Thing is, flying is pretty much all Futaba’s Persona does. It has stats which aren’t used for anything as far as anyone knows. She can equip armor and weapons that don’t do anything (they do in Strikers) and really she’s just there to take over Morgana’s job.
The rest of the party members (including the new one in Strikers) all have humanoid Personas.
Wow, being a mouse is even worse than being a fly (SMT3) or a bat (DDS). Who knew?
No you don’t.
Looking at Anubis’ skill table, why does it learn Resist Bless when it already nulls Bless? Just to pass it on?
ngl it sounds just as bad as the original. Maybe even not quite as bad. Actually now that I’ve listened to a few times I even kind of like it.
Shoji Meguro should Meguless imo
JOKER: Well, based on my understanding of the philosophy of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche…first the world needs to end and then Satan needs to drop a worm into your eyeball.
Yes, Aoi Yuuki is very good.
Joker frantically tries to find the Withdraw command in the menu, realizes he isn’t playing SMT.
Sojiro knows that sometimes life is put on standby until a predetermined number of days have passed. Which I can conclude means he used to be a Persona-user.
Yeah, that’s pretty much why. A lot of the things he can fuse into are weak to Bless, but at the same time this makes him kind of sub-par fusion fuel because anything that can use Resist Bless can’t learn any of the Bless-element spells he has.
: After the boss fight, we immediately call Kawakami.
: Oh no, she’s found self-help books.
: “I even have a book about the secret to being a good listener! It was written by a hostess from a club in Ginza. Just picking out which books to bring took me half a day. I have tons more back home though!”
: “I’ve started using these as reference materials for the advice I give to my clients. This way, I can suggest new alternatives instead of leaving them resigned to their fates.”
: “Of course. After all, I need to be able to advise my clients on their future selves! Anyway, what I really want to tell you is that I’ve arrived at a new fortune telling philosophy.”
: “Those with strong convictions can, in fact, change fate. O-oh, and as for the people I sold Holy Stones to… I’ve started reading their fortunes free of charge. I’d like to return the money they gave me too, but um…”
: Does this mean she’s going to give us all that money back we spent on luck readings? No.
: “W-Well, um…”
: “Yokoda-san!?”
: “U-Um, what are you doing here?”
: “Th-that’s my apprentice! I haven’t actually introduced him to the chairman yet…”
: “Y-Yes! He’s been a wonderful help!”
: “Thank you for stopping by!”
: “…I’m sorry you had to see that…”
: “That’s, well… a nickname of sorts. A-Anyway! It’s a private matter, Kurusu-san. Nothing you should concern yourself with.”
: “W-Wait, are you perhaps… worried about me? Oh, I’m so touched! Honestly! My luck really improves when you’re around, Kurusu-san! I know! In exchange for that, I’ll predict your luck whenever you want!”
: All of Chihaya’s abilities are good, and this one is one of the best. Affinity Reading costs 5,000 yen and gives you one point to any confidant you currently have… and TWO points if you have a matching Persona. This means you can potentially turn a non-rankup event into a rankup event or avoid a permafuck if you get a wrong answer because the guide you’re using is a half-plagiarized piece of shit that didn’t properly translate some of the dialog options.
: We’ll be using this a few times, mostly to avoid having to waste a night without ranking up.
: This is a direct hint on what we’ll have to do - there is a part-time job at the bar in Shinjuku and we’ll need to do it once to get this done.
: We then, regretfully, have to do another Makoto event. The good news is these will pause for a bit because after this rank, we need Charm at rank five.
: “Let’s get a drink before we talk. Oh, and we can take the back entrance into the school.”
: Why is she even here? It’s summer break!
: “I guess he, um… hit on her one day after her shift, and that was that. Since then, he’s the only thing she’ll talk about. She even sent me a picture of their date at Destinyland.”
: Was Pascal the Dog there?
: I’d make an Among Us joke, but I think Among Us becoming the next big thing and then dying in the span of like three months was enough of a joke.
: “…You think so as well? For now it seems he hasn’t forced her to spend any money at his club, but I’m still nervous… beyond that, he calls her his ‘princess’ and constantly tells her how special she is. It makes me sick to my stomach.”
: Joker immediately begins calling Makoto “princess” at every possible opportunity in hopes that she fucks off.
: "But Eiko refuses to listen to me. She said the idea that all hosts are bad people is outdated… she even said she was shocked to be getting advice from someoe who would ‘totally flunk a test about love.’ "
: Wait a second, wasn’t this a Yakuza substory? Hashino, you unoriginal fuck.
: “S-sorry about that… I’m probably just being biased towards him. I mean, I don’t have any proof that he’s untrustworthy… but that’s why I want to meet him and find out for myself what kind of person he really is.”
: Joker: “No. Not even if you paid me.”
: “It’s honestly okay? You’re so reliable, Akira-kun. I think if I have a boyfriend, Eiko might be more inclined to listen to me. To tell you the truth… I actually already made plans with her and her boyfriend for a double date.”
: “S-sorry. But it’s just going to be at a diner. Nothing particularly fancy, I promise.”
: This next part is going to sound like I missed a screenshot. I didn’t. Joker nods and then Makoto continues.
: “Thank you! You’re a tremendous help. I’m so glad you agreed to this. I don’t know who else I’d have asked if you had said no…”
: “Eiko… I hope she’s not getting herself wrapped up in anything dangerous. But just in case, I’ll try looking for some info on that host.”
: “Do you think Eiko’s really okay? I hope I’m just being paranoid about her boyfriend… but if it turns out he really is toying with Eiko… what should we do?”
: It’s a shame the first answer isn’t the right one.
: “You’re right. We’re friends now, so I’m sure she’ll understand if I can just have an honest talk with her! Phew… I keep thinking in circles here. I need to stop dwelling on the negative.”
: “Let’s see who this host is behind his smile. For Eiko’s sake. Okay, I’ll call you again later.”
: Sick burn from Yusuke. He really is the best party member.
: “I understand why you guys feel nervous, but we’ll just have to wait for now.”
: We have a crossword… and admittedly, I could’ve gone and gotten a luck reading first. This is where the guide I’m using starts going to shit - the guide claims it’s raining (which would prevent us from getting a reading) but it’s not.
: I had to shuffle around Personas to get a Hanged so I could do this confidant. This is going to be a problem for the next couple of weeks, at least until we max out Ann and Ryuji.
: “I’m gonna meet with a guy at the diner after this. I need you to sit close-by. When I give you the signal, call me. The signal is when I cough, got it? C’mon, let’s head over there.”
: “Hey, don’t knock this place. It’s pretty decent, and cheap too.”
: If you couldn’t already tell, Iwai is an ex-yakuza. He shares more than one similarity plot-wise with Kazuma Kiryu, but he’s one of the confidants in this game I don’t outright hate.
: “You don’t need to exaggerate.”
: “Oh, right. How’s Tsuda-san doin’?”
: “Oh, nothing. Just saw him 'round the other day.”
: “I mean, we were both young… I just figured it’s about time we bury the hatchet. I can’t just go up n’ talk to him though…”
: The yakuza code of honor, which prohibits anyone from talking to anyone else without pretending they’re in one of those medieval intrigue novels.
: “No, you fool. I just wanna end up in the same place at the same time. It’s gotta look like a coincidence.”
: I’m now imagining a yakuza-style dating app where it just gives you a random place to wander around and if you happen to meet someone, well…
: “Yeah, we’re redevelopin’ it into a big obstacle course so this guy can chase Eddie Murphy around it to increase his stamina in those chase scenes that pretty much stop showin’ up by the point the training becomes available.”
: “Shibaura… cough cough”
: The second choice isn’t wrong, but it boots you into the first one.
: “Nah, it’s just a cold. Hello? Yeah, how’s it goin? What? Your order’s all wrong? My bad, I’ll get back and take care of that straight away.”
: “Sorry, I gotta run. Work shit. Let’s talk some other time, yeah?”
: “Masa’s still on the phone, right? Just say quiet so I can hear what he’s sayin’.”
: “A deal? …Sounds like there’s some weird stuff goin’ down.”
: “Y’know I was actin’, right? …At any rate, I honestly wasn’t expectin’ too much outta you. But it looks like you’re gonna actually be some use to me. I’ll be countin’ on you, kid.”
: “Good work today. Order yourself somethin’ nice as a reward. Oh, and bring me the receipt so I can pay you back for it. Well, later.”
: The answer is “We’ve been assaulting people for cash”. Mishima is going to keep spamming us with requests because I believe the area of Mementos that covers Kaneshiro’s dungeon just opened.
: Today, we’re hanging out with Yusuke and our new air conditioner (just offscreen).
: “Photos can’t convey all the real life majesty of art. There’s also scale: art can be titanic in size. Hm… I wish to go to Paris. Akira… will you join me?”
: Joker actually does all three answers at once, except it’s “Let’s go. Just the two of us. Pack your bags, I’ll buy the tickets.”
: “Great! We shall have to save money for travel, then. It would be cheaper if we go there by foot, but it is simply too far… nevertheless, that would be an enjoyable journey.”
: Five points to Charm.
: Before we go on to visit Caroline and Justine, there’s a TV quiz we can do for knowledge points. I actually did the rest of the update, completely forgot about this part (even though I had done it), thought I’d permafucked, and then realized that no, I had done it the entire time.
: Thing is, barring a fuckup so bad it’d have to be intentional, we’re past the point where we can easily permafuck.
: We’re actually several events behind with Caroline and Justine, but we will be seeing all of them. We actually kinda need to, because finishing their confidant is a pain in the ass without the DLC.
: The final rank of their confidant requires that you fuse a Seth with High Counter. The DLC provides a Persona you can fuse directly into Seth that starts with that move, so it’s super easy to do.
: If you don’t have the DLC, you have two options: either waste a fusion alarm fusing Ose and itemizing him into High Counter (we will be doing this) or get it from these optional events.
: “Listen closely: the place we wish to evaluate for your rehabilitation is… where one offers up faith and words of devotion.”
: “Every day, lost sheep flock there to pray. There are even cases where individuals will confess to crimes.”
: “Confessing one’s crimes due to a fear of divine punishment… this has a familiar ring to our own Inmate’s rehabilitation. Does such a location sound familiar to you?”
: “Well? If you know where it is, then escort us there immediately!”
: “So, what’ll it be?”
: “Oh, so it’s called a church? Let’s witness this so-called faith that humans offer with our own two eyes.”
: “Lead us there, Inmate. Now.”
: “The peaceful atmosphere here is the antithesis of a prison cell…”
: “Hmm? Is that man standing there one of the gods?”
: “Yeah, you may be right. At least, I can’t sense any exceptional abilities from him.”
: It’s because the Messians are cannon fodder.
: “If that is the case, then perhaps he’s some sort of servant to the gods. What is that over there… a smaller room?”
: “I know! It’s an ‘iron maiden’ for reforming criminals, right? Whoever goes inside and fails rehabilitation gets skewered!”
: Confession booths are a natural occurrence that usually grow under cherry trees and are where anime teenagers go to confess their love.
: “Confession… booth? You mean, THIS tiny box is where the crimes are confessed?”
: This line shows that Hashino clearly has never been to a church before. I did the whole church thing when I was a kid, and they start doing confessions really young. Most of the articles I found on it said that the modern Catholic church starts doing it around 7 years old, which is pretty much what I remember.
: As far as I know, that’s a pretty standard thing in Catholic churches and isn’t just limited to the United States.
: “Which of us? Do you intend to split us up and pick us off one by one?”
: “Hmph, no such luck. We’re both going in.”
: “…You what? Listen to people’s concerns? This isn’t a form of rehabilitation? …Regardless, such talk is cheap, but pays quite well.”
: “We shall undertake this confession and ascertain the truth for ourselves.”
: “Hmmmm, what to confess… it’s probably unkind to kick the Inmate, but it’s part of my duties as warden, so that can’t be held against me…”
: What she’s referring to is this animation that plays if you enter the Velvet Room from the real world, where Justine opens the door and Caroline kicks Joker in the back to force him inside.
: “This is none of your business. We’re speaking to the gods right now.”
: I wonder what denomination the Velvet Room workers are. I mean, can you really find religion when your entire job is fusing clones of random gods for teenage RPG protagonists?
: “Recently, I’ve been shifting my more mundane bookkeeping responsibilities onto Caroline…”
: “You WHAT!? I knew my workload was feeling larger for some reason!”
: Wait, what. What bookkeeping? Who do Caroline and Justine pay taxes to? Can the IRS (or rather, whatever Japan’s taxation agency is) even reach the Velvet Room?
: “But… she made so many mistakes in her work that I regret not doing it myself…”
: Joker enters the Velvet Room the next time and Caroline and Justine are in the cells next to his for tax fraud.
: “Of COURSE I’d make mistakes when I have nearly twice the work!”
: I didn’t know what menchi katsu was, so I went and looked it up. It’s a kind of deep-fried hamburger, only the meat is shredded and is usually a blend of beef and pork. I’d eat it if there were any half-decent Japanese restaurants around here.
: “Erk! I… was curious about the line! Like, what could humans want so badly that they would stand in one place for so long-”
: This cutscene is unfortunately not voiced, so I still don’t know how you pronounce Megidolaon.
: “Fine, fine, fine! I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! …Confession time is over! We’re done here!”
: “Were it not for this opportunity, we would have likely kept these matters locked away deep in our hearts.”
: “Why would we do such a thing? I don’t see anyone here to whom we owe any kindness.”
: “Did you think we’d actually regret the treatment we’ve given you so far? By the way, why do humans pray to gods? Shouldn’t they be spending that time trying to solve their problems themselves?”
: Yeah, like when you’re given fuckloads of money to remake a game and still don’t fix the underlying plot issues.
: “Well, isn’t that all too convenient for the humans…”
: “I’ll bet the gods don’t appreciate that answer any more than we do.”
: I’m pretty sure this is a reference to one of the possible negotiation questions in the earlier games.
: “No matter. We’ve come to learn how these places of worship work firsthand. We’ll consider the assignment complete.”
: “Here is your reward.”
: “You know, confessions seem like they’d be rather useful to your rehabilitation. You ought to confess to us every day!”
: “Put that out of mind, Caroline. Once we return, you’re going to tell me all about your experience eating you-know-what…”
: “If you’re done eating, go wash the plate.”
: “Who was that invitation from? Let’s go upstairs and reply once you finish with the dishes.”
: We’re going to spend our morning doing Ryuji’s Rank 9 event. We’ll be finishing his confidant this month, but we have one more of those unique non-rankup scenes to see with him.
: “Pretty damn good, huh? This one’s on me. Don’t expect it to happen too often though. Wait… where’s my wallet? …Eh, whatever.”
: “Oh by the way, I got a text from Takeishi… he said the track team’s gonna try n’ ditch Yamauchi. They wanna start practicin’ without him.”
: “They’re trying to get their old coach back too… the one from before Kamoshida. Looks like they’re finally walkin’ their own path.”
: “Hm… yeah, I guess so. Oh, and uh… they asked me to come back to the team.”
: I’m not sure I understand why this is the right answer, other than that the track team seem like they’re assholes.
: “Dude, I wasn’t gonna. It felt kinda bad, but that’s not where I belong now. When you first came to Shujin, people were talkin’ so much shit about you. But you took it in stride.”
: “You just did whatever you thought was cool, and didn’t care what other people said about you. I think that’s why people kinda get pulled towards you, man. Wherever you decide to be, that’s where you belong.”
: “Seriously? Y’know… back before I met you, I kept makin’ excuses for why I couldn’t fit in. It was always 'cause of someone else. Kamoshida, the track team… hell, I even blamed my dad.”
: “I was such a freakin’ loser… but I’ve realized now… as long as I’m bein’ myself, I’ll always have somewhere I can fit in. It ain’t really the same place as before, but it’s damn good. …I’m just glad I found it.”
: “Heh, don’t worry, man. There’s a place here for you too. Right next to me… or maybe ahead? Something like that.”
: This from what is probably the worst party member in the game.
: Remember when this was a Rank 1 ability in Persona 4, and you didn’t know why until the very end? Persona 4 was a good game.
: “Someday, I’m gonna show you speed so lightnin’ fast, you’re not even gonna be able to see me. Wait, but if you can’t see me, am I really showin’ you anything…?”
: “Eh, whatever. I think we’ve been talking too long. We’re all outta monja… wanna try grillin’ some toothpicks?”
: I hope you’re ready for a phone call that retcons most of the last scene.
: Okay, so… the track team was going to ignore Yamauchi and do their own thing… and then right after you left the monjayaki place you got a call saying they’re not ignoring Yamauchi… what?
: Also, the phrase “I just got a call from them earlier…” doesn’t make any fucking sense. You were with Joker earlier! Fuck! This is approaching Ni no Kuni 2 levels of plot incoherence!
: The thing is, I don’t know why they put this in at all, because it contradicts the Rank 10 scene! Actually, I do know why - it’s because Ryuji is such a non-character that they couldn’t come up with anything else.
: “Thanks, man! I gotta pay you back - you can get some ramen, on me! And then let’s top it off with some seafood soup! A toast to the success of the new track team!”
: The track team that you’re not part of and want nothing to do with anymore? How does this make any fucking sense!? It doesn’t!
: But yeah, we can let the track team handle the rest of their problems. They gotta do the runnin’ from now on. Heh… I’m not gonna let my guard down now! I ain’t about to lose to them!"
: What was the point of that entire phone call? Hell, what’s the point of Ryuji’s entire confidant? What have we learned about him that we didn’t already know by the time Kamoshida’s palace was over?
: I think if I had to point to a single thing to show how this game talks a lot but actually says very little, I’d point to Ryuji’s confidant.
: After this pointless IM exchange, we quickly to go Chihaya to get a Luck Reading for Kindness. Why, you ask? Well, here’s another broken IM to explain.
: Notice how Joker’s response is “Go see it.”
: We get ten points to Kindness.
: “Oh, forgive me. I can’t help but focus more on the visual aspect than on that storyline.”
: Well yeah, it’s Les Mis.
: Joker’s like “Yeah, I stopped paying attention when Wolverine didn’t just bust out of the bastille using his adamantium claws.”
: “Thanks. Well, I already understand that you’re not the type to feel offended by such matters. Thank you for today. The time we spent together was worthwhile. Well then, let’s head home.”
: Yet another scene we wouldn’t see on the reset-heavy route, because we’d have already maxed out Ann’s confidant. I feel kinda bad for whoever had to write these knowing that there’s a good chance no one would ever see them.
