Atlus, why did you revert Sumi back to the original look? 😞 If you're wondering why I didn't include much about 3rd semester in the original PT analyses, it's because I don't think it adds much to what was already covered in their original arcs. Do you guys have a particular arcana you relate to or like most? And I'll be doing a video on the rest of the NPC arcana in the next couple months! 🎮TWITCH: www.twitch.tv/ladyvirgilia 🐤TWITTER: @VirgiliaLady twitter.com/VirgiliaLady 🌟PATREON: www.patreon.com/LadyVirgilia GENSHIN LORE CHANNEL~ ua-cam.com/users/LadyVirgiliaGenshin
Yeah, Sumi looks better with the hair down and glasses. If she ever returns, I hope she gets a style that compliments the ribbon AND the glasses. Because she is not her sister, she is her own person.
Reason to honor her sister while still living as herself to show that her sister is still with her and Sumi will push foward towards their dream to come true.
@@SuperFusionAJ93 plus as somebody who did sports in highschool even as a guy if my bangs got too long it got irritating and lost a tennis match I was winning because a ball hit me in the face and broke my glasses. I can only imagine long down hair in gymnastics would be even worse. Also you could also look at it from her original perspective. Maybe she actually liked the look all along but being the lesser clone would be even worse than the lesser sister, I actually knew a twin in college who had this same problem growing up, hell he didn't even tell his family he was going to a different college until a couple weeks out.
It anoys me when people say that the blow out between Morgana and Ryuji came out of Nowhere , they literally bickered all game and it kept building till the point of no return
Honestly I'd argue Ryuji had just as much a right to blow off the team as Morganna did. Morganna's insecurities got to him and won causing him to doubt everything, but I could honestly see Ryuji not taking this cats shit anymore. Like my boy gets called a fucking idiot daily and still sticks around. And no I don't see their bickering as friendly, early Morganna doesn't give any shits about Ryuji. Sorry this is me really just ranting about my boy
@@lordhighlordofthehalfgays3443 hard agree. morgana isn't the worst character (looking at you teddie, ya weirdo) but his constant insults at ryuji makes me dislike him more than i need to.
Yeah but I still honestly think that sequence in the game is annoying and could have been avoided by smacking them both in the face and telling them to stop acting like selfish pricks
i think it‘s mostly the gameplay aspect that just annoys the shit out of me. you have to spend nearly a week going back and forth just to "resolve" this feud instead of actually being able to spend your time working on confidants or social stats. i know this isn’t the only instance where you‘ll get locked out of the game due to the story progressing but i just hate the execution. it doesn’t really add anything significant to the plot, especially with neither ryuji nor morgana actually apologizing/talking to each other when they’re resolving the problem??😭😭 it makes no sense at all and it just feels like wasted time
Something I would love in P6 is if we have a quick cameo of where the p5 people are. For example, some news talking about the Olympic games and mentioning Ryuji in athletism and Sumire in gymnastics, saying they've won a medal or whatever. It would be really nice, and I know they did similar stuff in p5 with the other characters, so it would definitely be possible.
I don't see why not. All the Persona games do talk about the previous one. Done are well hidden others are right in your face. They talk about the old detective prince, Adachi's killing, spending time with Haru In one of the little town things that gets you an Easter egg for Teddie. And obviously everyone's favorite idol has her own poster that you can get.
It will always be a tradition. I mean, it goes way back from Persona 2, where not only all playable character of previous Persona appeared as cameo, three of them are playable (Yukino, Nanjo, and Eriko). But about P5 character in P6, the possible one would be Ann and Haru. They are "celebs" for some sort in that one is a model while the other is the heiress of an F&B company. But I can see the athletes duo (Ryuji and Sumire) had a mention as well, although I'm not sure whether Ryuji appeared in Olympics, considering the damage Kamoshida implied on him.
@@SoFarSoGoodSoWhat14 that's cool. I like it when the game talk about the previous ones. It's nice to know what the older characters are doing you know?
I already commented on the original videos so there might not be as big of a comment here, but Kasumi and Maruki's are new so I'll check those out. When you think about it, Futaba essentially homeschooled herself during her hikikomori days. It's impressive. What's cool about Futaba's arc is it flips the P4 stereotypes, Shadow Futaba represents the UPRIGHT Hermit while her real-world self represents the Reverse Hermit until her development. I didn't realize that thing about Maruki in Rank 3 of Faith, interesting. But I definitely noticed the over-reliance on Joker. It's actually part of why I'm not a fan of the ship, although it's fine if people are. Something interesting I noticed when looking at Faith's Personas: there's a running theme of fantasy and fairy tales. Phoenix, Unicorn and Orichalcum are common creatures or concepts in fantasy while Okninushi, Siegfried, Tam Lin and Cu Chulainn are heroic warriors. And of course her Persona itself. This could represent the idealized lie she's living. Only the ultimate Persona, Maria, relates to the Arcana's origin as a deck commissioned by Italian Catholics. (The Maria design also comes from SMT Nine, which has some plot parallels to Maruki's reality Regarding Maruki, have you seen the version of his farewell speech if you DON'T max his Confidant? It's really interesting, as it's arguably healthier than the maxed version, the one that leads to the new semester. In my opinion, this makes Maruki's Confidant a unique deconstruction of the Social Link system, in that Joker's influences ends up unwittingly encouraging the worse aspects of him. And without all the help you give him re Cognitive Psience research he never would've gone as far as he did. The fact it only unlocks if you max his Confidant isn't a coincidence in more ways than one. I'm not saying Joker's completely at fault for what Maruki became, but I think it had some effect. This is something I'd like to see explored in future games: a Social Link that makes the recipient WORSE.
