#but just not something i see ryuji being personally interested in

[electricea]

also it seems like japan does have something sort of similar to ouija boards - a game called kokkuri which also involves communicating with a spirit. i still just don't see ryuji as the sort to be interested in supernatural or paranormal stuff, even if other kids are, so i feel like his knowledge about ouija boards/games similar to it would be limited as best, so he wouldn't be as wary or scared about it as others might be.

[leonawriter]

Talking about Makoto earlier had me thinking about the things I do like about makoharu as a ship.

Because thing is, to me they read as foils.

In their situations, the way they react to things, not to mention their elements, they contrast each other in a way that doesn't stop them from also complimenting each other - and also that encourages me to feel that they'd also improve each other, too.

Where Makoto's act of rebellion was to decide she didn't want to do what everyone says anymore, it was against a socially acceptable target - a man, sure, but a wanted criminal.

Haru's was against her father, a man who society does not want girls to rebel against. She was expected to just obey him, and be pretty arm candy for the man he chose for her in a business tradition that is still ongoing.

Makoto's tendency to stay playing by the rules is almost a natural trait. She's does everything by the book. Logic A is logic A. Things are how they're supposed to be. A confusion and also a fair bit of kickback when they aren't.

Haru's habit of being a "good girl" is because she was pushed into a small box from a young age, and constantly feels as though she has to behave in a certain way in order to get the slightest bit of respect and affection from her father, let alone those in the business that she wants to have listen to her.

Makoto had a good relationship with her father - or at least, what she remembers of him - and aspires to be more like him, where Haru is struggling to recognise that hers was abusive, and that he wasn't going to become a better person for her even if he'd survived.

Makoto wants to become a cop, and Haru hates cops.

So, even from here, there are a lot of things where they aren't the same at all! Places where they'll not understand each other!

But Makoto was, (not counting Joker) Haru's first friend. Someone her age, who she could talk to, who wasn't a delinquent in the year below like Ann or Ryuji.

They understand each other because no matter where those stresses are coming from, they both know what it's like to have the adults in their lives put pressure on them to act a certain way, and to feel grateful when they aren't being given what they need - the love and support of a family member.

Both of them know what it feels like to be pushed down and to know they deserve more but also know that they won't be getting that, to try in small ways to fight back against the injustice of it all (Haru, chopping wood, Makoto, with her probing questions to the headmaster and to her sister), and for it to not work.

Both of them wanted and/or needed the help of the Phantom Thieves, to the point that they effectively forced their hand - Makoto's blackmail in the Student Council room is a memorable moment, but let's not forget that Haru refused to join the Phantom Thieves until she could see they were working as a coherent unit again. That was her father's palace they were scouting, and she could have veto'd the whole thing.

They're both incredibly reckless. Makoto going straight to Kaneshiro, and Haru trying to take on her father's palace with only Mona, having only just awakened (and even then, not fully)!

Makoto is logic, and Haru is emotion, and where Makoto might fly into a rage because she can't understand the reasoning behind someone's actions, Haru will take the time to understand and to empathise, even if she doesn't find their actions forgivable.

When Makoto brings up the whole "I want to be a cop" thing around Haru, I can see Haru not just staying quiet about it, and telling her exactly what she feels, but not in a harsh or cruel way.

I don't know if this is exactly a ship manifesto, but the ways they contrast and improve each other are really interesting to me, and on top of that, I can see them working as friends, as a romantic pair, and just... it's compelling chemistry.

Because sometimes (as seen with shuake), when someone's your foil, they're the one who knows you best. And when something goes wrong, that's the person you go to.

[ladyloveandjustice]

Summer 2024 Anime Overview: Senpai is an Otokonoko

Aoi falls for an older girl, Makoto, and one day she confesses love to her senpai. But then Makoto reveals that he is an otokonoko- a crossdressing boy. Much to Makoto’s surprise, this only increases Aoi’s attraction, as she’s 100 percent supportive of crossdressing and ecstatic about getting to enjoy both the “boy” and “girl” versions of her senpai. Complicating things is Makoto’s best friend Ryuji, who has a huge crush on Makoto even though he won’t admit it to himself.

Meanwhile, Makoto is dealing with an incredibly transphobic mother, so he hides himself at home and lives in fear she’ll find out that he’s crossdressing at school.

This is a sweet, heartfelt, queer show with some very good kids and a lot of sad and happy feels. Prepare for heartstrings to be tugged. I grew very attached to the main trio in various ways,as they all have their own individual struggles related to gender, sexuality and heteronormative society. They're going through it, but they always work to understand and accept each other.

Makoto is obviously the central focus with the Gender of it All, and you see him struggle to navigate a world that sees gender in strict binary terms and tries to limit the ways he can live. The show strikes a good balance in showing the heartbreaking obstacles Makoto deals with but also showing the joy he finds in unexpected acceptance, affirmation, and connection. It’s sad when he tries to force himself to be ‘normal’ but it’s all the more heartwarming when his loved ones support him being who he truly is. A big focus of the show is Makoto trying to figure out if he wants to “live as a girl” as the show puts it, or if his relationship with his gender is something else.

I was surprised at how much I liked Ryuji, he might be my favorite. His struggle with his internalized homophobia and his yearning for Makoto literally made me cry at one point, which is rare for me with media. Plus, he’s just a sweet kid and good friend who puts up a laughably paper-thin "tough" front and you want good things for him. And that’s true for all the characters.

Aoi is a character who starts off as a comedic genki girl, (and to some she even initially came off as a chaser, but as her layers peeled back it becomes clear that’s not the case).  I liked her from the beginning despite her being A Lot but I was concerned she might boil down to the unfailingly Cheerful Girl Who Supports Makoto—but she gains a tremendous amount of depth once her backstory and personal struggles start to unfold.

Honestly, she really resonates with me as an ace person and her storyline seems primed to head in that direction, but I’m not naïve enough to think I’m going to get an actual asexual storyline where we examine how some people simply don’t feel romantic and/or sexual attraction and can still be fulfilled…and yeah, judging from the few spoilers I’ve seen, it’s not about that. It’s a bit disappointing, since it would really fit in with a show so focused on non-heteronormative sexuality, but y’know. We’re used to it. I never expect much. I will be interested in how it unfolds in the movie and hope whatever story they choose will at least be well told.

So basically, the show not only presents a love triangle where not only do you want all of them to be happy (sadly poly will not be the answer) BUT also a love triangle where each person thinks it would be better for their so-called "rival" to end up with their crush because they all love each other and want each other to be happy, but they all think very little of themselves. Amazing. A love triangle that’s truly all love but in the most hurtful way possible.

Aoi, Makoto, and Ryuji’s bond is really the star of the show for me more than any independent relationship and (though if I had to choose the friendship between Aoi and Ryuji is low-key the cutest to me).

There’s not many caveats to this show, obviously it examines transphobia in sometimes heartbreaking ways, and Ryuji’s internalized homophobia can be rough (I wish someone would directly tell him he’s not gross). I did find the pacing to be way too rushed in early episodes, but it evened out as it went on.

