Board 8 > So, I've finally gotten around to playing Persona 5 Royal (spoilers)

(+) Yeah! (+)

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- I don't remember this area at all. Was this in the original game?

Nope. Kichijoji and everything in it is new to Royal.

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- I refuse to believe the school would let Ryuji wear this bright red shirt when everyone else has to wear white shirts. At least the jacket he used to wear actually was a school-issued jacket, even if he wore it incorrectly.
- I refuse to believe a high school issues skirts that short, Ann.

Well you see, the dress code makes exceptions for major characters.

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Where the hell do I even hang out with Kasumi, I haven't seen an option to do so since she said she'd train me in gymnastics.

The option will show up when it's ready

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One thing I hate about this series is that the buff spells all have untranslated names. "Auto-Masaku,"

Masuku is not Japanese

- Don't worry, Mishima. You still have more dignity than that guy in P4 who thinks his teacher is hitting on him.
- "So, she's acting like a dominatrix... How horrible..." Oh no, how... awful?
- "You're all just criminals. I'm gonna kill you!" Imagine if there was a story that had this type of diction the entire time.

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You still have more dignity than that guy in P4 who thinks his teacher is hitting on him.

Do you mean Kenji in P3, or is there a P4 guy I forgot about?

Shit, I did mean P3.

- Finally got to Guts 3. Kawakami, here I come.
- I'm reading that I can't progress Maruki beyond level 5 until September? Annoying.
- What the hell, hanging out with the twins passes time? They really ARE worse than Elizabeth in every way.
- I mean, listen, if I saw a girl dressed like Elizabeth while out and about, I would immediately think she looks weird, but it's not completely unthinkable. If I saw two ten-year-old identical twins dressed like whatever they're dressed like, I don't know what I would think. And they ARE visible to normal people, they talk to the waitress.
- It's adorable that this woman is telling us about how newswomen have to be alluring to get people to watch the news, as if anyone watched the news even in 2016.
- "Let's talk about how we're the Phantom Thieves in the middle of a short hallway with four corners and two doors next to it." -- Ryuji
- Am I crazy? Are pancakes something you can buy at an amusement park in the evening in Japan? I don't even know who sells pancakes besides IHOPs, Denny's, and mid-tier hotels.
- Goddamn you twins for offering the hangouts right now, when I could be hanging out with Mishima or Kawakami.

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Am I crazy? Are pancakes something you can buy at an amusement park in the evening in Japan? I don't even know who sells pancakes besides IHOPs, Denny's, and mid-tier hotels.

As I remember it, Morgana just said the place looks like a pancake. I think Akechi is the only one that thought they were actually going to buy pancakes

hombad46 posted...

As I remember it, Morgana just said the place looks like a pancake. I think Akechi is the only one that thought they were actually going to buy pancakes

Correct. He even went so far as to say it looked delicious, but he was talking about Dome Town. Akechi also didn't realize he was hearing a cat speak since he was around the corner and probably hadn't memorized everyone's voices yet.

That said there's definitely going to be some place you can get breakfast food at dinner in Tokyo. If this were P4, different story.

No way, Morgana says the place looks like a pancake, then they go to the place, Ryuji gets sick, and they say lets go out for pancakes.

I forgot that part.

However, i looked it up and there are IHOPs and Denny's in Tokyo.

I'm currently in December, and because I've spent 90% of my time playing also doing Rank the Albums or listening to podcasts, I've been horribly mispronouncing everyone's name so bad my Persona 5 recommending friend has always given me dirty looks. But that's not what's important.

What's important is that the leader's costume changes the battle and victory music. I'm 100 hours in, and my dungeon running has been completely brainjacked. If only one of the school uniforms wasn't so glaringly vision-destroying, because it slaps.

Featherman forever

Mega_Mana posted...

I'm currently in December, and because I've spent 90% of my time playing also doing Rank the Albums or listening to podcasts, I've been horribly mispronouncing everyone's name so bad my Persona 5 recommending friend has always given me dirty looks. But that's not what's important.

What's important is that the leader's costume changes the battle and victory music. I'm 100 hours in, and my dungeon running has been completely brainjacked. If only one of the school uniforms wasn't so glaringly vision-destroying, because it slaps.

