Colors Flying High - Let's Play Persona 5 Royal

“It’s YOUR TURN to wear the maid dress!”

Also I get their hearts are in the right place but it still hurts me a bit to see the gang immediately pushing Futaba into going to a crowded beach. Like… taking control away from someone who’s been isolating themselves and trying to rush them into something just has my skin crawling. But I guess it’s all okay because metaverse true companions bonded by their hearts yadda yadda.

Yeah, I apologize, I didn’t think anyone actually watched my streams. It doesn’t really matter if you know who the killer is anyway… but you might want to not watch my most recent recording because I think there I mention why I hate him.

The reason I dislike him is because of something that happens in the expansion content. In fact, I think I can explain without spoiling anything - the design for the expansion content in Royal was more or less based entirely on popularity polls, disregarding almost entirely whether or not any of those design decisions made sense or were consistent with the base game’s plot.

It probably would’ve been better had they stuck with Futaba’s original design. In the original designs, Futaba was a goth who was just antisocial rather than being traumatized. They got rid of it because Hashino saw it as “too cliche”. I’d almost say they should’ve done it and then had her mother be Yukino, but that would require Hashino to touch the Persona 1 plot and… no.

Click Here for Update 56

timrodresized: I hope you’re all ready for an entire day that is just one big, long cutscene. It should be good preparation for September as a whole, because half of September is a filler arc.

Sojiro: “Make sure you don’t let any dudes try to hit on her.”

Sojiro: “Don’t do anything that’ll make you stand out, moron. Just act with your brains, okay?”

Futaba: “Hey, can we go already?”

Sojiro: “Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

Futaba: “It’s just a day trip! Don’t underestimate me!”

Sojiro: “R-Right… sorry. Guess I just have to let it go. Have fun, but be careful you two.”

timrodresized: Wait… why is Yusuke drinking Gaia, which I can only assume is Chaos-brand water? Yusuke’s very clearly going to be neutral like his boyfriend.

timrodresized: Joker’s just showing off for Yusuke. This entire cutscene is non-canon for the Gay Yusuke Route. I’ll let you know when it’s canon again.

timrodresized: Of course there’s close-ups on Ann. What did you take this for, a game directed by someone who wasn’t forced out of his job?

timrodresized: This is a direct reference to an intro from Lupin III Red Jacket, where Lupin does a dive in mid-air (losing his clothes in the process) into Fujiko’s bed only to have her kick him out.

timrodresized: There’s almost no way Ann and Ryuji are not going to wind up in a love triangle with Shiho.

timrodresized: I like to think that Joker and Yusuke have not actually ascended to the astral plane and this was just a fuckup by the anime studio.

timrodresized: Of course Yusuke would wear a hoodie to the beach.

Ann: “Why don’t we eat lunch too?”

Ryuji: “I’ll go get some stuff for us then.”

timrodresized: I like that they used the cut-ins for this because it makes it feel like a Phoenix Wright courtroom case. “Objection! You can’t just eat instant noodles all day every day!” “Take that! Yes I can! Watch me!”

timrodresized: Yusuke looks like he’s trying out for a role in The World Ends With You.

Ryuji: “What’s up Makoto? You ain’t eatin’ much.”

Makoto: “Oh, um…”

Ryuji: “Not feelin’ well or somethin’?”

Morgana: “You just don’t get it, do you, Ryuji? When a girl’s in a swimsuit, she wants to look as slim as possible. Still, you’re worrying too much. Did you make sure to eat breakfast?”

Futaba: “Mona lacks tact.”

Ryuji: “So, whadda we do now? Should we play some beach volleyball?”

Ann: “Oh, sorry. Us girls already made plans to ride a banana boat.”

Makoto: “We could only rent a three-person one. Sorry.”

Ryuji: “Wait… then what about us?”

Ann: “Keep an eye on our stuff.”

Ryuji: “Hell no! Why you gotta treat us like that!? We’re celebrities makin’ headlines! You should treat us better!”

Morgana: “B-But… Lady Ann…”

Futaba: “Can we get to the banana boat already?”

Makoto: “Oh, sorry. We’ll go now.”

Ryuji: “We risk our lives bein’ the Phantom Thieves. There’s no way we’re the same as other guys around here. Shouldn’t we be havin’ more good times in reality too!?”

Ryuji: “We’re special, man. Don’t you agree, Yusuke?”

Yusuke: “Well… if you put it that way, you may be right.”

Ryuji: “Ann and the others don’t get it 'cause they’re always around us.”

Morgana: “Hey, how do we get Lady Ann to notice how amazing we are as Phantom Thieves?”

Ryuji: “Well, we gotta steal… you-know-what.”

Ryuji: “Ann made fun of us and all. Let’s show her what we’re really made of.”

Morgana: “I see. I just need to prove my skills in reality as well…”

Ryuji: “Let’s steal all the hearts with the skills we’ve honed as Phantom Thieves! I’m sure girls will be all over us, considering the vibes we give off!”

Yusuke: “Very well, let’s do this. Pulling off our work in reality doesn’t sound bad.”

Ryuji: “It’s settled then. So… Mona, you’re in charge of watching over our stuff, okay?”

Morgana: “Huh?”

Ryuji: “All right, let’s hurry up and go.”

timrodresized: This upcoming scene is definitely not canon, apart from its purpose as evidence that Hashino is creatively bankrupt.

Ryuji: “I dunno… the ocean just looks bland to me…”

Ryuji: “C’mon, it ain’t over yet! I’m goin’ for a miracle comeback!”

Yusuke: “Hmm… did someone follow us here? Something tells me we’re being watched…”

Ryuji: “Really? You think… one of those girls changed her mind?”

timrodresized: And, of course, it’s our least favorite offensive stereotype. The dialog in this scene was also changed heavily from the base game.

Ryuji: “What are YOU guys doin’ here!?”

Ryuji: “I-I don’t think I felt what you guys were hopin’…”

Ryuji: “By the way, where’s Yusuke?”

timrodresized: This scene is now canon again.

timrodresized: Yusuke has acquired lobster. I’m really disappointed there’s no DLC that changes his weapon to a pair of lobsters because that’d own.

Ryuji: “Uh, what’re you doin’ with those lobsters?”

Yusuke: “While you were busy with your interrogation, I found these beautiful specimens on sale. And so, I decided to spend the last of my money on them.”

Ryuji: “Man, you’re real hopeless when it comes to cash… wait, you were watchin’ us!? Why didn’t you help!?”

Ryuji: “Good for you…”

Ann: “Are you even listening to us!?”

Ann: “That’s what we’ve been saying from the start!”

Makoto: “It’s far more interesting than anything involving you two.”

Makoto: “Thanks for coming in like that. Those guys just wouldn’t stop pestering us.”

Makoto: “To be honest, I was nearly at my wits’ end.”

Yusuke: “By the way, where are Futaba and Morgana?”

Futaba: “Ooooh! Are those lobsters? One in each hand!?”

Ann: “I was wondering about that myself.”

Morgana: “Are you going to make them into sashimi? Or perhaps roast them whole!?”

timrodresized: I wish I could gif properly because there’s this animation that plays of Futaba desperately trying to grab Yusuke’s lobsters and it actually works really well.

timrodresized: Yusuke’s going to raise those lobsters until they’re big enough to be his Persona.

Ryuji: “We did tons of stuff today. All in all, I guess comin’ to the beach was pretty worth it!”

timrodresized: This is supposed to be Makoto spiking the ball, even though it looks like Ryuji is holding an oversized sword.

Yusuke: “Agreed. Let’s pack up.”

Ann: “Futaba seemed fine in the crowd too, so it looks like she’s overcome her last exercise.”

Ryuji: “Hey, Futaba. We’re goin’ home. Stop standin’ around and help us.”

Futaba: “All this time, I thought that it was my fault that my mom died.”

timrodresized: We, uh, kinda know that already.

Ryuji: “Uh-huh…”

Futaba: “It’s because everyone said that I killed her. Everyone looked at me thinking I was a murderer. I ended up hating this world. That’s why I shut myself in and covered my ears.”

Futaba: “I wished… I wished my mom would come back to life. Sometimes, I’d wake up and think it was all a dream. But nothing had changed in the world.”

Futaba: “That’s why I’d sleep again. It’d be a repeat of that…”

Makoto: “Ah…”

Futaba: “How she’d work late into the night. How she’d wake up early and make me a boxed lunch every day. How she’d do her best to further her research. How she’d scold me for peeking at her notes.”

Makoto: “It was cognitive psience, wasn’t it?”

Futaba: " ‘The cognitive world can become distorted through desires. If it becomes distorted, a person begins exhibiting problematic behavior in reality. That cognitive world disappears when you remove its core, and further problematic actions stop.’ "

Ann: “Isn’t that about Palaces?”

Morgana: “That’s the Metaverse! She knew about that?”

Futaba: “It made no sense back then, but now I understand, after it actually happened to me. All I thought about was my mom. I was trapped in a cognitive labyrinth.”

Futaba: “I couldn’t get out of it. There was nothing I could do by myself.”

Ryuji: “That’s why you asked us to steal your heart? That’s a huge jump in logic in so many ways!”

Futaba: “At first, I didn’t believe the rumors about the Phantom Thieves… that they steal hearts. But I overheard you accidentally. I learned that you were near me.”

Yusuke: “Overheard? Ah, the bug… so why were you listening in on Leblanc in the first place?”

Ryuji: “Talk about an awful hobby…”

timrodresized: Get used to this, because this is exactly what most of September is going to be like.

Futaba: “I thought, maybe the Phantom Thieves could cure my heart.”

Ann: “You could’ve just told us from the start…”

Futaba: “You might’ve been wary of me if I asked out of nowhere. And besides, you could’ve been bad guys. That’s why I cautiously got in contact with you. I checked many times to see how you’d react.”

Makoto: “Yes, you had us twisted around your little finger.”

Ann: “But, Futaba, you didn’t talk to anyone besides Boss for a long time, right? You must’ve needed a lot of courage to contact the Phantom Thieves.”

Futaba: “…There were two reasons for it. One was Medjed’s taunt. The Phantom Thieves were so pitiful, it frustrated me. I would’ve been in trouble if they got disbanded too…”

Yusuke: “Indeed. You were our only hope.”

Futaba: “The other was what I heard through wiretapping Leblanc. Sojiro was being blamed with lies, like abusing me… he was being threatened to spill everything about my mom…”

Ryuji: “Talk about makin’ shit up.”

timrodresized: For the first time, Makoto thinks “Is my sister kind of a bitch?”

Futaba: “It made me sad, and it hurt. I thought, I have to save Sojiro. I gotta do something.”

Ann: “So that’s why…”

Futaba: “But the Phantom Thieves… I didn’t think you guys would be taking such risks for me. I didn’t think you’d worry about me so much. I’m sorry I acted like I doubted you guys.”

Ann: “Do you believe in us now?”

timrodresized: If the poll’s right, 60% of her believes in John Persona.

Futaba: “Yeah, I can tell. You aren’t bad guys. That’s why I have a request. Let me join your team.”

Ryuji: “There’s nothin’ to join. You’re already one of us.”

Futaba: “I’ll be honest. Changing people’s hearts isn’t my goal. I want to learn what happened to my mom… the reason why she was killed.”

Yusuke: “Killed?”

timrodresized: I wish all the people who played Persona 5 as their first one would play Innocent Sin.

Ryuji: “Is this about mental shutdowns?”

Yusuke: “Then, the criminal that Kaneshiro mentioned…”

Makoto: “Yes, that could be the case. I don’t like pursuing this line of thought, but perhaps your mother’s Shadow was…”

Futaba: “I don’t know for sure… but, right before my mom died, she didn’t seem right.”

Ryuji: “In what way?”

timrodresized: A minor spoiler, but we’ll see someone have a mental shutdown fairly soon, and it’s really obvious to everyone looking what’s going on.

Futaba: “No matter how much I talked to her, she wouldn’t answer back. And she didn’t jump into the road. It was more like she collapsed and fell in… that’s why I thought what was written in the notes was real and looked into it.”

Futaba: “I read books, checked theses that were released online… I even snuck into the networks of various research labs to look at their classified data.”

Ryuji: “That’s why you’re good at hacking… what kind of brain do you have?”

Futaba: “But, I didn’t figure anything out. My mom’s research was nowhere to be found. She was killed by someone, and her research was treated like it never existed.”

Futaba: “I bet it’s them… those adults in the black suits who read the fake suicide note. I’ll never forgive them.”

timrodresized: We know all this already!

Ann: “Futaba…”

Futaba: “If I stay with you guys, I think I can find out more about that world. Then eventually, it might even lead to those men in black.”

Futaba: “It’s a super-personal reason why I wanna join you… is that okay? Or would I just be dead weight?”

Ryuji: “Well, she was more useful than you, as a matter of fact.”

Morgana: “Hey, that’s inexcusable!”

Makoto: “This is what our Phantom Thieves are like, but I hope we get along, Futaba.”

Futaba: “Thanks.”

Ann: “Let’s leave those two be… why don’t we lose no time and decide on Futaba’s code name?”

Futaba: “What’s that?”

Ann: “It’s not cool if we called each other by our real names.”

Yusuke: “Joker, Skull, Mona, Panther, Queen… and I’m Fox.”

Makoto: “In Futaba’s case… ‘hacker’ wouldn’t be right, would it?”

Ann: “Mech?”

Yusuke: “PC?”

timrodresized: Yusuke actually says “Paso-Kon” rather than the English “PC”.

Futaba: “No.”

Ryuji: “Haha, in your face!”

Ann: “Do you have any good ideas for Futaba’s code name?”

timrodresized: I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this or not, but Futaba is the only party member to have a different code name in English. In Japanese, her codename is “Navi” (which is a standard Japanese abbreviation for the English word “Navigator”).

timrodresized: The localization chooses “Oracle” instead. I will be replacing it with the Japanese codename any time it comes up in dialog. The reason for this is that in several places (I believe it happened on Futaba’s stat screen in the base game and I know it happens in Strikers) they left the “Navi” name in on some of the graphics. The replacement was lazy and kind of unnecessary.

Futaba: “I’ll curse you.”

Makoto: “What would you want it to be, Futaba?”

Futaba: “Hm… ‘Navi’. With my vision, I’ll guide you all to victory.”

Ann: “Sounds great.”

Ryuji: “Then, Futaba’ll be Navi.”

Futaba: “But man, I never dreamed that the rumored Phantom Thieves would be so close!”

Morgana: “Same goes to you. To think you’d be the daughter of a Metaverse researcher… talk about a mysterious fate.”

Makoto: “Should we get going then?”

timrodresized: Well, looks like someone’s about to die.

timrodresized: It’s still kind of strange to me that they’re basing most of this game’s plot on a single scene from Innocent Sin that’s entirely possible to skip.