For something that’s neither good or bad: one thing that was noticeable about the show is it really avoided any queer terminology, in a way a lot of modern queer manga doesn’t. Again, this isn’t a bad things, and I honestly wouldn’t have noticed if one of the characters hadn’t met an older queer person (which is great! Love it when older queer people help the younger generation and show them they’re not alone)—yet this person doesn’t share any kind of specifics and how they identify is kept ambiguous, though they clearly have been to drag clubs/communities at the very least (as a blink and you miss it thing). In some ways, this might be purposeful, it felt like the story wanted the characters to be applicable to a lot of queer experiences, and one of the main points of the show is Makoto’s uncertainty about his own identity and not feeling comfortable in certain categories. Labels don’t work for everyone.

However, a few more specifics felt like it would help with adding context to some of the characters. Does Ryuji know other gay men exist? Does he think he’s the only one? I honestly have no idea. There is a possibility of these kids getting to know a wider community that seems tantalizing but unlikely to be capitalized on and sometimes the show’s desire to be nebulous about all this can feel like a missed opportunity.

Overall, I think this is a touching, worthwhile show about affirmation and love and the complexities of being queer in a limiting society. And of course that means a bunch of homophobes review bombed it because they apparently just now realized queer stories have always been a big part of anime. Knowing this makes it even clearer that shows like this make an impact and deserve support, and I’m really glad a movie to wrap things up has already been announced.

Give this show a watch, and maybe bring some tissues.

[archivalofsins]

I'm glad I don't look in the tag like the shit that passes my dash is like stuff I know, and then Mikoto being hypersexualized on a bimonthly basis with the implied impression that it's fine as long as it's a male being sexualized. I have no stake in it one way or the other. If that's fun to some, it's just fun, and I'm certain other characters are sexualized just as much in different circles. Maybe I'm just lucky enough not to have seen that.

Yet that again would be due to people recognizing subconsciously or not that hypersexualizing certain characters of the cast is problematic on some level. I don't see this sort of discussion as often around Yuno despite the content within her music videos. I don't see it around Mahiru or Kotoko as much either. This is excluding every other character that was a child when Milgram started all together.

This may sound like a complaint or a dig at this fandoms ethics, but it isn't because literally most fandoms treat male characters like this. This isn't something the Milgram fanbase created or anything it's quite common.

It's why Persona 5 wrote those story beats around Ryuji how they did- Because when sexual harrassment happens to a man in fiction it's comedy when it happens to a woman in fiction it's either horror or very notably a moral failing on the one doing it. Or maybe again I've just gotten lucky and haven't read a lot of egregious shit in that regard.

The way all fandom tends to hypersexualize men in general is a byproduct of how the sexual issues of men are discussed in media and ignorance. The same as it is when it comes to hypersexualization and caricaturing of female characters past and present as well. I don't want this to come off as me saying being overly sexualized is a male issue alone. Because it's not. This is a very reductionist explanation of sexualization in media, something that affects all genders differently.

There's much more to it than what I'm saying here. Plus, not everyone does this with the intent of demeaning a character or reducing them to their sexual appeal alone. Some people just find a design sexy or aesthetically appealing that's pretty reasonable. Displaying why that is- is reasonable as well.

However, when that is put alongside comments like "I'd never judge a female character like this, of course, I have some class." It starts to make me raise an eyebrow just a bit. Like, I end up wondering like um why not though?

Hate to be openly pansexual (no i don't this is hyperbole) but um, women are hot, lol. What does no one else think so? Is it bad to point out the features of the Milgram women too. I'm sorry but Mahiru is hot she dresses well and homely she has a decent figure and she is not lacking in the chest department.

It really comes down to preference at the end of the day. Am i going to sit here and say Mikoto looks average? No, like Mikoto, Kazui, Mahiru, and Shidou are all genuinely attractive and can be somewhat charismatic people. Ya know something that a good few murderers are. That's kind of the point of them being the adults of the group.

They are the end result of everyone here younger than them and are more than likely the best at what they do.

Outside of that, it would be weird of me to hold anybody to a certain standard when it comes to what they're attracted to in fiction. Unless they are romanticizing a criminal act or a child. Gotta make that really clear. Since that isn't really occurring here, it is kind of free game. Go nuts, really.

I just find it interesting that everything a person would ethically have an issue with someone doing to a character that's a woman has been done to Mikoto with reckless abandon.

From hyperfocusing on the measurements of his body, overtly sexualizing him regardless of how covered up he is, making assumptions about his romantic or sexual preferences. It's like everything that would make anyone rightfully a creep if they did it to a woman whether that be in real life or in fiction has been done to this one fictional dude to the point it technically happens in cycles. I can tell when a month has ended based on if this man's body is being talked about sometimes, and I shouldn't be able to do that at any time.

It's impressive. I need to note again that I'm not saying this because I'm a prude or to protect Mikoto's very nonexistent innocence. It's just a funny and interesting double standard to look into within any fandom, not just this one. I know it's all in good fun, and this isn't meant to call it out or anybody in any way.

It's just meant to be me going,

"Hey, this is a funny thing that hasn't really been questioned that much that actually ties into other writing tropes in media that are pretty bad. Let's talk about it."

Even if it is not that deep.

Personally, I've always found it interesting as daughter of a guy that suffered interpersonal partner violence and being raised in a community where the sexual assault of both men and women is prominently discussed to see how men and women are sexualized not only in media but by fanbases. Of course, I'm way more interested in this when it comes to black people. However, when a good example of the differences is sitting right in front of me, it's hard to overlook it.

Better excuse, though- Mahiru is hot, too! Maybe stop talking about how she's delusional and instead discuss how she had low confidence and rejection sensitivity. Causing her to not understand what she was doing was too much for the situation as well as made it difficult for her to let the fact that she was not accepted by someone she liked go. Similarly to Mu.

Like maybe this line from This Is How To Be In Love With You deserves a bit more focus,

"What do you think? I know it's not the type of question you want to be asked."

A common question for one to ask their partner about the outfits they put on.

Or this one in I Love You,

"Sigh... No appetite, I can’t sleep, my hair’s a mess. What am I supposed to do now? If you won’t tell me, I can’t be me."

I'm not hungry, I can't sleep, and worst of all- I'm not even looking good right now. Yeah fuck it actually this is a Mahiru appreciation post now that woman served this community several different outfits and this bastard only gave two fuck Mikoto stop complimenting this man for his cycling body.

Yeah, he's fit. We know! The man bikes to work to stay in shape and practices swinging a bat when angry.

But guess what-

Mahiru jogs, and she even has a cute jogging outfit. We've never even seen this man on a bike. Let alone in a cycling outfit.

Q.04 Are you picky when it comes to fashion?

Mikoto: Of course I am. Nobody would want to ask for anything from an unfashionable designer, right?

Oh, you're picky huh. People wouldn't ask for anything from an unfashionable designer, yeah... So, why does Mahiru Shiina's first music video look like a fashion catalogue-

While all we see from you is you putting your clothes where they belong,

Sorry, I got heated there. It's not a fashion competition because we clearly know who would win that. Long story short, Mahiru has a cute design too.

