#akechi goro vs the phantom thieves

[siderealscribblings]

[samasmith23]

How Goro Akechi effectively serves as a dark foil to the Phantom Thieves' brand of rehabilitative justice

So... I understand that Goro Akechi is a pretty divisive character within the Persona 5 fanbase (especially his pre-Royal incarnation), but I have to admit that I honestly found his backstory and role as a sinister foil to the Phantom Thieves to be legitimately intriguing. Elements which are revealed during his boss fight in the game’s “Cruiser of Pride” arc!

When the Phantom Thieves infiltrate the Meta-Verse to confront the Shadow of the corrupt ultra-nationalist politician, Masayoshi Shido, who’s palace takes the form of a gigantic yacht sailing through the ruins of a sunken Japan, they are suddenly confronted by Akechi in the ship’s engine room. Having just betrayed the team during the previous arc, Akechi is revealed to not only be the true culprit behind the mysterious wave of mental shutdowns & psychotic breakdowns (which included the deaths of two Phantom Thieves’ member’s parents, Futaba Sakura’s mother Wakaba Isshiki & Haru Okumura’s father Kunikazu Okumura respectively…) that have occurred throughout the game’s narrative as part of Shido’s conspiracy to get elected as Prime Minister, but that he is also Shido’s illegitimate child. Essentially, Akechi was the product of a dubious affair between Shido and a sex worker whom the former later discarded when he discovered that she was pregnant, driving her to depression and suicide shortly after Akechi's birth. Akechi spent his entire childhood being passed around as a “problem child” between various foster homes (highlighting Japan’s problems with how the country treats its orphaned children) before later being granted the power of a "wildcard" persona-user, as well as knowledge about the existence of the Meta-Verse by the false god of control, Yaldabaoth.

While Akechi was a societal outcast similar to the members of the Phantom Thieves, he took the wrong message from his experiences. Akechi misguidedly believes that the only way to truly oppose the status quo that looked down upon him is to not only become a part of it (i.e. caring only about his good grades & celebrity status) but to destroy everything that he hates by reducing himself to Shido's right-hand assassin in the Meta-Verse, perpetuating mental shutdowns & psychotic breakdowns on Shido’s political enemies simply to get some semblance of recognition & validation from his abusive father before exacting revenge on him (whilst exploiting his "ace-detective" celebrity status to "solve" the crimes that he himself committed).

Essentially, once Shido finally became prime minister Akechi planned to whisper the truth about being the former’s illegitimate child, telling Shido that he was only able to get where he was due to the son he abandoned and labeled as a potential “political scandal” before murdering him.

Despite Akechi and the Phantom Thieves' mutual dislike of Shido, the former is so fixated on vengeance that he does not care about the innocent lives he ruins and destroys in the crossfire to satisfy his own personal bloodlust. Instead of legitimately trying to reform society like the Phantom Thieves do, Akechi becomes a pawn of the very same systemic corruption that was responsible for his initial suffering. Akechi cares only about his own hatred & jealousy instead of empathizing with others who were also victimized by society’s ills. This contrast is visually reflected through the juxtaposition between Akechi and the Phantom Thieves’ leader, Joker, when they confront each other in the engine room of Shido’s yacht. While Joker is portrayed as standing strong alongside his teammates & friends, Akechi stands alone in the opposite end of the room, confused & angry. While there is a part of Akechi that regrets his horrible actions and even recognizes the potential for him & Joker to be friends due to their similar backgrounds, he's too far gone into his obsessive vendetta against Shido that he refuses to turn back and now desires to kill the Phantom Thieves in a misguided attempt to ease his internal conflict.

During the boss fight with Akechi in Shido's Palace, the detective prince repeatedly dismisses the Phantom Thieves' efforts to appeal to his common senses, believing that concepts like friendship and teamwork are foolish "cliched bullish*t... in this eat or be eaten world."

While this attitude of Akechi's might seem unrealistically cartoonish on the surface, it actually makes sense when considering his background of being unfairly labeled as a "throw-away child" by Japan's foster care institutions. YouTuber LadyVirgilia goes into far greater detail about this in her excellent The Truth About Goro Akechi analysis video. There, she states that an overwhelming number of Japanese orphans are incapable of being legally adopted due to impoverished parents voluntarily relinquishing them from their care while still maintaining legal guardianship over them. Additionally, LadyVirgilia discusses how violent hierarchical power structures often form among the children within these foster homes, with younger orphans sadly being subject to bullying & abuse by their older peers.

While these facts are not explicitly stated about Akechi's backstory within P5 Royal itself, they can easily be heavily inferred due to the game's heavy emphasis on exploring themes related to Japanese sociocultural issues. It’s implied that the institutional failings of Japan's foster care system (combined with Shido's abandonment of his son while he was still in the womb), ultimately contributed to the development of Akechi's warped perception of the rest of the world. Due to being dismissed as a "throw-away child" and being forced to grow up in an institution that is unfortunately subject to high rates of systemic abuse & neglect, Akechi spent his entire life feeling unwanted & loved. Ideals such as friendship & companionship became foreign and unrealistic concepts to him due to having experienced nothing but society's cold & uncaring apathy.