Morgana: “Dammit, Ryuji! You always find the worst possible things to say!”

timrodresized: There’s also a missable photo you can get over Joker’s IM.

timrodresized: Before we move on, there’s one thing I want to show off in the Thieves Den because it’s kinda funny.

timrodresized: You can run around as Futaba, and she runs like Sonic. Futaba doesn’t have a run animation because she’s never seen in battle, but I can imagine her just off-camera running like Sonic at all times.

timrodresized: I’ll leave it up to the reader to determine what species her Sonic OC is, because we all know she has one.

timrodresized: I hope you’re ready for a confidant event that is not going to make a lot of sense.

Ohya: “You brought me some news, right? Sorry, but let’s go somewhere else. You can give me the info later. We gotta get outta here quickly. Someone problematic might’ve found out about us…”

Ohya: “This is really annoying… where is that idiot!? Crap… hide!”

Ohya: “Ch-Chief? What are you doing here?”

Ohya: “N-no, not at all! Ohhh, it looks like my battery ran out. I’ve been busy covering the Phantom Thieves, so…”

Ohya: “Th-that’s ridiculous… I’ve been hot on their trail lately. Who told them that…?”

timrodresized: Couple of things I don’t get here. First, isn’t she off the clock by this point? I think she mentioned it during one of her other confidant events.

timrodresized: Second, why isn’t she going “Oh, I’m here interviewing for a Phantom Thieves piece” which is actually what she’s doing. She wouldn’t even be lying.

Ohya: “I’m honestly not. I just…”

timrodresized: This is like being asked what you’re doing at work and replying with “Oh, I’m just running a meth lab in my spare time. Don’t worry, there haven’t been any explosions… yet.”

Ohya: “Yup. That’s why I’m being so discreet about it. Who knows what laws we might be breaking. I guess keeping our tryst a secret is tougher than I expected. Maybe someone saw us out somewhere.”

Ohya: “So what, you decide I’m lying and that’s that?”

Ohya: “W-wait… we’re totally dating, aren’t we, sweetie?”

timrodresized: This is like going from “Yeah so I’m running a meth lab” to pulling out your phone showing a live feed of the meth lab and then as soon as you do the entire thing goes up in flames and explodes.

Ohya: “See!? Oh and he’s the one who asked me out, so don’t go thinking I’m some kind of cradle robber.”

timrodresized: “Now see, what I didn’t tell you is WHY I made the meth lab and the reason is because of a hallucination I had while taking the mushrooms I’m growing under my shed.”

Ohya: “H-Hey, that’s sexual harassment! And besides, our love is something that defies both age and logic!”

Ohya: “Of course. So… can we go now?”

Ohya: “Huh…!?”

Ohya: “Arrogant bastard, ain’t he? He’s the kind of guy all the girls at the bar would instantly turn down. Anyway… that was a real surprise.”

Ohya: “Not only are you a good source of info, you’re not half bad as an actor either. You’re honestly the type of guy I’d wanna grab drinks with after work… too bad you’re underage.”

Ohya: “Well, I guess that’s it for today. Don’t stop in any weird shops on your way home, okay?”

Ohya: “You’ve got some real acting chops! Man… they really saved me today. Once I got back to the editorial staff, all they asked for was my daily report. I couldn’t believe it!”

Ohya: “You seem like a handy kid to know. Expect another call from me soon - I could use the help! And I’ll repay you with the power of journalism, of course. I’ll write you a solid article on the Phantom Thieves.”

Ohya: “Wow, so dependable! I like guys like you. …But man, you’ve got a whole lotta guts for a high-schooler. Well, I’m sure we’ll gradually get to know each other better, so…”

Ohya: “Let me know if you get any more juicy info! Okay, bye!”

Ryuji: “Like, could we meet up at Leblanc tomorrow?”

Ryuji: “Sweet!”

Morgana: “That worried tone - could he still have summer vacation homework left to do?”

Ryuji: “Was that Morgana? Whoa, how did he know?”

Morgana: “I actually called it?”

Ryuji: “Anyway! I’ve already hit up Makoto and the others! I’ll be countin’ on you to get me through this tomorrow!”

Morgana: “You gotta be kidding… might as well get some sleep while we can.”

timrodresized: Hashino: “Shit. Fuck. I’ve already stolen everything I possibly could from that shitfuck Tadashi and now I’m out of ideas. Think, Hashino, think! Uh… okay, what if we had a non-playable navigator type character… and right afterward, we reveal that the animal mascot is a shadow! Man, I’m great at coming up with ideas on the spot.”

timrodresized: Fred, the Janitor Who Worked in the Building Where They Made Nausicaa: “Uh, sir? I know I just transferred away from Level-5 after Ni no Kuni 2 went belly-up, but didn’t you do this exact thing in Persona 4?”

timrodresized: Hashino: “Shit. Security! Fire this moron before word can spread! We’ll just have to work harder to make people forget that Persona 4 ever existed!”

timrodresized: So yes, this is why I hate Morgana. Apart from the whole “go to bed” thing in the base game, it’s the fact that he is a one-for-one ripoff of Teddie… but without any of the character development Teddie had.

timrodresized: Remember how Teddie had that whole arc where you fight his shadow, and then he becomes human but loses his human form after Nanako “dies”? Morgana gets exactly none of that. Morgana is an entirely static and one-dimensional character.

timrodresized: The worst part is, they had the opportunity to fucking do something with him, ESPECIALLY in Royal. But no, it can’t be fucking helped. We only had a multi-million dollar budget and were selling the game at full price, did you really expect us to fucking do anything?

timrodresized: Now, you might be asking “What do they do with Morgana in Strikers if he has basically no character development” and the answer is pretty much as little as possible. Morgana barely talks in Strikers outside of the usual “I wonder if that’s a Treasure” kind of shit.

Morgana: “That black thing was… me? …That can’t be true. I’m supposed to be human… I should be… If we get rid of the distortion in Mementos, I’m sure… I’m sure it’ll all be fine!”

timrodresized: I think the best comparison I can make is to Ni no Kuni. Teddie was Ni no Kuni 1 - deeply flawed in that a lot of people found him annoying, but still likeable enough and has a message. Morgana is Ni no Kuni 2, where it immediately takes a greasy fucking shit all over Ni no Kuni 1 and ends up becoming a looming specter of death for the company that shat it out.

Morgana: “Oh, um… my sunburns were hurting, and that woke me up! I was absorbing all the sunlight because I’m black. Don’t you get it?”

timrodresized: Cats can actually get sunburns, but most of the cases happen in cats that have some kind of fur problem, have naturally thin or white coats, or are hairless. They’re apparently fairly rare among cats with dark fur.

Morgana: “Oh, um, I’m not sure what to do when you give me an honestly concerned response like that… by the way, it’s not like I’m bothered by this or anything…”

timrodresized: He’d be concerned because sunburn in a cat is something you’ll typically want to go to a vet for.

Morgana: “But hypothetically speaking, okay? What would you do if I turned out to be some weird… thing?”

Morgana: “I’d be bothered by it! If what I saw from earlier is true, is it okay for me to stay with the Phantom Thieves? And even if I’m with the team, I’m useless at the moment…”

Morgana: “It’s nothing. Well, I’ve gotten pretty used to my life as a cat too. And to be frank, this storage room isn’t bad either. Then again, I can’t wait to turn back to being a human so I can move out.”

Morgana: “Maybe I’ll live a life of luxury in a suite on the highest floor… but rather than becoming some weird thing, maybe staying as a cat isn’t so bad either…”

Morgana: “You and me made a deal, yeah? That means I can stay here… isn’t that right?”

timrodresized: I didn’t know this until fairly recently, but a harisen is a kind of paper fan used in traditional Japanese comedy… which explains why it consists of the party member hitting someone with a paper fan.

timrodresized: I had assumed it was a play on the word “Arisen” that I just didn’t understand.

By the way, uh… I just got a new job. You might ask how that’s going to change the LP, and the answer is that I’ll probably have less time to work on it. I start in about two weeks and I’m hoping to get as much done as possible in that time. So if updates slow down a little, that’s why.

Oh, they caught up to the P5 manga already?

Ah man, that makes me want to play more Phoenix Wright.

Wait, then I would have to play more Phoenix Wright. Let me try that sentence again.

Ah man, that makes me want to watch LPs of more Phoenix Wright.

Oh god we’re on a beach. ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Persona, it’s that every beach is a mere type, a shadow (if you will) of the Plutonian Shore that leads from our world of light into the eternal horror of the Land of the Dead.

Click Here for Update 57

Ryuji: “As for me… I’m done for.”

Futaba: “Talk about a cliched way to end your summer vacation.”

Makoto: “I can’t believe you hadn’t even touched your homework until last night.”

Ann: “Well, everyone’s free to spend their time as they choose. I guess SOME PEOPLE just can’t help themselves.”

Ryuji: “I’m sorry…”

Sojiro: “Come on, I think he’s learned his lesson. More importantly, why don’t you folks take a break?”

Ryuji: “Boss! You’re a lifesaver!”

Sojiro: “I’m gonna go pick up some groceries. Mind the shop for a bit.”

Ann: “…Oh, that reminds me: isn’t there a female athlete from our own school who’s made the news?”

Makoto: “An athlete… do you mean the one in gymnastics?”

Ann: “Yeah, her! The one everyone’s saying is super-cute!”

timrodresized: The one everyone would forget about otherwise since we’ve already maxed her confidant.

Ryuji: “Oh yeah - Yoshizawa, right? Wasn’t she gonna be in the summer meet? Or izzat already over?”

Makoto: “Ah, about that…”

Yusuke: “Makoto?”

Makoto: “Well… I just happened to overhear a couple teachers discussing it when I was heading to school the other day. Yoshizawa-san’s results in the meet… they weren’t exactly stellar.”

Ann: “I see…?”

timrodresized: Here’s what I don’t get about this scene. As far as we know, Ann and Makoto have never met Kasumi. Why do they even care?

Makoto: “There seemed to have been a great many people expecting her success there. It’s got to be tough for her…”

Ryuji: “Yeah… ain’t there one more meet left this year in gymnastics, though? Shit must be rough right now, but if she can nail that one, who cares what anybody at school says?”

Ann: “Oh. That also reminds me… so, I just happened to bump into Mishima-kun before summer vacation started.”

Ryuji: “And?”

Ann: “He seemed really mad. I asked him what was wrong and he showed me some posts on an underground site about our school. It pretty much said the school’s planning to abandon any honors student who isn’t actively making Shujin look better.”

Ryuji: “Whoa, wait a sec…”

timrodresized: You want to know what this scene sounds like to me? It sounds like they’re having a lot of trouble keeping Kasumi relevant to the plot. It also feels like the writers learned nothing from P4 Golden.

timrodresized: P4 Golden had the same problem, where Marie was largely irrelevant until after the point where the base game ended. You basically did her S-Link and then forgot about her for the rest of the game.

timrodresized: What I don’t get is why instead of adding all these cutscenes that just feel shoehorned in, they wouldn’t stick to their strong points and do gameplay segments with Kasumi instead. Have it be an Assignment: Ada kind of thing where she plays differently from Joker and her game is figuring out how to abuse those differences.

Makoto: “Who knows? Still, ever since the case with Kamoshida… the school’s been frantically trying to improve its public image, right? At the very least, this abandonment of honor students would fall in line with the school’s real mission.”

Makoto: “I can’t deny the possibility that they would do this to Yoshizawa-san…”

Futaba: “They dump all their hopes onto their athletes, and if they don’t cut the mustard, they’re out like the rest of the trash, huh?”

Yusuke: “Regardless of whether it’s true or not, such behavior is extremely self-serving.”

Ryuji: “Tch… just like we’ve thought this whole time… there’s still tons of shit wrong with society.”

Morgana: “Yeah… we don’t know what’ll happen to Yoshizawa’s spot on the team… but at the very least, we can keep up our efforts to prevent the worst-case scenario.”

Sojiro: “Enough already, damn… all anyone talks about anymore is the Phantom Thieves - who they are, whether they’re good or bad… startin’ to give me a headache…”

Morgana: “I don’t know… I don’t even remember how I first learned about Mementos…”

timrodresized: Another pointless crossword tonight. I probably should put a vote up as to whether these are even worth showing anymore, since there’s multiple guides out there on how to do them.

timrodresized: It’s another Chihaya night tonight. We already have pretty much all her worthwhile abilities, but we have to max her anyway.

Chihaya: “But I’ve decided: I’m going to tell you everything about Fukurai-san. As well as the reason I decided to leave my village…”

Chihaya: “I already told you about how it was a small, traditional town tucked away in the mountains, right? Well when I was young, I predicted a major earthquake. The villagers revered me as a messenger of God…”

Chihaya: “But when I kept predicting disasters, they started blaming me for everything. They said I was cursed, a monster… so I locked myself away. People would still come by to throw stones through the windows though…”

Chihaya: “Things went on like that for some time… until one day, an angry mob came and burned down the house.”

timrodresized: Joker’s like “What town was this?” to which Chihaya responds “Oh, this little town called Silent Hill. Lovely little resort town in Not-Maine.”

Chihaya: “That’s why I decided to come to Tokyo after graduating high school. I wanted to change my fate… I didn’t know anyone, but I needed money… so I took the first job I could find at a small night club…”

timrodresized: Chihaya: “Have I mentioned I was born from a wish to torment this guy over killing his terminally ill wife? It’s true.”

Chihaya: “I found myself surrounded by dangerous people… but that’s when Fukurai-san approached me. He’s a psychic too, you know.”

Chihaya: “He knew from a mere glance that I was a runaway who had just come to Tokyo. Then once I told him why I decided to leave my village, he immediately invited me to join the ADP.”

Chihaya: “That was when he gave me the moniker of the Maiden of Relief. He told me that I possessed a divine power to save others from misfortune… that I could become more than the monster people saw me as.”

Chihaya: “I… broke down the moment he said that… hahaha… deep down, I knew all along that the Holy Stones didn’t have any powers…”

Chihaya: “But I thought I might be able to save people, even though I was a monster. Or perhaps because I was a monster…”

Chihaya: “What…? My fortune said you’re supposed to hate me… I never thought you would overturn even that fate, Kurusu-san…”

Chihaya: “I’m going to expose the chairman’s fraudulent activities and wake the other members up to the truth! Thank you so much for listening to me today… if there’s ever anything you need to talk about, I’d be glad to return the favor, Kurusu-san.”

timrodresized: We now get an ability that’s completely fucking useless, but still somehow better than it was in the base game. In the base game, you got a version of this ability that let you preview ONE confidant ability.

timrodresized: You then got a second one at Rank 10 that let you preview all of them. Royal adds two new ones instead - one at Rank 8 and one at Rank 10.

Chihaya: “Now that I think about it though, just saying the Holy Stones are powerless won’t convince people. The ADP holds what they call ‘seminars’ for believers… but it’s really just brainwashing.”

Chihaya: “That’s why everyone thinks they’ll be unhappy without a Holy Stone. Honestly, I don’t hold any sway there, even though I’m the Maiden of Relief… just who is the chairman…?”

Chihaya: “Let me think it over some more. We can talk further next time. Well, thank you again for today!”

Chihaya: “Now that I think about it, I barely knew anything about the Chairman, nor the ADP in general. So I’m thinking of doing some research on the ADP first. I’m done turning a blind eye!”

timrodresized: The ADP was so bad it didn’t make it into Dark Souls 3 and that’s all you really need to know about it.