[yakuzacanons]

Yakuza Headcanons: Watching Spooky Movies

Oooooo it's the spooky season ain't it. Hello hello I rise from the grave to bring you some fresh headcanons for the season. For those with asks still in the inbox, I SEE em, just been busy with my horror movie marathon. Anyways, some headcanons below da cut to tide you over. Also welcome bouncing baby boy Ichiban to the gang!

Kiryu Kazuma

Isn't scared easily by much of anything so it's really easy to get him to watch horror movies. Mostly watches them because someone else is too scared to watch them alone. He's the person they can hide behind or who will tell them when a particularly horrifying scene is over.

Gore doesn't bother him as much as something or someone looking creepy or offputting will. Kiryu still won't get scared but he will get uncomfortable. Most of the time he just reacts by going "Ah... oh!"

Fond of the classics and will gravitate towards movies with a strong and likable protagonist. Likes The Evil Dead, Aliens, and Halloween. Directors don't matter much to him.

Majima Goro

He's a mixed bag. If a movie is well put together, then it can scare him pretty easily. He's most scared of ghost stories or paranormal things. Least afraid of slashers because he thinks he could just beat them all up.

Cannot stand jump scares. Sometimes he evens yells at his TV at home in irritation, saying things like "Oi, whaddya keep makin' loud noises for? Sheesh!"

Honestly, the weirder the movie the better. It might seem stereotypical for someone who looks and acts like Majima but he thinks the whole point of horror is to be interesting. Fond of Takashi Miike movies like Ichi the Killer, Audition, and Over Your Dead Body.

Akiyama Shun

Doesn't watch a lot of movies because he totally falls asleep during most of them. He'll at least give it a shot if you ask nicely though. Honestly more motivated by the fact you might cling to him during the scary parts than anything.

As much as Akiyama is a total ladies' man and romantic at heart, he always laughs whenever characters start being intimate during horror movies. He makes jokes out of it, saying things like "Babe, would you still love me if we were in a spooky movie?"

Movies with a good soundtrack actually help him stay awake. Jump scares annoy him though because if he falls asleep, the noise makes him panic. Fond of monster movies or movies about animals like Jaws, Shin Godzilla, and The Host.

Saejima Taiga

Genuinely not scared of a single darn thing. If you want to watch it, he's down to give it at least a try. He might nod off if he's tired or bored, but he tries his best not to. Horror comedy is okay with him too although he might not get all the jokes.

Most of the time he sits with his arms crossed, paying full attention. He's kind of funny in that he makes noises like "Heh" or "Hmph" when a character is caught off guard by something. Makes an occasionaly "Tsk" sound at jump scares. Otherwise he's not reactionary.

Particularly fond of slashers, probably because those usually have villains that are actually kind of his size. He enjoys the Friday the 13th series, particularly Jason X.

Tanimura Masayoshi

Type of guy to be like "Ooh let's watch this, I heard it's really scary" and then proceed to either get scared out of his wits or say something like "Wait, that's ALL?" at the end. Bases most of his movie choices off of other people's recommendations since he's usually too busy to randomly go see however many movies he wants to.

Doesn't really like horror that's super in your face. Gets more scared by the tension itself than anything. Always has movie snacks on hand.

Found footage is probably his most favorite type of horror. Likes The Blair Witch Project, Noroi, and REC. Fond of director Koji Shiraishi.

Ryuji Goda

Doesn't watch a lot of horror movies but like Saejima he's not scared of anything. He's also the type of guy to drop everything to spend time watching a movie with his partner. Gets a kick out of being a shield or protector during scary parts.

Likes movies with a lot of personality and campiness. Slow burns or psychological thrillers just put him to sleep. It doesn't matter if it's good or bad, as long as it's entertaining.

Didn't think he'd end up being much of a horror fan but he's quite partial to John Carpenter. Likes The Thing, They Live, and Christine.

Nishikiyama Akira

One of the bigger scaredy cats of the group. Won't suggest a horror movie but will totally act like he's not at all afraid if you ask to see one.

Honestly, the two of you end up just kind of holding onto each other during scary parts or pulling up the blanket almost over your eyes when a character is about to die. Violence doesn't necessarily bother him but excessive gore kind of annoys him.

Enjoys a good ghost story movie but only if you'll watch it with him. Anthologies are also good too since it offers so much at once. Likes Ju-On, Ringu, and Tales From The Crypt.

Mine Yoshitaka

Likes certain horror movies. Not scared of much but he does get noticably uncomfortable with torture movies like Saw or Hostel. He just finds it to be weird more than entertaining.

Fond of more classic monsters like vampires or werewolves. Mine's the type of guy to actually have a decent home theater setup, even if he doesn't get much time to use it, so he doesn't go to the movie theater much.

Has a soft spot for some of the really old classics in the 30's like Frankenstein or Nosferatu. His favorite horror movie is Interview With The Vampire.

Daigo Dojima

Probably the only one of the boys who actively enjoys slow burns and more psychological horror. He doesn't get opportunities to watch movies much but he does have an interest in the medium as a whole.

Particularly loves anything with spectacular cinematography. Good directing, lighting, or costumes really impress him. Kind of interested in some of the technical aspects as well. Also probably the only of the boys to ever look something up on IMDb.

Especially fond of movies by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. His favorite horror films are Kwaidan, Cure, and Pulse.

Tatsuo Shinada

The biggest scaredy cat of all of the boys. Will attempt to watch a spooky movie with you at least once just for the sake of trying but will honestly just close his eyes if he feels overwhelmed. You HAVE to hold his hand though.

Probably the only one of the boys who actually gets squeamish easily. Gore and blood make him uncomfortable, although he has SOME tolerance in general. He'd just rather watch something that's not super heavy on bloodshed.

Horror films with a particular visual style, especially super colorful ones, make it a lot easier for him as he can actually see what's happening and he feels less worried. Movies like House or Suspiria are good for him. Also likes super over the top movies like The Lost Boys or Killer Klowns From Outer Space as they're so hilarious to him that he forgets to be scared.

Kasuga Ichiban

Somewhat easily scared. He gets more shocked or surprised than scared, honestly. The movie HAS to be interesting to some degree or he will just conk out and there will be no waking him. Doesn't mind jump scares since they help keep him awake at least even if the movie's bad.

Having said that, he does enjoy taking the time to see a movie that's genuinely just really good and talking about it with you afterward. Movies with really good effects tend to impress him a lot. It's also more visually memorable.

Tends to like movies where the main character has special powers. Partial to zombie movies since a lot tends to happen and involves multiple characters. He likes 28 Days Later, The Dead Zone, and Carrie.