Yeah the flipped shadow--upright Hermit in Futaba's arc was very neat. And I can definitely understand the distaste for Sumi and Joker ship. I still ship it myself, but I can see why it can be viewed as problematic for similar reasons of Joker and Haru ship. And yes the lineup of Faith Personas is very fitting. It's fine to feel admiration towards these fairy tale heroes and/or folk creatures... but too much and you just become obssessed in the fantasy and lose sight of reality. I also just took a look at the non-maxed scene and it's indeed very interesting (strange audio issues aside). Yeah it's not like Joker's really the one at fault here, since he's not directly encouraging things. If anything, it's Maruki who should've known better about the power dynamic he has as the adult and as someone who has had training to be a counselor. Like his entirely casual relationship with Joker in the first place could've been grounds for stripping his license (if he had one though). But yeah I get your overall gist that it's an interesting look at how a relationship can be to the "detriment" of one (or both) parties compared to the generally positive message that's sent about nurturing confidants/social links. I definitely would be open to a SL in the future that leans more on the protagonist having "dubious" intentions... just as a natural evolution of what was already explored in Maruki, Joker. Thanks for the thoughtful comment always Klingy!
Futaba was always a genius even in her younger years to the point where she was bullied so often that she turned a blank test paper, which led to her teachers calling her parents.
It would be cool there was a way to "reverse" the Social link (like in previous games), but if it affected the main plot instead of only blocking conversation with characters temporarily. Like, if there was an invisible/unknown counter running in the background (maybe a visual cue different from the musical notes?), and if you don't fix it past a certain flag (dungeon/palace/key plot moment) it actually stays that way and the story branches somewhat because of it.
This was a really well-phrased look at the arcana and their respective representatives. One of my favorite aspects of the persona series, even the early ones, is how they can take the same archetypes and mold them into completely distinct characters. I mean, you wouldn’t call Maki and Makoto, Katsuya and Akechi, Jin and Futaba, and Kanji and Yusuke the exact same characters. But the characteristics are molded in a way that they each reflect their arcana perfectly. It’s the part of each Persona game that I look forward to the most. (The Social Link/Confidant system might be my favorite part of the game.) It’s always really interesting to hear your thoughts regarding Maruki, especially in the context of your field of study. I genuinely question if he has a license to be a counselor (honestly, with how the principal is at Shujin, I wouldn’t put it past him to hire an unlicensed therapist just to get the press off of his back). Billy really did bring the role to life. Maruki definitely needed someone who could balance the sympathetic with the unreasonable in order for the character to work. Otherwise he would’ve fallen apart in his cutscenes. Billy absolutely nailed that balance. I can’t wait for part two! Hope you have a nice day.
Yes I love seeing the nuances between each new iteration of a tarot/arcana archetype in Persona! Even if the new games begin phasing out social links, I really can't see Persona being Persona if they don't keep the arcana on at least. And yes Billy did such a fantastic job with that balance! So glad they casted him in the role. Thanks for the really thoughtful comment! ^^
Now that you mention it, I love how Atlus emphasized Tarot Card in the universe so well that if we look closer, we can see how Morgana and Yosuke, Ann and Yukari, Haru and Yukino, as well as Ryuji and Mark have a similar traits despite being a completely different person. I wonder if P5R ever have an anime adaptation and recieved English dub, how would the publisher handle the Maruki voice lines. Will it be like how Japanese voice of Igor was handled (straight from the game) or will it be like another case with Kaneshiro and Chihaya (voiced by another actor)? Time will tell. Regardless, I agree that Billy was the right choice to voice Maruki.
Honestly, Sumire's whole identity crisis arc is why I find it somewhat immoral to date her at the end of her confidant. She obviously has some deep emotional trauma, and she tends to cling onto those closest to her for support in lieu of growing on her own and carving an identity for herself. She did it with Kasumi before her death, she did it with Maruki after, and begins to do the same with Joker throughout the latter half of the game. I feel as if accepting her advances is somewhat analogous to allowing her to continue this cycle of co-dependency and guilt that has followed her through her entire life thus far. Shutting down those advances and allowing Sumire to grow on her own as a distant helping hand just seemed like the better option to me.
@@lxcidanalogy8414 True OP has a point with the dependancy thing. (Granted as Makotos arc shows us...some dependancy on others is necessary for growth) But I think even if she gets with Joker in the end she would still learn to be independent. I think it would be a different story if you romanced her before the end parts of her arc
@@revolvingworld2676 Yeah exactly. That and, again, she even says on Valentine's, when presented with the opportunity to stay with you, that she would rather continue working on her dream instead. She would rather stay behind and work to achieve her dream, and hopefully catch your eye doing so, than stick with you the whole time.
Yusuke and Ryuji are the best boys in this game, I love them so much. Doesn’t help Jotaro is the same voice as yusuke (also Kakyoin is the same voice as Madarame)
Without having a background familiarity with the Tarot, this video has been a great supplement in appreciating the character writing. While some Arcana are self explanatory by their title, I never would have guessed that the Emperor and Empress represent masculine and feminine self actualization, not least because the game plays with the opposite in each case. I don't think I need to convince anyone Yusuke comes off as feminine, but Haru really struck me as someone with a lot of masculine value; she's very stoic and mature relative to the group, and she shoulders immense material responsibility as heir to an economic empire. When playing the game, I didn't catch the theme of accepting the feminine aspects of her character that run contrary to that, but she's also the only confidant I didn't finish. I also appreciate your explanation of the Priestess' narrative, and how it sits differently within the disaparity between Japanese and western cultures. I was primed to really dislike Makoto when she becomes the girlboss who's smarter than anyone else (which felt especially unearned, given the players limited agency to express any thoughtfulness), and I do think naming her Queen was incredibly cringe, but by the end she was probably my favourite just by virtue of being the least ridiculous phantom thief that isn't introduced at the very end. Understanding that this narrative isn't as played out within the cultural context of the setting as it is in western media gives me a greater appreciation for her.
