Click Here for Update 85
: More pointless reading time.
: “Is this philosophy? I’m not sure if I like this writer. He seems a bit condescending…”
: I could say the same thing about Hashino, only I definitely know I don’t like him.
: “So, you’ve finished reading Wise Men’s Words. I wonder if these old philosophers had many friends.. they’re always talking to people, but I dunno…”
: “Geez… you all look like a bunch of dead fish. What was it? Your phone? Video games? I know you were up late. I always wake up at sunrise. On the other hand, kids these days…”
: “I always wake up at sunrise, and then I sit on my porch shaking my fist at all the people passing by until it’s time to go to bed.”
: “Hey, Kurusu! Are you awake!? Look at this map!”
: “Tell me why that is.”
: Back in his day, he climbed Mount Fuji every day to get to school. It was uphill both ways.
: “That’s right. The more east and south you go, the earlier the sun rises. However, what affects it most is altitude. So, excluding the outlying islands, the sun rises earliest on Mt. Fuji.”
: “That said, who knows when dawn will ever come for this country. The government and police are completely incompetent. Those Phantom Thieves need to be caught before anything else.”
: “We’ll show you… we’ll show you who’s just.”
: Today, we’ll be doing Haru’s Rank 3.
: “Within its gentle care, even a tiny seed can awaken, spread its roots, and grow up towards the sun. It’s almost like a mother. …Perhaps that aspect is why I find this place so comforting.”
: I don’t think Atlus ever explains who Haru’s mother is, even in the “extended universe” type material.
: “You know, I only started taking care of these planters because one of my teachers asked me to. I was hesitant at first.. but I liked it so much that I kept them long past the original request.”
: “I started mixing my own fertilizer, adjusting soil ratios… now I raise these plants in complete secret. But um, Akira-kun.. I’m worried about what the school might do if they found out about this.”
: The real question is why she wouldn’t just, you know, make a garden at her giant mansion.
: giggle “You’re so dependable. In that case, we can be partners in crime! Honestly, Akira-kun.. I really enjoy the time we spend together… it’s so different from how I feel when I’m around him.”
: “Oh, sorry… I meant my fiance. That reminds me though, I wanted to ask your advice about him… this whole arrangement began when my father first introduced us, around the winter of my second year in high school.”
: “I was told we were just meeting his friend for dinner… but then he said that ‘friend’ was to be my fiance. It was surprising… but I suppose I had always known I would someday be married off for political gain.”
: “So… I accepted, and that was the start of our relationship.”
: Naturally, they had to put this in or the fanbase would probably riot.
: “A-Anyway, I was never exactly fond of him to begin with, but now he has grown far worse. Recently he’s been suggesting we go on an ‘early honeymoon’ together to celebrate our coming marriage.”
: “I can’t even stand to look at him though.. let alone spend any actual prolonged time together. So, um.. what can I say to decline his offer…?”
: “R-Right. I suppose it would be best to simply be clear about it. As you know, my father passed away before he could fulfill his promise to rescind the marriage proposal… so any conversation about putting a halt to the marriage will have to come from me.”
: “To tell the truth… I’ve already mentioned it to my fiance. But he refuses to listen to a single word I have to say. Apparently, he’s even been telling the employees at Okumura Foods about the contract he made with my father…”
: “How the company would have to pay extreme reparations if it got called off for any reason…”
: In the US, this is outright unenforceable, and I’m pretty sure the same is true for Japan.
: “I just… don’t know how to handle this. I can postpone while I’m still in high school, but after that…? Thinking about it now, it seems my father’s death has turned out to be quite favorable for my fiance.”
: “I suppose in the end, all he really cares about is his own personal gain… but that’s not what a relationship is supposed to be built on. It should be something more…”
: “Something like.. a love so intense that just seeing the other person makes your chest tighten up. Have, um… have you ever experienced that?”
: All of the answers here give you full points, but I think if you use Chihaya’s thing it’ll tell you to do the second one. Naturally, we’ll pick the first, because it’s true.
: “Really…? That’s so romantic. I’m actually a little jealous. Of you.. and of the girl.”
: It’s funny to me that answering that way doesn’t lock you out of the romance route. Joker looks at her and goes “Girl? You do realize Yusuke and I are dating, right?”
: “But.. there’s no spark like that with my fiance. Spending time with him is almost like some kind of training… still, any hardship I go through now will surely help the Phantom Thieves eventually. I’ll get through this!”
: Unfortunately, we won’t have all of Haru’s abilities until the final dungeon of the base game.
: “Oh, it’s getting late. I should probably get back to my gardening. Well, I think I’ll be staying here a little while longer. See you later.”
: “Um.. you remember we talked about my fiance. He won’t stop asking me to spend the weekend with him. My excuse was that my friend was calling me… so here I am, away from him.”
: “Hee hee.. I’ve never done anything like that before. My heart was pounding! He’s been getting more and more persistent. At this rate, I don’t know how long I can play along…”
: “But hearing your voice calmed me down a bit. Thanks for listening to me. I’ll let you go for now.. see you later.”
: “I wonder if the Phantom Thieves had a hand in that. Many of those shows had noble thieves and shady people. Nezumi Kozo was one of the gentleman thieves in the Edo period.”
: I wasn’t able to find any info on whether or not Nezumi Kozo was a real person, but I’m gonna lean no given that the Wikipedia page has no sources.
: “According to one theory, he stole over one billion yen, making him the most wanted man of the era. He was to be paraded through the city, and punished in a very particular way. How was he punished?”
: “That’s right. One of the most severe punishments of the Edo period, in fact. Right before his execution, they did something to his appearance. They put light makeup and lipstick on him and made him wear a beautiful kimono.”
: I’m just picturing this guy at trial in an ancient Japanese courtroom and the judge looks at him and goes “The court really doesn’t give a shit about the thieving part, but finds your wardrobe.. outdated. I sentence you to a makeover.”
: Shit, they should make a court show where the judge is a kid and all of their decisions are legally binding. Just have some kid find the trial boring and sentence both parties to a makeover.
: “The parading around town of a well-known criminal was a sort of performance back in the day. The citizens wouldn’t have been satisfied if he had looked shabby.”
: “I wonder what will happen if those Phantom Thieves get arrested. These days, it won’t just be their heads that will be put on display.”
: “…People are having fun thinking about that, huh.”
: In the canon route, we’re doing Haru’s Rank 4 today. However, because of how Tae’s confidant works, we’ll be doing her Rank 10 first.
: Tae’s Rank 10 happens during the day if you are on the friendship route, and at night if you are on the romance route.
: Like Ohya, Tae’s Rank 9 is short on points - you need four points (two readings worth) to get from Rank 9 to Rank 10. Fortunately, I had miracle RNG and Joker gained the points in his sleep.
: To get an idea of how rare this is, you have about a 50% chance of getting a social stat point if you skip a night by sleeping. The other 50% gives you three points to a random confidant - but it doesn’t do a sanity check to remove confidants that are already maxed.
: This scene is kind of unique in that the friendship route has dialog that the romance route does not. The romance route (also part of the cursed recording) takes place at Leblanc instead.
: “What are you talking about?”
: “Oh, that’s not true.”
: Joker’s like “It really doesn’t matter, because this is anime and we all know the childhood friend is never a valid romance choice.”
: “Likely because she’s jealous of you. Just be careful because it might result in pandemonium.”
: “She even comes in on days she doesn’t have to. It appears she’s nearly fully recovered. Which reminds me, the new medicine will be completed soon. Your data has been extremely helpful, due to your generic body type and bland health history.”
: Oh, I see. Miwa’s an anime protagonist.
: “You’ve been a splendid guinea pig.. I mean, participant. So, thanks again. By the way, how have I been doing? Have I been helpful?”
: “…Come on. You and I both know that you were lying about needing to prepare for the entrance exams.”
: “I visited Oyamada in jail. A swing of fortunes like that could have only come at the hands of the Phantom Thieves. And to have it happen when it did… isn’t the only logical conclusion to think that it’s you?”
: “A normal person would probably.. notify the police. Well, I don’t care. The point is that without you, I wouldn’t have been able to complete my mission.”
: “I would’ve never finished the new medicine… while I was being deceived by Oyamada. And I would’ve never met any of the townspeople…”
: “I bet the Phantom Thieves save people in need, just like doctors do, huh? So, I’ll go out on a limb for you. I’ll have even more powerful medicines ready for you… I trust that you’ll use them appropriately.”
: Alice is like Shiva and Ardha - she’s a Persona with specific components that doesn’t show up in the advanced fusion menu. Her components are a direct reference to SMT 1… which is kind of unfortunate given that SMT 1 never got an official localization.
: Her components are Nebiros and Belial, who were her servants in SMT 1. That fusion combination (or some variation of it) has been used in every game where Alice is an obtainable demon.
: I fused her on the cursed run, but let me just log her using some shots borrowed from the SMT wiki.
Returning Persona (technically): Alice
Origin: SMT Original
First Appearance: Shin Megami Tensei I
While her appearance is based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, this Alice is actually an undead girl from Shin Megami Tensei I who is resurrected by Nebiros and Belial - and it’s heavily implied that the Alice who shows up in SMT II, SMT if, Devil Survivor and SMT IV is the same one from SMT I.
: Alice is a Persona who was a lot more useful in the base game (where Ryuji’s Insta-Kill ability didn’t give you EXP and money), but who is basically useless in Royal. By the time you’re able to fuse her, you’re either going to be high enough level that you can insta-kill any random encounters you come across or you’re going to have something better.
: My biggest problem with her is that she doesn’t itemize into the Karma Ring or Linden Amulet that we had in Innocent Sin.. and will pass down to Eternal Punishment if I ever get the chance.
: “So you better make some money in the name of ‘justice’. giggle Now, go. Take care.”
: Now for Haru’s Rank 4. We also need to buy an alarm today, because I want to fuse Beelzebub.
: Haru’s Rank 4 requires Proficiency 5. I think I said it was her Rank 3, which is incorrect.
: “Well, I’ve decided to start studying the topic more seriously by going out to places like this. I’ve been keeping it a secret from my fiance though. You see, just a single cup of the Dark Ivory coffee here costs roughly six thousand yen.”
: You can probably guess what joke they’re going to make here, given all the news coverage around exotic coffee around the time the base game was written.
: “I’ve heard it is. Apparently, the beans they use here are exceedingly rare. At the very least, we should try it before passing judgment. Well, shall we order? I’ll be paying for your cup as well.”
: Joker’s like “Look, I’m going to spend almost a million yen on Beelzebub tonight. Two cups of coffee is nothing.”
: giggle “You’re such a gentleman, Akira-kun. But allow me to handle this. I invited you, after all. On top of that, aren’t you supposed to always listen to your elders?”
: “Well, here we go…”
: Why does it smell like Girimehkala in here?
: “…It has a distinctly fragrant aroma, paired with a mild flavor. This is undoubtedly delicious, yet… I would barely consider it coffee.”
: No! Bad Girimehkala! Get out of the chocolate-covered coffee beans! Great, now he’s not going to sleep for a month."
: The actual brand name for the elephant shit coffee is Black Ivory. I’m not sure how popular it is now that the whole “coffee beans made from animal shit” fad is largely over.
: giggle “I apologize for not disclosing that to you earlier. I just thought you might find it hard to enjoy if you had known ahead of time. I was surprised to hear it at first myself, but that was actually why I wanted to try it to begin with.”
: “Another rare type of coffee, kopi luwak, is gathered from the feces of a small cat called a civet. Interestingly enough, the flavor differs depending on what animal it was originally consumed by.”
: Kopi Luwak has a lot of problems involved with it, including the factory-style farms used to make it that have raised allegations of animal abuse and the large amount of fakes sold as the real thing.
: I’ve also read that there’s a few types of coffee which are much cheaper that have close to the same flavor Kopi Luwak does.
: Joker gets on his phone and texts Morgana: “Hey Morgana, can we monetize your shit?”
: giggle “Perhaps it could become Leblanc’s new specialty drink. Oh, but we need Mona-chan for our operations, huh? We can’t afford to make him eat beans all day… hm.. coffee is so profound…”
: The civets don’t actually eat the beans - they eat the cherries the beans grow in. The beans are a by-product.
: “T-Takakura-san!?”
: “Oh, he’s a friend from school. Akira-kun, this is Takakura-san, the new president of Okumura Foods.”
: If you look closely, you’ll see little blue-green blobs floating around. That’s because it’s Flu Season. It’s really noticeable a few shots down.
: “Well, I…”
: “R-Right. We’re in the process…”
: “N-No, that’s quite all right. And, um… about the shares.. I can handle them for now. I’m going to protect that which my father left for me.”
: “Hey, um… what did you think of him?”
: giggle “You’re so honest, Akira-kun. But.. I agree. I really don’t know whether or not I can trust him. Right now, the most prevalent rumor about Takakura-san is that he was pleased by my father’s passing…”
: You might notice this confidant event is rather long, and that’s because in the base game, this was most of the interaction you got with Haru. I think it feels kind of unfocused though - it’s like they didn’t know whether they wanted to make Haru’s confidant about her or about Okumura Foods.
: “I mean, he was certainly the person who stood to benefit the most from it.. it’s hard to deny that fact. But.. he says he’s trying to rebuild our company image. I just can’t tell if he really means it..”
: “…You know, sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I didn’t have money.. if I was normal. Don’t get me wrong, the company is definitely important.. but it’s often nothing more than a source of stress.”
: “With you guys though.. I feel like I actually belong. That’s why I’m going to work extra hard to make sure my harvests turn out great!”
: “Oh, and as for that ‘Sugimura-san’… that’s my fiance. He’s been really showering me with presents lately. One night he even left a bouquet of roses on my pillow.”
: “But… he would have needed one of my servants to help him accomplish that, right? What a scary thought… even worse, Takakura-san has been hurrying to get us married after what happened to my father.”
: It also feels like Hashino didn’t know whether he wanted Haru to be an out-of-touch rich girl or not.
: “Even worse, Takakura-san has been hurrying us to get married after what happened to my father. He claims it’s because of the profit the marriage will bring to the company… but there has to be more to the situation than just that.”
: “Anyway, I’ll look a little deeper into Takakura-san. Perhaps he truly was pleased by my father’s death. Maybe I should start by asking the employees who are trying so desperately to win my favor..”
: “Well, goodbye.”
: “You took the time out of your schedule to hang out with me, but we ended up dealing with my own drama…”
: “Hee hee… I’ll let you know if I find another nice spot. It won’t always be that luxurious though. …Lately, I’ve felt so suffocated. I don’t know who to trust anymore.”
: “But it’s so reassuring to have someone like you. Someone who listens to me. I’m going to do whatever I can to look further into Takakura-san. I might come to you for help again if I find something… well, see you again later.”
: If we were still following the trash guide, we’d be doing Chihaya’s Rank 9 tonight. Instead, we’re going to go for Mishima’s Rank 10… just as soon as I buy a fusion alarm.
New Persona: Scathach
Origin: Ireland
First Appearance: Devil Summoner
Scottish warrior who trained Cu Chulainn in martial arts and gave him his spear, the Gae Bolg.
: There’s two routes you can go down with Beelzebub, which we’ll see in just a bit. We fuse Scathach out of Pale Rider and Ganesha to pass down Curse Boost.
New Persona: Surtr
Origin: Norse Mythology
First Appearance: Shin Megami Tensei I
Norse fire giant who rules Muspelheim, the land of fire. Wields the flaming sword Laevateinn.
: We need Surtr because he’s one of the only Personas we can fuse right now that will fuse into Beelzebub. Blazing Hell and Fire Amp isn’t bad either - though I could (and actually did, on the cursed run) make Surtr with Fire Boost as well. With that, he’s a pretty good source of fire damage.
New Persona: Ishtar
Origin: Mesopotamia
First Appearance: Shin Megami Tensei II
Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. Features heavily in the epic of Gilgamesh.
: I fuse Raphael and a treasure demon into Ishtar, who is normally a pure support Persona. Her job is to pass down Spell Master to Beelzebub. Finally, with Surtr and Ishtar…
New Persona: Beelzebub
Origin: Canaanite Mythology
First Appearance: Megami Tensei
Originally a Canaanite god by the name of Baal Zevuv (meaning “Lord of the High Place”) that may or may not have been the same god as Hadad. The Judeo-Christian faith turns him into a demon by the name of Baal Zebub (meaning “Lord of the Flies”) as a way of mocking the Canaanites. Catholics consider him to be one of the first three angels to fall, along with Lucifer and Leviathan.
: Welcome to Christianity, where if your god isn’t our God, it’s automatically a demon. There’s two routes we can go down with Beelzebub.
: He starts with Maeigaon and Mamudoon, then quickly learns Concentrate and Curse Amp. This is the first route, where you use him for damage rather than instakills. It’s the one I picked, and with a side of Blazing Hell and Fire Amp, he’s also a good (but not great) fire caster.
: The other route involves dropping Maeigaon and Curse Amp and instead picking up Demonic Decree, turning Beelzebub into an instant-kill user with Demonic Decree for targeting weaknesses.
: The problem with the second route is that it’s kinda pointless when Alice exists. Beelzebub is also one of the few Personas to learn Curse Amp, and it’s a total waste if you don’t use it. Plus, Maeigaon with Curse Boost and Curse Amp (along with Beelzebub’s naturally high magic stat) is probably going to out-damage Demonic Decree.
: I then itemize him into Haru’s final melee weapon. Dizzy is nice because anything used on a dizzy enemy is a technical, and a higher Magic stat is always welcome - especially on Haru, due to her ability to hit technicals.
: “How I’ve changed. For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to run away back when I saved him. So, I was thinking why that may have been.”
: “Honestly, I was pretty desperate at the time, so I don’t remember much… but in the back of my head, I was thinking what you would do in that situation, Kurusu.”
: “I mean, you put yourself on the line to stop Kamoshida, and probably other villains too. So, I thought there had to be something I could do myself.”
: “You know… I’ve always wanted to change. I wanted to go from the dull nobody everyone messes with to the famous world-renowned hero. But you helped me realize something important.”
: “Heroes aren’t heroes because they’re famous… it’s because they fight for other people. Looking back on it, what I really wanted to change was the weak me.”
: “The me on the volleyball team who let wrongdoing go unpunished, even though I knew it was unjust… the cowardly me who looked the other way when people I knew were in need of help…”
: Strange of him not to mention the horny him who kept trying to get laid at all costs.
: “…Tell me the truth. I only changed because you stole my heart, right?”
: The funny thing about this is that it’s actually a major plot point. No, really. It’s a major plot point that’s in a totally optional scene.
: “Huh!? You mean I didn’t have a change of heart? What…? …No, it really was you. You changed my heart. All this time, I’ve been looking up to the Phantom Thieves, pretending to be a collaborator.”
: “And now I’m finally able to stop pretending. Truth be told, I had given up. I accepted that I was a zero.. that my existence was meaningless. But I’ve learned. I may not be able to change the world, but I can change myself.”
: “Whether I sulk about my inability to do anything, or hold my head high and look to the future.. my perception shapes the boundaries of my world. It all comes down to what’s inside my heart.”
: “I might still mess up every so often, but as long as you’re here, I’ll be able to stand up again. So I may not be the best person around, but you can feel free to rely on me at least sometimes!”
: And there we go. That’s one of the last components we need for Lucifer… but unfortunately, we can’t do anything with Sandalphon yet. We can’t fuse Metatron yet, and we don’t have the one skill I really want on Sandalphon to pass down to Lucifer - we need either the final Persona from Futaba’s route or the final Persona from Morgana’s route for that.
: “That’s all I can really do for you right now… but I’m working on that documentary too. I even plan on making it into a book someday. I’d bet anyone who reads about the Phantom Thieves would find the hidden courage within themselves.”
: “Maybe that means I can use that book to change people’s hearts!”
: “All right, I’m on it! Oh, but before that… I’m hungry. Come on, let’s grab a bite to eat on the way home. Maybe a buffet…? Wait, no. We should save that for after I get all my book royalties! Heheh, you’d better be looking forward to it.”
: We have reading time today, but instead of doing that, we’re going to use this time to do one last crafting session.
: The Perma-Pick is an infinite-use lockpick. We got the ability to craft it some time ago, but didn’t have the materials to do it - though I believe you can buy them once you unlock Akihabara.
: Its usefulness is kind of dubious at best. There’s only a few locked chests left in the game, and while we can now open all the locked chests in Mementos, the only things we’re going to find in there are dirty armor and healing items (and maybe the occasional black item, but we only need so many of those).
: In Royal, the Perma-Pick carries over to New Game Plus.. but by that point, there’s no reason for you to use it. Your equipment carries over in both the base game and Royal, and the stuff in the chests doesn’t scale.
: Anyway, let’s move on to Maruki’s Rank 8. We’re two days before the time limit to finish his confidant, after all.
: “Not! I had you going there, didn’t I? Kurusu-kun, you’re in for a real treat today! I know it’s been a while since you’ve had one, too!”
: chuckle “Good question. So, I recently found this delicious-looking buffet. It’s apparently very well-regarded, has all sorts of cuisines.. well, thanks to your input, I’m making some real progress on my paper.”
: “I’d like to take you to that buffet, as my way of thanking you. How does that sound?”
: “Of course! Honestly, I feel like this won’t even cover what I owe you after all you’ve done for me. Well, that settles it, then! We should head over there now, before they get too busy.”
: “Mmhm! Dig in! Although.. maybe I went a bit overboard for my first trip? Hahaha… oh, right! Sorry, would you mind if I asked you about something before we eat? It’s about my paper…”
: They gave Shibusawa a portrait, despite the fact that he only really shows up in two scenes. This is probably because he’s recycled assets - he’s Maruki’s portrait with different hair.
: “I knew it! Shibusawa, in the flesh! What are you doing here?”
: “That’s my line. It’s rare to see you in a restaurant like this one. …Oh? And who might this be?”
: “Oh, he’s, uh… how do I put it?”
: “Ahaha, no, not at all. Anyway, this is Kurusu-kun.”
: “Nice to meet you. I’m Shibusawa.”
: “Shibusawa was one of my colleagues back in college. He’s the one who recommended I pursue a counseling career.”
: “And I hear it’s been doing you some good, too. I catch wind of your goings-on every so often. Honestly, it’s a big relief. You have so much more compassion than most, but you can also be a bit too carefree.”
: “You didn’t have to mention that part - not that I can refute it…”
: “But anyway! Tell me more about how you’ve been - fill me in on this guy too!”
: “Oh, uh, but aren’t you here with others? What about them?”
: “Eh, it’s fine - we just happened to swing by here. They won’t mind my being away for a bit. And do you think you two are really gonna be able to tackle all that food on your own?”
: “What? Oh… right.”
: “And that’s where you’re counseling now?”
: “Yeah. But only part-time.”
: “So what are you two doing out at a place like this? This isn’t some kind of private counseling session, right?”
: “He’s, well… he’s been giving me a hand with my research. I just brought him here as a thank-you for all his help.”
: “…Research?”
: “I had meant to mention this earlier, but… my paper is finally almost finished.”
: “Mm, it’s all thanks to you, though.”
: “Paper? The one you were doing research for.. you mean you’re still…?”
: “Yep.. I’m still at it. Even after all of what went down. You remember what I told you? That I’d finish this paper no matter how long it took me.”
: “Maruki.. hahaha! You blow my mind sometimes! I swear, you’ve gotta be the most stubborn man in the world!”
: “Is that supposed to be a compliment? And anyway, it’s not 100% complete yet. I haven’t even begun the peer review process.”
: “Oh, seriously? I’d be more than happy to peer review it for you. I mean, I did perform all the peer reviews for your publications in college!”
: “Huh? Really!?”
: “Of course, man, why not? In fact, that’s it - this is now officially a celebration! The meal’s on me today!”
: “Oh, I couldn’t do that. I’m supposed to be treating Kurusu-kun today…”
: “Oh, don’t worry so much! Don’t you wanna congratulate him too, Kurusu-kun?”
: What Joker desperately wants to say is “The ‘middle-aged guys who peaked in college’ energy in here is a bit too strong and I feel like I need to leave.”
: “See? He’s up for it too.”
: “I-I do appreciate it, but I have to say, I have mixed feelings about this…”
: “Oh, don’t sweat the details! C’mon, let’s go for a second round. We’ve gotta hit up the meat section! And the vegetables. And the beans!”
: “Yeah.. maaan, am I gonna get an earful for piling on the pounds.”
: “Hm? By who?”
: By all the people at the home he runs for middle-aged guys who can talk about nothing but what college was like.
: “My girlfriend - well, my fiance to be more exact. I’m getting married soon.”
: Soon, he will graduate from ‘college guy’ to ‘wife guy’.
: “Ah, I see… wait - married!?”
: “Yep, married! Now you’re the only one left from school who’s still flying solo.”
: “…”
: Maruki’s like “That’s not fair! I want to be a wife guy, but no one cares about all the stories about how I played football in college!”
: “Sorry to pry, but I feel like I need to ask. Are you still…? Actually, forget I said anything.”
: “She was my girlfriend back when I was still a student. Well, I was just too spineless at the time, and we broke up in the end.”
: “…”
: “It’s just that… I don’t feel ready to enter another relationship of that sort right now. Heh.. this was supposed to be a celebration, yet I’ve thoroughly killed the mood. Sorry about that.”
: “No, no, it’s my bad for bringing it up in the first place. Why don’t we wrap things up here? I have to say, it’s really good to see you doing well - and with your paper almost finished, too!”
: “Hey, Kurusu-kun. Keep an eye on this guy for me, all right?”
: Hold on a second. You were the one who convinced Maruki to be a therapist, and yet you think he has difficulty opening up to people? Isn’t that kind of a key trait for a therapist?
: “You’re talking about me like I’m some sullen kid… but I do need to express my appreciation properly. Thank you so much for helping someone like me make their dream come true, Kurusu-kun.”
: “Well, should we get going?”
: “Don’t forget to send me that paper, okay? I’m seriously going to review it for you.”
: “Haha, I won’t. I’ll be in touch soon.”
: “I was supposed to treat you out today, huh? Sorry things didn’t go as planned. Shibusawa’s always been quick to offer me his help. Well… maybe it’s because he knows I’m a little careless, though.”
: “…That’s true. He’s actually helped me out a lot. Running into Shibusawa was quite a coincidence, but a very lucky one. He was the best in the department when it came to peer reviews.”
: “Maybe you’re bringing me good luck with him, too…? Or maybe I’m doing too much magical thinking. Well, see you later.”
: Tonight’s the night we do Tae’s Rank 10 romance scene. That will be with the rest of the romance scenes.
: There’s a reading segment here I’m going to skip.
: “Sine, cosine, and tangent. This is where a lot of people aren’t able to keep up. Why would you panic just from seeing a graph? I don’t get it.”
: “A complicated formula gets condensed down to a single line… isn’t it simple and elegant? All of them have distinctive shapes that stimulate the imagination.”
: “Now then, Kurusu-san. Take a look at these graphs.”
: “That’s correct.”
: “There are many other graphs with amusing names. For example, a devil’s curve is called that because it looks like a Chinese yo-yo called a diabolo. There’s nothing particularly diabolical about it otherwise.”
: “Some people may thnk of math as an enemy like a devil.. but there’s research that suggests that people who excel at math have higher incomes. If you’re shooting for a high salary, sometimes you need to be willing to fight demons.”
: “Honestly, I feel like fighting demons would be easier than trying to understand graphs like that…”
: “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you. Would you mind if I joined you for lunch?”
: It’s probably obvious why this scene is here, but let me tell you, it makes the entire scene from the intro seem even dumber when we see it the second time around.
: “Thank you. All right, let’s head to the roof.”
: “Sorry to bring you here. This is something I oughtn’t really bring up around other people. Kurusu-senpai, are you still planning to continue on as the Phantom Thieves?”
: “…Lately, I haven’t been hearing any positive gossip about the Phantom Thieves. Despite how much people cheered on your cause - even though they knew nothing about you or your friends…”
: “All they do now is speak ill of the Phantom Thieves!”
: “I know it’s not my place to say this, considering I turned down your offer to join and all.. but this change in attitude is simply awful. They’re doing the exact same thing to you all that they did to me…”
: “Yet you’re still going to keep at it? Why, Senpai?”
: “Take care of something.. mm. I see.”
: “Yeah… but don’t worry about us! There isn’t even a one in a million chance that my Phantom Thieves could ever lose!”
: Yeah, so about that.. I actually tried doing Sae’s shadow with Joker alone. I got her down to one hit left, and then died instantly to two hits for more than Joker’s max HP.
: “I see… well, I won’t stop you. However… could I ask a favor? Or rather, could you promise me something?”
: Remember when she shows up at the start and is like “Joker, you have to remember our promise!” like it’s something dramatic? No, this is all it is.
: “I’m already beginning to look forward to it. So… please be careful out there. Oh, but I plan to keep my other promise I made with you, about the physical training.”
: “Tomorrow - is that too sudden? Maybe we should train the day after tomorrow, then?”
: “Uh, but that day’s when..”
: “Mm. I see. Ah! I haven’t eaten yet! Come on, Kurusu-senpai! You need to eat too!”
: I like how Kasumi has the same ridiculously large bento from when they ate with Maruki that one time, and Joker just has uh.. an unidentifiable loaf in a plastic bag.
: Now that we’re done with that, it’s time for the last action of this update. Next time, we’ll finally see how we got here.
: “…There’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about. I know this is a little personal, but.. you remember how my former girlfriend came up the other day? Rumi?”
: Maruki, that was yesterday.
: “We were even engaged, if you can believe that. She was so cheerful. I mean, she could get pretty aggressive - she was always kind of hot-headed - but always so kind, too.”
: “…She was the best thing that ever happened to me. I didn’t deserve her, but.. if we’d had our shot, my life would have been so much happier than it had ever been. But reality’s never that simple.”
: Why does this sound like a monologue at the start of a generic action movie?
: Wait, isn’t that just the plot of the 2009 film Law Abiding Citizen, only with his girlfriend’s family instead of his own being killed in a home invasion?
: “We were lucky Rumi’s injuries weren’t more severe. Her physical ones, at least. But the shock of the incident was too much. She had a mental breakdown.”
: “…We talked about that, didn’t we? How wounds of the heart aren’t as straightforward as physical ones? She never really recovered from what happened. Even after all this time.”
: “I…kind of lost myself in that pain for a while, too.”
: “…Sorry. When I saw her in that hospital bed, I made a vow. I swore that I’d do all I could to fight back against the unfairness of reality. If someone suffered like that, I’d help.”
: “…Like I said before, Rumi’s in a better mental place now. She’s happy. But that pain I felt back then - that’s how this project was born. And thanks to you, I’ve finally found the true goal of that research, too.”
: That doesn’t sound at all creepy.
: “I don’t care how long it takes me. I will make my dream come true. For Rumi’s sake, of course.. but for you too, Kurusu-kun. I.. honestly don’t have the words to say what all this means to me. But I can at least say this.”
: “Thank you.. so much. For everything. Thanks to you, I found my answer. And once it’s ready… I hope you’ll let me use it to help you find the happiness you deserve.”
: Nope, no weird JRPG final boss shit going on here.
: “My path is clear now. I think this’ll probably be the last time I come to you about the paper.”
: “I know how you feel. It meant a lot to me, too. I’ll let you know when I finally finish that paper. When I do, I’ll have to thank you one last time. You helped me see my dream through - I owe you so much.”
: “But for now, I should uphold my end of the deal. I’ve got a really special one for you today. I think you’re ready for something on another level now!”
: “Also.. there’s one more thing I want to tell you, but I’ll save it until I finish my paper. I just hope you can forgive me for it…”
: We also get 5 max SP for Joker and a healing item.
: Before you finish the night, you’re going to want to have a Persona that matches the element of each of your party members. If you have Ann, you want a fire-based Persona. If you have Haru, a psychic-based one.
: We have nothing better to do, since most of our night confidants are finished and the one that isn’t (that being Iwai) isn’t available tonight.
: “So, your first opponent is a kung fu master.. his attacks are apparently pretty ruthless. You’re both running low on health.. you could probably win if you land a special move!”
: I’m pretty sure they made this easier in Royal, because I distinctly remember having a very hard time with one of these on my base game run.
: By the way, there’s a book that makes the games easier in Shinjuku. We’ll get to it. Maybe.
: Next time, we finally get past the tutorial.