[corviiids]

THANKS @kimdokjafan you are so kind and generous. ok im cashing in the first of three blank checks to talk about faith trust and pixie dust (most recent chatfic) because the last two directors commentaries were too serious so let's do a silly one.

some p5r spoilers, and this is mostly about sumire, and it's long again. do i need to keep disclaiming that these are long? you should know me by now.

i had this written for a while before i started formatting it because i wasn't really sure if i should post it? i feel like silly chatfic is something people go to for predominantly lighthearted nonsense so i was like, maybe there's too much plot and dramatic misunderstanding and i should just keep this one for myself. but then i was like well nothing matters and maybe someone will have fun with it. it's kind of terrible how much fully or mostly completed fic there is my docs that just doesn't see the light of day lol. write for yourself etc but i like sharing! too bad it comes with the mortifying ordeal etc. anyway that was a tangent

potato counter is a neopets game. there's no deep lore i just like neopets. i guess in this universe ryuji doesn't play neopets? or maybe he's just never played potato counter specifically. i also have a different fic where ryuji DOES play neopets. it's about neopets and ryuji and goro talking on neopets.

i think this might literally be the first time ive written sumi in a fic because i haven't actually written that much fic for royal, like, now that im looking, literally almost none? and none that had a group dynamic. so it was kind of fun to find her voice for the first time in a silly groupchat like this. i was worried people would find her exclamation marks annoying but i personally thought it was endearing so i added it in there.

every time i do a gag where a character corrects their own typo i have to code more stupid little bubbles to make it happen but i think it's worth it. all the effort that goes into making tgis look as much like a real chat as possible

this obviously doesnt take place in the canon p5/r universe, but im imagining sort of a postcanon sumi personality where she's more comfortable being herself and isn't borrowing kasumi's brand of confidence, but she's visibly a really anxious person without that kasumi veneer. i also think in this universe sumire is a fairly recent addition to the friend group, and while everyone likes her a lot and she really likes them, i kind of wanted to emphasise that feeling of being in a friend group where everyone's established and you're sort of a plus-one? you don't really fit yet. part of that is her being new, part of it is her anxiety, part of it is just the kind of person sumi is where she's so polite and self-conscious she ends up taking herself out of things with her own good intentions. stuff like her interrupting the flow of an existing conversation by greeting everyone instead of jumping straight in because she doesn't feel comfortable inserting herself, which means everyone else stops to greet her even though that doesn't normally happen in a friend group, or making a point of thanking everyone for being invited to events while the others take it as a given.

idk i love that she feels a bit out of place with the phantom thieves in p5r. and part of that is a natural consequence of being a new addition in royal who can't be naturally integrated with an existing dynamic but i honestly feel like the writing team realised that and acknowledged it, and really leaned into it, and that made it work incredibly well for me. like, it's part of her character that she's sort of an outsider. it's not like p4g's incredibly clumsy integration of marie and subsequent attempt to shove her down everyone's throat as the canon love interest in p4ga (knife). sumi has that outsider vibe on purpose and it makes me really like her dynamic with the thieves as an individual

goro also feels slightly out of place in these chats, but his conversational style blends more naturally with the other thieves at this point and he even uses their codenames sometimes. i keep saying my chatfic series isn't a real Series because the lore keeps changing, but if we accept that they're all kind of following a General Continuity, assume this takes place some time after the last fic in which ren added goro to the groupchat and they made an effort to integrate him into their friend group. he's kind of there now and has settled into being the weird boyfriend. that's his role.

every time goro says something like "ren and i" assume it's the text equivalent of him talking to the group with his arm around ren's waist.

ok i got really fond of this silly running joke where sumi brings up the weather when she's feeling uncomfortable. she's so polite. i like this thread because setting it up meant i got to tie it off like this:

this just made me happy lol i liked writing this. i tried to use it to demonstrate that despite goro's abrasiveness he obviously knows sumire pretty well, he's attuned to her quirks and knows how to tell when she's having a bad time with her anxiety, so he uses her little weather habit to ground her.

i honestly dont think goro and sumire could be considered close in p5r and as much as i like the "royal trio" in canon they're not really... like... friends? with each other? they're both attached to ren, so it' more a V shape than anything else. but that said, i really LIKE goro and sumi's canon dynamic. he takes a really grouchy but politely attentive supervisory role to her during their few forays into the palace as a trio where he doesn't really know her well but clearly identifies her as a harmless little tryhard who needs some guidance and steps into that role grudgingly, and she immediately looks up to him despite being very wrong footed by his ruthlessness, which i find incredibly charming. i think given time they could be good friends, they just didn't get much chance to know each other very well in canon. so i tried to kinda do that here.

once goro stops being evil and joins the group they all kind of tiredly accept that his role is to occasionally push a cup off a bench while smirking and refuse to clean it up. emotionally, i mean.

wait i need to backtrack chronologically to talk about akeshu.

in this scene they're in the same room lol talking and snickering while typing. im trying to get at that vibe of the annoying couple who is flirting with each other, via you. you know? like ostensibly they're talking to you (sumire) but everything they say to you is part of their stupid game. sumi is incidental to goro and ren teasing each other about flirting with someone else, goro is reporting everything ren says because his boyfriend is so eye-rollingly foolish in a cute way. they're very tickled by how amusing and charming they are. gross. disgusting. sumire im so sorry for putting you through this

anyway here are too many of my favourite jokes from the fic

[complete-idiot-inc]

Toshiro’s Revolution.

New trailer dropped, new speculation. (Edit: more information than my guesswork exists, changing now. New Information comes from here)

Let’s jump to the most notable thing here, Toshiro’s persona.

What I initially believed was Toshiro’s transformation into a Ruler, was according to the site above the awakening of his persona. but its strange that if they would show that in the third trailer, that his eyes don't become golden like everyone else's, even the site didn't seem confidant with the Persona, treating it more like an assumption than anything else, odd.

Speaking of kingdoms, the third kingdom has been revealed, based on schools and acedemia, perhaps Shujin itself.

This is its ruler, perhaps the principal or superintendent.

There’s also this shot of a kingdom transforming while the thieves are in it.

I couldn’t discern who’s kingdom this is, but it’s interesting that it’s changing before all the thieves eyes and they are terrified by it.

Erina and Toshiro are related, somehow.

Throughout the trailer, we see shots of Erina being downed and Toshiro doing something about it, but what was most interesting to me was this.

This unidentified person, speaking in a feminine voice, is related to Toshiro, because the trailer immediately cuts to him after she’s done speaking, and with the connection the two have, I’m willing to bet this is Erina’s human self, and Toshiro’s daughter.

This is the final kingdom, the source of the new metaverse, and the home of the guy corrupting the Velvet Room.

In one of the Nyaahoo news episodes, Lavenza directly states that the Velvet Room was affected by an outside influence, hence why it’s a forge.

Both Tactica’s VR and this Kingdom are heavily based on machinery, gears and cogs in particular.

There’s also a shot of Ann and Ryuji attacking the machinery, and later one with Joker leading a group charge against a barrier of some sort, just like the fight against EMMA from Strikers.

[nijigasakilove]

“I’m a guy and I love you, and if we’re together you’re going to suffer” 😢 fuck man this show has just been nonstop pain lately. I hate seeing Makoto and Ryuji so down on themselves about their relationship, but at least they’re finally being 100 percent honest with each other and sitting down to talk was mature.