Ohh, I finally seeying a person who also think that Queen was cringy and her intelect was annoying on the start. I'm started to like her on New Game + but now I really like her.
It does annoy me at times where the answer to the problem is obvious, but MC sits there looking blankly while Queen solves it and gets praised. You can't be rival to Akechi and dumber than Queen in the same time
@@LadyVirgilia Don't forget Strikers 2 new Arcana; Hope and Apostle. So far both Royal and Strikers have a set pattern for the new characters/Arcana; redhair girls with bless type Personas under the theological virtues, male adults under a non-standard/different deck/counterpart Arcana. Won't be a surprise if the next P5 story after Strikers will have another girl, assign Arcana Charity to complete the set.
This is a great analysis video of the characters! It definitely got me pumped up to pick up the game again tomorrow for PC and later for Switch. Your piece on Maruki is great and definitely hits in the feels now. Its so nice to see people honoring Billy still. Thanks for doing this and I can't wait for part 2!
To be honest I would love to see a Persona game like Tales of Beseria (a game where you are arguably the vengeful villain for most of the plot), like a redemptionless Count of Monte Cristo, of the Oceans movies (where the thieves win and have a happy ending) where the role of protagonist doesn't mean righteous I think it would be incredibly interesting to be playing as the anti hero even straight up villain getting back at society for their revenge and benefit, they may change it and themselves for the better but it was for their own selfish drives. Basically imagine combining Joker and Akechi, you have a villainous protagonist gaming the unfair system with their power but also an underdog story about a Found Family if outcasts coming together and growing as people but simultaneously bringing out some of their most destructive aspects (I imagine this is how the mafia and Yakuza started). The fool is a driving force for change but like for Maruki that doesn't mean it necessarily in a good direction, many of these characters could have been swayed the same way
My mom loves tarot cards and reading. She told me the Magician is about transformation. Later I expressed my disappointment to her about how similar the Councillor was to the Magician. But she made me see a difference between how Morgana and Maruki represent the cards. Morgana is about Internal transformation. Maruki is about External transformation. Really shows how much thought is put into these characters.
Yeah, P5's card reads are ... different from previous games, some of them have twists to make them less obvious or that they are meant to be kinda "reverse cards". People should see it coming when The Fool, the arcana representing inexperience and innocence, is Igor, instead of the main crew.
Lady, thank you so much for another Persona 5 Royal analysis! I've sent all my friends to your initial character analyses for P5, and it looks like I'll be doing it all over again :3 I can't tell you how much these videos have enriched my understanding and love for Persona 5's characters and story. The time and energy it must take to make these videos is super appreciated
52:51 probably won’t be seen cause 1year late but philosopher Immanuel Kant believed that the only true unconditional good is good intention, since regardless of consequence the action was taken wishing only the best. I feel this applies to Maruki since regardless of trampling free will, robbing Rumi of the ability to move forward on her own and the stagnation of humanity in his utopia, he only intended to bring everyone happiness and an escape from the cruel reality we see in P5R.
@@LadyVirgilia It isn’t a Patreon sub, but I hope it helps with your channel’s growth… and to get what you need to improve your health. I hope you do well as a UA-camr and as a wonderful human being.
I stumbled across your recent vid (the P5 palace rulers and their real-life inspirations) randomly via the algorithm, and now I wish I'd found your channel sooner!! Your vids have been detailed, interesting, easy to follow, and overall I appreciate the sociological + cultural angle you take in analysing media like this. I've only watched a few vids so far, but am excited to get through the rest of your catalogue 😁 Looking forward to your future projects on this channel, and I hope 2023 brings you much success!
It's quite interesting listening to the interpretation of the magician and all the ways that it is shown through Morgana's journey, and then remembering Kenji just wanting to bang his teacher. Eh, I'm probably just forgetting some details of his social link...
Tbh i am playing reloaded atm. The social links feel shorter and more simplistic to a degree. But consider that Morgana is a team mate. And that your magician teammate junpai didn't had one. Besides that Kenji seems kinda level relatable and is in the love with the idea of a lady spicing up his life. He seems to be extremely focused on his routines and got bored of it making him demotivated. The delusion he fled himself into made himself motivated. Maybe you could say the crazy scientist mixed himself a potion to reach his goals. Only to learn thx to the potion that he holds the formula for his fullfilment himself. Or maybe i just write gibberish xd sry then
Sometimes I wish persona had a timeless mode, which gave you infinite dead lines so you could actually see all of these events without following a strict guide
I'm so glad I stumbled onto your channel! I finished P5 only about a year ago, even though I was intrigued about the franchise for a long time. I was so in awe with the sociological and philosophical context of this game, and wanted to learn more, but couldn't find any interesting essays about P5 on UA-cam. Until your channel was recommended by the algorithm a couple of days ago! So here I am, happily binging your videos. Could you make one about the final boss of P5? Not Shido of course, but that godly creature that takes over Tokyo. I was blown away by the underlying philosophy of the evil that resides in relinquishing any responsibility.
this was a really interesting video, i wasn't really familiar with the tarot and you breaking down the upright and reverse arcanas was really interesting.
Obligatory "lovers arcana girls make the best waifus." In all seriousness, I love explorations of how the arcana match or highlight character traits in the series. And how characters between games of the same arcana are alike or different.
one thing i think is interesting across 3,4 and 5 is that the emperor arcana, being associated with masculinity, also seems to be be associated with homosexuality. kanji is pretty obvious as that's his main struggle, but ryuji kinda questions yusuke about his sexuality and lack of interest in women several times. i'm not as familiar with P3 but i definitely know a lot of people seem to view akihiko similarly, as someone disinterested in romance and possibly being gay
Question I like to hear a response 1) What is your favorite Arcana in the series? 2) Which Arecana do you resonate with the most, based on what the series explored their characters under the same tarot card?
