If there’s one thing Kamoshida wasn’t prepared for, it was a frame narrative. If he wasn’t about to eat his words and many years of abusive behavior, it wouldn’t be canon.
Honestly, there’s a part of me that feels like Kamoshida was too good of a villain, he kinda makes some other ones in the future seem pretty disappointing. Of course, I acknowledge that its because he’s way more personal than the others.
There are definitely points in this arc where P5 can’t decide whether it’s good or bad to be extremely creepy towards women. Obviously they take it a step further with Kamoshida, but this game has no issue with making sympathetic characters act like creeps for laughs. All of this DURING an arc about a dude who commits sex crimes really made it hard to take the game seriously. Still, good job with the LP! I’m enjoying following along even though i just finished my playthrough, haha
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When I was playing through it myself, I couldn’t help but think that they made Kamoshida a little too over the top. Being a sexual predator in a high school is already bad enough, so the fact that he’s physically abusing his players seemed like an excessive touch.
But now that I’m thinking about it again, I see why they did it. If the name of the game is stealing someone’s heart, then there’s no better first villain than someone who’s just a complete, 100% asshole.
Its also important that he be a complete bastard given that the group knows he might die if they fuck up. They need to be motivated to do something risky and the player needs to be on board with them in thinking that this is the right/only thing to do.
[details=Part 9]Part 9: 4/15
Kamoshida’s got us on the ropes. Seems like we only have one option left…
Music: Suspicion
We gotta hurry up and go to that world and beat the shit outta that asshole!
…We’re not beating him up. We’re simply stealing his distorted desires. Can I assume that you’ve made up your minds about this—about how he might suffer a mental shutdown?
…I have. Someone almost died because of him! I don’t give a rat’s ass what happens to him anymore!
And you?
There you have it.
By the way, is gettin’ rid of a Palace hard…? You’ve tried it before, right?
…When did I ever say that?
…Eh? WHAT!? Were you just pretendin’ to know!?
That asshole’s at it again…! So you came all this way to tell us that?
If you’re going to deal with Kamoshida… let me in on it too.
I can’t just sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!
This has nothing to do with you… Don’t butt your head into this…
But it does! Shiho’s my–
I said don’t get in our way!
……
…That was harsh.
We can’t take her somewhere like that…
I hope that she doesn’t torment herself over this. When it comes down to it, women don’t hesitate.
We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida. Let’s go already!
Huh? Phantom thieves?
Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasure—that is what we become!
That sounds kinda cool! So we just gotta say the school, Kamoshida’s name, and… castle? Then we end up in bizarro world.
True. There’s no point in thinkin’ about it now. We’ll show that effin’ Kamoshida!
Let’s go!
They’re doing something on their phone? A name… School…?
Music: King, Queen, and Slaves (Another Version)
That voice… Sakamoto!? And… are you Hamiru-kun!?
Wh-Wh-Why are you here!?
How should I know!?
Uh-oh, the cat’s making googly eyes.
I see. Perhaps she was dragged in because of that app thing. If multiple people can enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason it’ll pull anyone nearby.
For real…?
Wait, so THIS is related to Kamoshida!?
Anyways, you gotta leave!
No!
The Shadows are going to find us if you make a scene.
No way! It talked!? Oh my god, it’s a monster cat…!
Monster…?
You better explain what’s going on! I won’t leave until you do!
Looks like we gotta force her. But… how’re we supposed to do that?
Just take her back to where we came in. That’s how it worked last time, right?
O-Oh, yeah. Can you lend me a hand?
We can’t deal with Kamoshida if we don’t!
We’ll explain after everything’s over!
Hey! And just where are you touching!?
Whoa, sorry, I didn’t mean-- …That’s not important!
You guys seriously-- Ah!?
We’d better be careful from now on when we use that app…
You should’ve checked the tools you used! Why do I—the one who was just watching—know more about it than you two!?
Sh-Shuddup! Geez, Takamaki found out right when we were startin’off… We gotta deal with this fast!
That girl’s name is Ann Takamaki, right? Lady Ann…
Oh jeez. I’m not liking where this is going.
We’re counting on you, Joker!
Joker? That a nickname?
Don’t refer to it in such a lame way. It’s a code name.
It’s cool to have a code name, I guess. It’s not that weird.
What kind of stupid phantom thief would use their real name!? I’m not down for that! And there’s no telling what kind of effect yelling our real names will have on the Palace. It’s just a precaution.
So, why’s he Joker?
Because he’s our trump card when it comes to fighting strength.
Just go with it! You’re Joker!
It ain’t too bad, yeah?
Next up is you, Ryuji. You’ll be… Let’s see… “Thug.”
Are you pickin’ a fight with me!? I’ll choose it myself! Hm… When it comes to me, it’s gotta be this mask. Honestly, I actually kinda like it. What if we named me after this?
Fine… Why not “Skull” then?
Ooh! That sounds awesome! I’m Skull! What do we do about this one’s code name?
How ‘bout “Mona”?
Well, if Joker thinks it’s easier to call me that, then I’ll go with it. All right. From here on out, we’re Joker, Skull, and Mona. We need to be absolutely thorough about using those code names from now on!
We can run faster, but at the risk of making ourselves easier to detect. Simple stuff that’s really only useful for specific moments.
Looks like they don’t know ‘bout this way in yet.
Joker, Skull… Are you ready? Let’s go!
Music: Blood of Villain
“Entertaining” is certainly a word you could use to describe what happened, sure.
However, I can’t allow that trash to ransack my castle! Strengthen the security! Kill them on sight! I’ll reward whoever brings me their heads.
Death to the intruders!
Look at all those soldiers, idiot! It’d be suicide. And I’m sure you don’t want a repeat of last time. Besides, don’t you want him to confess his sins? There’s no point beating him up. We need to steal his materialized desires… The Treasure.
Fiiiine. So, where is it?
It has to be somewhere in the depths of this castle. Let’s infiltrate further in while he’s out here!
Whaddya wanna do? Should we kick its ass?
Hold on… Hmmm… This might be a good opportunity to teach you something… All right, Joker! Are you ready to take it down?
>Let’s go.
Music: Last Surprise
There’s another use for Hold Ups besides simply defeating enemies. Shadows are beings born from people’s hearts, so naturally, they can talk too. In other words, you can communicate with them. Get it? If you talk to them when they’re cornered, they might offer money or items since they don’t want to die. In fact, talking has a better chance of scoring something great, as opposed to just offing them*.
*This isn’t true. Well, it’s not true yet. We don’t have the Confidant abilities that make going for rare items or lots o’ cash possible, so most of what we get from these guys is going to be junk. Keeping in mind that the battle immediately ends after a successful negotiation, and that enemies left undefeated because of this don’t give money or experience, there’s really only one reason we’d want to talk at this point in the game instead of just launching into an All-out Attack. We’ll get to that in a second.
Well then, let’s do the first step: Knock all the enemies down, and do a Hold Up!
Music: Talk
It can’t get worse than this… What’re you going to do with me!?
Huh? So you’ll let me live if I just give you money?
Well, something along those lines… Now let it be money or items. Just cough it up!
But, this happened so suddenly… I actually don’t have anything on me… I-I usually do though, you know!?
W-Wait, what? Oh… This isn’t how I was planning this to go. Uh… Anyway, it can’t be helped if that’s the case. Time for you to go to hell.
W-Wait!
Sorry, but we’re in a hurry.
No, wait up! Can’t we work something out? Don’t kill me, please! Won’t you let me go?
Ugh! Sorry, but that sounded really lame. That was the best one-liner you could come up with? I say cheesy stuff like that all the time too, though. I guess I’m more like you than I thought. Whoa, I feel different! Something’s happening!