Chihaya: “Are you… worried about me? Hee hee… that kind of makes me happy. But yes, I’ll be all right. As long as I have the trust of my clients and believers. I am the Maiden of Relief, after all.”

timrodresized: What she’s saying is that she’ll be fine as long as we’re singlehandedly keeping her business afloat.

Chihaya: “…From now on, I will see with my own two eyes, rather than through cryptic fortunes. I’ll let you know if I find anything, so please, promise me that you’ll come by again. Now, I should be going…”

Morgana: “Well, this is truly our time to shine! Though this scoundrel has the same power as us, they’re triggering people’s mental shutdowns… if they truly exist, who can stop them? …Only us.”

Morgana: “We’ve got a new addition to the team, so it’s time I flex my veteran skills!”

timrodresized: Morgana clearly has no idea how Neo Turf Masters works. The Veteran is probably the worst character in that game, a mere human playing alongside the gods that are the Shot Maker and Putt Master.

Futaba: “Come downstaaaairs!”

Morgana: “What is it?”

Sojiro: “You don’t have any plans, right? Just come on. It’ll be my treat. Not only can Futaba go out now, but your summer break’s almost over. We gotta do something.”

Futaba: “I asked especially for sushi. You better be thankful. This place is supposed to be super delicious too.”

timrodresized: It’s going to be the exact same sushi place Joker has been to like four times now.

Morgana: “Sushi!? Take me with you! I didn’t get to eat the take-out sushi last time, remember!?”

Sojiro: “Man, that thing never stops meowing, does it?”

Morgana: “Tell him to bring me along!”

Sojiro: “Wait, does it want to come with us or something? I do feel sorry for it though… well, I guess I don’t mind bringing some sushi home.”

Morgana: “He knows me so well! Let’s see, I want some medium-fat tuna, fatty tuna, salmon roe, anago, and, and… oh, are you gonna be able to remember all this? You might want to take notes.”

timrodresized: It’s hard to capture, but in this shot Futaba is rapidly shovelling food into her face at a pace that can best be described as “alarming”.

Futaba: “Delihious!”

Sojiro: “Don’t wolf it down like that. No one’s gonna take your food.”

Sojiro: “What did I tell you? Drink some tea.”

Futaba: “Hresfroomf!”

Sojiro: “Huh? …Restrooms? They’re that way.”

Sojiro: “Back in the day, she, her mother, and I used to go eat out often… this brings back memories… I had completely forgotten about it too…”

Futaba: “Welp, time to resume.”

Sojiro: “Hm? You’re still going to eat?”

Futaba: “I’m all full. I’m throwing in the towel!”

Sojiro: “Which is it? I’m gonna use the restroom and then pay the bill. Check please.”

timrodresized: Totally unrelated, but I saw a Persona 5 thread just now in which someone called Hashino “Rehashino” and I wish I had come up with that.

Futaba: “When I got into middle school, my mom and Sojiro took me out to eat sushi to celebrate. That sushi was so good… today’s was pretty good too. I hope the three of us can come again sometime.”

Futaba: “When should we do this again? I wish she could’ve had today’s sushi too… I want to find out what happened to Mom… I won’t forgive the guy who triggered her mental shutdown. So, you better help me out.”

timrodresized: We know! Fuck!

timrodresized: Wait, what. That’s $1100… how the fuck do you spend that much on sushi?

Futaba: “Looks like we won’t be getting sushi to go.”

timrodresized: Akihabara is where we’re going to unlock one of the two remaining confidants in the game. It’s also got a number of things we’re going to want.

Morgana: “Wait, we’re meeting in Akihabara? Is Futaba really going to be okay? We’d better get over there.”

timrodresized: Ah, Akiba. Site of not one, but two incredibly mediocre JRPGs (plus re-releases) based entirely around anime panties. They’re making a third one and I have no idea why.

Morgana: “Is she not here? Try checking around.”

Morgana: “Hey, over there…”

Futaba: “Uhhh… ah…”

Morgana: “That looks bad! What are you gonna do!?”

timrodresized: I’m disappointed there’s no “It can’t be helped” option because that would really reflect Royal as a whole.

Morgana: “Yeah, hurry up!”

Futaba: “S-Sorry… I thought I conquered my fears back at the beach…”

Morgana: “What happened?”

Futaba: “There wasn’t anyone I knew with me, so I panicked. Felt like my heart was gonna pop… I got so scared all by myself… then I just sorta curled up into a ball…”

Futaba: “Then all these people started staring at me… and the police came… and then it was all over…”

Morgana: “Look, Futaba. If you’re ever in trouble, just call Akira.”

Futaba: “…Okay.”

Futaba: “Maybe. Urgh… couldn’t even go buy a game by myself. I’m a failure…”

Morgana: “Futaba…”

Futaba: “But I’m okay outside as long as it’s with Akira… is he some kinda key item? Please, Akira! Be my key item! I’ll try and get better at navigation if you do!”

timrodresized: As you can probably tell, Futaba quickly goes from traumatized shut-in to us gamers: the character. Have I mentioned that you can date her?

Futaba: “It’s just a figure of speech. I want you to help me get better at going outside. And in return, I’ll work even harder as your navigator. How’s that for a good deal?”

timrodresized: There’s a couple of Sae scenes that just flat out don’t make any sense, and this is one of them. Doesn’t she already know Futaba is a hacker?

timrodresized: Futaba is the reason I didn’t do a poll for who to date, because I know there’s people who would vote for her.

Morgana: “…Weren’t you bawling your eyes out just a second ago?”

Futaba: “Yeah, but I have my key item now! Victory conditions met! C’mon, let’s roll!”

Futaba: “Akihabara…”

Sojiro: “What!? That’s incredible, Futaba.”

Futaba: “I-I guess…”

Sojiro: “I just hope you can keep that up. Maybe you’ll even be able to go to high school someday.”

Futaba: “Yeah…”

Sojiro: “…Well, that’s enough of that. I bet you’re exhausted after dealing with all those people, huh? Let’s get you to bed. Hey, we’re gonna head back.”

timrodresized: I have to wonder if at some point, Futaba was meant to be much younger than she is (making her P5’s equivalent of Ken in P3) and they wrote the script around that and then just kinda forgot to update it.

Morgana: “No sushi, and we got dragged around by Futaba… what a terrible day.”

timrodresized: It’s funny he says that, because by the time Strikers rolls around he’s basically Futaba’s cat.

Mishima: “I can’t believe I have to leave Japan now, of all times…”

timrodresized: The school trip is the reason that almost half of September is a cutscene.

timrodresized: The guide tells us to finish watching the DVD we have… and I really don’t know why. We don’t ever wind up watching another DVD on this schedule, and there’s no trophy or Thieves Den award for all DVDs.

Igor: “…This is the owner of quite a different type of power. It will help guide you all to further heights as thieves.”

Igor: “Worry not. You are steadily approaching the realization of your goal. This is not necessarily to prove so, but I shall increase the number of Personas you can hold at once.”

timrodresized: Three weeks ago, this ability would’ve been useful. Now all it’s going to do is increase the number of times I have to press L1 or R1 to find Lilim, Anzu or Arahabaki.

timrodresized: Or, you know, the bullshit overpowered Persona I’m going to fuse the second we hit the next dungeon and get Network Fusion. The one with Megidolaon, Almighty Boost, Almighty Amp, Magic Ability (25% damage to all magic), Concentrate and Victory Cry if I can get it.

timrodresized: Of course, all you have to do to stop me from doing that is to go up and vote in the poll. No Holds Barred is winning, and the first thing I’m doing once I get Network Fusion is making my gamebreaker.

Igor: “From here on, your tale will make great progress… hone your powers even further, and prepare for the time that will soon come. …I expect great things from you.”

Igor: “…Until we meet again.”

timrodresized: I’m going to end this here for now, because we’ve got about two updates worth of content left before the real filler arc begins, and I want to make sure to contain that entire thing to its own series of updates so people can skip them easily.

JOKER: But Futaba…key items don’t have effects. I would have to be a piece of equipment. Are you sure you aren’t a…fake gamer girl.

Given that she was apparently looking for games in a store that seems to sell nothing but home appliances, it’s entirely possible.

Y’all, this girl I met said I was like her Flash HM. Is that a compliment?

I guess it’s not that improbable since she didn’t go anywhere, but the revelation that Sojiro’s been taking care of a teenager all this time makes his ultimate bachelor “I don’t usually give rides to dudes” act at the start funnier.

Click Here for Update 58

Futaba: “Ooh, a uniform!”

Futaba: “Make sure you study hard.”

Sojiro: “Futaba says she’s going to shift to a morning person’s life.”

Futaba: “A healthy mission starts with a healthy lifestyle.”

Sojiro: “Mission?”

Sojiro: “Even the prime minister’s talking about the Phantom Thieves?”

Futaba: “They’re allies of justice, after all.”

Sojiro: “They change hearts, huh? I wonder if it’s true.”

Morgana: “Looks like we’re finally being recognized across the country.”

Morgana: “That humility of yours is favorable. I bet you stole that from me, huh? Let’s find clues on that case as soon as we can too, and resolve it ourselves… for Futaba’s sake too.”

Sojiro: “…You two really get along, don’t you? You’re gonna be late if you don’t get going soon.”

Futaba: “Good luck on your student duties.”

timrodresized: Remember how Mishima told us there was a new feature on the site, but didn’t tell us what it is? That’s what it is.

timrodresized: There’s another “walking to school” scene that repeats almost the exact same talking points so I’m going to skip it.

Ann: “I think this every year, but isn’t summer vacation too short?”

Ann: “How desperate are you?”

Kawakami: “Let’s see. We’ve just gotten back from vacation, but starting next Monday is the school trip.”

Ann: “Oh yeah, that’s right.”

Kawakami: sigh “You students are so lucky. You get an entire month off for summer and get to go to Hawaii too. Make sure that none of you cut loose too much, okay?”

timrodresized: You might be wondering why they’re going to Hawaii, and the answer is filler arc. It doesn’t make any kind of sense from a plot perspective - I think the entire reason they did it was to appease Western fans who claim that the SMT franchise is xenophobic.

timrodresized: This as opposed to, I dunno, getting a creative department that can write something other than generic Japanese high school drama.

Kawakami: “Okay, settle down! That concludes homeroom.”

Ann: “Basically, yeah.”

timrodresized: Wait, what. How does that make any sense? They basically just asked her “Hey Ann, you speak English?” and Ann replies “Yeah, I lived over there.”

Ann: “Huh?”

timrodresized: There’s an IM from Ryuji that didn’t capture correctly so I’ll just type it out.

Ryuji: “All people’re talking about in my class is the Phantom Thieves. Is it the same for you? Talk about being popular. Anyways, now that a new semester has started, let’s have another operation meeting.”

Ann: “Futaba! Did you come here by yourself?”

Yusuke: “I went to get her since I got out of school early.”

Futaba: “What a patronizing Inari.”

timrodresized: Hold on, wait a second. Why are they still at the walkway? Didn’t they abandon that in favor of just hanging out at Leblanc?

Ryuji: “Well then, let’s get talkin’. Whadda we do now? Should we go after another big target?”

Yusuke: “That’s important too, but what about that villain in the cognitive world?”

Makoto: “It’s almost certain that this person exists. What’s more, they’re inducing mental shutdowns… we certainly can’t turn a blind eye.”

Ryuji: “Yeah, but we don’t got any clues… but! You know how we’re totes popular right now? Everyone at school’s talkin’ about us, and not a day goes by when you don’t hear about it on TV either!”

Ryuji: “We totally made it big, don’tcha think?”

Ann: “True. The rankings on the Phantom Aficionado website have been crazy too.”

Futaba: “You mean this?”

Ryuji: “Huh? What the hell!? First place… keeps changing by the second!”

timrodresized: Anyway, you’re going to see a lot of things that do not make any sense whatsoever in the next couple of in-game weeks. I have a feeling it’s because Atlus had no real plan for the latter half of the game and just kinda did the Ni No Kuni 2 thing and slapped scripts together.

Ryuji: “If we go after these guys, I’m sure we’ll score some big cash at least once! What would you use money like that for, Akira?”

Ryuji: “I’ve never heard of a phantom thief that saves up money!”

timrodresized: Clearly, Ryuji has never played Payday 2.

Makoto: “Are you fine with that, Futaba? Even though it’s related to what happened to your mother?”

Futaba: “It’s not okay! I’m definitely gonna punch that guy!”

Ryuji: “The culprit forcing mental shutdowns… if you think about it, there’s no bigger target than that. If we can change his heart and get a confession outta him, we’ll be on top of the world for real.”

timrodresized: I thought about this line for a minute and realized that while it’s pretty obvious that the killer has a Persona, the game hasn’t outright said that yet.

Ryuji: “Should we reveal our identities then? I bet chicks are gonna be all over us!”

Ann: “Whoa, whoa, you want us to show our faces!? …I guess that might be okay?”

Yusuke: “I see. If the true culprit confesses, the existence of the Metaverse will become known. There would be no need for us to remain in hiding in such a questionable manner…”

Morgana: “Being ‘unknown’ is the allure of being a Phantom Thief.”

Ryuji: “But considering the hype now, it’s gonna be one hell of a huge deal if we pull it off!”

Morgana: “Are there really no clues regarding those mental shutdown cases? If I remember right, wasn’t the older Niijima sister investigating it?”

timrodresized: I read a thing yesterday that I’m not sure is true that said that Akechi was initially intended to be Makoto’s brother. This was supposedly back when the script had Joker move in with Sae instead of Sojiro.

Makoto: “Yes… I can pry and ask about it. But she’ll just tell me to mind my own business and get angry with me.”

Futaba: “If you can’t ask her, wanna just extract that data? Does she have a personal laptop or something?”

Makoto: “Don’t tell me…”

Futaba: “Just stick this baby in, and it’ll clone the internal hard drive! It’ll even bypass the OS password! You’ll have to plug it directly into her laptop though. Can you do it?”

Makoto: “Sis does bring her laptop home sometimes… but I’m not comfortable going that far.”

Ryuji: “Ooh, is Futaba gonna do something amazin’ again?”

Yusuke: “Are you scared of seeing how your sister truly feels?”

Makoto: “No! …Of course not…fine, I’ll do it.”

Kobayakawa: “But I gave a gag order in regards to Mr. Kamoshida’s case… p-please wait! Please give me some more time! I will find evidence on the Phantom Thieves for sure!”

Kobayakawa: “I couldn’t have made it this far, had it not been for your assistance, sir, so… please… please let me-”

Morgana: “Let’s leave this to Makoto. I’m sure she’ll be able to pull it off.”

timrodresized: The recycle shop now has a broken laptop and a new game for the Famiclone. We’ll grab both, even though we don’t really have a reason to.

timrodresized: If we then head to Akihabara, there’s a machine parts store that sells a PC tool set we can use to fix the laptop. Fixing the laptop is something you have to do at night.

timrodresized: Right down the street is this place - a blatant reference to Super Potato. Super Potato is a very famous retro game store in Akihabara.

timrodresized: This store has all of the other games for the Famiclone. I cleaned the store out just because we had the money to do so.