Essentially, Akechi became deeply jealous & hateful toward the rest of the world, misguidedly compelling him to want to prove his superiority over the rest of society by manufacturing his status as "the celebrity ace-detective and honors student who ultimately brought down Shido." But when Akechi encounters the Phantom Thieves and befriends their leader Joker, he begins to experience his first genuine bond of companionship. Despite developing a legitimate appreciation towards Joker, Akechi is simultaneously confused & unable to fully process these newfound feelings. Akechi becomes envious of Joker's ability to rise above his similar status as a societal outcast by befriending & protecting others like himself. Consequently, Akechi projects his own failings & inability to legitimately rise above his tragic upbringing beyond his false celebrity status onto Joker & the Phantom Thieves, cruely dismissing them as "the trash of society" and blaming them for interfering with his revenge plot against Shido. This empty & hollow existence that Akechi chooses to live is further reflected by the sole two personas that he utilizes during his boss fight: Robin Hood, who represents Akechi's false celebrity & justice-abiding gentleman facade, and Loki, who embodies Akechi’s true personality as a deceitful trickster & psychotic murderer.

I personally couldn’t help but find all of these elements to be rather interesting & insightful about Akechi’s role as an antagonist/rival to the Phantom Thieves. It honestly highlights the tragic nature of Akechi's situation, since while he had the potential to utilize his deductive knowledge & skills as a "wildcard" Persona-user similar to Joker, he instead allowed himself to be consumed by his own hatred & madness.

The parallels between Akechi & Joker are further evident through the latter also being a victim of Shido’s abuse. Specifically, the corrupt politician wrongfully sued Joker for “assault” when he tried to stop Shido from drunkenly forcing himself upon a woman. In contrast to Akechi however, Joker is motivated by his negative experiences to fight against the unjust status quo that figures like Shido represent to prevent similar abuses of power from ever occurring again to others. Additionally, we also see dualistic parallels between Akechi and other members of the Phantom Thieves, such as Makoto Nijima who similarly previously upheld the misconception that “good grades and following orders are all that truly matters to be a worthwhile member of society.” Whereas Makoto outgrows this mentality by instead choosing to utilize her status as student council president to help her suffering peers rather than for her own academic career, Akechi conversely exploits his intellect as an “ace-detective” to perpetuate societal injustices for his self-centered vendetta against Shido.

In essence, if the Phantom Thieves embody the potential benefits of rehabilitative justice then Goro Akechi embodies the dangers of retributive justice (aka, revenge). To reference two of my favorite movies, Batman Begins and Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, not only is there a strong difference between justice and revenge (one is about altruistic harmony whereas the other is about personal satisfaction), but the most surefire way to victory is by fighting to protect what you love rather than fighting to destroy what you hate...

The distinction between justice & revenge is made abundantly clear at the end of Akechi's storyline in the baseline game (i.e. before the Royal exclusive Third Semester new content), where following his defeat at the hands of the Phantom Thieves Akechi is suddenly approached by a cognitive duplicate of himself that dwells within Shido's palace. In addition to the Cognitive Akechi emphasizing the futility of Akechi's quest for acknowledgment & vengeance against Shido by revealing that the latter always intended to dispose of his right-hand assassin once he was elected prime minister, the cognitive duplicate also reveals the true depths of Shido's depravity when he states that he only ever viewed Akechi as a puppet to fulfill his own ambitions. While it is true that Akechi was so obsessed with revenge that he allowed himself to become a pawn of the corrupt status quo, it is exceptionally cruel to learn that this is how Shido has always viewed his own son (which is further punctuated by Shido later revealing to the Phantom Thieves that he secretly always suspected that Akechi was his illegitimate child due to how much he reminded him of his mother). It is this revelation in particular that allows the Phantom Thieves to better empathize with Akechi's tragic upbringing & circumstances. Even though they still seek to hold Akechi accountable for the murders that he committed at Shido's behest, the Phantom Thieves simultaneously recognize that in a sense, Akechi was also a victim of both Shido's cruelty and the systemic injustices of larger Japanese society.

This effectively culminates in the bittersweet resolution to Akechi's storyline in the base Persona 5 game. When the Cognitive Akechi duplicate offers his real-world counterpart one last chance to "redeem" himself in Shido's eyes by killing the Phantom Thieves in his stead, Akechi for the first time in his life decides to be his own person instead of being defined by the labels Shido and society had imposed upon him since birth. Choosing to no longer be a puppet of Shido's corrupt machinations, Akechi rejects his cognitive duplicate's hollow offer by instead turning his gun on the duplicate and his Shadow minions before sealing the engine room's watertight doors between himself and the Phantom Thieves. At the very end, Akechi was finally able to acknowledge that his desire for false appreciation from both his abusive father and larger society was ultimately worthless. Akechi ultimately sacrifices himself to allow the Phantom Thieves to escape, recognizing their true justice while entrusting them to do what he was incapable of by holding Shido accountable for his crimes & reforming society.

From a certain point of view, one could argue that the Phantom Thieves indirectly inspired a change of heart in Akechi by proving to him the validity of their sense of justice.