I like that they accepted it’s ok to not know what to do, they can come up with something together. This is uncharted territory for both of them, but they’ve had each other’s backs for years now and that’ll continue.

Now the biggest obstacle for Makoto is getting his mom’s acceptance. He has it from his friends, classmates etc, but until they get it from the most important person they’ll always feel empty. It seems like she’s got some trauma that she’s taken out on Makoto in terms of the crossdressing/gender non conformity. I wonder what the lore is there

There’s an interesting contrast being created in terms of maternal relationships between Aoi and her mom and Makoto and their mom. Looking forward to how things develop from here. I’ve seen some people say the gender stuff isn’t relevant anymore, idk what show they’re watching but it’s very much front and center still. Ryuji’s self loathing, Makoto’s insecurity with the mom and Ryuji.. Makoto’s friends accept it, but the internal struggle persists.

[definedvines]

How come barely anyone ever mentions how Akira and Ryuji awakened both of their Personas to save each other, like you can kinda see the similarities to both scenes well I see it like that at least but you hopefully get what I mean.

honestly honestly like the wild thing is i only seem to see pegoryu nation talk about joker's awakening being because of ryuji when really it holds so much weight like, as a symbol for joker's character and who he is, and also for their canon platonic relationship in the game and what it's built off of. it's really important for both of their characters!!

paraphrasing here but i remember seeing something about how up until this point in the game joker has faced nothing but unjust judgment from the people around him. sojiro and kawakami, even, have both contributed to this. hes basically been screwed over for stepping up and helping a person in need so you'd think the last thing he'd want to do is do that again because it's caused him nothing but problems. but here comes someone- a complete stranger- who's confused and scared and yet he yells at joker to run, an innocent, selfless person who, while everyone else has shunned him, would value joker's life above his own. and here joker realizes that there are still good people and good things and reasons to help and to save those who are innocent and good and in need and it's still in his soul to do so even if the world hates him for it.

for ryuji's awakening what he's seeing is his teammates having to suffer through the same thing he did (physical and verbal abuse at the hands of kamoshida) and like-- yes morgana is there too but it's an important moment where even joker, the main protagonist and most powerful character at least narratively, can't save himself and his team, but ryuji can, he can stop kamoshida from hurting other people like he hurt him. and he's full of anger at past and present. this is what really breaks him- seeing kamoshida's shadow unobscured being proud about his own mistreatment of others and enjoying it full throttle- and it's so!!! mwah mwah

it's really quite nice how they are both the first phantom thieves together :> just for now morgana feels more like a guide who isn't really interested in being their friend and feels (relatively) superior to them, but to these two this is new and they feel they can both rely on each other for that relatability as well as their power!!! :)

[hopeymchope]

(Yeah I probably misread something)

There is something I am curious about that I wanted to share with you

If I remember correctly (please correct me if I am wrong here) in the answer yukari becomes more antagonistic towards Aigis because she’s heartbroken over makoto’s death because she lost the guy she loves

One thing I want to bring up is in the kotone route some of the ship tease scenes with yukari are replaced with akihiko and as we all know all yukari’s scenes with kotone are mostly platonic along with her feelings so I doubt if there was a kotone version of the answer yukari would take it as bad as she did(not saying she wouldn’t but not as hard is all I’m saying)

So if we had a kotone version of the answer who would take yukari’s place

(Personally I’m leaning towards akihiko)

Yukari is antagonistic in "The Answer" because she wants to bring Makoto back to life regardless of what it would mean. From what I can recall (and this might be a little off the mark), they'd have to redo the battle against Nyx to try and destroy it completely OR they'd have to remove Makoto from his service the Great Seal to protect all life from Nyx — thereby endangering the world. But Yukari's so desperate to see him again that she (along with Mitsuru - who sides with Yukari for reasons left unstated) winds up fighting new protag Aigis (and whoever is with her party by then).

It's not explicitly stated to be romantic, but her desperate desire to see him even if it undoes the entire point of his sacrifice (...that he didn't fuckin' know he was making, I should note) definitely comes off that way IMO — regardless of whether you choose to believe Makoto returned those affections. After all, Junpei even compares it to how he'd feel if he could go back and save Chidori (which is sure an interesting bit of dialogue given that her survival seems to be canon in P4A). I guess you could argue that it's at least up to interpretation whether Yukari's feelings were a romantic love or something just intensely platonic.

The easiest and most logical answer here is to just say "Yukari gets that role in any version of The Answer." So whether that makes her bisexually in love with Kotone or just very emotionally attached to Kotone as part of her found family, she should probably remain the person who fights against keeping them gone, because that's just her character and because it reduces the amount of work a dev team would undertake.

But let's say we want to do something more radical and ensure that the person who fights back is a potential love interest with a legit romantic hangup on the protagonist. When you look at Kotone's potential love interests — Ahihiko, Theodore, Ryoji, Aigis, and even fucking Ken — who among them seems most likely to be so messed up over a (theoretical) Kotone death that they'd be willing to undo the purpose of her sacrifice for the chance to see her once more?

There are really only two options, because (A) Aigis is the lead protagonist of 'The Answer' and pre-determined to take the side of maintaining his sacrifice. (B) The velvet room attendants are established to be on the side of maintaining the sacrificer... although we do learn in Persona 4 Arena that Elizabeth leaves the Velvet Room to go on a quest to destroy Nyx and thereby release Makoto from being stuck as the seal, returning him to life. Maybe Theo could do the same in the Kotoneverse? (C) Ryuji is off the table for obvious reasons related to his identity.

That leaves just Akihiko and Ken. Akihiko would be a really dramatic interesting route to go, and I think I'd honestly prefer it? Because to see someone with his level of determination get so undone would be REALLY intense. But... I also admit that Kotone's worst romance option is the one that makes the most sense.

Because like I said, jst because The Answer strongly supports the idea that Yukari loves Makoto doesn't mean it ALSO supports the idea that they were canonically together. I will never support the idea that Kotone had any canonical feelings towards Ken, but regardless of that, I still feel like Ken is the obvious pick to take up Yukari's role as the one who has trouble accepting that Kotone's truly gone. It's easy to imagine him as the character who is nursing an unrequited love that's THAT hardcore, leaving him to take up his weapon against the squad.

[ecargmura]

Senpai Is An Otokonoko Episode 5 Review - Love Depends On Size

Oh boy, this was a rather emotional episode. It mainly focuses on Saki and Ryuji as the latter asks a very important question to the former: Is she truly in love with Makoto? Having a deeper insight to Saki as a character and seeing her deal with her inner emotions is really helping her become a more layered person.