Chihaya: “I’ve been trying to use this as an opportunity to investigate into the ADP’s seminars so I can expose him… but the deeper I dig, the scarier everything becomes.”

Chihaya: “The ADP apparently doesn’t profit very much from sales of the Holy Stones. It’s nothing more than a front. Most of their revenue comes from the seminars.”

timrodresized: I joked about her being a Silent Hill character but she practically is, especially given the whole “drug cult” thing in SH1.

Chihaya: “People have even gone missing after their seminars… families have been torn apart by this madness… and I… I was a part of it all.”

Chihaya: “By selling these fraudulent stones, I was in direct support of their horrible actions. I know this doesn’t make up for what I’ve done… but I want to help the others come to their senses.”

Chihaya: “Barely anyone within the ADP will talk to me though, and those who do won’t actually hear me out. What should I do, Kurusu-san…? These people are all heading down a path toward great ruin…”

Chihaya: “Right. I’ll just have to admit to everything that’s been going on, even if I get dragged down too… that’s… the only way.”

Chihaya: “I’m the only one who can stop him… right?”

Chihaya: “O-Oh… hm, how strange… it seems the cards have changed somehow… my future is in line with that of the Trickster… what does that mean?”

Chihaya: “Even so, my fate remains unchanged. I am destined to stay a monster… hm…”

timrodresized: This is another one of those nights where we have to spend the entire night just to get a Mementos request.

Chihaya: “I’ll have to think on this for a while. Let’s finish for today… well then, goodbye.”

timrodresized: I spent last night replacing the battery in the PS3 controller I used for the Persona 1 and Innocent Sin LPs. It’s not bad until you get to the part where you put the case back together.

Akechi: “Oh yes. Thank you for the coffee last time. It’s a lovely cafe. I haven’t relaxed that much in a while.”

Akechi: “No, not particularly. Especially lately since it seems I’m hated by those who support the Phantom Thieves. Anyhow, it seems your school’s in trouble.”

Akechi: “The media is reporting that the whole school was involved in the cover-up about that gym teacher. Those unfortunate students were made victims all because adults valued their own conveniences…”

Akechi: “This is unforgivable, no matter the reason. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll do my best so that the case is wrapped up quickly.”

Morgana: “I don’t like the way they’re looking at us…”

Ryuji: “D’you see that ad in the train?”

Ryuji: “The media’s gonna come to our school. At least be a little interested in it. ‘Cover-up by faculty and principal of Shujin Academy, where the Phantom Thieves first appeared.’ It’s been a huge deal already.”

Ryuji: “I wonder what’s gonna happen to the principal now. Anyways, we made the right choice goin’ after big targets! Everywhere I go, people’re talkin’ about us!”

Ryuji: “Oh no, I’m fine.”

Ryuji: “The Phantom Thieves are on fire right now, so I wonder if I got a chance if I asked her out? It sucks that I can’t just say I’m actually a phantom thief to anybody.”

Kawakami: “Seriously, why does this keep happening? All my relatives are gonna call me again…”

timrodresized: This shot reminds me of this one moment in 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim where they reveal that one of the characters is just an older, hornier version of a younger character from the future.

Kawakami: “You know how the police have been coming to the school again because of that incident? So, a number of the senior faculty are going to be called in for questioning.”

Kawakami: “And that day just happens to overlap with the school trip.”

timrodresized: Basically, Hashino needed an excuse for Makoto to go to Hawaii. This isn’t even as ridiculous as this whole plot arc will get.

Makoto: “…Yes, I’ve been told so.”

Kawakami: “Now, this came up at the faculty meeting, but the plan is to have third-years to act as our proxies. I’m so sorry to drop this on you, Niijima-san, but we’ll be counting on you.”

timrodresized: …They’re going to have high schooler chaperoning high schoolers, and they want Makoto to buy tickets from Japan to Hawaii (which are not cheap, they’re like $980 to $1200) on short notice.

timrodresized: This also makes it sound like Kawakami isn’t going. She absolutely is.

timrodresized: Did Hashino ever go to high school?

Kawakami: “You know… a lot of the second-years this year happen to be… unique.”

timrodresized: They ignore uniform code, and have portraits and models that differ from the same one that’s used for every other student. I think they might be… JRPG protagonists.

Kawakami: “You must have your hands full with the entrance exams, but I’m sure you’ll be fine with your grades. Don’t worry. There’ll be a couple more people going besides you!”

Makoto: “…If that’s the case, very well.”

Kawakami: “Really? Oh thank goodness! I’ll go ahead and pass this news on then.”

Kawakami: “I had nothing to do with it! Do you really think I have that much power? Okay, enough chitchat! If you’re that worried, you can always see our school counselor!”

Kawakami: “Starting today, we’ll have Dr. Maruki on call. We went to the trouble of getting him, so don’t be afraid to ask!”

timrodresized: I didn’t realize it, but Maruki leaves in the middle of July and doesn’t come back until today. However, we can’t progress his confidant until 09/20.

Morgana: “Yikes… the new semester’s barely started and things are already getting crazy…”


There’s a chalk dodge after this, which we have a 100% chance of getting and a 0% chance of it mattering because Charm and Proficiency are maxed.

timrodresized: We won’t be seeing her again (outside of any automatic cutscenes) until after the base game’s ending.

timrodresized: Starting I think today, there’s a number of John Persona themed items at the copyright-friendly Don Quixote (Rocinante is the name of Don Quixote’s horse) that we want to buy.

timrodresized: Each of these items can be traded to Sakai for some very, very good shit - particularly the Phantom Wafers and Thief Mask.

Futaba: “Oh, that’s right. Um, well… sorry about what happened in Akihabara. I really messed up… that police officer… he was a way higher level than me…”

timrodresized: I didn’t bother to show it to conserve space, but the reason we’re having all of this happen before initiating the actual confidant event is that Futaba’s confidant is locked behind Kindness 4.

Futaba: “Yeah… I guess you’re right. I mean, I still managed to buy some stuff after that. But that was only 'cause you were there… anyways… can we go up to your room? I wanna talk to you some more.”

timrodresized: This is where Morgana asks you if you actually want to initiate the event. I’m purposely cutting this stuff because it’s generic dialog that’s repeated every time you do a confidant event.

Futaba: “I think I wanna try going somewhere else sometime. …It really sounds like Sojiro wants me to go back to school. But online classes are better for studying! I wouldn’t even have to leave the house.”

timrodresized: The game never tells you what Futaba was doing for school during the two years that she spent as a hikkikomori.

Futaba: “Ain’t it!? I can attend classes without even getting out of bed! Though… I dunno if Sojiro’d really consider that going to school.”

Futaba: “School… um, to be honest… I really do wanna go back. …Do you think I’ll be able to?”

Futaba: “…Yeah! I… I’m gonna do my best!”

Futaba: “My mom used to have me do that all the time. She’d write all my goals for the month, like cleaning the house or running errands for her. Then when I’d finish one, she’d mark it off with a big stamp.”

Futaba: “She always used to write comments too… those were the best. Oh, and once I finished all my goals, she would take a day off work to spend time with me.”

Futaba: “It’s decided then! I’m gonna make a promise list! Time to get my ideas ready!”

Futaba: “So, these are my promises.”

timrodresized: You’re in the wrong game for that, I’m not sure Hashino even really knows what a high school is outside of seeing it in anime.

timrodresized: Well, you’re in a game with a bunch of teenagers written by middle-aged men who act like they’re in 1986 instead of 2016, so I think you’re kinda doomed there.

Futaba: “…How’s that?”

timrodresized: Thanks for laying out what your confidant events are going to be up front, so that I don’t have to show them off.

Futaba: “I’m not setting a deadline for this, by the way. I wanna try and finish all of them someday! You’re gonna have to help me though. I’ll work even harder with my navigation in return!”

Futaba: “S-So, um… if I finish all the promises, do you think I could have a reward? I know it’s kinda weird to ask… but having a reward waiting at the finish line will totally push me onward!”

timrodresized: The reward scene is one of the most awkward fucking things in this game.

Futaba: “Anyway, I got this! …Though I’m kinda exhausted from making the list, sooooooo… tomorrow. I got this… tomorrow.”

timrodresized: I refuse to believe that this is a thing anyone has ever said.

Futaba: “Taking out the promise list brought back memories of when I worked on it with my mom. Hey. If I finish the promise list and start going to school… do you think it’d make Sojiro happy?”

Futaba: “Right! Right!? Okay, that’s another reason I gotta work at this! I wanted to think of something I could do for Sojiro, but… that’s all I got for now.”

Futaba: “But first I gotta finish the promise list! Doing this alone would be, like, omega hard. Like trying to solo a final boss. But now I got you in my party. Heh heh… I’m counting on you!”

timrodresized: I’ve been considering doing Suikoden 3 as an LP - playing through Suikoden and Suikoden 2 (which I have actual discs of but wouldn’t use) and then doing an LP of 3.

timrodresized: Anyway, Suikoden 2 has this bug where if you go into the final fight against Luca Blight with just the main character, the main character becomes invincible and you can auto-battle your way to victory.

timrodresized: Suikoden has a lot in common with Persona in that the lead writer for the series left halfway through 3’s development and as a result 4 was… not great.

Futaba: “But now I got you in my party. Heh heh… I’m counting on you! So yeah, I’m stoked! Let’s start Phantom Quest IV: Chapters of the Thieves!”

timrodresized: I don’t trust anyone who likes Dragon Quest. I just don’t. I’ve played at least three of them and don’t see the appeal.

Morgana: “Oooh, I can’t wait to see what comes of this…”

timrodresized: We have another crossword tonight.

timrodresized: We’re supposed to do Mishima’s confidant tonight, but I couldn’t find him. That’s because once Akihabara opens up, Mishima moves there.

Mishima: “It’s about the next target for the Phantom Thieves! This one’s massive!”

Mishima: “Well, of course! We’ve got a huge target on our hands! This is the guy. He’s a handsome young actor who’s been rapidly gaining popularity lately.”

Mishima: “He’s great at acting, has solid conversational skills… he’s even been in all sorts of commercials. If you manage to change his heart, everyone will HAVE to start paying attention to the Phantom Thieves.”

Mishima: “…He’s gotta be doing some shady stuff, I just know it. And no, I’m not saying that out of jealousy.”

timrodresized: He’s absolutely saying it out of jealousy.

timrodresized: I’m out of jokes about Innocent Sin at this point.

Mishima: “No, this has gotta be what the evil underbelly of the entertainment industry really looks like… anyway, isn’t it your job to listen to the public’s wishes? You have to change his heart!”

Mishima: “I mean, this would be the best publicity possible for you guys! Well? Pretty good tactic, huh? Aren’t I an amazing producer?”

Mishima: “Just you wait… I’m gonna put the Phantom Thieves on the map! You’ll practically be swimming in requests!”

Mishima: “That’s right…I’m the producer for the famous Phantom Thieves… I’m not boring… I’m not a zero…”

Mishima: “Don’t worry… this request will boost your popularity, guaranteed. After all, I’m the only reason you guys have gotten this far, right?”

Mishima: “I think you mean ‘Yes, that’s right!’ Ugh, you just don’t know all the stuff I do for you guys! The Phantom Thieves’ success is thanks to me… and the Phantom Thieves are changing the world…”

Mishima: “That means I’m the one who’s responsible for those changes… that means I’m not a zero! Make sure you check the info I sent you. I’ll let you know once I’ve found some more details.”

Sae: “I’m listing up the evidence that’s been taken into storage. It’s a chore that any part-timer could do. I don’t have time to waste on something like this…”

Sae: “It felt like the irritation would show on my face at the office, so I brought it home.”

Makoto: “Sorry to hear.”

Sae: “The Phantom Thieves case isn’t so easy that I could pursue it in my spare time… the media keeps making a ruckus about it, so people have been wary whenever we make inquiries.”

timrodresized: Sae going full on Jack Bauer trying to find out about John Persona.

Sae: “All I did was question him a bit harshly.”

Makoto: “Oh, I almost forgot… I’ll be going on a school trip starting next week. The senior faculty are being questioned, so I’ll be going in their stead.”

Sae: “Sounds good to me. The school will owe you for it. It won’t get in the way of your entrance exams, will it?”

Makoto: “Not at all. …Feel free to take a bath first. I… need to study.”

timrodresized: It’s weird to me how inconsistent the developers were with when they chose to use dialog portraits when a character isn’t on screen. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.

Makoto: “Yes!?”

Sae: “I want to change my toothbrush.”

Makoto: “I-I bought a new one already! It’s on the shelf!”

Sae: “Thanks.”

timrodresized: Either Sae’s laptop is basically empty, or Hashino has no idea how file transfers work. My guess is that her laptop’s entire hard drive consists of a single text file where she stores her stupid questions.

timrodresized: As soon as this dialog box goes away, you can hear Sae’s footsteps in the background.

timrodresized: Your guess is as a good as mine as to why they used a winking cut-in here. It’s been not even ten seconds since Sae went off screen, which makes me think she’s a robot using some kind of heated self-clean thing like an oven.

timrodresized: She just stands in one place and starts asking stupid questions until her body becomes superheated and vaporizes the dirt.

Sae: “I’m not really in the mood to relax in the tub.”

Makoto: “It’s so close to being done too!”

Makoto: “Oh, sis!?”

Sae: “What is it?”

Makoto: “I bought a new bath salt. It’s on the same shelf, so would you mind putting it in the tub?”

Sae: “Not at all.”

Morgana: “Looks like it went well! I wonder what we’ll find… oh! Before that, we should get over to school!”

Inui: “Your destination is none other than Hawaii. I hope your passport isn’t about to expire. You’re heading out Wednesday, so there’s no time to get a new one printed.”

timrodresized: Joke’s on you, I don’t have a passport.

Inui: “Anyhow, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time sightseeing in Hawaii more if you have more knowledge. Now then, Kurusu-kun. Look closely at this picture.”

Inui: “Each hand in this famous statue means something, but… do you know what the right represents?”

timrodresized: I believe it represents Kamehameha telling his opponents to “bring it” because he has a spear.

Inui: “That’s right. The right hand represents the prosperity of Hawaii. And the spear in the left hand represents peace.”

Inui: “As an aside, it seems that this statue is not of King Kamehameha himself. After Kamehameha’s death, another king commissioned the statue, using a boy from his court as the model.”

timrodresized: Pretty much everything Inui says here is wrong. The statue was not commissioned by a king, as this report from the University of Hawaii shows. It was commissioned by a man named Walter Gibson, who served in the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii, in 1878. This was about 20 years before the United States annexed Hawaii and destroyed their democratic government, because that’s what the US does best.

timrodresized: The part about the model is also incorrect. As part of the process of commissioning the statue, the Monument Committee appointed by Hawaii’s legislature sought out pictures of native Hawaiian men to use as references. They ultimately found two brothers - John Timoteo Baker, who at the time was the Royal Governor of Hawaii and had experience with the kind of ceremonial garb King Kamehameha would likely have worn, and his brother Robert Hoapili, and used a composite photo of them as a reference.

timrodresized: I don’t know why I’m bothering to fact check a videogame, but here we are.