Featherman forever

What the hell, I didnt realize the battle music changed, Ill have to check next time. Although Ive just been using the swim trunks the entire time.

Yeah, I used the P5 dancing outfit a lot because I like that battle theme

The problem with some DLC outfits changing the music is that P5's soundtrack in general, and the battle themes specifically, are so good that I never wanted to

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- Goddamn you twins for offering the hangouts right now, when I could be hanging out with Mishima or Kawakami.

You can just save them for later. I did these pretty late in the game.

At least one of them (the beach) expires before the rest

- "It's no wonder how everyone mistakes us for elementary school students." I have to say this again, I can't even imagine what I'd think of these two if I saw them out on the street, it's a level way beyond any other human(ish) character in the series.
- What actual crime have the Phantom Thieves committed lol?
- *Scoreboard flashes to 17* "About 30% or so." This is the worst news reporter in history. A kindergartener can see that that's not 30.
- wtf Akechi and Joker shake hands left-handed? Who the hell does that?
- It's 5000 yen to hire a maid for a night? ... 33.52 dollars? Jesus Christ, Japan must be DROWNING in maids for it to be this cheap. And poor Kawakami. Even she kept every cent of that, that's nothing.
- As I recall, Slack Off almost never activates. I remember getting like two uses of it in the entire original game because of it.
- "To think you pulled off so many crimes while in school. There had to be someone at the school helping you!" ... Yeah, Sae. They were called Ryuji and Ann and Makoto. I don't remember if you know about Ryuji and Ann yet, but I know for sure you already know Makoto is a Phantom Thief by this point.
- What does Kawakami embody about temperance, anyway?
- Stop showing up in the background, Haru. You think I don't see you, but I do.
- "I had to leave the school dorms. No true art could come from such a place." You go to art school! This was established!
- I just realized, Yusuke is a minor, isn't he? And his guardian just got arrested? Is he seriously just out on his own?

From the wiki:

Portrayed as a woman with angel wings mixing up the water of two cups, one blue, the other red, the Temperance Arcana is a symbol of synthesis, prudence, harmony and the merging of opposites.

Characters of the Temperance Arcana are often struggling to find a balance in their lives and in their hobbies, dealing with severe stress but putting great effort into hiding it. This imbalance and stress come from the absence of someone that they greatly cared for, usually through death, as well as pressure from the relative(s) of that person that was/were left behind.

Generally, these characters try to escape their normal lives by engaging in their hobbies. However, they eventually begin to acknowledge that and return to their regular lives.

Which fits Kawamaki, although the term 'hobby' is getting stretched thin there.

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What actual crime have the Phantom Thieves committed lol?

At this point I would say at least some vandalism with putting their calling cards everywhere, and trespassing when Mona broke into the exhibit to place the calling cards (though he is a cat so that might not count as trespassing)

I mean outward looking in you'd have every reason to assume they're doing some sort of super illegal coercion to get these people to confess like this. Of course that's not really the driving force here, but it's enough of a reason to publicly pursue them.

I heard from a South American friend that maids are much more common and also much more affordable. I wonder if its a similar situation in Japan.

KamikazePotato posted...

From the wiki:

Which fits Kawamaki, although the term 'hobby' is getting stretched thin there.

Huh. Shows what I know about tarot!

hombad46 posted...

At this point I would say at least some vandalism with putting their calling cards everywhere, and trespassing when Mona broke into the exhibit to place the calling cards (though he is a cat so that might not count as trespassing)

Yeah, all you could get them on is putting up a calling card at Madarames art gallery.

kevwaffles posted...

I mean outward looking in you'd have every reason to assume they're doing some sort of super illegal coercion to get these people to confess like this. Of course that's not really the driving force here, but it's enough of a reason to publicly pursue them.

I obviously know Akechi has other motives, but the actual crimes theyve committed are like nothing.

Bitto posted...

I heard from a South American friend that maids are much more common and also much more affordable. I wonder if its a similar situation in Japan.

Well in the game its obviously presented as a fetish thing, which I thought would make it even more expensive, but I guess not.