Overall, while I was initially indifferent towards Goro Akechi at the start of my playthrough of Persona 5 (and even outright skeptical & suspicious of his motives given his vocal opposition to the Phantom Thieves), by the time I got to his boss battle in Shido's palace I ended gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for what the developers at Atlus were attempting to convey with his character. Akechi effectively functions as both a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing oneself to be consumed with thoughts of revenge, as well as a dark parallel to the Phantom Thieves who seek to legitimately reform society for altruistic rather than self-centered reasons. It was these elements that ultimately elevated Akechi into becoming one of my personal favorite members of P5's cast (right behind Makoto, Futaba & Ann...) from both a narrative and character writing perspective (especially with the Royal edition's overhauled confidant line for Akechi, which better fleshes out the latter's rivalry with Joker, and the player now has to progress manually instead of it being automatic)! And I am definitely curious to see how Royal's exclusive "Third Semester" content further fleshes out Akechi's character since I'm aware that he plays a major role in the new story content.

[monakisu]

I want you to know that I came across a random post of your Death Note art, went "Awww, oh my gosh, with the way this person draws Light I think Akechi would look fantastic in the same style!", clicked onto your profile, and then saw your newest artwork was Akechi. I'm still kind of cackling over it and thought maybe you'd find it funny too. Your art is SO cute, I'm very happy I found it <333

HAHA THAT’S AMAZING (<< was an akechi artist wayyyy before i fell head over heels for light)

but rlly… theyre so similar:

- brunet

- asshole

- pretty boy

- mass murderer

- black-haired homoerotic rival

at the end of the day, the key difference is one is a top and the other is a bottom.

ok but seriously, they’re vastly different characters on a fundamental level:

- light was handed everything him on a silver platter: family, friends, looks, intellect, a comfortable life… as a bastard child of a sex worker and now an orphan, goro had to fight his way to his current position and will always harbor a terrible sense of inferiority (light is completely confident in his absolute superiority, Always (that’s why the challenge of L sent him off the deep end of obsession lol))

- light genuinely sees himself as a hero, while goro would like to feel the same but is nonetheless depressingly aware of his villain’s journey (his undesirable position as the detective vs the underdog phantom thieves, his string of assassinations, his ultimate dirty bloody goal, etc.).

- light’s motive is about the world’s salvation, cleansing, the birth of his ideal reality (very messianic of him with the slightest loving tinge of mary cradling her lamb hahaha) while goro is laser-focused on ruining this one asshole’s life in particular, vengeance and revenge at once! one’s focused on rebirth, and the other gunning straight for death! they both use murder to get what they want but light probably floats around thinking himself so clean and divine as mother of the world (ignorance is bliss) while goro is constantly desperately trying to cover up his suspiciously red hands with his gloves hehehe… they’re both constantly striving for perfection, just with varying levels of self-awareness!!

- goro is a canonical loner; light has a horde of friends; this is probably due to a difference in public persona! goro is an untouchable idea of what he thinks a human should be and is completely out of the loop when it comes to normal social interactions (believes opening with hegel will instantly endear himself to the average person (luckily he inflicted that upon akira who is decidedly not average in the slightest)), light is implied to be more down-to-earth and even slightly goofy (he’s gaming decorum like an advanced speedrunner)! it’s probably good how distant goro is, because getting any closer to him will allow you to see how off-putting and uncanny he is, sorta like an AI-generated image—seams in the wrong places and far too much teeth LOL. meanwhile light has this whole shebang so thoroughly figured out that he’s BORED with it all! he’d like to move on to the next game (with L), thank you!! light definitely still exudes uncanny creepiness (it’s his natural state of being) especially when he zones out or starts hysterically cackling out of nowhere at his own thoughts, but he’s a hundred times better at masking compared to goro due to a better upbringing. goro is starved for the adoring friends he sees akira easily picking up one after another; light couldn’t give less of a shit because he’s always had those trivial luxuries! he’d much rather prefer an adoring WORLD!!

- then there’s the difference in how they die… one started out surrounded with company but ultimately died alone, while it’s the opposite for the other (if you count the de-realization of maruki’s reality as goro’s “death” (which i don’t)).

- in conclusion, light and goro are like funhouse mirror reflections of each other!!! one is a pampered lapdog getting a taste of rabies and letting loose, while the other is a starving wolf trying to domesticate itself for treats and headpats!! and i <3 them both!!!!!

anyways i may be wrong about light because im going purely off of fics, tumblr shitposts, and my own imagination :] feel free to school me in a way that won’t destroy my delusions!

[gaslightgatekeepgirlbosscombat]

Group D, Round 2, Poll 2:

Propaganda under the cut

Goro Akechi

While not a girl, he manifests ever other aspect of the motto. He gaslights the phantom thieves, making believe their methods, proven to be safe thus far, got a man killed. He then infiltrates their group, gaining their trust but slowly leading them astray into an ambush. Then, all of this is part of a complex gambit to take down his father and the government of Japan by extension.

Namine

She manipulated a boys memories to put herself in place of his childhood friend. She then betrayed the people she was working for using the boy she manipulated. Then, once free of the castle she was in, she proceeds to be in the background silently pushing things along in the right direction. She then dies, but not even that is enough to stop her from acting.

