow, finally sighing after a couple of seconds.

"Okay. I get it."

He looks convinced, even if still kind of annoyed. Dojima remembers how he stayed while he and Nanako were in the hospital, how he was genuinely worried about the little girl, how he almost didn't sleep to ensure Dojima was resting. He might be a piece of shit, but he cares about them. About Souji, too, even if he would rather die than to admit it.

Adachi fears the fragility of their link. That Dojima will sever it one day, like he did back in the day, either because of the memory of Chisato, or because he finally realizes he isn't worth it. Even if Dojima thinks he is. Even if this, having him under his body, naked and flushed, is everything he would have ever wanted. Even if he hasn't been happier in ages.

"Don't look at me like that," Adachi says, almost pouting. "You look like a romantic fool."

Dojima can only laugh at that.

"Aren't I, though?"

Adachi rolls his eyes at that, pulling him closer. He kisses him, mouth against mouth, breaths entwined. Until Dojima groans, taking him again into his hand.

"That's it…" Adachi mutters against his lips. There is a smile forming there, and no matter how dominant, Dojima finds himself liking it nevertheless. "I have been thinking about this for years."

That does make Dojima shudder, holding him closer.

"You have?"

Adachi lets out a small chuckle.

"Of course I have. In different ways… that I will show you in due time."

Dojima feels himself blushing like a teenager, burying his face into Adachi's shoulder. This time, the laugh is louder, and Dojima groans in frustration.

"And I haven't even told you how and when I want you to fuck me… oops."

His words go straight to Dojima's groin, making him moan, even if Adachi isn't really touching him. He got it bad… he really got it bad.

"Shut up…" Dojima complains, quickening the pace of his hand, effectively shutting Adachi's mouth. Or not, because that breathy giggle is nothing but annoying… and strangely endearing.

He licks a trail of sweat on Adachi's neck, and that and the constant attention to his cock seems to do wonders for a man that hasn't been touched in years.

"This is… kind of pathetic." Adachi mutters after a strangled moan.

"You're not," Dojima reminds him, out of habit. "We are still getting used to this."

He swears Adachi wants to say something, the words somewhere in his throat, but he doesn't. He just keeps him close while Dojima pumps him, and Dojima makes sure to watch him, every expression, every way his face and body contorts when Dojima does something particularly nice. Every sound. He puts it all in a small treasure chest in a corner of his mind, secret and yet accessible. This is the Adachi he wants to remember. This is whom he wants to keep from feeling lonely again.

Adachi moans his name, and Dojima has to try hard to relax and not to come, the soft spasms and ragged breaths making Adachi's orgasm even more beautiful. He has dreamed about this, he is sure. But nothing could ever come close to reality.

Adachi bends his head backwards, a tired laugh coming from his mouth. He seems to be amused, and genuinely… happy. Dojima kisses his temple, and Adachi complains wordlessly, more out of habit than anything. Still not used to genuine affection.

"You… you know I'm a piece of shit, aren't I?" Comes the question, with no real bitterness behind it. Just matter-of-factly. His expression so incredulous it would be funny, except it’s not. It's Dojima's time to roll his eyes.

"Yeah. But you're my piece of shit, and I still believe in you."

Adachi keeps him close, not trying to avoid his contact, which seems like an improvement.

"Figures… But. I still have so much in mind, Dojima-san…"

Dojima raises an eyebrow, feeling the itch of a well needed smoke in the back of his brain. He thinks about how Adachi will surely light his cigarette as soon as he manages to put it in his mouth, and the lingering memory makes him smile.

"About?"

Adachi's smile looks downright mischievous. The kind of mischief that could make a series of murders out of pure boredom… and also the kind that could make Dojima harder only by thinking what he has thought for him. What that clever tongue can do and say to him to make him lose his mind.

"Oh, but I'm not going to ruin the surprise, aren't I?"

Dojima gulps, nervous and eager. He really has it bad, doesn't he?

He feels the smile on the corner of his lips, a clever tongue and teeth that grind against his skin a little too hard. Downwards, slowly, but still impatiently.

Dojima sighs, his fingers playing with Adachi’s hair. It’s going to be a long, long night.