Alright, here’s the main question: Is Saki in love with Makoto? I think yes, but her idea of love is very convoluted. Her idea of love is the size. Like how she asked Ryuji about main difference between a dolphin and whale being the size, she equates love to size. She sees love as something that’s the size of a whale. In the past, she tried to like everything and everyone, but it makes her come off as superficial to her friends from middle school. She’s also trying to fill a void that her absent father left in her heart. She also saw how sad her grandmother was when she lost her grandfather. Because of these three things, her idea of love became skewed to the point of becoming an obsession. She’s in love, but it’s more of the idea of being in love rather than genuinely being in love. If she was genuinely in love, she wouldn’t say things like giving up on Makoto if Ryuji were to go out with him given how much of a fighter she is. If she’s really that willing to back down, then her love wasn’t strong to begin with or just a fickle one. Man, I wish I could’ve caught that sooner. The reason why she liked Makoto is because she knew he was different from other girls even when she didn’t know he wasn’t a girl at first. Because he was so different, she sort of projected her idea of love onto him, hoping that the person she sees in a different light would come to love her like she does to him. I’m interested to see how this is going to play out now that she declared that she’s going to give up on Makoto.

Unlike Saki, Ryuji’s love for Makoto is honest and straightforward, but there are still a lot of hurdles within himself. While Ryuji is finally be able to admit his feelings for his best friend honestly, he’s still hesitant on saying anything. However, I do like that both Ryuji and Saki are supportive of each other since the day they met. It was cute how he got a bit embarrassed when Makoto asked if he had someone he liked. It’s going to take a while for Ryuji to confess; heck, it might not even happen…

Despite the nice moment Makoto had with Saki during Episode 3, his feelings for Saki remain platonic. Instead, he’s in that misunderstanding part where he assumes Saki and Ryuji are in love with each other. Oh gosh, the misunderstanding…I consider that trope a huge bane in a story. I just hope it’s not written in a way that Makoto keeps believing Saki’s in love with Ryuji and holds back, He does seem a bit conscious of her these days, so maybe his love will change into romantic? I don’t know… Also, I do like that more people around Makoto are starting to have faces. It symbolizes Makoto’s horizons widening and that people are more accepting of him now.

Anyways, I do wonder where things are going to go from here because that was a rather bittersweet ending. I just hope that everyone can be happy and that all their issues will be resolved cleverly. I heard that next week’s episode will be delayed due to the Olympics. How am I going to wait an entire week?

[electricea]

SHIPPING INFO. Answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

What’s your OTP for your muse(s)?

I try not to have any one OTP though I have repeatedly said and still stand by that ships with fellow Phantom Thieves do have the strongest groundwork for a romantic relationship since there's already that bond or trust. Like just going over the Phantom Thieves really quickly.

Akira/Ren/Joker - I think that Joker was probably his first true friend in a long time and someone who almost immediately proved himself to Ryuji as a good and stand up guy - I think he admires Joker a lot whilst also recognizing Joker carries a lot of weight on his shoulders and I personally see him as trying to bring some cheer, trying to ease some of Joker's burdens as best as he can.

Ann - They've got that middle school connection even if they weren't really close friends - throughout the game, they've got that playfully bickering dynamic which could easily be read as flirty if you wanted to see it that way. The two along with Joker and Morgana were the first of the Phantom Thieves and I just feel they especially have such a strong bond and a strong foundation for a relationship. I also just feel like they'd have a lot of fun being together.

Yusuke - I do love that one skit in Mementos where Ryuji offers to take him out for ramen and after their initial rocky introduction, I can genuinely see Ryuji being protective over Yusuke and wanting to bond with him, not wanting him to be lonely - I think their contrasting personalities and interests would make for a lot of fun.

Makoto - I've always felt he's quite in awe of her, she's student council president and carries so much shit, she's also a complete badass in combat - similarly to Joker I feel he'd want to ease her burdens and be there for her however he could.

Haru - Haru is someone who at her core is incredibly sweet, I just love the idea of these two gardening together and bonding and spending time together. Definitely among the more underrated ships in my opinion.

Akechi - They'd honestly make a fun enemies to lovers ship, it's fun to flesh out their dynamic much more through RP!

Kasumi/Sumire - They've got a bit of an athletics commonality and I feel like if they spent more time together, something could potentially develop, they could become closer.

I also think he's cute with Mishima and it's fun to talk about shipping him with P3 and P4 characters like Chie, Naoto or anyone else! I like to think I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to ships.

What are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

Barring anything grievously problematic or inappropriate (like a relationship that's abusive in any way, shape or form or has an uncomfy age gap) I like to think that I'm pretty open minded - whether it's a pre-established ship, slow burn, even if it's more unconventional like friends with benefits situation. If someone wants to potentially ship their muse with Ryuji I'm absolutely open to hearing them out and hearing what they want to do as well as contributing some input of my own and I suppose maybe because I've had so many awesome partners who've never really tried to push or test my boundaries, I haven't thought of anything that would make me really uncomfortable, barring what I mentioned above - pretty much anything short of writing outright smut or porn. Just not comfortable doing that, especially if the muses in question are minors.

How large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

I mean if you're looking to ship with a 16/17 year old Ryuji - a high schooler - and your muse is an adult, that'd be an instant no from me. I have of course done verses where he's a bit older and is a young adult and likewise, I'd never want to ship an adult Ryuji with a much younger muse. So yeah, absolutely no adult/minor relationships on here - it's either teenager/teenager or adult/adult.

Are you selective when shipping?

I mean if someone is interested in shipping but our muses have never interacted I do at least ask for some interactions to gauge the chemistry first but I don't consider it being selective or testing them, we're just checking the chemistry, you know? Wouldn't want to write a ship where they feel more like siblings than they do like lovers.

Also having a relationship with the other mun does help but it's not a necessity - so long as we're both comfortable and willing to respect each others' boundaries, that's all you can really ask for - I will tell them if I feel uncomfortable with a certain aspect of the ship or ever wish to drop them and I expect them to do the same for me. Transparency on both sides.

How far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

Any removal of clothes.

Who are other muses you ship your muse with?

I'm really lucky to be able to ship him with so many muses and I think it'd be unfair to single a select few out when there's so many amazing ships so I'll just say that I'm endlessly grateful for each and every one of my ships and those who write them with me - it's impossible for me to highlight or rank or single out any one of them because they're all each wonderful and cherished in their own right.

Does one have to ask to ship with you?

I mean, I'm pretty dense so it does certainly help - I try not to assume anything - like if for example, we have a really flirty thread my mind doesn't immediately go to 'well looks like we're shipping them' because there are some instances where it could be just that - just innocent flirting and nothing more, yeah? If I don't 100% know where another mun stands regarding shipping our muses, I either ask them outright or I play it safe and send them platonic stuff instead. Nobody wants to be that person forcing a ship.

How often do you like to ship?

As often as I can!

Are you multiship?

That's right - each ship is treated as its own individual relationship - so there's no shenanigans, no cheating, no nothing. I respect blogs who can go single ship and I think that's wonderful for them and for their partners but it's just for me.

Are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

Is there like a middle ground here? Like I love gushing about ships and all but I dunno if I want to label myself 'ship obsessed' - I enjoy plotting and sharing headcanons and talking about how cute they are but it's not like ships are all I think about either.

What is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

I don't like to single out favourites but I've been reblogging quite a bit of PegoRyu fanart lately so it seems they occupy my heart, for now.

Finally, how does one ship with you?