[magic-of-law]

Hello Rotomblr! I'm Trucy Wright, Magician Extraordinaire! I use she/her pronouns. This is my assistant, Goro Akechi!

...I'm not your assistant.

You are now! I need someone to practice my magic tricks with, now that Polly and Athena and Ren aren't here!

...Is this really necessary? We should be more focused on how to escape this place.

Yes, it is! I need to stay in practice for when we get back home.

I suppose so. I'll give a more proper introduction. My name is Goro Akechi, and I'm a prosecutor's assistant. I use he/him pronouns. We seem to be in a region called Kalos.

My team:

Polly the Froakie

Phoenix the Fletchling

Goro's team:

Hestia the Fennekin

Acanthus the Bulbasaur

Ooc under the cut

Hey yall it's @chaos-cousins mun back with another p5 crossover because I have 0 impulse control

Trucy and Akechi are Phantom Thieves! Akechi is very canon divergent. There will be spoilers for mainline AA games from AA1-AA6 AND persona 5, but they will be tagged.

Block these tags if you don't want spoilers!

#PWAA spoilers

(Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney)

#JFA spoilers

(Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All)

#TT spoilers

(Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations)

#AJAA spoilers

(Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney)

#DD spoilers

(Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies)

#SOJ spoilers

(Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Spirit of Justice)

#PLvsPW spoilers

(Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney)

#persona 5 spoilers

(For mainline persona 5 spoilers)

#persona 5 royal spoilers

(For third semester spoilers)

[foundfamilyappreciation]

Round 1: Group D

Phantom Thieves (Ren Amamiya, Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, Morgana, Yusuke Kitagawa, Makoto Niijima, Futaba Sakura, Haru Okumura, Goro Akechi, Sumire Yoshizawa + others) from Persona 5

VS

Class 3-E (Koro-sensei + his pupils I am Not writing out all 28 names sorry) from Assassination Classroom

[ao3feed-p5-boyslove]

by siderealSandman

As junior Devil Summoner and apprentice to the 27th Kuzunoha Raidou, Akechi Goro is tasked with keeping order between the humans of Tokyo and the demonic interlopers that cross over from the Metaverse, a vast network of interlocking demonic planes that lies just out of sight of modern Japan.

But when a powerful new group of demons starts targeting unpunished sinners, forcing them to repent publicly for their crimes and leaving garish calling cards behind, Goro finds himself drawn into a world where the lines between justice and injustice, human and demon, become blurred.

Words: 4546, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Persona 5, Persona 4, Persona 3, Shin Megami Tensei Series

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi

Characters: Akechi Goro, Kurusu Akira, Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Suzui Shiho, Mishima Yuuki, Morgana, Narukami Yu, Kirijo Mitsuru, Shirogane Naoto, Tatsumi Kanji, Satonaka Chie, Amagi Yukiko, Togo Hifumi

Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Phantom Thieves of Hearts/Phantom Thieves of Hearts

Additional Tags: Devil Summoner AU, Shin Megami Tensei Universe, demon hunter AU, Canon-Typical Violence, Buck-Wild Fight Scenes, Shameless Yakuza Ripoffs, Demifiend AU, Side Pairing: Yu/Yosuke, Side Pairing: Naoto/Kanji, Side Pairing: Rise Kujikawa/Everyone, pansexual characters, Polyamory, Action, Adventure, Drama, Mystery, Linked Soundtrack, Side Pairing: Polythieves, Queerplatonic Relationships, The Phantom Thieves are...Something

[lesbiankoby]

psychonauts…. p5 au…..

[narrators-journal]

Persona masterlist: Innocent sin

Created: 8/18/22

Last edited: 6/30/24

Sequel master list: here!