Inui: “I hope you will make the most out of your five days there. Let me just say that I have a fondness for macadamia nuts, so…”

Morgana: “Souvenirs, huh… I definitely wouldn’t want to get some wooden figurine. I can’t understand why people would send things like that as gifts…”

Futaba: “Hehe, leave it to me.”

Ann: “Whoa, you grabbed all these? Are they for Hawaii?”

Ryuji: “If we’re gonna lay low, we might as well enjoy it. Aww, look at this one! Gigantic sea-turtle sightseein’ on some beach.”

Ann: “Come on, food’s more important than some turtle. You really don’t find steak this big and thick in Japan! Also… mahi-mahi? Is that some kind of fish? Think it’s good?”

timrodresized: Years of Animal Crossing have rendered me unable to eat mahi-mahi. If I don’t bring it to the museum now, I’m never gonna catch another one. They’re like a 1% spawn rate!

Yusuke: “It seems that it’s the season for schools all around. We’re going on our school trip as well.”

Ryuji: “Yeah? Where you guys goin’?”

Yusuke: “I believe it’s Los Angeles.”

Ann: “Ahaha, that doesn’t suit you at all, Yusuke! I bet you wanted to go somewhere like Nikko or Nara.”

timrodresized: Hell yeah I’d go to Nara. Pet the hell out of those deer.

Yusuke: “Anywhere is acceptable. After all, the mineral pigments used for Japanese art were originally imported.”

timrodresized: I only picked LA because I have a deep-seated hatred of beaches. I’m not a vampire, but I might as well be given that I die in the sun.

Ryuji: “I mean, don’t I seem like an LA guy? Like, a total gangsta?”

Yusuke: “That makes no sense at all.”

Ann: “I’d rather go to Hawaii.”

Morgana: “So we won’t be seeing each other for a while.”

Ann: “We’ll make sure to buy a souvenir for you.”

Futaba: “Ooh, here comes some interesting data. This is just from a quick glance… but it says ‘perpetrated’ and ‘connected’.”

Makoto: “It means that mental shutdowns aren’t coincedence - that this is a ‘case’ with a culprit behind it.”

Futaba: “Actually, it’s not just about people having shutdowns. Looks like she’s inferring that the psychotic breakdown incidents are connected to the same case.”

timrodresized: This line is weird to me because I don’t know that the game ever actually refers to the “psychotic breakdowns” being a different thing from “mental shutdowns”. They’re one and the same.

timrodresized: I love that this last shot has seemingly no connection to the others for people who can’t read Japanese. In fact, I don’t even know that it has any correlation whatsoever.

Makoto: “How long do you think it’ll take to analyze all of it?”

Futaba: “Hmm, there’s a lot, so it’s not happening overnight. But I’ll manage by the time you guys get back. I demand souvenirs from Hawaii and LA for my reward.”

Ann: “I don’t really get all this, but you’re as amazing as always, Futaba! I guess it’s called an information war? It’s so high-tech and modern, it kinda reminds me of a movie.”

timrodresized: Boy was that a poor choice of phrasing.

Morgana: “We’re the Phantom Thieves, so it’s not that big a deal. I mean, I can turn into a car and stuff too…”

Ryuji: “C’mon, don’t try and compete with her.”

Morgana: “What did you say!?”

Ann: “You’re fine the way you are, Morgana. Like, you’re cheeky cute?”

Ryuji: “Welp, we’ll continue this when we get back from the trip! I can’t wait to see how much the Phantom Thieves’ popularity has increased by then!”

timrodresized: I might just start cutting the IMs when they only go over things we already know… which is to say I’d probably be cutting most of them.

timrodresized: You might have noticed that Akechi is in Leblanc tonight. We will not be talking to him. Instead…

Hifumi: “We’re going to the beach, so I bought a swimsuit, but dressing like that in front of other people… oh, sorry for bringing up such a personal topic.”

Hifumi: “I’m sorry. I’m not in the mood for a match right now… I can’t teach you shogi right now… or rather, from now on…”

Hifumi: “I’m… at checkmate right now. My only option is to concede… but… I can’t seem to give up. I’m not sure what my next move is after this checkmate…”

timrodresized: This is the second confidant event we’ve seen that requires a maxed social stat - in this case, knowledge. I think I mentioned it at the time, but the first one was Makoto’s event at the diner.

Hifumi: “My mother told me that I should lose my upcoming exhibition match against the pro…”

Hifumi: “It’s a ‘strategy’ she devised… she says that if I lose to a man, I’ll get sympathy from women, and as a result get more female fans.”

Hifumi: “Then when I make my comeback, I’ll become a symbol for strong women everywhere. That way, I can use the weekly magazine’s popularity against them and instantly become famous.”

Hifumi: “I wish I could agree, but… I feel my mother may be right. People do love a good comeback story. Coming from the TV industry, my mother does have great insight for entertainment.”

Hifumi: “This time around… I couldn’t help but argue. It’s the wrong thing to do… I actually got into a fight with my mother. It wasn’t the first time, but…”

Hifumi: “What made me sad was… I realized my mother doesn’t see me as a shogi player. She said that there’s no need for me to be putting so much time and effort into shogi… and that once I become famous I can quit shogi and make money from my looks.”

Hifumi: “She doesn’t mind if I lose a match, as long as I build my reputation and make money. To my mother, shogi is just a vehicle to make me famous.”

Hifumi: “Even if it helped me to become famous and ease my parents’ burden… I don’t want to turn my back on shogi… a game that both my father and I love…”

Hifumi: “…If only that were possible. She’s the type of woman who never changes her mind… she wants to achieve her unfulfilled dream of becoming a celebrity… through me.”

Hifumi: “I highly doubt she would ever reconsider…”

Hifumi: “Whose name? My mother’s? It’s… Mitsuyo. Mitsuyo Togo. What does that have to do with what we’re talking about…?”

timrodresized: Yep, it’s another night we have to spend solely to get a Mementos request. I mentioned it before, but we have to do NINE of these the next time we’re in Mementos on 09/16.

timrodresized: Next time, we’ll take Futaba back to Akihabara, take Yusuke for drinks instead of visiting Iwai, take the twins to the beach, and permafuck when I mis-read the guide.

I hope in Persona 6 the high school just looks like Ohtori Academy from Revolutionary Girl Utena. No, better, like Ohtori from the Utena movie, so it’s just a bunch of archways and rose gardens and balconies.

Maybe, but I’m going to start saying it every day from now on.

It’s white-fish, Ann. All white-fish taste the same.

I went on vacation to Hawaii with my family when I was very young. All I remember is if you go to Mona Loa you can see ACTIVE LAVA FLOWS, which as you might suspect is pretty neat.

I don’t know if I would use the word “phantom” to describe Payday Gang in any capacity. Although I would laugh at Ryuji getting madder and madder because Morgana keeps saying he’s in a pickle.

Also I can’t wait for the Morgana and Mishima situations to blow up because this is a work of fiction and characters are not allowed to exhibit empathy if it gets in the way of drama. Like watching a car barreling towards a speedbump without slowing down and you keep watching because there’s no way they don’t see it right?

Click Here for Update 59

timrodresized: Oh no, Graham! Watch out for those nasty gamers!

Morgana: “A nasty gamer… it’s definitely possible he’ll exist in Mementos. Mishima said he’s at the arcade on Central Street, right? Let’s go see what this is all about.”

timrodresized: You can see the name on the sign in the lower left, it’s in Katakana. From what I understand, “Gun About” is a localization failure. You can see that the top line reads “Ga-na” and then the bottom line reads “Ba-u-to”. The actual name would be “Gunner Bout”… which makes a lot more sense.

timrodresized: Gunner Bout is based off an actual arcade game called Gunslinger Stratos, which was an online light gun game made by Taito. They had it at Magfest one year. From what I remember, the machine in game looks identical to the real arcade machine.

timrodresized: Gunslinger Stratos went through three iterations, with each one having the servers shut down a couple years after release. The third game’s servers went down in April 2021.

timrodresized: They also released a PC version that was Japan-only, and I’m really interested to know how that worked.

timrodresized: So wait, I thought he played in this particular arcade. That was the entire reason we came here.

timrodresized: I also have to wonder how this guy would cheat at Gunslinger Stratos. The first version was on a dedicated board even though it came out in 2012, when most arcade games were moving to using locked-down Windows PCs.

timrodresized: The second version replaced the dedicated board with a PC, but it’d probably take some doing to hack it.

timrodresized: Yeah, you’re really gonna win against a guy who has access to the machine’s innards and presumably coded his own hack for it.

Morgana: “So that’s the malevolent player that Mishima was talking about… he’s the infamous cheater. It’s one thing to cheat if you’re playing alone, but it’s wrong to mess with other people like that.”

Morgana: “We got his name, too. It looks like Yoshikuni Nejima is going to be our next target.”

Futaba: “The first one is ‘go somewhere with lots of people.’ Ooh, I’ve got the perfect place! Akihabara Wars: Revenge of the Futaba!”

timrodresized: Us gamers.

Sojiro: “You’re going to Akihabara? …Be careful out there.”

Futaba: “Not as good as Inari though. He’s got a particularly pervy view on art.”

timrodresized: Twenty years from now, someone is going to dig up this screenshot and laugh because 3TB SSDs go for a dollar. I can remember going to a Circuit City with my dad as a kid and there were people lined up because they had a sale on 20MB flash drives, which I think at the time retailed for around $50.

Futaba: “Mayday, mayday… I’m trapped in the Home Appliance Kingdom… the Three Terabyte War rages on outside… there are just… so many people… hrgh… I don’t know if I can last much longer…”

Futaba: “I… I, I, I…”

timrodresized: I thought you were a GEP gun.

Futaba: “O-Oh… thanks. I didn’t think I was gonna see you until the end of time… but then I thought about you while I was wandering around the store, and bam, a wild Akira appeared!”

timrodresized: US GAMERS AM I RIGHT

Futaba: “So you’re relieved? What an incredible coincidence! Me too. …Hm? Wait a tick, I just finished a promise! ‘Go somewhere with lots of people’!”

Futaba: “Well, am I awesome or what!? It’s all 'cause of the Three Terabyte War though! Oh, and 'cause you brought me here! I, Futaba Sakura, hereby thank thee!”

timrodresized: I don’t know that I’d describe anything about this as ‘innocent joy’ but okay.

Futaba: “I dunno though… I panicked hard when I was soloing that dungeon… I think… not being with you is kinda scary, Akira.”

timrodresized: If I were an anime and another anime said this to me, I would run because you just know it’s going to end with her stabbing someone.

Futaba: “It might be a long questline, but I’ll finish it someday! …Phew, I’m tired. C’mon, let’s go home!”

timrodresized: That’s more or less my reaction to Moon. I just bought it after months of waiting for someone to dump a translated copy of the PS1 version, and the gameplay is just godawful.

timrodresized: That’s not to say the story isn’t good, but the game is solidly stuck in 1997 and has no signposting whatsoever. There’s also zero guides for it apart from a single 12-hour-long video with no timestamps.

Futaba: “So I beat the ‘Go somewhere with lots of people’ goal. First try, too. Not bad! I’m still not sure how I’m supposed to beat ‘being okay without you around’… but at this pace, I’ll clear it in no time…! Right?”

Futaba: “Wooo! I got this! I don’t care how hard the quests are, I’ll take 'em all! Anyway, I guess the point is I gotta grind for now. Leveling up for a big encounter is basic stuff.”

Futaba: “I’m gonna do a little research. See if there are any other ways I can power up. Heh heh… this is all kinds of exciting, huh? Talk to you later!”

Morgana: “Being able to talk to each other openly like that must be nice…”

timrodresized: Tonight is the night we can trade the Phantom Wafers for two Strength Up Ofuda, which double the damage of the next physical or gun skill used. These stack with Charge… I think.

timrodresized: Instead of visiting Iwai, we’re going to use the jazz club tonight to teach Yusuke Charge. This will be very important in keeping Yusuke viable.

timrodresized: The game repeats this twice - I cut the other mention, which is when you first enter the club. I wonder if they did this for CERO, the ESRB, or both. You’d think that in a series about kids shooting themselves in the head to summon Lucifer that nobody’d really give a shit about underage drinking.

Yusuke: “I feel it! I feel the inspiration flowing in me! Hahahaha! I’m not going to be sleeping tonight!”

Yusuke: “Delicious…! The portions are mixed perfectly…!”

Yusuke: “When I’m absorbed in painting, I lose track of time… frequently, I don’t notice until after night has fallen. My body is so still that my shoulders start to stiffen up… painting is a fairly tiring activity, you know.”

Yusuke: “The worst part is the pangs of hunger I feel after I finish though…”

timrodresized: He doesn’t say boyfriend yet because we haven’t gotten to Rank 9. That won’t happen until October.

timrodresized: I replaced the garbage speed buff he has with Charge, which will keep Yusuke viable until the end of the game.

Yusuke: “Apologies for taking up a lot of time, but I appreciate you bringing me here. It looks like it’s time to head home. Hmhm. That was an evening well spent. See you around.”

Morgana: “Looks like people are coming around to us.”

timrodresized: I cut a lot of this out, but this part’s important. The arcade in Akihabara also has a Gunner Bout machine. That’s where we’re going to find the second-to-last confidant in the game once we finish the stupid Mementos request. It’s also the source of one of the best memes about Persona 5.

timrodresized: This is the spot where I permafucked. We needed to get a reading for Ohya several days ago, and I just kinda forgot to do it. I wound up accidentally hitting Iwai in the menu, and once you get one you can’t re-do it.

timrodresized: Oh yeah, you can do the Caroline and Justine outings from any Velvet Room - not just the one in Shibuya. This brings up even more questions, like how no one sees Caroline sitting on nothing.

Justine: “Listen closely: the place we wish to evaluate for your rehabilitation is… a place where land, water, and sun all meet.”

Caroline: “People around here have been looking grimmer than ever lately - probably because of ‘the heat,’ as they say.”

Justine: “During this season, large numbers of humans gather at a scorching border between ‘Mother Ocean’ and the land. Why would they subject themselves to such a harsh environment…? We demand a satisfactory answer.”

Caroline: “So, what’ll it be?”

timrodresized: I should note that this outing is both time limited and completely optional - you will still get the reward at the end even if you skip out on this one. The reason we’re doing it is because the only confidant available during the day is Futaba.

Caroline: “Ooh, so you do know it! C’mon, let’s go! Move it!”

Justine: “I’ve heard that humans can fall prey to ‘heatstrokes’ during this season. Let us take care to avoid a similar fate.”

Caroline: “Why did they come here, of all places? It’s so hot…”

Justine: “Perhaps they are trying to catch the cool air blowing over the water. We are rather interested in entering the water ourselves, if possible…”

Justine: “You’re talking about special apparel for entering water, yes? Of course we lack such things.”

