#yakuza games kanji

[dorkydragon]

Yakuza games kanji info 23

Morning Glory children

The heart of the Dragon.

(This will be a little bit different from the other ones as it contains multiple characters. Saki is included because why not. Please forgive the poorly edited family photo)

- About the morning glory itself (あさがお, ‘asagao’): This plant was very popular during the Edo period. It was initially introduced into Japan as a medicinal plant, but it was later sought for its ephemeral, colorful beauty. Its popularity grew after the plant developed new colors and shapes through natural mutations. The orphanage named after the plant certainly has a healing factor on Kiryu. A peaceful life surrounded by nature and his beloved children is what he deserves after all the pain he's suffered. Unfortunately, later games would show that this happiness, like the morning glory's flower, is only temporary.

Now, let’s see the kids:

Ayako (綾子)

綾 aya = design, figured cloth, twill

子 ko = child

- Twill is a durable and versatile type of fabric used to make a great variety of high quality clothes. This is quite fitting for the ever dependable second eldest child, the one who works with Haruka and Kiryu to help everyone else with various tasks. We could say that Ayako, who acts like a mother to the others, is like a protective and warm 'cloth' that wraps itself around the other children.

Taichi (太一)

太 ta = plump, thick, big around

一 ichi = one

- The kanji 太 in his name could be related to his heavy build, which should come in handy to achieve his dream of becoming a professional wrestler to provide for his family. The kanji 一 could be related to his status as the oldest boy in the orphanage.

Koji (宏次, Kōji)

宏 ko (kou, kō) = wide, large

次 ji = next, order, sequence

- His name could be related to how he tries to share the sport he loves with others. Koji's event shows him welcoming and encouraging a lonely boy to play baseball with the rest of the kids. Subsequent games show that Mitsuo, who learnt how to play the sport from Koji, ends up being the more skilled player out of the two.

Mitsuo (三雄)

三 mitsu = three

雄 o = masculine, male, hero, leader, superiority, excellence

- The kanji 三 could be related to his status as the third oldest boy. The kanji 雄 and its meaning of 'hero' definitely appear when Mitsuo confronts the children that were cruel to Riona and later comforts her.

Riona (理緒奈)

理 ri = logic, arrangement, reason, justice, truth

緒 o = thong, beginning, inception, end, cord, strap, mental or emotional state

奈 na = Nara, what?

- Here we have many meanings that could relate to Riona, her family history and her event. Riona feels very insecure about herself because of the burn marks she has on her arms. She refuses to let anyone see them, as she believes people will consider the scars, and thus Riona herself, disgusting. It is most likely that Mitsuo's heroic rescue and kindness helped her realize that the people who really matter are the ones who accept her and love her for who she is, regardless of how she looks like.

Eri (エリ, 絵里)

絵 e = picture, drawing, painting, sketch

里 ri = village, parent's home, league

- The kanji 里 gives us the meanings 'village' and 'parent's home,' which convey the idea of a small community and a place where you feel welcome. During her personal event, Eri explains that she stole Ayako's money to hang out with her friends, who never invite her to join them because they know her allowance is small and she can't afford to ask for more. She is so happy to be invited for the first time that she resorts to stealing just to be able to finally hang out with them.

Note: Eri's name is originally written in katakana, but it appears written in kanji in the orphanage's chores board (source: Yakuza Wiki). Katakana and hiragana are forms of syllabic writing, composed of sounds that make up words or expressions and indicate how to read kanji. Characters from both systems, besides kanji, are accepted forms to write names. Hiragana includes all the sounds/syllables used in Japanese words. Katakana has many uses, but it appears mostly in foreign words that are made up of sounds that are different from the ones heard in Japanese. Other uses include animal names (like マメ 'Mame'), onomatopoeias or word emphasis, among others.

On a similar note, the other important Eri, Eri Kamataki from Yakuza: Like a Dragon, has her name written in hiragana (鎌滝 えり, Kamataki Eri). This Eri, however, is based on an actual person, so here we have a real life example of a name written in syllables.

Shiro (志郎, Shirō)

志 shi = intention, plan, resolve, aspire, motive, hopes, shilling

郎 ro (rou, rō) = son

-  The kanji 志 could be related to his determination to endure the bullying in order to protect the orphanage and to his resolve to stand up for himself and face the bully that threatened his family's home once Kiryu assures him that Morning Glory won't be targeted if Shiro fights back.

Izumi (泉)

泉 izumi = spring, fountain

- She is the only Morning Glory child with a nature-related name and also the one who is interested in dogs. A 'spring' is a natural source of water that may form streams or lakes and support the animals and plants living around it. Our Izumi may not be a source of water, but she is the reason why the beloved pet Mame joined the family.

Saki (咲)

咲 saki = blossom, bloom

- Poor Saki is a gentle and shy flower who endured a horrible and traumatic childhood that left her mute and seemingly unreachable. Her bond of mutual love with her adoptive father and the friends she finds in Morning Glory finally allow her to break out of her shell, recover her voice and bloom.  

Extra: There almost exists a number theme with the boys and their ages. Taichi and Mitsuo have kanji for numbers in their names, and these may reflect that they are the first and third oldest boys, respectively. Koji (second oldest) and Shiro (fourth and youngest) do not follow this pattern. However, the pronunciation of some of the kanji they do have is similar to the pronunciation of the kanji for numbers 2 and 4. The kanji 二 means 'two' and can be read as 'ji,' and the kanji 四 means 'four' and can be read as 'shi.' As examples, we have Joji Kazama (風間 譲二, Kazama Jōji) and Seishiro Munakata (宗像 征四郎, Munakata Seishirō). We could say that Koji and Shiro sort of continue the pattern, at least when it comes to pronunciation.

[bizarreshiz]

Thank you @sunlightfeeling for tagging me in this!!

I dont have much in my room besides figures but I tried 🥺

Anyone who sees this post can join in!!!

[danielladigitalbunny]

Yakuza 5 / Ryu Ga Gotoku 5

[humfrery]

Persona AU video game ideas

(Update!! part 2 here)

Okay, so I've had this idea for a really long time now. Completely unrealistic and self-indulgent but whatever. The internet was made for screaming into the void, anyhow. Hopefully, someone will think this is cool. What if each Persona user got their own video game? An alternate universe game that lets them be the hero of their own story?

Yu Narukami - Killer is Dead

I had a lot of ideas for Yu. A runner-up idea was Devil May Cry. You know, monster-slaying, grey-haired, sword guy with a Stand voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch? But I went for Killer is Dead because I think Mondo really exudes that bad boy, gangster energy that Yu also does. Which is funny, 'cause Yu is practically a saint but whatever. Not too much to explain for this one. Katana go cut-cut.

Yosuke Hanamura - Ninja Gaiden Sigma

It's the definitive ninja game. All of the acrobatic moves, monsters, magic abilities, and wall-running makes it a no-brainer for me. There are tons of other ninja games out there, but none fit Yosuke quite like this one.

Chie Satonaka - Sleeping Dogs

There are quite a few martial arts games nowadays. I considered Sifu, but the fighting in that game was a little too efficient and skilled for Chie. More Donnie Yen than Bruce Lee. The over-the-top combat of Sleeping Dogs I think is a better fit. Plus, this game also involves a some John Woo style gunplay for bonus Hong Kong cinema points.

Yukiko Amagi - The Legend of Korra

Hear me out. Platinum's Legend of Korra game features a character who uses physical movement to bend the elements and attack long range. Sort of like Yukiko (especially in the Arena games).