Fanfiction: x

headcanons: //

Scenario: \\\

NSFW: *

Ask: ^

Persona 2

🔧 Tatsuya suou 🔧

Regular content

When the users are away \\\^

💐 Tatsujun 💐

Regular content

Fluff headcanons //

🚔 Katsuya suou 🚔

Regular content

Relationship headcanons //^

Persona 3

🥀 Ryoji Mochizuki 🥀

Regular content

General headcanons //

Nsfw alphabet // *

Yandere/dark content

Yandere!Ryoji headcanons //

🌙 Minato arisato/Makoto yuuki 🌙

Regular content

General headcanons //

Nsfw headcanons // *

A mismatched pair \\\^

Yandere/dark content

Yandere!Minato headcanons //

☠ Ryomina ☠

Regular content

Angels love backrubs \\\

Fun things to do on the train ride home \\\ *

Vacationing with the devil \\\ ^*

Sleepovers are fun, I promise! \\\ ^*

Thoughtless soft \\\

Imaginary friends tend to linger \\\

A fun bonding exercise \\\*

You are the moon \\\^*

Ryomina as parents //

Good boys get to stay the night \\\*

When the users are away \\\^

Pet shadows love salami \\\

You showed me human compassion, now I'm your problem \\\

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach \\\^

Ryoji vs the personas //^

Baby it's cold outside \\\

Festive attire \\\^

Ryoji needs enrichment //^

Winter is a lovely season for romance and funerals x

Dark/yandere content

You were meant to be mine \\\

🥊 Akihiko Sanada 🥊

Regular content

You can’t fight reality \\\

🌼 Elizabeth 🌼

Regular content

Dinner and a show \\\ ^*

Candy shop \\\^*

Indulgences \\\^*

My turn \\\^*

🍾 Mitsuru Kirijo 🍾

Regular content

Every good dog deserves a reward \\\ ^*

🌕 Kotone shiomi x Ryoko mochizuki 🌕

Regular content

Spider lilies in the moonlight \\\^*

🌸 Yukari takeba 🌸

Regular content

At first she's sour, then she's sweet \\\^*

🤖 Aigis 🤖

Regular content

Truth or dare \\\^*

Persona 4

🌼 Margaret 🌼

Regular content

Happy birthday to you \\\ ^ *

Please the empress \\\ ^*

Dinner and a show \\\ ^*

Double dipped \\\^*

Candy shop \\\^*

Buy me dinner \\\^

Indulgences \\\^*

Movie night \\\^*

My turn \\\^*

🌟 Rise kujikawa 🌟

Regular content

Going for a midnight swim \\\ ^*

👓 Yu narukami 👓

regular content

The kings order is absolute \\\ ^*

Happy birthday to you \\\ ^*

Please the empress \\\ ^*

Dinner and a show \\\ ^*

When the users are away \\\^

The birds and the bees \\\^

Double dipped \\\^*

Candy shop \\\^*

Buy me dinner \\\^

A gods favorite toy \\\^*

Indulgences \\\^*

Movie night \\\^*

My turn \\\^*

⛄ yukiko amagi ⛄

Regular content

The kings order is absolute \\\ ^*

🧡 Souyo 🧡

Regular content

Wrong number \\\ *

Domestic souyo //^

🙈 kanao 🙈

Regular content

Be my first \\\ *

🥩 Chie Satonaka 🥩

Regular content

Well, this is awkward \\\^*

Persona 5 Royal

🔫 Akeshu 🔫

Regular content

Homecoming \\\

Homecoming part 2 \\\

A tough nut to crack \\\ ^ *

A well-behaved thief \\\ ^*

Black pepper and mint \\\ ^*

🔪 Goro Akechi 🔪

Regular content

Desperate measures \\\ ^*

Introductions are important \\\ ^*

The phantom thieves with a special reader //^

🏴‍☠️ Ryuji Sakamoto 🏴‍☠️

Regular content

Succubi to make the boy go crazy \\\^*

A little experimentation is healthy \\\^*

The phantom thieves with a special reader //^

🐈‍⬛ Morgana 🐈‍⬛

Regular content

A nerve-wracking request \\\^*

Today's the day \\\^

The phantom thieves with a special reader //^

🐆 Ann takamaki 🐆

Regular content

My gold medal \\\ ^*

The phantom thieves with a special reader //^

Tit for tat \\\^*

🦞 yusuke kitagawa 🦞

Regular content

Spring fever \\\ ^*

The phantom thieves with a special reader //^

🐈 Akira kurusu/Ren amamiya 🐈

Regular content

Learning something new about myself \\\ ^*

When the users are away \\\^

The phantom thieves with a special reader //^

We've got a lot of catching up to do \\\^*

☕ Haru okumara ☕

Regular content

Dungeon crawling alone can be dangerous \\\^*

The phantom thieves with a special reader //^

Tit for tat \\\^*

🐼 Makoto Nijima 🐼

Regular content

The phantom thieves with a special reader //^

We've got a lot of catching up to do \\\^*

💻 Futaba Sakura 💻

Regular content

The phantom thieves with a special reader //^

👩‍⚖️ sae nijima 👩‍⚖️

Regular content

We've got a lot of catching up to do \\\^*

Sneak peek

Cheese and mayo

Dashing through the snow

[crescentfool]

the fics i’ve read in june 2021

happy july everyone! to celebrate the start of a new month, i’d like to take the time to compile some of my favorite persona 5 fics that i read last month into one post!

i’ve always admired people who were seen as “fic librarians,” and while i’m an incredibly  slow reader, i’d still  love to share some of my favorite fics! ideally speaking, i will be doing a post like this once a month (maybe more depending on how much i read). for convenience, all posts of this nature will be tagged with “lizzy reads fic” and “fic recs.”

all fics listed here are from persona 5, and mostly consist of shuake / akeshu fics. please mind the tags/warnings/ratings when viewing the fics; read what you’re most comfortable with! with this in mind, the full list is located under the cut.

all fics are formatted as TITLE by author | rating | appx. word count | brief description of fic (including main ship/character, tropes/AU, and whether the fic is completed, ongoing, or abandoned)

Salted Earth by aceklaviergavin | T | 7.6k | akekita oneshot in which yusuke is a firefighter and keeps stealing akechi’s food. a great crackfic with some hilarious scenarios!

Kiss the Boy, Sha La La La by wingdinger | T | 2.3k | shuake oneshot where the phantom thieves play spin the bottle and akechi is a salty jealous bitch. a very short and sweet read!

The One Where They Go To IKEA by saintorae | T | 4.5k | a hurt/comfort shuake oneshot in which akira and goro assemble furniture together (that also ends up being way too relatable)

Rorschach Test by Elsey8 | M | 7.2k | post-p5r shuake oneshot focused on studying akechi’s character through therapy sessions!