Later

- I refuse to believe that Ann was unpopular in middle school. I don't care if she's half-foreign, whatever, I just don't accept this at all.
- I forgot that the game's plot hinges on the idea that Joker was sued by Shido, never learned his name, and never realized that this major politician running for Prime Minister was the guy who sued him. This is like if Donald Trump beat you up and you weren't sure who it was.
- "I'm sure your past will be just as troubled a one." Actually, that's a good point, has there ever been an amnesia plot where the character turns out to be a well-adjusted person who has no crazy backstory?
- One scene, three comments about Ann as a wife or Ann as a seductress.
- Ryuji, Yusuke, stop talking about Phantom Thief stuff when there's an old guy in the public bathhouse one foot away, holy shit, you deserve to get caught at this point.
- I like the fact that the game doesn't actually criticize Madarame's claim that the painting would be more popular with the baby ripped out, in order to turn it into a mystery.
- I like how we the audience know Makoto isn't really a villain, just because she's hot. Has there ever been a hot bad guy in these games? Akechi doesn't count.
- Morgana calls Ryuji an idiot for talking about Phantom Thief stuff over the phone, but honestly, you talk about Phantom Thief stuff in way stupider spots all the time.
- Now you're talking about Phantom Thief stuff in a crowded-ass restaurant and saying that Ryuji was stupid to do it in public, god, you guys are so dumb.

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- I forgot that the game's plot hinges on the idea that Joker was sued by Shido, never learned his name, and never realized that this major politician running for Prime Minister was the guy who sued him. This is like if Donald Trump beat you up and you weren't sure who it was.

I'd say it's more like if Darrell Issa beat you up. You might be able to name Darrell Issa, but you couldn't pick him out from a crowd.

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- I like how we the audience know Makoto isn't really a villain, just because she's hot. Has there ever been a hot bad guy in these games? Akechi doesn't count.

Takaya

A certain palace boss later.

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- I refuse to believe that Ann was unpopular in middle school. I don't care if she's half-foreign, whatever, I just don't accept this at all.

I think you're underestimating how much Japan can discriminate against 'foreigners'.

I'm a Canadian and I'd never heard of our new prime minister 8 hours ago.

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"I'm sure your past will be just as troubled a one." Actually, that's a good point, has there ever been an amnesia plot where the character turns out to be a well-adjusted person who has no crazy backstory?

I've seen that a couple times. Amnesiac person is sure they must've been a hero, but turns out to be totally ordinary.

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- I like how we the audience know Makoto isn't really a villain, just because she's hot. Has there ever been a hot bad guy in these games? Akechi doesn't count.

A few people probably would Nyx. There's also Chidori.

Izanami's a surprisingly unattractive lady for a Persona game. Not even conventionally unattractive, just plain.

Dancedreamer posted...

I'd say it's more like if Darrell Issa beat you up. You might be able to name Darrell Issa, but you couldn't pick him out from a crowd.

Takaya

He's not normal-hot, he's fujo-hot.

KamikazePotato posted...

I think you're underestimating how much Japan can discriminate against 'foreigners'.

Maybe, but like... she's a hot girl. Like, what more can I say?

MacArrowny posted...

I'm a Canadian and I'd never heard of our new prime minister 8 hours ago.

But that guy isn't the young hotshot politician everyone is in love with and is running a campaign.

I've seen that a couple times. Amnesiac person is sure they must've been a hero, but turns out to be totally ordinary.

Oh damn, that's true.

A few people probably would Nyx. There's also Chidori.

Chidori sort of counts, I guess. I never thought she was very hot, though. And she's a good guy in the end.

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But that guy isn't the young hotshot politician everyone is in love with and is running a campaign.

The incident precedes that though. This is like knowing who Obama was in 2006. Not impossible, but not likely for a teenager.

I guess, but then Shido is famous and on TV and you still don't recognize him immediately.

Tonight

MacArrowny posted...

I've seen that a couple times. Amnesiac person is sure they must've been a hero, but turns out to be totally ordinary.

Ooh, this. There's a great one that springs to mind I'd totally forgotten about. They thought they were a skilled detective and sportsman who lived a storied life, but it turns out they were an ordinary accountant.

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I guess, but then Shido is famous and on TV and you still don't recognize him immediately.

He wasn't necessarily famous or on TV at the time, it was dark out, he was covering his face with his hand and blood, and IIRC wasn't wearing his signature sunglasses and goatee.