Okay, I realize this one is a bit of a stretch, so if anyone has any better ideas, please let me know.

Kanji Tatsumi - Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Back to the obvious stuff. Duh, right? Kanji and Kiryu have very similar fighting styles. Scrappy, lots of grappling, and improvised weaponry. Plus, Kanji always had a sort of a reputation as a trouble-making gangster. It fits too well honestly.

Rise Kujikawa - Hi-Fi Rush

Thank CHRIST this game came out. For the longest time, I had no idea what game would fit Rise. A J-pop version of Brütal Legend? J-pop Metal: Hellsinger? BPM: Bullets Per Minute? Maybe Final Fantasy X-2? Finally, my search is over.

If this interests you, I might have a part 2 coming. In the meantime, please somebody give me some ideas for P3mc and Junpei.

[cheval-grand]

A growing list of funny anecdotes about uma musume

1. One of the characters is a youtuber, with an actual youtube channel

2. The yakuza anti-porn rumor

3. One of the characters who was named after the movie top gun was used to promote top gun maverick in japan

4. While the obtainable horsegirls are based off real horses, the in-game scenario rivals were not. but the scenario rivals ended up having racehorses named after them, ironically upholding the canon

5. The numerous acknowledgments of the horses quirks outside of racing (hishi miracles dislike of water, tanino gimlet: fence destroyer god, meisho dotos cat, oguri caps voracious appetite)

6. Twin turbos adaptation as a whole

7. Haru Urara, the notorious horse that never won a single race, being included amongst the large cast of legendary and historically famous horses to be adapted

8. When Samson Big was introduced and so many people searched this little known horse that he became the top searched horse of that day, but had no official racing photo. So the number 1 horse of the day was just a blank no image horse

9. One of the horsegirls is like. Whatever you'd call a fujoshi but instead of yaoi its horsegirls

10. They wear horseshoes???

11. There is a horsegirl equivalent of instagram

12. The kanji for horse having two "legs" instead of the usual four in all depictions of the word

[mochiswifey]

ANGEL

BONTEN KANJI MOCHIZUKI

~MATURE THEMES~ Next

*Arrange Marriage, Sexual Themes (Blowjob), Age gap*

Forced to marry an older man, Louie tries to navigate the hell she’s suddenly pulled into.

Her eyes flicker.

“Finally she’s fucking awake.” Someone with an androgynous voice said.

She tries to wipe her eyes and to her surprise her hands were tied to a chair.

Panic attacks her

She tried to think whether she took too much sedative and she’s lucid dreaming.

“She’s awake.” The voice repeated after she heard a metal door open.

She tried to compose herself to no avail. The surrounding is dark and cold. The floor is dirty. Tainted with dry blood. And-

Her thoughts were interrupted when a shadow fell over the little light from the lamp shade hung above.

“Your Dad. He operates boats.”

Husky voice accompanied by a strong smell of cigar.

“I- I don’t- What?! My dad doesn’t-“

“Your real Dad.”

Then, it dawned on her.

She was taken because of her real father. The father who she last saw 7 years ago.

The father who ran away and left her.

The father who was never really a father to her.

“What is this? Did he pissed some Yakuza? I am nowhere pretty to be sold-“

“Bruh, no one would fucking buy you-“

“Shut up addict.”

“Shut up lung cancer”

Louie sighed before closing her eyes.

“I haven’t seen him for 7 years. I don’t know where he is or how he is. You could kill him for all I care.”

“Your father didn’t pissed us. It’s just. We have a tradition to follow.”

“This isn’t the 20s.”

“Don’t you think that this isn’t the best time to joke around?” The androgynous voice turned out to be coming from a man with a pink hair and diamond scars on either side of his mouth.

He steps in front of Louie and squats down. He has a deranged face. A manic expression.

But Louie recognize the loneliness and emptiness in his eyes.

It’s the same for every rich person she has ever seen in Tokyo.

It didn’t matter how much wealth they’ve accumulated throughout the years.

It’s never enough and will never be.

“My whole life is a joke so shut up.” The scarred man laughed before standing up and going away from her view.

“This tradition, is this some fucking sacrificial bullshit?”

“No. It’s you marrying one of our executive.”

Louie chuckled before going silent.

“This isn’t a Wattpad dark mafia bullshit.” She says with an excellent American accent surprising the two men.

They knew she was a bastard born to a cabaret hostess mother. They assumed she was uneducated and-

“Was that English?”

“In what world wasn’t that English?” She mocks the men.

“You seem comfortable in this kind of situation.”

“I am nowhere comfortable in this situation.”

Louie sighed. She’s captured and she has no way of escaping. It’s cooperating that would get her a pass to live another day.

“Why do I need to marry?”

“The boats your father have. We want them to carry our shipment.”

“Then sign an agreement! Why the hell would I be pawn to your games?”

“Agreements are easily broken. With marriage your family will be bonded to our organization.” Louie shakes her head and almost laughs.

“I’m a bastard. What made you think that my father won’t betray your organization?” The men had the same thing in their mind.

But she is the best they could get.

Louie’s father won’t marry his legitimate daughter to them.

“You still carry your father’s last name. And once you bore a son, when your father betrays us every single workers of your father will never trust him again.”

A son?

There was no way of winning through brute. So, even though she was infuriated she remained calm and listened.

“Who am I gonna marry?”

“Mochi.”

Who in the world is that with a punk ass name?

Kanji removes his tie as he burst inside the hotel room.

Misaki had a smile on her face but it quickly dissipated as she realize Kanji is in a bad mood.

“What happened?” She quickly follows him to the balcony.

The cold wind chilled her body but she knew better than to ignore the man who’s supporting her lavish lifestyle.

Kanji gripped on the railing. His face full of fury. Eyebrows arched and teeth gritted.

“Tell me what happened.” Misaki soothes Kanji’s gigantic arm. She tries to comfort him because that’s her duty.

“I was going to marry you.”

Her smile faded from utter shock. Not once did she ever think of him having the want to do what he just said.

Kanji and Misaki’s relationship- it wasn’t something they hid. All of the executives in Bonten knew that Misaki is Kanji’s woman.

They met in a club and from that day Kanji desired Misaki.

He showered her with everything she didn’t need. Kanji would never admit it to anyone but she’s the closest thing to love he has ever gotten.

On the other hand, Misaki saw him as jackpot. He was addicted to her even though her heart belongs to someone else.

But it’s fine. Because with him she could get a comfortable life.

“Y-you wanted to marry me?” She asked him but Kanji didn’t reply.

He wanted to marry her. He was planning on proposing to her on Christmas Day.

But now it’s all ruined.

“I-l I’ll say yes if you still want to…”

Kanji’s rage disappears for a moment. He wanted to smile and be happy for once but his world would never allow such thing.

“Well I can’t now.”

His rage returns.

It’s one thing to be ordered to kill but it’s another to be ordered to marry.

Misaki knew she didn't love Kanji. And she also knows that she will never fall in love with him. It's just impossible.

But she couldn't help but feel disappointed after his words.

Yes, she will never love him. But she knows him. And she knows he'll never leave her. He'll never disregard her for any other woman.

"W-why?"

"Because I'm ordered to marry a fucking bastard." Kanji spat out with fury.

"I-"

"Don't ask me any more fucking questions!" Kanji snaps startling Misaki. He leaves her in the balcony to get his favorite whiskey.

Kanji's rage sometimes scares Misaki. But every man in the crime world has their own temper.

Misaki closed her eyes and sighed. She then followed Kanji to the bedroom.

Kanji was slouched on a chair with whiskey in his hand. His face was full of rage and Misaki knew what Kanji would like for the night.