: “Meiji Shrine is a Shinto shrine, right? I never thought Lady Ann would be into that traditional stuff…”
: “Should we try praying to the gods, too? It could be about us.”
: “Hey! They’re not so bad I have to ask for divine intervention! No, I want to pray for the future of the Phantom Thieves. Oh, but… I don’t really know how to pray properly.”
: “What should I do? Maybe I’ll ask someone.”
: Joker: “Oh no. I only packed four air horns today. Ann, don’t believe anything Dr. Femdom says, I don’t think she’s even a doctor.”
: “Are you on a date? Such an odd location for someone your age.”
: “Is that so? Well, not that I care.”
: “Um… is this someone you know, Akira?”
: “Don’t worry about me. I don’t intend to intrude. Oh… I assume you’re here for your college entrance exams. You had mentioned them before.”
: “Shake the bell twice and put in your offering. Then bow twice, clap twice, and bow once again. …Wasn’t that what you wanted to ask?”
: I went and fact-checked this, and it looks like that’s actually pretty accurate. The standard ritual for praying at a shrine is two bows, two claps, a prayer, and then a bow.
: There’s a lot more to it than that, though: there’s a specific way you’re supposed to walk through the Torii gate, a whole purification/washing ritual, and the donation itself.
: When I was streaming the recording for the LP, this bit tripped me up. The guide I’m using tells you to pick the option “As expected of a doctor”… which obviously doesn’t exist.
: The reason for this is that the only complete guide for this game on Gamefaqs was apparently taken from a Japanese guide, and I’m guessing they forgot to change the lines over.
: “Wait, you’re a doctor!? Well, you really helped us out. Thank you very much.”
: “Sure. Although… you may want to use this time to actually study for the exams instead of praying.”
: “That’s the doctor who gets us our medicine.”
: Ann whispers to Joker: “Is that why he’s so thirsty for me?”
: “Oh, I see… wait, you’ve been here the whole time!?”
: “How rude! I’m here to protect you!”
: “Yeah, sure… anyway, what is this about praying for college entrance exams?”
: “We asked earlier if she could get us some super stimulants to help us study.”
: We’re doing Hifumi again tonight, and unlock one of the last side areas we didn’t already have access to.
: Jinbocho is home to the final (and most expensive) book store in the game.
: “Today I thought we’d find you something to help you train on your own. This bookstore is filled with shogi-related books. I’ve been coming here a lot lately.”
: “There’s also a curry restaurant just around the corner. I recommend their katsu curry. I always eat katsu curry before an important match… for good luck.”
: “…My apologies. I forgot that there aren’t any matches scheduled for today…”
: “…Sorry. She was only glaring at you because you’re with me. She’s my senior… I defeated her in a recent title match.”
: “Actually… yes! I did have katsu curry before that match. The truth is, I’m not well-liked by my seniors… the more attention I get, the more enemies I make, and the more lies are spread about me…”
: “Perhaps it’s odd to compare myself to them, but… I wonder if it’s the same for the Phantom Thieves. People are so divided about them on the internet. Some love them, while others hate them…”
: She could be talking about Makoto here and it’d still work. Except no one should like Makoto because Makoto sucks.
: “I can’t help but see similarities between us. What do you think about them?”
: “…I feel the same way, actually. It’s amazing that they’re still doing what they do, even though so many people criticize them. They give me courage.”
: “But their victories can’t be won with will alone… how do they change a person’s heart? I’m interested from a tactical standpoint, and… oh, I’m sorry! We really are quite off-topic…”
: “I feel like I’ve become much more talkative as of late. I usually don’t talk this much… you’re more than just someone I can practice new moves with. You’re someone I can confide in.”
: “Um, if you don’t mind this sort of thing… I’d like to go out and chat with you again.”
: “Oh yes, there’s a book that I’d love for you to read. Let’s go.”
: “My intention was to show you how great Jinbocho is, but I ended up just talking about myself… my apologies. I was shocked, though. Ordinarily, I don’t talk that much, I assure you…”
: “Perhaps it’s because I never had friends at school who I could talk to about shogi… I hope this won’t discourage you from spending time with me. Really, I would be delighted to do this again.”
: “Thank you! Other than used books and katsu curry, there are many things I’d like to recommend in that city. If you have the chance, perhaps we can explore more of the city next time.”
: “Well, I’m afraid I must go. I’ll see you at the church.”
: Next time, we’ll spend a lot of time with Yusuke, unlock a thing that we’re going to make a minor schedule change to accomodate, and continue to be ahead of schedule and under budget.
I’m just imagining John Persona growing increasingly exasperated as he keeps repeating “But I already have a boyfriend!”
: We’re going to get a lot of these “Joker is eating curry while his phone goes off” scenes this update. I don’t know what possessed Atlus to do so many of them because none of the IMs are important.
: “Oh, you’re done eating. Here, I’ll make you a nice cup of coffee to wash it down. And make sure you wash your plate.”
: Thanks but no thanks Sojiro, we’re going to probably be puking in a couple minutes anyway.
: We do our… I’d call it weekly but I guess it’s not really… grip and sip. We didn’t go to Chihaya first, and that’s because we need her for something else - this week’s aojiru is for proficiency.
: The DVD store has new stock, so we’re going to rent what is probably a bootleg of 24 but the disc inside is actually Season 3 of The Office.
: That’s a nearly $75 book at current exchange rates. This old guy is just ripping us off… but we buy it anyway. From what I remember, the books from Jinbocho are so long that they take multiple sessions even with Speed Reading.
: NOW we go to Chihaya. The reason we’re doing this is because we’re going to work the convenience store job and then do Yoshida’s confidant - both of which give Charm.
: “That’s a ‘Racing Newspaper’. I feel for those horses being put to work.”
: “That’s the ‘Panda Bread’. The package is shaped like a panda.”
: Two things I never thought about. One: How is Joker hearing Morgana through that window? Two: Why is Morgana describing things Joker can presumably see?
: “There’s a sudden rush of customers as soon as Shibuya-senpai goes on break… let’s just focus on finding the barcodes and quickly getting through the crowd!”
: “There it is. Let’s scan it. I had no idea that pandas have white tails…”
: Joker: “Was it blue-eyed and overly attracted to human women?”
: And now we have all the information we need for the Mementos request. You might notice that this is suspiciously similar to the one with the Snowball lady - that’s because that one was added for Royal, while this one was in the base game.
: “You remember what you talked about earlier today, right?”
: “Yeah! We can’t allow this guy to abuse animals. And he’s doing it only for stress relief… he’s exactly the type of man we should punish. There’s no way I’m just letting this go.”
: “Kazuo Tsuboi, was it? Let’s steal this creep’s desires before he can harm any more innocent animals!”
: Sakai has a new trade, and I did it purely because I had a couple of exorcism waters from all of the Thoths I had to farm for the Megido card. If you don’t have any on hand, you can get them from the church in Kanda.
: “It is imperative that we resolve this situation, and social reform must be led by the government. However, who can the people currently depend on…? Yes, the Phantom Thieves!”
: “The fact that they’re being lionized is proof that the government is malfunctioning! The mismanagement by authority figures is what has led us to this terrible condition…”
: “It’s quite hot today, isn’t it, Kurusu-kun? I’m sweating profusely. Be sure to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. You don’t want to get heat stroke…”
: “I’m scheduled to give a speech today, but one thing about it will be different… I could use your help, as usual. Do you mind?”
: “There will be cameras coming today, apparently. I don’t feel good about that, but I couldn’t decline… regardless, we will have to do as we have always done.”
: “Advocate an overly optimistic policy only to lure in voters during the election season… that’s how No-Good Tora thought and operated 20 years ago, making unachievable pledges.”
: “If you make a promise, you must keep it. If you make a mistake, you must atone for it. These are basic human principles that we have all learned from the youngest of ages…”
: “However, I’ve been distracting myself from that. Do you think I’ve regained my confidence?”
: “Well, I must have if you think so. However, I will never forget the disgrace I suffered as No-Good Tora. Can I tell you a story? I mentioned this before, but 20 years ago, I was lucky enough to become a Diet member.”
: “However, I wanted to be a politician for all the wrong reasons. I wanted to be in a position of power and I was obsessed with the glamorous lifestyle.”
: He wanted to see how big briefcases full of bribe money can get.
: “I thought only of being popular. I truly was ‘No-Good Tora’. Learn from me. Don’t let being a member of the Diet be your only goal in life.”
: Hahahahah oh wow. That’s a good one.
: “Being ambitious and striving to advance in the political world will change your outlook on life.”
: “You’re… Mr. Kuramoto’s grandson?”
: “Does he know that you’re here speaking with me now?”
: “You know about him?”
: “Mr. Kuramoto… spoke of me?”
: Does anyone else find it really weird that absolutely everyone else in this game uses Japanese honorifics except for Yoshida? I have to wonder if this was an intentional thing or it just slipped under the radar since we all know no one proofread the base game’s script.
: I have no idea what happens if you don’t have the DVD player yet, but it probably just doesn’t show up.
: “Vibrant colors are integral to their unique style. You would never see such radiance in a Japanese work. Although I must say, your television fails to accurately reproduce their brilliant allure.”
: “Might I suggest that you perhaps invest in a newer model?”
: Joker: “Look, Yusuke, we both know that LCDs can’t accurately render black and go with a gross approximation of it. Also I’d have nowhere to put my Famicom unless I buy an OSSC and those are like $200.”
: “Ah, so you are already partaking in the search process. In this era of endless commodities, you prefer to shop for the greatest bargain… a fine attitude indeed.”
: “Either way, I am surprised you even managed to get your hands on such an old television…”
: He says that, but I found a CRT on the side of the road in like 2018 that I used for a brief period before I realized that the flyback was dying and those are a bitch and a half to replace.
: We have a crossword puzzle tonight, and for some reason I can’t find the “H” so I can spell “Alcohol”.
: “… No, mother. He’s my shogi friend… I told you about him, remember?”
: Hifumi’s mother is basically Jun’s mother in Innocent Sin if she was an actual character and not an afterthought.
: “…Yes, Mother.”
: Much like Jun’s mother, Hifumi’s mother would be better if we only knew who she was after she was dead.
: “giggle That was quite honest of you. Not altogether inaccurate, though. …My father is ill and unable to work, so my mother supports us…”
: “My mother used to be a local TV announcer, but she had to quit to take care of my father… my father was a pro shogi player. He’s usually calm, but when he played you could really feel his spirit.”
: “He never hesitated when making a move, just like a king. I really admired him, so I started playing shogi too. …But after pouring everything he had into shogi, he suddenly collapsed one day.”
: Her dad shogi’d too hard and is now in the shadow realm.
: “In my mother’s eyes, shogi stole both her dream and her husband… and yet, she tells me to keep playing… she wants me to achieve her dreams.”
: Her mother is so similar to Junko Kurosu that if you replace “shogi” with “Jun” in that last sentence it’s a perfect description.
: “I should be working to help support us. I want to become a professional so that I can make enough money to ease my parents’ burden.”
: “I do photoshoots and interviews, hoping they’ll add some money to our household income… but it’s honestly quite difficult for me.”
: “I’m happy you’re so concerned about me… but when I think about my mother, I… no one sees me as a shogi player anymore. They no longer recognize my skills. I’m not playing shoji in the hopes of becoming an idol…”
: “I simply love my family, and I want to support them through our troubles… tsk, this isn’t good. I shouldn’t be focusing on such negative topics before a match…”
: Dammit Hifumi, start your LP career in another thread!
: “This will teach you how to escape from disadvantageous situations.”
: “Are you ready? That aura… my right eye is twitching. Now! It’s time to unleash my hidden evil eye! Now… to a fair match!”
: Joker readies his duel disk.
: There’s a neat thing here where if it’s raining out, Joker will have his umbrella out and then collapse it when he gets under the awning.
: “I apologize for my mother’s rude behavior earlier. She’s been on edge lately… my male fans are beginning to concern her… she didn’t mean to offend you at all. I hope you’ll accept my apology in her place.”
: “…My apologies. I didn’t mean to cause you any unnecessary worry. I’ll be sure to talk to her about you. No doubt my lack of skill is what caused my mother to be so hypersensitive…”
: “I intend to improve my skills, so I can become an established player and put my mother at ease. So, then… let us both work hard for our goals. Goodbye for now.”
: We’re going to do a Yusuke event today, except… well, you’ll see.
: Everything’s normal so far.
: See this? This is different. Let me translate what this means: it means that this is one of the confidant events which has a social stat check in the middle of it.
: There’s actually quite a few of these, and we’ll bump into a few more as we go. If you don’t have the social stat (in this case it’s just proficiency 4, so we’re fine) the event ends and you are usually permafucked due to the time loss.
: This is one of the things I think kinda sucks about the way confidants are designed. There’s no way for you to know which stat you need without using a guide (or trial and error) and it’s kind of hard to plan around.
: “Indeed it does. I haven’t come back here since I moved away… the truth is, despite my best efforts to convey the meaning of the heart, I am no closer to understanding it.”
: “Such a troublesome roadblock never presented itself to me while I was living here… as you know, I spent most of my life living in this very house.”
: “That is why we have come now. I wish to reevaluate myself within its decrepit walls. By coming to this place, I may be able to rekindle the passion for art I once held.”
: “The passion of an inquiring mind on the hunt for pure beauty… before I learned of Madarame’s foul nature.”
: If Yakuza has taught me anything, that house is already a secret hobo casino and also possibly a secret hobo martial arts dojo.
: “Hm… I suppose it was quite an old door to begin with. It had begun to rust even while I was a pupil here. It seems now it has finally broken.”
: “Hm…? I doubt you will be able to force your way through here. You must have a steady hand if you wish to fix it.”
: And here’s our stat check. Of course, Joker already knows that to enter the secret hobo casino he has to go to the porn store to get the password.
: “Akira, you are capable of fixing it? …You never cease to amaze me. Let us head inside.”
: “You know, I lived here not long ago, yet it feels almost like the distant past at this point… being here has brought back memories though. Whenever I acted out of line, I was made to sit calmly in this corner.”
: “Ah, and over here was a bookshelf, filled to the brim with various tomes. It contained art compilation books for the most part, but there were a few manga tucked away as well…”
: “At times I would take a break from my art to hide and read them…”
: “This is also where we would gather to eat when the atelier still had a large pupil count. Sensei is particularly fond of salty food, so…”
: “Y-Yes… my apologies. The truth of the matter is, I used to paint in this room… and I did it simply for the joy of painting. No matter what I took as my subject, my hands would move of their own accord to capture its essence.”
: “But back then, I only saw the superficial beauty of the world. I could not see the grime beneath. After learning the truth behind Madarame’s actions though, everything changed.”
: “I strove to fight back against the newfound ugliness I saw… to display my talent to those who mocked me. I needed to do whatever it took to validate my artistic ability.”
: “In that search for meaning, darkness took hold of me. …Ultimately, I began to emulate that which I had so deeply despised in Madarame.”
: What Yusuke means is that he found a PS2 emulator and played Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts was a mistake.
: “You know, Boss told me something very interesting when I was staying with you that one night at Leblanc… he said… he didn’t believe Madarame took me in for my skills alone.”
: “I suppose now that I think about it, there would be no way to know whether or not I would have been talented. …Akira, why do you think Madarame decided to take me in?”
: “A fair point. That may be something only Madarame himself is privy to… though perhaps even he doesn’t know…”
: “Even after learning the ugliness of his true nature, a part of me still believes in my former mentor. I simply cannot come to terms with the stark dualities presented to me…”
: I thought this cutscene might’ve been changed for Royal, but it wasn’t. There were minor alterations to a couple of lines, but that’s it.
: “The humble house and that loathsome Palace… the kind teacher and the fiendishly deceptive artist… it seems even the workings of my own heart are inexplicable. What, then, of my own search for pure beauty?”
: “You’re… the man from the exhibition?”
: Bullshit! He was here to play some cee-lo and figured the guard at the door was slacking off again.
: “How do you know about that?”
: Remember kids, never sign to a major. Much as I think MC Lars is kinda cringy, that song’s pretty on point.
: “Director of the Japanese Art Support Foundation… Akio Kawanabe? But… why have you chosen me? You criticized me so harshly back at the exhibition.”
: “The Japanese Art Support Foundation… my opportunity may have finally arrived… and it was all because you opened that door for me…”
: “Hm, it seems good luck is simply a characteristic of yours. You have my thanks, Leader.”
: “The emotions I felt in that house still remain within me to this day. I do think it’s a good thing that I was able to realize all this. By the way, that gentleman… Kawanabe, was it? What’s your impression of him?”
: “I had no idea he was the director of art support, but he definitely had a certain presence to him. And he was even able to instantly pinpoint my weakness. He certainly is no ordinary individual.”
: “As someone with neither a home nor a patron, I couldn’t ask for a better offer… on top of that, I may be able to find a way out of my slump once I can fully focus on drawing.”
: We have to do Akechi again tonight. Thankfully, this is not only his shortest confidant event, but also unlocks something I’ll need to make a small schedule change for.
: “Hey, Kurusu-kun. Good evening. Do you have some time right now? There was a place I wanted to visit with you, but what do you think? It’s a special place for me. I’m hoping you’ll like it too…”
: Welcome to the jazz club. I’m going to go to screenshots for a bit while I explain what its deal is, and also why we need to adjust the schedule.
: The jazz club is a place you can visit at night with any party member. Each day of the week has a different bonus: some nights give that party member bonus stats, while others can give them a free level up.
: There are very specific dates on which you can have one of your party members learn a skill. The ones we’re concerned about are 09/04 and 09/25 - these teach Charge (spend a turn doing nothing for a 2.5x multiplier on your next physical attack, physical skill, or gun skill) and Concentrate (same but for magic) respectively.
: There’s a few more we’ll want much later on, but none of these will require scheduling changes as they happen after we’ll have maxed out all of the night confidants.
: Now, the problem is that on 09/04, we’re supposed to do Iwai’s Rank 5. 09/25 is for Yoshida’s Rank 8. However, I’ve found a workaround.
: The workaround works like this. On 09/20, we have an optional non-rankup event with Ohya. We’ll still see that scene, but instead of doing Ohya that night, we’ll be doing Iwai instead. We will then need to buy an affinity reading for Iwai the next day.
: Then on 10/08, we have a free night that we’ll use for Yoshida. This way, we’ll still get 100% but not have to worry about permafucks.
: I know that seems cheaty when I said this is a 100% all confidants run, but the thing is that by the normal schedule, we’d have to do the “do the event and then reload to do a different one” thing anyway at a later date.
