Persona 4's Many Suspects || P4G Analysis

[@HidinginPrivate]

This video is actually primarily about the reflective purpose of Mitsuo Kubo in the story! I hope you enjoy!! Of course this is just one part in a bigger series and every like, comment, and share helps to spread things... eeeeee have a good day! Any part in particular you are anticipating? Let me know in your own comment (not a reply lol)

[@BBWahoo]

I wish there was more Mitsuo yaoi, he's weird and I kind of like that

[@boxtoprock8020]

​@@BBWahoo:/

[@arbi9506]

@@BBWahoo based as fuck

[@jaysutter9934]

Thank you for not putting the real killer, Nanako in the thumbnail, that would have been a big spoiler

[@HidinginPrivate]

I put a bunch of em up there, who knows who it could be?? The small man in the top right background? Probably

[@VainerCactus0]

Nanako is more powerful than Darth JarJar but less powerful than Ramen guy, Sage of the six bowls from Naruto.

[@xxProjectJxx]

"Did you think Adachi worked alone, Big Bro?"

[@karimnosaijo]

@@xxProjectJxx "Why do you think he knows your every move, big bro?"

[@johngreen8344]

'Did you even know how many days I had to mind the house while you went off to catch bugs you never ended up using? Do you know what that did to me, Big Bro? It gave me time to plan. Time to invite Mr Adachi to afternoon tea. We had some great vegetables and he'd take me to Junes to gather supplies!'

[@kwakerjak]

Persona 4 was one of the few times that being “unspoiled” actually enhanced my experience of a story, in any medium. Basically, I didn’t have any suspicion it was Adachi until the game told me I had all the clues and told me to work out the solution, which meant that I had the lightbulb moment at the same time as the characters, which might be the most immersive experience I’ve ever had playing video games.

[@mredbadger]

I’m so grateful that I played this unspoiled because that moment when the game just asks you who the killer is and gives you a big list of every character in the game is one of the best reveals ever. Usually in mystery games, there’s this big new discovery that makes the killer obvious, but here it just repeats the loose facts you already know and asks you to think about it

[@yourehereforthatarentyou]

i wish that could’ve been my experience but persona fans are assholes that don’t even remotely try to hide spoilers. i got spoiled on (spoilers ahead warning because i’m not a dickhead) adachi being the killer, akechi being the killer, ikutsuki betraying SEES, and makoto dying at the end of p3 all before i ever played their respective games because these people never shut up about it compare that to the ultra chad xenoblade 1 fans that have been keeping the identity of the seventh party member a secret for more than a decade now by calling them “Seven” instead of by their actual name bc that character joining you is a spoiler in itself

[@kauanjos3199]

​@@yourehereforthatarentyou Ironically the least impactful spoiler here is P3 protagonist dying

[@TP3200]

I remember being overwhelmed at that list, and eventually picking Adachi because it felt the most “interesting” to me if true. But my head was still spinning by the volume of information and I thought the odds still felt so low overall. But when the investigation took off and we revealed it was him, it was unreal. My first choice being correct immortalized the moment. I even had an amusing hypothetical where I imagined that the game would just make whoever you picked the culprit. Of course I knew it couldn’t really be, but it was a hilarious thought.

[@Luhyn]

​@@kauanjos3199that guy tries to carefully hide spoilers for newcomers, just for you to reply to him with spoiler lmao

[@Hatchling99]

Im still convinced Adachi is a red herring, the real culprit is Scott the Woz

[@HidinginPrivate]

Well that may be the case

[@FlareBlitzBanana]

​@@HidinginPrivateWho else would kill RPG characters besides the guy who hates RPGs?

[@Raddkann]

Keisuke Hiiraga was the one behind it all

[@oxygenenjoyer8440]

But he was in P3 right?

[@evie-_-]

I feel like me knowing adachi was the big bad made the game more interesting for me. I tried to rationalize and connect things and it genuinely made me question a bunch more and theorize.

[@jillie_chan]

I know, I thought that while the investigation team chased after the stalker that Adachi stayed behind just long enough to toss Rise in the tv! I thought Namatame was 100% innocent. I had seen and talked to him around town and was like “ah, character portrait! How do I start your social link!” Completely blind sided to his semi-accomplice status

[@superjames23]

When I played P4G I already knew who the killer was, so when I went into this I thought that only the gameplay would keep me interested. Then I started having all the questions on what the true killers intentions were, who really was Mitsuo and why did he want to take all the blame for the killings, who was Nametame, all these questions that were raised and had me pondering almost made me forget who the real culprit was. Even when going into the game and knowing who the culprit is, the game finds a way to still keep you thinking about the other aspects of the story to help find the “truth”. At least for me. And if you ever decide to do it, I’m excited for when you talk about the dungeons and the ties to the characters. Thanks for creating such quality content, you really are an inspiration.