"You don't need to marry me. I'll be with you either way. Married or not." She says and Kanji chuckles.

She kneeled down between his legs and started to unbuckle his belt. Kanji placed his liquor down and watched as Misaki took out his cock.

He didn't say anything and simply watched as she licked the side of his shaft. She then slowly nibble on his tip before taking half of his enormous length.

Kanji sighed in pleasure as he felt her wet warm mouth. She twirls her tongue around as she bobs her head up and down making erotic wet noise as she goes.

One of the reasons Kanji likes Misaki is the fact that she's an elegant woman who gives a blowjob like a whore.

Misaki pushed her head down as far as she could before pulling away and spitting on his cock before licking one of his balls.

"Just like that... fuck..." Kanji says head thrown back.

She begins sucking on his balls as she strokes him fast. Misaki took her time licking him before returning on sucking his tip.

She felt his cock getting harder and the salty taste of his precum cued her that he was getting close.

Kanji surprised her when he stood up and slammed his cock far back in her throat. He begin to fuck her mouth fast.

His whore struggle to breathe but he didn't care. He needed to release the frustration he had.

Just when Misaki was beginning to lose breathe he slammed his cock farther than he has ever done and came inside her mouth making her gag.

"Don't spit." He order and with a teary and ruined mascara his whore obeyed and swallowed every last drop of his cum.

"You always looked pretty right after I fucked your mouth."

Satisfied, Kanji went to take a bath.

Mikey ordered him to marry the bastard.

And the king's words must be obeyed no matter what.

So, as much as he hates it. He'll meet his future wife at exactly 7:40 pm at the Hilton Hotel.

Plagiarism Is A Crime

[imustbenuts]

sits down and thinks

Infinite wealth spoilers and half baked analysis and thoughts

Infinite wealth

Ig this comes across easier in Asian culture context but the wealth in infinite wealth doesn't mean money. It means bonds. (EDIT: by which i mean JP and Chinese.)

The short of it, the words used to describe relationships, karma, luck and fate all are rooted in the idea of threads. These words when written in kanji all have the thread 糸 radical in it. 縁 en is the common kanji word here.

And since luck is deeply tied to money, the idea of Infinite Wealth here is absolutely not (strictly) money. Given how the rgg series and their writers or even Japan has been disillusioned with the bubble boom, and ichiban will turn his back on money over bonds, this tracks for me.

And this is constantly reflected in the stories and substories. The "wealth" of a person is reflected in the bonds between people. It's not a coincidence the game throws old characters from previous games and substories along Kiryu's way. That's the wealth he's accumulated, the wealth that actually matters once he's at the end of his life where money can't save him from what sounds like terminal cancer. It's Haruka and Haruto and the orphanage and Four Shine and all the people he's helped who's more than happy to carry him if he asks.

The "payoff" is constantly in the reciprocating of a person's virtues in terms of kindness, compassion and patience.

Fuck it's getting to me again fuckfuckfuck--

Ending scene

Ebina and ichiban not meeting but being set up to mirror Nishiki and Kiryu's brother relationship...

And kiryu going from recognizing the pattern to outright understanding a repeat of something similar and just shutting it down, chefs kiss.

Plus plus the entire ending scene is dripping with symbolism. I'm about to fucking vomit

So, sosososo-

I noticed by late game before the monologue, Ebina is being a hell warden karmic entity by essentially setting up an underground pain prison for a whole group of people deemed trash by society. And then he reveals his irezumi and oooh

I see I see. That's an oni and a pissed off snake. Nele island, the paradise/heaven of the palekanas getting turned into the karmic hell/jigoku is. Holy shit. Who wrote this?? I will kiss them??!

Someone on Reddit also did a more in depth write up on this and wow delicious . check out the top comment which is even more spot on

I also dk if this made it past the tonal barrier but jp kiryu literally begging ebina to let the yakuzas have a second chance is... Ough. as goofy as that scene was with kiryu planking on top of ebina, he was effectively on his hands and knees begging and I'm. Ow. Owowowowowow wow. OW.

Kiryu in that scene seems to be embodying a dragon. Whimsical, powerful fucks who appear whenever they feel like and according to myths are benevolent too. So when kiryu planks above it's signifying a dragon pleading with the hell warden to let a bunch of people go, almost with its last breath... Crying even that his tears falls on ebina's face, and ebina having this look realizing that the dragon is human. It got me. I finished rgg8 days ago and it's still getting me

WAUGH. IT GOT ME GOOD

Then kiryu collapses on top of ebina, almost as if all the weight and regret he's been carrying on his back comes literally crashing into ebina's reality, and ebina is probably so shocked he doesn't do anything for the rest of the ending.

WAUGH!! x2

GOOFY SCENE BUT I UNDERSTOOD THAT, AAAAA

FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK

Shout-out to Daigo for being the one with the most 'oh shit' expression and legging it to kiryu first. And Majima for legging it 2nd in the background. Man.

In spite of what kiryu says and believes I don't think he could have changed the Yakuza world that much though. One way or another there's just too many factors at play. Hes absolutely right in his speech about walking the grayest road there is.

Ough.

Ichigang

Love them.

Yu Nanba takes the cake for me here for being the most respectful and compassionate about knowing how to handle kiryu as a person with terminal cancer/disability. Ichiban echoes this too, but the way they are all playing support rather than forcing kiryu to do things makes it 11/10 for me

Older folks who lead rough lives and are fiercely independent like kiryu can be ANNOYING reconciling with their health. Bc of a mix of pride and their own lived era/environment, being seen as weak and disabled is deeply shameful psychologically (idk if this is the same in US/UK but I'm speaking from an Asia specific mentality here). In essence many resign themself to death and refuse treatment, medication, or even walking canes. Like they'd rather die than be burdens.

And kiryu def has echoes of this. I wanted to slap him so many times in his bucket list substory. Lmao

Chitose Fujinomiya

Interesting character. She seems to have gone through a "setting-up" arc in this game for future writing if it makes sense.

Her Fujinomiya name sounds like a shout-out to the Fujiwaras, a clan who had total political control of Japan all the way until 1868. These days their descendants have taken on different family names, branched off, and now control some zaibatsu in some of them.

And her family does indeed sound like a zaibatsu. More than likely with what I know above, she will have some political weight as the chairwoman now.

Chitose will be an incredibly valuable key character for future installments of RGG, especially with the political Daidoji faction running about. I'm stoked. The future installments can def go international if they want to. Current geopolitics in Asia has potential as a rgg backdrop especially when it comes to money and gangs.

We have Thailand with localized gangs calling the shots controlling the tourism there. Ie Thailand Tourist Mafias (Also human trafficking and sex tourism. Siam dius/Thai discos are very similar to cabaret clubs too.)

There's also background money laundering going on, where countries and their bank happily take less than clean money for their economy under tax haven schemes. (COUGH SINGAPORE COUGH). There are also lots of trafficking of people looking for jobs into other asian countries and forcing them to work in scam centers...

Basically lots of potential avenues if they wanted to write about these things. So. LETS GO. LETS GO CHITOSE WOOO

ICHIBAN

So much more to say but I'll end with this one. ICHIBAN.

Ichiban has made more progress in terms of emotional and social development, and turning that into proper positive actions, than kiryu has done at that age.

I don't mean this as a diss either but where kiryu was incredibly flawed in his lone wolf ways and unable to leverage his connections with his circumstances, Ichiban keeps pulling through with it. And kiryu to be fair could not have been able to do the same where the Yakuza environment and politics were as fucked as it is in his time.