: Yusuke and Makoto both have colossal holes in their builds. Yusuke is almost entirely physical-based, all of his best skills are physical… and yet he doesn’t get Charge. Ryuji does, but Yusuke doesn’t for some reason.
: Makoto has a similar hole: she learns Nuke Boost, Nuke Amp, and the fourth-tier Nuke spell (Atomic Flare) but doesn’t learn Concentrate. Ann does (and this is why Ann is a permanent fixture in the party) but Makoto doesn’t even though she’d get a huge benefit from it.
: There’s a lot of weird skill holes like that. Ryuji learns Elec Boost but not Elec Amp and Yusuke never learns any Boosts or Amps. Morgana has both Wind Boost and Wind Amp (it really whips the llama’s ass) but never learns Panta Rhei.
: “Is it safe to assume you’ve visited places like this before? In any case, let’s head in.”
: “Nothing in particular, but if you don’t mind me choosing, then I’ll put in a random order. You don’t have any soft drinks you actively dislike, yes?”
: There’s a song that only plays in the jazz club - it’s sung by the same vocalist who did all of the vocal themes for P5 (Last Surprise, Beneath the Mask, etc) and is basically Akechi’s character song.
: It’s the vocal version of the theme from the Thieves Den because Royal’s writers REALLY wanted to push the whole Joker/Akechi ship, even though Joker has but one boyfriend and his name is Yusuke.
: "I’m glad to hear you say that. Work and obligations take me to quite a few restaurants and cafes, but this place is a little more special to me. I guess you could call it my go-to place. Do you have anywhere like that?’
: “A cafe, hm? Sounds like you have good taste. So you came out to Tokyo on your own, and now you live in a cafe loft… impressive. It’s like something out of a story.”
: “Though I have to say, I’m envious. You must be quite well-stocked on coffee and curry. I live alone myself, but I rarely have the time to cook my own meals… that reminds me, do you cook?”
: “Haha, that makes two of us. Frozen meals and convenience store food are tasty enough, don’t you think?”
: “I usually come here when I need some time to really think on my own. So chatting with you here is really quite refreshing. You know, you’re the first person I’ve ever brought here…”
: Joker immediately pulls out his phone. “I should invite my boyfriend then. You’d like him, he’s cute.”
: “It’s not like I was keeping it from anyone, but… I suppose it goes to show we do have some strange connection.”
: Another kinda meh ability.
: “Ah, it’s gotten late… we should probably be going. Well, see you later.”
: "Wasn’t the music today wonderful? Live bands always have this certain power to their music. Certainly the point of jazz is about all those jam sessions. A sea of improvisation, both complex and organic…’
: “As each player incorporates their own flavors, a natural melody is born from chaos. There’s something about that strange, erratic synchronicity… it’s a euphoria like when I manage to solve a case.”
: I don’t need to see him to know that Akechi is repeatedly tipping his fedora right now.
: “Well! I’m glad I brought you along, then. I thought I’d have more luck if I brought someone who I know can keep up with me intellectually. Jazz is a deep and complex style. I’d love for us to sit down and really talk about it sometime.”
: Fuck no.
: “Stop checking your phone while you’re eating. Just concentrate on your food.”
: We’re going to max out Kasumi’s confidant today, so I attempt to level up Ho-oh through the Gallows. It does not work.
: Once you use the gallows on a Persona, you can’t do it again - it might reset when they level up, but I’m not sure on that. Oh well, I’m gonna need to make an all-boosts accident to get Nuke Boost.
: “I thought so. But I’m glad you decided to humor me. Batting helps train your reflexes, dynamic vision, and improves the power of your stance. And really, those are important elements in gymnastics, too!”
: “… It all sounds pretty plausible, right? Actually, I just wanted to come here. Honestly, I wanted you to see me hit a home run.”
: “I remembered something from when I was little. My father used to take me to the batting cages a lot. The other kids were scared of getting hit by the baseballs, but I just loved swinging the bat around.”
: “Every time I hit one, I kept thinking ‘It doesn’t matter how fast they are! I’ll slam them into orbit!’ I thought if I tried to put myself back in that headspace, I could get some ideas on how to get my boldness back.”
: “What do you think? That could work, right?”
: “I feel so energized now! I’ll show you what I can do, Kurusu-senpai!”
: “I’m sorry… I knew I was rusty, but I didn’t expect to miss ALL of them… I never see the ball coming, and I keep flinching… I didn’t think my slump was hitting me this hard…”
: “Senpai… you’re right! I’ll give it one more shot!”
: I’m going to admit something. Even though this scene is super anime, I don’t hate it. It doesn’t really teach us much about Kasumi we didn’t already know, but at the same time it works because we haven’t been subjected to her for hours on end.
: I wish I could mod this game, because what I’d do is cut the party member confidants entirely. They’re kind of unnecessary, unlike Persona 4 where you really didn’t know much about your party unless you did their S-links.
: “I did it, Senpai! I hit the ball!”
: I think we all know she did that dumbass anime “block the bullets with your sword” thing until she managed a bunt.
: “I knew you were watching me! That’s how I did my best! Up until now, I’ve only been working for myself. I was so desperate to make a good impression.”
: “But since I started hanging out with you, Kurusu-senpai, I started feeling like I want to live up to your expectations. And that feeling’s helped me feel so much stronger!”
: “I’d forgotten how it felt to work that hard on someone else’s behalf.”
: “Right! Thank you very much! Ever since I met you, Senpai, I’ve been discovering so many things about myself. But now, I feel like I’m closer than ever to getting my confidence back.”
: “Oh, right! I’ve been feeling a lot more limber and energized lately, too! I’m not totally back to normal yet, but even my grades have been going back up.”
: “Yeah! I still need to show you what I can do! Next time, you won’t have to watch me fumbling with a bat - I’ll show you an all-new, full-power gymnastics routine!”
: You might notice that that’s not the same text we got when we maxed out Kawakami. I wonder why…
: Well, whatever. Maxed is maxed. I’m sure this confidant won’t open up again in, say, the month after the base game ends.
: “Anyway, we’ve still got a lot to hit! I think it’s your turn, Senpai! Give it all the guts you’ve got! Smash it into outer space!”
: “I haven’t swung a bat in a while. My arms still feel kind of weird. I was kind of hoping to knock it out with a clang… but I’m just happy I managed to hit the ball!”
: “It’s nice to dip into sports aside from gymnastics. Was there anything else you wanted to try, Senpai?”
: “Wait, really? I’m so happy that you’re interested in gymnastics! Men’s rhythmic gymnastics actually originated in Japan. You need a ton of power and speed to compete in those.”
: “But I’d say you have the potential to do well in it. I’d love to see you try some acrobatic moves! …Um, I have a request for you, Kurusu-senpai. May I ask you to join me for more things from now on?”
: “When I’m with you, I just feel so much more capable. Whether you want to go train again or just hang out and chat… please, reach out whenever. Okay, I’ll let you go.”
: Don’t you just love these pointless IM conversations? Let’s go to our final event for this update: another Caroline and Justine outing.
: “…somehow capable of simulating the ocean despite being indoors.”
: “Rumor has it that sea creatures from all around the world have been gathered in this one place.”
: “What an incredulous claim, recreating something as vast as the ocean within a building… does such a location sound familiar to you?”
: “Well? If you know where it is, then escort us there immediately!”
: “Oh, an aquarium, huh? Guess we’ll see how well it’s recreated Mother Ocean.”
: “Let us see just what humanity is capable of. Now, lead us there.”
: “It’s my first time in this place, but it feels familiar to me, somehow…”
: “Such a superficial detail would not preoccupy us.”
: “Don’t act like you’re some sort of expert, Inmate!”
: “Let’s continue inspecting the premises. There are a number of other exhibits we’ve yet to see.”
: “Yes, the semi-transparent, floating invertebrates were quite fascinating. I believe they were named ‘jellyfish’. Those ‘sea cucumber’ lifeforms were also very intriguing…”
: “Really? They only creeped me out. The exhibit with the enormous fish was much cooler - the ‘killer whale,’ if I remember correctly.”
: “What nonsense is this? The jellyfish are far more appealing.”
: “No, the killer whale is clearly superior.”
: Orcas are like a kiss of death for Sega games. I don’t know if Balan Wonderworld has an orca in it, but I know it has an underwater level and reviewed poorly, so I wouldn’t be surprised.
: “I’m relieved that you understand.”
: “Dammit! Well maybe you’ll see just how cool the killer whale is if I toss you in his tank!”
: Joker has met Sonic. He knows what happens to Sega characters who come too close to the orca.
: “I believe we’ve completed our inspection of the premises, correct? We’ve seen how oceanic lifeforms from all over the world have been gathered here by humans.”
: Brought here by humans who wish to pay them tribute. I heard the redone Symphony of the Night opening recently and it sucks.
: “Indeed - that raises a question, though… why do humans go through the trouble of collecting other creatures and putting them on public display?”
: This is another negotiation question from the older games.
: “So they construct this chamber of concrete and glass, only to confine themselves in it alongside the creatures? The arrogance…”
: “If they admire nature so much, they should just move to a rainforest. I still don’t get you humans.”
: “Whatever the case may be, this assignment is now complete. Here is your reward.”
: “All right, it’s time to head back. Hm?”
: “…What is a penguin?”
: There’s a clip from Shirokuma Cafe I really wanted to put here that involves penguins putting on a sentai show, but I can’t find it on Youtube and lost the hard drive I had the show on years ago.
: “Hmmm…”
: “We have no particular interest in such a display…”
: Next time, we’ll feed the plant again, do a Yusuke confidant, reach Rank 9 with Ann, and then get locked into doing an optional event with Makoto for the sole reason that there’s nothing else I can fit in that time slot.
: Seriously, I had this whole thing planned out where we’d do a bunch of events earlier than normal, but all that really does is leave us with a couple of days near the end where we have nothing to do.
Were there pitfalls and one-way doors? Did she have to solve a light-mirror puzzle?
Their religion is jangly key man I guess
Maybe he has a bad heart from playing too much underground shogi, where you get an electric shock every time one of your pieces is captured (which is a thing that was actually in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX).
I’ve been thinking about this, and I think it’s actually fine (for a certain definition of ‘fine’). You’re not going to 100% a Persona game your first time through, so not being efficient your first time is fine. And if you’re playing P5 (or any JRPG) more than once, you clearly want to suffer, so you deserve any bullshit the game throws at you.
What’s funny is that initially, I wasn’t even going to buy Royal because I knew it was a cashgrab. I’ve had at least some fun with it, mostly because I know how the game works now and how to exploit it, but putting the extra content behind a second playthrough of a 60+ hour JRPG isn’t a great way to get me to engage with it.
On a side note, I hacked my PS3 today given the whole PSN situation. I went to see what was on the hard drive and as it turns out I bought a copy of P3 FES in 2014 and never played it.
I’m going to be honest, since most all of the dialog options you can choose are like three or four word sentences, in my head John Persona is terse and sardonic and thus it weirds me out to see options that include an exclamation point.
Also damn did that happen in Shirokuma Cafe I stopped watching way too early then
Yeah it did. There was this entire episode where they go to a different zoo than the one Panda works at, and there’s a bunch of penguins who are upset that no one knows the difference between them. Someone suggests they do a sentai show and suddenly it’s the most popular thing in the zoo. It was one of the best episodes of that show.
: I mentioned a couple of updates ago (it’s since been edited out) that we were going to max a social stat last update. That’s actually going to happen this update. What happened was I thought I had recorded the entirety of the 11th and then realized I had only recorded the morning bit.
: This update will also be split into two parts because we will be doing Ann’s Rank 9 event (and thus doing a reload to see her Rank 10 immediately). This update will contain the friendship route, while the romance route will be filed under the alternate scenes header in the hub post.
: “This man devoted his life to his craft, but in doing so lived and died in absolute solitude… I wonder if I too would be able to create a slew of masterpieces, were I to spend my days alone…”
: Given that portrait of Joker that’s been hanging on his wall for a few months now, I’d give him maybe a week alone before he gives up.
: “Heh… this is true. Loneliness would only narrow my perspective. Conversely, I wish to expand my realm of possibilities…”
: Clearly, the once-over that Atlus supposedly gave the base game’s script didn’t apply to these scenes.
: Thanks to boyfriend power, we’re now at rank five for Charm. This saves us 10,000 yen over the next couple of days that we’d otherwise have to spend on luck readings. When I said we were ahead of schedule and under budget, I meant it.
: We now need to visit Chihaya for two things. The first is a luck reading for Kindness, because we need to water the plant. The second is an affinity reading for Sojiro.
: The reason we need this is because Sojiro’s confidant as a whole is kinda fucky. You can do ranks one through three very early on (as we did). Rank four requires a shitload of points, and then rank five isn’t available until 08/22.
: I find it kind of funny that you can get an affinity reading for Chihaya. We actually will do this at one point… but really, isn’t that just a bribe?
: Now I’m wondering if Chihaya is actually magic, or if she just takes our money and bribes the confidants on our behalf.
: Just three feedings until we’re done with Kindness forever.
: Two rank-ups on the same day? Sure, why not.
: “What kind of friends do you spend your time with? You can withstand difficult times if you have friends who support you through them. I received a dinner invitation from Dietman Matsushita. He would like for you to come as well.”
: “Let me know if you would like to attend. I’d be delighted if you would consider this as helping with my campaign and join me…”
: It’s oddly prescient that this scene exists, given that Shinzo Abe resigned the same year Royal released.
: “I see…”
: “Unfortunately, this is all beyond me now.”
: “You have a very adaptable way of thinking. Most people who want to get into politics are jealous of them.”
: “However they manage to change hearts, I respect their belief in crushing evil and saving the weak.”
: “I can’t deny that. But that’s not why I support them… I bet they’re a group of young people. Young people who have experienced cruelty and injustice.”
: “They bravely face the societal ills that plague our world without thinking of the consequences. Brave, yet pitiful… I suppose.”
: “…Is this what you asked me here to speak to me about?”
: “And…?”
: “…So you’re saying I should give up my campaign to become a Diet member?”
: No, you’re doing it wrong, you’re supposed to link a song when you do that and… god dammit.
: You know, I just realized that that bribery theory definitely works. There’s no point bribing Yoshida because you always rank up every time you visit him - because it’d ruin his career even further if he was caught taking a bribe.
: “Matsushita…”
: “He likely has an ulterior motive. If he felt hopeful, he wouldn’t ask me to not run for the Diet. I expect he’s trying to take advantage of me… that happens a lot in this world.”
: “What would you do at a time like this, Kurusu-kun?”
: “So you’re telling me to take control of my destiny, hm? You’re very inspiring.”
: “Above all, I wish to continue speaking with you. You have such a fresh outlook on the world.”
: “Let’s finish up for today. Sorry I made you tag along. I’ll see you again soon.”
: How much do you want to bet the writers for Royal had no idea someone was going to line up the dialog so you can see that he repeats himself?
: “I’m sure you’ll end up having to face something similar someday, so let me share my thoughts. When people come to you with these negotiations, you need to see what’s really on the table.”
: “Do you see the offer as a risk or an opportunity…? You’ll have your own major decisions to make, in time. The most crucial thing is that you don’t lose sight of who you are.”
: “It comes from experience. I don’t want you to make the mistakes I did. Just remember - even when you’re surrounded by opposition and opinions, hold onto your own conviction.”
: “…Ah, I’m sorry. Maybe I’m getting a little too worked up about this. Well then, until next time. Good night.”
: Judging by the comment under the popularity bar, Andrew Allanson has made a cameo appearance in this game.
: “…The man who offered his support to me at Madarame’s house. I would like your assistance with him. Do you have time to spare?”
: “I find it quite suspicious that he would offer money to a mere high school student like myself… I am grateful for his offer… but I am unsure of what to do.”
: “…Yeah. I must cling onto any semblance of hope I can find in this world… very well. I will call him.”
: “I would appreciate it if you could join me, Akira. Your presence could help ease my societal discomfort, as well as diffuse the temptation of money. Furthermore, your composure will allow you to tell if he is truly attempting to scam me.”
: “Kawanabe-san is waiting for us at the sushi bar. I already told him that you will be coming, so let us go.”
: “Before that… there is something I would like to ask. Just who are you?”
: Yeah, that sounds like a real good way to get Yusuke on board.
: “Sensei…I-I mean, Madarame?”
: Gotta love how his argument for why Yusuke should join this thing is “Well, we’re big enough dumbasses that we got conned by Madarame.”
: “Madarame… to think I once relied on his teachings, called him my mentor! …This is all because of him. It is his fault that I can no longer view paintings with a pure heart…”
: “In the past, simply the desire to paint led me to seek beauty. But now, I find myself constantly weighed down by the search for awards or the praise of others…”
: “An ugly attachment has fastened itself upon my work… I can no longer paint how I used to. My art… is tainted.”
: “…A-As he said. I am wondering the same thing.”
: “A story…?”
: “Excuse me!?”
: “I have that resolve! However, I also believe such a life should only come via proper assessment!”
: “What did you say!?”
: “Why is it that all artists talk about is money, money, money!? Has the true meaning of art been lost!?”
: “Akira…! You are correct. My passion can change the world. However… I would starve to death without money. Passion alone may fill my heart, but it cannot fill my stomach. What a troubling predicament…”
: “Anyhow, I am quite glad that you chose to accompany me here. I may have bit my tongue off in anger had it been only me. In other words… you are a soothing force in my life.”
: This will be helpful for copying that Megido card we got earlier. I fully plan on reloading once we go to Mementos to get Megidolaon.
: “I… I will participate in Kawanabe’s exhibition. I am going to display my ability and prove him wrong. …Come, let us go home. …Actually, we should eat first. The sushi has done nothing wrong, after all.”
: He might in the friendship route, but this is the last time we’ll be seeing or hearing from Kawanabe in the More Like Yusu-Gay route.
: “It’s good that I’m sitting in front of the canvas while my emotions are hot… but the lingering taste of sushi has me utterly distracted! Not only that, I allowed Kawanabe to pay for it all…”
: “I’m tainted after all…! I’m a petty sellout, a slave to the power of money!”
: Why is this not just one option? “Calm down. It’s not a crime to enjoy sushi. Let’s go again sometime.”
: “I-I apologize. I know I’m only acting like this because… Kawanabe had me in the palm of his hand. …If I’m being honest, I still feel doubts about my work.”
: “I may end up embarrassing myself again… but even then, I must express myself. Your support in this would mean the world to me. Goodbye for now.”