Like my permanent shipping call, if I reblog one of those memes with like the list of emojis for all the possible relationships send me an outright shippy one, come into my DM's or ask me on Discord. Just be forthright with me. As I said before, I'm pretty dense.

Tagged by: @more-than-a-princess (Stole it!) Tagging: Steal it!

[icantthinkyandere]

Could we please get general relationship headcanons for (non-yandere) Ann and Makoto? Thank you!

I hope you enjoy them^^

{Makoto}

She's the kind of partner that would make sure you're eating properly every. Whether it's through text or in person. If in person she and depending on how busy you two are at the time, she would suggest you eat something together.

When it comes to date, she prefers more private dates like staying home and watching something or to a book cafe. She is open to trying out different kinds of dates since she loves experiencing her partners interests.

Which speaking of, she will take notes and research the things her partner enjoys. She does expect them to do the same as well.

While she does love the rest of the Phantom Thieves, she also knows they are very intense. So, it would take some time for her to introduce them to her partner. Another reason also is that she'd want to make sure the relationship can last more than a couple of weeks too, in case things get awkward.

Once she's ready to introduce everyone, she'd want to do it in a way that doesn't get her partner overwhelmed with how intense Ryuji can be or how weird Yusuke can get.

Being in a relationship with her will be awkward and difficult in the start due to her lack of experience having friends, let alone a partner. In the start, she can come off as distant since she doesn't want to seem overbearing or pushy in any way.

She tries her best and even asks her friends for advice even when it's just something Futaba saw in a dating sim.

{Ann}

Ann is the opposite of Makoto. She likes going out and exploring new cafes, shops, and anywhere else she can find. When she can afford it, she likes to go to anime cafes even when she's not a fan because she likes how cute the food is.

At the start of the relationship, she gets so excited to go on dates that she'll forget to get her partners inputs of what they would want to. She also forgets to plan ahead and will spring surprise dates on them when she sees something fun they could do together.

If her partner likes going out like her and surprise dates, then dates with her can go for hours since you both will keep seeing something new to do.

If they like planning dates and more private indoor dates, she'll start keeping an ear out for upcoming events they can plan together. It'll take a while for her to get used to indoor dates, but she will enjoy just laying around watching movies and eating snacks with face masks.

She also likes couples dates. Meaning her partner will definitely meet AkiraRen first if he has a partner at that time. That also extends to the other Phantom Thieves if they also are dating someone at the time.

Once you meet one of them on a couple's date, she'll offer them to meet the other Phantom Thieves. It'll he more low-key, like when Makoto takes you to them. Probably at Leblanc since it's their usual hang out and a nice comfortable atmosphere for everyone.

Being in a relationship with Ann will take a lot of work on both parts. They'll both have to learn how to communicate better what they want and what they expect from their partners. Especially if they're a lot more mellow than Ann. If they are, she will ask people like Makoto and Yusuke for more quiet and calm dates since their interests are more inclined to that.

[multi7152-does-art]

Pegoryu Week 2023- Day 1 ( Actors Headcannons)

• When these two are working on set together they build an interesting chemistry, starting out as close friends but as time went on they eventually catched feelings for one another until they were ready and comfortable they confirmed to be dating.

• Ryuji and Akiren are currently in their early 20s in the AU and started filming on set together when they were 16 or 15 years old.

• Their relationship is described as the dog and black cat ( which is ironic since Ryuji has black hair and he does on some occasions dye it irl because he feels like it).

• Ryuji likes to be active and is currently recovering from a leg injury he had when he was younger but gives tips and encouragement along with showing different techniques when exercising but outside of that he's just a fun person to be around but kinda has trouble keeping quiet about spoilers.

• Akiren used to do theatre when he was younger and when big companies heard about his performances, they knew he had potential to expand that career. He plays off the charismatic phantom thief really well and gets satisfaction from letting that dramatic charm flow.

• At premieres, the two would definitely be playful around each other and while they'd do formal poses, they also do dramatic goofy poses.

• During the bloopers the scene where Joker reaches out to Sophia as she falls down the edge and Skull pulls him back from falling along with her has lead to multiple takes due to them breaking character.

( this isn't the first time something like this happened lol)

• They were playing roles of these two characters on set that develope a romance and there is a kissing scene that they understandably nervous about since it's their first one. ( mostly Ryuji)

• And I just see Ryuji being a blushing mess afterwards even though Akiren helped him relax but even he got a little flustered causing his glasses to fog up

[yakuzacanons]

I'm not sure if it's been requested before, I really hope not. I wanna request some jealousy headcanons, like how they deal with seeing their partner be all friendly with another person, maybe a coworker (not necessarily on purpose) and how it affects them. If they confront their partners and stuff like that. Thank you boo 😘

Hehehe tiny angst moment. Thanks a bunch for ur patience btw, I know this one was sitting in the inbox for a bit. Headcanons below the cut, as per usual.

Kazuma Kiryu

Kiryu almost never gets jealous, and whenever he does feel that way he's great at masking it. Out of all of the boys, he's the least likely to assume the worst. He won't outright confront you but he'd definitely say something like "Ah, who was that?" because he can likely divulge any information he's interested in from your answer. In more extreme cases of jealousy, he actually blushes and tends to look at the ground. He just gets shy mostly as he feels kind of embarassed for getting jealous at all.

Majima Goro

Majima doesn't get jealous in the traditional sense. He has pretty solid trust in your relationship, so it's more so like he wants to show everyone how close the two of you are. He's the type of guy to walk up and greet you with a kiss on the cheek and put his arm around you before saying "Oh? Who're ya talkin' to?" without even introducing himself to the other person. He just kind of inserts himself into the situation more than anything.

Saejima Taiga

If he sees you being particularly friendly with someone, he just gets kind of quiet. Like Kiryu, he feels embarassed about being jealous as he feels it would imply he doesn't trust you, which isn't true at all. Saejima's also worried about saying the wrong thing or hurting your feelings, thus making the whole thing worse. Chances are he would eventually mention it though, not in a confrontational way though. It's more like he just wants to be honest with you about how he felt.

Akiyama Shun

Pretends to be immune to jealousy but is just actually great at masking it. Akiyama's good at keeping up appearances, so you won't notice at first glance that he's feeling jealous. In reality, he's having war flashbacks of his big breakup from before he founded Sky Finance. It's not that he thinks you're like that; he's just scared of having to go through that again in general but it's not personal to you specifically. He'd bring it up slyly, saying something like "So... you seemed to be having a good time over there" and from there it's pretty obvious what's up.

Tanimura Masayoshi

Is actually immune to jealousy. Perhaps the only one of the boys to be immune to it. This isn't to say he's incapable of feeling jealous. It's just that he doesn't let it fester and he won't dwell on it. If anyone understands that everyone has their own life with so many things, places, and people in it, it's Tanimura. If he's genuinely that bothered, he'll just talk to you about it outright.

Ryuji Goda

Horrid when it comes to jealousy. He's like Majima only scarier. Type of guy to be like "Ya seem to be gettin' awful cozy to my lover here" as most of his angst is actually directed at whoever he perceives to be getting too comfortable around you. He never places blame on you and sees it more as other people trying to use you. Mostly just gets protective more than anything, which you find amusing and tease him about.