Both approaches have their pros and cons though, bc Ichigang is now in a position to get sniped if the environment around them turns for the worse.

Idk if it's going there but. Huhu! :3c

I want more but I'm happy and satisfied for now but also if anyone touches me I fear I'm gonna to explode. Waughghhhhhhggr.

Screams

[codexbrainhasbrokenfree]

A small essay about Masato Arakawa/Ryo Aoki's name(s)

Saw someone in my notes mentions the question of "waka's real name" and I somewhat already talked about it in other long posts, but I really want everything I can say about it condensed in a single post.

Let's start with what everyone can agree on : "Ryo Aoki" is obviously a fake name. More precisely, some characters think it is a stolen name, that there initially WAS someone really named Ryo Aoki, before his identity was bought by the Arakawa family in order to give Masato a new life after his fake death.

So, "Ryo Aoki" is a stolen name. What about "Masato Arakawa"? I see a lot of people saying things along the lines of "Ichiban is able to see Masato Arakawa behind the Ryo Aoki mask", as if "Masato Arakawa" was Aoki's real self. On the surface level yeah that seems to be the logical train of thoughts to follow, but when you really think about it...

"Masato Arakawa" is the name of Masumi Arakawa's son. Not only does it contain his family name, but the first name is also made out of "Masumi" and "Toshio"'s (the name of Masumi's father) first kanjis. So "Masato Arakawa" as a name is INHERENTLY connected to his family, obviously being the name of his father's son.

But we know that Masato isn't Arakawa's biological son (won't get into the debate today on wether or not Masato was still Arakawa's son despite of that because that's a whole other discussion to have). Without the lockers incident, he wouldn't have been given the name of "Masato Arakawa". In a way, one could say he "stole" this name and life as Arakawa's son from Ichiban, who, as a result, was left with a name that is several times throughout the game said to be "sounding fake". Because, in a way, it isn't the one that was "supposed to" be his, just like "Masato Arakawa" wasn't "supposed to" be the name given to Sawashiro's son. Because the only thing this son was "supposed to" be was dead.

So which one is it then? Is "Masato Arakawa" really his real name if it is as much of a stolen name as "Ryo Aoki"? No wonder he has troubles determining where his true self ends and the performance as "Ryo Aoki" starts, if his conception of his true self is based on an identity that isn't really his to begin with. Even as Masato Arakawa, he is mostly seen putting on a show ; the difference between his behavior with Ichiban and his attitude in the Zephyr cabaret club can be seen as proof that he never ever truly lived as himself, and always pretended to be someone he isn't. Just like he never had a name for himself, and instead always used names belonging to other people.

And we can look at which names other characters use to refer to him to find even more informations about the meaning these different fake names hold :

Most obviously, Arakawa is the only character who ONLY uses the name "Masato". It makes sense, since he is the one who gave him this name and he is insistent and genuine in his attempts to build a father-son relationship with him. Even when it is "Aoki" who returns home after his surgery, Arakawa still sees him as his son, and thus calls him by the name he gave to his son, despite Aoki's best efforts (he explicitly states that he changed his name "because he was born the son of Masumi Arakawa" : his name change was partially motivated by his wish to cut all the ties with Arakawa, in order to erase any connections he had with the yakuza world, yes, but also probably because he simply wanted for Arakawa to literally no longer be his father. yes the layers of irony are so numberous i won't even try to list them all here). This persistence to always and only call him "Masato" could be interpreted as a logical evolution of the "flaws" as a father Masato used to perceive in him : he viewed him as overbearing and felt as if he was constantly infantilizing him (wether or not he truly was or if Masato was misjudging his actions or lying is a question for another day). By using the name he had when he was a child/a young adult in need of a caretaker (which obviously isn't the same as being a child but from Aoki's perspective entirely dictated by his internalized ableism, he was "dependent on someone else", which we know is something he thinks made him "weak"), Arakawa may have led Aoki to be even more convinced of his initial judgement about him : he keeps calling him by a name he associates with his "weak and ugly self", this means he wants him to keep being this "weak and ugly self. That's the double meaning of the name "Masato Arakawa", Arakawa chose it and uses it out of love, while Aoki views it as a representation of the limitations imposed to him that he believed he broke free of.

Interestingly enough, aside from Arakawa, all of the characters who used to know Masato and (may or may not have) recognized him as Aoki or the characters who know about his first identity don't call him "Masato" nor "Aoki". Depending on the character, it could be because they were somehow acknowledging the fact that "Masato" really was no longer here, while not giving him the satisfaction of calling him by his new fake name. Or it could be because they were aware both names were fake in their own way.

It is unclear wether or not Horinouchi recognized Aoki as being "that one yakuza-type guy who was scaring his wife more than a decade ago". Aoki believes he didn't recognized him, but Adachi and Saeko think that if Ichiban was able to recognize both Aoki and Horinouchi after having spent 18 years in prison, it was more than likely that Horinouchi also recognized Aoki when he met him around 2015. With this doubt in mind, I think it is quite interesting to point out how Horinouchi is never seen calling Ryo Aoki by this name. He instead uses "the governor" when referring to him. Maybe, given the importance of which names the characters use for this man in particular, it could be a very subtle hint that he indeed recognized him as someone he no longer is, and thus doesn't see him as this new perfect persona he built for himself.

Sawashiro and Ichiban are the two characters who consistently (although not always in Ichiban's case) use a whole new "name" for Masato/Aoki : they call him "young master" ("waka" in the japanese dub and I'm going to write "waka" instead of "young master" because that's how my brain likes it), and it is persistent throughout the entire game, from 2001 to 2019.

In Sawashiro's case, there isn't a single exception in his dialogues showing him calling him anything else. Never did he call him "Masato", nor "governor", nor "Aoki", not even once, not even when talking about him to someone else. And it makes a lot of sense for Sawashiro, the only character who knew from the start that the "Masato Arakawa" identity had been stolen, to never call him by a name he knows his son only got because he left him to freeze to death in a locker. He knows "Masato Arakawa" shouldn't have been his name if he had been more responsible at the time, the same way he knows "Ryo Aoki" is not his real name either. Maybe he thinks about it sometimes, about the name waka could have had if he had even bothered to give him one before trying to get rid of him. As his father, could he still give him a name? Now that he had another one, even though he isn't happy with it? Could he give him the name he should have given him so long ago? If he ever asked himself these questions, he probably prevented himself from even thinking about which name he could have given to his son, because he clearly didn't think of himself as worthy of being his parent. So he shouldn't even dream about "what ifs", because he didn't deserve it. His son died nameless, and Masato was Masumi Arakawa's son. That's what happened in everyone else's eyes, and that's the reality he will have to conform to as long as he is alive.

And as for Ichiban... this is a bit more complex than Sawashiro. He clearly calls his brother "waka" more often than any other variations. He does call him "Ryo Aoki" a pair of times, only in situation where he is talking to people who wouldn't know who he is talking about if he didn't call him by his current name. He does call him Masato a couple of times, some of them being :

Once when arriving at his apartement complex, asking "Has waka... I mean, has Masato Arakawa already left the building?"

Once when he sees him in a picture for the first time after 18 years, saying "This is not Ryo Aoki. This is waka. Masato Arakawa."

Once in Ch14, during his downward spiral into a murderous mindset, right after having learned about the locker incident, when he says "Me and waka... Masato Arakawa and I need to have some words!"