: We need to get another affinity reading for Sojiro tonight. If we were strictly on the guide’s schedule, we would also be getting a luck reading for Charm, but… we won’t be needing that.
: “Although I’d be pretty happy to let those records stay unbroken. Still, this time of year is the best for a nice, refreshing cold one.”
: “Have you heard any good gossip? My deadline’s coming up, and I’m all out of material. Sit down, I’ll treat ya.”
: “For real? From the look of it, you must have good info, huh? Give me the details about the Kamoshida incident.”
: “So the calling card they used for Kamoshida was different… now that’s a scoop. That kind of information usually doesn’t see the light of day. …You have any photos or videos of it?”
: “Nice! You have some great connections. chuckle But seriously, the ‘Phantom Thieves of Hearts’? They sound like kids on a playground, not valiant fighters for society.”
: “I mean, they act all high and mighty, but I’m not sure they’re really worth very much in the end.”
: “Hah, that’s hilarious! You think they’re actually virtuous? In my line of work, there’s no clearer sign of deception than goodwill. You know, like the shady actions of a charitable organization, or the actual criteria of a peace prize.”
: “Same thing goes for the Phantom Thieves. You just have to learn to take some things with a grain of salt.”
: “Why? It’s the truth.”
: I like that this is the writers all but admitting that Ohya is a thinly veiled ripoff of Maya.
: “…Gimme some sushi.”
: “No can do. I’ve been permanently reassigned to the culture and entertainment department.”
: “Urgh, dammit! I’m already sobering up. Gimme a refill, Lala-chan!”
: I just thought of the best catchphrase for what Ohya is. She’s Maya except instead of “Let’s Positive Thinking!” she’s “Let’s Constantly Drinking!”.
: “Hey, you wanna drink? You can have some of mine if you want.”
: Joker’s like “God dammit, the Persona 4 party got to drink. Don’t even tell me that line about ‘Oh there’s no actual alcohol here’ wasn’t added as protection against CERO, they were absolutely drinking.”
: Of course, we all know that Yusuke is probably already a professional wine taster and this is going to annoy the hell out of Joker once they get married.
: “Whoa… that’s some scowl you’ve got. Anyway, why are you coming to a bar if you can’t even drink alcohol?”
: “Haha, that’s right! You’re a true believer in the Phantom Thieves. Well, at least now I know you’re gonna be pretty useful. I’m not all that interested in the Phantom Thieves myself, but keep the info coming, all right?”
: “What’s taking so long, Lala-chan!? Where’s my drink!? Do they call you Escargot 'cause you move slow as a snail?”
: “Can’t you just go buy more? I’ll wait for you… forever. 
Just kidding! Ahaha!”
: We have a non-rankup event with Ryuji tomorrow. The first time I did it, I forgot a matching Persona… though I’m not sure it’s totally necessary. I have a lot of doubts about this guide’s accuracy.
: Today, Joker is going to do nothing but play video games.
: “Sweet, let’s do some co-op! I’m gonna show you how a real man plays!”
: “What is this? Star Forneus? Huh, never heard of it. Guess we just gotta give it a try!”
: Star Forneus’s logo is a direct reference to Star Fox… which was an SNES game. I’d go grab a screen off my SNES but my desk is currently being eaten by a hacked PS3 and the 20 or so feet of HDMI cables I need to make it work.
: I also found out today that had I hacked my PS3 like eight months ago, I could’ve recorded Innocent Sin straight off it. I might try and see if I can transfer my copy of IS and see what it looks like.
: “A shootin’ game, huh? The whole retro space thing’s pretty cool. You ready for my rapid-fire skills? I’m gonna blast all the enemies outta here! Oh, crap… that thing’s freakin’ massive…”
: “It’s gotta be the boss. Mkay, time for double-rapid-fire!”
: Each of the console games has a minigame like this attached to it. In this case, you get like five seconds to mash X ten times. I’m pretty sure my cat could do that if he wasn’t busy spreading his hair on everything.
: “Awww yeahhh! We kicked that thing’s ass, no problem! Looks like we win! Your rapid-fire wasn’t half-bad!”
: That uh, feels like a little bit of a stretch, but whatever. We get the usual coffee/bathhouse dialog after this, but Joker has other plans.
: Those plans being to continue playing video games.
: “I was out here gathering intel, and I noticed some patrons playing this… I did a bit of research. Apparently it’s a pretty hardcore shooter game. Do you normally play games like these?”
: I mean, shooting demons with a “model” gun counts as a shooter game, right?
: “Oh, maybe you’ve played this one before? I can only ask that you go easy on me.”
: “Phew! My fingers are going to be sore tomorrow. What a realistic game.”
: Oh look, another obvious slip… only this one wasn’t in the base game from what I remember. There’s a long pause after this.
: “…Only a joke. I’m new to this, I’m afraid. Perhaps we’ll chalk it up to beginner’s luck. Still, this did feel a bit nostalgic for me.”
: This is a line they put in purely to explain something in the base game.
: “All this reminded me of running around the house with it, playing hero…”
: “I’m not totally certain, but thinking back, I suppose I must have. But there are different kinds of heroes, of course. Different stances they define themselves by.”
: Yeah, there’s the poorly-written kind and the even more poorly-written kind.
: “For example, one may stick to the vision of justice they believe in, even if others deny it… while another may simply do as others desire of them, seeking to be recognized and gratified as a hero.”
: “So? Which of those two fits more with your conception of a hero?”
: Joker: “I mean, if you think about it, Deadpool is a hero and he just does whatever.”
: “You believe there’s a third option? I suppose if you’re fighting for a justice nobody really wants, then it’s just blind self-righteousness in the end. Ah, sorry. I suppose that was a strange tangent… pardon me.”
: “Whenever I talk with you, I just can’t help delving into these abstract topics.”
: “I could use a shower. Why don’t we call it a day? Well, see you again.”
: “Thank you for hanging out with me. I had quite a lot of fun. I don’t play these games too often, so I honestly wasn’t sure how well I’d do. Hopefully I didn’t come off as too much of a novice. I wish I’d played better.”
: “Haha, really? I’m honored that you think so. I suppose I’ve always been quick to grasp the fundamentals of anything… but that’s also been a concern for me.”
: “There’s this… constant pressure. Everyone expects me to be capable of anything, which is stressful in and of itself.”
: “Still, games are rather fun. It was quite a novel experience… usually, I just read in my leisure time. It offered more realism than I expected, and I was impressed by how immersive it felt.”
: “Usually I really struggle with enjoying the same pastimes as my peers, but thanks to you, I had fun today. I hope you can join me again if you get the chance. Now, I’ll talk to you later.”
: Not pictured - going to Chihaya for a luck reading on Guts and then doing a grip and sip for same.
: “I know it’s a day off, but I called and said we need to get some books, so we should be able to get in. It’s still hard for Shiho to climb stairs though, so do you think you could help me carry her?”
: “Isn’t Akira super reliable?”
: giggle “Mm-hm, just like you were telling me.”
: “I think… to settle things. To tell you the truth… I wanted to reenact that moment. Wearing these clothes, standing here again… I wanted to know what it would feel like.”
: “…What about back then? What were you thinking?”
: “I… I didn’t want to die. I just needed to escape… it was like another person inside of me was screaming, telling me to come up here… it almost felt like that person was trying to kill me…”
: “But I know that person was part of me too… my weakness. So, I wanted to see if she would show up again now.”
: “Yeah… she doesn’t exist anymore.”
: “…You’re so strong, Shiho. The only reason you can stand here now is because of how hard you worked for your rehab.”
: “Maybe… but that was all thanks to you, Ann.”
: “Me?”
: “Because I saw how hard you were trying, too. Trying to be strong, to be cool… wanting to be an action star… striving to be a better model…”
: “You were so positive… your eyes sparkled with motivation. With you putting that much effort in, I couldn’t just let my life go to waste in a hospital bed.”
: No sir, nothing gay here.
: “Shiho… I’m not strong… I’m nothing without you. I’m just a lonely, scared girl…”
: “Ann… I’m sorry… for deciding to transfer schools.”
: “Shiho… I’m… I’m going to become a real model! That way you’ll be able to keep seeing me… and keep giving life your all… I’m gonna be in a bunch of magazines, and I’ll say tons of good stuff in interviews…”
: “So… stay healthy. Work hard, but not too much… and keep in touch. Just… take care of yourself…”
: Ann’s confidant really works if you assume she’s gay or bisexual.
: “I made a promise with Shiho, so there’s no turning back now. I’m gonna study how to properly exercise, and even relearn how to walk the runway.”
: “I want to pick up on some other languages and cultures too, so I can start doing overseas events. Because, well… the only way I can help Shiho is to show her how hard I’m working.”
: “…Mm-hm! If I can do that, Shiho… she’ll definitely…”
: The game will give you a warning if you’re already dating someone else… but Joker knows that making a move on Ann (even if they weren’t both gay) would be the wrong thing to do.
: We’ll see the other (non-canon) version of this scene under the “Alternate Scenes” header in the hub post.
: “Oh… you’re right… I have our team now. There are people suffering out there, just waiting for us to save them… that’s why I need to do my best… not just for our team, but for everyone who needs our help.”
: “Akira… let’s do this, together.”
: “A-Anyway… I should be heading home. I’ll be fine by myself. Oh, and thanks for going out with me today… u-um… I didn’t mean it like that. Of course not. …See you later!”
: We then go to Chihaya for a second time today to get an affinity reading for Ann. We only need the one, and I’m not convinced we even need that.
: There is an evening event with Yoshida, but I will be skipping that temporarily (it’ll be at the end of the update instead) in order to go directly to Ann’s Rank 10.
: There’s an optional event on the 15th with Makoto. I will be showing that off at the end of the update after the Yoshida event on the 14th. For canon purposes, Ann’s Rank 10 actually happens on 08/19.
: “Okay… I won’t…”
: “What’s going on here?”
: “Yeah…”
: “Oh yeah, I remember.”
: “What I did was really terrible. I caused so much trouble for everyone… but I’m gonna start working even harder from now on, I promise…”
: “Yup!”
: “…You really did something that lame?”
: “What are you calling lame? This industry’s overflowing with models. Without an in, your career will never even get off the ground. Chances don’t come to those who wait. You have to make your own luck if you want to succeed.”
: “You really are something…”
: “It’s your own fault for getting the boot. If you can’t crawl your way back up, you may as well go home. And either way, it’s not like I’m not talented. I just needed my shot, and now I’m selling like crazy.”
: “…You talk big, but they still found out about your fake emails.”
: “Sure, but all I had to do was offer a teensy apology. It would’ve been dumb to try and hide it from them. Anyway, they can’t sack me now. I’m gonna get even more popular, even if it means being detested for my actions.”
: giggle “You’re just like the villains I used to admire when I was a kid. Beautiful, strong… and wicked. Honestly, I just can’t bring myself to hate you.”
: “Well I don’t have any trouble hating you.”
: “Sorry Mika, but your hard work is only gonna get you to second place. I’m going to be the number one model. You might be more popular right now, but I’ll take that spot from you fair and square.”
: “Hm… all right then, I won’t pull any more tricks. I’ll beat you with beauty… fair and square.”
: Wait, wasn’t this the same exact pose she was using during that last event with Mika in it?
: “So… how was it?”
: “Well, yeah! I had to work extra hard with you watching, Akira! I know I said I want to be the number one model, but I’m okay with that not happening just yet.”
: “For now, I just want to keep improving, one step at a time. Then someday down the line, I’ll be able to look at myself with pride. Hopefully people will see that confidence, and draw strength from it.”
: “I’m gonna be a ray of light for the people of this planet… just like you and Shiho are for me…”
: “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks! Akira… you’re my light.”
: “Got it! Hey, let’s hang out a little more once the shoot ends, okay?”
: “Back when I met Shiho, when she saved me… I realized that personal relationships are something to be treasured. That’s why I’m not going to run away anymore.”
: “I’ll face myself head on. This time, it’s my turn to help someone. But… I’m still kinda worried. Do you think you could help me, Akira?”
: So what you’re saying is you’ll face out, you’ll hold out, you’ll reach out to the truth? Or that you’ll face yourself?
: “Mm-hm! You can lean on me too, if you need it…”
: Joker’s like “Ann, you’re the only person in the party who learns a fourth-tier spell, an amp, a boost, and concentrate.”
: giggle “…I feel like we finally see each other eye to eye, Akira. I’m so glad I met you…”
: Oh right, it’s time for the music!
: Every party member has the same ability at Rank 10. Unlike Persona 4, the Second Awakenings in P5 kinda suck. Instead of losing their weakness, each party member has their initial resistance upgraded to a null (so Ann now nulls fire) and gains a secondary resistance (Ann gets electric) as well as a Dodge skill for their weakness element that triples their evasion rate against that element.
: By the way, this screen is inaccurate. Royal adds an 11th rank to all of the party member confidants (this was a selling point) that only unlocks for the new content.
Three-faced Greek goddess associated with magic and lunar lore.
: “It means forever! Got it? Anyway, let’s eat before our food gets cold! Time to dig in!”
: “We don’t have much time left. I know it’s frustrating, but there’s not much we can do.”
: We’ll now proceed to what we’re actually doing on the night of 08/15, before circling back to cover the Yoshida event we missed on 08/14 and the optional Makoto event I really wish I hadn’t bothered to record.
: “I didn’t know it was so popular with high school kids. I haven’t been paying much attention to it. But if it’s newsworthy, I guess I should keep tabs on it.”
: “The Phantom Thieves must be really bored if they’re going after small-time criminals now. I have a theory that they’re all minors, and their leader is some simpleton dying from boredom…”
: “Haha, you’re right. My theory is definitely half-assed at best. Plus if it only takes a second to change a person’s heart, they totally wouldn’t be bored.”
: “Well, I’m not really interested in writing entertainment articles about whatever fad’s caught on.”
: “People at work call them paparazzi behind their backs… but me? I’m a real journalist!”
: “Hey, I wasn’t looking for some kid to butt in! Entertainment articles are all about selling copies… the truth doesn’t even matter. Nobody wants to read real news… sigh”
: “…Never.”
: “If I quit now, it’d be the same as declaring my partner guilty.”
: Oh, I know! I bet her partner’s name is Oyukin and she hates photography, and is also the worst girl in the three games she’s been in, because Persona 5 is rapidly turning into the Ni no Kuni 2 isekai realm counterpart to Persona 2.
: “Of course she was! …I mean, never mind! Hahaha! But… thanks to you, I’ve had more time to focus on my own investigation.”
: So here’s what I wonder, right? If Persona 5 is just the isekai realm counterpart to Persona 2, does that mean there’s an Isekai Makoto who isn’t THE SMART GIRL and lets her friends have more screentime and also their own opinions?
: "I’m going to write an article that you’ll really enjoy! Think of it as a sign of my appreciation! I can see it now! ‘Exclusive: Behind the Incredible Phantom Thieves! Dial 911 for Justice!’ "
: “…How’s that sound? Haha, don’t worry! I’ll take it seriously. After all… that’s what I promised you.”
: I think this ability is poorly translated. We already lose security level when ambushing enemies - that’s an ability you have from the start of the game even in the base game.
: What I’m pretty sure this actually does is increases how much the security level lowers when you ambush an enemy. Again, this is shit they could’ve fixed in Royal… but I guess it can’t be helped, right?
: “You sure are weird though, coming all the way to Shinjuku at night…”
: “I can talk with him? Really? Okay, I’ll be right there. Work? Nah, I’m already off the clock.”
: “Sorry, I have some urgent business to attend to. Just put this one on my tab, Lala-chan. See ya!”
: Okay, done with that. Now we need to go back to Yoshida’s event on the 14th.
: “Considering that the grandson of my former teacher is showing me such kindness.”
: “I see… congratulations.”
: “Well, I was planning on running myself… and I don’t believe that I’m qualified to teach you.”
: “Well, I did have a lot of free time after I lost the election. Study is all an amateur can do.”
: “I’d be happy to bury the hatchet with Mr. Kuramoto… but I’m not worthy to join his group again.”
: “Sorry, could you give us a moment, Kurusu-kun?”
: “Wait a moment… is your plan to involve him so that I can’t decline?”
: “Are you saying that you’re going to secede from the Liberal Co-Prosperity Party?”
: “And so you’ve come to me, a former member of the Kuramoto Children… but my views differ from those of the Kuramoto group. And I don’t intend on changing them.”
: “You think so too, hm…? Haha, you’re not intimidated, even by the grandson of a big-time Diet member. …I appreciate your offer, but I must respectfully decline.”
: “Kurusu-kun…”
: “Try to understand that he has his own beliefs.”
: “What’s the point in getting elected if it means sacrificing your beliefs? I bet when push came to shove, Kuramoto-kun intended to lure you in. He probably didn’t expect me to remain so calm after he showed his trump card.”
: “I feel surprisingly at ease when you’re with me, like that time with Matsushita. I’m truly indebted to you for all you’ve done for me, but I must ask that you continue to help me.”
: “You know, from the way he was acting, I’d swear Kuramoto-kun was hiding something… ah, my apologies. We’re done eating, so let’s go home. Good work today.”
: Finally, here’s the Makoto event on the 15th.
: “Thank you. I do hope we find something… I want to learn more about cognitive psience while we wait for Futaba to regain her strength.”
: “If only we could understand it more in depth. Maybe we could solve the mystery of the Metaverse. It would make traversing it easier for us, too.”
: Hifumi, being the closest thing this game has to a best girl, immediately nopes out the second she realizes she’s in a Makoto cutscene.
: “Excuse me, please wait! Was there something you wanted to say to him?”
: “Oh no, nothing in particular… I was just surprised to see him here. I didn’t mean to intrude between you two…”
: “No need to be so considerate. He’s just carrying my books for me. …Is she a friend of yours?”
: The books that don’t exist because there was exactly one person researching cognitive psience and she’s dead?
: “W-Warrior!? We just play shogi together…”
: “Is she the professional shogi player you had mentioned before? The master strategist? I admit I only know the rules, but I’m intrigued to know how a professional shogi player thinks.”
: “Is that… a book on shogi tactics?”
: “Oh, yes. I come here to purchase old shogi strategy books from time to time.”
: “Pardon me for asking… could you teach me some strategies? I believe this knowledge would benefit me greatly in the future.”
: “Oh? Sure, if you’d like. Well, if it is about shogi, then… to attack, you will need to be creative with your approach, and sacrifice pieces with no remorse.”
: If only we could sacrifice Makoto.
