Colors Flying High - Let's Play Persona 5 Royal

[Timrod]

Click Here for Update 5

: Welcome to 04/13/2016. I decided around this point to stop recording the cutscenes in video format because it screws with my ability to take screenshots.

: “As you all know, today is the volleyball rally. Head to the gymnasium once you’ve changed. Got it?”

: I don’t get how the teachers like him. From experience, when you get people who are total psychopaths like Kamoshida apparently is, you don’t typically see them completely change their personalities like this.

: I like how all the people behind Mishima are pallete swaps. It’s not really something you’d notice in motion and it’s a good way to save effort on animation.

: Shit, you know what’d rule? If there was an RPG where you get a faceless background character as a party member and it’s revealed that all of the background NPCs are actually one giant army of clones of the same person. Their final attack is having all the clones come together to form something like the final boss of Innocent Sin only it’s a giant boulder made of NPCs.

: And now, Hans Moleman Productions presents.. Man Getting Hit By Football.

: If I was any good at editing I would absolutely edit this into the Simpsons clip and keep the “doink” sound effect when the volleyball hits him.

: Looking back on it, this just.. kinda doesn’t work. It’s hard to tell what’s actually happening - what it’s supposed to be is that Mishima sees the ball but just lets it hit him, I guess. There’s also supposed to be an element of Kamoshida not really giving a shit about it, but they don’t get that across great either.

: I honestly think this could’ve been way more effective had he taken Mishima to the nurse and as soon as he gets out of earshot of everyone tells Mishima that he’s a fuck-up or something. Maybe punches him too.

: “Get to know each other better, my ass. It’s just a one-man show for him to stroke his ego. And how he acted like he was worried about Mishima? What an abusive d-bag!”

: “…Well, anyways. Now’s our chance to go look for the guys we saw were slaves yesterday.”

: “Let’s look for the faces we saw at the castle. All the members of the team should be here today. I’ll be sure to find someone to spill about Kamoshida’s physical abuse. Just you wait, asshole.”

: “The first one that popped out was a guy from Class D, so let’s start from there. That’s your class.”

: “Hopefully, you can get him to talk without any issues. People have been avoidin’ me lately, so… oh, but you’re kinda in the same boat, huh.”

: Thanks for rubbing it in, Ryuji.

: New to Persona 5 is the ability to fast travel. The class we’re aiming for is 2-D: the first years are on the third floor and the third years are on the ground floor.

: Having your head wrapped in bandages looks totally like a normal volleyball injury.

: “Hey, that’s the guy who was over at that castle.”

: “Kamoshida did it to you, right? Look, I ain’t gonna tell anyone you squealed. Just tell us about how Kamoshida’s abusin’ you.”

: “Don’t try n’ hide it! We already know!”

: “Well, uh… I…”

: Ryuji’s so dense that the possibility of lying and saying that they have something that’s incriminating but not conclusive doesn’t even occur to him.

: “…All right, that’s enough. C’mon, let’s go.”

: “Crap. If we keep goin’ at this pace, the ball game’s gonna end…”

: “I’ll check the Practice Building for people before clubs start. You handle the Classroom Building. There’s a third yer on the volleyball team that I remember. I think he’s in… 3-C?”

: “He was gettin’ beat pretty badly at the castle. He might have some injuries here too..”

: This one took me a second to find because I didn’t immediately realize that the classes are numbered after what year they are, not what floor. They’re numbered based on floor in Persona 1 and Innocent Sin.

: John Persona stares him right in the face. “I am on the road crew. You can tell anything to the road crew. My milk is delicious.”

: So yeah, lot of dialog from nameless NPCs in this one. Fortunately, today is MUCH shorter than yesterday. We’re almost done, in fact.

: “It’ll be quick. Anyway, what’s with you? Like, how you were late the other day was a lie and all.”

: “There’s that weird rumor about you too.”

: “Right back at you. You’re not even in our class.”

: “…We just happened to get to know each other.”

: “What’re you planning on doing to Mr. Kamoshida?”