So clearly, even if sometimes he calls him by his initial birth name, his first instinct is to call him waka. In the last example, I would even argue that he purposefully chooses to call him "Masato Arakawa" because he has realized that this name "should have" been his and he is now in rage because of that. At some point, Ichiban even says, when asked how he knows the other name of Ryo Aoki, "A long time ago, I called him waka, and he called me Ichi." So the name we're probably supposed to remember Ichiban calling Aoki is "waka".

Which once again, makes sense, because of Ichiban's status as "the real" Masato Arakawa, even when he didn't know it yet, it is ironic for him to never use that name naturally for his brother. It also alligns with how the game portrays Ichiban as being the only one able to reach waka beyond the artificiality of his numberous fake selves, something neither Arakawa nor Sawashiro managed to do despite their best effort : if Ichiban is for some reason able to understand and reach his brother so efficiently, surely he is also able to sense that something was unexplicably wrong with the name "Masato Arakawa", as much as there is something terribly wrong with the name "Ryo Aoki".

"waka" isn't a name, but it is the closest thing Masato/Aoki has that functions like a name, and wasn't directly stolen from someone else. Sure this still might be a title he was able to have because he took Ichiban's place as the son of a patriarch, but I think it is fairly rational to think Ichiban, even as "Masato Arakawa", wouldn't have wanted people to call him "waka". This archaic, borderline medieval way to put on a pedestal someone just because of the powerful position his father holds? Clearly Ichiban isn't the kind of guy who needs his ego being flattered like this. This is something only his brother would take pleasure in, because of his low self-esteem, because of how obsessed he is about how others perceive him, because he likes to feel important.

Isn't it a bit sad that the closest thing he has to a name to call his own is something that is so linked to his struggles with mental health and to his familial situation he so desesperatly wants to get away from? The "name" waka itself deserves a lot of consideration put into it before really calling it "his true name". I think the implications of this interpretation are fascinating to explore, but I don't think I have seen the end of them yet, so I'll leave that last question opened.

[majimasleftasscheek]

Hello there!

I know this is a bit of an odd question but a while back you posted about some of your japan only rgg merch, which included an art book with concept art for yakuza 1. You showed a page with Kiryu, Majima, Haruka and Jo Amon, but is there concept art of any of the other characters? (Like Nishiki perhaps?) and if so, would you be willing to show some of them? Im just really curious because I cant seem to find anything about it anywhere else.

Thank you!

unfort there's not many concept pics in the book other than those few character drawings, a storyboard of the bar scene where Kiryu first finds Haruka + a shot of an untextured building (the rest of the pics are screenshots from the games) tho fun fact, the char I assume you think is Amon is actually Kiryu kdfjllkdflk. in the description for it, it says it's early art of him, noting "he looks more like he's from a foreign mafia than yakuza." the pic to the left notes they went for a softer look for him

the only visual mention of Nishiki is his tattoo (same art we always see) alongside Majima and Kiryu's but the descriptions are just summaries of what they are - so like Nishiki's mentions the koi turning into a dragon story. there could be more about other characters but I haven't read the book thoroughly enough atm. the text on some things is really tiny so parsing the kanji is pain lmao. but if I go thru it again, I'll totally update on anything interesting

here's the storyboard. apologies for the poopy shots lol

[dorkydragon]

Yakuza games kanji info 22

Saeko Mukoda (向田 紗栄子, Mukōda Saeko)

The quick-witted beauty who really packs a punch.

向 muko (mukou, mukō) = yonder, facing, beyond, confront, defy, tend toward, approach

田 da = rice field, rice paddy

紗 sa = gauze, gossamer

栄 e = flourish, prosperity, honor, glory, splendor

子 ko = child

- About her family name: The kanji 向 has many meanings that apply to Saeko's circumstances or personality quite well. 'Yonder, facing, beyond' could be related to her relationship with her estranged family. She longs to be with them again, but she is fully aware that they haven't forgiven her, so she does her best to protect them afar. 'Confront, defy' certainly relate to her fiery, blunt and intimidating demeanor when she's dealing with her enemies (and sometimes her friends). 'Tend toward, approach' relate to her wish to return to her family, but also to her need for companionship. There is a massive change in her attitude once she feels the rest of the party genuinely welcomes and values her.

- About her given name: The kanji 紗 refers to 'silk gauze,' which is a delicate-looking fabric that is actually quite strong. We can say this certainly applies to a beautiful woman who can use her charms to fool the enemy into thinking she is weak and harmless and then deliver a vicious beat down like any of the male fighters she encounters.

Saeko's overbearing personality is what caused her father and twin sister to distance themselves from her. She felt the need to protect them both in place of her late mother. All she really wanted was for her family to 'prosper,' but they both felt she was trying to control all aspects of their lives. After she left home, Saeko successfully adapted to the hostess and bar management work, learning skills and meeting people that would eventually prove to be huge assets to her. Forming bonds with her new friends and finding a new place where she belongs will definitely bring Saeko herself the chance to 'flourish' and be happy.

Saeko is prone to use dirty tactics during battle, but she displays the 'honor' aspects of her name in two particular instances. First, when she decides to join the party to discover who killed Nonomiya. Moments before that, she considered him just her sleazy boss. Once she realizes that he really cared about Nanoha and was worried about their father, she decides to repay him by bringing his killer to justice. The other instance is when she convinces the rest of the party to accept Seong-hui's request to buy time for the Geomijul to destroy the evidence of the counterfeiting scheme. Saeko, who was initially suspicious and wary of Seong-hui, acknowledges that the other proud woman would only bow her head for help in a genuine and desperate situation.

Extra - Here are some character names that have the same kanji with the same pronunciation:

(田 da) 品田 辰雄, Shinada Tatsuo

(田 da) 石尾田 礼二, Ishioda Reiji

(子 ko) 冴島 靖子, Saejima Yasuko

(子 ko) 鳥山 美恵子, Toriyama Mieko

Extra 2 - Here are some character names that have the same kanji but with a different pronunciation:

(田 ta) 荻田 冠, Ogita Kan

(田 ta) 田中 シンジ, Tanaka Shinji

[momo-wants-siesta]

SAMURAI OF HYUGA -BOOK 1- [REVIEW]

I did not originally intend to read this IF. But by popular demand I have been pressured to write this review.

Apparently it's the story of a "samurai" who lives on an island called "Hyuga" which is literally Japan, but I guess giving it a random Japanese name was cooler. More original.

This IF is divided into different books, and the adventures of this "samurai" and his companions will be told. Let's get down to business.

CHAPTER 1

Well. Let's see what this brutal interactive heart-pounding interactive tale is about.

The text of the Chapter 1 (Along with the Kanji) basically reveals to us that the author doesn't know Japanese and basically used a kanji dictionary.

As a tip, Japanese translation doesn't conserve plurals, So instead of "Sake with the Oyamas" it should be "Sake with the Oyama" and probably specificy it's a group or family. But I digress.

Steamed dumplings, nice. It's good that we start a japanese setting with a dish that is from Chinese origin (Nikuman in Japanese, Baozi in Chinese) and probably wasn't introduced until later.

I'm starting to have my doubts about the MC being a samurai, given how the dude seems to love to mix themselves with "Bakuto" people that were basically part of the modern "yakuza" today.

So for some reason we are stuck with a "spoiled kid"

Next scene. Someone getting close to a "samurai" and asking for a favor. Yeah, that was totally normal back then.

But it get's funnier when the title of the game is "samurai of Hyuga" but the two options are basically saying "I'm not a samurai". I don't understand what the author did there.

Okay. So this MC that has been living on the slums, suddenly know all about nobility and "royals". Its funny using "royals". It's good to know that the author doesn't seem to have studied Japanese history. Mostly how the correct term would either be "nobles" or "clanmen" or "imperials".