: “So, plan on enticing your opponent to focus on your sacrificial pieces so you can advance a counter attack?”
: “Yes… you seem to have a talent for this. Another strategy I enjoy is to use bait pieces to draw your opponent to your side of the board.”
: “Hmm, I see. That way you can surround them and…”
: And that’s it. I’ll post Ann’s alternate scenes after this at some point. Next time, we’ll gain insight from eating a burger, max out Ryuji’s confidant and get forced into two consecutive days of Makoto.
: Ann’s Rank 9 Romance is exactly the same as the Rank 9 Friendship event (see Update 51), with the split happening at this dialog choice. Let’s see what would happen if we created a horrible, non-canon hellscape.
: I think what I hate the most about this cutscene is that it seems like Ann doesn’t really want to be in this position.
: “Akira… I love you.”
: “I-I said what!? I…”
: The one thing I like about this version of Ann’s route is that you can practically hear Morgana screaming in the background as any chance he had with Ann evaporates.
: “I don’t think I would’ve been able to express myself that honestly if you hadn’t been there. Thanks to you being there… I got myself to really open up to Shiho…”
: “Also, I was… too nervous to ask this after we left the roof, but… will you stay by my side forever…? I kinda need you to, at this point!”
: “…! W-W-W… wait are you, like… p-proposing to me right now…!? T-Trying to bag a future top model for the rest of your life, huh…? Gosh, you’re so selfish, Akira!”
: “Eheh… but if you want me all that badly, then yeah, I guess I’m all yours… I mean, it works for me too, right!? Eheh! Heheheh… um.”
: "…A-Anyways! I’m going to work hard as both a model and a phantom thief!
: “So you better never let me go, Akira… or else I’m gonna shoot all the way up to the top, and it’s gonna take you ages to get on my level! …So… I’ll talk to you again later. Bye, Akira.”
: Ann’s Rank 10 Romance scene is identical to the one we saw in Update 51 up until she leaves the photoshoot.
: “U-Uh…”
: The next several lines of dialog are identical to what you see in the Friendship route up until the point where the Rank 10 screen pops up and Ann’s Persona evolves.
: “Good… I’m so glad…”
: “Huh? It’s over already? We went all the way around… but I didn’t see any scenery. …All I saw was you.”
: “Um, before we get off… sh-should we at least do one thing… you know… that couples do?”
: There’s a shot that’s only on screen for a fraction of a second during the fade-out where you see them start kissing.
: And that’s that. I think we all know that they’re faking it in an attempt to get Morgana to stop being horny.
: “She asked me to show her your picture though… apparently, um… she thinks you look a little lame… she told me that my boyfriend isn’t in the same league as her Tsukasa.”
: “But I think she’ll change her mind once she sees you in person. Don’t worry, I’ll back you up.”
: Makoto’s Rank 6 requires that we have a maxed Charm stat. Thankfully, we’re way ahead of schedule on that.
: I looked it up out of curiosity, and gay host clubs are apparently very much a thing in Japan.
: What I’m saying is that they should’ve put in a showtime attack with Joker and Yusuke where Yusuke goes to Joker’s host club and requests him and then they get into a shootout and throw a molotov in a champagne bottle at the enemy.
: “Y-Yes, I am… totally…”
: “Y-Yeah…”
: Tsukasa’s like “Why is he gritting his teeth and muttering ‘Yusuke’ over and over?”
: “…”
: “Um, there’s something I’d like to ask you… are you serious about pursuing a relationship with Eiko?”
: “…I just wanted to make sure you’re good for her.”
: I hate that the game has to bash you over the fucking head with the fact that Tsukasa’s an asshole. This confidant almost could’ve been interesting if they hadn’t gone the predictable route.
: “Huh?”
: “I-I, um…”
: “I do have one more question to ask… you’re not going to bring Eiko to your club, are you?”
: “I hope he’s not tricking her… but no matter what I might think, I still don’t have any proof… and above all, Eiko seems to be happy. Am I just… getting in the way of their happiness?”
: I don’t care that we can all see the “plot twist” coming a mile away, I will take any opportunity I can to dunk on Makoto. Seriously though, she has no personality.
: “You may be right… in the end, I know this is just a hunch… but my father always stressed how important it is to trust hunches.”
: “It seems that host has sent me something already. …What is this supposed to be saying? It’s full of emojis.”
: I am going to actually transcribe this with the emojis in question, because otherwise it’d look weird due to the site not being able to handle the * action here * thing properly.
: “It’s meee, Tsukasa. I no we just met but I cudn’t wait 2 
u. Im so haP to B friends with U, Mako-chan 
”
: “That was barely a coherent sentence, but I’ll need to get used to that if I’m going to help Eiko… by the way, I’m glad you were here with me. I would have really panicked had I been alone.”
: “But I’m working through that with your help, so… thank you.”
: We now have Harisen Recovery on everyone but Morgana.
: “We should get going too. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up. Goodbye.”
: “I feel strangely exhausted. It reminds me of when we went to the red-light district… even after we split ways, that host kept sending me messages.”
: “He uses these weird symbols - I have no idea what he’s saying. I want to ignore him, but I shouldn’t for Eiko’s sake…”
: Makoto complaining about other people talking too much but saying very little is like the Allansons complaining about bad writing and spaghetti code.
: “Oh, yeah. That’d be a good excuse to ignore him. You have some great ideas. Thanks, I’ll try responding with that.”
: Ten minutes later, Makoto IMs Joker. “Wait… so all those times I tried to call you and you said you were on a date…”
: “…I just can’t shake these doubts about Eiko’s boyfriend. I can’t tell if he’s a bad guy, but he doesn’t seem on the level either… I’ll need a little more information. Thanks for all your advice. I’ll talk to you later.”
: Joker’s village has been burned to the ground by the villain, because he’s an RPG protagonist?
: “I suppose all you really need to change fate is a strong will, like what you have. I wish I could do more though…”
: “By the way, Kurusu-san… this man here is Fukurai-san. He’s um… the chairman of the ADP. Oh right, you don’t know about the ADP yet! It stands for…”
: Adaptability? Yeah, that stat was one of the reasons Dark Souls 2 sucked. That and Soul Memory. Fuck anything that inhibits my ability to invade.
: This is why I don’t like Chihaya’s confidant much. Sure, the abilities you get from it rule - but she comes across as kind of a total dumbass.
: The other problem is that this entire plotline is something that’s been done before. I don’t get how Persona as a franchise goes from Persona 1 (which was pretty unique at the time) to this.
: “Fukurai-san, um…”
: “Y-Yes. I’ll cover the decrease in revenue with my fortune-telling fees. Um, Fukurai-san… I, um… I’m not sure how effective these Holy Stones really are…”
: “W-Well…”
: “Th-That’s not it…”
: “I…”
: “Kurusu-san…”
: “…Hahaha. I-I’ve never actually worked at a night club! I did get tricked into walking into one though… anyway, the chairman is known for exaggerating details.”
: “You must think I’m weird, huh? All this talk about me being a maiden or a monster…”
: “Huh…? Nobody’s ever treated me so nicely before… by the way, it was pretty amazing how we stood up to the chairman back there. I would never have been able to talk to him about the Holy Stones had I been alone…”
: “But your strength helped me speak up. I need to be strong like you more often…”
: “Even so, the chairman seems serious about the whole Holy Stone issue. He’ll make me pay a fine if I don’t meet my quotas… and there’s a huge penalty for resigning from my post…”
: “I suppose my fate is impossible to change after all… anyway, I should close up for today! Good night!”
: You might ask why the game doesn’t immediately give us Chihaya’s Mementos request when it’s obvious what it’s going to be. For some reason, we don’t get the request until Rank 7 - and just like with Kawakami, we need to waste a night to pick it up.
: “I already know what I must do in order to change my fate… but whenever I face the Chairman, I can’t find the courage to say what I need to…”
: “Oh…! You’re absolutely right. Nothing will come of making excuses. I’m the only one who can change my weakness… you’re so strong, Kurusu.”
: I wish you could change your weaknesses in this game, because that would’ve made evolving the party member Personas worth it.
: “…I’m going to think about all this a little more. Thank you once again for today. I’ll see you next time.”
: We get another one of those cutscenes where Joker is on his phone, but it’s a duplicate. Instead, let’s go right to Chihaya, because we need a luck reading for Kindness.
: We also need to bribe Chihaya for confidant points… with Chihaya. I’m really surprised there’s no unique dialog for this.
: Speaking of which, I mentioned last update that I wasn’t sure how many affinity readings we actually needed with Ann. The answer is we did need one - but only one.
: We’re working at the florist’s today for two reasons. The first is that we need it for a Mementos request (and thus for Mishima’s confidant) but also because it’s custom bouquet day and we get seven points to Kindness out of this.
: And… oh fuck, it’s custom bouquet day.
: “This guy has ‘I forgot my anniversary until the last minute’ written all over his face.”
: “Let’s start with a blue jasmine. They symbolize honesty and trust. I had a few in the corsages Tatsuya and I wore at our wedding - they’re great for arranging.”
: “Next up… white orchids. They symbolize elegance and beauty. If you cut them just right, you can take them right out of the bouquet and grow them as cuttings.”
: “And to top it off, let’s add some yellow freesia. They represent joy, renewal, and friendship. I used to wrap them into the ribbons I’d put on the gifts I’d give Tatsuya every year for our anniversary.”
: “Then one day, I stopped by his garage to drop his lunch off… and right above his workbench is a frame with a beautiful arrangement of pressed freesia in it. He’d saved every single one I’d given him.”
: It’s amazing how everyone has the full names and descriptions of all these people but never report it to anyone.
: “It sounds like everyone’s starting to get anxious… but considering how fast the days are closing in, the best thing we can do is stay calm.”
: This is the last crossword we need to do. I’ll still probably do them anyway.
: Tonight, for the first time in months, we meet up with Mishima again. I can tell you exactly why this is: it’s because there’s no one else available tonight.
: “This book here is all about the latest security techniques, and this is, um… a model gun. It cost me a lot of money…”
: Of course Mishima would buy a Glock. You can buy any model gun you want… and you buy a Glock.
: “Well, yeah! That just goes to show how special it is! I heard they had to completely halt production because people kept mistaking it for a real gun.”
: Joker: “Mishima, that’s a Glock 17. It’s one of the most common handguns in the world. There is nothing special about it.”
: “It was suggested to me by this military buff from the Phandom. I figured I could use a bit of security, since I’m the sole admin of the whole Phan-Site.”
: “I mean, you guys are getting really popular. There’s been a lot more info on the forum lately too… some of the stuff up there is pretty scary, so it seemed like I might need a little protection.”
: So you’re going to do… what exactly, draw your fake Glock… and then what?
: “I mean, people might come after me if they found out I was working with the Phantom Thieves, right? It’s important I have a way to defend myself in those situations.”
: “But as I was saying, we’ve had a pretty massive influx of new posts on the forum lately. One of them seems particularly worthwhile. It’s bigger than anything we’ve done so far…”
: “But if we want to really make the Phantom Thieves famous, we’ll need to go after some flashier targets. Leave this to me though. I’ll get all the info we need, even if I have to put myself in danger to do it!”
: “By the way, um… do I look any different to you? People keep telling me it seems like I’ve changed recently. I guess I can’t hide my newfound confidence, huh? My true worth will finally-”
: “Y-Yeah, haha…”
: “Huh? N-No, I haven’t…”
: I mean, why change your number? I spent the better part of two years scrubbing mine after I got it, no thanks to the previous owner who had cleaned out one of those TV rental places and fled the state.
: I remember getting dozens of phone calls a day about credit cards and rentals and missed child support payments and having to convince idiots that it wasn’t the same person.
: “R-Right… ahaha…”
: I’d say this is almost a Chad/Virgin meme given that Akiyama is blonde-ish, but that didn’t really take off until 2017.
: “It’s not what it looks like… okay? You know that one guy in every class who ends up being the butt of all the jokes? That guy was me.”
: “I’m not going to be that boring guy anymore…! …Sorry about that. Anyway, it’s getting late. We should probably head home. See you later.”
: “Just so you know, I’m going to work even harder. Not just in managing the Phan-Site, but also help make the Phantom Thieves household names!”
: “I’m gonna do everything in my power, so you can just kick back and relax!”
: “What…? N-No, not really… you just go ahead and focus on changing those bad guys’ hearts! Okay, I better go. But we’ll talk again soon, okay?”
: Regrettably, it’s Makoto Day again.
: “His days and nights at work are reversed due to his work, so he often sends me a ‘good morning’ late at night…”
: "I’m not sure. I’d definitely tell Eiko if he asked me on a date… but for now things are generally pretty normal. Mostly messages like ‘how’s ur bf’ and ‘hope u had a gr8 day 2day.’ "
: “…Do you think their relationship could actually be serious? Was I just biased to think that all he wants from Eiko is her money?”
: “I mean, it does sound like a TV show. A lying host that tricks women into debt, then forces them to sell their bodies… but… those kind of things exist in reality as well. Immoral hosts, human trafficking rings…”
: “My father even mentioned to me about gangs of men that look specifically for depressed women in Shinjuku… they take advantage of the loneliness those girls feel to force them into horribly abusive situations…”
: “Then after ensuring the girls are buried in crippling debt, they make them sell their bodies to pay it off. There are other ways they force girls into it as well. Blackmail, illegal immigration…”
: “There are countless victims of schemes like that… countless gangs as well. My father was going after a particularly notorious one when…”
: “…The impact killed him instantly.”
: He got isekai’d? I wonder if her dad had any kind of ambition to be the President of the United States, because that’d explain a lot.
: “At first it was thought to be an accident… but at the funeral, I overheard my father’s supervisor speaking with my sister. He was saying my father had likely been assassinated.”
: “They suspected that the gang he was investigating hired the driver…”
: Joker’s like “Was it the Taiwanese Mafia, because I mean, at this point you’re so much of a Persona 2 ripoff that I wouldn’t be surprised if they just kinda tossed Baofu’s storyline in there.”
: “I don’t know. The driver died on impact as well… but apparently, they found drugs in his bloodstream.”
: “Either way, that gang has been pushed back into the shadows thanks to the Shinjuku clean-up operation… I’m not sure any of it would have happened if not for the incident with my father…”
: “He truly was, wasn’t he? I wish I could be a little more like him myself… instead, I’ve just been hesitant. That’s actually why my sister became a prosecutor to begin with.”
: “She couldn’t stand by and watch as evil prevailed over justice… that passion undoubtedly came from our father.”
: Joker: “Did she want to become a pastry chef before she became a cop, or does her story at least have an ounce of originality injected into it?”
: “Our mother passed away many years ago, so when our father was killed, we had to survive on our own. The responsibility… the pressure of that all fell on my sister.”
: In the base game, this scene wasn’t that bad - but remember, we already know most of this from the scene Makoto had with Maruki that was added for Royal.
: Sure, Royal’s writers could’ve re-written this event to be less repetitive, but instead they’re giving us the usual “Can’t be helped!”
: “Because of that, she can’t help but talk down on our father at times… she says death is no different than surrender. But… I still look up to him.”
: Now this line, this one’s just inexcusable because the scene with Makoto and Sae during the Kaneshiro arc (remember, the one where Sae outright said that?) was in the base game.
: “I was often lonely because of how much time he spent at work… but seeing him tirelessly pursue one case after the next was nothing short of incredible.”
: “That was how my father chose to live his life… trying to bring justice and order to the world around him.”
: "Yeah… come to think of it, there was something he used to say to me all the time… ‘the most important part of your life is how you choose to live it.’ "
: “Hm… how have I chosen to live? And more importantly, how do I want to live…?”
: “Now…? You’re right. I can still change my path going forward… to be honest, I’ve been determined to follow the path my sister laid for me… after my father’s death, I wanted to lighten the burden as much as I possibly could…”
: “O-oh, we were supposed to be talking about Eiko here. Sorry for going so off-topic… you know, I’ve never actually talked to anyone about my father… it’s such a painful memory to look back on…”
: “But I feel comfortable discussing it with you. And beyond that, I think I understand my life a bit better now… so… thank you.”
: Just like the earlier ability by the same name, this ability doesn’t reveal repel/null/drain but shows it in the targeting menu if you already know what they are for whatever you’re targeting.
: “Mayb I’ll like, skip college n just get married 2 Tsukasa insted… I guess she’s choosing how she wants to live too. As long as she’s sure she’ll be happy…”
: “U serious abt Kurusu-kun? Wanna hav a double wedding?”
: Unfortunately, we’re forced to pick this top option for points. We all know Makoto is going to end up marrying a man-sized baked potato with no sour cream or cheese.
: Speaking of marriage, I got a third artist by the name of Yoko (or Yokobox) to do the fourth part of More Like Yusu-Gay, which we’ll see in October.
: giggle “Don’t be ridiculous. I couldn’t even begin to think about marriage at this point in my life. By the way, can you keep pretending to be my boyfriend for a bit longer?”
: “That’s the best method I have of keeping tabs on Eiko and Tsukasa. At any rate, thanks for listening to me today. I’ll let you know if anything urgent comes up. See you later.”
: “I just wanted to talk about Eiko, but I got a little off-topic… thanks for still pretending to be my boyfriend, too. I don’t trust Eiko’s boyfriend yet, so… can we keep this up until I can make a call one way or the other?”
: “Thanks, I’m counting on you. Let’s see how convincing a boyfriend you can be. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”
: And now it’s time for another Caroline and Justine outing. This day is probably the longest one we have in this update, because we already did Ann’s Rank 10 last update.
: “Listen closely: the place we wish to evaluate for your rehabilitation is… a present-day Tower of Babel.”
: “It looms high in the heavens - so high that the humans below on earth are no longer even visible to the naked eye.”
: “Such a grand structure would be far too dangerous for humans… we find that we have a duty to investigate. Does this location sound at all familiar to you?”
: “Well? If you know where it is, then escort us there immediately!”
: “So it’s named the Skytree, huh? That’s pretty impressive-sounding! It’s no Tower of Babel, but still, quite fine!”
: “Yes, the boldness of the moniker is quite promising. Take us there at once.”
: “And the metal box that took us here… my ears were so tortured by its sounds, I thought I would faint… but as a trial for reaching this place, it was mere child’s play.”
: METAL BOXESSSS? Warhammer was a mistake on multiple (simultaneous) levels.
: “Oh my, what could that tiny thing in the sky be? …An airplane? They truly do appear to be quite cramped inside!”