Nishikiyama Akira

Bad at masking it and he knows it. Just gets nervous for the most part. Nishiki won't even try to hide it or process it by himself, he'll just ask you outright as soon as he gets the chance what was going on. However, if it's someone he recognizes, he doesn't really worry. He only really gets jealous if he sees you getting particularly cozy with someone he doesn't know well or that he hasn't met.

Daigo Dojima

Jealousy is mostly an early relationship thing for Daigo. It's likely due to his lack of experience with serious romantic relationships. In the initial phases, it's just that he has some trouble distinguishing with being very friendly and flirting. Doesn't really confront you, just mostly observes. Eventually, the feeling subsides completely.

Mine Yoshitaka

Honestly, you feel bad for anyone that Mine gets jealous of. Mine never lets his facade crack so you won't be able to read jealousy on his face or in his body language. However, he's very much the type of guy to come up and say something like "There you are, darling. I was looking for you." and just giving a casual sideye to whoever is trying to cozy up to you. More of a one-liner guy than anything.

Tatsuo Shinada

Average amount of jealousy. It's not super common since he feels he has no right to get jealous, given his work reporting on night life in Nagoya. When he is jealous, he just casually talks about it as he's not one to just keep that sort of thing to himself. If anything, he just feels silly for getting all worked up to begin with and usually says something like "Ah, that was silly of me, wasn't it? Heh, I'm sorry."

[arcplaysgames]

lots of cartomancy talk in this one

I feel like the only Confidants I have I can work on are Chariot and Death right now, so I actually pulled up a spoiler-free guide to see what I should be prioritizing and I ASSUME THERE IS A CHARM CHECK EARLY ON BC WOW THIS FAQ IS HAVING ME SPEND SO MUCH TIME IN THE BATHHOUSE

can I be a dumb yank for a second and say communal bathhouses are really fascinating to me. I would never be able to attend one until I'm older because I am a happily fat person, but the concept is still really compelling to me. Is it like a public restroom, is it rude to speak to the people around you? Or is it like a hairdresser where you are expected to speak to the people around you? also this thing with the baths having different medicinal qualities on different days, is that a thing because that's really interesting.

I think it interests me because I am a queer who does not drink alcohol, so like... finding comfortable communal spaces is actually very difficult. You can only go to so many coffee shops, yanno.

Does Japan share the trouble that America does, that the places you can be outside your home are all commercial in some way rather than public spaces you're allowed to just go?

This is the kind of thing I think about playing a game like Persona which is trying to evoke a sense of place. There's this moment that I screencapped but now I lost it, where Morgana talks on the train ride about how they like foreign products (like soda and food) because they always feel more effective than stuff from your country. Which, if that is a shared experience in Japan (and everyone in the world, lets be frank) (okay except the UK, I don't uh expect things from the UK to be better) (no not even the tea) (wait i guess the chocolate, yes)

that to me is very interesting.

goddamn i'm fucking rambling.

Ryuji's confidant arc seems to be pretty spot on for a Chariot. He is good at his drive, his forward momentum, the urge to get shit done without always thinking things through. A Chariot is that friend you call in a crisis who will help you get through something so long as they don't have to make big decisions. He gives that vibe that if Reverie broke his legs and wound up bedridden for a while, Ryuji would be there like "hey what you need done" and would do the cleaning and shopping and helping Reverie limp around. THAT'S him.

But like all Chariots, he doesn't have a grip on the reins, which seems to be his broken relationship with the track team. It was that urge to act (goaded by Kamoshida) that cost everyone the team and the resources. He's carrying that around like an anchor pulling the dirt up behind him.

Also he brought me to a special ramen shop in Ogikubo so I think that's literally Harukiya. I even looked up images of inside the shop and they're super similar!

jfc are those the same bowls

Would love to talk to someone on the dev team about the decision to go from, to my understand, 4 games of fake locations inspired by real places to just straight up real places.

Props to Takemi for being actually pretty goth. The casual morbidity with her never stops, which I find interesting.

lmao I love the body language in this game honestly. The way she slouches to get closer and examine Reverie as he drinks more lighter fluid is in of itself good characterization.

Got some details on her which really elucidate the Death arcana assignment. (Fun fact, the Death card is also sometimes just called The Nameless Arcana/The Arcana With No Name.)

She fucked up something at the hospital and has been thrown out of the Tokyo medical community basically, so she operates her solo practice. Now, I'm not sure what the eventual plot here is, but Death can be a card for going through mourning and coming out stronger for it. I would be into seeing something about letting go of the lingering resentment about her expulsion and gaining peace from being the provider to small community that can learn more about her themselves, outside her reputation.

THAT SAID SO FAR IT'S JUST LIGHTER FLUID COCKTAILS, SO WHO KNOWS IF IT'LL BE THAT DEEP.

Meanwhile, lmao, fucking Sojiro. I am getting the feeling I am supposed to be reading him as just an omnidirectional curmudgeon, all bark and less bite. He's going to teach Reverie to work in the coffee shop.

Which reveals him as the Hierophant.

Now, I don't really know if Atlus knows what the fuck the Hierophant is. In P3, the Hierophant link was atrociously written, both on a technical level and the actual sideplot. It had frankly zero connection to the idea of the Hierophant? (it was the Old Couple and the tree, for those who don't recall, I wouldn't blame you for scrubbing it from your minds.)

And I have been really loud about how Dojima should have been the Hermit and the fucking Shrine Fox should have been the Hierophant.

I was assuming Sojiro was Hermit from his early remarks but now I realize that doesn't work with the frequent references to him being a social gadfly with his Hitting The Open Bar On The Lido Deck look. So...

A coffee shop owner for the Hierophant is frankly an interesting concept. He demands exacting behavior from Reverie but also brings him into the fold. A patriarch not of religion but of the cult of coffee, where the secret rituals and knowledge are about beans and tending to customers, that's a humorously apt take on the Hierophant.

When people talk about the Majors, I feel like Emperor and Hierophant get confused/conflated a lot. But the Hierophant is often what people are thinking of. They exert an outsized amount of control, they accept and excommunicate people to keep that control, and they are the keeper of the spiritual rulebook that allows them to have that power. They are the material gatekeeper in contrast to the spiritual gatekeeper of the Priestess. And while the Priestess is motivated to protect people by controlling knowledge, the Hierophant is not only motivated to protect themselves, but they are motivated to protect The Order, The Cult, The Religion, which also protects them.

All this to say: Hierophant of Coffee? Hilarious.

(Also retroactively explains why he's been such a Huge Bitch to Reverie, Hierophants hate everyone who threatens the social order.)

I don't know what it is about Reverie's face but it makes literally every needy dorky statement he says so much better.

ALSO? I WOULD HAVE LOVED MORE VOICE ACTING FOR HIM. Just gimme someone to say the chosen lines. I want some DELIVERY on these absolute bangers.

okay this one has been Hella Long so I'll make a new post for the enxt plot development