[@cr0wtherr]

I agree! I had his identity spoiled for me because I really, REALLY liked his character and wanted to look at his sprites online, then saw a Google search for Adachi Tohru killer 🥲 but despite knowing who the culprit was, I was so invested in WHY he did what he did and how Namatame factored into all of it, as well with Mitsuo. I was extremely impressed with the story telling

[@Number.1Yanfei.Fan123]

I already knew it was Adachi because social media spoiled it for me but I had my doubts it was him because of how goofy he is. I was awe struck when I beat the game (technically haven’t beat it but still in January)

[@tendingsbrother7057]

This comment is longer than my life expectancy?

[@fideoschafasconcovid-1948]

Holy carp this is the exact same thing that happened to me

[@HidinginPublic]

Mitsuo Kubo, more like hey I'm gonna watch the new Spy x Family after watching this video

[@HidinginPrivate]

It was a great episode! Next week will be even better!

[@illuminoeye_gaming]

i had been spoiled about adachi already but namatame had me genuinely questioning tb

[@HidinginPrivate]

Namatame is an interesting goose

[@illuminoeye_gaming]

@@HidinginPrivate when i got the bad ending on my first playthrough, i felt so genuinely cheated by the game.

[@rophi7284]

@@illuminoeye_gaming did you throw namatame into tv or failed to convince yosuke not to throw him in?

[@illuminoeye_gaming]

@@rophi7284 failed to convince 😔

[@meko750]

@@illuminoeye_gaming Worst “decision” in the game tbh

[@SageDarkwind]

Fred: "It's none other than... Red Herring!" Red Herring: "I didn't do it!"

[@HidinginPrivate]

Fred: Red:

[@ThunderJimmy]

Mitsuo Kubo was to quote from the wikia: -> In Persona 4: Golden, the boss theme for Mitsuo's Shadow is a heavily synthesized, 8-bit edition of "I'll Face Myself" entitled "Revelations: Mitsuo"/"Shin Mitsuo Tensei." This bears relevance to how Mitsuo is meant to be a joke making fun of the player, and how his Shadow uses video games predominantly in its design.

[@TehReasoning]

Kinshoro King Moron Morooka was interesting to say the least, in beginning you thought of him as a hard *** teacher. However when you explore little and talk to ther students in school you find out that he's actually a teacher that really cares about his students and go out of the way to help them study and teach to help them succeed. He honestly just wants his students that are serious about education to do well in life and puts on show to make him seem what he isn't. Unfortunately in P5 you do not have this type of teacher that does this or even the school that needs some serious help lol. (Although you do get social link with teacher but it's not really about education although I do think she's alright even tho she did write MC off at 1st)

[@Flaris]

I'm not sure. In some ways he absolutely was that kind of teacher everyone thought of him as. He was prejudiced against the MC (and really anyone from a bigger city) from the start, said a lot of things that were at best tone deaf considering people actually died across events for this game, turned a one time school trip into an educational seminar, and was a hypocrite that would talk trash about people paying attention to idols...while buying a Rise pin-up book. There's no question that he was serious about being a teacher. That he did go out of his way to steer people down a better road. He did try to help a fair number of people and I'm sure in his own way was trying to be a good teacher. There are good things to piece out if you really dig for them in the game. He wasn't an evil person. But he wasn't a great person and whether he was a great teacher is debatable. That his consideration ended depending on what a person's birth certificate came from reflected that. You have to dig to find the good about King Moron because none of that shows from the perspective of the main character. Being hard on him or Yosuke purely because of where they came. You can say he was trying to protect the local kids from the poison of the "big bad city" but all he was doing was leaving them grossly unprepared for interacting with that part of the world. In one moment he was looking out for a girl who was out late by herself. And the next he's calling the MC to wander the streets at night to get something that he could just hand over to said student the next day at school. I honestly think the reason he turned that school trip into a series of lectures and factory tours was to keep the students from being tainted by the city. I won't say his intentions were bad. Prejudice can very much be a learned thing. It's just a poor showing that he was potentially spreading that prejudice to his students through his position as a teacher.

[@rokkfel4999]

@@Flaris your entirely right in all of this I always thought that he was one of teh really older teachers he seems like he was born in the 50s and well Japanese history can make sense of his distrust if he grew up during those years. Mass crime growth the wealth gap etc that was happening mainly in big cities …but that’s jus my nonsensical speculation

[@eavyeavy2864]

​@@rokkfel4999the f

[@MikulOnIce85]

One thing I'd like to mention on the extra p4g content is that the concert includes a moment where you can briefly see Namatame watching the group from a hiding spot, which I felt was a nice touch to potentially make you think that he might be the culprit.

[@serenepastel]

Namatame legitimately threw me off for a while for the sole reason that I was mad at myself for not realizing he was important earlier on when I saw his face portrait. For some reason, I couldn’t see him as the real killer when Adachi walked in saying there wasn’t evidence to pin everything on him (though I didn’t guess it was Adachi at the time). I like the effect Mitsuo has on Yu in the anime. He makes Yu question his purpose in the investigation and his role in his group when there isn’t something to unite them like this. The scene where Yosuke pulls him out of the delusion that his friends would just move on from him is one of my favorite character moments for both of them. P4 does appeal to my very specific power fantasy of helping as many people as possible and petting every cat I find. Is this what it means to be the true gigachad? I hope so

[@schuetz600]

Funnily enough, Mitsuo did a nice job of throwing me off as this was my first Persona game and I didn't know I still had quite a few more months to play lol. Great work explaining Mitsuo here and touching on the power fantasy discussion of p4. I may have been a badass hero in this game, but p4 made me re-evaluate how I view my relationships and self-improvement. I love how the investigation team is very prone to making mistakes and getting stumped. That's one of the reasons I find them to be the most relatable and down to earth cast out of the persona games I've played so far! As for whose videos I'm looking forward to? Besides Yosuke and Chie from the main cast, I can't wait to hear your thoughts on Ai, Dojima, and Naoki. I feel that Naoki and Ai especially get slept on despite having really strong links! Awesome work as usual Hiding and I'll see ya next week!

[@tacos3040]

If I may ask how did p4 make you re-evaluate your view on relationships and self improvement?

[@t.funkthecoolmunk5472]

I was in the weird situation where I wasn’t spoiled yet after the second murder, I already suspected Adachi was the killer. Not because of in game evidence but through my knowledge of how to tell a good mystery. If Persona 4 had a good mystery like I heard, I knew they would show the true culprit near the beginning who is somewhat connect to the main character who acted friendly. After being introduced to every person in the main cast, Adachi stood out for looking “unnecessary.” He’s not a party member or a member of your family, yet he shows up in your house multiple times. I thought out of everyone, Adachi would’ve made the best twist villain. I admit, my suspicion on Adchi wavered a few times, especially when I was under the notion that the killer and kidnapper were one and the same. But I was very proud of myself when I was proven right

[@zeo1087]

This might be one of my favorite videos in this series so far, the Mitsuo and Namatame sections were amazing. When I first got into Persona, I’d be lying if the wish fulfillment wasn’t part of my reasoning for wanting to play the games, with everything else being what drew me in and kept me around. Persona 3 was my first game in the series, so when I played 4 I was past that and honestly that meaning/intent behind Mitsuo’s story went over my head, but I completely see and agree with your analysis of it

[@HidinginPrivate]

I'm glad you liked this segment! Yeah I feel you're probably not alone in the Mitsuo stuff. I've seen a lot of people throw around that void quest was a "filler dungeon" over the years and I myself didn't quite get it's importance at first. This interpretation of his dungeon I feel like really makes sense with the narrative and themes of the game though and I think can really resonate if people let them

[@scruber64_]

Even though I had seen Adachi's shadow on the internet multiple times, I never suspected him to be the culprit. Honestly, the writing in this game is exceptional. We were led into thinking Namatame or someone else were the suspects, despite having hints and clues lying in front of our noses that they were afar from being in the guilty party.

[@Flaris]

Namatame is interesting. Since he is both a red herring and yet...kind of not. He wasn't the main culprit. And so he definitely drew attention away from Adachi. But as much as Mitsuo, he was a culprit. Since he did kidnap several people and put their lives in mortal peril. One of which being a small child that without a miracle would have died. He did have the best of intentions and was a victim in his own right. But I just never left the game feeling like Namatame wasn't a legitimate culprit. Although I suppose that makes him effective for dragging both player and Investigation Team down the wrong path. Since Namatame was absolutely a criminal in his own right.

[@spudsbuchlaw]

I didnt know who the killer was when playing P4 for the first time. In hindsight, I dont know how I managed to avoid spoilers, but I hope that more people dont spoil the game for others so they can have a genuine experience

[@3clipse314]

My favorite series at the moment, inspired me to analyze the game myself!

[@HidinginPrivate]

Coolio glad you like it!

[@balintgyuri6555]

When I first played Persona 4, it was some kind of power fantasy to me. Then 'rona round 2 hit and I was at a loss, however I realised something important: I can choose. I can be whoever I want to be while staying true to my ideals. I got into a very toxic and demanding relationship which I quit from by now, and that's the second coming of this realisation wave. I have the power in myself to do it. Reflecting upon the themes in Persona 4 now I see what this game (or rather the series) represents in its thematics. Characters like Adachi and Mitsuo are the people representing the "dark" side of people, that being stuck in yourself and not standing up to change. Facing your deepest desires, fears and thoughts, that people can and will change. Yes, this is all anime-like, but reality is not that far from this. Maybe a bit less lewd and less people flirting with you all the time. Getting to know others and slowly getting close to them might take months or weeks, but in the end it is all worth the effort. TL;DR: get your head out of your ass, gather strength, decide who you want to be and become the gigachad Yu Narukami is! YOU CAN DO IT

[@tsunderemerc2963]

Props to the devs for basically adding everyone you could think of as a potential suspect during that part where you have to brainstorm who the real killer could be, each with their own explanation of how they could or couldn't be it. You can even suspect Nanako. It also helped me avoid spoilers a bit because I only knew Adachi had something suspicious about him on my first playthrough, but the game threw so many red herrings that it wasn't obvious he was the killer until he explains everything later.

[@JuliusKingsleyXIII]

Another great video. The power fantasy of the Persona games is definitely a big part of its appeal, and you make an interesting point about how this contrasts with the game's theme of facing the truth. I guess it depends on the individual, but I think at its best the Persona series can encourage someone to "pursue the truth" (or other thematic goals) IRL. I first played Persona 3 and 4 right before college and they definitely had a big impact me on going in. It can be a nice escape in the moment that can also encourage you to improve yourself when not playing the game.

[@HidinginPrivate]

Yeah, I think while persona simulates a very pleasant fantasy scenario, the fact that p4 thoughtfully acknowledges and provides commentary of this very part inherent to the story existing in videogame format is nice and offers reflection.

[@FeltonDood]

Another video apart of my Saturday work routine. I wash dishes for a couple hours, then I get a small break before switching roles, and then I watch your persona 4 video for the week. Thank you for the wonderful content as always. Keep it up.

[@HidinginPrivate]

Glad to become a part of your weekly schedule! I'll try to keep up with the consistency- although these segments will be getting longer as we go on

[@FeltonDood]

@@HidinginPrivate Longer the better, I'll save it for when I get home then.

[@hakkesho12]

Such a good retrospective on how the game uses red herrings as sources of introspection, both for the cast and the players. The use of Mitsuo as a suspect was sooooo thematically perfect and broke the 4th wall in more ways than we might’ve initially given them credit for. I’ll never forget the chill of watching him refuse to accept his shadow, and how it’d be equally disturbing to see someone play this game but not take its lessons to heart. This game demonstrates how the developers often give the players some wish fulfillment without leaning into a full-on escapist fantasy. Bit of a tangent, but one of my favorite parts during the team’s interrogation of Namatame is when he confesses, “I wanted to be the hero,” and Yosuke shows a visible reaction to that. A Magician Arcana like Yosuke definitely shares some traits and complexes with people like Mitsuo and Namatame, and given he acts as the best friend/audience surrogate for us, getting to know him indirectly gives us insight into the mentality of these two. W/o the support system of the investigation team, he might’ve given in to his own hero complex like both of our suspects did.

[@domoarigato2363]

Mitsuo, my beloved. He's so interesting, he's not like a good person, but he's kinda interesting. I want him to get way too into speedrun.

[@HidinginPrivate]

You want him to speedrun videogames on twitch?

[@domoarigato2363]

@@HidinginPrivate IDK, maybe, I want him to have this rivalry with Futaba over the whole thing. I think developinkg some kind of dynamic with somebody would be good for his mental health. IDK lol. Thinking of a homestuck au with him, Maki, Futaba, and Jun as the players. Calling it THE LONELIEST KIDS IN THE WORLD.

[@blackspy8331]

His new favorite game is pizza tower

[@bananabike279]

Finally, a Persona 4 analysis that explains... where Scott the Woz's theme came from. Just kidding, great video! I never even noticed Namatame just hanging around town throughout the game.

[@senflyer-]

I liked how the different suspects commented on different aspects of the game and it's themes. Even having the ending spoiled, it was written in such a way that it was still very engaging.

[@HidinginPrivate]

I very much enjoy how they engaged with the suspects in ways that were unique each time while adding to the overall themes and narrative. I also love Naoto!

[@senflyer-]

@@HidinginPrivate Looking forward to when the parts about the Investigation Team release!

[@Amarant127]

The analysis about Mitsuo has totally taken me off guard and now that I think about it you´re right, is like a message for the player. I never watched it from that perspective. Thanks for the video.

[@customarymagic]

Somehow I got Adachi being the antagonist spoiled for me, but remembered nothing else besides Adachi=bad. When he first came on screen I remember getting angry with him but had no idea why. Then he was all friendly throughout the game and I thought that maybe I was just wrong initially. It's just cool that the game is so good at throwing you off that you question yourself even when you think you know what's going on.

[@zaythleon5847]

I never found it surprising that adachi didn't relate to mitsuo because at the core of his character is selfishness. At the end of the day he only cared to look at himself and his perception of the world regardless of anyone else

[@mredbadger]

Yeah, from Adachi’s perspective all of them are dumbass highschoolers with no perspective, and he’s the only one who actually knows what he’s talking about. He was offended by the very idea that Mitsuo’s crime was mistaken for his

[@dhi_holo]

What I find interesting is in a way, Adachi is as much a red herring as Mitsuo and Namatame to me Going in, I knew who the killer was, yet on my first playthrough, I got two different bad endings. One with Namatame, and one at the end. I was confused why I'd never met Izanami, why I hadn't gotten InO, and 4 being my third adventure into the series, after 5 and 3, I thought that because I was doing farewells, I'd already long missed it. Through Adachi, and Marie honestly, I was led down a final red herring, missing the final truth.

[@statz3697]

I didn't really get mitsuo before but your analysis of him help me understand his character more thanks

[@HidinginPrivate]

I'm glad!

[@CookieDoeVT]

This series is so insightful. Keep it up!

[@HidinginPrivate]

I'll try! Thanks for commenting!

[@yuki5619]

i still get chills when i see mitsuo saying "yuki", it feels like he's talking to me and i don't like it

[@HidinginPrivate]

Yuki I miss youuu!!!

[@manapeajuice]

the whole 'sheep dog sheep sheep clothing dog' segment made my head spin

[@koikat6638]

This is really well made! I love the insights even if I came to the same conclusions a good while before this. Keep up the good work!

[@HidinginPrivate]

Thank you! I will!

[@h2643]

I love the fact that you use P2 music in your videos

[@HidinginPrivate]

Good songs fit good places

[@rileyninja9733]

I don't think I've ever heard the word glomping, so it's kinda similar to a bear hug as it is a crushing hug

[@HidinginPrivate]

It sure is a glomp

[@ItsShaz1]

Loving these P4G videos!

[@HidinginPrivate]

Thanks! I'll keep em coming

[@AdachiSimp]

When you're an adult you realize that Mr Morooka was actually caring for the students and his antagonistic antics were mostly to keep them in check and not ruin their lives because of teenage stupidity.

[@JimIBobIJones]

The red herrings are kinda obvious though. Subtlety isnt exactly what anime is known for. Instead of giving hints they load everything with overly obvious exposition (like jnstead of having namatame in the background they have one of the gang repeatedly, and expressly point out "OH LOOK, WHO IS THAT GUY, make sure to notice him, hint hint"). Adachi could also have been a nice twist but they also go in too heavy handed. They keep having him provide key plot points so much that he might as well have a "i am very important to the plot" shirt on and a " i am the real killer" flag with him at all times.

[@jackson3475]

Fair enough, but it can still be enjoyable.

[@edgyone2273]

Glad to see a new upload so soon! But do make sure to not overwork yourself man

[@HidinginPrivate]

I was working 24/7 on this series for 4 months before the first part dropped. I still have a lot of work to do but if I need to take a weekend off I can do it. I have the next 3 months of segments finished at this point. Just 8 more to finalize at this point! Thanks I hope I can continue to have your support 🙏

[@PKRockin7]

Another stellar analysis The "Mitsuo Kubo and the Player" segment was haunting and impactful. Kubo always makes me feel this sense of... gratefulness. I'm not and will never be like the protagonist, but my experiences in high school and beyond, being able to connect with others and have an actual direction in life. I just can't help feeling grateful and happy that I could achieve those things Definitely an underrated and fundamentally important arc in Persona. His refusal to accept his Shadow says it all.

[@isakjarlestedt2001]

this video was so good! you somehow explained this complex thing so good that i could understand it in only 14 minutes, great job :-)

[@HidinginPrivate]

Thank you! Sometimes I wish I could drop the parts more often bc I get so happy seeing people's reactions

[@sneeze4100]

There is no reference to 3D dot game heroes, as that game was published by Fromsoftware in Japan a year after P4's release date. That is simply a commonplace way of representing pixel art in 3D.

[@Lonelany]

You just released this while I'm replaying P4G. Great video!

[@SportsGaming-ll3ru]

I still love that mitsuo was so obsessed with being noticed, he still thinks he’s the killer, that he couldn’t resolve his shadow and gain a persona

[@mageyplss]

Weirdly enough, Yukiko is actually a suspect for like 5 minutes until Yosuke goes "oh yeah she's in the TV"

[@tintor2]

It's like how Cloud from ffvii during his Zack persona his character is a wishfullfilment as Zack is a famous hero into a relationship with Aerith and really cocky personality. When Cloud remembers his own persona he becomes a more relatable character than Zack. Same with Tidus from ffx who is definitely the most relatable due his unknown world in a similar way to teenager growing up and living up to everybody's expectations if you want a home

[@Its_Noctis]

i cannot express how much i like this series! are you considering doing an analysis for the other persona games? because that would be awesome

[@HidinginPrivate]

It'll all come down to how viable this is by the time the p4g series concludes

[@Its_Noctis]

@@HidinginPrivate ah i see. thanks for the reply!!

[@TwisterTH]

07:45 - as ScottTheWoz fan, I have to say: ~ FoR ReAL!?

[@Limit02]

I didn’t get to play P4 until the pc port so I had been spoiled on the true culprit time and time again, but I somehow only knew about mitsuo from the hiimdaisy comic and didn’t even know namatame existed despite him being (sort of) pushed as part of a trio with Yu and Adachi (Wish people and Atlus themselves were that tight lipped about Adachi lol…)

[@frankwest5388]

One weakness of the game in my opinion is that the game doesn’t really give us red herrings to the player, that it doesn’t solve itself. The sequence where Yu thinks about who it might be and you have to guess the killer yourself is the only time you would even suspect anyone and even then the game doesn’t build your social links up as red herrings, so it is weird that the get brought up at all. Maybe it would have been better if the game gave you a few reasons to suspect the names it brings up by the end, so it feels better to find the real one. Like maybe Saki’s brother could be brought up to have been jealous of his sister for a long time, which would “give him a motive” for her death but he would be unrelated from the reporter. I don’t know

[@mattiascolamiero5656]

"It's finally over"

[@Nodegama]

Oh yeah. I loved that part of the story and how the game handled it. Nice Analysis.

[@HidinginPrivate]

Thanks. Yeah I think people talk about persona as wish fulfillment without bringing up how the game directly comments on it a lot

[@skynet0912]

The only problem i really have with this game, is just how long the game expects you to remember tiny details, among a sea of red herrings who, even when you know from the start they aren't the real culprit, you still have to keep everything straight in your head through 50-60 hours of gameplay... And even when i made a guess as to the real culprit, i never felt like i had "solved" the case, but mostly that i guessed the mechanicly most probable suspect from the options i was given. I was pretty much just guessing Adachi because he was one of the only people we interact with a lot, who wouldn't break the narrative if they became the real culprit. And even on repeat playthroughs i could never find a good reason as to why you should suspect him over everyone else, as even the conclusions the gang comes to never really makes sense with what the player has been shown. At least with Akechi, where i missed the pancake comment on my first playthrough, i noticed that the culprit who shot Okumuras shadow was left handed, and when looking through every character of note in the game, Akechi was the only one who was left handed! The game never paints this as an important thing, and i never got an answer when i brought it up to the developers as to if this was intentional. But when Royal came out, suddenly the game put the spotlight on Akechi being left handed for seemingly no reason in one of his first confidant ranks. So it made me think that Akechi had more player available open clues than Adachi ever had, and i felt much more that pure observation was enough to solve that case, where Adachi never felt like it could really be "solved", but only reasonably guessed based on game mechanics and context...

[@jamescarrotcsl8]

Honestly the main fault I have with the mystery is that adachi has to write a warning letter for no reason so the player can figure it out

[@Videofriki12]

I myself consider P4G to be one of the best games ever made and your videos make me appreciate this game even more, this game is a gem that I wish many can enjoy. I thank you so much for your work. I patienly wait every week to see one of your videos, you put a lot of effort and deserve more recognition! And to add, I was spoil by some details of this game like the killer, but I will say the red herrings were well written, I even questioned if it actually was Adachi. Obligatory: SorRy FOr BaD EnGLishH

[@rophi7284]

I'll admit, i thought the killer was king moron on my first playtrough

[@HidinginPrivate]

Glad it got someone atleast. I think people have a hard time putting themselves in the shoes of the investigation team bc lots of people have already been spoiled on p4g before they play these days

[@DKzCoolD2]

Sheeeeeeeep! So much sheeeeeeep! Great video.

[@HidinginPrivate]

Sheeeeepeeeeppp

[@rem9142]

I kinda got that same feeling about King Moron at 2:00 and I really thought I was crazy for a second

[@gaminglanddhruvrai]

Yess this is what I was waiting for

[@vaultboy5739]

These analysis' makes me realize i missed out so much on first playthrough, i have already started another cause of you, thanks.

[@secretasianman991]

Although I might have been able to think this way because I made it through without being spoiled, am I the only one that genuinely thought that it was Dojima?

[@dumbbirdyboysquawks8147]

God, I love each and every one of these videos that comes out. I've said it before and I'll likely say it again, but the passion just oozes out of every single line, talk about a mega-project!

[@HidinginPrivate]

I'm glad you're enjoying and hoo boy yes this certainly is a mega project.

[@swindlesmccoop]

My mind was blown when I replayed the game and saw the delivery truck go by to kidnap Rise when we were chasing the random Otaku guy, there's actually a lot of foreshadowing like that in the game.

[@underscore58]

Great video man!

[@HidinginPrivate]

Thanks!

[@killerskulldog]

Amazing analysis

[@HidinginPrivate]

Thank you

[@ChaosTearKitsune]

You know I was super pumped up to watch this till the casual P5 spoiler lmao-- I ripped off my headphones but you know, already heard the palace thing. Maybe in the future even though this game has been out for awhile you could preface you're going to mention stuff like that. Unfortunately I wont be able to watch your essays until im done with P5R ):

[@HidinginPrivate]

All I say is how many dungeons are in persona 5. Like the number of dungeons. I don't even go into what they are, how they play into the story. I could have cited persona 3 as an example as well since it does something similar. Is that spoiling persona 3? This seems like a really strange standard to consider a spoiler imo. The videos of this series will not mention persona 5 other than this one, and a bit about Futaba's social link at the beginning of the Naoki video. I don't think it pops up anywhere else

[@zakiyyah8093]

I really really loved the mystery of it. If I didn’t play Persona 5 first. I would have had a hard time figuring out who the killer is.

[@HidinginPrivate]

Ah yeah- is that because of the cop/detective angle? Adachi/Akechi being similar in name? I also played p5 first but am pretty good at avoiding spoilers and shutting off my brain so I was able to enjoy mostly unspoiled

[@zakiyyah8093]

@@HidinginPrivate definitely the similarity in and the cop/ detective thing. Personality wise Adachi was harder to figure out. Akechi always seemed suspicious to me.

[@alexanderackerman3807]

When I first played P5 I though that Akechi was so sketchy and obvious that there was no way that he could be anything other than a red herring. I felt like an idiot afterwards lol.

[@mreverything7056]

As someone who went in to Persona 4 blind, I can say that all the red herrings and the identity of the true killers makes the story SO much more engaging. It wouldve been so boring to go through all the dungeons without ever meeting the bad guy, and the red herrings help make you feel the same frustration the characters feel about how layered and complicated the investigation is. You can imagine my surprise when Adachi was caught, and I thought “Nice it’s all over- THE GAS STATION ATTENDANT?!”

[@detmigdetmig4893]

Very well made video, be proud of yourself! :)

[@RandomizedYoutuber012]

The one thing I new about this game going in was who the real killer was, but I kinda upped my experience for before and after you catch him, as I always wanted to know why him of all people, what was his motive And the golden content afterwards, not having it spoiled was very fun as well

[@pokemongo-up3rq]

Evil Nanako: "You just couldn't quit while you were ahead, could you big bro?"

[@jackpilcrow]

"Mitsuos boss is based off of 3D Dot Game Heroes" -Persona 4 (PS2) -3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3) I think you got a little too excited writing your script there. 3D Dot Game Heroes was developed by Silicon Studio and was first published in Japan by FromSoft (Demon souls and notably Armor Core Franchise at this time), and Atlus USA got publishing rights for US localized versions. There does actually exist differences between the localized and original version, though I personally don't know the extent of that in regards to the Mitsuo hero skin. But regardless, the presence of that in the game reads more as a fun reference to Persona 4, which was definitely out by the time 3D Dot Game Heroes was in development. It would have been better to just scrap 3D Dot Game Heroes segment and focus more around Dragon Quest or any other classic JRPG, since I have no idea what your trying to say at all with the meme-ify stuff in relation to that game.

[@ItsDanbo]

Adachi was pissed by the fact that talented people had gotten it better compared to him, who had worked hard all his life and got nothing but a career ending transfer for some small mistake. Also Adachi didn’t want any sympathy for Kubo, mainly cause he didn’t want Kubo from coming forward as the killer, otherwise his fun, the only thing that got him going in life, would end

[@ClaireSamuelsVA]

Excellent job on this, and looking forward to watching the other videos. You deserve more subscribers!

[@HidinginPrivate]

Hope you like them! Thanks hope I get more haha

[@USChoudhari]

Thanks for the video!

[@HidinginPrivate]

Thanks for engaging!

[@gordonfreemanlaw]

Love these analysis videos! Keep them up :)

[@HidinginPrivate]

Thanks I'll try!

[@manimifire8563]

Good insight, enjoyed that.

[@HidinginPrivate]

Thanks!

[@zanzaklaus2496]

I think there's something to be said about how this layered form of red herring can lull players into a false sense of security. A lot of ink has been spilled over "immersion" and "suspension of disbelief", in the sense of how much a viewer buys into the narrative sincerely vs how much do they recognize as a facade constructed by the artists. When you see things like the creepy paparazzi stalker guy or mitsuo's confession taken seriously, it can sort of de-legitimize the game's writing in your own head in a way. "If the story is expecting me to engage with this alongside the main characters, then I can see the ceiling for how hard I am supposed to be thinking about this. The writer must really want to spell out their intentions even when it's kind of ridiculous like this, and believes this level of a misdirect is sufficient. I guess I will just have to accept it on the author's terms of being less trope aware, less subversive, or just a quirk of their story." Seemingly, your trust in the author's ability to misdirect you can be slightly eroded: not to a huge extent, but maybe a little bit of doubt will spring to your mind. This makes Namatame and the reveal of the actual killer all the more shocking, because you were lead to believe the story would have those more obvious, "lower caliber" misdirections. It's very rare that I see this sort of phenomenon actively used in stories.

[@fauxparadox]

Great video, love the editing!

[@HidinginPrivate]

Thanks! I try to make a atleast a cpuple fun edits per video

[@HaydenTheHistorian]

there are many suspects among us

[@HidinginPrivate]

One suspect among us is sus

[@tremassicotte3172]

Theirs a smt 1 reference in that video game dungeon.

[@sonic23233]

I can't believe that they thought that freaky fish guy was the killer

[@radualexandru1250]

I got a little lost with all the wolfs and the sheeps ...

[@cooltwittertag]

Calling morooka a well meaning person, when hes also sexually attracted to minors like rise is a bit uncalled for

[@777SilverPhoenix777]

honestly I apparently have just played to many games because I pegged Adachi as the killer right out of the gate. I was never spoiled on it either. Apparently all the crime dramas I watched as a kid just made the cop with the chip on his shoulder more appealing as a villain. guy was also creepy level of weird throughout the game. Plus Kubo was very obvious to me as a copycat killer since Morooka didn't fit the established pattern for the killings. loved the journey to get there regardless but Persona 3 is still better IMO. I hate having the entire cast revolve around the protag, it confuses the messaging Atlus was going for.

[@falsesenpai]

Yeah I got that sheep part, didn't have to watch it 3 times to understand it because the sheep sheeped the dog which was a dog and not a sheep because the sheep was actually a dog and the dog was a sheep! Jokes aside, very dope analysis on all the different redhairings!

[@zainrehman2660]

knowing adachi was the killer before playing actually tripped me up because at one point I thought I'd maybe misread as I thought it didn't make sense that he was actually the killer until the namatame arc happens and it clicked that he set him up, my brain did a back flip

[@aaron75fy]

no, ameno sagiri was the seed of Izanami that was hidden within him as his true power was released

[@quintonclothier6171]

Take a shot every time he uses the word sheep. Or don’t.

[@statesminds]

Just interesting video! I subbed!

[@xxProjectJxx]

When I first played P4, I really didn't think of the game in terms of a regular mystery. I wasn't looking at the side characters and thinking one of them might be the killer. I fully believed that the real culprit would just be some guy that we never met who would just show up at the end. That's why I fell for Namatame at first, but none of the others. I remember when the game asked me to pick who the culprit could possibly be, I was so confused. I never even considered that it would be any of the characters I met. My first guess ended up being Kashiwagi LOL. Because she was so insecure about her looks compared to other women and the only victims that weren't kidnapped by Namatame were other women.

[@cluckrae8078]

The real culprit always been Tanaka

[@boisvert45]

I had survived being spoiled of Adachi's extracurricular activities. Until i found a mod for smash ultimate putting adachi over Joker and Magetsu Izanagi over Arsen

[@jarosawerdanowski4295]

I love your videos!

[@HidinginPrivate]

Thank you!! I'll try to keep making things you engage with!

[@jarosawerdanowski4295]

​@@HidinginPrivate After watching your video i think that wife of Namatame was also a posible suspect at start, when i was playing persona 4 i thought that she could kill tv reporter becouse of her jealousy and fact that we didn't see her much just her posters make it more misterius.

[@yuki5619]

IT'S THE NEW VIDEO YASSSSSSSSSSSS

[@HidinginPrivate]

AAAHHHHHHHH

[@deadsagelife]

i played this game as a kid no spoilers, so i suspected morooka from the start

[@BasementDweller_]

Thought the killer would be Yukiko. All the victims were connected to her.