#female yosuke

[malithiae]

p4 3otps+risette: done! all on my patreon (and some just queued) 🥹

see u on my patreon buddy! 👁️🫵🏻

[millidew]

every time I see a character with fluffy orange brown hair of shortish length and dark eyes I automatically mistake them for yosuke. it’s a disease

[narrators-journal]

excuse me can i ask you a minato arisato x kotone shiomi? Probably Investigation Team Minato and SEES Kotone???

The roll continues with this goofy little ditty lol. The shipping is a little light here, but I tried to at least imply it with some fun extra content tossed on top. I mostly just thought it’d be fun to view the ship from the outside. Also, Yosuke’s just kinda fun to write as a doofus, ngl lmao. I hope you enjoy it regardless tho, this is a very fun lil idea, and very funny if you imagine Kotone’s more or less treating this like a puppy crush right now.

Also, while it’s not outright stated, I tried to at least imply that Kotone worked for Mitsuru after the dark hour shit. How? Not sure, but it’s fun to imagine.

“20 bucks says he has the hots for her.” Yosuke Hanamura said with a gesture towards the investigation team’s latest member, a dark-blue-haired senior transfer student who was only a week out from his dungeon’s defeat, and was currently a distance away from the group’s table to chat with a woman with wavy auburn hair that cascaded down to the small of her back with pins to adorn it.

Even at a glance, Chie could see why Minato might like the woman. She unmistakably wasn’t much older than nineteen, wore her professional button-up and black slacks well, and her hair shone like smooth garnet, or maybe ruby in the cloudless sun of the summer afternoon. She had a friendly face, one that you never saw without some form of smile. And, with the morbid and dark revelations that she had been shown in the blue-haired senior’s dungeon, she could see how someone as bright and friendly as the woman would draw him in.

That being said, she still huffed to her stablemate, “Why would I care enough to make that bet?” through a mouthful of food before she washed it down with her milkshake and added in a lighter tone, “Though, if he does, he’s making eyes at the wrong person. According to Yukiko, she’s here on a business trip, she’ll likely be gone within a week max.” “Damnnn, that’s gonna suck for him then.” Yosuke chuckled, a fry popped into his mouth as he continued to watch the beautiful woman giggle at something Minato had said. Which, in turn, made Chie giggle slightly. Though the brunette’s laughter was less about whatever the emo had said and more at the slightly salty expression that Yosuke got the longer he watched the pair talk. “How old even is she?” he huffed without a glance towards Chie. “How the hell should I know?” She huffed back, “Yukiko has to check IDs for the inn, right? Did she spot her age when she did?” Yosuke pressed his hazel eyes finally torn away from Minato’s distant conversation to look at the fellow brunette expectantly, which made her roll her eyes. “Yosuke, that’s creepy as hell. Even if I did know her age, I’m not telling you.”

That, naturally, earned the athlete a dark look, but all he did was turn his gaze back to watch Minato continue to chat up the dark-haired woman. And, for a few heartbeats, Chie joined him. At least, until Yosuke spoke once more, “Surely she’s more than 18, right? Since she has a job?” “She’s sure as hell not a high school student, that’s for sure.” “So, she’s too old for him as well. So, is she just humoring him?” Yosuke asked, a little more than to himself than Chie. Though, that didn’t stop her from retorting, “Yosuke, Minato’s eighteen, and she’s no older than a max of twenty. How is that too old for him?-” “Sh! He’s coming back!”

In a flash, Yosuke swapped from observation to pretending he hadn’t been a speculating gossip only a heartbeat before the emo ended his chat with a wave from the woman and a small smile on his pale face. Which, made Chie shake her head before she simply took another bite of food and greeted Minato upon his return to his seat at their table. Yosuke’s only comment a light hum of, “Heya dude, you know that girl?” Which only got a bit of a shrug from the newest member of their crew. “Not really, just trying to make new friends.” He said casually, his dark hair tossed lightly out of his face so he could sip at his soda and pick at his loaded fries. And, that was where the conversation logically should have ended. With the context that his dungeon gave them, Chie could completely accept his answer as a whole explanation for how eager he’d been to talk to the auburn-haired woman. Enough said in her book. But, Yosuke obviously didn’t want to drop the topic yet. “Just friends? Really? Because, you sure were excited to go chat with her, and if I recall right, you were a stutter-y mess when you first met her too.” He pressed. His attempt at a casual tone was a poor cover for the teasing edge of his words. Which, in turn, made the dark-haired man turn the slightest shade of pink while he stared down at his fries for a long moment. Then, he simply asked, “So what if I do want to date her? She’s only a year older than me, single, and cute.” And, clearly, Yosuke hadn’t been expecting that as a response.

So, while Chie tried not to giggle into her chocolate milkshake, Yosuke could only manage a sputter and waved the conversation off with a dismissive trio of fries shoved into his mouth. So, at long last, the topic was dropped and Minato was free to simply enjoy his lunch in the shade of their table’s umbrella in relative peace.

[vgckwb]

P4G: Mirror Mirror (A FeMC Story/P4G Rework) Chapter 10: Growing Concern

As she was walking to school the next morning, Yosuke pulled up on his bike. “Yo!” He called out. He stopped so they could talk.

Yua smirked. “You’ve learned how to handle that thing, huh.”

“Well, you know, practice makes perfect,” Yosuke replied, chuckling. He grew more serious. “I take it you saw The Midnight Channel last night?” Yua nodded. “Could you make anything out?”

“Barely…” Yua answered. “All I saw was the silhouette of a girl in a kimono.”

“Figures,” Yosuke said. “I saw the same thing too.”

“However, Izanagi has told me no one is inside yet,” Yua informed him.

“Well that’s good,” Yosuke noted. “But maybe we should try and figure things out. I mean, we have this mysterious power, and it seems like whoever put Saki-senpai and that reporter in the TV does too. And if you ask me, I think we’re the only ones who can stop this from continuing. I mean, who’d believe us?”

“You believed me,” Yua pointed out.

“Well, not necessarily,” Yosuke admitted. “I just know what it’s like to be new in town. And, well, I know what can happen if people don’t like you. I just didn’t want you here with no one to rely on, you know?”

“I mean, I have my uncle,” Yua pointed out.

“Right, but like, someone our age,” Yosuke said. “As much as your uncle cares for you, I think it’s important to have friends and stuff.”

“Yeah…” Yua replied.

Yosuke pondered this response. “You know, you opened up a lot to me back there. You said a lot of things that I imagine weren’t easy to say. And I really believe that if we’re going to do this, I have to be just as open. That world preys on insecurity and darkness. So I need to try my best to keep myself steady, and I believe with you by my side I can do it.”

Yua chuckled. “To be honest, I was just following someone else’s advice. ‘In order to save others, you have to save yourself. And in order to save yourself, you have to admit you need saving.’”

Yosuke smirked. “They must be pretty smart.”

“Perhaps,” Yua said. “Now if only I could remember who they are…”

“More shenanigans?” Yosuke asked.