: If Joker ever introduced the twins to 40k, Caroline would absolutely play Chaos. Justine would probably pick Dark Eldar or the Tau.
: “This is quite the view… it almost appears as if we could crush the people below like insects.”
: “Oh! Justine! Look at that!”
: “Loud as ever… what is it?”
: I’m not sure what exactly they’re talking about. It’s probably because I’ve never been in one of those towers.
: “Are you insane!?”
: “It is most assuredly a trap, Caroline. Any passerby that comes too close to it is clearly doomed. By the way, Inmate…”
: “I’ve heard this Tower of Babel has a path that leads even higher than where we are now, all the way to the heavens…”
: “WHAT!? Is that true!? Take us there immediately!”
: “Yes, we can see well past the city from here, almost to the ends of the earth. However… Caroline, are you attempting to back out of this?”
: “Wh-what do you mean by that!? Why would I suddenly get scared after already coming so close!?”
: “Ah, I see… then why not go even closer and enjoy the view?”
: “Wha-!? Cut it out! If you wanna look so badly, then go DO IT!”
: I like that they ask this and not “Why are they in police cosplay?” or “Why is that one carrying a collapsible baton?”
: Joker’s like “Wait, you mean you two aren’t invisible to everyone else? But wait… no one in the party can see you… how the hell does this even work?”
: “What a burden… you are the one who should feel humiliated.”
: “What a great view, though. I see how looking down from here could make a person feel like a god. Hmph. Human desire really knows no bounds, does it?”
: “Yes. It’s no wonder their hearts grow twisted when they’re living in a city frothing with so much desire.”
: “Well, we’ve learned the secret of the Tower of Babel, so we’ll consider this assignment complete.”
: “You’d better keep up this progress, Inmate!”
: “Now you will accompany us for our return.”
: The 19th is when we were scheduled to do Ann’s Rank 10 event, so I did that off-camera. Instead, it’s burger time.
: Correction: It’s burger time after we back out of this dialog and get a luck reading for Guts.
: The final burger requires rank four in every social stat except Kindness.
: If this was a point and click adventure game, there would be a puzzle where you have to steal the Twins’ selective invisibility to make Ryuji and Yusuke invisible so you can cheat.
: We then get seven points to Guts and five to all other social stats that aren’t Kindness. What I wasn’t expecting…
: Was that this would rank up our Knowledge to 5. For the record, we were not supposed to get this until the 25th. I have no idea how we went from being behind on Knowledge to being nearly a week ahead. I know those extra luck readings helped, but not by that much.
: Of course, social stats aren’t the only thing we’re going to be finishing this update.
: “By the way, the track team’s up and runnin’ again. Yamauchi got taken down pretty quick. You know Takeishi’s mom is the PTA prez, right? He told her everything.”
: “Wish I coulda seen the look on Yamauchi’s face. I mean, the school can’t ignore the PTA. And as a result, the track team’s back. Our old coach’s fillin’ in for now.”
: Wait, what? You said in your Rank 9 that you weren’t going to join the track team again! Which is it!?
: “Man, it serves that dick right! What a great feelin’! I think they might even go far in the meet.”
: “Hell yeah! Aw crap, the ramen’s gonna get soggy. Let’s eat!”
: “To tell the truth, I was scared of facin’ those guys straight up. I couldn’t stand how much they hated me. It only just made me think of how stupid I was…”
: “Most of all, it made me remember how I lost my place with them. Hey, this ain’t like me, but… I managed to change ‘cause you were here helpin’ me.”
: “I got you all wrapped up in this shit, but you stayed with me 'til the bitter end. …You didn’t abandon me. So… thanks, man.”
: “Hahaha… it’s funny, huh? This started out as us trainin’ for the Phantom Thieves. How’d it end up like this? Either way, it’s my turn now. If anything comes up, you tell me. I’ll help you with whatever you need.”
: This is just the “If you come here, you’ll find me” scene from FF8. And… cue music… even though Ryuji’s confidant was so meh it really doesn’t deserve it.
Also known as Sun Wukong and Son Goku. Monkey born from a rock who mastered Buddhist magic and ran amok over the heavens until being imprisoned beneath a mountain for five hundred years. Served under the priest Xuanzang on his journey to India. Main character of Journey to the West.
: Seiten Taisei upgrades Ryuji’s electric resist to a null and adds resistance to fire. We’re still never going to use him.
: “First up: the Phantom Thieves! I’ll be countin’ on you, Leader. And you can count on me too! Hey, now that we’re all fueled up, wanna race to the station?”
: “I have to agree with Makoto. Who knows how this might turn out…”
: After another trip to Chihaya (this time for a luck reading in Proficiency that we probably didn’t need) we’re off to see Iwai. Now, what if I told you that we’re going to max out a second social stat this update?
: “I’m s’posd to be runnin’ an honorable business here, y’know. …Though honestly, the customers’ve been runnin’ a little thin lately.”
: “Some guy on the internet’s been claimin’ all my goods’re knock-offs. And once you got a bad rap like that, it’s real tough to shake it.”
: “…You goin’ through somethin’ similar? I guess you wouldn’t be doin’ any of this if you weren’t, huh… don’t gimme any details though. I don’t wanna know.”
: “Anyways, I should prolly fill you in on what’s goin’ on here since you’ll be helpin’ me out. I’d bet anythin’ the guy behind that rumor is Tsuda. You remember his name from the diner, yeah?”
: “Truth is, he’s the second in command of the Hashiba clan. The same clan I was in… back when I was part of the yakuza.”
: Joker’s like “Okay, I need to know who your tattoo guy is. I want a dragon on my back and my boyfriend needs a matching one.”
: “Heh, you got some nerve. Anyways, Tsuda was my sworn brother back in the clan. I got some… unsavory business goin’ down with him now though.”
: “Problem is, I’m a known quantity in the underworld. One bad step and I’d have guys crawlin’ all over me. That’s why I’ve got you around.”
: “You look normal, sure… but you got balls, kid. Makes you perfect for snoopin’ on Tsuda. …Hope I ain’t scarin’ you off with all this talk.”
: “Heh, idiot. But y’know, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for idiots like you. Anyways, you get the gist of what’s goin’ on now, yeah? You’ll be workin’ with that in mind.”
: “I expect a lot from you, kid. …Oh, and I’ll add to that special menu, to thank you for getttin’ that info for me the other day.”
: I’m not sure what status effects this lets you access, but I’ll be putting these on once we get new guns before the next dungeon. We all know how devastating status bullets were in Persona 1.
: “…Just go home n’ study, Kaoru. You’ve got entrance exams comin’ up, remember?”
: “That’s Kaoru… my son. He’s always askin’ me if he can help out here, always worryin’ about what I’m gettin’ up to. sigh But I prolly shouldn’t be tellin’ a kid like you about this…”
: Joker: “Look, as long as it gets me the anime gun, I’ll stay quiet.”
: “Well, you can head home for today. Nice work, kid. See ya next time.”
: When I did the recording for this, I was audibly dumbfounded as to how we got Proficiency maxed so early. We’re nearly a month ahead of schedule on that… and then I realized it’s because chalk dodges are worth three points each and we got several of those, along with the bonus for crafting.
: Next time, we’ll have two solid days of cutscene as Futaba’s arc comes to a close. We’ll also win the lottery and trade for what I can only assume are severed human limbs.
These Caroline and Justine outings seem like a weird tourism ad campaign. Come see the monuments to human hubris today!
I was reading the Caroline and Justine confidant and got excited when you got all those -kaja skill cards, because I’ve been playing Digital Devil Saga and Nocturne recently. Are buffs as good in Persona as they are in mainline SMT?
: “Futaba’s still asleep too… this won’t be good.”
: Look, Morgana, this is the franchise where people spent the better part of a month inside an isekai realm in the TV. That’s just how anime works.
: Speaking of which, when I was recording this, I listened a little harder than I normally do and I distinctly heard one of the characters say “isekai” when talking about the metaverse.
: “…Hey.”
: “Same as always. Today’s the day Wakaba passed. I do this every year… here, I’ve got a cup for you too.”
: “Futaba reminds me so much of her mother. She’s a smart girl. Doesn’t just go with the flow, either. Wakaba… your work and your kid were so fulfilling for you. Why’d you have to die so suddenly…?”
: “…That reminds me, you saw me talking to that prosecutor - I mean, that woman in a suit, right? I remember you were real bothered by it. She might come back, so I guess I should tell you about it.”
: Did Sojiro just predict the inevitable Sae cutscene that’ll happen tomorrow, since it’s the end of an arc?
: “That woman was trying to get information on Wakaba’s research out of me.”
: “That’s what we heard in the Palace.”
: “You don’t need to know what the research was about. Just know there was some trouble around it. Obviously, Wakaba got dragged into that as well.”
: “Now, they ruled her death a suicide… but I’ve got my doubts.”
: “Doubts? Could she have been killed?”
: “Supposedly, there were people who wanted to take her research and use it for their own benefit… don’t get me wrong though. I don’t have a lick of evidence.”
: “That’s why I haven’t told Futaba any of this. I don’t want to cause her any more trouble.”
: “It sounded like she had suspicions of her own based on what she said in the Palace.”
: This line might sound kind of stupid, and it’s because it’s a bad translation as far as I can tell. You can clearly hear Sojiro’s VA say “SOS” and I’m guessing the actual line is something like “Right before she died, she sent me an SOS”.
: “I brushed it off thinking it was a joke, but if I had just taken her seriously… that’s another reason I took Futaba in… redemption.”
: “She went through such horrible things. Those heartless adults just yelled at the poor girl… hey… how do you heal emotional scars?”
: Joker’s like “Well first, you go into a stupid dungeon that’s about twice as long as it needs to be, and then you fight a boss that you could beat by doing nothing.”
: “I agree. I’m waiting for it to happen, but… Futaba!?”
: “Huh?”
: “N-Never mind that… how did you get here?”
: “Uh… I walked.”
: “…You’re okay!?”
: “Was that bad?”
: “Th-that’s not it! I’m just shocked to see you out of the house…”
: “Uh… I’m sorry I worried you.”
: “…Ha… It’s all right.”
: “By the way, what’s the date today?”
: “Eh? It’s uh… it’s the 21st.”
: I don’t know why they did one of these dialog transition things when it takes like two seconds to get to Sojiro’s house from the cafe. A simple load screen would’ve done it.
: “Hmph, ‘Medjed.’ Now, how do we cook them?”
: “Violent much?”
: “Hey, Futaba? We don’t have much time left. Are you sure you could do this!?”
: This is another example of how bad Morgana’s dialog was in the base game. It should be “Are you sure you can do this!?” but apparently they forgot to change that for Royal.
: “Th-the kitty talked!? Is this a dream? I’m going back to sleep…”
: I’m just imagining Joker going “He’s my magical pet. I’m a magical boy. It’s like being a magical girl only without the girl part.” and seeing if Futaba falls for it.
: Then again though… isn’t that technically what Joker is? I mean, he does the whole outfit transformation and runs around casting spells and fighting a different monster each week.
: “…R-right.”
: “Now hurry it up!”
: “…Eh, I guess it doesn’t matter. Let’s get cracking!”
: “I don’t think she can hear me… talk about intense concentration. This place is so messy… I’m surprised she can focus at all.”
: “Futaba? You should really clean your room a bit.”
: “…”
: “She’s not listening… oh well. Just waiting around is boring. Let’s clean the place up.”
: “Well, Futaba? We’re done on our end. Are you finished yet?”
: “…”
: “She can’t hear a word I’m saying… guess we’ll just have to keep waiting.”
: “Wh-what’s up? Something happened?”
: “It’s finished.”
: “Finished? What is?”
: “Ah, it’s so clean! Why!?”
: Futaba is a trash gremlin and we’ve just removed her natural habitat.
: “We cleaned it. Anyway, is it true? Did you really take care of Medjed?”
: “I handled them, and someone else handled my room! I don’t understand, but this is good!”
: It’s going to take her ages to gather enough trash to rebuild her nest.
: “Hey, Futaba! What’s wrong!?”
: “Well, it looks like it’s been taken care of. I guess we should get home and sleep too…”
: “We should be in the clear now, right…? I don’t know - maybe it’d be better if we just stayed in today.”
: Five points to Guts. If I could have gotten a luck reading, I would have… even though we’ll be maxing out Guts by the end of the month.
: “Yo, you look tired.”
: “We’ve made ourselves at home.”
: I looked up to see if Japan actually has an anti-doxxing law, and I don’t think they do. At least, if they do, I couldn’t immediately find it.
: “Aren’t these the guys people have been up in arms about?”
: “What’re you all smirking about?”
: “Well stop it. You’re gonna drive away all my customers.”
: “But there ain’t any customers.”
: “Can it… my customers are on summer vacation too.”
: I feel like this is more or less the same response Sony had to people who bought the PS3 at launch. “But there ain’t any games!” “Can it… we’ve got Talladega Nights on Blu-Ray.”
: “Oh crap, I just realized our break’s almost over!”
: “There are still ten days left.”
: “I wanna go somewhere, but we can’t just leave Futaba-chan alone.”
: “Some things still concern me too, like that ‘research’…”
: “Good morning.”
: Get used to seeing Futaba hiding behind people. This is something they’ll continue into Strikers.
: “It seems she’s cautious of us…”
: “Hey, why don’t we go upstairs? If any customers come, she’ll be even more afraid.”
: “Why don’t you go with them, Futaba? Have fun. It’s about time my regulars show up anyway, so I don’t want you guys loitering around my store.”
: I’m surprised Hideki Kamiya isn’t busy blocking people on Twitter or making another character action game that inevitably won’t review well.
: Just in case you had any kind of questions about what kind of villain Shido is, he’s a generic Metal Gear villain.
: “Sorry, I wasn’t listening.”
: “And Medjed was in turn defeated by her real-world hacking abilities? This does correlate to the facts as we know them… if he’s telling the truth, then Wakaba Isshiki didn’t commit suicide…”
: “Did a third party target her life with the goal of destroying her research? Wakaba’s death was two years ago… that also coincides with when the incidents started occurring…”
: …And you never thought those two incidents might be connected in any way?
: “Does this other Metaverse user that Madarame and Kaneshiro mentioned… really exist? Earlier, I briefly mentioned about those psychotic breakdown incidents that have alarmed the public.”
: “All of a sudden, people will lose consciousness or become violent… a situation as incomprehensible as that can’t be explained away as ‘troubled social conditions’.”
: “The method involved always muddled the explication, but your story has virtually confirmed its viability. Although, I wouldn’t have expected a new criminal to come to light from your testimony…”
: I’m just picturing Joker banging his head on the desk. It only took her what, two dungeons to figure this out?
: “What did your group think of this other Metaverse user?”
: “How self-centered of you. The Phantom Thieves tamper with people’s hearts without asking consent. How is that different?”
: “Well… no matter how you thought of them, there can be no doubting your resolve. Are those incidents because of you or someone else? Either way, I will get to the bottom of this.”
: Don’t worry, the game won’t just let us figure this out on our own or anything. It’ll bash us over the fucking head with who the killer is by the time we reach the next dungeon… assuming you haven’t already figured it out.
: “You should know who he is… considering what happened. Your testimony regarding this incident will be serious. I’m sure you understand why.”
: “Answer my next question carefully. What did you do to this Okumura?”
: “That means our enemies aren’t limited to Shadows.”
: “I thought the other people were just victims, like the slaves at the castle or the walking ATMs.”
: “Even though they seem to be alive, they’re only part of the backdrop… the environment. In other words, the Palace ruler determines the form and strength of their cognitions.”
: “I would have loved to ask Futaba’s mother how far along she was with her research…”
: Maybe if they had her research, they could make Makoto less of a camera hog.
: “Research, huh… she was lookin’ into that cognitive psience stuff, yeah?”
: “If we put together all the information we’ve gathered up to this point… abuse of cognitive psience can lead to death, and it may even relate to the psychotic breakdown incidents.”
: “Considering the ‘cognitive’ aspect, I sense a strong connection between it and the Metaverse.”
: “On top of that, the research might have been stolen and used by someone else.”
: “You mean those guys that showed Futaba-chan the fake suicide note.”
: “If that is the case, those people are unforgivable.”
: I don’t understand what the point of showing Futaba the suicide note was in the first place.
: “Hey, Futaba. Is there anything else you can remember?”
: “That smell…”
: “C’mon, no fair…”
: “Hey, can I snag a bite?”
: “Why don’t we take a short break?”
: Here’s something I forgot to do up until now. If you count the lines of dialog each character has in this scene, Makoto has twice as much (or more) than everyone else.
: The same thing is true for pretty much any scene Makoto is in - she will ALWAYS have more lines than anyone else.
: “Even if Futaba is a genius, could she really crush an international hacker organization that easily?”
: “The one who taunted the Phantom Thieves was a guy in Japan. I knew the Medjed members in Japan weren’t anything special, so I wasn’t worried.”
: “How do you know that?”
: You’ll notice that nowhere in this cutscene does it explain who the person hijacking the Medjed name was, or why they wanted to target the Phantom Thieves to begin with… and knowing who it is makes the plot make that much less sense.
: In the game, you don’t learn who it is until it’s just randomly blurted out in the middle of the second to last dungeon. The anime takes a different approach and shows the person straight out, so I’ll explain it now.
: The answer is that the fake Medjed is a nameless president of an IT company working with Organization XIII the random shadowy cabal of people the SIU Director is on the phone with all the time.
: What I don’t get though is how exactly the random IT guy would follow through with the whole “I’m going to crash the economy” thing when presumably all of his money is in Japan.
: “Yep. It was only me at first, back when I was referred to as the hacker of justice. But since I stayed anonymous, a bunch of guys from all over the world started using the name.”
: “And those were the ones committing cybercrimes.”
: “It was a hassle to expose all of them, so I just left them be.”
: “Uhhh… so Futaba was the true Medjed, and we were freakin’ out over some weak-ass dipshits? You should’ve told us from the start, Futaba.”
: “I discarded the Medjed name a while ago. I’m Alibaba now.”
: “Futaba, what do you want to do now? Since you know our secret, we’d like you to join our team.”
: " 'Kay. "
: “Just like that?”
: “This may even ensure our investigation of Mementos goes along smoothly.”
: “Well… I guess.”
: “Well, Futaba’s real amazin’! She’s gonna be a big help for us, huh?”
: “Say, Futaba. How did you find out about us?”
: Makoto is one of those people from back when I still did MMOs who treated joining a guild like a job interview.
: “Secret.”
: “Where did you learn to hack?”
: “Private.”
: “When did you obtain the Nav?”