Also, spoilers for the end of main game, maybe Joker did actually know, but couldn't remember in-game because of the drugs. Just like a lot of things that dealt with Akechi were locked away, maybe Shido was obfuscated until later on. He remembered seeing Shido at the restaurant clearly, but couldn't grasp or recollect who that was. Maybe he actually recognized him at that time, but Confessing Joker couldn't relay who or why that was important to talk about. All those times he thinks he recognizes his voice or on TV could just be Confessing Joker trying to access those memories while Past Joker actually did know who it was, and may have had that conversation about Shido much earlier in the game.

I don't think that explanation really works. If Joker did know at the time, I don't see why he wouldn't have mentioned it to the other Thieves like "Hey Ryuji, that bald guy we bumped into just now is the guy that sued me" or something. No one on 11/23 acts like they've heard Joker mention it before, and the 23rd is after the interrogation, so it can't just be weird flashback stuff.

- What was the reasoning behind the creative decision of making Yusuke go to another school? It's fine from a real world logic perspective, but why would you write it that way, when it's equally logical for him to be from Shujin? Him being from another school doesn't really add anything to the game.
- Holy shit, Makoto JUST chewed you out for talking about Phantom Thief stuff a day ago, and now you're back in the walkway, openly talking about being Phantom Thieves while standing next to randos.
- Yusuke, stop complaining about being in a slump. No artist has ever peaked at 16.
- "Other kids are getting blackmailed by the mafia... Maybe we should talk to the student council president for help."
- Kawakami, I'm 16, do not send me texts starting with "Hello master."
- Kawakami is "over the hill" for this job? How young are the maids in this industry, 19?
- Makoto, stop stalking us.
- I just noticed the smoking area by the station, this looks inhuman.
- I refuse to believe a teenager, even in 2016, would keep someone's business card in their backpack instead of putting the information in their phone, if they bothered to keep it at all.
- "I'll provide you with some calories, Master!" I'm failing to think of how this can be interpreted as a sexual innuendo, but I just know it can be, somehow.
- Oh, it's the fortune teller, nobody's favorite P5 waifu.
- Holy shit, Ohya, did you just tell a high schooler the name of a mob boss? You are just the worst.
- I'm shocked the gay transvestites are still in this game. And what's with the 'gay bar with a crossdressing bartender being a major source of information' in Japanese games? ... I mean, I've only seen it happen twice, but that's still a lot.
- Wow, all of the options to tell Mishima about Ohya imply that she's interested in him. There is literally no way to not get his hopes up.
- I totally forgot about the walking ATMs, that's so funny.
- What is the highest I can get Sojiro up to right now?

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What is the highest I can get Sojiro up to right now?

4 I think

Gracias

- Oh, it's the fortune teller, nobody's favorite P5 waifu.

Wrong

Yeah that'd be the journalist

Ohya is definitely the worst, but I'm surprised to hear that Chihaya is anybody's favorite

Chihaya was my second favorite in Vanilla P5. Probably third now with Royal/Yoshizawa.

I really like her design, even if it's nothing special. She also has such a great Confidant ability.

Anagram, the t word you used in your last post is considered a slur

colliding posted...

Anagram, the t word you used in your last post is considered a slur

For some, it's their preferred identification. Depends on the individual.

Is it a slur? I apologize. I didn't realize it was, I thought it was still neutral. I'll just repost it sans the word.