What the…!? What’s going on!?
I’m an existence that drifts about in the sea of humanity’s souls… My real name… is “Pixie”! I’m Pixie! From now on, I’ll live on inside your heart!
What was that just now…? What happened!?
I-I have no idea! I wasn’t expecting that either…
Crap, they noticed us!
We can hold multiple Personas, just like in 3 and 4. gaining each Persona’s respective skills and elemental affinities. We can only switch once per turn, though.
Pixie is strong against Electricity and Blessed and weak against Gun, Ice, and Curse. Stats aren’t great, but all we want is that Zio.
I-Is that the Shadow from earlier!? Don’t tell me… Did you take in the Shadow’s appearance and powers as a Persona!?
Let’s try to get this one on our side.
So that’s yer move? …Then I guess I’ll talk first. I’ll decide if I’m gonna help you after. I gotta say, you’ve been a pretty inconsiderate host. You oughta show more hospitality. Couldn’t you at least make me a cup of tea or somethin’? Hell, that’d be real polite.
Red veins are bad news, as you might have guessed.
…Hey. Won’t you listen ta my dyin’ request? I wanna have some of yer “hospitality.” What kinda “hospitality” will you show me at the end of my life?
Well, I guess I’ll try to worry more like a young person… while I’m runnin’ away!
And just like that, we’re ejected back into the fight because we failed miserably. In addition to red veins for displeasure, there are also yellow notes for answers Shadows will accept and blue sweatdrops for neutral. Neutral gives items and notes lead to the Shadow joining. A Shadow’s reaction to specific answers is determined by its nature.
From the game’s digital manual:
These are the kinds of answers each personality likes. The real challenge, then, is just figuring out what answer from the selection is “vague” or “kind,” which isn’t always as easy as it sounds.
I should also mention that we can only recruit Shadows that are at or below Maaku’s level, so no recruiting powerful enemies.
He sealed the enemy’s appearance and powers into his mask, and made it his new Persona… I’ve never seen anyone do that before… didn’t even know it was possible!
Of course it is! Only one heart exists per person, so normally a person can only have one Persona! But this… this is incredible! That ability will give us a huge advantage in battle! All right, try to do that even more if the opportunity arises! You better help out too, Skull!
Hell yeah! We’ll hold every last one of ‘em up!
It’s worth noting now that we’re free that Maaku and his Personas level separately and at very different rates. Personas require quite a bit more experience to level, in fact. We can only hold six at the moment, so there’s incentive to get rid of old ones. But that’s not really relevant quite yet.
There’s nothing we can do here right now. Let’s try elsewhere.
In that chest we find a new knife for Maaku. It’s good to upgrade when we can, even if it only affects our melee attack.
We get some new Personas while we’re here, but the real reason I took this picture is because they changed Pyro Jack’s name to Jack-o’-Lantern and I’m not over it.
A safe room. We can discuss our strategy inside. There are a lot of places even I don’t know about in here…
Outside…
Music: Disquiet
I just said the words Sakamoto said, and I ended up–
Huh?
Aaaaaaaah!
Just gettin’ this far’s been a real pain in my ass!
It’s all because you guys provoked Kamoshida, you know. Still… he seems to be awfully on guard…
Anyways, how’re we supposed to steal that Treasure thing?
Don’t be so hasty. First, we’ll need to secure an infiltration route.
A what…?
A path to the Treasure’s location. But honestly, I think we’ll need a little more manpower in order to accomplish this. At the very least, one more person would be nice…
Gee, I wonder who.
Hey, you say you don’t have your memories and all, but somehow you still know about that kinda stuff? Do you think this thing’s really got amnesia?
I should really stop making the cat sad.
You sure talk big, but what if it turns out you’re just some stray cat in the end?
That can’t be…
Princess…?
It doesn’t matter now. We must take her back to King Kamoshida!
Who’s this princess they’re talkin’ about…?
Morgana leaves.
And yet another question goes unanswered… Stuff like the castle and that navigation app are mysterious… but Morgana’s got ‘em both beat.
Crap, sorry! What was I again? …Oh yeah, Skull!
This is bad!
That was fast!
Your friend… Lady Ann! She’s been taken by Shadows…!
Wait, what? We sent her home earlier.
If Lady Ann does indeed have the app, it could be possible.
Oh no… Don’t tell me it got put on hers just like mine…!? Dammit! We let her out for her own safety, and she just came back in by herself…!
We need to hurry and rescue her! Follow me! I’ll guide you!
On our way back through the dining room, we see Morgana’s All-out Attack finisher. It’s one of the better ones.
Look, I’ll apologize for touching the armor without permission!
She totally doesn’t get what’s goin’ on!
Let’s hurry! We have to save her!
Like in previous games, they’ll warn you before big fights, which is always nice.
OK, let’s go!
Music: Desire
So, this is the intruder.
Who’s that…? More importantly, what is this place!? Why’s the school turned into something like this!?
I can’t believe you mistook my Ann for someone like her. Are you afraid?
What is that outfit…? Have you lost your mind?
I do as I please here. After all, this is my castle… The world of my desires.
What the–!? Wait… Is this some red-light district!?
What a lively slave.
This isn’t funny! Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!
In that case… she should be executed.
Are you kidding me…?
Is that what he thinks of the girls on the volleyball team…!?
Just when I was about to start enjoying myself…
What’s the deal with this guy…!?
You little…!
…How many times are you gonna come back?
Kamoshida turns to Ann.
I bet you’re just like those thieves. You came because you’re pissed at me, huh? But, ah… I forget that chick’s name, but it’s your fault she jumped, you know.
Huh…?
…Holy shit. That’s… okay, we need to repave this dude’s face.
You bastard!
A guard approaches Ann.
……!
No!
Dammit…!
Just sit back and enjoy the dismantlement show.
No! Don’t!
giggle You’re such a perv!
H-Hey, what’re we gonna do!? Takamaki!
That’s more like it. You should’ve looked like this from the start.
Shiho… I’m so sorry…
Huh…? …You’re right. Letting this piece of shit toy with me… What was I thinking…!?
It’s like I always say. Slaves should just behave and–
…Shut up! I’ve had enough of this… You’ve pissed me off, you son of a bitch!
Music: Awakening
Urgh…!
Tell me… Who is going to avenge her if you don’t?
Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within… I am thou, thou art I…
Music: Will Power
Ann kicks the guard’s sword into the air…
…then jumps up and catches it…
…and slices clean through her doppelganger.
You know what? I’m not some cheap girl you can toy with… you scumbag.
YOOO IT’S MY MAN BELPHEGOR
No one’s gonna stop me now!
Sadly, Carmen is not named after Carmen Sandiego. From the Megami Tensei wiki:
"Carmen is a fictive female [Romani] created by Prosper Mérimée. She first appeared in Mérimée’s eponymous novella that was first written and published in 1845. The novella was adapted into a variety of different genres, most notably the opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet which diverges in significant points from Mérimée’s original story.
Whatever the version, Carmen is generally depicted as a classic femme fatale who would take advantage of her beauty and charm to make men fall for her but quickly break the relationship once she is bored of her wooer and then looks for the next victim. Carmen is also usually seen smoking tobacco because she had once been working in a tobacco factory. She is later slain by a spurned ex-lover driven to a jealous rage after she leaves him. Though she knew he would be fated to kill her, she declares that she would rather die than allow herself to be bound to the will of another and that “Carmen will always be free”.”