(don’t shoot) the messenger by shouldbeworking | M | 5.5k | akeshu oneshot in which ryuji ends up hearing more than he should. absolutely hilarious; a great way of framing akeshu’s relationship through a third party.

the spider by corrupted_voracity | T | 2.8k | akeshu oneshot leaning into crack territory in which akechi loses his shit over a spider. a very short but funny read, the poor dude does not like spiders!

a journal on how to love (without any strings attached) by LovelyLotus and pana (panaceaa) | M | 13.8k | mutlichapter shuake fic from goro’s POV that provides glimpses into shuake’s relationship and how they develop! very fluffy and sweet, with wonderful characterization! (7/8 chapters done)

Remember Me by Westward | T | 12.9k | a completed multichapter shuake fic that takes place in the third semester, where akira slowly starts to disappear from reality/cognition. incredibly angsty, with a bittersweet ending and darker themes.

Orion by Elsey8 | T | 3.3k | a stargazing shuake fic where akechi is incredibly passionate and info dumps about constellations. super endearing and fluffy!

Scalded by intothefrission | T | 7.5k | akeshu oneshot in which goro rushes to take care of akira after he suffers from a second degree burn. hurt/comfort fic that also features a bit of the leblanc coffee family, and has stellar characterization!

Akira Kurusu’s guide to last minute gifts by pana (panaceaa) | T | 1.7k | shuake oneshot where akira celerates goro’s birthday at the last minute. super cute and fluffy!

how joker and crow survived the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 by shantealeaves | T | 13.k | shuake oneshot where akira and goro quarantine together during the third semester. a wonderful rollercoaster ride that perfectly balances crack and angst.

Make Light Out of Darkness for Me by Zeiskyte | T | 9.5k | ongoing multichapter fic in which shuake are idols! each chapter alternates in POV, and the fic features fake dating and futaba and goro half-siblings. if you like studying the dichotomy of goro akechi’s public vs private image in the context of an idol AU, or enjoy akira’s inner anxieties, this fic is for you!

and that’s all for now! these were some of my favorites- if anyone reads the fics listed here, i hope you enjoyed them as much as i enjoyed recommending them! happy reading everyone!

[siderealscribblings]

Let me tell you, it was hard to decide what to draw because there are so many scenes in the fic to draw, and I love so much of them. So, I ended up deciding to draw something from the most recent chapter. Also a fun little meme. I hope you like it!

‐------

Yoooo this is so cool! I love your take on Sumire's uniform (kinda in line with the P3 SEES garb) and the rendition of Joker is 100% what I envisioned when writing this

Thank you so much! Glad that you're digging this fic so much that you decided to draw. Is it cool if I link this in the author's notes?

[yusuke-of-valla]

Unpopular opinion: I. Really do not like Sae Niijima? It kind of feels like a reverse Anakin Skywalker where she SHOULD be more conflicted/upset over the awful things she's doing, but neither her nor her Shadow are, so her redemption feels really unearned. I didn't really get a sense that she "envied" the Phantom Thieves' "freedom" or cared for Makoto/Papa Niijima.

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

If you don’t like Sae that’s fine that’s your prerogative and I’m not going to say “no you have to like her”

And like I’d agree with you that there should be more conflict in terms of the awful stuff she’s doing but like, full stop the game is REALLY FUCKING WISHY WASHY as to what exactly she’s doing that’s so bad?

Like, there’s threatening to take Futaba away from Sojiro which never comes up again and I don’t think the Phantom Thieves would even know about and Sae yelling at Makoto which is an isolated incident and then her Palace is like “well, she’s cheating in the casino… and Japan has a very high conviction rate so maybe I guess she’s forging evidence to convict people but if she is it isn’t going to come up outside her Palace”

And this is a side effect of Persona 5’s thing where like if you’re supposed to like a character they can’t have done something actually bad (Goro Akechi being the one exception here). I’d also say it’s a side effect of her Confidant being tied to plot progression rather than her actual character so she loses out on of the main methods of characterization

So like, while I’d say, “oh clearly Sae’s resentment of the Phantom Thieves is a result of her being angry that her father’s pursuit of justice got him killed without even getting the culprit arrested and her becoming a prosecutor is both her way of actually putting people behind bars and also giving her dad the middle finger, and also she’s terrified of Makoto going down that same path and getting killed like their father which is why she so strongly wants Makoto to stay out of this shit,” in all honesty that’s mostly my headcanon and the game is noncommittal either way.

What I think could have been cool is if we’d gotten a scene like in Ace Attorney Investigations where Sae’s shadow says she thinks Defense Attorneys are bad for getting criminals free, and thus her cheating is justified in the same way the Phantom Theives changing people’s hearts to force a confession is justified

Uh TL;DR: it’s fine you don’t like Sae, I wouldn’t even call what she gets a redemption arc because we don’t know if she’s got a pattern of behavior that’s bad enough to warrant “redeeming” vs just apologizing for the two shitty things she did, but I do think she cares about Makoto and Dadjima, she just doesn’t show it well because of her own issues around being forced to grow up too fast

[shadow-scenarios]

how about what the pt5 boys fancy ideals in an s/o vs. what they actually need or eventually end up with like?