[akihikosanada]

i implied in my akechi post that i was playing persona 5 BUT i never said that a month or so ago i started persona 4 which i play whenever the tv is being used . crazy girl era is real

anyways this was all to say that the overall gameplay features in p5 are excellent i really like the palaces especially however compared to 4 the characters leave soooooo much to be desired i think they are the weakest of the last 3 games, including protagonist, party members and social links/confidants

since this is my first gameplay of p4 im having a hard time tackling which social links to leave for a future new game plus playthrough as i have to spend time leveling up my social stats but it never felt like i had that problem in p5 and would instead spend time with the stats necessary for my preferred confidants (i mean not like i didn't make a huge effort leveling up my expression stat in 4 for the nanako and dojima links but you get my point). i cried in a bunch of the social links and i find them all genuinely interesting (besides the 2 previously mentioned which are the only i have completed so far are the yumi ozawa/drama club member and single mom links which i think are soooo good) while in 5 i did feel emotional in some but only in the last link i've been crying in a lot of the others since at least halfway through lol. also the majority of the confidants in 5 that aren't party members follow the pattern of making you change someone's heart in mementos which feels lazy and cheap because it's not like you can solve everyone's problems by changing some person's heart. it feels like you are just solving everyone's problems (in a way that gets tiring also) instead of helping them go through a hard moment/give them comfort. there are a lot of confidants that i only want to level up for certain levels because of the abilities they offer you instead of genuine interest. in 4 other than with your party members you cannot gain new abilities so what will end drawing you to them is mainly the characters (or the fusion bonuses)

as for the party members i can see the p4 gang all being friends which helps that banting aside they all show concern for one another + the fact they hang out for silly moments beyond celebrating finishing a mission/welcoming new members. this is besides the different dynamics inside the group and the protag'a different relationship with each of them. however i don't get that sense of friendship in 5? like i don't think these guys would be friends as a group after they stop being phantom thieves and i can only see joker being individual friends with ryuji, ann, futaba and mayyybe yusuke (they still cannot compare to the better dynamics in 3 and 4 though). also as a group dynamic i could only see it with the madarame gang the additions afterward don't feel as close by as a group? plus the convos they have barely make me think they even like each other that much. i think this problem in 5 affected ultimately my feelings on morgana leaving temporarily because it never really hit me where that could have come from even when they started to imply morgana felt useless around the group

as for the protags i know they are all overall meant to be self insert but p4 protag feels like the one who has the most personality. they allow him to be silly, kind and get the "short end of the stick" at times while still having this cool aura around him. joker feels too much like a self insert character meant to be smart and hot and cool etc so guys can pretend to be him. i think something that affected this is how you barely ever get joker's thoughts in the game as morgana kind of works as his consciousness

anyways this is it so far lol as you can see i have a lot of thoughts on the games. i don't think p5 is bad or that you can't love it but its strongest element imo is ultimately what interests me the least i'm all for character driven stories baby ❤ ryuji still *logan roy voice* my number one boy though

[arcplaysgames]

Yosuke and Teddrick Hanamura, I am going to miss you idiots.

I have written an entire post on the tragedy of Yosuke. He is, like Chie, very much a work in progress. You can look at the arc of his character like a lobbed ball and guess his eventual trajectory and landing. I hope for Yosuke, it will be a soft one. I fear instead he will bust an ankle on impact and cry about it, but he'll be okay.

Also someone please wife this man before he winds up married to some woman in the most agonizing comphet marriage of all time. Yosuke is a homosexual and by god he needs a boyfriend.

Character Accuracy to Their Arcana: ZEEEEEERO. He's a High Priestess.

aaaaaaaand this is the second time i cried playing P4G, the first being Kanji's Max SLink scene. Oh my god the tears.

This fucking character should be nothing by irritation. On paper, on script, Teddie is annoying and too much to handle and overbearing (ha). But like, Sam Riegel is the fucking all-star winner of the entire cast imo for making Teddie work. I have been continuously baffled by how much I adore this mascot bear, but his story was so genuinely moving and affecting, he's my second favorite character in the game. The fucking PATHOS.

I am so happy that Teddie made himself into a real boy. If he didn't, Nanako wouldn't have made it. The world is richer for his self-decided presence in it.