Ann is… interesting. She’s Yukiko in a lot of ways, but the ways in which they’re different honestly kind of kill her. She’s got the fire affinity as well as healing, and her stats and skills make her probably the party’s most effective magic user. However, she has odd limitations in her skillset. Not only does she never learn any form of multitarget healing, which is a real bummer, even the niche spells she learns aren’t as useful as what other party members bring to the table. Ann can do a lot of damage, but she’s one of the less flexible party members in a game that really rewards flexibility. This isn’t to say she’s not useful, because she learns skills like Tarunda (enemy attack down) and Dekaja (gets rid of enemy buffs) very early on. It’s just that especially in the late game her limitations come into focus. She’s not as much Yukiko, who was an excellent all-rounder, as she is Chie from Golden, who can technically do tons of damage but becomes hopelessly outclassed in actual utility at certain points in the game. But hey, nuking shit with fire’s always good.
Ann and Carmen are voiced by Erika Harlacher, who’s… uh… well, let’s see… she’s Videl in Dragon Ball Super and Kurapika in Hunter x Hunter, and that’s all I really know her from.[/details]
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Both Erikas involved with this game actually were a local con
Also annoyed that they used the slur for Carmen
[details=Part 10]Part 10: 4/15-4/17
Now Ann has a Persona. Time to go to work.
Music: Will Power
That dirtbag just sees women as sexual outlets! Don’t make me laugh with that “love” bullshit! C’mon, Carmen! Let’s give ‘em hell!
This is Belphegor, and yes, that is a toilet. He’s one of my favorite SMT demons because all he wants to do is take a shit. He’s my friend and I love him.
He’s weak to fire, so he goes down real quick. Minibosses can’t be talked to, so there’s no reason to do anything but All-out Attack.
Pff, outside of school, that guy’s nothing but a pathetic loser!
Morgana also learns Patra, which cures Dizzy/Forget/Sleep/Hunger for one ally. We’ll go more into status effects later.
Music: Desire
Kamoshida runs away.
Why’d you come here, man!? And more importantly, how!?
Hey! Is that how you speak to a woman!? Are you all right, Lady Ann!?
Lady Ann…? Wait, what is this thing? Is it alive…? How can it talk? And… where in the world are we…!?
J-Just calm gown. Everything’s going to be OK; don’t worry.
Huh? What are you talking about!? What the hell are you thinking!?
Yeah, in retrospect that probably wasn’t the best thing to say.
Well, I’m stumped… A search party will be coming for us soon. There’s no time to explain. We don’t have a choice. Let’s retreat for now!
We were just gettin’ fired up, and you had to go and get in the way… Rgh, fine…
You take the other side.
Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)
Whichever’s not carbonated.
Uh, they’re both actually.
Then…
What about me?
Huh? But you’re a cat.
giggles
Um… Morgana, right? I really am talking to a cat… This feels so strange… Oh, sorry! You’re not a cat, right?
It’s only natural that you’re confused. Demanding that you understand all of this right after what you went through is asking too much.
Honestly, I still can’t believe what happened… And that power… my Persona…
It’s the will of your rebellion, Lady Ann. With it, you’ll be able to fight in that other world.
So if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right? Is it really possible…? Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?
The volleyball team’s keepin’ quiet about this, while teachers and parents turn a blind eye. If guys like us try and complain, they’re just gonna shoot us down. Goin’ all in on this plan is the only choice we got.
Then let me help too. I want to make him pay for what happened to Shiho. He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after what he did to her… I’ll never forgive him.
Wait, did you just say, “let me help”? You mean, you want us to take you along?
Don’t act like I’m going to drag you down. Weren’t you watching? I can fight too.
Hey, what should we do?
Ann is actually probably my least favorite party member in the game for a few reasons, including her overall lack of utility and her battle character design which manages to be both oversexualized and also just not that visually interesting, but, uh, sure, yeah, she’ll be great. I guess.
I agree as well. We are lacking in manpower, after all. Don’t worry, I’ll protect her.
This game needs an option to bust out laughing at that.
Even if you said, no, I’d just go in alone.
Oh right, she can go by herself… I guess it’d be more dangerous turnin’ her down… Rgh, fine…
Then it’s decided. Well, I hope we get along! I’m going to make Kamoshida atone for what he did. Not just for Shiho’s sake, but for everything he’s done. I won’t let any more people suffer because of him. I’ll do whatever it takes!
I sense a strong fighting resolve from Ann…
Music: Interrogation Room
It wouldn’t be odd if you had someone that was proficient in deceiving the eyes of others… …If you’re listening, then answer me!
I guess this relates to Ann because… she’s a model? I guess?
Music: The Spirit
The Lovers Arcana represents relationships and choices, but also disharmony and inner conflict.
Ann learns Baton Pass from the first rank of her Confidant. This is a skill all of our party members will eventually learn at early ranks of their Confidants. It lets us pass the additional turn gained from a 1 More over to someone else who knows Baton Pass, dealing increased damage in the process. It’s one of the best new additions to the combat in this game over previous entries. The only downside is that not knowing it is a severe hindrance to any new party members you haven’t progressed through the Confidants of.
Hey, give me your number and chat ID. And, um…
I’ll be counting on you, then. Same goes for you, Morgana.
The pleasure is all mine, Lady Ann.
Ann walks off.
And the innocence to cast herself into the jaws of death to achieve her goal… She cares about her friends, and she’s beautiful to boot… What a girl! She’s captured my heart…
Dude.
I’m with Ryuji, this is getting mighty uncomfortable.
True. Our best option would be to make a secret hideout where we could discuss these things.
A hideout, huh…? I like the sound of that.
The school rooftop would work… It seems like nobody goes up there. For the time being, that will make the perfect hideout. I can’t contact you from inside a Palace, so I’ll stay in this world. That being said, I’ll need someone to take care of me. I’m personally nominating you. You should feel honored.
…This’s all you. There’s no way I can at my place. Well, we now have our hideout, so let’s meet there tomorrow!
Ryuji runs to board the train.
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
Hm? Who’s this? Let’s talk to her.
Hey, lay off the customers. Sorry if he was rude, Doctor.
…I don’t mind.
Come on, you’re getting in the way. Go on upstairs.
Come back again.
Oh, that customer just now? She’s the head doctor over at that clinic down the street. Rumor has it she gives pretty crappy examinations, and sells some weird homemade medicines on top of that. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. I haven’t been there myself. They should really just leave her alone. It’s not like she’s getting in the way of their lives…
Hey, are we there yet?
Well, I’ve gotta get home and start making dinner…
What the…!? What is this place!? Is this some kind of abandoned house…!?
I was wondering why I heard meowing… What did you bring it here for!?
Not my problem. Look, this place is a restaurant. Animals are a no-go… Though I guess you might stay on good behavior if you’ve got a pet to take care of… Fine… But keep it quiet when we’re open for business. And don’t let it roam downstairs, or I’ll toss it out. Oh, and I’m not gonna take care of it. That’s all on you.
Boy, you backed down quick.
He seemed pretty understanding for someone who keeps you cramped up in this dump. Then again, I suppose to normal people I just sound like a meowing cat.
Make sure you wash that dish. By the way… have you decided on a name?
nods
Morgana? Huh… I was hoping I’d get to name it.
Sojiro’s the fucking best.
And to be honest, this place is heaven compared to Kamoshida’s cells. …Remember how you guys asked me before about what I am? To be honest… I don’t remember anything about my birth. I think the Metaverse’s distortions made me lose both my memories and my true form.
I already told you! I’m an honest-to-god human! If I were originally just a cat, how could I talk!? It doesn’t make any sense! There’s no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self. I’m sure that once they’re purged, I’ll finally be able to get that self back. And I have a pretty good idea on how to do it too. That’s why I was in the castle in the first place.
Let me make myself clear: Your taking care of me won’t be for nothing. It’ll be give and take. Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools.
Whoa, I can’t tell you more unless we settle on a deal. In exchange for you keeping me here, I’ll teach you about these tools. How does that sound?