MC: *Says they are not a samurai* Random dude/woman: Master samuraaaai

I'm starting to feel like the author has been under the influence of sustances while writing this. Since the lack of consistency is apalling.

I don't want to make this review too long. But I really need to ask. Why two nobles are trying to make an alliance marriage, in a fucking Inn. And not in their houses. That doesn't make any sense. And then "let's ask this random no life to pose with us". I think that the author believe the Japanese to be stupid, or have watched too much mainstream brainless anime.

The "how the bride looks" options seems to have been written by the horniest individual to have ever existed for Google play standards of non lewdity.

I feel like I need to stop and point this. Why is the groom wearing a Kamon? Why do they need a samurai if they are samurai?

I think the author needs to understand what a samurai was. Because I think they are confused and believed all the nobility to be samurai. And that's a grave error. That's not how it worked. Nobility didn't need to be samurai. And some samurai weren't even nobility. Samurai was a social class on it's own.

I don't understand why they didn't ask the MC name. What kind of way to refer to someone is "Samurai-san" is like someone comes to you, if you are barista, even if you have your name in the tag, and go "Mister Bartender, nice to meet you".

Japanese are polite. They would ask the name. We entered full weebish anime paradise and we are only on chapter 1.

Not to say, this marriage would never happen, in those guys were not part of the nobility. Unlike in Europe were the burgesy could buy titles and marry into nobility, in Japan that was socially forbidden. And blood was really important, to the point of eugenics.

The day i find a "japan" IF that has been written by someone who did actual research instead of watching anime, will be the day I plant a tree or something.

But what is bothering me the most, is how the MC is all knowing. Not only we cannot decide on their personality (even tought there are a lot of useless stats) but the guy is basically a Gary Sue. He knows everything. He looks at you, and he knows your tragic backstory already. There's some fucked up powerfantasy there already. And it still kills me how I haven't been able to customize anything yet. I'm playing with a MC that I don't even know the game. Its fucking awesome. /s

I love how threating each other in the middle of an Inn it's great. Or how for some fucking reason, the author believe that your typical western bar fights would happen in Japan.

Fuck's sake. This author needs help. That our a japanese history book in the head, to gain some brain cells.

.......I'm going to kill someone.

So some guys appear with what I supposed it's irezumi, or the ancient version of it.

MC: they are not criminals.

Me: THEN WHAT THEY HAVE TATTOS.

Just you guys know, back in the day the "yakuza" didn't exist yet. And Irezumi exist, because back in that day criminals were tattoed, as a way to mark them. So irezumi started as a way to hide those markings.

Why would the author write something called "Samurai of Hyuga" which is clearly Japan themed, but then refuse to do even the most minimal research? I'm baffled.

So suddenly we are at "Yamato" but the game calls the place "Hyuga" then the MC goes I'm from "genfu". Someone seriously need to decide on a name, or make a fucking map.

Good Lord, this is hard.

"Wish I had an escort of Ninjas" yea because Shinobi totally escorted people. FUCK.

"That was low even for a shinobi". What the fuck is this. Shinobi were not considered dishonorable, basically because they didn't have to follow the bushido.

AUTHOR, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, ONLY THE SAMURAI WERE FORCED TO FOLLOW THE BUSHIDO. NO ONE ELSE.

Stop calling him samurai-san after hearing his fucking name. ITS FUCKING OFFENSIVE. WHY ARE YOU OFFENDING PEOPLE, TOSHIO.

Okay. I need to make this stop. So for fucking reason, to keep going I need to kill a Carp. Because fuck yeah. If I don't want to? I better quit the game.

It's good to know that the Author is complete psycho who is into stupid edgy protagonist.

Why is this even an IF? Where are the options? Why I'm still playing?

I'm gonna skip for a while to make a more compact review, because if I have to stop at every fucked up part...

So super random fight where we get more male powerfantasy. Then it's me or it's the Masashi kid a RO? Because that basically child that acts like a child. So now the author is a fucking pedo too? What's next? The guy is into lolis?

AAAAAAAND I CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS.

PRECOCIOUS FINAL TOUGHTS

How the fuck was I ever convinced to read this?

This is not even an IF. There's not even real choices. Like, the MC is totally 100% set on stone. And this is pure anime weebish trash.

This is one of the most questionable tales I read in a while. I don't event wanna now about the other ROs. This bad, this is horrible. This is something who jack up to lolis and decided to make a fucking work out of their personal waifu fantasies.

What the fuck is this. Seriously. The worse part is how people actually bought this, and how there are so many books. Unless it suddenly improves.

I been deeply disgusted and I don't even want to hear about this work ever again in my whole life.

[danielladigitalbunny]

Yakuza 6 / Ryu Ga Gotoku 6

The Song of Life

DON! DON!!

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Saturn - "Sound Novels" Machi

Title: "Sound Novels" Machi / 街

Developer/Publisher: Chunsoft

Release date: 22 January 1998

Catalogue No.: T-34001G

Genre: Adventure Sound Novel

One of the most successful sound novel games ever released and what makes it better is that it was a Saturn exclusive for many years. I say was because it was finally ported to the PSP then on to many other systems.

So, what is Machi all about then? Well, Machi basically means town or area of a city depending on which Kanji is used (町 or 街) The basic plot of the game has you taking control of one eight players. As you live five days in life as one of these characters you come across all sorts of problems that you must resolve to continue your life. However, to mix things up a bit you can select between any of the eight characters at any point in the game (who are also living their virtual life in real-time according to your progress) but take heed because as you are playing as another character time is still moving for your previous character. Sounds confusing, doesn't it? Well, considering the entire game is in Japanese, it will be, but that's not to say you can't work it out; you will have to because if you don't, you'll be facing a bad ending.

The eight characters you can take control of are Keima Amemiya - a policeman, Jintaro Umabe - an actor; Masami Ushio - a Yakuza member, Yoshiko Hosoi who doesn't seem to do anything plus the only female character you can control, Masashi Shinoda - a student, Ryuji Takamine - a deserter, Fumiyasu Ichikawa - a writer and Yohei Tobisawa the high-school boy.

Overall, Machi is a well-executed game that mixes True Motion video with stills and has a pretty impressive storyline. It's well worth checking out if you're looking for something different and can understand Japanese.

[charlesandmiranda]

Osaka 2/7 - 2/9 Tattoo, Dotonbori, Denden Town and Amerikamura

After we left USJ on 2/6, we continued into Osaka proper, which is where we spent the next few days!

A big reason we wanted to visit Osaka was mainly because of its appearance in the Yakuza game series, which Charles really really enjoys. There is an area called Dotonbori, called Sotenbori in the game, and Charles wanted to see it in person. (Here's a cool video we found of a youtuber comparing the game to the real location!)He was especially hyped for it because the newest Yakuza game just came out -- I'm sure as soon as we return, playing it will be one of the first things he does, haha.

Dotonbori is, similar to Kabukicho in Tokyo, an entertainment and nightlife district. However, a thing we noticed pretty early, while Kabukicho is essentially 24 hours and it's easy to see people turning in for the night when others are going to work, Dotonbori closes early. By 10 or 11, most restaurants are closed. The area is famous for a few food, specifically takoyaki and fugu (blowfish). Blowfish is toxic, as in, it will kill you if the chef cuts the lungs when tearing it down. The license for serving fugu is required for any chef serving it, and a few people a year get very sick or die from eating it at home. The area has a lot of large displays of crab, takoyaki, and other fish that are brightly lit and cool to see in person.

We spent a lot of time during our stay in Osaka wandering the Dotonbori and exploring, there are simply tons and tons of bars and restaurants there. Just walking up and down, and trying a lot of street food, was definitely a highlight, and in general represents a good amount of what we did. In some of the photos below, we tried wagyu skewers, candied strawberries, and a lot of kushikatsu, similar to tempura but uses a different batter. It may be the winner of our favorite foods we have had this trip.

On 2/7 at 1pm, Charles had a tattoo appointment at the studio Invasion Club. Headed by tattoo artist Hori Benny, Invasion Club is also kind of a fashion/lifestyle brand, with clothes and art drawn by Hori as recognizable as his tattoos. I was actually pretty aware of his art for a while, especially through instagram and looking at tattoo art online, so when Charles said he had gotten an appointment with Invasion Club, I was SHOOK. He has gotten very popular for tattooing sexy anime girls, which makes having him doing something from a 1980s food manga kind of fun.

The shop was cool, and Hori spent a few hours hanging out, talking to us, and redoing the design before doing the tattoo itself. The appointment, with hanging out, took about five or six hours. He was an incredibly friendly guy, and his work was exceptional.

After the tattoo, and most of the next day 2/8, we wandered around Osaka's Electric Town (aka Den Den town, taken from the kanji 電, pronounced "den", which means electricity) which is Osaka's equivalent to Akihabara, which we visited earlier in this trip. They're both areas heavily focused on things related to geek culture. I would say we actually had a waaaayyy better time in Den Den Town then we did in Akihabara. There was way more cool old collectible stuff to look at, and the shops were less picked over. We did a little shopping here, as well as along the main Dotonbori area.

The tattoo that Charles got is a panel from a manga called Oishinbo. It is about a group of newspaper writers that are trying to create a menu of the perfect meal. The couple in the series eventually get married, and there is a part of the story about takoyaki that includes a real shop in Osaka that invented it. We visited that shop. The experience was very unexpected, but delicious. Takoyaki is a savory pancake like batter with a large piece of octopus in the center. Most places include a sauce, mayo, green onion, fish flakes, and sometimes other toppings. The original shop includes no sauces or toppings, but instead puts dashi, a savory fish based soup stock, in the center. It was much more mild than expected, but we had two orders and Miranda, who generally isn't a fan of takoyaki, had several, so it was something worth eating.

From this point, we kind of had to make a decision. We left our plans at this point pretty loose, because we wanted a little flexibility in the trip; aside from meeting back up with our friend Penko in Tokyo on 2/11, where we'll spend the last few days before flying back out, we have very little set in stone on our schedule. That includes not strictly having a place to stay, either. We decided we would really like one more afternoon in Osaka, before heading to Kyoto, so we found an inexpensive hotel for 2/8 where we stayed for the night, and 2/9 we finished exploring the area some more.

In our wanderings 2/8 and into the afternoon of 2/9, we kind of accidentally wandered into an area called Amerikamura. There are a couple of theories of how it got its name, but one thing we noticed was that it's CHOCK FULL of vintage clothing stores. A lot of the clothing appears to actually be imported vintage clothing from the US which was pretty wild to see. It's a super trendy area, and we definitely did some people-watching, taking in the street wear fashion. It's actually been really interesting to see how fashion varies from city to city; I know this may sound silly or obvious but there really is a different "flavor" from one place to the next. Tokyo and Osaka definitely have distinctly different identities, and even areas within these large cities can feel totally different from street to street and neighborhood to neighborhood.

We brought a dozen or so Ninth Realm CDs to drop off at shops while we are here. We shipped some CDs to a well known shop in Osaka a few months ago and they sold out, but the shop is a fair distance from Dotonbori and we didn't make time to stop in, so we tried other places. I first stopped at a punk shop, but they said their customers aren't into metal and recommended another two shops. The first shop took a few CDs on consignment, but recommended we go to the larger shop. They were very friendly, listened to the album, and said "I will take all of them." When I told him I only had about ten left, he said "I will need more, these will sell in a few days." Hopefully we can ship more.

One of the very last things we did before we left for Kyoto was to visit a very sweet cat cafe, Cat Cafe Cat Tail! They had an exceptionally cute group of cats, but I think Charles and I each found a favorite, or maybe were chosen. There is a cat named Kurumi that must be.....a bit of a handful. No joke, there were signs all over that Kurumi hated to be petted on her body, she only liked petted on her head and neck, and she would scratch and bite if you petted her anywhere else. With some gentle encouragement from the store owner, she actually climbed into my lap and napped there almost the entire hour we visited; I barely got to say hi to any of the other cats, haha. And Charles instantly fell in love with a cat named Potato. He currently was wearing a cone due to an eye injury / something wrong with his eye, and also he is one of those like....smushed face cats, so he has all the same breathing issues like a pug does? Charles was DEEPLY MOVED by Potato to say the least.

After the cat cafe, we got a quick bite to eat and hopped the train to Kyoto, where we're writing from now! We'll keep you all updated soon, thanks for keeping up with us on this crazy trip!

[fumikomiyasaki]

More Random Twst oc headcanons

Are they well versed with the internet?

Never heard of the Internet: Brid, Odel, Osyron, Lydia, Fabio, Lennox, Ione, Bianca, Erena, Taylin, Agni

heard of it barely uses it: Saneria, Bolt, Slice, Phobetor, Eleafy,

Lost but knows the search engine and wiki: Kumo, Fuan, Tesadelle, Vanessa,

Basics and Flash games: Izar, Zariyah, Camilla, Eiji, Meyra, Kuze, Gabrielle, Media, Kome

Has usually modern knowledge of all functions: Mellow, Yasuno, Joel, Serena, Rubina Aiden, Inessa, Emil, April,

Sucks at memes, boomer but uses the Internet well: Henry, Beelby, Elvira, Nanoya, Tenera, Feena, Dragiselle,

Knows the most trends: Damon, Eve, Barry, Francine, Flynn, Andrew, Sindren, Sylva, Jin-Lou,

Knows every meme under the planet: Leroy, Carol, Lyla, Naomi, Taron, Ronnie, Ame, Eikichi,

Literally a Streamer, Content creator or Influencer: Bengal, Paula, Zyan, Mythra, Yuzuha, Julian, Brenda, Peko, Emma, Gregory, Tyler, Rachel,Grey, Gilly,

Tattoo Headcanons and meanings:

(Fuan, Osyron, Lydia, Ione, excluded cause its god influenced)

Arachninox Carol: Vine and Snake tattoos, despite not getting her vine powers, she gets the tattoo solely as a ref that a little bit of herself is still kinda inside her, yet she herself doesn'T notice this, she also gets a tattoo under her chest with a heart, symbolizing her care for being loved still, only the snake symbolizes the takeover and poison inside her metaphorically Bengal: Ocelot picked that tattoo for him, it was traditional from his culture and it was cause they are besties, this way he keeps his boy band members with him Meyra: its the crest of her house which she tries to hide Kumo: The heart tattoo is matching his friends but the stars he gets later on his back and torso are moreso to represent his love for the night sky Odel: He got them as he practised Crystal magic as a prove of his mastery Lyla: The kanji for hope gives her courage when she is scared Jin-Lou: The dragon represents her grandmas family symbol Sylva: It is hard to identify and she will just tell you she got it cause it looks cool Brenda: Duh symbol for Money cause greed Greg: the ring was a silly gag but he gets a ton of them in the future Rachel: Her father gave her the fox tattoo to show her strength Andrew: its to identify him from his bros so he has his number like they have Dragiselle: An arrow representing to move forward Kayne: Yakuza tattoos of a mantis... given he was fast as one Ame: She say its cute and puts attention on the right thing Eleafy: Cult signs Julian: He will come up with something cheesy why he has a triangle on his chest, the bat wings he shares with April just she has them on her back Louis: The rose was the sign of his old noble house… he got it long after though Fabio: He just likes roses and his brother got tattoos as well so

Reputation as Dorm leaders:

Henry: Very respected and looked up to… many students are intimidated but many also wanna approach him cause of business or his wealth so he is quite a popular student among NRC Brid: Many just assume... that Odel is the dorm leader and ignore her... she can't seem to get authority and people barely remember her She really struggles with that Barry: Many people are aware of his arrogance and to many students he is a bother, there is a few who do give him the time and popularity because he basically bought them to be his underlings but aside that… many are annoyed Osyron and Lydia: Hella scary to many students, they barely see the gods and if don't know if talking to them won't get them in trouble. Kuze: Many students see him as the junior, the Dorm leader that doesn't seem like one and instinctly would approach Yasuno more about dorm stuff… so he is liked but not really respected Erena: Given most see her as a chaotic adventurer other students also are not convinced untill she talks with them and you see how much charisma she has as a dorm leader and how to win her over well... She just wants fun and is a capable fighter in itself Flynn: As said he has a fanclub and many admirers but that is also true for Nanoya and Rubina, many know about his sketchyness and warn not to reveal too much to him. Peko: A lot of fans and big popularity among many students hence haters are quickly silenced… or at least yelled at by supporters… however higher year students often know how lazy as dorm leader she is and admire Emma more Tyler: Not many outside the dorm see him much but they often call him grumpy and many also just don't want to face his anger so he is only approached by people who know him, dorm members or fashionable to model students Gabrielle: Many Students admire her and cheer for her, also has a small fanclub and is highly respected among the campus. Its really hard to raise a voice against her. Aiden: Aside doing his dorm duty a loner and avoided cause of his criminal record, only dorm members really approach him… and some Exodus students cause of Kayne as well as some Valhunny students Sindren: Some are annoyed by the hero act, others admire her, some try to gain her favour cause of her money but Mythra shoes those away Dragiselle: the most secluded Dorm leader… Inessa does most of her task so not many met her, serves a similar Role to Malleus that not many have seen her at all... but in her case its protect others from her powers

[arcplaysgames]

So as far as beach episodes go: P4G > P3P > P5R

this one was a snoozefest, so let's touch on the important bits that stand out and then talk about Beige Boy and Solid Snake.

One, I have fully turned against Ryuji on the basis of his frequent and repeated disregard for Morgana as a part of the team and frankly as a full person. I am getting really teed the fuck off because for the last five hours or so of gametime, I have been watching Mona get more and more anxious about his place and about whether anyone on the team cares about him and his journey to the heart of Mementos

and at every fucking opportunity, Ryuji basically reinforces to Morgana yeah, you're not really one of the guys, you're not really part of the team, you're the mascot.

If I had agency in the world of this game, I would take Ryuji aside for a Fucking Discussion about this, because the fuse is lit and I am certain we are headed for a rift between Morgana and the team,a nd you know what? I'm on Morgana's side. He should be pissed, he should be hurt, because I'm hurt on his behalf just watching this unfold.

Fucking Ryuji, you are the bottom barrel of the Token Best Friends. Yosuke would never do me like this*. And if Junpei were here, he'd be Morgana's BFF, are you kidding.

(* in fact yosuke did the Literal Opposite and adopted the 'mascot character' lmao fuck you ryuji)

Yusuke is the fucking load-bearing column holding this game up, i swear to god. I have never understood the Moronsexual joke until right now. I imagine Reverie is like "I have to marry him, he'd be fucking hopeless without me???? it's just the right thing to DO"

Alas, Atlus hates me.

Futaba trying to grab the lobsters while Yusuke holds them out of her reach is the best rigging and animation this game has given us thus far.

Futaba picks her name, Oracle. And she is explicitly here to learn more about her mother's research, less to save people. Which is respectable and she's very up front about it.

THAT'S THE BEACH TRIP. like this one just was..... ugh. it had the weird queerphobic stuff again and it pulled the "the boys try to pull girls and fail" gag again but this time with ZERO charm at all. I remember that scene in P4G with Kanji, Yosuke, and Reverie was one of my favorites because it was genuinely really funny. This had nothing.

SIGH. WHATEVER. LET'S TALK ABOUT MORE INTERESTING STUFF.

blah blah blah evil evil evil blah blah blah

i have at this point accepted that Persona just sucks at foreshadowing the Big Bad of their games and P3 was a fluke. interested to see how P2 does when I eventually play it.

oh shit this game caught some of the Sony Hot Sad Dads disease, huh? Iwai has a dweeby looking son named Kaoru and he's ex-yakuza.

Do I like Iwai or do i just miss MGS2 Solid Snake? Who could say.

Also his shop theme tune fucks severely, it sounds like SMT4.

Anyway, after that we're having very domestic funtime at the cafe when

oh shit Beige Alert

Futaba immediately hides behind Reverie because she got Vibe Radar. Vibedar, if you will.

I feel like when Akechi enters your vicinity, your phone should get one of those emergency PSAs. Like when a tornado touches down in your county.

Okay so. /points. Eyes closed.

/points.

The fuck is happening here. Like, bruh, you showed up and immediately mentioned the lady who threatened Sojiro's custody of his daughter, and now you are looking like a wounded puppy because it turned the atmosphere frosty.

You did that, homeboy, that was you. I know you are astute enough to know that.

He sadly drinks his coffee and reveals his backstory: he was raised by a single mom who died soon after, then got stuck in the foster care system for a while.

THAT FAKEASS SMILE AGAIN. See, this is why I know he stirred up the hostile energy on his arrival on purpose, he is extremely good at tone and social cues, enough so that he can use or not use them to his advantage.

I would tell Reverie to install a deadbolt on his door but he doesn't have a door lmao this is going to be great

I keep saying this but: Bryan Fuller vibes. My god, Bryan Fuller vibes.

Futaba realizes she missed the fireworks festival so she runs out to get some small fireworks, and Morgana goes with her to make sure she's okay.

Morgana is the fucking best. He really gives a shit and puts himself out there for people and I just want him to be appreciated dammit!

This is Reverie's family now, yep. See that gurl? She is his sister. See that old man? That's his dad. Yep!

Also Sojiro doesn't even know Morgana is a person and treats him better than Ryuji.

yeah this is me going full kill bill sirens on Ryuji, sorry. i will slam dunk him into a fucking dumpster, i'm so angry with him for his MANY MANY fuck ups and, specifically, how he doesn't seem to learn or grow from any of them.

I think that's my beef with him. Like, P3P, Junpei did multiple big fuck ups, but he both apologized explicitly for them and also learned from them and became a better person for it. He was my ultimate ride or die. I romanced Akihiko but my true love was my broship with Junpei.

Yosuke also fucked up a lot and even went full Joker Mode once, but he also experienced one of the longest arcs of character growth in the game. I remember when I started to like him after being tepid on him for the first third of the game and how annoyed I was that he was growing as a person!!!! But he wound up being a fave.

I need Ryuji to get his shit together and start growing tf up bc I am real sick of his self-important bullshit and how he steps on Morgana's feelings. I am hoping whatever the upcoming blow-up with Morgana is leads him to wake tf up, but also I'm not holding my breath.

At least I have Ann and Yusuke.