Ooh. What an interesting request, Anon. I liked writing this!!

- Nexus.

Joker { Akira Kurusu }

✧ When Akira says he is not picky, he actually is. He claims that he would love to have a significant other that is just as bold & brave as he is. Appearance does not matter to him all that much because he knows what it is like to be judged for the way that someone looks.

✧ Honestly? Akira wants someone who accepts him. Who is there not because of the things that he gives them or the comforting words he speaks, instead simply because it is him. Although he would love to live a normal life, it all went out of the window when he was arrested. Now he looks for moments of normalcy & he seeks that through a significant other that looks past judgment & how others view him, instead just seeing someone that they care about.

✧ Beyond his cold & supposedly uncaring front that suggests he does not like the touch of another, Akira deeply craves validation. They have to be somewhat affectionate, even if it is something just as simple as hand holding because it grounds him to this current reality, otherwise his mind will wonder to his other aspects of life & he will stress.

Skull { Ryuji Sakamoto }

✧ Although Ryuji claims he is not a superficial person, he must at least find his significant other attractive in his mind, even if they are not by the standards of society. It is one of his flaws in a relationship because he cannot look past physical beauty. He is not shallow but it helps him to be able to look at his significant other & tell them that they are beautiful.

✧ In an ideal world, he wants someone confident & who shares his interests. They have to be athletically interested or enjoy video games; They have to be able to banter with him when he teases them; They have to be supportive of his interested & super keen to listen to him!!

✧ Then when he gets into a relationship... It is not like that at all. Someone who can just make sure that he is okay would actually be good for him { though they should not feel as though they are a caretaker, as that is an unhealthy relationship }. Even if it is a small gesture such as asking how his day went, Ryuji ends up liking the smaller things with his significant other. He also can be quite energetic, so someone to mellow him out could be good.

Fox { Yusuke Kitagawa }

✧ Has the audacity to claim that when he begins his search for a significant other that he will immediately know when he meets them, which is... Not true. At all. It actually takes Yusuke a while to come to term with his feelings despite the fact that he is so in tune with them. Because it is such a gradual change, he does not notice when live eventually blooms.

✧ Ideally, he would like someone who has money because although he has enough to afford paints & food, walking to the station every time he has to meet up with the Phantom Thieves can tire him out. Also if they shared his passion for art, it would be nice because they could talk together about the wonders of reality & different perspectives on subjects, such as the persuit of true beauty.

✧ Give this man someone who will just listen. They do not have to be as passionate about art as he is because Yusuke can more than make up for it but he often has a tendency to go on longer then he needs to, merely by accident. Art is his passion, his life! Having someone who just has a little bit more common sense than he does is also sorely needed, as he is intelligent but misses social cues a lot of the time.

Crow { Goro Akechi }

✧ Akechi claims on TV that he currently is not interested in finding a significant other because he has to focus on solving the case of the mental shutdowns but he actually does not want to get close to anyone in case they find out about his kill streak & his sentimentality gets in the way of eliminating them.

✧ Though if he did have someone who cared about him, it would make life much easier for him if they were able to deal with the strain of the media. He would never out them but to be constantly seen in public with them would be quite suspicious & it can be difficult to maintain a good image with someone who freaks out at the idea of being in an interview.

✧ One of the main things he claims to himself is that they must be patient. Because of his busy life, many arrangements he makes will be cancelled quite often & it is not his fault most of the time.

✧ In reality, Akechi just needs someone that will be kind to him. A lot of his life he has gone without any validation from anyone & to suddenly receive it without conditions can be quite suspicious. Even if they tell him that they like him for his true self, he seems to not accept it. Eventually his walls break but it is a long process. Deep down, he wants to be accepted by anyone.

Word Count: 860

Publish Date: 14.10.20

[gaslightgatekeepgirlbosscombat]

Group D, Round 3, Poll 1:

Propaganda under the cut

Lord Vetinari

Tyrant ruler of a city, former assassin who took over the city after a long string of other patricians. Loves to trick people into thinking things were their ideas, manipulate people and deny it to their faces, and make sure everyone stays in line. Loves the city and manages it well. Cunty, will do anything to keep playing a board game with someone from another country, actually kind of nice sometimes if you’re not a threat to him.

Goro Akechi

While not a girl, he manifests ever other aspect of the motto. He gaslights the phantom thieves, making believe their methods, proven to be safe thus far, got a man killed. He then infiltrates their group, gaining their trust but slowly leading them astray into an ambush. Then, all of this is part of a complex gambit to take down his father and the government of Japan by extension.

[shadowtarot]

Goro Akechi HC #3: Not Really Gone?

I’ve had this very specific theory swimming around in my head for a while now. But to fully go over it, I gotta spoil Persona 3 and the Arena Duology. Oh and of course P5/Royal spoilers as well.

So when we finish the Arc in Persona 5′s main story Akechi is supposedly dead. Even going through Third Semester, Maruki makes note that he possibly did die.

But I don’t really think Akechi died. And to really go over everything we first need to understand that Akechi is a nod to Sherlock Holmes. Hell the analogy to Holmes and Arsene is even apart of the Plagiarism lesson you get in the school segments with the book Holmes vs. Arsene. Akechi reads this book in the Anime Adaptation too. so there’s another point.