Still not too jazzed about living with this smug cat but I’ll take what I can get.
I take it that means you accept?
nods
Hehehe… Then it’s a deal.
Morgana seems rather happy…
Music: Interrogation Room
There’s even the possibility that you used special tools and had someone who manufactured them… …Answer me!
Music: The Spirit
The Magician Arcana represents action or skill, but also trickery and manipulation. It’s generally associated with the beginnings of journeys, which is why it’s typically the Arcana of Your Dumb Friend Who Doesn’t Know Anything in 3 and 4.
Morgana gives us the ability to craft infiltration tools, which are items that will help us out within dungeons.
By the way, the power you used in the Palace was seriously amazing. The stronger that power gets, the more reliable it’ll be as a trump card. All right, I’m gonna stick with you wherever you go from today on. Personas are the strength born from one’s heart. Depending on what kind of life experience you gain, I bet it’ll affect that power as well!
And if you become acquainted with capable people, you might learn various, useful skills too… This is all part of our deal, got it?
I expect great things from you. Don’t let me down, OK?
nods
Getting around in cat form sounds pretty inconvenient, though… Well, it is what it is. I’ll just have to deal with being carried in that bag of yours.
I can’t. Anyway, I wanted to let you know at least. See you tomorrow.
You guys send messages to each other with that thing, right? I want in too, so I’m gonna have to ask you to type for me. At any rate… Is this really a place for someone to live in?
In addition to sitting on the couch, we can also talk to Morgana for some more flavor text related to what we’re currently doing.
Is this the stress of Kamoshida’s threat weighing on me…?
…… While we’re riding the train, we’ve got some downtime. I wonder if we could put it to good use…
I haven’t been feeling well lately. My head’s all foggy, and I have no energy… I’ve tried every drug at the pharmacy, but nothing works. Do I have some new virus? …Is this the onset of a psychotic breakdown? Wh-What should I do? Am I going to die!?
Calm down, calm down! Let’s go to the clinic. Come on. I’m sure the doctor can prescribe something that’ll fix you right up!
Doctors have the best medicine, huh… Hey, wasn’t that one customer back at Leblanc a doctor?
That’s not what’s important here! Though she did have an interesting fashion sense… Anyway, it might be nice to have some strong medicine to use in the palace…
Music: So Boring
Don’t text now. We’re in class.
Whoa! You mean you’re actually listening to all this crap?
Yeah, but none of it is really sticking today…
I know, right? Anyways, hideout after school?
Where exactly is this “hideout”?
The school roof.
Wait, we can still go up there?
I’m gonna fine you if you’re late!
You! Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone’s talking to you!?
I feel a murderous intent…!
Mr. Ushimaru throws a piece of chalk that hits Maaku square in the forehead.
Ooh… That looked like it hurt.
snicker He hit him right in the forehead…
That’s what you get for daydreaming! Kids these days have no respect for their elders.
Good grief… Looks like you need more Proficiency to completely dodge that.
Considering that we haven’t seen even a single opportunity to raise Proficiency at this point, that check is unwinnable. It’s entirely meant for New Game +, and even then it just gives you Charm, making it kind of pointless at that stage.
Music: Suspicion
Mkay, let’s get goin’!
Hold on, it’s still too early for us to head to the Palace.
But why? Don’t we just gotta steal that Treasure thing?
Don’t underestimate the dangers of that place. We need to prepare.
Ain’t that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it?
That’s exactly what I mean when I say don’t underestimate it. You’ll die if you mess up in there. So again, we need to prepare before we head in.
But… how exactly are we supposed to do that?
I’m glad you asked, Lady Ann. First, we’ll need to find better equipment for all of you.
You talkin’ about weapons? I know a kick-ass place!
In that case, you can handle that side of things. The only other thing would be stocking up on medicine. Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace…
And where can we get medicine?
Don’t worry, I know just the place. I hope you look forward to it, Lady Ann! Now then, Maaku and I have some business in Yongen, so let’s head off for today!
Just come with me! I won’t be able to get close enough by myself!
Music: Tokyo Emergency
The doctor who prescribes medication after a quick examination? She was sitting at the booth…
I just realized something. If she’s the kind of doctor who gets sketchy rumors like that, maybe she’ll help us out. She’s somewhere in the neighborhood, right? Take me to her.
…Well, I guess that’s the only choice we have. We’ll just have to go for it. All right, let’s step inside.
Music: Butterfly Kiss
Hm? I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before…
Hmmm… Well, whatever… So, what are you here for today?
…… …Fine. Please head to the exam room.
I’m going to prescribe you some pain relievers, OK?
nods
So let’s go with sleeping pills instead. Sleep is the best medicine anyway. What type of pill do you want, a sweet-tasting one or a bitter one?
The plan is falling apart!
Is that right? And I bet you think you should have a year-long supply of them too.
…I’m guessing you’re here because you heard the rumors about me, huh?
Who’s to say? But as a result, all I get are patients with ulterior motives now. I guess high school kids have it tough nowadays too, huh? Well, fine. I’ll prescribe you some medication. But only medication that will help you recover your health. I guess it’s fine. You seem pretty earnest, and you don’t look like you’ll be any trouble. This is my private practice. All the medicine I dispense is original. I have a license to make my own formulas. You’ve likely seen them being sold at various hospitals. It’s your responsibility to take care of yourself. So if that’s OK with you, stop by anytime.
Great. It’s nice that you’re so quick on the uptake… Saves me the hassle. You’re a pretty weird kid, you know? I wonder what you’re going to use the medicine for… Well, as long as you don’t cause me any trouble, it’s not my problem…
This is where we can buy restorative items. We’ll be back later, but for now we’ll just purchase a Revivadrin (revives a downed party member) and as many Recov-R: 50 mg (50 HP restore) as we can afford.
A strange man is waiting outside. He enters the examination room.
Do you have a cold? Stomachache? Athlete’s foot? Whatever it is, you’ll need to take a number…
…Enough of this!
You’re the only one who could have developed that type of medicine.
Don’t play dumb with me. Rumor has it, it’s a drug so potent it can give a person unlimited power.
Really? That’s news to me.
Developing experimental drugs, medicine, and herbal remedies violates all health regulations. Are you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will only become a social issue.
You’re really persistent, you know that? I’m just a quack…
The police may not be taking action, but I imagine the media will soon pick up on it. You intend to ruin my reputation again, huh? You’re a disgrace to the medical community.
…Tsk!
What’s with the look? That was your mistake, was it not? I won’t be responsible for your criminal actions. Dispose of that “medicine” immediately and resign. The name “Tae Takemi” will never–
My eavesdropping has backfired yet again!
Maaku leaves in a hurry.
Sounded like they were talking about something dangerous… Could that woman be hiding some extra strong medicine…?
I agree. If it’s that strong, it might come in handy at the Palace. All right, let’s come back when that man isn’t here. We shouldn’t involve people who have nothing to do with this. Keep the Phantom Thieves a secret, OK? Anyway, great work! That went really well!
Sweet. Welp, let’s figure out where to meet. You at least know how to get to Shibuya Station, yeah?
Hey, I can’t make it. Can I trust you guys to check the place out for me?
You can’t come?
Not tomorrow. I made plans to go see Shiho in the hospital.
Ah, gotcha. Don’t worry, we got this. Well, seeya in Shibuya, Maaku! I’ll be in front of the station!
We might be able to get our hands on some decent stuff if this store really has model guns. Well, we can leave that for tomorrow. Let’s go home!
Once we’re prepared, let’s take on the Palace. That’s where the real fun starts, got it?
“No, for real dude, just give it another hour, the game’s gonna pick up I swear.”