Caroline: “And we can’t go in the water in these outfits… our master would be none too pleased upon our return.”

Justine: “By the way, I noticed a peculiar group over there… I do not know why, but they stand in a loose formation, striking a plastic sphere back and forth…”

Caroline: “It was probably a summoning ritual. See? It looks like they’re trying to build a shriveled Decarabia army.”

timrodresized: It’s entirely possible to play this and not have seen a Decarabia yet because they only appear in Okumura’s palace - which we can’t even get into until it’s too late to do this outing.

timrodresized: Decarabia is a star-shaped demon that is weak to physical but learns Megidola at level 38 and I think also learns Fire Boost. They die if you so much as look at them funny.

timrodresized: Incidentally, Decarabia is the 69th demon in the Ars Goetia and has knowledge of herbs, making them the 69/420 demon.

Justine: “Beach volleyball?”

Caroline: “Never heard of it. What is it?”

Justine: “It see. So it is a form of human recreation.”

Caroline: “Is that some variation of beach volleyball they’re playing over there? It looks like they’re using a ball as well…”

timrodresized: Jump, jump! Slide, slide! Megaman 8 was a mistake on so many levels.

Justine: “I know what this is - it’s called suika wari, correct? From what I’ve heard, splitting a watermelon with a stick can be a great pleasure…”

timrodresized: Okay, so you didn’t know what a burger is… but you know about the whole blindfolded hit the watermelon with the stick game.

Caroline: “How barbaric… what’s so fun about that?”

Caroline: “Ohhh! So, splitting a watermelon open makes it taste better than simply cutting into it?”

Justine: “Human desire knows no bounds when it comes to food… so this place has more benefits to it than just an ocean breeze.”

Justine: “Humans can come here to fulfill their desires and release their frustration. Then, the ocean sweeps up all those feelings and washes them away… I must say, I find myself quite impressed with this ‘Mother Ocean’.”

Caroline: “We now know why humans gather at the beach, so we have determined this request to be complete.”

Justine: “Here is your reward.”

timrodresized: Meh. Growth 2 is one of those things where it’s nice but not good enough to waste a slot on.

Justine: “As suggested by the moniker ‘Mother Ocean,’ some say humanity was originally born from the ocean. Perhaps the true reason humans gather here is that their instincts beckon them home.”

Caroline: “Hey, inmate - do you grow nostalgic when you swim in ‘Mother Ocean’? Try swimming with a ball and chain on your leg next time. I bet that’ll help with your rehabilitation, too.”

Ohya: “I see… oh yeah… there’s something I need to apologize to you about. You know, it’s part of my job to research particular things. Well, um… I ended up finding out about… your criminal record.”

timrodresized: It’s surprising she didn’t already know, given that Mishima leaked it on the internet.

Ohya: “I realized you weren’t just some ordinary kid back with my chief… so I did some digging out of curiosity, and I found a ton more than I was expecting. So… sorry about that.”

Ohya: “Well, just forget the past. We’re in the same boat when it comes to being labelled.”

Ohya: “Exactly. I’ve made a vow to avenge my partner for -”

Ohya: “W-wait, don’t blame me for that! He doesn’t have anything to do with my private business…”

Ohya: “I mean, it’s not like I don’t trust you… and hold on a sec! Why am I being treated like the bad guy!?”

Ohya: “That’s true. And… I guess this is the fairest course of action for our business partnership, huh? Just… don’t tell anyone, okay?”

timrodresized: And naturally, Ohya is a direct ripoff of Maya in as many ways as possible, because what Tadashi creates, Rehashino steals. We haven’t seen it because I haven’t touched Eternal Punishment, but early on in EP it’s established that Maya’s editor hates both her and Yukino.

timrodresized: Also established at the beginning of EP is that the editor split up Yukino and Maya because she’s kind of a bitch.

Ohya: “We were a pretty well-known team in the industry. We blew the lids off countless scandals together. …That is, until that day came.”

timrodresized: You mean the day you went to Seven Sisters and got accosted by a guy wearing a paper bag over his head?

Ohya: “We were on the trail of a certain bureaucrat, who was involved in a slush fund to support refugees. He kept himself pretty well guarded, so it was almost impossible to get any solid leads on the guy…”

Ohya: “Then one night, I got a voicemail from Kayo saying she had gotten hold of something big. But… that was the last I ever heard from her. The next day, that bureaucrat was found dead at a love hotel… and Kayo had gone missing.”

Ohya: “Well…”

timrodresized: You can probably guess how he actually died.

Ohya: “That’s impossible though! She never would have slept with a disgusting man like that! And more importantly, it’s pretty damn fucked up to make allegations like that without any evidence!”

Ohya: “…Sorry. The case was closed, but we never found the truth… and Kayo was labeled a professional disgrace. And since we were partners, the company decided it would be best to move me to another department.”

Ohya: “I’m going to prove Kayo’s innocence though. That’s why I’m conducting my own private investigation now.”

Ohya: “…You’re damn right. But… thanks to all the info you’ve been giving me, I should have more time to focus on my investigation. I won’t let this opportunity slip through my fingers.”

Ohya: “…All right, we’re even now! I didn’t enjoy it though.”

Ohya: “W-Well… maybe you’re right. I haven’t felt this alive in a long time. Okay then, I’ll write a great article to commemorate our sharing session!”

Ohya: " ‘Exclusive: The Phantom Thieves’ Lofty Ideals in Connection with a Secret Society!’ Haha, just kidding! Don’t worry, I’ll definitely come up with a better headline before we go to print!"

timrodresized: This is kind of a nothing ability. You start with a small amount of security level when you enter a palace, and usually lose it in the first couple of minutes by ambushing enemies. It might be more useful if you’re not going for one-day dungeons.

Ohya: “Still… there’s just one thing that bothers me. There’s no doubt the chief is on to my investigation. Maybe we should keep acting like a couple so we can trick him. How’s that sound?”

Ohya: “I’m sorry about earlier. Really. For me digging up your records and such without asking, I mean…”

Ohya: “Thanks. Hearing you say that helps. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna leak it to anyone. It’s my duty and pride as a journalist to protect my sources at all costs.”

Ohya: “I’m actually making great progress on my private investigation, thanks to you. And I’ll be needing your help later, too. So I can find out what really happened to Kayo.”

Akechi: “You know the rankings that are popular nowadays? Are you interested in them too?”

Akechi: “You’re not interested…? Are you the type to go against the trend? Did you know my name is listed too? It’s apparently due to my recent disapproval of the group.”

Akechi: “Before I knew it, I turned into a bona fide villain. Still, I thought that if I became a target, I could figure out their methods. The idea was appealing when I thought about it. Of course, there’s no guarantee I’d be safe.”

timrodresized: I mean, apart from the fact that you can hear Morgana and thus either have a Persona or have seen him talk in the other world.

Akechi: “You should check out the list sometime. …Well, talking any more will make us late. See you later!”

timrodresized: That’s because they’re called John Persona god don’t you know anything

timrodresized: This is rapidly becoming the Joker Game.

timrodresized: This scene was changed in Royal for no apparent reason. In the base game, the dialog was largely the same, except it was Mr. Hiruta instead of Maruki.

Maruki: “The school trip’s tomorrow, huh? I always got so excited the night before my trips. You leave tomorrow, right? It’ll take six or seven hours to get to Hawaii, so… it’ll be morning when you arrive.”

timrodresized: You would think they’d do something with this and have the calendar roll back when you arrive, but they don’t.

Maruki: “You’re leaving at night, but arriving in the morning of the 7th… that might be quite a shock to your systems. Jetlag is one thing, but our perception of time itself can become distorted sometimes.”

Maruki: “Have you ever looked at your watch and felt like the second hand stopped for longer than a second? Say, Kurusu-kun. Do you know the name of the phenomenon where the second hand looks like it’s stopped moving?”

timrodresized: I’m picturing Hashino’s co-workers going “Jeez, Boomer Bill, it’s 2016. No one wears an analog watch anymore.”

timrodresized: Vierordt’s Law is a principle in psychology created by Karl von Vierordt in 1868 that states that people tend to overestimate short periods of time and underestimate long periods.

timrodresized: The other two are, of course, a Jojo reference (the Stardust Crusaders anime released in 2014, right around the time the base game was being worked on) and a Metal Gear reference. Both of those wrong answers existed in the base game.

Maruki: “Yeah! That’s correct. When a person changes their viewpoint, there’s a moment of time that goes unaccounted for in their mind.”

Maruki: “In order to fill that blank, the brain experiences a fictional moment. That’s where this phenomenon comes from.”

Maruki: “The human brain really is incredible, right? It can make you feel like time has stopped. Oh, but my time’s already up. I want to hear all your stories when you get back, okay? Have fun!”

Morgana: “…You’re going to Hawaii tomorrow, huh. Don’t worry about the house. I’ll… well, me and Futaba can hold down the fort.”

timrodresized: If you aren’t from the US and are reading this LP, please know that LA is indeed our capitol and is located in California, which is right in the middle of the country. Ignore anyone who tells you that’s Kansas - Kansas doesn’t exist, we do that to throw off the foreigners.

Morgana: “…Come on. Can’t you guys be a little more mature about this? I know you guys are getting excited for the trip, but you’re getting a little carried away.”

timrodresized: We have one last Mementos request to grab, and it’s Tae’s. We’ll be going in on the 19th - I think I said the 16th earlier.

Tae: “Sorry, I’m going to pass on it today.”

timrodresized: You need Charm at Rank 4 to do this, but that’s not a problem at this point.

Tae: “I… need to talk to you. Since this might be the last time…”

Tae: “I’m thinking of resigning.”

Tae: “Several of my suppliers have stated that they’re going to stop selling to me. If I can’t get my hands on medical supplies, I won’t be able to get what I need to complete the new medicine.”

Tae: “They’re probably being pressured by Oyamada to stop doing business with me. So I figure it’s over.”

Tae: “It’s fine. I confirmed with the hospital Miwa-chan was being treated at… Oyamada was telling the truth. Miwa-chan was apparently smiling until the very end. She probably didn’t want to worry anyone.”

Tae: “I wish I could’ve cured her… I didn’t want fame or money. All I wanted… was to keep her smiling. This isn’t just about her though…”

Tae: “I was a sickly child when I was young too… I was always in the hospital… and was rarely well enough to attend school. Medicine was all that kept me alive…”

timrodresized: Oh, so you’re an anime trope. Got it.

Tae: “That’s why I wanted to become a doctor… so I could save people, just like I was saved… but I guess this is where it ends…”

Tae: “The medical industry is a business, after all, and the chief decides what’s best for it. I’m all out of allies…”

Tae: “Yeah… you’re right. You might just be my one and only… I really appreciate everything you’ve done. My practice increased thanks to your nosiness, and in the end, I felt like a real doctor again.”

Tae: “…There are plenty of other small-town doctors. This is where it ends. …Although it frustrates me. I can’t do clinical trials anymore, so you can go home.”

Tae: “Thanks again for all your help. And good luck on those entrance exams.”

timrodresized: With the smaller Mementos requests, I can understand why Joker would need someone to tell him the person’s name, but Oyamada is apparently the chief of staff at a major hospital.

timrodresized: It would’ve been better writing to have Joker ask her what hospital she worked at and then search online to find Oyamada’s name, or just had him look it up after the event.

Tae: “…You’re such a weird kid. His full name is Shoichi Oyamada. He’s a very influential Chief of Staff in the world of medicine… is that all?”

Morgana: “You guys are still talking about that trip…?”

Morgana: “Your school trip’s tomorrow, right? You don’t need to worry about us.”

timrodresized: Unfortunately, we can’t leave or do anything but sleep.

Morgana: “Uh… never mind. Have fun on your trip…”

timrodresized: Next time, we’ll go through an hour-long cutscene with five different scenes in it, because unlike that other LP I don’t give up on 100%. We’ll also see a new More Like Yusu-Gay by Salty Vanilla - because like this LP, they’re ahead of schedule and under budget on doing the job Hashino wouldn’t.

timrodresized: I believe their commissions are open right now as well.

Oh yeah, my friend played Moon, or at least some of it. He’s the kind of person who plays odd games because they’re odd. He said it was odd.

Its Wikipedia page does, however, have one of the greatest pairs of sentences I’ve ever read: “Although it was not officially localized for many years, it influenced Toby Fox for the design of his 2015 game Undertale. After speaking with Fox, original designer Yoshiro Kimura was inspired to localize Moon.”

Persona 5 may have taken like eight years to develop and been the biggest, most important moment in the history of video games, but a quick shoutout to Atlus for still developing like they make games that don’t sell. Sure, they could have had Caroline and Justine actually play volleyball and whack a watermelon with a stick, but then they’d have to animate it and animation…is hard.

Moon’s good but can be a very weird game, and the translation is a little unclear in the Switch port in a few places. Which does bode a little ill for what is essentially a puzzle game. It is really good though.

Also ha ha, Morgana is totally a cat he’s got the separation anxiety as soon as he sees a suitcase come out.

I know exactly why they didn’t do it. It’s engine limitations. Persona 5 was built on a custom engine for the PS3 - remember, it was in development before the PS4’s release and they had to announce a PS4 version - and had to adhere to the PS3’s memory limitations. The PS4 version is basically just an upscale of the PS3 one with slightly better load times.

To save memory, they made the models for the social parts of the game less detailed and covered it up with the big expensive anime portraits and some fancy lighting. This is why (and I don’t usually show this) you see the characters react with exclamation points and big anime sweatdrops rather than actually expressing anything.

In this particular case, they probably could’ve done that because Caroline and Justine only have the more detailed models used in battles, but it would’ve stood out and made the rest of the game look like shit if they did that.

Click Here for Update 60

timrodresized: I hope you’re all ready for about an hour of solid cutscene that only got longer in Royal. That’s not counting the multiple re-records (which I still haven’t finished) to cover all the possible scenes.

Sojiro: “Don’t go cutting loose just 'cause I’m not there to keep an eye on you. I’ll look after Futaba and the cat while you’re gone. You owe me one.”

timrodresized: What he means by that is he’s going to let Futaba feed Morgana while he stands behind the counter with a smug look on his face.

Morgana: “…Good.”

Makoto: “It’ll take over six hours to get there, so why not sleep on the plane?”

Ann: “I’ll do that…”

Makoto: “It’s almost time to check in.”

Ann: “Phew, looks like it’s gonna take off on time. I feel like a lot of flights headed to America tend to run late or get cancelled.”

timrodresized: The last time I went to Magfest, my flight got delayed nearly fifteen hours. I had to switch carriers and take a midnight flight out of DC.

Ann: “Is it just me or is Ryuji not here yet?”

Ann: “Coming late even on a day like this?”

Makoto: “That’s all you’re bringing?”

timrodresized: I don’t know what they’re talking about. That backpack he has is probably the size of Ann or Makoto’s suitcases… unless they checked multiple bags.

timrodresized: Joker clearly has never heard of something called On-Site Procurement. I mean, technically Hideo Kojima never heard of it either since it’s a term the translator for Metal Gear Solid made up to try and explain why Snake starts without even a gun.

Ryuji: “Really? You guys are just freakin’ out over this.”

Makoto: “Well, I guess it’s better than bringing too many useless things.”

Ann: “Why don’t we do a group shot before we take off?”

Ryuji: “Ooh, sounds good! You be our cameraman, okay?”

Ann: “Lemme join in too! You too, Makoto.”

Makoto: “All right.”

timrodresized: I missed the first shot of this, that’s why the second line is in there.

Ryuji: “What? Holy shit, she’s right…”

Ann: “How could you tell, Futaba?”

Ryuji: “Talk about a nasty trick…”

Makoto: “I am so glad she’s not an enemy of ours.”

timrodresized: I missed a couple of very short subtitles at the beginning of this cutscene. You’ll also notice that the calendar has advanced even though they’re landing on the 7th.

timrodresized: The other LP called this an error, and in the base game it might’ve been, but Royal comes up with a reason why the calendar doesn’t change - the reason is that there’s a scene in Japan during this time and they didn’t want to confuse people.

timrodresized: If you take away the subtitles and reverse these last two shots, this is basically my reaction any time I think about Hashino’s writing for too long.

timrodresized: Ryuji’s voiceactor says something like “Yes, yes, I am Japanese” in heavily accented English. I don’t know what the dubbed version of this scene is like, and I don’t think I want to know.

timrodresized: I mean, of course he speaks Japanese, Ryuji. Even Space Brothers (a series that took place almost entirely in the US) had zero English-speaking characters.

Ann: “…I am SO embarrassed.”

Ryuji: “Is this the smell of Hawaii? Actually, I’ve been wonderin’ since the airport, but what is this smell?”

Mishima: “Supposedly the lingering scent of carpet cleaner. It’s coconut-scented. Plus, I’d say the scent of plumeria for the leis are amplifying the tropical atmosphere here.”

timrodresized: It’s like that time I went to Florida, where the swampy overgrowth surrounding all the million-plus dollar homes says “If it weren’t for millions of dollars in chemicals and an army of landscapers, this entire place would eventually return to being a nigh-uninhabitable swamp.”

Ryuji: “What are you, the king of random facts!?”

Mishima: “I’m the type that likes to look stuff up beforehand.”

Ryuji: “Then tell me a cheap but good place to eat.”

Ann: “Do that after we’ve figured out room assignments! We can’t go out until we get our keys!”

timrodresized: I guess this is as good a time as any to mention that Kentaro Miura died last night. I didn’t think I’d have to mention that in this LP, but then I remembered that there actually is a character design in this game heavily inspired by (read: basically a copyright-friendly ripoff of) Berserk.

timrodresized: I hadn’t actually read Berserk since probably 2008, and when I heard that Berserk was over I figured he’d probably just called it quits since the last 13 years or so had been filler arcs and breaks.

Ryuji: “I can’t?”

Makoto: “It complicates roll call.”

Ann: “Everyone butts you out, after all. I bet there aren’t many people who’d be okay rooming with you.”

Ryuji: “Shuddup, we both stick out like a sore thumb, you know.”

Ann: “No, not yet.”

Ann: “Oh, sure, of course! Well, see you guys later.”

Kawakami: “C’mon, can you just hurry up and make your decision?”

timrodresized: Straight Joker just goes “I’m gonna room with Kawakami” and heads off.

Mishima: “Then, is it okay if I room with you?”

Kawakami: “Sheesh… this is too much trouble, so you’re rooming with Mishima-kun. Period. Anyway, don’t do anything stupid, okay? This isn’t Japan, you know.”

timrodresized: I mean, this is only the country where you burn down hundreds of thousands of acres of forest doing a gender reveal party.

Ryuji: “There sure are a ton of people here. And… a lot of tall buildings, like hotels.”

timrodresized: This seems weird coming from someone who lives in one of the most densely-populated cities in the world.

Ann: “It’s a little too clean here. It feels like an artificial resort.”

Makoto: “Still, look how clear the ocean is. The palm trees definitely give off a tropical vibe too.”

Ryuji: “I thought Ann was pretty impressive, but compared to the foreign ladies… eh.”

Ann: “Then stop looking!”

Makoto: “Moving on, take a look over there. Isn’t that Diamond Head?”

timrodresized: In case you’re wondering, Diamond Head is a giant crater that at one point served as a defensive artillery post. That’s how America works - we just kind of look at things and go “Could we mount a gun on that?”

Ryuji: “But why’s it called that? Are diamonds a local product?”

Ann: “Wouldn’t it say online?”

Ryuji: “…Wait, people long ago mistook volcanic rock for it? The eff?”

timrodresized: This is actually true, at least according to tourism websites for Hawaii. The crater’s original name is Leahi. The Diamond Head name supposedly came from British sailors who spotted volcanic crystals on the slopes and thought they were diamonds.

Ann: “Might as well look up recommended places in Waikiki too. Oh right, I wanted to eat pancakes.”

Makoto: “I wonder if there are any online recommendations of scenic spots.”

Ryuji: “We should check for cheap and popular restaurants then.”

Makoto: “…Hey, we’re on our phones and chatting. This is no different from when we’re in Japan.”

Ryuji: “Even if we’re overseas, we can see all the news in Japan if we got our phones… it’s like… this ain’t what I was expectin’…”

Ann: “We should do something that’s more Hawaii-like.”

Ryuji: “What’s… Hawaii-like?”

timrodresized: The transition screens during the Hawaii cutscenes are different.

Mishima: “Oh, by the way, you know how the polls for the Phan-Site’s ranking’s started, right?”

timrodresized: Joker is wishing Yusuke were here.

Mishima: “On the contrary, did you hear about Akechi, that detective against the Thieves? The good-looking one. His popularity plummeted after Medjed was dealt with. Supposedly his official blog’s up in flames.”

Mishima: “He posed as some hero of justice, but that’s what he gets for not seeing eye to eye with them. To be blunt, I can’t focus on this trip. I keep thinking about the Phantom Thieves.”

Mishima: “Don’t you think about them too?”

timrodresized: I feel like I should cut this off because Mishima is rapidly ascending the “Most Annoying Character” leaderboard.

Mishima: “You sure are calm. Something this amazing rarely happens, you know? But, then again, I think I’m feeling a bit tired too… let’s go to bed. Good night.”

timrodresized: The approval bar keeps going up and reaches a nice number.

Ryuji: “I thought we were gonna be gettin’ alohas comin’ from all directions and stuff!”

Ann: “It costs money to enjoy that atmosphere, you know. There’s not much we can do as students.”

Makoto: “I guess it’s the same no matter where we go…”

Ryuji: “Hey. What’s with the low energy, Makoto?”

Makoto: “I just had to listen to the taxi driver complain for thirty minutes straight. I’m used to dealing with students’ troubles, but I never expected to have to do it overseas as well…”

timrodresized: The cab driver was from New York and drove several weeks underwater to reach Hawaii, which I’m pretty sure they’re capable of.

Ann: “That must have sucked.”

Ryuji: “We should be doin’ some more excitin’ stuff! I mean, we’re in freakin’ Hawaii, for god’s sake! Isn’t the school supposed to plan stuff? I wanna go divin’!”

timrodresized: I feel like Makoto pretty much summed up Persona 5’s development as a whole. Seriously though, this isn’t even as ridiculous as this cutscene gets.

Ryuji: “By the way, Akira… you’re roomin’ with Mishima, right? How is it? Anythin’ interestin’?”

Makoto: “Really? Mishima-kun is the one who made the Phan-Site, correct?”

Ryuji: “Phan-Site… y’know, I do hear people talkin’ about the Phantom Thieves every so often…”

Makoto: “Are they really mentioning us?”

Ryuji: “I think so! We’ve already made our international debut! Man, just talkin’ about that makes me wanna go back to Japan so bad!”

Ann: “You really have no chill.”

Makoto: “Come on, let’s try and forget about those things for now.”

timrodresized: Yusuke’s here for no apparent reason!

Ann: “What are you doing here!?”

Makoto: “Wasn’t your school supposed to be going to Los Angeles?”

timrodresized: The other LP points out how ridiculous it is that Yusuke would be staying in the same hotel on the same island, but ignores just how insane of a flight diversion that would be.

timrodresized: First, we need to understand what the typical flight path from Japan to LA looks like.

timrodresized: Long flights take an arc-shaped flight path because of the ‘great circle’ principle, which involves finding the shortest route between two points on a sphere.

timrodresized: Notice how that flight path goes nowhere NEAR Hawaii. The reason it arcs to the north of Tokyo and not to the south is because that’s more or less where the jet stream is.

timrodresized: Even assuming there was a storm big enough to cover the entire coast of California and prevent planes from landing, the airline would more likely try to land in Oregon somewhere (~965 miles) or Washington (~1300 miles) than they would be to go 2,558 miles to Waikiki. There’s really no situation in which it would make sense for the plane to attempt to land there.

Ryuji: “Do you just bring rain with you wherever you go!?”

Makoto: “Could it be that what happened at the fireworks festival was his fault as well?”

Ann: “Don’t go bringing any storms here, you got that?”

Yusuke: “I’ll do my best.”

Makoto: “By the way, there’s nothing planned after this. What are you all going to do?”

Ryuji: “Uh… oh yeah, I still gotta buy souvenirs. My mom asked me to grab some stuff for her.”

Ann: “I totally forgot about that! We need to pick things up for Futaba and Morgana too.”

Yusuke: “I was hoping to do some shopping myself.”

Makoto: “Then it’s settled. I wonder what Morgana would want…”

timrodresized: Joker’s like “He wants me to crossdress, and I’m not doing it.”

Ryuji: “Yeah, it’s been gettin’ real popular in Japan lately. I guess they wanted to branch out.”

Makoto: “Now that you mention it, I read a news article recently about the success of Okumura Foods.”

timrodresized: I think I showed it off once or twice, but if you watch the TV in Leblanc regularly, there’s a bunch of stories about competitors to Okumura Foods mysteriously having people die.

Yusuke: “Ah yes, the company that owns Big Bang Burger.”

Ryuji: “Okumura…? Ain’t that the guy who’s at the top of the Phan-Site rankings?”

Makoto: “Is that true?”

Ryuji: “I guarantee it. I don’t make mistakes about that kinda stuff.”

Ryuji: “Yeah. I didn’t put the pieces together before, but I guess we know 'em pretty well.”

Yusuke: “Hm? What’s the matter?”

Makoto: “Oh, it’s probably nothing. Just a rumor I heard about Okumura Foods… supposedly, all of their overseas competition has mysteriously pulled out.”

Makoto: “Never mind. I’m surely just overthinking things. Sis’s habits seem to be rubbing off on me.”

Ryuji: “Hey, why don’t we take a pic together!? Y’know, so we can remember the trip and all!”

Ann: “Ooh, good idea!”

Makoto: “Are you sure you don’t want to be in it? Thanks.”

Yusuke: “I only ask that you ensure the composition is well-balanced.”

timrodresized: Fortunately, Joker is an expert in boyfriend photography.

Ann: “Can you not worry about that stuff for one second?”

Ryuji: “Go for it, Akira.”

timrodresized: Wow, it sure looks remarkably more detailed when it’s (presumably) hand-drawn animation as opposed to PS3-era models.

Ann: “We still have some time to spare, right? Where to next?”

Ryuji: “There’s a convenience store down by the beach. How 'bout there?”

timrodresized: They are going to be sorely disappointed when they go to an American convenience store and find out it’s got very little in common with Japanese ones.

timrodresized: That’s probably a good thing when you consider stories like this one (alternate source) where a 7-11 franchise owner decided to cut his store’s hours because he couldn’t find anyone to cover that shift and sparked a massive legal battle with corporate.

timrodresized: Seriously, it got so heated that 7-11 corporate not only cancelled this guy’s franchise, but also built a second 7-11 in the parking lot of the 7-11 they had just shut down to stop him trying to continue his business.

timrodresized: I don’t remember if it’s the New York Times or the Japan Times article that mentions it, but the Japanese government considers 7-11 to be essential infrastructure, which is kinda fucked.

Yusuke: “That sounds lovely. I would quite like a short rest.”

Makoto: “All right, let’s head over there.”

Ann: “You might be right… oh, shoot! I forgot my sunscreen… I’m going to go buy another bottle at the convenience store.”

Makoto: “I’ll go with you.”

Yusuke: “I guess we will need to wait for them to come back.”

Ryuji: “By the way, you think we’re the thieves everyone here’s been goin’ on about? It’d be pretty freakin’ crazy if that was true, huh?”

Yusuke: “Hm… I had not heard of such rumors. It sounds wonderful. We are already here, so why don’t we confirm if that is the case?”

Ryuji: “Oh! Good idea! Let’s try askin’ around while we wait for Ann and Makoto!”

timrodresized: If you’re ever playing this yourself, I highly recommend you save here. This is the only opportunity you have to save during the entire Hawaii trip, and we have a scene choice coming up.

Yusuke: “…He actually seems to be quite knowledgeable.”

Ryuji: “Damn, it’s crazy how many people know about us! This is freakin’ awesome!”

Ryuji: “Ooooh!”

Ryuji: “That’s actually all I wanted to know. Thanks.”

Yusuke: “Hm, I suppose that understanding isn’t necessarily incorrect for someone from a foreign country…”

timrodresized: I mean, Yusuke’s some armor away from being a samurai… and a kimono away from also being a geisha.

Ryuji: “Hey, ain’t she kinda cute? Maybe we should ask her some questions too.”

timrodresized: You’d think Ryuji would recognize her Shujin uniform, but most of it’s hidden underneath her… I’m not entirely sure what you’d call that sleeveless thing - it’s not really a vest, not really a blouse.

Haru: “Free time is almost up. Shouldn’t you be heading back soon?”

timrodresized: While every other party member had their portraits totally redesigned for Royal (adding things like the facing-the-camera view for Ann and Ryuji), Haru’s were totally untouched.

timrodresized: As such, she only has the three-quarters portraits that were in the base game, possibly because of her very uh… forehead-exposing haircut.

timrodresized: Multiple artists have tried to fix Haru’s haircut, with varying results.

Haru: “Oh, yes… by the way, your blond friend seemed very excited on the airplane coming here.”

Ryuji: “Hey, you’re that girl we saw watering the plants!”

Haru: “Sorry to surprise you. I’m another third-year who was asked to come chaperone this trip. I accepted the task to take my mind off of things, but I wasn’t sure how to spend my free time…”

timrodresized: People have pointed out that technically, Ann and Makoto have large foreheads but you can’t see them underneath their bangs.

timrodresized: If I was an anime girl, I would merely go the Sadako route and have so much hair that you cannot tell where my forehead is or discern its size.

Haru: “I…think I should be going. See you.”

Makoto: “Hm, that girl you were talking to just now… do you know her?”

Yusuke: “No, that was my first interaction with her. She said she was a third-year. Same as you, Makoto.”