Love you Teddie.

Character Accuracy to Their Arcana: 12 out of 10, it's immaculate from start to finish.

I have such mixed emotions on Naoto.

Going into this game, Naoto was the character I feared the most. There is a lot of right-minded anger about how Naoto is handled by the game. As I said before, I tempered my expectations dramatically for playing.

Naoto disappointed me but not because the Gender Thing. With the clarity of hindsight and some context from a trusted source, I get what they were going for with Naoto. But while they were always a fucking gem in the MSQ and group scenes, Naoto's SLink was one of the weakest in the game. I think that at some point, the writers (or someone who had say over the writing, lbr) got gunshy around what they created with Naoto, and as soon as he joins the party, it feels like all the interesting parts of his set-up are shelved.

Which I don't know which I would prefer honestly? A solid attempt at dealing with Naoto And Gender that winds up being a huge fuckup, or this defanged version of a character arc, where all Naoto's potential is visible in the MSQ but just goes poof in every other scene.

That said, her fashion is INCREDIBLE and she gave us multiple incredible moments in the story. Walking out on the beauty pageant and still winning? King shit.

Character Accuracy to Their Arcana: Difficult to say since so much of Naoto's arc feels completely aborted. 4 out of 10 for what was actually on the screen canonically.

I don't have much to say for Yumi! Except in her final scene she sasses Reverie for running away from being her boyfriend, which is funny. ALSO SHE SAYS SHE'S GOING TO GO INTO POLITICS AND I LITERALLY SAID THAT WHEN WE FIRST MET, THAT SHE'D BE GREAT IN POLITICS? Holy shit what a called shot, go me.

But Yumi unfortunately innately suffers from being a Sun arcana after the shocking good and profound P3P Sun Slink. It was an impossible act to follow. She's fun tho! I liked her!

Character Accuracy to Their Arcana: eh. 3 out of 10. sorry.

God what a roller coaster of a pair.

Dojima was frankly a piece of shit for a LOT of this game, albeit a well-meaning one. The moment he sent Reverie after a crying Nanako rather than going himself really truly stressed my dedication to completing his SLink, I wanted to bail so badly. But his portrayal in the game is deeply sympathetic. The game is highly aware he's a fucking mess and a shit father, and it gives him space to become better. Which I like better than a hopeless case. It was real touch and go there for a while though.

Nanako really was the glue that held the plot together, wasn't she. It was kind of heavy-handed. Like, I didn't know what was going to happen to Nanako, but I did call very early that something was going to happen to her, to propel the plot. As this game's Justice Child, she's much weaker than Ken honestly and as much as it pains me to say, she should have been Temperance. There is very little judgement passed by her, there is no great clarity from her. She's a child, and she's wronged and neglected, and those things get better, but there is no recourse.

(Which is okay with me as a rehabilitationist myself.)

Character Accuracy to Their Arcana: VERY LOW FOR BOTH TBH. 2 out of 10. Dojima and the Fox should have swapped, I am dead serious.

okay i would have fucked this up but a friend told me i needed to say no here or i'd miss the true ending. it'll have to wait until tomorrow, as it is midnight and I gotta SLEEP.

tomorrow, we finish P4G.

[smol-tired-binch-blog]

SO. SEVERAL POINTS TO MAKE. So many severals that I’m gonna make this a read more.

S Rank for Majima Everywhere, was gonna go to the ‘final showdown’ (which can’t actually be final cause I KNOW I can get to Triple S Rank, right? but whatever) but we’re not ready for it to end, so me and bestie were like “okay we’ll save it for later, for now let’s do more plot” because we have no side missions to find.

Yall won’t fuckin believe this. By doing more plot, we managed to get to the bit where Majima himself texts us to warn us about some guys who are after us (look, this makes me emotional okay? Nishida didn’t email or call, no, Majima got a fucking phone and personally messaged Kiryu telling him he was worried for him. I just....I need a minute okay). And I immediately go OH NO because then it’s the fuckin bit where he helps us kick ex-Dojima family ass (very beautifully btw) AND IS SHOT INTO THE FUCKING SEA.

AND KIRYU.

DOES.

NOTHING.

I was laughing, I’ll admit, because it’s so funny for Kiryu to see Majima get fucking shot and just be like “he’ll be fine lol”, but I am actually really annoyed by it, and more importantly, so are bestie and bae. (Bear in mind, bae hasn’t really understood why I love Majima but he’s grown fonder of him, probably from doing all the Majima Everywhere stuff in quick succession).

For me, it’s the fact that Kiryu straight up says he doesn't have time, Kazama is a priority rn. Okay, ignoring the fact that I’ve been playing a bug tiddy card game and racing plastic fast cars and hanging out with hostesses instead of the Actual Plot so God knows why he’s got a problem with prioritising anything other than that, it honestly makes me so sad how Majima just...isn’t a priority for Kiryu.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Kiryu, I don’t hate him (bae currently does), but Majima is so clearly fucking obsessed with him and cares about him, and Kiryu just...doesn’t get it?? I’m kinda joking when I call them boyfriends but I’m also not. Mad as he is, Majima cares about Kiryu and everything he’s done has been for his own sake. He’s always got his eye on him, always trying to help him get his strength and skill back, trying to hang out and play games with him for God’s sake, and Kiryu gives him nothing. 

I think to him, Majima is....a fact. He’s the Mad Dog of Shimano, he’s everywhere, no matter what he’ll be there to barge his way into a fight or a game or whatever Kiryu’s up to. He doesn’t have to worry about him, the man’s unstoppable and unhinged, no matter what, he will be fine. But, even if that were true....I feel like he should still care. What would Kiryu do if one day, Majima wasn’t there? If the guy he rolls his eyes at and considers a nuisance, but a consistent nuisance, suddenly wasn’t there? Was truly out of commission, truly hurt? What then? Would he care? What would it take for Kiryu to see that Majima is mortal, that he’s human?

He keeps giving us glimpses behind the mask, let’s it slip for just a moment here and there, and Kiryu just goes ‘damn Majima-san is so weird, you never know what he’s thinking’ WELL MAYBE IF YOU TRIED TO LEARN TO READ HIM KIRYU YOU’D KNOW!!!!

Again, I knew this happens, but bae and bestie didn’t, and they’re genuinely really upset at Kiryu for it. They even assumed he drove the truck into Shangri-La because he was pissed at Kiryu but to their surprise, no!!! He doesn’t even bring it up!!! He just wants to fight Kiryu cause that’s what he’s into, and he calls him amazing before passing out. They’re mad at Kiryu on Majima’s behalf which I find very funny but I’m also vindicated because yes, they too are starting to see Majima as Boyfriend Material.

I will reiterate, I DO NOT HATE KIRYU. I just really really love Majima and I’m sad he doesn’t get shown even a fraction of that love by anyone in this game. Poor baby :(

[starlight-phantom]

For the ask game, Persona series!

I'm gonna guess you mean the entire series for this and not any game in particular.

3 male characters I love:

Ren Amamiya, I honestly could not tell you why I adore him so much. Y'know sometimes you just get a favourite character for inexplicable reason but they just make you so happy and can brighten up your whole day? Yeah, that's him.

Minato Arisato, I've been replaying P3 recently and ooh boy I forgot how special this boy was. Kinda makes me sad how he tends to get boiled down to 'the emo protag' because no, he's so much more.

Yosuke Hanamura, yeah there's time I wanna smack him upside the head but this boy's special to me for personal reasons to do with when I first played the game. Although it is painful how much he reminds me of my thirteen year old self. It is genuinely like "Oh geez that's me 😬"

3 female characters I love:

Maya Amano, c'mon you gotta love Maya. From her clothes, to her terrible driving skills, to the state of her room, to her positive attitude, everything about her is great.

Nanako Dojima, I had to, okay? It's Nanako. I don't need to explain this one, I know you understand.

Haru Okumura, I just love her so much. She's prim and proper, she's a comforting presence, she's badass, she's adorable, she's terrifying... She's the whole package.

3 romantic ships I love:

TatsuJun (Tatsuya Suou x Jun Kurosu), these two just give me so many emotions. Not to mention, they're somehow so melodramatic and tragic but awkward and dorky at the same time.

SouYo (Souji Seta/Yu Narukami X Yosuke Hanamura) the epitome of "fellas is gay to smooch your homie?". But in all seriousness, I am still very bitter that his romance route was removed.

AkeShu (Akira Kurusu/Ren Amamiya x Goro Akechi), not really surprising, this one has been tormenting me almost non-stop since Royal. How can two boys be so in sync with each other and yet so completely useless at expressing their emotions at the same time?

3 platonic dynamics I love:

Tatsuya, Eikichi, and Jun. I mean... Their demon negotiation tactic is forming a band and performing for them. Gotta love that.

Minako and Junpei, something I really liked about P3P is that Junpei seemed to have a lot more of a 'bro' relationship with the femc instead of the mc and I just love the potential chaos that comes from that.

Ren and Futaba, chaotic gremlin siblings. Need I go on?

3 favorite moments in canon:

This is more of a joke one but I still love it: Tatsuya pushing Katsuya out of a blimp to avoid talking about his problems in Eternal Punishment. It's hilarious and the possibility of seeing that in P5 graphics is a very big reason why I want the original trilogy remade.

The Ending of Persona 3, I won't go into any specifics because if you know, you know and hey, it's only a week away... I'm still not prepared for the flood of art to crush my soul... But seriously, so beautiful and poignant and it really helped me through some stuff.

In a similar vein, the final fight with Maruki in Royal. Just what the fight represents and how he reacts afterwards gets me every time.

3 favorite headcanons:

I love the headcannon that Minato and Minako are twins instead of just the male and female protags of the game. It's just a lot of fun to think about.

I love the headcannon that Ren's from Inaba because he was mentioned to be a country bumpkin in the game and it ties very nicely back to P4.

For some reason, it's a lot harder to think of headcannons for an entire series of games as apposed to focusing on a single game so I'll leave it here for this one.

3 least favorite things about it:

Just the treatment of certain types of characters... You know what I mean: female characters, LGBT characters, fat characters, etc... It gets reeeeeaaalllll old after a while and tbh wasn't even funny in the first place.

The writing can be kinda wishy-washy, if that makes sense? For example, in P4 they backtrack on quite a few characters stories, such as Yukiko, Kanji, Rise and Naoto. And in P5, they go back on their logic as well, such as viewing Kamoshida as disgusting for going after students and then giving you the option to date your homeroom teacher? It doesn't make sense.

The fact that Atlus keeps ignoring P1&2, even when they are including in things by shoving them to the back and focusing on 3,4&5, yes I am still bitter how the 25th anniversary barely had anything for the games that started it all.

[leonawriter]

I'll say this for the P4 manga - it actually gives Yu a real backstory, and adds depth to his interactions with the others, especially the Dojimas.

He takes the way his uncle neglects Nanako so *personally.* Not just speaking up on her behalf, but also reminded of the times when he as a younger kid was given the same kind of empty promises, and left alone in the house. It's so clear that he's doing things for Nanako so she doesn't end up feeling as lonely as he has been.

Edit: the panel I was thinking of-

Yu, alone at a table for four with three seats, looking much younger - about Nanako's age - and the non-dialogue/inner monologue captions read:

"Liars! They both said they'd get time off."

And they clearly didn't. Or they lied. Or emergencies came up. But no reasons are good enough for a kid who's that young and left on their own - all they feel is the loneliness.

Something that occurred to me is that the way he's basically given over to a relative reminds me of Futaba and Akechi's stories, where both of them were left without a parent left, and although Yu has his alive, it's effectively the same thing when they aren't caring for him. Futaba's relatives "shunted her around" and it's implied the same happened to Akechi even if it's popular headcanon he was in foster homes/too.

My reason for saying that is that Yu was neglected and still shunted off because they didn't have the time or emotional energy/motivation to care for him, and he could so easily have wound up with relatives who cared less, or were less accepting of an extra child and mouth to feed in the household. I'd say a big reason he has a better time is that his parents are probably still married, and he was a legitimate child. It makes me wonder what kind of experience he'd have had if he wasn't.

That said, his experience here makes me think of how it's easy/common to read Akira's home situation as similar. As in: married parents who are still alive, earning good wages, but not necessarily close to their son. It fits with how Sojiro tells Akira that they "got rid of him" to what's effectively a perfect stranger.

[lord-radish]

I think there are three important criteria when it comes to judging a modern Persona game: Social Links, Dungeon Crawling and the Stupid Guy Best Friend.

Please note that this is more an indicator of personal taste than me trying to objectively quantify any of these categories.

Social Links: 5 > 3 > 4.

god I just looked up the Persona 5 social links for the first time in forever and I love all of them. I was seriously gonna consider ranking 3's social links highest, but Persona 5 really does have it all. Even with the reputation Ohya has, I LOVE her big orange bubble sunglasses. Weakest link is Mishima.

The third game has the worst social link out of them all, but it also has - imo - the best one too. The Moon arcana, with the gormand who steals your money and tries to get you into a cult, sucks. The Sun arcana, where you spend your Sundays with a terminally ill man? Absolute fuckin tearjerker. You also have the elderly bookstore couple and Mutatsu the Monk on top of that. Maya is an iconic social link, and I like Keisuke too.

Persona 4 has some good social links, like Dojima, Nanako and Naoto. But it also has Ayane, and even the characters I liked spending time with had social links that felt meandering. Rise had a good social link, Yukiko's ended up feeling like a rut. Since this is my first playthrough, I didn't even start a couple of the social links - that's my bad. There's also the fact that I'm 27, and I played P3 as a teenager and P5 in my mid-20's; I might be growing out of this sort of cliche-laden Anime stuff. But so far, I honestly think 4's social links are my least favourite. Except for the Fox, I like the Fox.

Dungeon Crawling: 3 > 4 > 5

For the record, Persona 5's dungeons were fan-fucking-tastic. They look and feel incredible, they're incredibly well made. But they're also static areas and I prefer the procedurally generated areas of 3 and 4. There's Mementos, but driving around in the Monawagon got really old after a while. Excellent levels and gameplay, but the PS2 jank is really fun.

Persona 4 had some good maps. I adored the RPG one, I really like the sci-fi one, the Golden-exclusive map was great and there's a great endgame map too. But the maps all cap out at about ten floors. I felt like I was playing the Bathhouse map for way too long, and eventually it boils down to a noticeable formula.

I really like Persona 3's unconventional dungeon structure. Climbing an evergrowing tower with over a hundred floors? That rips. Unlocking new floors with bosses is kind of an oddball, but I like it and it's explained in the game. It's blocky, it's randomly generated, and it's really fun. I love when a simple concept is done well, and that's Persona 3's dungeon crawling to me. The spectacle of 5 is incredible, but sometimes it's the little things that affect you the most.

Stupid Guy Best Friend: 5 > 3 >>>>>> 4

Ryuji is a real bro. He's dumb, but you could do a blood pact with him and probably feel secure that he's gonna pull through for you. Undoubtedly the best Stupid Guy Best Friend in the Persona series.

Junpei is kind of a flake, but I thought he had a pretty good story going for a while there near the end. Junpei probably ends up being the most "human" Stupid Guy Best Friend? The dumb pervy anime stuff begins with him, but he actually ended up having an intensive emotional story.

Yosuke Homophobic Moments Pt. 7.

Yosuke spends most of the game being inappropriate with women and making homophobic comments to Kanji for his perceived sexuality. For some reason, TV Tropes editors are much more heated about Chie for how she treats him, i.e. getting mad at him for breaking a DVD and spending a bunch of his money on a gift for someone else - but this is the guy who signed her up to a beauty pageant against her will and then lost his shit when she retaliated, and basically cornered her into wearing a bikini and guilted her until she gave in. Yosuke fucking sucks - trash character 0/10. I do not like Yosuke.

And I know there were plans to make him a gay dating option that got cut late into development - to the point that there was English dialogue recorded for it. Could it have saved the character and retroactively explained a lot of his toxic traits as overcompensating for his sexuality? Maybe, with a lot of side-eye to match. But that got left on the cutting room floor, and the overly perverted and outwardly prejudiced Yosuke we got in the game is what we got. I really, really dislike Yosuke.