Oh, um… O-Of course I’ve heard of it before. I just can’t remember a time that I’ve been there…
That seems reasonable, I guess.
But before we do that, let’s check out our stuff.
This is where we obtain the free DLC items we picked up at the start. The important one is the healing item set, for reasons we’ll see very shortly.
The next day…
Mkay, let’s get goin’. The shop’s over this way!
Ryuji runs over towards a nearby politician.
This politician’s actually saying some decent things, but not many people are stopping to listen…
Eh, people give speeches all the time. Plus, politics are pretty boring, anyways. We’re almost there. Just don’t get lost in the crowd.
Following Ryuji to Central Street, he runs down a back alley.
Don’t go into that alley. I saw a blond punk just head in…
Poor Ryuji. Well, let’s explore a bit before joining him.
That I am!
Looking for a part-time job? It’s easy money! I can make a recommendation just for you.
Hey, you’ll lose track of Ryuji if you waste time with this guy.
Shut up Morgana, I’m having a conversation with this nice man about a job opportunity.
Don’t you want some pocket change? I can help you out.
Look, it’s easy, and it’ll net you tons of cash. Just follow me and we’ll get you sorted out.
Hey, we don’t have time for this guy. We’re supposed to be getting weapons today, remember? Let’s just go after Ryuji.
Fiiiiiiine.
Oh yeah, now that’ we’re here… you know anything about military stuff? I guess worst comes to worst we can just ask the shopkeep what they recommend. C’mon, let’s go.
Music: Layer Cake
Maybe we should try askin’ the guy behind the counter. And man, who’d have thunk model guns would shoot real bullets in that Palace?
…I dunno, just buy whatever looks interestin’ to you.
Ugh, some customer service…
Fine, whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?
Uh, automatic…? Dude, why’re you talkin’ about cars now!?
Listen, this here’s an enthusiast shop. My regulars’ll be mad if I let a casual like you hang around.
I’m not a freakin’ casual! I bought shit from here like, last week!
Huh, can’t remember you.
You bastard…
And you? Lookin’ for somethin’?
Th-That ain’t it! We just like how they look, is all!
Anyways… you shoulda said before you two’re enthusiasts. I’m always up for helpin’ fresh faces. Some precautions first though. Don’t go ‘round pointing ‘em at other people. Keep ‘em in a bag or somethin’ if you’re outside. Oh, and don’t let the fuzz catch wind of you having ‘em. I don’t need them comin’ around here.
How ‘bout that? Me too. Now, if you look close, you’ll be able to to tell these’re models. Real guns feel… different. Maybe someday I’ll show you the real good stuff though… if you got the Guts for it, of course. …But for now, you get the beginner selection. Just sit tight, I’ll bring ‘em out.
Oh, and here’s the cash for mine. Pick me out something good!
Time to shop.
But first, we need to sell something. This Soma from the healing item pack DLC fully restores HP and SP to all allies. It’s incredibly rare and useful as SP is at a massive premium in this game and ways to restore it are few.
So, of course, we’re going to sell it for 50,000 yen. Money’s not a huge problem for most of P5, but at the beginning at least we’re going to be pretty hard up for cash. Not anymore.
So what are we going to buy with all the money we just got? Well, we’re going to buy a piece of armor for Maaku… and that’s it. We’ll go back to the clinic and buy more HP restore items before heading back to the Palace, but for now we’re going to be pretty frugal. We’re only buying this in the first place because like in P3 and P4, if the protagonist dies it’s game over, so we need to be careful. We’re not even going to bother with physical weapons at this point, though it’s funny to think about why this airsoft guy is selling lengths of pipe for Ryuji to swing around.
Anyways, I’ll have you do the choosin’ from now on. Get me the strongest-lookin’ one!
Apparently that subway driver from the accident was acting really odd during his testimony hearing.
You talking about that psychotic whatever thing people’re going on about?
Yeah, I heard it completely alters your personality. The news is saying the driver couldn’t even speak when they tried asking him questions.
There’s no way a preposterous story like that could be true. Oh and sorry, but we’re closing soon.
Hmph, how rude. This must be why you don’t get many customers. Your coffee’s actually not half bad. The beans must be lamenting the sorry state of this store…
Thanks for stopping in. Please come again.
Hmph. I only say this out of politeness, but… thanks for the coffee.
Oh… What do you want? If you’re bored, go wash some dishes or something.
Shut it. It’s all good as long as the shop doesn’t fail. I’m not gonna go wearing a fake smile.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll end up living out on the streets.
You’re awful unconcerned about that prospect.
As long as I’m here, the world leaves me be. No annoyances or troublesome people to deal with. It’d like my own personal hideaway. I’d be kinda screwed if I lost it, but I guess you would be too. So, you better at least try and be useful around here. Anyway, I’m leaving now. Don’t cause any trouble.
Yeah. She’ll get better, I know it. I just need to believe in her. But… I’ll never forgive Kamoshida. He’s going to pay for what he did, no matter what.
We just need to assemble some infiltration tools. Clean off that desk back there so we can use it.
So, get materials from Shadows, craft infiltration tools, use the Proficiency you get from crafting to be able to craft more tools at once. Simple.
Everyone starts off a little clumsy. Don’t be sad if it doesn’t go well at first, OK?
Did you finish?
We got Lockpick x1.
Great! We should be able to use this.
From making the Lockpick, we get Proficiency +2. It’s possible to get +3 but I’m not savescumming for that.
We should be ready now. We’re heading into the Palace tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep.
It’s all coming together. We’ve got our medicine, our gear, and our full party, and we’re finally ready to head back into the Palace. But sorry, Morgana, because before we do that, it’s time to explore the world a bit. Next time, we’re going to see just how much shit there is to do in this game.[/details]
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That teacher is a dick. Party members have a curve of useful Ann is good end game mediocre most
Yeah, Ann and Ryuji really shine in the endgame when they get their most powerful abilities. Otherwise, they’re just too slow and in Ann’s case, too fragile for a lot of the mid-game fights. However, I don’t think any party member is bad in 5, I had no problem switching them around as needed.
I know pacing is a usual Persona issue, but they probably should have moved the shopping tutorials to a point before Kamoshida threatened to get you kicked out of school.
The first and only game I’ve played in the SMT/personaverse has been SMT 4, on the 3ds and I really enjoyed it.
I don’t expect this to actually play anything like that, but this LP is really making me want to pick up P5
I thought it was a shame the way they handled her costume reveal, personally. It’s one thing if they just want her costume to be a leather catsuit, but it’s weird that the moment where she attains new power in the face of a sexual predator ends with her feeling uncomfortably sexualized. I think it would’ve worked better if she was actually into her new outfit.
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I’m not sure I understand this comment. The game doesn’t open up before this point, so you can’t freely explore the dungeon and get into a situation where you’ll need any items or equipment. So shopping isn’t necessary until that point.
Granted, it is annoying to see vending machines around just to read “I’m not thirsty right now” if you try to interact with them.
I agree.
Later when you learn more about Ann, her outfit does become justified as a reflection of who she is, as with every character’s outfit. The problem is that they don’t explain to her why she’s dressed like that or give her the time to warm up to it, so it does give the vibe of non-consent (I don’t recall the “Calm down” option being much different here). Even if this was done because of pacing, they could have done better.
[details=Part 11]Part 11: 4/18
Today we’re not gonna worry about any of that “forward progression” nonsense and just explore. Well, explore and prepare. There’s a lot of stuff to buy and if we want to tackle the Palace in as little time as possible (we do), we’re gonna need the essentials. But first, time for school!
Music: Disquiet
The implied “motherfucker” is what really makes this a great dialogue option.
In class…
Music: So Boring
Seems like Ryuji probably got the same treatment.