- What was the reasoning behind the creative decision of making Yusuke go to another school? It's fine from a real world logic perspective, but why would you write it that way, when it's equally logical for him to be from Shujin? Him being from another school doesn't really add anything to the game.
- Holy s***, Makoto JUST chewed you out for talking about Phantom Thief stuff a day ago, and now you're back in the walkway, openly talking about being Phantom Thieves while standing next to randos.
- Yusuke, stop complaining about being in a slump. No artist has ever peaked at 16.
- "Other kids are getting blackmailed by the mafia... Maybe we should talk to the student council president for help."
- Kawakami, I'm 16, do not send me texts starting with "Hello master."
- Kawakami is "over the hill" for this job? How young are the maids in this industry, 19?
- Makoto, stop stalking us.
- I just noticed the smoking area by the station, this looks inhuman.
- I refuse to believe a teenager, even in 2016, would keep someone's business card in their backpack instead of putting the information in their phone, if they bothered to keep it at all.
- "I'll provide you with some calories, Master!" I'm failing to think of how this can be interpreted as a sexual innuendo, but I just know it can be, somehow.
- Oh, it's the fortune teller, nobody's favorite P5 waifu.
- Holy s***, Ohya, did you just tell a high schooler the name of a mob boss? You are just the worst.
- I'm shocked the gay night club guys are still in this game. And what's with the 'gay bar with a crossdressing bartender being a major source of information' in Japanese games? ... I mean, I've only seen it happen twice, but that's still a lot.
- Wow, all of the options to tell Mishima about Ohya imply that she's interested in him. There is literally no way to not get his hopes up.
- I totally forgot about the walking ATMs, that's so funny.
- What is the highest I can get Sojiro up to right now?

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Is it a slur? I apologize. I didn't realize it was, I thought it was still neutral. I'll just repost it sans the word.

I appreciate this! Thanks.

Thanks for telling me.

- I forgot how harsh Sae is with Makoto in this scene. "All you do is eat away at my life," damn.
- Oh, anime. Ms. Usami actually looks Japanese, and then all of the main characters just don't. And don't talk to me about how they're supposed to look ambiguous or whatever because they're cartoons, this teacher looks way more Japanese than everyone else.
- Man, Makoto gets called useless three times and then she immediately contacts the mafia? I forgot how stupid and rash she is in this scene. Like, at this point, she doesn't know about the magical aspects of the world, all she should know is that she's upsetting some mafia goons. Later everyone will treat her like a genius.
- I know Kaneshiro is just messing with them when he says they have a few weeks to get him 3 million yen, but it's like... I don't know, I feel like five teenagers and a magical talking cat could *probably* drum up 20000 dollars in a month if they absolutely needed to, by sneaking into a place they aren't supposed to be or something.
- "I didn't mean to drag you in like this..." Yes you did! You explicitly did! All of your actions were about dragging us in exactly like this!
- "I was stupid." "I must agree." Yusuke finally dropping some truth bombs after being completely useless the entire game.
- Morgana talks to them, they respond back, then they tell Makoto they need her to come with them to the bank. From her perspective right now, they're talking to a cat, yet she still has 100% trust in all of them.
- I like how Makoto only recognizes Ann in her Phantom Thief outfit by the voice, as if any of these outfits disguise you at all.
- Makoto accepts this all *really* quickly. Like, even Ryuji and Ann, who are both morons, had questions about what was going on. Makoto asks one question, then looks up to the UFO bank, and then just accepts that this is the cognitive world or whatever.
- I know you need Makoto to enter the bank or whatever, but guys, she's a normal, very killable human right now.
- Makoto is like the most blas person ever about this incredible magical experience.
- I like how we enter the bank in a nonhostile way for once, it's a fun turnabout.
- I forgot how boring Shadow Kaneshiro is. He's just normal Kaneshiro with a mustache and a 1930s gangster outfit.
- Makoto sure accepts the idea of bank security guards turning into onis and whatever with no problem.
- Thank God we ran from the battle automatically, I didn't remember what button lets you run.
- I forgot Makoto's eyes are red.
- I forgot how the game pushes Makoto more than everyone esle. I like her and all, but she gets a special persona, and her scene of getting a persona is more involved than the others', and everyone is more impressed by hers.
- "We had way too much testosterone anyway." Don't worry, Ann. I told Ryuji this earlier, but it's all waifus from here on out.

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Man, Makoto gets called useless three times and then she immediately contacts the mafia? I forgot how stupid and rash she is in this scene. Like, at this point, she doesn't know about the magical aspects of the world, all she should know is that she's upsetting some mafia goons. Later everyone will treat her like a genius.

Agreed. I find that one scene where she's trying to trick some goons into saying something incriminating to be hilarious. She acts like she's being sneaky and laying traps, but she's basically as subtle as a brick to the face and just asks about drugs

Makoto is more mature and level-headed (at least compared to the rest of the Phantom Thieves) than she is smart. Although the game does try to pretend she is. As far as 'smart girl' archetype characters go, Mitsuru and Naoto both fit the bill better.