In every Sherlock Holmes media, have it be the books or the many many movie and TV show adaptations, he always seems to survive nearly getting killed. But homage or not, it still needs to make sense.

I first want to say that Akechi died...in a sense. Keep in mind that Persona is a game partly rooted in the supernatural. You can’t really say things have to adhere to a certain point of reality if we have Combat Robots, A bear that gained a human body by doing sit ups, a cat that can turn into a car, a girl with psychic powers, ect. 

I personally think Akechi, or whatever was left of him was forced to wander the Metaverse and by extension the Collective Unconscious for the rest of eternity as a punishment for the crimes he caused by abusing his gift. Because of that, he’d still have access to his Persona. Now of course given it just happened to him, it’d probably not sink in that he’s not truly dead and is in more of a limbo state like Makoto Yuki. It would explain why, in Royal’s true ending as Ren is on the train home, he sees Akechi outside before seeing himself in his Joker attire in his reflection.

It’s a sign that the Metaverse isn’t gone, and that Akechi intends to keep his promise.

Now of course this is very likely done this way to keep the fact that Akechi is a popular character and killing him off so simply wouldn’t sit well with his fanbase IRL. But since Royal and Strikers were developed side by side that idea couldn’t be put into the latter without spoiling players on what happens in Third Semester. (or that the idea wasn’t thought of yet who knows)

But whos to say he just didn’t choose to get involved? He could be quietly observing the Phantom Thieves as they go through each Jail...making sure Joker succeeds in stopping the forced Change of Hearts and solving the case.

Because only he is allowed to take down the leader of The Phantom Thieves of Hearts. He must remain unbeatable until then.

[penthepoet]

Persona Yakuza AU - a basic primer

(made by @inaba-ismycountrytownroad and I)

I’m writing this at 2 AM EST so forgive me if this post doesn’t sound like the most lucid thing in the world.

the premise: Tohru Adachi, an officer in the police force, ends up patching up the bullet wound of a man he meets in an alleyway with his brand-new tie. He later finds out said man is Ryotaro “Kohryu” Dojima, the legendary Yakuza head who takes his life-debt to Adachi very seriously.

Little do both of them know that this meeting will kick off a chain reaction that will result in the total upheaval of all of modern Japanese civilization - and, like it or not, things are about to get a lot less quiet in Tokyo.

More basic information about the AU down below. Feel free to PM me or Snap if you want clarification on certain details and headcanons we have, because we literally planned out AN UNGODLY AMOUNT of wild, wild content for this au.

Did I mention Adachi and his colleagues, Sae and Namatame, are assigned to track down and apprehend Dojima here? Because that’s an added twist.

Dojima ends up talking with Adachi more, and Adachi accidentally becomes Dojima’s emotional support civvie that starts craving more and more of that Yakuza insanity.

SEES is a third party infobroker group (and neutral party) that watches the Yakuza spar with the police (and later the Phantom Thieves, who are against the Yakuza). They’re incredibly prone to doing wacky shit and just want to have fun amidst the absolute insanity that is much of this au.

Yu and the Investigation Team (also known as the Interrogation Team here) are a small vigilante gang that helps right wrongs in the city their way - via extreme violence, stealing things and other illicit crimes. Yu Narukami is also a nonbinary icon who uses he/him pronouns and dresses up however he damn well pleases, because Snap and I are taking canon out back and putting it down.

The Velvet Room is also a neutral party that captures footage of Yakuza fights. They livestream said footage and tell fortunes to donating viewers.

Nanako 100% says fuck in this au.

Literally a civil war/re-do of the Sengoku Era breaks out in Japan because of the Yakuza vs. The Phantom Thieves and the Police. Hence, “the upheaval of all Japanese Civilization”.

Namatame is Javert here, pretty much - he wants to take down the Dojima clan at all costs, even if it means making deals with the Phantom Thieves in order to do so. Sae takes a more purist route, wanting to get rid of the Yakuza activity through simpler methods.

Also, Adachi and Dojima definitely will be dating in this au. 

Munehisa Iwai IS a major arms dealer working for the Dojima family, so don’t worry, we’ll be getting a good amount of wild Yakuza dads in this au.

Goro Akechi is sent to infiltrate the Phantom Thieves for the Police, and Mayumi Yamano is sent to infiltrate the Dojima clan for the Police. How does this end? Well... you’ll see. : )

Chisato is still dead in this au, something that’s still taken a toll on Dojima. 

This is a very good song that explains the semi-cracky descent of this au from somewhat fluffy times where Adachi’s figuring out his footing into the insanity that is Japan descending into a gang war orchestrated by Persona characters.

And the au is probably STILL GOING TO GROW BIGGER, so don’t think I’ve put everything Snap and I planned into this post. As a matter of fact, I’m leaving a huge deal out - wouldn’t be fun to spoil all the surprises this au has to offer so soon, after all :3c

tl;dr from snap -

the dojima clan are there to take control of japan for their own benefit 

the phantom thieves and the police are there to control them and make sure they don't get out of hand 

the SEES are literally just there To Party