He was just standing there looking at me with this shit-eating grin on his face.
Ugh, that’s annoying… he was probably mocking you.
Honestly, seeing that got me even more fired up about this.
Yeah. I’m worried about Shiho, but I want to concentrate on our operation too. And I won’t let myself get exhausted like last time.
Same goes for me.
Me too! I’ll do my best. No going in without me, OK?
Yeah, you better let us know if you’re going into the Palace.
Music: Tokyo Emergency
I bet the others are ready to go and waiting on the signal. Well, I’ll leave the planning to you.
We’re finally free*!
*Freedom may be limited at this point in the game.
The game just goes back a week like in P4 if you hit the deadline, don’t worry. The fail states are slightly more interesting than they were in that game, but not enough to really justify showing them off. They’re generally pretty samey, though there is one abjectly horrifying one.
Despite the two days of preparation, we’re still nowhere close to adequately prepared to take on the castle. We’ll need to more thoroughly investigate the city for more resources.
Let’s take Kamoshida’s twisted heart!
We can also check what other people did during their runs.
Most chose to enter the Palace, which is understandable. Incorrect, but understandable.
Ain’t we meeting up? If you dunno what to do, let’s just go.
Well, what do you want to do? Should we meet up at the hideout and head into the Palace?
Sorry, Ryuji.
Hey, we’re heading in today, right?
Do you need to get ready first? I want to make him pay as soon as possible now that we know the real story behind his actions….
I appreciate the offer… but I’m not really in the mood to be out having fun right now… Sorry, but I’d rather focus on the Kamoshida situation.
Lady Ann seems stressed… I guess it’s not much of a surprise. Kamoshida’s the only thing she can afford to think about right now. If you want Lady Ann to rely on you, you’ll need to be kinder. Like me!
Looks like it’s too early to develop Ann’s Confidant any further.
Instead, let’s head to the library.
We can check out books here or just read or study.
You’re only allowed to borrow one book at a time. Once you finish, please be sure to retur-- Huh? That badge… Are you a second-year? …Oh, could you be that transfer student I keep hearing about!?
I knew it… Um… I don’t mean to be rude, but maybe you shouldn’t come here… See, you’re scaring the other students too… Oh… No, I didn’t mean that you can’t use the library, but…
You’re not welcomed anywhere you go… I guess there’s nothing we can do about it.
…You can only borrow one book at a time. Be sure to return it once you’re done reading it. …These are all the books you can check out right now.
Yes, all the books we can check out are based on our party members’ Personas. We’ll check out Pirate Legend for now.
But I’m a little worried about the look that librarian is giving you. Not to mention the other students…
We’ll get a Knowledge boost when we study…
…but also Guts, if we manage to stay focused. If not, we still get Knowledge.
Are you sure you’re gonna be OK studying here?
We’ll ignore that for now and head down to the courtyard.
SP’s at a premium in Palaces, so having these SP restoring drinks, even if they only give back five each, is essential.
Mmm, sounds… delicious.
We also run into Kamoshida roaming the halls. Attempt to walk past him without a word…
…and he accosts us himself.
I can’t believe you can come to school all calm like that. Unless you’re scheming something…?
Don’t give me that cheek! You’re really pushing your luck, you defiant piece of garbage. I suggest you try and enjoy the time before your expulsion. Now then, get lost. I don’t have the time to be dealing with you.
Time to leave school.
We can see the names of Confidants we can spend time with by hitting Square next to their respective area. The only one available today is the Languid Doctor from the medical clinic, but let’s not commit just yet. Let’s head to Central Street in Shibuya instead.
Music: Tokyo Daylight
Next, let’s hit up the bookstore and clean the place out. I’m gonna be the bestest pick-up artist in the world!
Your room’s a little cleaner, but there’s still no reason to go here without a TV.
A TV, eh…?
This is the sad song of mid-April, sung by this fucking cat. We can’t actually enter about half of these establishments because Morgana decides otherwise.
While we’re here, we’ll buy 30 Adhesive Bandages, which are the best value on healing we have available right now at 20 HP for 120 yen a piece. Is this enough? Well, I know the future, and I’m going to say probably not.
You can watch a movie whenever you want later. Let’s save it for after you deal with Kamoshida.
Damn cat’s interfering with my personal life. To continue on, we head underground.
Inspecting the magazines lets us consider some job possibilities.
Some of the jobs are gated by social stats or gameplay progress, though, so we can’t accept all of them just yet.
We can’t go out at night yet so the beef bowl shop’s out, and the flower shop requires more charm, so the only option we have is the convenience store.
A part-time job at a convenience store, huh? Sounds typical for a student. You wanna apply?
Let’s call them right now!
Hi, this is Triple Seven on Central Street. You’re calling about the job opening? Hold on. I’ll get the manager.
Thanks for waiting. So, you wanted to apply for a part-time job? You’re a student, right? I’ll plan your schedule around the days you’re available. I’m always in the store, so you can come straight here. I look forward to working with you.
Seems like it worked out! Good job!
That manager’s gonna be bummed, because we aren’t going to go to work there for several months at the very least. The convenience store job gives no social stat boosts and isn’t tied to any Confidants, so there’s only one reason besides money to even bother with it and we don’t have to worry about that for a long-ass time.
I don’t know why it bothers telling you any of this, because you can work at any job any day of the week as long as you have that segment of the day free. It’s not like P4 where you could only go on certain days.
Down in the Underground Mall, most of the shops are full of items that are really only useful as gifts to give female Confidants. Different girls like different things, but I don’t know any of the intricacies of any of that and as such I’ll probably just ignore it entirely.
We need to make sure to pick up these Bio Nutrients while we’re down here, though. It’s pretty critical.
Back up on the surface…
If you’re interested, I’d love for you to come. I want young people like yourself to hear it.
A speech highlights a person’s ability to attract others. What’s your take on this guy? I sense experience emanating from him, so he may be good at it… If that’s the case, we should go. But… it’s at night, so we won’t be able to attend without the chief’s approval.
Don’t mind if I do.
All right, let’s scratch away! Let’s see… Scratchers… There’s three spots you can scratch and… It seems that you win if any of those spots show a money amount as the prize. I guess you can just go ahead and scratch them all. Which one do you want to scratch first?
M-Meh… It’s a miss. Which one do you want to scratch next?
>The left one.
M-Meh… It’s a miss. Just one more left… Now, let’s see what you’ve got! Huh…? Could it be…!?
Wow, you really won! Let’s come here again some other time!
Time to never, ever play scratchoffs again, I guess.
We’re moving up to the big time!
Over in Yongen-Jaya, we find another vending machine with more SP drinks.
Let me take a bath you goddamn cat, Leblanc doesn’t even have a shower
This Spring Fruit Pack is a great deal, too bad it’s only available during this season and in limited quantities.
Next, we head over to the second-hand shop.
…Welcome.
…Thank you. I didn’ t think anyone would buy such an outdated TV… Since you got it off my hands, I’ll throw in a DVD player and tuner for you, OK? …Does Leblanc work as your delivery address?
He’s giving us a DVD player and a tuner? Maybe this turned out to be quite the bargain! I’m excited! I can’t wait for it to be delivered!
One of the only things we can actually do today is head to the batting cages.
Batting cages? In a small place like this? …What’s it like inside?
Getting the home run prize is much easier than the slugger prize, for the record. I believe you also get bonus Proficiency if you can get the slugger prize, but it’s hard enough that it’s not really worth it to even try at this stage unless you love savescumming. The rewards are decent enough that we might put some time into this, though.
Whoa, he said there’d be prizes. Sounds like it’s worth trying!
You came here just to look…?
Sorry, Morgana. We’ve got other plans.