Hard for me to chose a favorite arcana just because I find all of them interesting in some shape or form haha. As for the one I resonate with most just from meaning alone, probably the Star and how it deals with hope and inner peace. Especially as it relates to spiritual peace since I have been a spiritual person my entire life and my personal faith in Christ is what helps me get through the daily health complications resulting from my chronic neurological illness. Thanks for the thoughtful question!
You know I do wonder people liking similar stories is because of biology and they all hit this similar way, even an ancient times or it is from the start of humanity when they only form of entertainment was storytelling at the campfire when literature concepts were first set
The Councilor is an alternative to the Magician in a Spanish deck Faith is one of the three extra cards of an Italian deck The others are Hope in Striker and Charity is missing .. for this I think a third game should come out that is a continuation and not Phantom X
Ngl when I started a replay of P5R on PC after all this time since it first came out the moment Maruki spoke I cried 😢 he made such an impact on already a very important game for me
I'm a newer fan of your videos. I just got to shidos palace and watching your videos along the way has absolutely enhanced my game. I truly wish you would publish the audio only from these videos on Spotify. Listening at work would be great and I would be a listener! I love your perspective and I think it would be great to hear your take on other Japanese media (anime games anything really)
53:13 THIS! This is why I cannot bring myself to accept Maruki’s reality. I don’t know what he did to Sumire in the past week before that part of the story, but I am sure he used Sumire as an insurance policy to discourage Joker in case he said no. He brainwashed her… for almost a year, and we were none the wiser. He was utterly manipulative and deceitful in that scene. My apologies for coming strong in this comment, I used to be sympathetic with this character… but over time after learning about techniques like gaslighting and enabling negative thoughts, I understood why he was the villain and why he needed to be stopped. If you understand and or a fan of this character in his villain role… my apologies to you.
If you felt disgust by that scene, then congrats! The villain has succeeded in making you hate him lol But in all seriousness, even if you disagree with Maruki’s methods, you can’t say it’s for entirely selfish reasons like the other palace rulers. Yes, he was being manipulative, but you can still see where he’s coming from; he just wants people to be happy. This is what makes Maruki an outstanding antagonist!
@@checkmate3735 An outstanding antagonist requires a fantastic actor. I still miss Billy to this day… it isn’t a lot, and it’ll probably be snuffed out among the sea of responses… but I wish the credits would say: In the loving memory of Billy Kametz. 🙏
Don't apologize Good intentions or not he's no different than the previous targets of the Phantom Thieves. And reason I have trust issues. Regardless my thoughts on the character. I hope and pray his voice actor is resting peacefully and his the best.
@@checkmate3735 What irritates me that despite nearly getting killed, Sumire and the Phantom Thieves still thank him but meanwhile back when Ryuji almost died saving the team, they best the crap out of him. Like come on really?! Especially you Sumire!
One big missed opportunity is not having Makoto serve as a big sister figure to Kasumi, since they are both perfectionists who struggle with their dynamics with their own siblings
@PwibblePop in Q2 it's explicitly stated that Akechi is a Wild Card. Not only that but multiple Wild Cards awaken to their power without directly signing a contract, like Aigis and Sho
Atlus, why did you revert Sumi back to the original look? 😞
If you're wondering why I didn't include much about 3rd semester in the original PT analyses, it's because I don't think it adds much to what was already covered in their original arcs.
Do you guys have a particular arcana you relate to or like most? And I'll be doing a video on the rest of the NPC arcana in the next couple months!
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Yeah, Sumi looks better with the hair down and glasses. If she ever returns, I hope she gets a style that compliments the ribbon AND the glasses. Because she is not her sister, she is her own person.
Reason to honor her sister while still living as herself to show that her sister is still with her and Sumi will push foward towards their dream to come true.
@@SuperFusionAJ93 plus as somebody who did sports in highschool even as a guy if my bangs got too long it got irritating and lost a tennis match I was winning because a ball hit me in the face and broke my glasses. I can only imagine long down hair in gymnastics would be even worse.
Also you could also look at it from her original perspective. Maybe she actually liked the look all along but being the lesser clone would be even worse than the lesser sister, I actually knew a twin in college who had this same problem growing up, hell he didn't even tell his family he was going to a different college until a couple weeks out.
It anoys me when people say that the blow out between Morgana and Ryuji came out of Nowhere , they literally bickered all game and it kept building till the point of no return
Honestly I'd argue Ryuji had just as much a right to blow off the team as Morganna did. Morganna's insecurities got to him and won causing him to doubt everything, but I could honestly see Ryuji not taking this cats shit anymore. Like my boy gets called a fucking idiot daily and still sticks around. And no I don't see their bickering as friendly, early Morganna doesn't give any shits about Ryuji.
Sorry this is me really just ranting about my boy
@@lordhighlordofthehalfgays3443 hard agree. morgana isn't the worst character (looking at you teddie, ya weirdo) but his constant insults at ryuji makes me dislike him more than i need to.
Yeah but I still honestly think that sequence in the game is annoying and could have been avoided by smacking them both in the face and telling them to stop acting like selfish pricks
i think it‘s mostly the gameplay aspect that just annoys the shit out of me. you have to spend nearly a week going back and forth just to "resolve" this feud instead of actually being able to spend your time working on confidants or social stats. i know this isn’t the only instance where you‘ll get locked out of the game due to the story progressing but i just hate the execution. it doesn’t really add anything significant to the plot, especially with neither ryuji nor morgana actually apologizing/talking to each other when they’re resolving the problem??😭😭 it makes no sense at all and it just feels like wasted time
I@@lordhighlordofthehalfgays3443I know this is necroposting-- but Morgana is right about Ryuji.