: “Huh!? … I see. I getcha. You’re buddy-buddy with Kamoshida after all.”

: “This has nothing to do with you, Sakamoto!”

: “If you found out what he’s been doin’ behind your back, you’d dump him right away.”

: “What’s that supposed to mean!?”

: “You wouldn’t get it.”

: “Anyway, people are already talking about you two. I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but no one’s gonna help you.”

: “Why’s she gotta be so aggressive all the time?”

: “We just went to the same middle school. Anyways, that’s not what we’re here to talk about. I had no luck on my end. What about you? Did anything like someone’s name turn up?”

: I can’t find a clip of it on Youtube, but this is almost straight out of Shirokuma Cafe. It’s an anime about a polar bear who runs a cafe and does nothing but make bad puns the entire time.

: “Huh…? …Special ‘coaching’, huh?”

: “True. I always see the guy covered in bruises. Let’s go talk to him before he leaves.”

: “Sakamoto? And you, too…!?”

: “C’mon, we just wanna chat. Kamoshida’s been ‘coaching’ you, huh?” You sure it’s not just physical abuse?"

: “What’re you talkin’ all polite for? Anyways… we saw him spike you today. Right in the face.”

: “That was just because I’m not good at the sport…”

: “Still, that doesn’t explain all the other bruises you’ve got.”

: “Is he forcin’ you to keep quiet?”

: “That’s…”

: “What’s going on here?”

: “I-I’m not feeling well today..”

: “What? Maybe you’re better off quitting then. You’re never going to improve that crappy form unless you show up to practice.”

: “Well, Mishima? Are you coming to practice or not?”

: “… I’ll go.”

: “As for you, any more trouble and you’ll be gone from this school for sure.”

: “Bastard…”

: “Didn’t the principal tell you to keep in line?”

: “Hmph. Just don’t get in the way of my practice. All these unsettling rumors are making the students anxious, after all.”

: “That’s your own goddamn fault.”

: “This won’t get us anywhere. Let’s go, Mishima. Shujin Academy is a place where those with aspirations come to learn. Unworthy students like yourselves don’t have any right to be here.”

: This? This whole thing could’ve been rolled into that anime cutscene.

: “…Yes, sir.”

: “That asshole.. he’s gonna pay for this!”

: “…There’s no point.”

: “Huh!?”

: “Proving that he’s physically abusing us.. is meaningless.”

: I mean, I get this kind of thing happens in real life (even though most of that happened after Persona 5 was made) but they treat Kamoshida like he’s yakuza or something.

: “This has gotta be a joke…”

: “Don’t be a pain. You don’t understand what I’m going through. Shouldn’t you of all people know that nothing’s going to help!?”

: Unfortunately, we get marched right upstairs so I can’t look at the TV. What I did do though, since I think this is the first night we can do it..

: The Band-Aces aren’t much: they’re a revival item that leaves the character at 50% HP. The real treasure here is the three Hogyoku Apples, which are a full heal for the entire party.

: We also get 50,000 yen. This will help IMMENSELY early on when we’ll need to spend a bunch of money on boosting social stats.

: I’m going to put the 14th in this update because the 15th and 16th are both long cutscene days from what I remember.

: Nah, that’s Sevens and only if you go in the clock tower. Have you heard the one about how Clair de Lune sells a Legendary Gun, but you have to order something disgusting to eat it?

: Shiho certainly looks more beaten up than the last time we saw her.

: “That bruise above your eye.. is that from practice, too?”

: “Y-Yeah…”

: “Are you sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard?”

: “Shouldn’t you take that?”

: “It’s probably just my part-time job.. I think.”

: “I.. should get going.”

: “Shiho… are you sure you’re doing okay?”

: Yep, she looks fine. Nothing wrong there.

: “Today won’t work.. I’m… I’m not feeling so good. Sorry… bye.”

: “..What? Oh.. I’m in the way, aren’t I? Sorry…”

: “Huh…? Um, well.. Hm, you don’t look familiar. Could you be that transfer student from Class D?”