: “I refuse to answer.”
: “At the very least, we need to be able to communicate normally with her.”
: “What should we do?”
: “How?”
: “First, we’ll need to help her open up to us. If we each spend an entire day with her, maybe she’ll get more used to being around us.”
: “I see. We do have the time, thanks to summer vacation.”
: “We can begin tomorrow.”
: We’re going to have over a week of very long cutscenes coming up. For readability purposes, I’ll probably split them up more.
: “Let’s go to the beach! There’ll be tonsa people there, plus we got totally dried out in that desert.”
: “That’s a great idea! I forgot I hadn’t gone to the beach yet!”
: “Uh, excuse me…?”
: “I’ll come by tomorrow. See you then.”
: “Let me help as well. I don’t have anything planned.”
: “Thanks. We can set a schedule with everyone else depending on when they’re free.”
: “Okay!”
: “How can I stay calm about this!?”
: “I understand how you feel.”
: “Thanks to the incident with those hackers, people are calling us incompetent. And on top of that, the Phantom Thieves are claiming justice is on their side. Don’t make me laugh.”
: “Medjed was dealt with by either the Phantom Thieves themselves, or some avid supporter. There are no tracks whatsoever, so they must be quite skilled…”
: “Either way, the general public recognizes the Phantom Thieves as the subjugating party.”
: “They’re gaining support and influence much faster than we could have anticipated…”
: “It is indeed an abnormal situation. I’m beginning to suspect mass manipulation of some kind… it’s even possible that a powerful person is behind them, plotting the psychotic breakdowns.”
: Yusuke and Futaba going at each other is going to be an ongoing thing.
: It seems like Morgana really doesn’t like his job being taken by Futaba. That certainly won’t become a major plot point.
: “Training Futaba’s going to be a lot of work - more than stealing someone’s heart.”
: “…Why is he of all people getting excited about this? Well, the news really did draw a lot of attention. I can’t wait to see what happens.”
: There’s a couple of things we can do tonight. First, we can get what is presumably a severed hand from Sakai for a Melon Pan, which we got from the Ginza station gate a few updates ago.
: Those people on Gamefaqs were apparently wrong. It’s 50,000 yen.
: “You’re really lucky! Now you can afford some sushi for me, right?”
: Now that we’ve recouped some of the money we’ve been dumping on Chihaya these past few weeks, let’s go see Hifumi.
: “…The digital version of the weekly magazine. My father’s deteriorating health, and that he’s bedridden… the fact that my mother primarily supports us… they even reported that my mother works at a night club…”
: “Which is… not untrue… but was it really necessary for them to write about all this? Capitalizing on a family’s private matters is just cruel…”
: “My family’s troubles have nothing to do with my skills as a shogi player… my mother was furious when she read the article. She said it’ll hurt her career, and that she’ll never forgive whoever wrote it.”
: Ain’t gonna forgive! Hifumi even looks like a more detailed Pipimi.
: “My father didn’t say anything… he just sat there listening to her. But he looked troubled… my mother told me that we’d be able to easily quell these rumors if I were to become more famous.”
: “So now she’s even more insistent on having me do more TV and magazine interviews than before…”
: “…Yes. Although I can’t express that to my mother. She’s so happy for me. I always believed that if I worked hard as a shogi player, I’d be able to support us… but I never expected such a destructive article would be written about me and my family.”
: “Honestly, nothing good will come from being treated like an idol. People say I’m all looks and no skills. They’re annoyed that I’m in the press all the time.”
: “Terrible things have been said about me, suggesting I would do anything to become popular… I’m even starting to be shunned in the shogi world. That’s why my senior acted that way toward me.”
: “My father used to practice with me from his sickbed, but his illness has made that impossible. Maybe I should stop playing shogi and just get a job… that way, my family won’t get hurt again…”
: I am very disappointed that there’s no ‘maybe you should try getting a job’ option.
: “Do what I love…? I love shogi… I don’t want to quit.”
: “At the end of the day, I love shogi. I’d never be able to give it up. I was just confused because of that article and how my senior treated me…”
: “However, I think I can see my next move… thanks to you. You’re helping me realize a lot about myself, outside of shogi.”
: “…Let’s return to the church and play a match. That article has left me somewhat irritated. I’m going to use my secret move: the Eternal Abyss Yagura Gate, and turn the board into hell…”
: “…Well? Would you care to face me in a match?”
: “Thank you so much for accompanying me today. I needed the distraction. Trying to solve this on my own, I felt caught in a vicious cycle… but you helped me find a new path.”
: “…You might make a fine priest yourself. Considering how good a listener you are, I mean.”
: “Really? I thought I felt a hidden potential brewing within you… you really are a strange individual. I was supposed to be your teacher, but somehow, the tables have turned. I’m the one learning from you.”
: “I would love to keep learning from you. Well then, if you’ll excuse me. I’ll see you at the church.”
: “It seems you freed the heart of a frenzied girl and saved her from her haunted past. chuckle Another step has been taken to rehabilitation… you are progressing quite nicely.”
: "Our master bestows words of praise upon you! You’d better feel honored!’
: “By the by, more curious information has found its way to your ears. A scientist’s research… it seems that world may secretly be known after all.”
: “Furthermore, that very research has been stolen and is now used by those with malicious intent… I wonder how this will change the approach you take to your rehabilitation…”
: “Allow me to grant you a new power worthy of your current self. Though you have my aid, be sure not to let your guard down. Otherwise you may get swept off your feet…”
: In case you’re wondering, no, there was no ability at Rank 7 in the base game. I’m not sure why Igor says “new power” when you don’t get anything until Rank 8 (which will bring our total Persona slots to 12 and make it a fucking nightmare for me to find Lilim and Anzu).
: “We shall again in the near future.”
: Next time, we’ll have a series of long cutscenes with Futaba followed by confidant events at night… for the foreseeable future.
In most cases, no. Combat is usually over before it starts, even assuming you’re not grinding for 100%, and bosses are easy enough without them. The only time they’re really good is much later in the game when you have third and fourth-tier spells that are going to get the most benefit out of being buffed and you have Debilitate and Heat Riser to instantly debuff the enemy and buff your party.
: It’s the first update of the Okumura arc. We’re going to be seeing a lot of the same pattern: a long cutscene during the day and confidant event at night.
: The approval bar grows to 60% overnight.
: “Makoto and Yusuke are scheduled for today, huh? I haven’t seen them… what happened to them?”
: “Looks like we’re meeting up immediately over at Futaba’s. Makoto’s really going about this seriously…”
: “Such avant-garde design. You have excellent taste.”
: “…Mwehehe.”
: “L-Let’s get started, shall we?”
: “What do you plan on doing?”
: “I’d like to simply have a normal conversation. That is the basis of true communication, after all.”
: “I thought it would be best to start off just by learning some more about each other. Don’t think too hard about our conversation. We’re just going to talk about ordinary topics today.”
: “And what do you mean by ordinary topics?”
: She’s going to attempt to bore Futaba into submission.
: “You know, things like food or the weather. Well then, let’s begin with food. What do you like to eat, Futaba?”
: “Organic ones.”
: I don’t know if they intended for her answer to not make sense, or if this is just a bad localization.
: “Um, that wasn’t exactly what I meant…”
: “…”
: “L-Let’s try a different topic! How about the weather? I heard that this heat wave is showing no sign of stopping…”
: “Dunno. I haven’t been out.”
: I love this scene because it’s nothing but Makoto getting owned. If there were more scenes like this I might like Makoto as a character more.
: “O-oh, right…”
: “Makoto’s getting overwhelmed…”
: Joker: “Ordinarily I would not approve, but this is a bootleg because Blue is missing. Also, Black and Red are missing the little magnets that stop Pink from getting near them.”
: I think whoever did this part genuinely forgot that it originated from Innocent Sin. The only place where a green Featherman exists is in the costume set in Persona 4 because they needed one for Chie.
: Oh, right. The pose Yusuke puts the figures in is the Ginyu Force pose from Dragonball Z.
: The worst part is that I have a Joker Figma I could take out of its box and put his head on say, the Link Figma I have, but that would require effort.
: “They appear to be quite shoddily made.”
: “They’re from ‘Phoenix Rangers Neo Featherman’ !”
: “No… Yellow and Pink’s heads… and Red’s been hacked to bits… this is all Inari’s fault…”
: “Inari?”
: “You know, inari sushi? The tofu things foxes eat in the old stories? What kind of Fox doesn’t know that?”
: “Inari…”
: “Rghhh, they were in the perfect poses too! It was so much work getting them set up just right! You wouldn’t know aesthetics if it hit you in the face, Inari!”
: “Yeah…”
: “Mm-hm. Victory is great for action, and Neo’s got the best transforming suit. So cool.”
: “Fascinating. Art depicts a flash of inspiration, but models offer a much different means of enjoyment.”
: “Huh? take a look at that - Futaba’s having a regular conversation.”
: “It seems she doesn’t have a problem talking to others as long as the subject interests her. I suppose the topics I brought up were not the right ones.”
: “So this is all I gotta do? What a breeze!”
: “In that case, we should advance to the next step. How about we have her spend time in someone else’s room?”
: “Yes. She hasn’t had many chances to leave the house yet, so that would be the perfect opportunity.”
: “Don’t set the bar so high!”
: I like to think she’s saying that sarcastically, because as far as I understand it, Futaba was pretty functional (if not a little strange) up until her mother’s death.
: “Rrrggh… I can’t stand this gung-ho way of doing things…”
: “I’ve left tomorrow to Ann and Ryuji. Akira will be there as well, so you’ll be okay.”
: “Can I wear my mask?”
: Futaba was probably one of those people who really enjoyed the covid masking mandate.
: “I-I think it would be best if you didn’t…”
: Makoto is like the people across the street who were wearing masks while mowing their lawn.
: “There’s really no telling how tomorrow’s going to go…”
: “Lady Ann and Ryuji teaming up honesty worries me… but I guess we’ll see what they can do.”
: I took a look at what Iwai’s new part selection is like, since we have to do his confidant tonight. They’re… not what I was hoping for. Shock is honestly the worst status effect since it only opens up the enemy to Physical and Nuclear… but hitting a shocked enemy with a physical attack transfers the shock to you instead. It sucks.
: “You’ll be on your own though. I gotta take care of some other business. The guy you’re lookin’ for is homeless, but he knows what’s up. He’ll be somewhere in Shibuya.”
: “Get info on the ‘rumor about the underground deal,’ and don’t act all suspicious. I gotta take care of some other business, so I’m countin’ on ya, kid.”
: Joker’s like “Are you going to tell me that the burger place sells weapons because I already tried asking and they don’t.”
: Roughly $915,000 at current conversion rates.
: “It’s nice to hear that comin’ from you, Tsuda-san.”
: “Welcome.”
: “Depends on how quick the parts come in. Some stuff’s prolly gonna have to go through customs. How long things get stuck there’s totally outta my control though…”
: “…That’s right.”
: “Tsuda-san, please…”
: I mean, if he didn’t know now, he’d find out in a couple of years when he has to get background checks done for work.
: “Fine… I’ll put a rush on your order. Happy now?”
: “Yeah. sigh Sorry you had to see that. Anyways, how’d it go today? You learn about anything good?”
: “Huh. So someone made a big deal with the Hong Kong mafia worth 100 million yen… and it happened sometime ‘round New Years… wouldn’t surprise me if Tsuda had somethin’ to do with it.”
: “I hear he’s been braggin’ all over about a big score he made right near the start of the year. I’ve gotta do some more research into it myself…”
: “Anyways, nice job. I’m gonna be able to give Tsuda a real scare thanks to the info you gave me!”
: The uh, info that you apparently already knew?
: chuckle “Anyone ever told you how demandin’ you are? But uh… another time, yeah? Man, I can’t wait to see the look on Tsuda’s face. It’s been ages since I’ve felt this excited.”
: “And it’s all 'cause of you, kid. Turns out you’re pretty useful.”
: “Well, I’m gonna head home early and spend some good ol’ quality time with Kaoru to celebrate. Damn fine job again, kid. Get on outta here. I’ll see ya next time.”
: “You definitely got me some good intel. Honestly, I appreciate that… but now Tsuda knows your face. And that could be a real problem.”
: “You catch on fast. Thanks to that shit today, Tsuda knows we’re connected, at least. Which means that stunt we pulled with Masa ain’t gonna work on him.”
: “Well, what’s done is done. If one method isn’t gonna work, we just gotta find another. I’ll think about our next move. Until then, don’t do anything stupid.”
: “When I need help, I’ll get in touch. Hope you’ll be ready.”
: “There’re no customers.”
: “So many snacks… what exactly do you plan on doing!?”
: “Well, summer vacation’s the time when you lounge around in your room all day.”
: “Yeah, and eating snacks is the best part of that!”
: “You’re gonna get fat, y’know.”
: “Shut it!”
: “Hey, where’s Futaba?”
: “Wh-whoa! Shit freaked me out… that you, Futaba?”
: They’re really going to get as much mileage out of that mask as possible.
: “Anyway, bring it!”
: “Sheesh. Look like today’s going to be another noisy day…”
: “Uh, it’s you we’re talking about here. There’s no way you were ever a chick magnet.”
: “What was that?”
: “Agreed. As a member of the opposite sex, I sense no charm from you, Ryuji.”
: I feel like Futaba really doesn’t count because I feel like she’s firmly in the “buttered shark fins” camp. She’s probably going to try marrying someone over emacs.
: “Plus, popular guys wouldn’t go bragging about that stuff to other people.”
: “…Hey, are you even listening!?”
: “There’s no point talkin’ about wedding dresses right now. None of us have significant others.”
: I remind you that it’s entirely possible (and in fact is happening behind the scenes) that Joker and Ann can already be dating at this point.
: “Yep. I’m not getting married anytime soon.”
: This scene is a lot like the way someone on 4chan’s anime board once described Lucky Star: “It’s an anime about a bunch of girls who run out of things to talk about and the only thing left to talk about is food.”
: “Yeah, she doesn’t have any trouble speaking her mind. Seems totally normal to me.”
: You know what this really needs? Someone saying Makoto is wrong.
: “I dunno what normal is… but if this is it, I’m happy.”
: “I totally thought you were gonna be some weirdo, but I guess all that worryin’ was for nothing.”
: “Mm-hm, I’m relieved too. I think things should keep going smoothly at this rate. By the way, what’s on the agenda for tomorrow?”
: “How about we have her try helping around the cafe?”
: “That’s perfect! It’ll be good practice to have her up in front of strangers.”
: I think what I dislike about these Futaba cutscenes (and something else we’ll see much later with another character) is that this game kind of has an open disdain for people who aren’t super extroverts.
: “You don’t have to deal with customers if you don’t want to. Maybe you could dry plates in the back?”
: “Hrgh… nrghhh…”
: “…I’d be mad if you weren’t.”
: “Then it’s all set. We’ll be rootin’ for you, Futaba!”
: Why is she surprised to hear that? Ann already told her about it!
: “You better make an effort tomorrow, Akira!”
: Tonight, we have Hifumi’s unique non-rankup event.
: “I’d like to teach you shogi at different locations from time to time, to change up the mood. Somewhere outside, without too many people… there may not be many such places.”
: “I see… that’s an excellent idea. I know it’s sudden, but I’d like you to take me there. I might be able to think of a good move.”
: “The scenery, the sounds, the smells… I’ll be able to utilize all five of my senses… perhaps I’ll even come up with some new ideas.”
: “Yes, a different sensibility than usual awakens. It helps one come up with new moves. I’ve opened up new opportunities through shogi.”
: Isn’t that kinda borderline Forrest Gump? I mean, that’s half a step away from “Life is like a box of chocolates”.
: “I wonder what kind of person you will become… just imagining all the possibilities is fun. giggle I’m starting to get the feeling that a new move will come to me.”
: “Well then, now that we feel refreshed… let us play, fair and square!”
: “But I’ve never had her do anything like that before. Is she gonna be okay?”
: “Futaba?”
: “D-don’t worry. I did graduate middle school last year… I-I’ll be fine if I just think of this as my first summer job of high school!”
: “Well in that case… how about you wash the dishes? Just don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”
: “Hey, are you all right?”
: So, uh… I just found something out in the middle of working on this update that might be kind of a kick in the dick. I’ll talk about that at the end of the update. It’s going to need a vote.
: “Sure thing. …Keep an eye on Futaba for me.”
: “Oui, oui! Heheh…”
: Damn this guy’s a creep, especially given that Futaba is 15.
: “Sorry, we’re serving a blend today. Hey, snap out of it. Hurry up and bring him the coffee before it gets cold.”
: “When in the world did she… Hey, Futaba. Haven’t I told you not to show up in front of people with that damn thing on? And be more polite when you’re bringing something to a customer.”
: “But it, um, protects me from the steam!”
: “To think Futaba’d go out and talk to a customer herself… mask aside, I’m impressed. Looks like people really can change.”
: “Futaba’s been working really hard. And then there’s Ryuji. It’s like he doesn’t have a care in the world… he’s gonna get in trouble somewhere down the line if he keeps this up…”
: We have another crossword puzzle available tonight. I was going to skip doing these since there’s no point anymore, but the devs put in enough of these that you can keep doing new ones up until the end of the game, so we might as well.
: I really wish they had done something like give you EXP for doing optional stat boosters like this once your stats are already maxed.
: Before we do anything else, we need to visit Chihaya for both a luck reading (kindness) and an affinity reading with Iwai.
: For the first time in several months, we’re doing Sojiro’s confidant.
: “These beans are Colombian, a medium-fine city roast. Oh, and don’t let the water boil too much. …You’re gonna be fine. I’ll be here the whole time.”
: “…Not bad. Though I guess anyone can do something as simple as just brewing it. Making a blend, on the other hand, is a different story. Mixing beans at random won’t do you any good.”
: “That’s because the acidity and the flavor profile all depend on the bean ratio. Pretty deep, huh?”
: “Bean ratio” sounds like a term someone would use to describe a cryptocurrency. “Yes, you see, our new coin is indexed to the MSCI Global Bean Ratio and can be exchanged at any time for physical beans in case of the collapse of the global financial system.”
: “Oh, somebody’s enthusiastic. If you’re really that interested, feel free to try out whatever combinations you want to. …Oh, but hands off the expensive beans, got it?”
: Why does he even carry expensive beans when, as far as we’ve seen at least, he gets maybe two customers a day?
: “Next up is the curry. There’s something special about its flavor. The truth is, a scientific genius actually came up with the perfect spice combo to complement my curry.”