For those of you who want to keep track, we bought:
- A bunch of assorted soda, including
- 6 sodas that restore 5 SP each
- 3 books,
- 30 Adhesive Bandages, though again I probably should have bought more
- 3 Happy Pops (Cures Despair) from the drugstore, which won’t be important for a bit but will be a lifesaver in later dungeons
- 2 Coolifer Pads (Cures Burn), 2 Hand Warmalizers (Cures Freeze), and 2 Non-Static Gum (cures Shock) from the station kiosk
- An Earth Burger (40 HP to all allies) from Big Bang Burger
- A Protein (30% health to one party member) from the thinly-veiled Don Quijote knockoff Rocinante (It’s the name of his horse, you see)
- A 5,000 yen Recover Oil (cures all ailments for one ally), by far the most expensive thing we get
- A scratchoff ticket
- A 3,000 yen lottery ticket
- A Spring Fruit Pack (80 HP to all allies) from the supermarket
- Bio Nutrients from Rafflesia (this is important)
- A CRT Television from the Second-hand Shop, as well as
- 2 Tin Clasps for tool crafting, because we were out
This all drains our coffers down to a paltry 22,000 out of the 50k we started with. And we’re probably going to chew through most of that just in this next Palace run, keep in mind. Future Palaces won’t be quite so bad, but this one is dangerous for a few reasons. But that’s for another time.[/details]
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Oh, what I wouldn’t give for the real world to handle work like this. Especially the part where you only show up whenever you feel like it you’re “available.”
I guess Morgana really isn’t a cat. No cat would ever utter the words “I’m not hungry” if they could speak.
I can’t remember; can you enter the arcade yet? If so, you could have purchased two additional SP drinks there.
Huh, holy shit.
Well, too late, I already recorded the Palace, but good to know.
[details=Part 12]Part 12: 4/18-4/20
First on today’s agenda is finding out what was up with that weird medicine over at the clinic.
What are you here for today?
Huh? …… You’re the kid who was at Leblanc. …Regular medicine won’t do the trick?
…… Fine… Just head into the examination room for now.
Music: Suspicion
Takemi locks the door.
It was obvious, actually. You call that hiding? …Not that I care, of course. I was going to dispose of that medicine anyway. I got a little too carried away with it. …But tell me; why would a high schooler like yourself be so interested in that medicine?
It’s very strange, indeed. You don’t seem to be very athletic, so… …What exactly are you up to?
Exams…? Oh, your entrance exams for college? So you’re looking to improve your concentration and reduce fatigue? Hm, that’s not the best idea. But if that’s what you want to do…
Takemi unlocks the door.
I have no obligation to help you with that. Why don’t you have an energy drink or something?
…… You’re really annoying, you know that? The medicine is really expensive. And it’s not something a high schooler can get his hands on. It costs almost as much as a car. Got it? So how about you just go home?
sigh …Do you consider yourself someone with a good amount of stamina?
I admit I have been looking for a young person around your age to help me out. But I haven’t been able to find one, even after putting an ad in the paper. …Are you up for it?
Let’s just say that it’ll be worth it.
OK then. You’ll be participating in clinical trials for my medicine.
Hang on. I’ll be right back.
…Worried about the side effects, huh? Well, you can relax. Rest assured, my autopsy is guaranteed to find out exactly what part of it killed you.
What, aren’t you going to take it? The exit’s right there if you want to leave.
If I don’t drink this, Takemi probably won’t sell me her medicine… ……
Well? Go on.
Maaku gulps down the entire concoction in one massive swig.
I can’t believe you actually drank it…
Bitter, yet sour. It’s beyond description… …However, it’s nothing I can’t handle…
Wow… Still doing OK, huh? Hm. Not bad, for a high schooler. Uh…
…Welp. Game over, I guess.
Some time passes…
Music: Butterfly Kiss
Do you remember anything from the moment you took the medicine until now?
Hm, by the look in your eyes, I’d say you don’t. You briefly woke from your coma, but you were completely dazed during the entire examination. …You eventually lost consciousness, and fell back asleep.
Fine. By the way, the reason you lost consciousness was because of the taste. It produces a foul smell when it mixes with gastric juices, similar to surstromming. Oh, well. All that matters is that thanks to you I was able to get some good data. OK, it’s my turn to make good on my part of the deal. That’s why I waited until you woke up. I don’t want the general public to know about my original medicines. So you’re strictly prohibited from disclosing what happens here to anyone… Understood?
Then it’s a deal. As long as you come here for it, I’ll give you the medicine at a good price whenever you want. I may even add additional selections, in time. …I look forward to your continued patronage.
I’ve made a deal with Takemi…
Who? And how did you treat your wounds? It’ll be easy to find out who if we look into this, you know!
Do it, motherfucker, I ain’t squealin’. It’s kind of ridiculous that Sae doesn’t realize that we might have been getting help from the doctor who works down the street.
Death represents endings and new beginnings, change and transition, but also resistance to the same and inability to move on. It’s a commonly misunderstood arcana, not at all what its name would suggest. It’s about transformation, letting parts of your life come to an end for the sake of new things, and starting over.
Raising Takemi’s Confidant increases the selection at her clinic. She eventually gets some incredibly useful items, including things that are vital for just about any run, so we’ll make sure to visit her often.
So… when can you come back for the next clinical trial?
Oh, you don’t remember that part, either? Well, I was saying that teenage test subjects are quite valuable in the medical research industry. So I’ll provide you the medicine for your entrance exams, and in return you’ll be my guinea pig.
If you’re able to move now, you can go home. All right, take care. Bye.
Maaku gets Guts +1.
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
You make just one mistake and your life’s over.
Thanks for the concern, Sojiro, but I’ll be all right.
The owner delivered it. Had him put it in your room.
Let’s check the news.
The Minister of Transport has made his first public appearance since the tragic train accident. He refused to respond to claims that he had ignored safety risks that may have led to the accident.
He ignored it, even though he knew about it? That sounds pretty serious.
Seems like they’re really pushing forward with the malfeasance angle instead of the “conductor went psycho” angle.
An uncluttered room is an uncluttered mind!
It has a tuner so you can watch basic channels, plus it even comes with a DVD player. Don’t you think this was a good purchase?
Even a dreary room can be brightened up with a little green foliage… Let’s take good care of this plant so it won’t dry up and wither away. This is a good opportunity. The bookshelves over there are looking a bit messy. Let’s clean everything up while we’re at it!
Oh! Maybe you’d be able to read this one!
Maaku gains the book Yoncha Wanderer.
I wonder why this one is mixed in with all these difficult books… Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter.
Now you can change up this room however you like! All right, let’s go to sleep for the day.
Is there something wrong with me?
Maybe. Maybe you need to do some self-improvement. Try reading some books. Broaden your horizons so you’ll have more things to talk about. You’ll be more desirable if you’re more intelligent. It’ll take hard work, though—won’t happen overnight.
Yeah, but books make me sleepy… Guess I can give it a go, though, if it’ll help make me more popular with the ladies! Uh, is the library where you go to borrow books?
Reading books is an important way to expand your mind.
Pff, reading’s for suckers.
That’s too bad… But you should at least put some effort into it. There’s a lot that reading can teach you. You can apparently read for free at the school library, so you should try and take advantage of that. I think there’s also a bookstore over on Central Street…
We’ve already been to the bookstore Morgana, keep up.
Music: So Boring
You must all be shocked by what happened with Suzui-san. It was a shock to me too… Although, I can relate to how she felt.
Oh, really? This should be good.
Her eyes were devoid of life as they looked upon this sad, hopeless world. Well, I suppose everyone views the world differently. Let’s have a test.