Ryuji also threw himself straight into traffic to stop a cab so they wouldn’t lose Makoto. Very reckless and very good.
Truly, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed...
God dammit
Damn you Nyx 😝
Beat me to it smhhh
Something I would love in P6 is if we have a quick cameo of where the p5 people are. For example, some news talking about the Olympic games and mentioning Ryuji in athletism and Sumire in gymnastics, saying they've won a medal or whatever. It would be really nice, and I know they did similar stuff in p5 with the other characters, so it would definitely be possible.
I don't see why not. All the Persona games do talk about the previous one. Done are well hidden others are right in your face. They talk about the old detective prince, Adachi's killing, spending time with Haru In one of the little town things that gets you an Easter egg for Teddie. And obviously everyone's favorite idol has her own poster that you can get.
It will always be a tradition. I mean, it goes way back from Persona 2, where not only all playable character of previous Persona appeared as cameo, three of them are playable (Yukino, Nanjo, and Eriko). But about P5 character in P6, the possible one would be Ann and Haru. They are "celebs" for some sort in that one is a model while the other is the heiress of an F&B company. But I can see the athletes duo (Ryuji and Sumire) had a mention as well, although I'm not sure whether Ryuji appeared in Olympics, considering the damage Kamoshida implied on him.
@@Galaxykumapretty sure Persona 5 has a mention of Rise's pop career on TV
@@SoFarSoGoodSoWhat14 that's cool. I like it when the game talk about the previous ones. It's nice to know what the older characters are doing you know?
@@SoFarSoGoodSoWhat14 yes rise makes a cameo as a pop star in the opening of p5 on a build board outside shibuya station when Ren arrives in tokyo
The detail of Ryuji punching his leg to numb it before the last sprint to release the life boat
I already commented on the original videos so there might not be as big of a comment here, but Kasumi and Maruki's are new so I'll check those out.
When you think about it, Futaba essentially homeschooled herself during her hikikomori days. It's impressive.
What's cool about Futaba's arc is it flips the P4 stereotypes, Shadow Futaba represents the UPRIGHT Hermit while her real-world self represents the Reverse Hermit until her development.
I didn't realize that thing about Maruki in Rank 3 of Faith, interesting. But I definitely noticed the over-reliance on Joker. It's actually part of why I'm not a fan of the ship, although it's fine if people are.
Something interesting I noticed when looking at Faith's Personas: there's a running theme of fantasy and fairy tales. Phoenix, Unicorn and Orichalcum are common creatures or concepts in fantasy while Okninushi, Siegfried, Tam Lin and Cu Chulainn are heroic warriors. And of course her Persona itself. This could represent the idealized lie she's living.
Only the ultimate Persona, Maria, relates to the Arcana's origin as a deck commissioned by Italian Catholics. (The Maria design also comes from SMT Nine, which has some plot parallels to Maruki's reality
Regarding Maruki, have you seen the version of his farewell speech if you DON'T max his Confidant? It's really interesting, as it's arguably healthier than the maxed version, the one that leads to the new semester. In my opinion, this makes Maruki's Confidant a unique deconstruction of the Social Link system, in that Joker's influences ends up unwittingly encouraging the worse aspects of him. And without all the help you give him re Cognitive Psience research he never would've gone as far as he did. The fact it only unlocks if you max his Confidant isn't a coincidence in more ways than one. I'm not saying Joker's completely at fault for what Maruki became, but I think it had some effect.
This is something I'd like to see explored in future games: a Social Link that makes the recipient WORSE.
Yeah the flipped shadow--upright Hermit in Futaba's arc was very neat.
And I can definitely understand the distaste for Sumi and Joker ship. I still ship it myself, but I can see why it can be viewed as problematic for similar reasons of Joker and Haru ship.
And yes the lineup of Faith Personas is very fitting. It's fine to feel admiration towards these fairy tale heroes and/or folk creatures... but too much and you just become obssessed in the fantasy and lose sight of reality.
I also just took a look at the non-maxed scene and it's indeed very interesting (strange audio issues aside). Yeah it's not like Joker's really the one at fault here, since he's not directly encouraging things. If anything, it's Maruki who should've known better about the power dynamic he has as the adult and as someone who has had training to be a counselor. Like his entirely casual relationship with Joker in the first place could've been grounds for stripping his license (if he had one though).
But yeah I get your overall gist that it's an interesting look at how a relationship can be to the "detriment" of one (or both) parties compared to the generally positive message that's sent about nurturing confidants/social links.
I definitely would be open to a SL in the future that leans more on the protagonist having "dubious" intentions... just as a natural evolution of what was already explored in Maruki, Joker.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment always Klingy!
@@LadyVirgilia Are you going to do more of your trails series videos with the enforcers and their arcanas that they represent
Futaba was always a genius even in her younger years to the point where she was bullied so often that she turned a blank test paper, which led to her teachers calling her parents.
It would be cool there was a way to "reverse" the Social link (like in previous games), but if it affected the main plot instead of only blocking conversation with characters temporarily. Like, if there was an invisible/unknown counter running in the background (maybe a visual cue different from the musical notes?), and if you don't fix it past a certain flag (dungeon/palace/key plot moment) it actually stays that way and the story branches somewhat because of it.
@@ammygamer Maybe that could be a mechanic in P6?