: “Um, this might not be any of my business, but don’t let the rumors get to you, okay?”

: They do not bother me. My name is Juan Persona. I work on the road crew. I do important work on the road crew.

: “I’m glad to hear that. My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks..”

: Your best friend is Lisa Silverman!? I mean, she kinda is.

: Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to drag on like that. Anyway, I have to go practice. I’ll see you around."

: “Is that what it looks like?”

: “Kamoshida had to have told 'em something! At this rate… looks like we’ll have to go to him directly.”

: “I know… but seriously, isn’t there something we can do? Can you think of anything?”

: So here’s the thing. The game never really gives a valid reason as to why this shouldn’t work, and I think this is part of why Kamoshida isn’t a great villain. In a setting like Persona 4’s I could see something like Kamoshida being golf buddies with the chief of police, which shields him from any abuse inquiries. I dunno, I just feel like when your villain can be defeated by a really simple and obvious question they’re just not well-written.

: Once we get through the first two options, the third one that we need to do to progress opens.

: “The king…? You mean that other world’s Kamoshida?”

: “I didn’t think of that, but.. is there any meaning to -”

: Oh look, it’s Morgana. Outside of the dark world, he’s a cat.

: “That voice.. is that you, Morgana!?”

: “How dare you, up and leaving me the other day!”

: “The cat’s talkin’!?”

: “I am NOT a cat! This is just what happened when I came to this world! It was a lot of trouble finding you two.”

: “Wait… you came to our world!? Does that mean you’ve got a phone!?”

: “You don’t need one when you’re at my level. I did get pretty lost making my escape though..”

: I feel like the only time the phrase ‘you don’t need one when you’re at my level’ should be used is in DBZ.

: “That aside, why can you talk!? You’re a cat!”

: God I wish this was Persona 2 so that Morgana’s origin story could be that someone spread a rumor that Garfield is real and thus Morgana was born, not realizing that Garfield doesn’t actually talk in the comics.. or does he?

: “How should I know!?”

: “You hearin’ this too?”

: “You guys are having a rough time of this, hm? I heard you mention something about witnesses.”

: “Oh, shuddup.”

: “You know, I could tell you a thing or two about what to do about Kamoshida. You were pretty close just a moment ago.”

: “God, that condescendin’ attitude! This thing’s gotta be Morgana!”

: Morgana still uses the cartoon cat portraits even when he’s a normal cat, by the way.

: “Ack! Quiet down!”

: “Meow? Does that mean only us two can understand what you’re sayin’?”

: “Looks like it.”

: I really, really need some fanart of Jon Arbuckle as Joker and he’s cursed to be the only one who can understand Garfield. It’d be like a Stephen King novel.

: “What the hell’s goin’ on? Anyways, what you were talkin’ about earlier.. is it for real?”

: “You’re quite the skeptic for being an idiot.”

: “Hey, tell us more. Then again, this probably ain’t the best place..”

: “Enough of that! You said you know how we can do something about Kamoshida, right?”

: “It has to do with what this guy was talking about earlier. You’ll need to attack his castle.”

: “What do you mean?”

: “That castle is how Kamoshida sees this school. He doesn’t realize what happens in there, but it’s deeply connected to the depths of his heart.”

: “Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida.”

: “What’d happen?”

: “A Palace is a manifestation of a person’s distorted desires. So, if that castle were no more…”

: “Precisely! You sure pick things up fast!”

: “But.. is that really gettin’ back at him?”

: “You for real? That’s possible!?”

: “And since the Palace will no longer exist, he’ll forget about what we did there as well. Not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down, but there won’t even be a trace of our involvement.”

: “That’s amazing! You are one incredible cat!”

: “True, except for the cat part!”

: “So? How do we get rid of the Palace!?”

: “By stealing the Treasure held within.”

: “Stealing…?”

: The concept of stealing has never occurred to Ryuji.