Hm, we could try to guess…
…Or just use the internet to cheat and see what other players picked, in case the answer wasn’t obvious just from the way the question was asked.
Correct. It seems your eyes see the truth.
Isn’t it strange that they view the same image differently? Humans don’t see the world as it is. We simply process visual information with our brain.
Wow, really?
Hamiru seems kind of smart, doesn’t he?
Wow, you must be really smart to be able to answer a question like that!
Maaku gets Knowledge +1
How you see the world is nothing more than a trick of the mind… It is all mere cognition. There is no proof that the world each of us sees is the same.
How you see the world depends on your brain’s cognition, huh… Optical illusions and the Metaverse might be more similar than you’d think.
Music: Tokyo Emergency
Hey, I thought of somethin’ the other day when we were running around the Palace. Maybe it’s cause I haven’t been moving around as much lately, but I feel like I’m getting weak. We’re prolly gonna run into some pretty tough Shadows sometime. We should try to get stronger too. It’s sunny outside. Perfect for training! So, you wanna get your blood pumpin’?
Seems like even Ryuji has a lot on his mind… It’s true that training your body will let you be able to move when it counts.
The messages won’t actually expire if you “wait too long,” it really just means you have to answer within that “block” of time. The messages are useful because they let you teleport directly to the Confidant if you accept, but even if you don’t get a message it’s possible the Confidant is still available, which is why you want to check from the map screen.
He went to the trouble of inviting you, so why not listen to what he has to say?
Please don’t.
‘Sup, Maaku? You got any big plans for today?
I realized when we were runnin’ through that Palace that I can’t really move like I used to… So, how ‘bout we do some trainin’? I can’t just sit on my ass here.
This message tells us Ryuji is ready to rank up. It’s a handy feature that was added to the series in P4 Golden, but we can also check it from the map screen in P5.
It’s good to take a break every so often. Do you want to hang out with Ryuji?
“Check bond” just tells us our rank with him and gives us a list of Personas of his Arcana.
Sweet. Let’s go work up a sweat behind the gym then. Go get changed.
Well, I’m gonna go take a walk while you’re busy with him. Let me know when you’re ready to leave.
Music: What’s Going On?
This is my secret trainin’ spot. Er… was. Back when I was on the track team. Actually, I’ve been thinkin’ about tryin’ to run again.
Fightin’ in that other world was a total shock. I couldn’t move like I used to. It just felt… lame. So I started thinkin’, maybe I need to build up my muscles again. Anything’s gotta be better than this flimsy body, right? Plus, maybe then I’ll be able to help out a little more.
The number of notes above their head corresponds (loosely, I believe) to the number of points you get from selecting that answer.
…U-Uh, I mean that in a good way! Anyways, you act like it’s only me who’s gonna be doin’ this, but you’re gettin’ in on it too.
It’d be pointless if I was the only one gettin’ super fast, right? All right, I’m gonna do some knee lift sprints. You’re stuck with the normal ones!\
nods
Music: Alright (Elp Version)
Damn, my legs’re all tight… ……
But it all changed after he got our coach fired and took over as the sub.
He’d give us crazy workouts, then when we couldn’t do ‘em, he’d add even more on top of that… Day after day was nothing but that bullshit… He was goin’ after me especially. He knew… He knew I was the kinda guy who’d fight back. If my time dropped even a little, he’d cuss me out. Then on top of that, he brought up my parents…
…… Truth is, my mom’s the only one I got. All my dad did when he was still around was drink. Sometimes he’d even beat me, or my mom. I dunno how that bastard Kamoshida found out, but he told the whole goddamn team… …… And as you can guess, I lost it and hit him. It was like he wanted me to do it though. He called it an “act of violence” and shut the team down… Thanks to that, the other guys on the team treat me like some kinda traitor… and they ain’t wrong. ‘Cause of me, that all lost their shot at the championship. ……
…… C’mon, don’t ask me tough questions like that. I’m not very smart, y’know!
I’m only thinkin’ about the future now! That’s what we’re gonna do—build the future! We gotta think positive thoughts, brother!
Ryuji gives Maaku a really weird high-five. He steps forward to shove his palm into Maaku’s, who then receives it by windmilling his arm around 180 degrees. It looks really goofy and it’s pretty endearing.
I feel like my bond with Ryuji is growing deeper…
Ryuji learns Baton Pass from this little diversion, which will be a great help when we infiltrate the Palace.
By the way, you’re actually pretty good at runnin’. Not as good as me though!
Later.
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
I’ll know what’s what as soon as I see your grades. Wanna prove you’re turnin’ over a new leaf? Make studying a habit as second nature as breathing.
Criticism of the government is on the rise, and the minister may be forced to resign. The incident drastically affected his approval rating, as evidenced by a poll conducted by this show.
Huh. So he’s lost popularity because of the accident.
We have some stuff we need to do here, but first we need this dude to leave. We can accomplish this by chatting his ear off.
Ah, I apologize if I have overstayed my welcome. I finished a critique for work, so I am partaking in a moment’s rest. The ambience of my favorite cafe at closing time… This perfect silence soothes my very soul.
The TV’s on, though.
The man leaves. First, we need to head upstairs.
…I have a good idea. Bring me that chair, the one in the corner.
You’re just on a chair, it’s not that high up… Anyway, let’s train your body using that ceiling beam! I’ll be leaving you in charge, but you’ll need to train your body too. I’m going to whip you into shape, so you better be prepared.
Training increases your maximum HP in exchange for spending the evening. You can also increase the amount of HP gained by using a protein shake (like that Protein we bought last time), and the game seems to suggest the more you do it the better the gains will be. That’s pretty decent, but we’re still never going to bother doing it. The test I just ran gave me +5 with an additional +1 because of the Protein and that’s okay, I suppose.
Let’s move over to the houseplant.
Come to think of it, you bought some plant nutrients, right? Why don’t you try using them?
These are some reasonably priced nutrients. This outghta to bring a bit of life back to the plant!
Maaku gets Kindness +2. The cheaper nutrients give only one, though. Two is the best we can get at this point. Feeding the plant is great because it’s a free action (read: spends no time) repeatable every 16 days.
That should do it for a while!
Let’s read our library book.
Well… Don’t leave a mess. I’m headin’ home.
Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)
The pirate captain Kidd, huh… Ryuji should read this book.
shakes head
Seems like you still have some pages left. You should continue some other time.
What better time than right now? Because…
Music: Everyday Days
And you have a book you haven’t finished yet…! Now, this is nice. Why don’t you read that book until we get there?
We can even read books during moments where we have free time on the subway.
So, you’ve finished reading Pirate Legend. I love how Captain Kidd was the leader of a ragtag group of outlaws. You must have learned more about courage after reading Captain Kidd’s exciting adventures.
Maaku gets Guts+3!
Oh, we’re almost at the station. I’d say that was an effective use of your time.
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
Guess you’re getting yourself a job. Those job magazines they have at the train station are useful.
Maybe I’ll swing by the Shibuya underground and pick one up after school. Then again, work’s for losers. I hope I find something easy.
Music: So Boring
Why are you bringing that up now?
Don’t make it sound so easy…
Why don’t we get part-time jobs?
I dunno, I don’t feel like it… Oh, shit. I’m in class! Sorry, I gotta leave the chat for now. Seeya!
Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Version)
Like Lady Ann said—a part-time job might be the better bet. There are job magazines at Shibuya Station, aren’t there? Maybe you should pick one up.
Are you feeling all right, Morgana? I’m already ignoring one job, you want me to get another?
While we’re here, let’s return Pirate Legend and get this new book, Zorro, the Outlaw.
That’s all the prep work we needed, done. Are we ready to head into the Palace? I sure hope so, because I’m the one who suffers if we’re not![/details]
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