I love when Virgilia's analyzing the dark sides of each arcana and the character she's talking about is just in the background busting a move
This was a really well-phrased look at the arcana and their respective representatives. One of my favorite aspects of the persona series, even the early ones, is how they can take the same archetypes and mold them into completely distinct characters. I mean, you wouldn’t call Maki and Makoto, Katsuya and Akechi, Jin and Futaba, and Kanji and Yusuke the exact same characters. But the characteristics are molded in a way that they each reflect their arcana perfectly. It’s the part of each Persona game that I look forward to the most. (The Social Link/Confidant system might be my favorite part of the game.)
It’s always really interesting to hear your thoughts regarding Maruki, especially in the context of your field of study. I genuinely question if he has a license to be a counselor (honestly, with how the principal is at Shujin, I wouldn’t put it past him to hire an unlicensed therapist just to get the press off of his back). Billy really did bring the role to life. Maruki definitely needed someone who could balance the sympathetic with the unreasonable in order for the character to work. Otherwise he would’ve fallen apart in his cutscenes. Billy absolutely nailed that balance.
I can’t wait for part two! Hope you have a nice day.
Yes I love seeing the nuances between each new iteration of a tarot/arcana archetype in Persona! Even if the new games begin phasing out social links, I really can't see Persona being Persona if they don't keep the arcana on at least.
And yes Billy did such a fantastic job with that balance! So glad they casted him in the role.
Thanks for the really thoughtful comment! ^^
Now that you mention it, I love how Atlus emphasized Tarot Card in the universe so well that if we look closer, we can see how Morgana and Yosuke, Ann and Yukari, Haru and Yukino, as well as Ryuji and Mark have a similar traits despite being a completely different person.
I wonder if P5R ever have an anime adaptation and recieved English dub, how would the publisher handle the Maruki voice lines. Will it be like how Japanese voice of Igor was handled (straight from the game) or will it be like another case with Kaneshiro and Chihaya (voiced by another actor)? Time will tell. Regardless, I agree that Billy was the right choice to voice Maruki.
Honestly, Sumire's whole identity crisis arc is why I find it somewhat immoral to date her at the end of her confidant. She obviously has some deep emotional trauma, and she tends to cling onto those closest to her for support in lieu of growing on her own and carving an identity for herself. She did it with Kasumi before her death, she did it with Maruki after, and begins to do the same with Joker throughout the latter half of the game. I feel as if accepting her advances is somewhat analogous to allowing her to continue this cycle of co-dependency and guilt that has followed her through her entire life thus far. Shutting down those advances and allowing Sumire to grow on her own as a distant helping hand just seemed like the better option to me.
Yet if you do date her she actively wants to live her own life and improve anyway.
@@lxcidanalogy8414
True OP has a point with the dependancy thing. (Granted as Makotos arc shows us...some dependancy on others is necessary for growth)
But I think even if she gets with Joker in the end she would still learn to be independent.
I think it would be a different story if you romanced her before the end parts of her arc
@@revolvingworld2676 Yeah exactly. That and, again, she even says on Valentine's, when presented with the opportunity to stay with you, that she would rather continue working on her dream instead. She would rather stay behind and work to achieve her dream, and hopefully catch your eye doing so, than stick with you the whole time.
@@lxcidanalogy8414 I mean, they're not going to write a romance with a negative outcome.
Yusuke and Ryuji are the best boys in this game, I love them so much. Doesn’t help Jotaro is the same voice as yusuke (also Kakyoin is the same voice as Madarame)
Without having a background familiarity with the Tarot, this video has been a great supplement in appreciating the character writing. While some Arcana are self explanatory by their title, I never would have guessed that the Emperor and Empress represent masculine and feminine self actualization, not least because the game plays with the opposite in each case. I don't think I need to convince anyone Yusuke comes off as feminine, but Haru really struck me as someone with a lot of masculine value; she's very stoic and mature relative to the group, and she shoulders immense material responsibility as heir to an economic empire. When playing the game, I didn't catch the theme of accepting the feminine aspects of her character that run contrary to that, but she's also the only confidant I didn't finish.
I also appreciate your explanation of the Priestess' narrative, and how it sits differently within the disaparity between Japanese and western cultures. I was primed to really dislike Makoto when she becomes the girlboss who's smarter than anyone else (which felt especially unearned, given the players limited agency to express any thoughtfulness), and I do think naming her Queen was incredibly cringe, but by the end she was probably my favourite just by virtue of being the least ridiculous phantom thief that isn't introduced at the very end. Understanding that this narrative isn't as played out within the cultural context of the setting as it is in western media gives me a greater appreciation for her.
Ohh, I finally seeying a person who also think that Queen was cringy and her intelect was annoying on the start. I'm started to like her on New Game + but now I really like her.
It does annoy me at times where the answer to the problem is obvious, but MC sits there looking blankly while Queen solves it and gets praised. You can't be rival to Akechi and dumber than Queen in the same time
I will still never forgive Morgana for making me lose a week of social link time
This is such a good video with detailed and easy to understand explanations on the Arcana. A great video and I'm looking forward to part 2
Thanks Rio!
A ton more to cover in part 2!
@@LadyVirgilia Don't forget Strikers 2 new Arcana; Hope and Apostle. So far both Royal and Strikers have a set pattern for the new characters/Arcana; redhair girls with bless type Personas under the theological virtues, male adults under a non-standard/different deck/counterpart Arcana. Won't be a surprise if the next P5 story after Strikers will have another girl, assign Arcana Charity to complete the set.
@@vanessachowjiaying4423
Hey, you’re here. Haven’t given up Hope on that theory, huh? Please have Faith.
This is a great analysis video of the characters! It definitely got me pumped up to pick up the game again tomorrow for PC and later for Switch. Your piece on Maruki is great and definitely hits in the feels now. Its so nice to see people honoring Billy still. Thanks for doing this and I can't wait for part 2!