: “I’ll tell you more once you agree to go ahead with this. It’s my most valuable, secret plan after all. If you want to help me out, I’ll gladly teach you. What’s your call?”

: “Our luck’s runnin’ dry lookin’ for witnesses. Guess we have no choice but to go along..”

: “…Good. Oh right, there’s one more thing I should tell you.”

: We’ve actually seen this before. This is a direct call-back to Innocent Sin, where during Caracol it’s possible to have Yukino’s shadow kill herself if you fuck up a dialog option.

https://www.lp.zone/uploads/default/optimized/3X/2/b/2b1da63a3a6074d83c89d7708abedf67f1861178_2_690x436.png

: Even though the real Yukino is outside the dungeon at this point, when we met up with her again on the non-canon run of Caracol in the Innocent Sin LP..

https://www.lp.zone/uploads/default/optimized/3X/1/3/13b44e29b4401da6ed4bab64069e361cd2bb0e63_2_690x436.jpeg

https://www.lp.zone/uploads/default/optimized/3X/e/2/e2ac181f65359b3453705215af0aacaf8e0747ff_2_690x436.png

: Basically, if your shadow dies, you go braindead. Of course, on the canon run, Yukino survived.

: “So…”

: “They might die!?”

: “Will you listen to everything I have to say first?”

: “Would their death be our fault?”

: “Aren’t you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?”

: I mean, Kamoshida’s not really anyone we care about so there’s really no reason not to kill his shadow.

: “Hey… what do you think?”

: By “interested” I mean “interested in putting a bullet in Kamoshida’s shadow.”

: “For real!?”

: “Sheesh… I come all this way, and this is what I get. It’s not like anyone will ever find out.”

: “That’s not the point!”

: I feel like the whole “No, don’t do it, if you do it you’ll be just as bad as him!” thing is a bad cliche by this point. I get that Ryuji is a dumbass but still.

: “Isn’t this your only option? I’ll come back later. Make sure you’ve made your decision by then.”

: “I’ll try and see if I can figure out another way. C’mon, let’s get outta here.”

: We make it no further than the school gates before Ryuji decides to text. Seriously, he’s like a clingy boyfriend.

: For the record, all the conversations on the way back are basically “I wonder if Ann is having an inappropriate relationship with Kamoshida.”

: On the way back, at Shibuya Station, we run into Ann on her phone.

: “Wait, what!? That’s not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher!?”

: “This has nothing to do with Shiho!”

: I thought it would be amusing to be John Persona for a bit while we still have the ability to pick our dialog options freely.

: “Haven’t you heard of privacy?”

: “…No, I was out of line. Sorry. So how much did you hear?”

: “Shiho…”

: “It’s nothing at all… nothing…”

: Ann then runs away because her night job as Lisa Silverman is coming up and she can’t let anyone know they’re the same person.

: We find her in the underground mall, just across from the juice stand.

: “Why…? Why do you keep worrying about me?”

: “It was just an argument.”

: John Persona just kind of stares awkwardly.

: “Huh? Oh, sorry, I was on another plane of existence.”

: “I wasn’t asking for a serious response.. but I do feel a bit better now. I’m gonna head home.”

: “I’ll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida. Well.. thanks.”

: “Are you leaving?”

: “What is it?”

: “Mr. Kamoshida’s asking for you. He’s in the PE Faculty Office.”

: “What did he say?”

: “…I don’t know. Well.. I have to go.”

: “Don’t gimme those lies. By the way, you haven’t been hanging around any bad influences, have you?”

: John Persona, hang out with bad influences? Never. John Persona isn’t even capable of hanging out.

: “…All right. Even if you do hang with people, just be careful you don’t choose someone who’ll ruin your life.”

: “Look at the time. Seriously, think about how I feel having to stay up here waiting for you.”

: We’re then forced into the bedroom, which we cannot leave. This is something I forgot to mention - in the base game at least, if you go into the bedroom at night you’re stuck there.

: And that’s it for this update. Next time, another long day with a fuckload of cutscenes, most of them unnecessary.