: Wakaba Issihiki was actually killed by Big Curry to stop her from publicizing the recipe.
: “Something about the quantification of taste… there’s no formula for flavor, but it IS pretty damn good. Anyhow, we don’t make compromises when it comes to food service. Our stuff’s gotta wow the customers.”
: “This is a tiny shop, after all. Self-satisfaction is the only thing that keeps me going.”
: “Haven’t I already told you I don’t have the money? Look at this place. You see many customers in here?”
: “If you’re not planning on buying anything, can you please leave? I’m expecting a phone call, so I don’t have time to chat with you.”
: “Well…”
: Thanks to the yakuza, Joker knows exactly what to do.
: “Oh, there’s that social services call I was waiting for. They come 'round pretty often to make sure this guy’s not getting in any trouble. Want me to introduce you?”
: “Does he really have nothing better to do…? sigh I guess I should explain what’s going on. He might try and drop by when I’m not around.”
: “…That man is an old acquaintance of mine who’s short on cash right now. Looks pretty friendly, yeah? Don’t let him fool you - it’s all an act.”
: “I have to say though… I’m surprised you were quick-witted enough to pull that stunt off. You really saved me back there. Thanks.”
: “Still… why do you poke around into other people’s troubles? It’s way easier to just ignore them. I guess that’s just the kinda person you are though, huh…”
: Are they going to use the exact same plot framing for Sojiro that they did for Kawakami? You bet they are, because Hashino is creatively bankrupt.
: “Oh, uh… never mind that. Anyway, that’s it for today. Go… study or something after you close up.”
: “Sorry about today. Didn’t mean to get you wrapped up in my problems. I probably don’t have to say it, but if that guy shows up while I’m out, just try to ignore him, okay?”
: “Just let him do his thing, and get on with the job. Got it?”
: “Good. Whatever he says, just don’t let it get to you. You’re still under probation, so don’t cause a scene, yeah? All right, I’m trusting you on this. Later.”
: I’m going to cut the update here. We’ve got three more days before a VERY long cutscene and this way it’s evened out. Next time, we’ll work at the bar, max out another social stat, have an uncomfortable cutscene, and then realize that Akechi is just a badly-written clone of Reiji Kido because Hashino is to creative writing what Kenneth Lay is to corporate governance.
While working on the update that I accidentally posted early, I found out that there’s a minor kick in the dick in this game. It’s going to require a vote, so I’m going to put it up now so I have plenty of time before the next recording.
Persona 5 Royal adds a feature called “Network Fusion”, which is accessible… soon. Network Fusion is the only way to get a number of very powerful skills, notably Almighty Boost and Almighty Amp. Unfortunately, as you can probably tell from the name, it requires you to be connected to the network to use. Connecting to the network requires that you have a fully updated PS4 and a fully updated copy of Royal.
The way Network Fusion works is that it fuses a Persona you upload to the network with a Persona someone else has already uploaded. This means you can potentially get a Persona with Victory Cry on it - Victory Cry is an upgraded version of Life Aid that restores all SP and HP at the end of a battle that is normally locked to a Persona not obtainable until New Game +.
Now, here’s the thing. While I refuse to update my PS4, I could - as far as I understand it - upload my save from my PS4 to my PS5. Doing so is a one-way trip: once it’s on the PS5, it can’t be ported backward unless you have a PS+ account and use the cloud (which would require updating my PS4 and that’s not happening).
If I do this, we would be able to not only access Network Fusion, but also the DLC. As it turns out, the “you have to re-buy DLC” bit was exclusive to Japan: in the US version, all of the DLC from the base game is free. This includes most of the cosmetic DLCs (basically, everyone but Kasumi gets them) as well as some very powerful DLC Personas. Let me make the case for and the case against doing this.
If we choose to migrate, we would get access to all the cosmetic DLC and I could show that off.
The LP would still largely be console-accurate to a PS4 Pro with an installed SSD. For reference, I am running an original (fat) PS4 with a stock HDD.
I could use Network Fusion to make something with Megidolaon and the related boost/amp and destroy the rest of the game so hard we’d see the seams.
The free DLC Personas aren’t really that overpowered, and I would refuse to buy the paid ones.
I could (in theory) make a strategy that doesn’t involve any DLC Personas or Network Fusion for preservation purposes.
I could immediately turn Joker into Jihei or Tatsuya.
Sony or Atlus (or a combination of both) could shut down the servers for Royal at any point, a point that’s become increasingly prescient with Sony’s planned shutdown of the PSP’s online service (and the since-cancelled shutdowns of the PS3 and Vita). That means that someone reading this LP and using it for strategy in 10 years might not be able to do the same thing, especially if I’m relying on Network Fusion as my strategy.
The LP would no longer be hardware-accurate to a non-Pro PS4. This means that it could potentially change things like how much I can grind or where I grind because of the reduced load screens and faster room transitions. This is a bad thing because I want to ensure that my overall strategy works regardless of how you’re playing Royal.
The game could potentially get “too easy” to the point where I’d be solving combat the way I did in Persona 1 - by spamming Megidolaon at everything. This could cause changes in how I commentate the dungeons that wouldn’t happen if I didn’t have an overpowered build.
Even if Sony doesn’t shut down the servers, people in the future playing on a theoretical PS4 emulator or a hacked PS4 (when actual custom firmware or a hack that doesn’t require loading the web browser each time you boot the console is implemented) will not be able to connect to the servers, and thus any strategies involving Network Fusion would not be doable.
We would probably never see Joker’s normal clothes again. Or anyone else’s, for that matter.
I’m not sure if there’s any tech issues with the PS5 version that could cause me to need to take screenshots in a different resolution.
Let me explain your choices here. Please read these carefully before voting, as many of them look similar but are significantly different.
Under Option 1, the game is migrated to the Playstation 5. All free DLC is allowed. Network Fusion is allowed.
Under Option 2, the game is migrated to the Playstation 5. Costume DLC is allowed, Personas are not. Network Fusion is allowed.
Under Option 3, the game is migrated to the Playstation 5. All free DLC is allowed, but Network Fusion is not.
Under Option 4, the game is migrated to the Playstation 5. Costume DLC is allowed, Personas are not. Network Fusion is not allowed.
Under Option 5, the game is not migrated to the Playstation 5. No DLC will be used, and by extension, Network Fusion will not be either.
Under Option 6, the game is not migrated to the Playstation 5. Instead, a blatantly cheated clear save is used on my hacked PS3 to show off the costumes from the base game, which are the same ones that are free for Royal. This would require me rushing through the game to September.
With that, please cast your vote.
0 voters
: In case you haven’t voted on whether to migrate the LP to the PS5, please do so. It’s the post right above this one, assuming no one has commented.
: “Huh? Do we not have anything planned?”
: “Just what are they scheming?”
: I don’t. There are still accounts on Twitter LARPing as the Phantom Thieves. If I had to be in a Persona game, I’d probably pick Persona 1. I’m pretty sure everyone survives that except Yamaoka.
: “Hrmm… I dunno. I can’t really tell.”
: “People cannot change their deep-seated habits that easily.”
: “Well, let’s just say you made some progress for now.”
: Look at that smile on Futaba’s face. No seriously, it’s kinda creepy.
: “Man, those girls’re late. Who do they think they are, makin’ us wait like this?”
: “Hello.”
: “Please excuse us.”
: “Looking? Looking at what?”
: “A swimsuit, of course. For Futaba-chan.”
: “A-A s-s-swimsuit?”
: Ssswimsuits, for sssnakes.
: “You don’t have one, do you?”
: “No, but…”
: Oh, right. Speaking of Futaba… remember a couple of updates ago when Makoto asks Futaba what food she likes and Futaba just replies “Organic.” before going on to eat a bowl of instant noodles?
: As it turns out, the answer she gives in Japanese is a little more nuanced than that.
: “Okay. Let’s have you try it on right now then.”
: “N-N-N-Now!?”
: “We don’t have much time left, you know.”
: “Uh, but… ummm… uhhhh!”
: “I know, right? …There we go. It’s on.”
: “What the-!? This barely covers anything!”
: Why is Joker even here? Like, why does anyone have to be here other than to force me to waste a time slot?
: “That’s normal for a swimsuit. Now, we just need to push these a little more this way…”
: “Gyah!”
: “Push…?”
: “Are you supposed to move them with that much force?”
: “You gotta put some oomph into this stuff… there! Good to go!”
: “Whoa, even I’m impressed!”
: Oh, it’s one of those pointless “somebody is horny” scenes. Anyway, everything after this line isn’t canon.
: “Futaba in a swimsuit, hm…? I suspect that would make a great painting. Perhaps we should ask Makoto about it?”
: I don’t really understand how people are horny for Futaba. I just don’t. There is a sizeable horny fanbase for her, and it just doesn’t make sense - you’ll see once we do her confidant.
: “ME!?”
: “I humbly request you do so as well.”
: “Hell no!”
: “You guys are such children.”
: “What’s with all the ruckus upstairs? Something about a swimsuit?”
: Wait… they’re upstairs? When I recorded this I thought they were in the bathroom. Joker’s room has a window that looks out onto the street and doesn’t have a curtain.
: “Yeah, we’re goin’ to the beach pretty soon so they’re tryin’ some swimsuits out.”
: Joker: “People are being horny in my room and I’m going to need to fumigate it again.”
: “Futaba’s going to the beach… I didn’t think I’d ever see her take that much interest in going outside again…”
: “All flattery aside, I think it looks really great! Now you just gotta get rid of those round shoulders. Come on, straighten out your back.”
: “R-right…”
: “She might be some trouble, but I hope she can make some great memories with you guys.”
: “The chief had such high expectations of us. We need to work harder to help Futaba make some good memories.”
: Tonight, we need to work at the bar. Doing this twice gets you the information for a Mementos request.
: Working at the bar gets you Kindness, and ordinarily we’d go right for Chihaya first - except it’s raining, and that means no Chihaya.
: The second Joker tries to ask this, Yusuke slams the door open and goes “YES!”
: …Did Morgana just casually drop that he’s bisexual? I mean, I know he probably didn’t because Hashino, but still. I didn’t even remember this from my base game run.
: Maybe I need to call Salty Vanilla again. (Edit: I called Salty Vanilla again.)
: “I was hoping that we’d get some more information about our target here… but I guess it’s not that easy. Let’s stop by here a few more times…”
: “Let’s see… wanna eat together? Y’know, like how we had hot pot that one time.”
: “That may be a good idea. It’ll be a great way to strengthen our intrasquad friendships.”
: “I-I can do that!”
: “Okay, I’ll take a cola and an omelette with rice. Oh, and make that a large please.”
: I get why they localized “omurice”, but it’s not like most people couldn’t figure out what that is given that it’s a portmanteau of two words that exist in English.
: “I’d like the same.”
: “Of course I can. There is no doubt in my mind.”
: “Dude, you’re missin’ the point here. We’re supposed to be helpin’ Futaba, not stuffin’ our faces.”
: “I want the same. Extra large.”
: “Damn, Futaba! I’m impressed!”
: “Indeed, your appetite is quite nice to see. I much prefer that to women who don’t eat a lot.”
: “…You’d better not be hitting on me.”
: “How rude!”
: “Will you stop that!?”
: “So does this mean… her training’s goin’ good?”
: “Let’s go with that then…”
: “Hey, let me make you guys some after-meal coffee. It’s on me.”
: “Thank you.”
: “I want iced cocoa!”
: I had no idea that was a thing until now. I’d go make some, except I think the fridge’s ice maker is still broken.
: “You can’t handle bitter stuff either, right? Iced cocoa sound good?”
: “Yeah, definitely! Extra cold, please!”
: “Looks like we know when we’ll actually finish up now. The beach is finally within reach!”
: We’re going to see Hifumi again tonight. If you’re wondering why we’re seemingly rushing through her confidant, it’s because she’s probably the second-most available night confidant (after Kawakami).
: “The battlefield is mine… the Ultimate Togo Kingdom is complete.”
: “But to think you could stay standing after being struck by my Silver Infinity Sword… you’ve improved, considering that you endured the Climbing Silver so early in the match.”
: Joker: “I think we both know the Silver Infinity Sword is going to be on the 2017 banlist.”
: “The determination I’m sensing from you is a real inspiration. I must think of a new move… I’m afraid you’ll surpass me one day, if I don’t stay sharp.”
: “The exhibition match against the pro my mother was talking about has been confirmed. He’s a very famous shogi player… I’m aiming to be the first woman to reach the pro rank league.”
: “I’m sure it will draw a lot of attention, especially after that article… however, I don’t intend to lose. This is my chance to display my true skills… I confess I am a bit scared, though.”
: “You’re right. However, that also means I have a chance of winning, even though my opponent is ranked higher.”
: She’s got a 33.3% chance of winning until you add Kurt Angle to the mix.
: “To be honest, I’m not sure how well my skills will hold up against a true professional.”
: Morgana: “Why don’t we just make Joker into an idol instead? He’d look great in a dress!”
: “…Thank you. So, um… there’s a move I want to try out. Would you like to play another match…?”
: “Thank you very much. Strategically place your pieces in the enemy’s zone to increase your chances of going gold. Be sure to use that tactic in your next match. For today, try and steal the pieces you want from me.”
: Narikin is going to change how we pull off the Greatest Weapon. Instead of continually looping battles and then applying the bonus from Chihaya, the process looks like this:
: First, you get an ambush and knock everything down. You negotiate, ask for money, ask for money again (the first time is a near-guaranteed success) and then immediately end with an All-Out.
: I believe the bonus from Narikin stacks with the bonus from Chihaya, so you’re getting something like three to four times the money… and even more in Mementos where you have the bonus from Jose.
: “Well then, let’s begin the match. I hereby place this golden mantle upon your shoulders. Don it with pride…”
: “Hey, are you there? Sorry, but I need your help with the dishes.”
: “Help with the disheees!”
: “Is Futaba here, too? That means we’re not only helping out at the cafe, but we’re also babysitting Futaba today too… well, the faster we get started, the faster we finish!”
: Today is actually another one of those days where it was an Akechi confidant day in the base game… and they left it in because popularity polls.
: “Orange juice. 100% natural.”
: “That reminds me, you’re going to the beach tomorrow, yeah? Go have fun, and make up for the fireworks. Just try not to cut loose too much.”
: “Fireworks?”
: “Oh yeah, you wouldn’t know. He tried to go to a firework festival, but it got rained out. Not only did he get crushed in the crowd, but he came home looking like some kinda drowned rat.”
: “Fireworks, huh…”
: Today’s the day we learn one of the two reasons that I despise Akechi.
: “Oh… welcome.”
: “Oh! You’re…”
: “Huh? You know each other? Wait, aren’t you…”
: “I’m Akechi.”
: “Oh yeah, the one on TV and stuff. So what brings you here, Mr. Detective?”
: “This place is more than I imagined it to be. The atmosphere is wonderful. No wonder Sae-san recommended it so strongly to me.”
: There’s an awkward line they forgot to fix.
: “Oh no, that’s not my intention. I just came to enjoy some coffee.”
: “Oh…”
: “And she is…? Oh, you must be Wakaba Isshiki’s…”
: “What’ll it be?”
: “I’ll have whatever you recommend.”
: There’s no points here, so I can dunk on Akechi all I want.
: “…Did I bother you? My apologies.”
: If you’ve read the Persona 1 LP, you’re probably going “Wait a second, this seems familiar…” and it is, because this is almost exactly the same backstory Reiji had. The only difference is that Reiji’s mother is alive.
: Now, I’ll admit that Reiji didn’t really have much of a personality in Persona 1 apart from “Kandori ruined my life and now I want him dead” but I think Satomi Tadashi realized that.
: I might be a little cynical here, but I feel like Hashino realized that Akechi has no personality either (apart from “I hate those Phantom Thieves!”) and tried to pave it over by making him a bishounen type.
: “Ah, yes. Medjed… to think they’d be taken own by another hacker. I’m not sure whether Medjed was defeated by the Phantom Thieves themselves or an avid supporter…”
: “Um, you’re… Futaba-chan, right? Sae-san told me about you. Many kids your age seem to be fans of the Phantom Thieves… do you like them too?”
: He says this, and he’s two years older than she is.
: “What’s the matter?”
: “…You’re popular too, Ace Detective Akechi.”
: “Thank you. Although I’d rather not be compared to people like the Phantom Thieves, if at all possible.”
: “I would never have thought you’d be boarding at this cafe… we seem to share some kind of bond.”
: “Oh, that’s a shame. I believe that fate brings people together. It’s strange, but talking to you is thought-provoking.”
: “Can we? I bought some.”
: “I went by myself. I just ran into Mona on the way back.”
: “I was worried, so I decided to follow her. She was able to buy everything on her own though. If she can do that, she should be good to go. Plus she did a great job dodging that ace detective.”
: “C’mon, don’t get the smoke on me!”
: Why doesn’t he just move?
: “Will you listen to - cough”
: “Hey… the cat doesn’t like the smoke! Keep the flames away from him.”
: “Daaaaang! I made a huge one! Sojiro, look! Look!”
: “R-right. Just be careful, okay? Memories of summer, huh…”
: “Make sure you keep an eye on her. It’s tough enough going solo, let alone watching over someone else. Still, going to enjoy the beach… we can finally have a good time!”
: We need to go to Chihaya for a kindness reading. She also has some new dialog I missed, so I had to get it on the readback.
: Next is our usual Sunday ritual. This is the last time we’ll ever have to grip and sip. The guide has us do it one more time next month for some unknown reason, because even if we were on schedule we’d have no use for it as it’s knowledge points.
: There’s only something like two playable Sundays between now and when we max out Kindness, so even if I did it every time it wouldn’t rotate back to Kindness in time to be useful.
: We then feed the plant. This is the second to last time we’ll need to do it.
: We’ll end the update by working at the bar again.
: On Sundays, working at the bar raises Kindness and one other social stat depending on who you talk to. In this case, we’re going for Guts.
: And with that, we’ve maxed out Guts. We now have the stats necessary to complete all the confidants except for Sojiro’s - we’ll need Kindness maxed for that.
: “Hey, did you hear that? Isn’t that the same guy Mishima mentioned before?”
: That reminds me of one of the dumbest D&D supplements ever written.
: Lala pays the best of any job because of course she does. Next time, we’ll have Persona 5’s version of the camping scene in Persona 4, complete with the return of everyone’s least favorite offensively stereotypical gay couple. Seriously, I have more screenshots for the 29th than I do for either of the last two updates.