To be honest I would love to see a Persona game like Tales of Beseria (a game where you are arguably the vengeful villain for most of the plot), like a redemptionless Count of Monte Cristo, of the Oceans movies (where the thieves win and have a happy ending) where the role of protagonist doesn't mean righteous
I think it would be incredibly interesting to be playing as the anti hero even straight up villain getting back at society for their revenge and benefit, they may change it and themselves for the better but it was for their own selfish drives. Basically imagine combining Joker and Akechi, you have a villainous protagonist gaming the unfair system with their power but also an underdog story about a Found Family if outcasts coming together and growing as people but simultaneously bringing out some of their most destructive aspects (I imagine this is how the mafia and Yakuza started). The fool is a driving force for change but like for Maruki that doesn't mean it necessarily in a good direction, many of these characters could have been swayed the same way
My mom loves tarot cards and reading. She told me the Magician is about transformation. Later I expressed my disappointment to her about how similar the Councillor was to the Magician. But she made me see a difference between how Morgana and Maruki represent the cards. Morgana is about Internal transformation. Maruki is about External transformation. Really shows how much thought is put into these characters.
Yeah, P5's card reads are ... different from previous games, some of them have twists to make them less obvious or that they are meant to be kinda "reverse cards".
People should see it coming when The Fool, the arcana representing inexperience and innocence, is Igor, instead of the main crew.
Lady, thank you so much for another Persona 5 Royal analysis! I've sent all my friends to your initial character analyses for P5, and it looks like I'll be doing it all over again :3
I can't tell you how much these videos have enriched my understanding and love for Persona 5's characters and story. The time and energy it must take to make these videos is super appreciated
Ahhh thank you for sharing and watching my videos! 🥺🙏
52:51 probably won’t be seen cause 1year late but philosopher Immanuel Kant believed that the only true unconditional good is good intention, since regardless of consequence the action was taken wishing only the best. I feel this applies to Maruki since regardless of trampling free will, robbing Rumi of the ability to move forward on her own and the stagnation of humanity in his utopia, he only intended to bring everyone happiness and an escape from the cruel reality we see in P5R.
I have yet to fully watch this video… but I still wish to thank you for putting this out anyway. I hope your channel grows…
OHMYGAWD!!
Thank you so much! 🙏
@@LadyVirgilia
It isn’t a Patreon sub, but I hope it helps with your channel’s growth… and to get what you need to improve your health. I hope you do well as a UA-camr and as a wonderful human being.
I stumbled across your recent vid (the P5 palace rulers and their real-life inspirations) randomly via the algorithm, and now I wish I'd found your channel sooner!! Your vids have been detailed, interesting, easy to follow, and overall I appreciate the sociological + cultural angle you take in analysing media like this. I've only watched a few vids so far, but am excited to get through the rest of your catalogue 😁
Looking forward to your future projects on this channel, and I hope 2023 brings you much success!
It's quite interesting listening to the interpretation of the magician and all the ways that it is shown through Morgana's journey, and then remembering Kenji just wanting to bang his teacher. Eh, I'm probably just forgetting some details of his social link...
Tbh i am playing reloaded atm.
The social links feel shorter and more simplistic to a degree.
But consider that Morgana is a team mate. And that your magician teammate junpai didn't had one.
Besides that Kenji seems kinda level relatable and is in the love with the idea of a lady spicing up his life. He seems to be extremely focused on his routines and got bored of it making him demotivated.
The delusion he fled himself into made himself motivated. Maybe you could say the crazy scientist mixed himself a potion to reach his goals.
Only to learn thx to the potion that he holds the formula for his fullfilment himself.
Or maybe i just write gibberish xd sry then
beautiful analisis, one that I didn't know I needed it. Always was interested in the arcana, but never had the energy to research it. Thnx a bunch!
Sometimes I wish persona had a timeless mode, which gave you infinite dead lines so you could actually see all of these events without following a strict guide
This is just another reason why Ryuji is best boy
The arcana is the means by which all is revealed
The arcana is the means by which all is revealed.
Eternity awaits.
But... The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed! Duuuuuhhh!
Man. Each of these guys are so relatable.
I'm so glad I stumbled onto your channel! I finished P5 only about a year ago, even though I was intrigued about the franchise for a long time. I was so in awe with the sociological and philosophical context of this game, and wanted to learn more, but couldn't find any interesting essays about P5 on UA-cam. Until your channel was recommended by the algorithm a couple of days ago! So here I am, happily binging your videos.
Could you make one about the final boss of P5? Not Shido of course, but that godly creature that takes over Tokyo. I was blown away by the underlying philosophy of the evil that resides in relinquishing any responsibility.
this was a really interesting video, i wasn't really familiar with the tarot and you breaking down the upright and reverse arcanas was really interesting.
What do the arcana even mean? Well, the arcana is the means by which all is revealed.
19:31
#FeedYusuke
33:12 think about it, chie and yosuke are the chariot and the magician respectly
Your videos are absolutely excellent, please keep it up!
Ps. Your cadence sort of reminds me of Yukiko’s ENG speech, in a good way!
Obrigado pelo vídeo, eu estava procurando algo exatamente assim 😊 🇧🇷
Obligatory "lovers arcana girls make the best waifus."
In all seriousness, I love explorations of how the arcana match or highlight character traits in the series. And how characters between games of the same arcana are alike or different.
one thing i think is interesting across 3,4 and 5 is that the emperor arcana, being associated with masculinity, also seems to be be associated with homosexuality. kanji is pretty obvious as that's his main struggle, but ryuji kinda questions yusuke about his sexuality and lack of interest in women several times. i'm not as familiar with P3 but i definitely know a lot of people seem to view akihiko similarly, as someone disinterested in romance and possibly being gay
Question I like to hear a response
1) What is your favorite Arcana in the series?