Makoto: “Mm-hm. I’ve never really spoken to her though.”

timrodresized: If you’ve read the base game LP, you’ll notice this scene isn’t in it. I believe that’s because to get this scene, you have to be at Rank 10 with Kawakami and also on her romance route.

timrodresized: Apart from an upcoming optional scene, this is the only time you will ever see Kawakami in her swimsuit.

Futaba: “One after another too…”

Morgana: “What did you find?”

Futaba: “Still working. Can’t tell you.”

Morgana: “She can handle this without me…”

Futaba: “Oooh, so much.”

Futaba: “Kitty! Your mumbling’s distracting me! If you got something to say, just spit it out.”

Morgana: “It’s nothing.”

Futaba: “You feel so nice.”

timrodresized: Sure, he feels nice now, but will he feel nice when he’s stepping on your face at 4AM to beg for food?

Morgana: “I do not!”

Futaba: “So smooth and silky. It’s kinda hard to believe fur this soft belongs to a human.”

Morgana: “Don’t make me say it again! I’m a human…”

timrodresized: Morgana: “And I’m coming! I’m animated! I’m alive! I like Ann, but also want to see Joker in a dress! I like to fuck!” and then Futaba blasts him with the air horn.

Futaba: “Couldn’t you just be assuming that? I had the wrong assumptions about my mom for the longest time.”

Morgana: “That’s not the same! I understand myself better than anyone!”

Futaba: “That’s true.”

Mishima: “Oh, wow! The president of a company called Okumura Foods is rising very quickly up the rankings!”

Mishima: “Come on, you can’t let this chance pass you by! It’s rumored that Okumura Foods exploits their employees. Stuff like underpaying staff to reduce labor costs. That’s how they have so many stores…”

timrodresized: I mean, that’s only every major retailer everywhere. Plus most restaurants.

Mishima: “Why are you here?”

Ryuji: “Just hear me out! The guy I’m roomin’ with went and brought his girlfriend back to the room! I felt totally awkward stayin’ in there with them. I’m just gonna sleep here tonight.”

Mishima: “Even though there are only two beds?”

Ryuji: “I know that feelin’!”

Ann: “And she took the key! I stepped outside for just a second and the autolock kicked in! I can’t get back in my room!”

Ryuji: “Huh? You’re lookin’ at stuff online even over here?”

Mishima: “Ever since the Medjed case, many people from overseas have been accessing the website… isn’t it crazy? The Phantom Thieves are finally making their worldwide debut!”

Mishima: “What should I do about overseas requests?”

Ann: “I don’t think we’re the ones you should ask about that…”

Mishima: “They took down Medjed. I wonder who they’ll bring justice to next. It’s not just Japan anymore. The whole world’s waiting to see the Phantom Thieves’ next move.”

timrodresized: He says this like he doesn’t know that everyone in the room is John Persona.

Ann: “That reminds me, what time is it?”

Ryuji: “So sleepy… I’m feelin’ pretty pooped. You think this could be that jet lag thing?”

Ryuji: “Wait, what? I dunno if that’s a good idea.”

Ann: “I won’t go back.”

Ryuji: “…You heard her.”

Mishima: “There are only two beds… even if someone sleeps on the sofa…”

Ryuji: “One of us is gonna have to sleep on the floor… so who’s that gonna be?”

Ryuji: “Hey, where’d Mishima go?”

Ann: “He’s in the bathroom.”

Ryuji: “Ain’t he been in there a while?”

Ann: “The school trip… Shiho was really looking forward to this…”

Ryuji: “Ann…”

Ann: “…Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down. But it’s already been almost six months since then, hasn’t it? This all feels so strange.”

Ryuji: “Right? Hard to believe the rowdy kids at school are now famous all over the world.”

Ann: “Don’t you think we still have a lot to learn about each other though? You know, things like what kind of people we like… so, time to come clean, Ryuji.”

timrodresized: Ryuji is for Ann and everyone knows it.

Ryuji: “Me!? Uhhh, well… she’s gotta have a good personality. I’m okay with anyone who’s modest and nice.”

Ann: “What about if two girls with equally good personalities confessed to you at the same time?”

timrodresized: I would simply date them both.

Ryuji: “What!?”

Ann: “Your first answer was just superficial. The second answer was your true beliefs. Huh, so you really are that kind of guy…”

Ryuji: “That ain’t fair!”

Ann: “What about you, Akira? C’mon, spill the beans. What kind of girl is your type?”

timrodresized: His type is, of course, Yusuke.

Ryuji: “You totally dodged the question… well, we answered honestly. It’s your turn next. So, what kinda guy do you-”

Ryuji: “So, what kinda guy do you-”

Mishima: “M-My stomach… Hrgh…!”

Ann: “That doesn’t sound good…”

Ryuji: “Y-know, wasn’t he drinkin’ the tap water earlier? That’s like, the one thing you’re not supposed to do when you’re outta the country.”

SIU Director: “Though it was some third-rate tabloid’s article, unnecessary information was leaked, after all. Besides, his investigation of the Phantom Thieves showed no progress since then…”

SIU Director: “Yes, there’s a possibility that he’ll betray us out of spite since he was let go. Well then, we’ll make it so that it was a ‘heart attack’.”

SIU Director: “As usual, he’ll be left to deal with the- oh? I wouldn’t have thought of that. Well played, sir. It no longer matters if we deal with one or two of those connected to us.”

timrodresized: Man, Light Yagami really did not age well.

timrodresized: The 10th is a little long, but we’re going to push on instead of stopping on the 9th. This is because there are optional scenes coming up.

Ryuji: “Dammit, this isn’t how stuff was supposed to go!”

Mishima: “What do you mean?”

Ryuji: “We ended up walkin’ around same as we always do in Japan… I mean we even ate at a freakin’ Big Bang Burger! It’s like we never left!”

Mishima: “Whine all you’d like, but that’s what the trip was supposed to be.”

Ryuji: “But weren’t some other guys gettin’ all cozy with their girlfriends or some shit?”

Mishima: “I think…”

Ryuji: “Then that’s it! That’s what this trip is missin’! C’mon, we totally gotta get movin’ during our free time in the afternoon.”

timrodresized: You now have a pretty good idea of what Ryuji’s scene is like, if you pick him.

Mishima: “Me too?”

Ryuji: “It’ll be great! Neither of us have girlfriends who’d get mad about it either!”

Mishima: “I guess that’s true, but…”

Ryuji: “C’mon. I know you’re actin’ all cool, but you’re totally comin’ with. No question about it.”

Ryuji: “Oooh, you got a message? Who could that - uhhh actually, you don’t gotta answer that. It might be something you-know-what… c’mon Mishima, let’s go!”

Mishima: “Wait, what just happened!? It’s only going to be the two of us, Sakamoto!?”

Ryuji: “Don’t gimme that look! We’re goin’ to Waikiki! Try n’ get a little more excited!”

timrodresized: And here’s where the optional scenes are.

timrodresized: First up is Makoto. Her scene requires that you are Rank 5 with her, but disappears if you reach Rank 9 and do not choose her romance route.

timrodresized: Ann’s scene requires that you are Rank 9 with her and that you chose her romance route.

timrodresized: Hifumi requires that you are at or above Rank 5 with her. I don’t believe it’s possible to be Rank 9 with her at this point due to her Mementos request, even on a New Game +.

timrodresized: Kawakami requires that you reach Rank 10 with her and are on her romance route.

timrodresized: Finally, you have Ryuji’s scene, which is always available.

timrodresized: For this update, we are going to pick Kawakami. This is why I mentioned that you want to save beforehand, because you can only see one scene per attempt.

timrodresized: The reason we’re picking Kawakami first is that the Hawaii event gives you confidant points. To that end, the “canon” run will be with Makoto because she’s the only one we can use those points with.

timrodresized: We can’t use them with Hifumi because she’s Mementos-locked and her confidant will automatically advance when we finish that on the 19th.

timrodresized: Of course, the real canon run will be a More Like Yusu-Gay which will be going up immediately after this update. This means the following scene is absolutely non-canon.

timrodresized: All five of the possible confidant events today take place in the same spot, and follow pretty much the same plot beats.

Kawakami: “…Hey. What are you looking at?”

Kawakami: “I appreciate your honesty. So, um… let’s take a walk.”

Kawakami: “Tasting the local delicacies is an absolute must on vacation, don’t you think?”

Kawakami: “Yay! Hey, mister! Two orders of garlic shrimp, please!”

Kawakami: “Why does drinking on the beach have to be prohibited in Hawaii?”

timrodresized: The order of this event just seems backwards - you’d think this would happen while they’re ordering the food.

Kawakami: “Yes, we are.”

Kawakami: “Wow, you’re very well-informed.”

Kawakami: “You’re quite the celebrity.”

timrodresized: This one line is the reason you need to be Rank 10 with Kawakami for this scene, as opposed to Ann where you only need to be Rank 9.

Kawakami: “Okay, I’ll let them know.”

timrodresized: He says this like it’s not a world where everyone apparently speaks perfect Japanese, which would mean he could go on the website and post a request.

Kawakami: “I was having so much fun… I hope no one saw us.”

Kawakami: “Although, I wouldn’t back down if someone actually confronted us about it. To tell you the truth, I’m worried that you’re lonely… because of the position I’m in… if that’s true, then… I’m sorry.”

Kawakami: “…So do I. …Anyway, this is my first time here. Hawaii’s really nice, isn’t it? Let’s come back sometime, just the two of us.”

timrodresized: Each of the five confidant events gives you a different accessory - these were changed from the base game because of how accessories were changed in Royal.

timrodresized: The Hawaiian Ring gives the skill Evade Bless, which does exactly what it says.

Kawakami: “Tadahhhh! That’s the power of a paycheck! …Just kidding. It’s to commemorate today.”

timrodresized: Gay Joker is watching this and going “Wow, what a great idea. I could get Yusuke one of those.”

Kawakami: “…Was that not a good idea? It’s gonna get dark soon… we should head back.”

Mishima: “Do you think I’ll have to go through this on future school events as well?”

Mishima: “Th-thanks? I guess I didn’t exactly turn down the invite either… sigh I don’t know… it’s fun hanging out with Sakamoto, but he might be too different from me…”

Mishima: “Is getting a girlfriend the only way out of this situation? Oh well… anyway, we need to wake up early tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep, okay?”

timrodresized: This is the part where I start to hate this cutscene. In the base game, the Hawaii scene is about an hour long if you stop and read everything.

timrodresized: This scene was added for Royal, and it’s like some writer at Atlus saw the complaints about the game being repetitive and having a lot of pointless cutscenes and went “You know what’ll fix this? More cutscenes.”

Futaba: “It’s not like anyone’s coming in anyway. Plus, if someone does come, you can just tell 'em it’s a cat cafe!”

Sojiro: “You know that line’s not gonna work…”

Sojiro: “What did I tell you!? Get that cat out of here!”

Maruki: “Oh no, please, there’s no need! I’m sorry!”

Morgana: “Hm? Wait a sec, it’s…”

timrodresized: He was told that Joker, who he KNOWS IS IN HAWAII, lives in this cafe and he’s come to visit because, uh…

Maruki: “Not really. I’m just a counselor.”

Sojiro: “Well in any case, I apologize for the cat. Normally he stays upstairs.”

Maruki: “It’s fine by me, I love animals. They don’t seem to share the sentiment though, haha.”

Morgana: “…The heck’s he doing here? Akira’s off on his little trip.”

Futaba: “No clue. He’s just some alien-level stranger to me.”

Maruki: “Sorry, did I frighten you? My apologies. I just found it impressive, is all.”

Sojiro: “Sorry about the cold shoulder over there. Just take the cat upstairs, okay? I’ll call you back down when it’s all clear.”

Morgana: “C’mon, Futaba, we’ll just be in the way down here. Let’s go.”

Futaba: “That book…”

Maruki: “Oh, this? It’s on a subject called ‘cognitive psience’. Any interest?”

timrodresized: Wait, what. Wasn’t Futaba’s mother the only person who knew about that until she was murdered for her research… which was also stolen before she could publish anything?

timrodresized:

Sojiro: “Wha-!? You’re… I’m sorry, but you need to leave. Don’t worry about the bill.”

timrodresized: Sojiro about to fucking kill this dumbass cutscene.

Futaba: “Sojiro! He stays. What good is driving your few customers away gonna do you, anyhow?”

Sojiro: “Futaba…”

Maruki: “Huh? Well… heh, no, not at all. I’m not a teacher.”

Futaba: “What’s it for, then?”

Maruki: “It’s just a personal interest of mine. I’ve been studying it for years now. It’s difficult to grasp at times, but it’s quite useful. Fun to study, too.”

Futaba: “It’s fun?”

Maruki: “Well, of course. It’s a wonderful division of science that can help many people. That makes it pretty fun, right?”

Futaba: “Mweheheh, yep! Mom thought the exact same thing!”

Maruki: “Mom?”

Sojiro: “Her mother studied it too. What I don’t get is why you’re studying something like that, though. Well - you are a high school counselor, right? I guess it does make some ense, being related to your field an’ all…”

Maruki: “Your mom thought that too, huh? She sounds like a wonderful woman.”

timrodresized: This is… suspicious. He’s trying to get information about her mother, arrived here to see Joker despite knowing Joker wouldn’t be there, and put that book out almost specifically so Futaba could see it.

Futaba: “Hell yeah, my mom owned. She loved me SO much!”

Maruki: “Past tense, huh? I see… Well, I’m sure she’d be very proud.”

Futaba: “C’mon Mona, let’s go! Off to a menless room!”

timrodresized: Ignoring that Morgana is a male cat again.

Morgana: “Hey, wha- Futaba!”

Sojiro: “Sorry about that. Would you care for another?”

Maruki: “Thank you. Your coffee truly is amazing.”

timrodresized: That’ll do it for this update. Next up will be a new More Like Yusu-Gay, then the alternate scenes for Hawaii. We’re on cutscenes until… 09/18.

Joker: “I can’t believe they fell for that. A flight diversion to Hawaii from Los Angeles that just so happens to land on Waikiki?”

Yusuke: “It was the best I could come up with. Thank you for buying my tickets here. I’m sure Los Angeles is lovely, but…”

Joker: “Did you really have to bring the lobsters, though? How’d you even get those through airport security?”

Yusuke: “I merely told the officers at the security checkpoint that they were my emotional support lobsters. They let me right through without even asking about it.”

Joker: “…No way.”

Yusuke: “I want them to see the world. To travel on beaches far from home and experience the delights of a foreign country.”

Joker: “You know, with us out here on the beach… we almost look like a couple.”

Yusuke: “…”

Joker: “Okay, you’re right. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Want to go take the lobsters out to the ocean to play?”

Yusuke: “That… would be lovely. Let us go.”

No Ryuji! We already went to the beach to pick up girls! You didn’t even meet a robot last time - what makes you think this time will be better?

I almost wish they’d just went whole hog with it and every confidant shows up in Hawaii one after the other just so you can potentially have a scene with them. Chihaya is there for a conference. Ohya is looking for the scoops. Sojiro just got very lost driving the bachelormobile. Sae shows up because Joker’s dosed up and the leading questions are making reality start breaking down in his memory.