#not only because Naoto wants to be molded into the perfect detective but she wants to remove the things that make her FEEL HUMAN!!

[epitomees]

((Never become a Naoto writer because you will become so unwell when you realize just how bad and depressive her and her Shadow REALLY ARE!!))

[cherubchoirs]

i probably shouldnt be thinking abt it this hard bc i know atlus probably didnt BUT i keep wondering what it is about p4 shadows vs p5 shadows....... theyre the same when u think abt it but also so different??? why????? i will now overthink this instead of sleeping

IT IS WEIRD TBH bc parallels can be drawn between the two and yet they are very different ideas of what makes a “shadow”, but i think the overlap comes from vulnerabilities/insecurities that develop due to external pressure based on internalizing how you “should” be. for a few examples: chie obviously feels inferior as a girl because of the idea of what a good girl should be based on societal standards and who gets the most attention from the boys around them (from chie’s perspective, that’s yukiko). naoto’s is complex and can be interpreted in different ways, but it also has shades of this if you go with the interpretation that she lives as a boy in order to be taken more seriously in her field - this is again based on what society wants as a genius boy detective, and girl doesn’t fit that mold. i think it also does work for the trans interpretation, as trans individuals also do not fit the mold of society and therefor he must work hard to constantly pass according to the cis people around him in order to advance as a detective. kanji’s plays into this too, again with whatever interpretation you choose - he either has internalized the toxic masculinity society has ingrained in his head, meaning he can’t enjoy his hobbies because they are “girly” or if you view him as gay, he has internalized the idea that he can’t be masculine due to this. SO YEA there’s plenty of examples, but i think in p4 it’s more about how they have internalized these ideas and how that’s messed with them, where in p5 it’s about how these kids have forced themselves to be a certain way but they have not internalized those beliefs - instead, they’re suffocating their true selves to be what society demands of them.

i think when most people create shadows for the different characters of p5, they’re thinking more in line with the shadow selves of p4. this makes sense as the shadows of p4 get much more play than those of p5 - each of the characters actually confronts their shadows head on, whereas in p5 the personas get a short speech (where we interpret what their shadow selves must be) and nothing more. also, i know that a lot of people simply want to explore the vulnerabilities and insecurities of the characters rather than what they believe they must be for others/society at large, which is fine too!! but the only one i consistently see that falls into the theme of p5′s shadow is akira’s - people that write his shadow as one that is desperate to be perfect, that works itself to death in order to maintain a flawless facade of leadership and run the phantom thieves to his own utter detriment, is a good interpretation imo. this akira is put upon by his interpersonal relationships, but also again by society at large - he must be the mysterious, awe-inspiring leader of the phantom thieves, pulling off incredible heists and almost mythic in status. he is back to playing a part essentially, and that works for the shadows of the p5 universe. again tho, i’m not saying that to critique the ideas people have come up with for their shadows - it’s definitely always interesting to explore the hidden weaknesses and internal conflicts of characters! it’s cool to look into the struggles they have and it makes for great character building, it’s just closer to the ideas of the p4 shadows.