“Yeah,” Yua admitted. “It seems like my life is full of them.”

“Well, you know you can count on me to help,” Yosuke said. He reached out his hand. “Put ‘er there, partner!” Yua smiled and shook his hand.

Thou art I… And I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

It brings thee closer to the truth…

Thou shalt be blessed by The Magician Arcana…

Magician-Yosuke Hanamura: Rank 1

“C’mon,” Yosuke said. “We should get to class. And after school, we can think about what to do next.” Yua nodded, and the two of them headed off.

As they arrived, they got themselves situated, when Chie burst in. She saw Yua and Yosuke and charged towards them. “Have either of you seen Yukiko?!”

“Um, no?” Yosuke said. “At least, not today…”

“Me either,” Yua admitted. Chie grew frustrated. “Is something the matter?”

“Yeah!” Chie explained. “DId you two watch The Midnight Channel?” They both nodded. “I think the person on it was Yukiko.”

“Yukiko?!” Yosuke exclaimed. “Are you sure?”

“Well…I can’t say for certain…” Chie admitted. “BUT the kimono she was wearing looked kind of like the kimono she wears when she works at the inn.”

“Hmmm,” Yua pondered. “Come to think of it, I saw her in that kimono yesterday after everything.”

“You did?!” Chie asked.

Yua nodded. “She was out on an errand, and we chatted for a little bit. And later, I saw her on the news. Apparently, her family’s inn was where that reporter Yamano was staying to lay low.”

“Perhaps this is all connected then,” Yosuke posited. “I mean, Saki-senpai found the body.”

“True,” Chie said. “But why would someone so obsessed with this reporter have this power?”

“I don’t even know why I have it to be fair,” Yua explained.

“True,” Chie said.

“Oh! But a bit of good news,” Yua continued. “According to the voice in my head, she’s not in the TV world yet.”

“Really?!” Chie wondered. “How can you be so sure?”

“Well, he told me last time when someone was in the TV,” Yua said. “And he has no reason to lie to me.”

“For what it’s worth, I believe her,” Yosuke said. Chie was still unsure. “OK, look, if Yukiko’s not here, we can stop by the inn after school to check on her, OK?”

Chie relented. “OK… I am worried. I don’t want her to disappear.”

“Trust me,” Yua said. “We don’t want that either.” Chie nodded.

“Alright, you savages!” Morooka called out. “Get in your seats NOW! Class is about to start!” Everyone got seated, calm, but on edge.

After school, Yua, Yosuke, and Chie dropped by the inn to check on Yukiko. “There sure are a lot of people here today,” Yua remarked.

“Yeah,” Yosuke said. “I can see why Yukiko might have needed to skip school.”

“Oh yeah,” Chie remembered. “This kind of thing happens, like, at least once a year. They get a big reservation, and it’s all hands on deck.”

“You could have told us that before,” Yosuke said.

“I mean, it’s not a secret,” Chie said. “Pretty much everyone in town knows about this.”

“Counterpoint: I only got here six months ago, and Yua JUST got here!”

“True…” Chie admitted.

Yua sighed. “Well, regardless, the point of us coming here is to make sure she’s OK. We can still do that.” The two of them nodded, and all three headed in the inn.

Surprisingly, Yukiko was behind the front desk. “Well that was easy,” Yosuke said.

Yukiko looked up at them. “Oh. Hello. Did you need a reservation for something? I have to warn you, I do have a lot going on, so now might not be the best time.”

“Nah,” Chie said. “We just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“I see,” Yukiko said. “Well, to be honest, I am burning my candle at both ends right now trying to keep things together.”

“Well, um,” Yosuke said, “I can tell you’re rather busy. So, tell you what, once things die down, why don’t the four of us share a meal at Junes? My treat.”

“You’d do that for me?” Yukiko said, surprised. She smiled. “Thanks.”

Yua glanced around. “Say, um, have you seen anyone suspicious in this crowd?”

“Um, not really,” Yukiko said. “But I carry some pepper spray just in case.”

“Good,” Yua said.

“Is something the matter?” Yukiko said.

“Well…” Yosuke said. “It’s just with the two murders recently, we just want to be sure you’re alright.”

“Yeah!” Chie said. “You’re coming to school less, you’re working at the inn more, plus this inn was where that Yamano lady was staying at.”

“Aww. Are you worried I’m going to get caught up in all this?” Yukiko said. “Like I said, I’ve got pepper spray. If some unknown creep tries anything, pachow! Right in the face.”

“No offense, but you’re not the best judge of that,” Chie said. “Remember earlier this week with that one weird kid?”

“Well that’s…” Yukiko said. “I mean, he ran away, right?”

“Yeah, but!”

“Don’t worry, Chie,” Yukiko said. “I can handle it. “Besides, most of the customers have been checked in at this point. The rest of my day is going to be spent taking inventory, accepting a delivery, and some room service with my mom. I’m going to be fine.”

Chie sighed. “Alright. I trust you Yukiko. But I’m going to come back tomorrow, OK?”

“Fine by me,” Yukiko said.

Yua nodded. “Thank you.” She, Yosuke, and Chie left the inn.

As they were walking, Yosuke asked “Are you sure she’s going to be safe?”

“I don’t know,” Chie said. “But I don’t think I need to be some knight in shining armor protecting her 24/7.”

“Yeah,” Yua said. “She has a lot on her plate already. I think us serving as protection detail would just be more of a hindrance than anything.”

“True,” Yosuke said. “But I think we should keep an eye on The Midnight Channel just to be safe.” The two girls nodded. The group continued on, heading home for the evening.

Once evening hit, the rain started pouring, and the police were investigating the area. Ryotaro was pondering what evidence he could. Adachi walked up to him. “Looks like we’ve found everything we’re gonna find. Pretty sure this rain is gonna wash away any small trace we may have missed.”

“Hmmm,” Ryotaro noted. “Do you think that’s part of this plan?”

“Who knows?” Adachi said.

Ryotaro sighed. “I hate to classify this as a murder so soon into the investigation, but there’s nothing else it could be. Grrr. It’s tough when we don’t have a lot to go off of.”

“Do you think this has something to do with the scandal involving Miss Yamano and Namatame?”

“No,” Ryotaro answered. “Namatame’s wife, Miruzu Hiiragi, was out of the country during the incident. Witness accounts and her phone records prove it. Besides, she’s the one who broke the story. Why would she do that if she was planning on murder?”

“I guess that’s a fair point,” Adachi said.

“Not only that, but Namatame has a solid alibi as well,” Ryotaro continued. “No matter how much we shake him down, he doesn’t know anything.”

“Heard he got fired too,” Adachi noted. “This whole situation must be really rough for him.”

“I’ll say,” Ryotaro said. “When I talked to him, he seemed really devoted to Yamano, but also felt bad about hurting his wife. I don’t think he would kill Yamano.”

“But where does that leave us?” Adachi asked.

“We still don’t have a cause of death,” Ryotaro moaned. “It’d be one thing if we could at least determine that. Plus the fact that there’s been two victims like this is shocking. And it’s not like they killed the Konishi girl to shut her up. She had told us long before she was killed.”

“Well, maybe she knew something about the body that she didn’t tell us,” Adachi offered. “I mean, seeing a body like that isn’t an everyday occurrence. She might have forgotten something in the panic.”

“I say Adachi,” Ryotaro replied, “that’s using your brain. Hmmm. But now there’s the matter of how the killer got to each of them. Presumably, the killer caught Yamano around the inn.”

“Ah, you saw that on the news as well?” Adachi asked.

Ryotaro was stunned. “It’s on the news already?!” He sighed. “Honestly, this is just making our job harder and harder.”

“Well, who knows?” Adachi said, trying to cheer Ryotaro up. “The smallest thing could crack this case wide open.”

“Thanks,” Ryotaro said. “Let’s just refocus and make sure we know what we’re dealing with. I believe that this is a serial homicide case, and if that’s true, I believe the killer is working alone. And whoever the killer is, they have to be in Inaba. It seems to be centered on the first victim, Mayumi Yamano, but any link to her directly is a dead end. Perhaps there’s another reason this is happening.”

“What else could it be?” Adachi asked.

“That…I’m still unsure on,” Ryotaro said. “However, it is good to think about.” He nodded. “We need to keep investigating. Right Adachi?”

“Yes sir!” Adachi replied. They continued to investigate for a bit, before returning to the station.

Yua got back to the Dojima residence. “Welcome back!” Nanako called out.

Yua smiled. “Thanks.” She noticed that Nanako was watching her trivia program and was really into it. She decided to leave her alone. After making herself a light dinner and eating it, she headed up to her room.

Once up there, she asked “Iazanagi?”

“Yes?” Izanagi replied.

“How do you know if someone is in the TV world or not?” Yua asked.

“I can just sort of sense it when I look into The Midnight Channel,” Izanagi explained. “It’s part of my connection to that world.”

“So that world is where you come from?” Yua asked.

“Is that an issue?” Izanagi wondered.

“I don’t know,” Yua said. “I just thought you were part of this world. You know, being a god and all.”

“I can see the confusion,” Izanagi said. “If it helps, think of that world as a realm of the gods and the machinations of humanity.”

“So, you’re not real?” Yua asked, confused.

“Well, it depends on your definition,” Izanagi explained. “What might not be real in the world you inhabit is real in the world over there. And as a god, I can walk between the two.”

“This has spiraled into complex theology,” Yua said, rubbing her head.

“You asked,” Izanagi snided.

“Fair enough,” Yua said. “Let’s just focus on the task at hand. I’m sure I can handle the true nature of everything once all of this gets sorted.”

“Ambitious,” Izanagi said.

The clock struck midnight. Yua and Izanagi turned their gaze to the TV. Almost instantly, Yukiko appeared on the screen. She was wearing a pink princess dress. She was smiling and had a microphone in her hands. “Good evening!” she started, her voice more bubbly than Yua had ever heard it. “Tonight, Princess Yukiko has a surprise for you! I’m going to find my own Knight in Shining Armor! Welcome to ‘Not a Hoax, Not a Dream, Princess Yukiko’s Hunt for Her Prince Charming!’ And might I mention that while this lovely dress is very demure, I do have on some lacy unmentionables to help score my stud! I’m off to catch a whole host of dreamboats who will make my dream come true! Here I goooooo~!” Yukiko then wandered off into a nearby castle.

The TV went back to normal. Yua and Izanagi were stunned. “OK,” Yua said. “I don’t have your power, but I do believe that Yukiko is in the TV world.”

“That would be correct,” Izanagi said.

“Well then…” Yua replied.

[04tenno]

4 12 20 and 24 for Shishido :^)

CHARACTER ASK GAME!!! 💫

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

I spend most of my time with media that could easily have taken place in the RGG universe so I'm limited on Interesting Settings and Situations to Put Characters In but tonally, if I wanted to keep his background and core character traits, I think something like Fear and Hunger (specifically Termina) or Darkest Dungeon would slap.

Not that he hasn't been through enough horrors but I love the psychological/survival aspects and I'm familiar enough with the lore and workings of those settings to be able to picture Shishido in them... also I simply think physical manifestations of the psyche are epic and although Silent Hill fits the bill I just feel like historical settings would make for a more distinct Shishido...

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

He's on the Motomiya diet... loves sweets... loves meat... hates most veggies... very picky eater...

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

Tsuruno bro this is not a QUESTION 😭😭😭😭😭 but I do like to think he'd hit it off with Ryuji and RGGO's Kagami... the OGs... lol...

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

LEGALLY I cannot say Yuto Tamura from Nihon Touitsu because he is in fact based on Yuto Tamura from Nihon Touitsu so I will say Guts from Berserk :) I dunno the thought crossed my mind randomly while playing and then my friend made the comparison too... so it's real to me...

[adachimoe]

P4 + Golden anime staff on Adachi

I was finally reading the interview that came with the big P4 + Golden anime box set, and there's a part where the interviewer asks, "Who was the most popular character amongst the staff members?" The director and the producer reveal that it was Chie.

Then the interviewer asks about male characters - which one of them was popular for staff? Narukami, Yosuke, and Kanji were all popular amongst staff, but Adachi's popularity took the producer by surprise. The director mentions that the staff who loved Adachi did so in a borderline religious way.

When it came to Adachi, the female staff fangirled(*) over Adachi with a sense of values that put them completely at odds with male staff members. And when male staff asked, "What the hell do you even see in this guy?!", the female staff would start very passionately speaking about Adachi's appeal. (The producer then follows up by mentioning that plot twist: The male staff also secretly liked Adachi all along!)

(*) I don't really know how to word this anymore because of Vtuber fan culture lmao but "fangirled" here is how I chose to translate 推し (oshi).

Btw, the director refers to Tomohisa Taguchi, and producer refers to Kazuki Adachi. Adachi is a very common name so for the sake of my sanity he's just "The Producer" here. His name is even written using the same kanji, which can make reading P4 anime interviews very fun.

Anyway, Taguchi is correct; liking Adachi is Religious.

[nenilein]

Hello! Apologies for sending an ask out of the blue but considering your familiarity with localisation differences in persona 4/golden, I was wondering if anything comes to your mind regarding this aspect and how the game depicts queerness and queer themes? Thank you!

Heya! Don't worry, I was thinking people would probably ask stuff like this. After all, I already replied to somebody's tags asking this same thing previously, but I know not many people saw that, so let me use the chance to go into more detail:

Unfortunately, Persona 4's treatment of queer themes is not a result of the translation. The only things that were down to translation choices were small things, such as which pronouns are used in which situation (because Japanese does not at all have the same concept of third person pronouns as English, and the way first person classifiers that mean "I" work is very complex and a lot more vibes-based than actually tied to gender.)

But for the most part, everything is pretty much the same. Kanji's reaction to Chie mumbling about something being "off" about how he interacted with Naoto that first time, the tent scene, Yosuke's extreme insecurity in his own sexuality in addition to everyone else's... I think maybe the only thing that's a biiit better in Japanese is that Teddie is kiiinda genderfluid in Japanese, with the artbook outright stating that he doesn't necessarily consider himself "male" when he's in his bear form, unless it's necessary for a joke.

A lot of this can be traced to the really odd relationship the game's director, Katsura Hashino, has to queer themes. In interviews about Catherine Fullbody (a game which infamously has a rather weirdly handled gay romance route which, however, is notably also the only romance route in the game that cannot possibly result in a bad ending), he talks about how he's always admired queer people for being "strong" and wanted to write queer stories, but couldn't really do it until Fullbody because Atlus higher ups were afraid of backlash from the fans.

Traces of this are actually seen in Persona 4 Vanilla's data, where remnants of a surprisingly well done romance route for YOSUKE, of all people, are still present. That route made it far enough into development to have voiced lines in both, English and Japanese. However, it was dummied out in the final game and its script content was removed. Yosuke STILL has the "girlfriend flag" in the code that all the female romance options also have, but in the finished game it only checks whether you can hug him during his social link or not. Everything else was dummied out. You can still find the voice files on the cutting room floor if you want:

And yes, the "I like you" line is unambiguously romantic in Japanese. His wording is very hard to misinterpret.

However, in the finished game and the rest of the franchise Yosuke's bisexuality was reduced to an in-joke of the developers. It's most poignant in Persona Q (the first one), where if you get the "marriage" scene with Yosuke in the second dungeon, his reactions differ WILDLY depending on which Protagonist you are playing as, far more than other male characters. With Makoto Yuki he acts nonchallant and deadpan about it. With Yu Narukami he acts like a blushy Tsundere and panics constantly. So, yeah.

Okay, so, if the director had interest in writing queer stories since before Persona 4, why is Persona 4 the way it is then?

Well, because - and there's no way around it - he sucks at it.

Katsura Hashino has to be one of the clumsiest "gay activists" I've ever seen in my whole darn life. He finds queer people "cool", but seemingly never had any queer writers or sensitivity readers on his teams and it's caused enormous blunders in how these themes have been handled. For example, when after Persona 3 it was pointed out to him that the writing of the female characters in interaction with the male characters was bad, he immediately hired more female writers and gave them free reign for how to handle the female characters from then on out. But apparently the same thing never happened with his mishandling of queer themes. He wants Catherine's Erica and Rin to be empowering figures for trans women and gay men, but makes a lot of blunders in how he has other characters interact with them to the point it buries his good intentions. Erica's boyfriend having gay panic upon realizing she's trans is treated as "funny and cute", even by Erica herself. Rin technically being a monogender alien really undermines his story of becoming more secure in his sexuality. It goes on and on like that.

The intention with Naoto's story was to point out the extreme sexism in Japanese society and how it forces female nerds to find alternate modes of self-expression, but the clumsy choice of including surgery themes in Naoto's dungeon completely buried that for especially western queer audiences. Most people don't even remember Naoto's dungeon was outright modeled after a Kamen Rider villain hideout. They completely shot themselves in the foot with this one. Additionally, the way Naoto is handled AFTER the dungeon makes her (I'm using that pronoun because she calls herself a "woman" in Japanese in the game) seem more like someone who's on the verge of discovering they are X-gender (the japanese word for "nonbinary") than a repressed girl. Like, right down to how she has Rise help her experiment with clothes in the canonical drama CDs only to realize she really is uncomfortable with skirts and go for an androgynous but less restrictive look going forward. The way she dresses in the Golden epilogue and P4D is pretty X-gender core if you ask me. If they had leaned into that they could have genuinely have had something AMAZING, while also presenting the themes of sexism they wanted to explore, but the lack of queer sensitivity readers kind of ruined it.

Same for Kanji. The way they write him makes it seem like he's bisexual or pansexual, rather than straight, but they kinda shove that part of him aside after his dungeon is done, leaving his actual orientation up in the air and wasting a really good chance for representation. NOW, given what happened to Yosuke's social link, it's quite possible the original intent WAS to explore this more and it got cut, but as it stands, we'll never know. The huge problem of the internalized toxic stereotypes his Shadow presented never being reflected on and put into their right context in the rest of the game, when his social link could've given a great opportunity for that is also a huge shame.

All of this happened because of Atlus being unwilling to let their writers go all out with queer themes in fears of alienating a cishet audience AND because Hashino never sat his writing team down with any actual queer writers to sort this shit out and learn how to get across what the team was ACTUALLY trying to say. Now, given, Persona 4 was far from the only Japanese media property with that exact issue at the time, but it hurts especially much in its case because of the game's themes of exploring the truth to its logical conclusion, as well as psychology. These are issues that a remake REALLY would do well to address and correct. I feel like they actually will HAVE to do that, because sensitivity readers have become the NORM in handling these themes now in Japanese media, rather than the exception. You can thank trail blazing mainstream works like Zombie Land Saga for that.

All in all, Persona 4's handling of queer themes is an exercise in frustration that I hope is corrected soon.

[writers-reach]

hii! is it okay to ask for p4 yosuke with a shy reader or someone who just struggles with talking a bit. female or gn is alright, tyy <3

persona 4: having a shy s/o (yosuke hanamura)

notes: f!reader, fluff

you two are definitely the yapper x listener dynamic

yosuke sometimes will Not Shut Up and a part of you is grateful he's doing the talking. the other part is sighing whenever he inevitably puts his foot in his mouth

as much as yosuke wants to introduce you to everybody (like. a million times) and show you off, he understands your shyness and is totally okay with keeping things lowkey.

he'll concede with pda only being holding hands or like, small gestures if that's something you're nervous about.

it's all okay to him, because it just means more lovin away from the public eye! once you two are alone he's hugging you like 110% of the time. he's clingy like that

most of what yosuke does as "grand gestures" are simply things like going up to you during lunch and asking you if you want to eat with him. he does his best to rein things in, for your sake

sometimes he gets insecure that you don't love him as much because you're quiet and a bit more subdued, but he just needs to be reminded that you don't show love the same way he does. you still love him to bits, though!!! and he loves you!!! he's so lucky to call himself your bf :)

a/n: (foams at the mouth) i'm normal i like yosuke a normal amount

[taldigi]

hello! may i just say your art is superb! your "ng+ but yu is a girl" comic was hilarious " HES NOT CLOSETED HE'S JUST DENSE AS FUCK!!!!" lol

speaking of, do you have any souyo fic recs with the "ng+ but yu is a girl" premise? its hard to filter for that specific niche on ao3 lol

have a lovely rest of the day/week! :]

There are a lot of great fics with a female protag, but few with a genderswap premise. In fact, I think I see more fem!yosuke than Fem!Yu in the souyo tag.

Off the top of my head I haaaveeee uhhh.. this one .... if you're okay with only 3 chapters of it!!!

It's my favorite one i've found so far- mostly because it is a genderswap and involves Yu adapting... notably, Yui struggling with her braids and Nanako helping her as a bonding exercise has always stuck with me. Big Sister Yui... my adored.

[lebiishoujo]

Headcanon/Prompt:

Todoroki x Female MC

8 years after HaLWX

Todoroki Yosuke, along with the other full-time Oyakou members, has created a private security agency with Todoroki as the CEO.

He still remains as stoic as he is but takes his job very seriously.

He easily gets stressed and pissed when an assignment has some issues but relying on his friends (Fujio and the gang) always helps resolve the issues.

As Oyakou alumni, they still look after the district as part of their mission (Todoroki assigned Fujio to lead this group).

Though very diligent, with the help of his friends, he has learned to take things easy and unwind when they could.

He hasn't dated in a long time because most girls just go after his looks and status, so he mainly focused on his responsibilities and only hang out with his friends (including Odajima).

The boys once again set up a dating mixer and upon remembering the funny and failed encounter they had back in high school, Todoroki decided to go just to witness his friends fail hitting on girls for the hundredth time.

You are finishing your master's degree.

You are working part time on a bakery (since you started college) to help pay for your expenses.

You also haven't dated since your 3rd year in college because your last boyfriend cheated on you.

Your best friend from the same department tagged you along (by force) to go to a dating mixer because she thought it's time for you to get to know someone.

During the mixer, Todoroki immediately caught your eye because of how he carried himself. Something about him was different from the other guys.

While doing the introductions, he only curtly bowed to you, so you took it as him not being interested in you.

He was the quiet type but also wasn't dismissive when being talked to. He didn't crack jokes like his friends, but he smiled, smirked, or laughed when he found something funny.

Still, you couldn't help but steal glances at him because when he laughed or smiled at one of his friends' jokes, it made your heart skip a beat.

It was obvious that he was annoyed at the girls who were pushy and aggressively flirted with him, but he was being a gentleman on how he turned their advances down.

You easily got along with his friends (some from Oyakou, some from Housen) because they were so funny, and they enjoyed your comebacks.

In the middle of it all, your best friend and Odajima were in their own world, your best friend completely forgetting about you. She looked happy and they obviously liked each other, so you didn't get in their way.

Those who found each other interesting also started pairing up and talked to each other.

Feeling out of place and a little skeptical about mixer relationships, you decided to head outside for a breath of fresh air.

You were startled when a manly voice suddenly asked you if you regretted coming. When you turned around, it was Todoroki who was already outside long before you, reading something from his phone.

He told you he recognized you as one of the girls from the mixer and that he thought his friends could handle themselves, so they probably don't need him around.

You told him about your best friend being engrossed with a conversation with Odajima. He told you that if Odajima found your friend interesting, you might as well consider going home alone. He awkwardly paused and stuttered because he realized the rudeness of his joke and his reaction made you laugh, taking zero offense to what he said.

You exchanged jokes and laughs with each other, mainly about his friends.

Small talks led to you telling each other about yourselves.

When he noticed you were slightly trembling from the chilly night breeze, he asked you if you wanted to go to a cafe somewhere.

You tried your best to conceal how surprised you were at his offer. You couldn't believe that he might be a little interested in you and the conversation you already had. Wearing the most casual smile you could, you agreed.

None of you used the map to look for a cafe nearby and just strolled around the block and the next, carrying on with your random topics.

At the coffee shop, your conversation with him continued smoothly and naturally without being forced.

It was already past 2:00 AM when you both remembered to check the time.

While you were both silently waiting for the ride you booked for yourself on your phone, he broke the silence and asked for your number.

You were smiling like a teenager on the ride home thinking about Todoroki and any interesting thing he mentioned to you that night.

Your phone pinged, "Good night. Would be nice to see you again soon (if you'd like). -Todoroki," an unknown number texted you.

That night, you know for sure, you've finally come to like someone again after a long time.

[cryptiam]

Sims 4 CC - Persona 4 Golden: Midwinter Tops Collection:

Features:

Base Game

Poly Count ~ 5k

Tops category

Includes Male/Female Tops

Teen-Elders, Child (Nanako)

No Random Townies

Custom Thumbnails

Characters:

Nanako Dojima (child top only)

Yu Narukami

Yosuke Hanamura

Kanji Tatsumi

Naoto Shirogane

Chie Satonaka

Yukiko Amagi

Rise Kujikawa

▼Download | Patreon (free):

Terms of Use: https://www.cryptiam.net/p/terms-of-use-tou.html

Credit:

Atlus/SEGA owns the Persona series.

[daily-hanamura]

I was wondering if you had any analyses on yosuke's dances in P4D, especially his partner dances wrt his character/personality... or even just generally what you thought of his moves. I think atlus/p-studio enjoy putting more than meets the eye into the choreography for the dances, but i wondered what the account that does really good yosuke analyses thinks. >:) Cheers

Oh wow you're very kind!! but this is also a very high level ask as I am not at all a dance expert and I'm still working my way through all of the dances, but I will do my best! o7

Long post incoming!

I remember reading an interview which said that Yosuke's dance style is very much inspired by male idols with a hip-hop flair, and I can definitely see it in his dance? iirc there was a pretty strong influence of hip-hop in jpop of that era - I'm thinking about Johnny's entertainment boybands which I think pretty much dominated the jpop male idol scene around 2010 - just look at Arashi's Monster dance routine, which imo is a super quintessential dance of that time. Like Jun's breakdance around 0:45, but also more generally, the sort of precise, rapid-pace footwork and moves that is also very evident in both Backside of the TV and Your Affection. I think it really suits him for a few reasons

Yosuke generally has the highest agility stat and tends to be the fastest char (for me at least? but i've also seen enough fics that reference how quick he moves), so it makes sense that this sort of high-pace dance suits him. Obviously Yosuke has a very good sense of beat listening to music all the time in combat and moving with it, so despite his real world clumsiness, he's well equipped to take on the kind of rigorous idol dance style that's typically very demanding to learn and perfect.

At the same time, it also matches his narrative - Yosuke in canon is very familiar with idol culture, both with Risette and Kanamin Kitchen, so it's not too surprising? But what I thought was kind of interesting was that there aren't really any references to male idol groups in world, and even his bedroom in p4au only shows female idol posters and some mainstream American albums. However, in the interview scene at the end of p4d, he mentions to Yukiko that he's tried to copy moves from stuff he's seen. But his dance style is more similar to boy idol bands - with the hip hop influence especially - as opposed to being similar to female idol bands - which tend to be preppier in dance style (see AKB48 for example). (Or just compare Rise's dance with Yosuke's.) So idk if this is a random oversight on Atlus/P-Studio's part, or if Yosuke is a closet male idol enjoyer (which would be very funny but also on brand for him, especially if he's still in the closet).

The other thing about idol music and group idol dance styles more generally is how much emphasis there is on harmony. If you look at the Arashi video again, there's kind of the expectation that all members are dancing in sync with each other. The thing about that sort of group dance is that you don't really have "leads" and "backup" dances, because no one member is really supposed to stand out or take centre stage since they're all equals. And I think that's a fun thing to think about because, you know, Yosuke Rank 10. But it's also in his partner dances with the others - I feel like Yosuke tends to harmonise with the others and their dance styles the most, maybe he's second to Yu? But Yosuke tends to match his dancing to the style of the other person when he joins them in Fever, like in Naoto's or Chie's (caveat, maybe I'm just Yosuke-biased LMAO). I think there's a lot to say about it because on the one hand, his captain ressentiment attitude means he sees his friends as better but he also wants to catch up to them and be their equals! but also, on the other hand, Yosuke doesn't want to stand out? And him keeping his head down is very much in character for him throughout most of the game, so :')

(but also souyo lens time his partner dances with yu is SO GOOD they mirror one another so well and it makes me so weak)

I think my final point is on how idol dancing is kind of on brand for him as well? Yosuke is kind of a vain person - he likes fashionable clothes! He likes to look cool! (and we love him for it!!) - and I think one thing that kind of marks idol dancing compared to, idk, interpretive dancing as an extreme example, is how idol dances tend to emphasize... looking good? The whole point of idols is to sell them on their aesthetics, after all, and good looks are kind of a minimum criteria to being in an idol group. The dances are choreographed to maximise the dancer's appeal, so it's all smooth moves that present them in the best light.

Those are my extremely long thoughts!! but yeah tldr I think his dance style really suits him on every level I can't imagine anything better for him ngl. Anyone with more expert knowledge feel free to pitch in though

[vgckwb]

P4G: Mirror Mirror (A FeMC Story/P4G Rework) Chapter 13: Trouble

As Yua, Yosuke, and Chie were exiting the TV they looked around. “All clear,” Yua announced.

“Man, I’m glad this area is not so populated,” Yosuke said. “Imagine trying to explain that to people.”

“Performance art?” Yua suggested.

“I…I don’t know if that would work…” Yosuke said.

“Hey,” Chie interjected. “Um, you are cool with what…was revealed, right?”

“Um, even if I wasn’t,” Yosuke said, “I think we have bigger issues to deal with.” Yua smacked him in the face. “OW!”

“This is serious!” Yua said. “Our teammate is putting her heart on the line here. Now’s not the time for jokes.”

“Sorry…” Yosuke said.

“Wait, so you’re OK with it, Yua-chan?” Chie asked.

Yua turned to her and said “Well, yeah. I’d be a bit of a hypocrite if I didn’t.”

“Wait, you too?!” Chie wondered.

“Well, not exactly,” Yua said. “I mean, I was born a girl. But I am bisexual. I can’t turn my back on a fellow member of the LGBT community. Otherwise, I’d be no better than the people who would look down at me.”

Chie placed her hands on Yua’s shoulder. Yua was confused. She looked at her intently, and then pulled her in for a hug. “Thanks.”

Yua smiled, and hugged her back. “Of course.”

They let go and turned to Yosuke. “So…You got anything to say?” Chie asked.

Yosuke paused for a moment. He nodded. “I have no…issue with it…” Yua and Chie were skeptical. “OK, wait!” he began clarifying. “I really don’t mind, but it is new to me. I’m just not used to the idea yet.”

“Hmmmm,” Chie said. “Well, you better get used to it.”

“I will,” Yosuke said. “I mean, based on this conversation, I doubt our dynamic will change all that much. Besides, I think ‘trans-woman’ is not as much of a stretch as ‘murderer forcing people into a TV that will kill them’. But both of them are true. So if that’s your truth, you should live it, I guess.”

Chie stared at him. “Well, I can see that you’re trying, and for right now that’s good enough.” Yosuke sighed, relieved. “But you still owe me my Trial of the Dragon!”

“Of course,” Yosuke said. “I’ll throw in a steak too, just for, well, all of this.”

“Really?!” Chie said, excited.

“Yeah,” Yosuke said. “Why not?”

“IEEEEEE!” Chie screamed. She hugged Yosuke. “Thank you!”

“Eh heh,” Yosuke chuckled. “Of course.” He hugged her back.

Once they finished, Chie stretched. “Still, that took a lot out of me. I’m exhausted!”

“Yeah,” Yosuke said. “I felt the same way after getting my Persona.”

“Well, I hope neither of you are too tired to keep track of the weather,” Yua reminded them. “Now that we each have a Persona, we need to rescue Yukiko. But we also need to strengthen ourselves; mind, body, and soul. I’ll call the meetings whenever we go in, but if we don’t go in, I want you two to be working on yourselves, got it?” Yosuke and Chie nodded. “Good.” Yua yawned. “I’ll see you around then.” The three of them left.

At the Dojima residence, Ryotaro was home in what felt like a rare occasion. He, Yua, and Nanko were eating dinner together. Ryotaro glanced at Yua. Yua noticed, and looked at him curiously. Ryotaro swallowed his food. “Sorry. It’s just…This morning’s events have been on my mind. You’re not…getting involved in any shady business, are you?”

Yua was stunned. “What? No! Of course not.”

“It’s just,” Ryotaro continued, “I promised to protect you. If you go off and do something stupid, I don’t know what I would do.”

Yua pouted. “I get your hesitation. But I think recent events have made…all of that less glamorous.”

“Well, I’m glad,” Ryotaro said. “But I have one last question.”

“Shoot,” Yua said.

“So…that boy you were hanging out with,” Ryotaro said. “The one with the weapons. He’s the son of the manager of Junes, right?”

“Right,” Yua said.

“He’s not usually a troublesome sort,” Ryotaro said. “A little off-putting at times, but nothing criminal at least. Was there a reason he was waving around those weapons that is related to you?”

“Ummm, no?” Yua said, wondering how her uncle could have figured out about the TV world.

“Cause let me tell you now,” Ryotaro continued, “a girl shouldn’t be impressed by a man for wielding weapons.”

“What?!” Yua replied, surprised by the turn just taken.

“I mean, I get it,” Ryotaro said. “He’s a boy, you’re a girl…”

“I, ugh- It’s not like that!” Yua rebuked. “We’re just friends!”

Ryotaro grinned. “You know, I told your grandmother the same thing when I first met your aunt.”

Nanako was shocked. “You didn’t like mommy when you first met?”

Ryotaro was now confused. “Well, I did, I just didn’t know it…” he explained. “That’s what I’m trying to say to Yua.”

“Well, I’m sure she’ll know it when she knows it too,” Nanako said. “So stop bugging her!” Yua was impressed. She chuckled.

Ryotaro sighed. “Fine. I just don’t want you to get hurt or anything like that.”

“Yeah, that’s fair,” Yua said. They finished their dinner. Later on, Yua checked the weather report. Looks like it won’t get really rainy until the end of the month. With that settled, she headed up to her room.

Once inside, she closed the door. “Izanagi?”

“Yes?” Izanagi said, appearing.

“I know we’re connected and all, but I wanted to ask you,” Yua wondered, “what do the gods think of Chie?”

“Well, that depends on the god,” Izanagi explained. “Expecting us to be homogeneous is like expecting you all to be.”

“Well then, what about you?” Yua countered. “What do you make of it?”

“I am a progenitor of life,” Izanagi explained. “To me, life is an experience. It’s meant to be different. It’s meant to be lived to its fullest. If I look down on how one person lives their best life, I would not be doing my job as a giver of life. So I don’t have an issue with it.”

Yua smiled. “Thank you.”

“Is that everything?” Izanagi asked.

“Yeah, but it’s important,” Yua replied. “We have to be able to work together to accomplish our goals.”

“And you’d be willing to sever this relationship for her?” Izanagi said.

“Like I told Chie, it’d be like turning my back on myself,” Yua explained. “That’s the last thing I want to do at the moment.”

“Well spoken,” Izanagi said. “Good night then.”

“Good night,” Yua replied. Izanagi faded away, while Yua went to bed.

The next day at school Yosuke met up with Yua. “So, I checked the weather,” he said. “It looks like we have until the end of the month to save Yukiko.”

Yua nodded. “I saw the same thing.”

“Well that’s good,” Yosuke said. “I don’t know about going in right away. These past few days have been a lot for everyone, so I think giving us some time to cool off would be nice.”

Yua nodded. “I see your point.”

Chie walked in. “Oh. Hey Chie,” Yosuke said.

“We were just talking about what the plan is,” Yua said. “I know you want to rescue Yukiko as quickly as possible, but we were thinking that we need to take some downtime to give ourselves some time to recuperate from everything.”

Chie shrugged. “Alright.”

“You’re OK with that?” Yosuke said.

“Well I mean, I’m still exhausted,” Chie said. “I can’t save Yukiko without giving it 100% right? I think taking some time to refresh would work better. Besides, it looks like we have a little while to do this.”

Yua grinned. “You checked the weather too?”

“Of course!” Chie said. They shared a chuckle. “Say listen, do you think the two of us could have lunch on the roof together? You know, get to know each other better. Just us girls!”

Yua smiled and nodded. “I’d love that.”

“Tee hee,” Chie chuckled. “Great! See you then!” They took their seats just as class was set to begin.

At lunch, Yua and Chie walked up to the roof. Yua looked around. “Huh. I thought more people would be here.”

“Nah, it’s just us,” Chie said. “There’s not much to see from here anyway, so no one really comes up here too often. She got more serious. “I know Yosuke is trying, but you seem to have accepted this more quickly.” Yua nodded. Chie sighed. “I just…sometimes I need someone to talk to, but usually that person was Yukiko. And now with everything the way it is, I feel both more whole and more out of whack than ever.”

“Trust me,” Yua said. “I understand the feeling.” Yua sighed. “I’ve told you that I came here because I was having some mental health issues. Part of that was that I…attempted to kill myself.” Chie went pale. “But it was stopped. By Izanagi. My Persona, as it were. And then things escalated to this situation as we know it now. I’m still confused about everything, but I know I don’t want to die anymore, so that’s a plus. What I’m saying is, it’s OK to feel out of whack. Nothing about this situation is easy, but we have to face it head on.”

Chie was still processing what Yua had told her. “Woah. That is…a lot. But I think you’re right. And so is Yosuke.”

“Yosuke?” Yua wondered.

“He said that this situation with someone killing people with the TV is ludicrous, but true,” Chie explained. “I think part of this is figuring out what is true and what isn’t, and admitting it. I mean, I had to face some uncomfortable truths, and so have you. So has Yosuke. I mean, I wasn’t there for it, but based on what happened to me, I don’t imagine it went too well.”

“Well, everything worked out in the end,” Yua explained. “We just had to admit the truth.”

“The truth, huh,” Chie reflected. “I guess I kind of am glad Yukiko’s a little jealous of me. I mean, I don’t want her to feel too bad, but I’ve always been jealous of her as well.” She paused again. “It was Yukiko who helped me realize who I was.

We met in elementary school. We were put together on a group project, so I had to go over to the inn to do it. While there, I liked what she was wearing. I always liked the skirts the girls got to wear, but Yukiko’s casual wear was cute on a whole other level. It felt so enticing. I asked her if I could wear it too.” Chie grinned. “Anyone else might have been weirded out. But Yukiko isn’t just anyone. She allowed me to, and even told me it looked good on me.

We became fast friends, and whenever I was at the inn, I would wear some of Yukiko’s clothes. She started putting make-up on me as well. I loved it. It felt different. It felt…good. One time I told her I didn’t like my name, and she told me we could just change it. She thought ‘Chie’ was a pretty name, so it was decided that whenever I was at the inn, I would be ‘Chie’.

I grew addicted to being ‘Chie’. I didn’t know I was trans at the time, but I knew I wanted to be ‘Chie’ as much as possible. So one day I ran away from home and went to the inn. I wanted to live there. My parents found me quickly, and I broke down in tears. But Yukiko explained what was going on. It seemed like my parents had an inclination as well, but I didn’t notice. They told me that they were worried what other people might think.

That’s when Yukiko’s mom stepped in. She told us that she’ll use her influence to get people to go along with it, whether they want to or not. And over time that came to pass. Not without its hiccups, but Yukiko’s mom got through to everyone, even if it meant denying them service until they did so. In the end though, I was allowed to be myself, once I knew what that was.”

Yua took that all in. “I see.”

Tears started forming in Chie’s eyes. “I always thought I couldn’t survive without Yukiko. Without her family pressuring people into accepting me, people would condemn me for who I am.” The tears started flowing down her face. “But now…now that Yukiko’s missing…and forced to listen to everything she hates about herself like I was…on the brink of getting killed by those thoughts…I’d let everyone look down upon me if it meant I could get her back. I can survive without Yukiko, but I can’t live without her!” She started bawling.

Yua went in to hug her. “It’s OK. It’s OK. We’re going to get her back. And you can tell her all of this when we do.”

Chie sniffled. “Thanks.” She hugged Yua. “You’re a good friend.”

Thou art I… And I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

It brings thee closer to the truth…

Thou shalt be blessed by The Chariot Arcana…

Chariot-Chie Satonaka: Rank 1

Chie calmed down some more, and they let go. “I suppose we should eat our lunch.”

Yua nodded. “Of course.” They sat down and ate their lunches before returning to class for the afternoon.

[mycomicbox]

You've seen SouYo, now get ready for ShioRise!

(more info below the cut)

So, every Persona 4 fan knows about the unused voice lines for Yosuke (in Japanese and English) which indicate that he was going to be a romance option for the protagonist, but was sadly scrapped late in development.

Due to Yosuke's homophobic tendencies throughout the game, many have pointed out that this romance option would have made his character much deeper if ATLUS didn't chicken out at the last minute. (This is also why SouYo is such a popular ship.)

That got me thinking: if Persona 4 Golden had a female protagonist option (à la Persona 3 Portable)... what if Rise was a romance option for her?

Rise's Social Link deals with her struggle of people ignoring her "real self" in favor of her teen idol personality, Risette. You could easily implement a narrative about her being closeted. Like, Risette has a big fanbase. If she publicly admitted to liking girls, there would be vitriol. I think this narrative could work really well!

In fact, I want to draw a short comic about it. Here's a sneak peek!

[penn-dragon]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

This is such a sweet question I would love to!

These are in no particular order because my level of passion for them changes depending on my current hyperfixation, and I’m limiting myself to one character per media but giving honorable mentions because I tend to love two or three characters almost equally

1. Monkey D. Luffy!!! (Honorable mention: Zoro and Sanji)

One Piece holds a special place in my heart. I watched it on 4kids when I was growing up and it was the first anime I watched as a teenager. Luffy is so so so important to me as a character. I got myself through the worst parts of teendom by imagining that if he was real Luffy would love me. He’s such a warm, loving, and joyous character. He’s Joyboy!!! He came into the world without a family and so he made his own and that’s so special, the message that no one in this world is born to be alone and somewhere out there someone or ones will love you and fight for you. And on top of all this he’s an aroace king!!!

2. Mogami Kyoko -Skip Beat!

Kyoko was my Girl Crush™️ in high school. I remember telling my best friend “yeah if I was gay I’d date Kyoko” LMAO. Beyond that there’s just something so special to me about reading this manga over and over, watching this girl—who only knew how to live to make her existence as palatable to other people as possible—grow into herself and find her own passions and loves as she heals from the abuses she’s dealt with her whole life. (Just looking up images of her made me want to reread the whole manga)

3. Peter Parker (Honorable mention: Harry Osborn)

Spider-Man is an OG, a forever love. No matter how many years go by I’ll always circle back around to Spider-Man. I love him and his pain and his Anger Issues™️ and his iron-clad morality. The people’s hero, the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. He’s also responsible for coding my brain to always gravitate towards the comic relief characters. I love a jokester who quips through dangerous situations.

4. Yosuke Hanamura - Persona 4

So I always joke that a majority of my favorite characters fall into one of two categories. 1. Hides their insecurities behind jokes/false bravado, and 2. Internalized homophobia/in love with best friend. And the characters I go FERAL for have both. Yosuke Hanamura is one of the both. I love a comic relief character!!! I love a man that’s hopelessly in love with his best friend but won’t admit it because he’s terrified of the implications!!! When I played this game for the first time, like most people, I was SO MAD THAT I COULDN’T DATE YOSUKE. 90% of the time when I play I don’t end up dating anyone because I refuse to deny the protag his one true love lmao. Yosuke and Yu also have the bonus of being my first ever gay ship. Their love is so powerful it pierced through my own internalized homophobia lol!!

5. Din Djarin -The Mandalorian (Honorable mention: Luke Skywalker)

I’m out here projecting so much onto this man!!!! He’s autistic, he’s asexual, he’s Traumatized. My other category of favorite characters is “Stoic Dad who learns to love again through a pseudo child figure” so he’s right up that alley. The man responsible for finally getting me into Star Wars after 27 years of having absolutely no interest.

6. Virgil Hawkins!! - Static Shock (Honorable mention: Richie Foley)

The way I waited with baited breath for every Static Shock episode as a child. It’s still one of my favorite shows, I own all 4 seasons on DvD and cherish them. I love Virgil so much!! He taught me about diversity! He’s such a lovable character and it makes the show an absolute delight to watch no matter how dated some parts of it get. The show does such a wonderful job balancing Virgil’s super heroics as Static with the heroics of every day life and it’s so endearing.

7. Oliver -Space Boy (Honorable mention: Amy)

Oliver is definitely the most niche character on this list (which is a crying shame please PLEASE read Space Boy on Webtoon it will chemically change your brain.) I’m just so attached to him. I feel so much for him and his story. If I could give him the biggest hug I would in an instant. “Take away his humanity and you can ignore his pain. Define him as a tool and you can justify using him.”

9. Rex Salazar - Generator Rex

Oh maaaaaan I love this asshole teenager!! I’m soooo obsessed with characters who get dehumanized for the sake of using their abilities like a tool and not a person. Re: the above Space Boy quote. The aesthetic of this show is so cool! (Also hello character who hides their insecurity behind false bravado.)

8. Aang - Avatar the Last Airbender (Honorable mention: Zuko)

Oh Aang… My sweet boy… my beloved… He imparted so much wisdom to me growing up… and also taught me it’s okay to have fun. I’ll always love him so much. There’s so much to rant about Avatar but it would take three hours.

10. Yugi Mutou - Yu-Gi-Oh! (Honorable mention: Atem)

I related to Yugi SO MUCH as a kid. He’s just a little weirdo who loves games and craves friendship more than anything. Honestly Yugi might have been the character I most strongly related to when I was young. I remember feeling swells of happiness when people would say nice things about Yugi as a character because it felt like they were saying nice things about me too.

[adachimoe]

Persona Stalker Club Eps 2 + 4 Q&A

For a rundown on what these are and the origin of the name, check out my post about episode 1.

From episode 2:

Q: Please tell me where the eyes are on Yosuke's Persona, Jiraiya. A: The two holes in the middle (next to the yellow stars) are the eyes.

Q: What music does Yosuke listen to during battles? A: Western music so he can pretend to be an expert in western music, Japanese music so he can talk to girls about it, movie soundtracks like Trial of the Dragon, etc.

("Trial of the Dragon" is the DVD Chie lent Yosuke. It's named after the Japanese TV drama about a female martial artist called "Seiryu Densetsu" or "Legend of St Dragon" but replaces the characters for Seiryu with the characters for Jackie Chan's name.)

Q: Why does Mitsuru's father wear an eyepatch? A: It seems that he was injured by Shadow(s) while exploring Tartarus.

Episode 3 had no Q&A segment. (I think due to the extended segment where the hosts showed off Persona Q.)

From episode 4:

Q: Since Tartarus used to be a school, does it have stuff like air conditioning? A: The school's original AC units might still be there, but it's highly unlikely that they still function since electronics quit working during the Dark Hour. Q: During the crossdressing contest, Teddie got 1st place during the story, and Kou mentions during his evening hangout that the protagonist got 2nd place, but what about Kanji and Yosuke? Personally, I'd vote for Kanji; he's sexier. A: We'll leave that to your imagination, but for Yosuke and Kanjis' sakes, we recommend you not dwell on it too much. Q: What causes the sound effect that occurs when a Persona is summoned? A: The sound effect represents the summoner breaking the boundary between the conscious and unconscious to use their Persona's powers.