2) Which Arecana do you resonate with the most, based on what the series explored their characters under the same tarot card?
This is gonna sound silly, but for me, I don’t really characterize to just one. But if any of them were closest to me… I think it might be Faith.
Hard for me to chose a favorite arcana just because I find all of them interesting in some shape or form haha.
As for the one I resonate with most just from meaning alone, probably the Star and how it deals with hope and inner peace. Especially as it relates to spiritual peace since I have been a spiritual person my entire life and my personal faith in Christ is what helps me get through the daily health complications resulting from my chronic neurological illness.
Thanks for the thoughtful question!
this is actually interesting. thanks for the content and goodluck on ur future with the channel
You know I do wonder people liking similar stories is because of biology and they all hit this similar way, even an ancient times or it is from the start of humanity when they only form of entertainment was storytelling at the campfire when literature concepts were first set
It would probably be going into spoiler territory to explain the connection between Igor and the Fool, but that might be worth exploring too.
“So, what does this have to do with the arcana?”
Well, you see, the arcana is the means by which-
Loved this so much, super insightful
The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed
The Councilor is an alternative to the Magician in a Spanish deck Faith is one of the three extra cards of an Italian deck The others are Hope in Striker and Charity is missing .. for this I think a third game should come out that is a continuation and not Phantom X
Good video, but i think the proper way to say the Maruki arcana in Spanish is:
Consultor o Consejero.
"Consultante"is the one who seeks for advice.
Absolutely love this video and the analysis
Ngl when I started a replay of P5R on PC after all this time since it first came out the moment Maruki spoke I cried 😢 he made such an impact on already a very important game for me
I'm a newer fan of your videos. I just got to shidos palace and watching your videos along the way has absolutely enhanced my game. I truly wish you would publish the audio only from these videos on Spotify. Listening at work would be great and I would be a listener! I love your perspective and I think it would be great to hear your take on other Japanese media (anime games anything really)
YAYYY I’VE SEEN THE P3 ONE THANK GOD I SAW THIS. I’LL WATCH P4’S NEXT TIME
53:13
THIS! This is why I cannot bring myself to accept Maruki’s reality. I don’t know what he did to Sumire in the past week before that part of the story, but I am sure he used Sumire as an insurance policy to discourage Joker in case he said no. He brainwashed her… for almost a year, and we were none the wiser.
He was utterly manipulative and deceitful in that scene.
My apologies for coming strong in this comment, I used to be sympathetic with this character… but over time after learning about techniques like gaslighting and enabling negative thoughts, I understood why he was the villain and why he needed to be stopped.
If you understand and or a fan of this character in his villain role… my apologies to you.
Still… I miss Billy Kametz. He will be a shining star guiding us to a bright future.
If you felt disgust by that scene, then congrats! The villain has succeeded in making you hate him lol
But in all seriousness, even if you disagree with Maruki’s methods, you can’t say it’s for entirely selfish reasons like the other palace rulers. Yes, he was being manipulative, but you can still see where he’s coming from; he just wants people to be happy. This is what makes Maruki an outstanding antagonist!
@@checkmate3735
An outstanding antagonist requires a fantastic actor. I still miss Billy to this day… it isn’t a lot, and it’ll probably be snuffed out among the sea of responses… but I wish the credits would say:
In the loving memory of Billy Kametz.
🙏
Don't apologize
Good intentions or not he's no different than the previous targets of the Phantom Thieves. And reason I have trust issues.
Regardless my thoughts on the character.
I hope and pray his voice actor is resting peacefully and his the best.
@@checkmate3735
What irritates me that despite nearly getting killed, Sumire and the Phantom Thieves still thank him but meanwhile back when Ryuji almost died saving the team, they best the crap out of him. Like come on really?! Especially you Sumire!
Rip Billy Kametz 😢
ty for solidifying that I'm literally Futaba (reversed hermit ofc)
One big missed opportunity is not having Makoto serve as a big sister figure to Kasumi, since they are both perfectionists who struggle with their dynamics with their own siblings
I love Sumire
The Arcana I'm related with is
The Strength
Thank you so much for this video. Id really like to have coffee with you aometime.
PLEASE do this for persona 4. I need it.
What do you mean by what the arcana means? There is a whole ass big mf bossfight explaining it, IT'S THE MEAN BY WHICH ALL IS REVEALED
Amazing
Morgana is a good boy:)
Thank you 🙏
Akechi's true arcana is Fool, not Justice, Justice is just a persona he takes on.
Whatever you say, buddy
This ain’t true tho, he literally never sees Igor the whole time
@PwibblePop in Q2 it's explicitly stated that Akechi is a Wild Card. Not only that but multiple Wild Cards awaken to their power without directly signing a contract, like Aigis and Sho
@@Morgan_of_the_Maxilla oh oops, so I guess people can be wild cards without being the fool arcana then
You would like tool
Hey alright stop or ill sub
They mean alot of things. Its tarot.
It won't be long... just another month or so... and then maybe I'll finally be able to rewatch with the sound on! 🥲 🤣
I hope you get your sound back for your computer.
@@mystery8820 no i mean actually playing this game 😅
@@jmporkbob
Oh. I am sorry. I thought you didn’t clarify earlier.
@@mystery8820 lady knows i've been waiting to play, so was kinda directed that way. but yeah np. 👍
Lol! I appreciate it and hope you enjoy your P5R journey 😄
The arcana is the means in which all is revealed
The arcana is the means by which all is revealed.
Eternity awaits.
*The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed*