Reviewing Every Persona Game // KBash Persona Retrospective Supercut

[@Rhoen13]

9:26 Maki: "Lets have children." KBash: *warps away* Maki: "Hmmmm* I feel terrible for laughing at that as much as I did hahahaha

[@shierubea]

You're not alone, that shit cracked me up too 😂

[@reillocb]

Watched the first vids, rewatching now to boost the algorithm. That said, don't get too caught up in channel performance m8, you're at your best when passionate not burnt out

[@deiiyulol1407]

thanks cause it got recommended to me

[@MelloxMaster]

@@deiiyulol1407 Same, just skimmed over the 1 & 2 section, watched as much of FES P3 I could without spoilers (haven't finished it) and then enjoyed the two hours of P4 Golden and P5R.

[@goroakechi6126]

On the point of P5 characters not being outcasts from society, I’d say that’s not quite the point. The one unifying link between Ann, Makoto, Yusuke and Haru, is that society wasn’t shunning them, but it only cared about what they could give it and not the consequences. Haru herself embodies this perfectly. She mentions that before the Phantom Thieves, she hadn’t met any actual friends because everyone from teachers to schoolmates were using her to get to her father. Makoto was used by the principal to attack the phantom thieves against her will, Yusuke was forced to stay with the man who murdered his mother and stole his work while abusing the closest thing he had to friends, and Ann…Ann was sexually harassed by her own teacher. And her best friend was sexually assaulted and attempted to kill herself. And nobody, NOBODY CARES. The teacher even tries to keep everyone silent in the moment, seconds after she jumped. The overall message is less “Outcasts should ignore society’s wishes and accept themselves” and “HOLY SHIT THIS IS NOT GOING TO GET BETTER BY ITSELF, BEAT IT OVER THE HEAD OR THIS WILL KEEP GOING”. Hell, the only character who’s an active outcast is Akechi…and you know. Mass murder.

[@livingtoaster1358]

See I get that, but the issue I have with Persona 5, is that it treats everything so black and white, at least so far from what I've played, like it just wants to blame society, when all society is, just a collective bunch of individuals, you want to fix society? Fix the individuals in society, the top people just because they have more power doesn't mean they're the problem, they just have more power to exercise that issue they have, for example everytime the bad guys confess their sins, none of the characters talk about how society reacts to them confessing them, and usually the reaction is "they're a piece of shit garbage human being they deserve this shit, oh who's gonna believe them" y'know those people are the actual ones who are messed up, because like I said the only difference is the amount of power they have, at least the villains, although forced to, repented of their crimes, and realizing you did awful things, you feel like you're in hell, you torture yourself, and people don't realize how just as easily they would be like that, given the circumstances, so my issue is the moral superiority society, individuals, feels that they have over other people just because they're not that person, because it's easy to say what someone did was wrong, everyone knows that, that's such a lazy boring thing that helps solve absolutely nothing, but what does is, what makes people do evil and moral wrong, and how do we fix it in an individual and collective way, and Persona 5, so far again, I only just got Futaba so they might go deeper later, doesn't really dig deeper than "the person's shadow" which is part of the way I'll give it that, but it's a lot deeper than that

[@CivilChev]

@@livingtoaster1358 Dude. You can't go bashing the whole game when you've barely hit half way though the game...

[@livingtoaster1358]

@@CivilChev to my knowledge I am halfway through, beating Futaba's palace is the halfway point, and I'm going on the Hawaii trip rn, so I think my opinion of the game is solidly founded, I don't even think it's a bad game I think the writing is just super lazy, I'm not bashing the whole game, I love the combat, the music is good, graphics are decent, I like the characters and I like what they were going after, but I thinking the writing is just lazy

[@animeproblem1070]

@@livingtoaster1358 trust me finish the game it makes it more obvious what’s going on when you finish the game don’t make wrong criticisms when you don’t even know

[@livingtoaster1358]

@@animeproblem1070 alright man, I'll keep playing it don't get it twisted I still enjoy the game, the writing just gets me annoyed

[@aeonixhope8383]

The theme of the third semester, at least from what I can figure, is not 'unfixing society' but more about 'confronting painful truths'. Maruki's plan to give everyone a happy ending may at first seem good, but by undoing much of that was caused to the Phantom Thieves, he has also on some level undone some of their character development. Ryuji and Ann never got involved in the teacher's fiasco, and so never had reason to actually go against the grain of society. Yusuke possesses a better relationship with Madarame, but he never come. Makoto may now have a living father, but she also never comes to question the law as much as she does when she was a Phantom Thief. Haru also possess a living father and a better relationship with him, but is not as aware of the harsh reality of business as before. Morgana's and Futaba's situations are the only ones with mostly positive effects, but even then the main issue comes down to control. It would be one thing if Maruki decided to grant them their wishes, but it's a completely different thing that he decides what he thinks is best for them. And the thing is, there are things that just don't make sense regarding happy wish fulfillment. Yusuke is an obvious answer, since theoretically Maruki could have revived his mother and gave Yusuke two caring adults, but Maruki's never does. Similarly, despite the fact that he now had the theoretical power to bring back Kasumi at the time of the third semester, Maruki instead lets Sumire continue living the lie of being her sister. Maruki may have good intentions, but he is ultimately doing what the past two villains have done: control the world for his ideals. No one has the choice of whether or not they get to undo their tragedies, Maruki would rather just wash the plate clean and make them happy based on his own ideas. I just felt like I had to comment on this, since I felt that comment on the third semester about its theme being a reverse of the original was off. I don't think the Phantom Thieves are denying the desire of wish fulfillment, they are denying the lack of control of that wish fulfillment. And if that wish fulfillment comes at the cost of being a puppet, then is it truly wish fulfillment? Because losing all memories of the previous reality is kind of like brainwashing. Other than that, I do like the video.

[@ryuzxa]

Ngl I like how Tatsuya has a personality while being an silent protag in IS, you can tell what he's thinking by the look of his portrait.

[@berserkerf0x574]

Kbash : "Damn , didn't knew Christ was a JoJo " Me , who actually read JoJo : "well well , let me tell you something..."

[@redhood7778]

The fact Araki actually put Jesus Christ as the first stand user actually blows my fucking mind

[@berserkerf0x574]

@@redhood7778 we don't deserve him ... he's a God of Manga

[@funnyfunnyvalentine7991]

@@redhood7778 Actually he's not the first, there are many holy figures in Jojo with similar abilities. Jesus just has the strongest

[@supersurge2863]

Lmao Fr

[@frog6054]

@@redhood7778 It kinda makes sense in Jojo universe.

[@SingKahKah]

Most of the Morgana hate stems from him always forcing you to go to sleep ALL THE TIME in the base game. Royal fixed this for the most part

[@Road_to_Dawn]

I gotta say, even in the base game, I never felt all the Morgana hate. Maybe it’s just because I’ve always liked his design but I never minded him. Teddie, on the other hand… lol

[@ianschlembach2185]

@@Road_to_Dawnthe main reason I hate him is that he steals haru’s spotlight. The palace that belongs TO HER OWN FATHER, and it’s pre boss cutscene is given to the cat

[@AirYosukekun]

I feel like people who think that have just never had a cat. My cat comes down at like 9pm and screams at us to go to bed.

[@hellothereworld4401]

I still want to punt him out a window

[@klaus.sfc01official30]

Though as revenge we could button mash his head that eased the pain a little

[@Mir_Teiwaz]

Personally I thought Makoto's showtime with Ryuji was supposed to be a Fist of the North Star reference.

[@kei7540]

It is, ryuji says fist of the phantom star

[@GinraiPrime666]

It is. Makoto's kick and the punches are direct references to Kenshiro plus Ryuji at one point calls Makoto the "Fist of the Phantom Star".

[@io9671]

They are though?

[@bromax360]

@@io9671yes, yes they are.

[@antiproductive4131]

Yeah obviously

[@Khalith]

The only defense I could offer of the whole "the adults turn themselves in during persona 5 to the horrible justice system" is that all of them publicly confessed to their crimes on national tv. Stuff like that is really difficult to cover up.

[@Ramsey276one]

Some broke lawyer: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED [The challenge was in fact FAILED] XD

[@yourdad5799]

​@@Ramsey276one not even Saul Goodman can save you from that

[@kykoa]

Considering that they would most likely plead guilty, they'd probably get a reduced sentence

[@magnusprime962]

@@kykoaTrue, but take Kamoshida for example. He’s going to spend whatever time he’s not in prison as a registered sex offender. Do you know how difficult it is to get a job with that record? He’s going to struggle and toil for the rest of his life. So will all of the others to greater or lesser degrees. They’re going to spend the rest of their lives paying for their mistakes. That’s frankly better than offing them. It gives them a chance to repay their debt to society and denies them a quick and easy punishment.

[@MasterOfBaiter]

What I liked about persona 5 is how you spend the whole game solving issues on an individual level. The game kind of sending the message "society bad cause bad apples" and later hits you in the face about how you are an idiot to think the issues are anything but fundamental.

[@PalaDave99]

*slight spoiler alert* Whoever was responsible for Nanako's writing, I will never forgive you for the tears I shed over my non existent sister in a fictional video game in the thirty minutes I thought stg bad happened to her just for it to be rectified

[@insertnamehere658]

Not a fan of them bringing her back tbh, even if I knew it was coming. Games just don't have the balls to kill kids, especially kids that you have a connection with.

[@FartMart...]

@@insertnamehere658 Well she does die in one of the bad endings, specifically the one where you actively kill Namatame, so she can die in the game, even if it’s not the canonical route.

[@Hymn_]

@@insertnamehere658 i agree, she should've die tbh

[@malum9478]

@@insertnamehere658 nanako is better off alive than dead in the narrative, the strange need that certain people have for stories to be as dark and depressing as possible is a disease.

[@nix98zlcy]

​@@insertnamehere658the mad max game did it tho 💪🏿

[@Darth0Prince]

Naoto's story arc isn't about trasgender problems though. It's about womens role in society, how her being a female restricts her career choices and affects her dreams. That's why she (only somewhat, she herself never stated she actually considered transitioning) wanted to "change", not because she wasn't comfortable in her body or identified as a male. Obviously the game could have handled her presentation better, especially her dungeon, but in all other stuff it's pretty clear she didn't want to change genders to be who she truly was, she just wanted acceptance and freedom in her pursuits.

[@SonicNotAmy]

Thank you. I am grossed out by sick people trying to put an issue into the writing that was never there to begin with.

[@MonsterZeroLITE]

@@SonicNotAmy i think this is why, alongside kanji (although slightly better) I consider them both “Great characters with questionable story-telling arcs”, And as a trans person myself, I understand completely that her arc ISNT about “She doesn’t understand shes maybe a man underneath everything” and it is what it says firsthand: This is about Sexism in society, but i do need to agree with the OP that they definitely should’ve done it better, even Kanji has questionable bits (My biggest probably being his true shadows design, it is based off of homophobic depictions, unless that was the point idk) either way, i still love both characters and who they are as people

[@MxPokirby]

You're missing the point.

[@1che3mau]

@@MonsterZeroLITE it is the point with Kanji's character, bc his issue isn't about his sexuality either. His issue is the same as Naoto's tbh - his interests are something considered feminine and he overcompensates bc he fears people thinking of him as gay (or in more broad terms, just not allowing him to be a man and also like 'feminine' pursuits). I agree it's not handled that well and less clear than Naoto's but honestly speaking I'm quite tired of people applying non-Japanese ideas of gender roles and feminism to the characters bc they are both actually a commentary on issues Japanese society faces and that's been overshadowed a lot.

[@IceQueen975]

@@MonsterZeroLITE The homophobic designs were the point... Keep in mind, Japan and basically every country not the US, Canada and Western Europe isn't LGBT-friendly. The stereotypes are still strong there.

[@kittinmittins]

I love that brown actually crapped his pants, his name makes so much more sense now

[@TheTrueLeafless]

I wouldn't consider Izanami a local goddess or threat...her background is even explained when you go on the class trip. She is the counter point to the MC's persona and the source of it at the same time.

[@ledestroyerofworlds9366]

I just thought it was hilarious when she was like „I am the REAL final boss“

[@firepuppies4086]

In defense of Yosuke's... thing, about Kanji, I think that may not be too off for how A LOT of teenagers go about that, especially back then... Not good, but accurate

[@GamerConnoisseurRei]

yup, welcome to Asia where homophobia is normal especially with teenager so i think what they done to Yusuke was very realistic....i know cuz me and my friends always jokes about gay stuff when we were young

[@aikikaname6508]

Yeah to me the problem with that isn’t Yosuke himself and his phobia- that was realistic writing. The issue was that it never addressed this as a flaw, attempted to have him develop etc and worse, it makes the flawless yes man MC - whom is meant to represent the player - complicit in it with the limited dialogue choices. Because they really back-pedalled hard on him being gay (and interviews with the creators suggest that yes, he was originally meant to be definitively gay at least early on), then homosexuality is just this scary bogie man hanging over the story. Kanji was worried he was this creepy screaming gay stereotype but don’t worry he’s not because he’s not gay. And his acceptance from the group is in part contingent on him liking girls afterall.

[@firepuppies4086]

@@aikikaname6508 again, like 08 Japanese game... it would be tricky to really, talk about that stuff in a liberal view back then

[@malum9478]

@@aikikaname6508 kanji was not meant to be gay, he was, like yosuke, going to possibly at one point be a love interest for the mc afaik. but the point of kanji's character is that it isn't necessarily gay to like feminine things as a man. kanji being gay would completely undermine his arc and make his shadow--who's a corruption of the self made by the perceptions of others and your own insecurities--correct, which would be bad. unless you also think that rise really is a vapid, toxic, nymphomaniac?

[@Gafafsg]

@@firepuppies4086 I mean they discussed things like treatment of women in the workplace and how homophobia also affects het men, and they’ve had canonically bi and gay protagonists previously. It was absolutely possible, just probably not something they ended up wanting to do.

[@personmans1255]

Someone may have pointed this out, but the negotiation guide you were using for P1 probably WASN'T wrong. The phases of the moon can change how some demons react. It's overly complicated.

[@GreenUnicorn06]

Great video! I really appreciate getting a look at 1 and 2 without having to play them myself and your commentary is all-around entertaining. I just had this gnawing urge to comment on the whole "Ryuji's anger outbursts are annoying" thing because I see that as one of the most realistic and interesting parts of his character. Remember how his whole set of issues stem from his dad being abusive and angry? The whole track-team situation was caused by him being unable to control his rage and the real reason it hits him so hard is that he cannot help but think "I'm just like my dad". I've known people in real life who struggled with that exact issue, heck I've struggled with it myself...not the rage/abuse part, but seeing my parents' negative traits manifest in my own behaviour/personality.

[@alfthetruelord]

I can’t say this is the best representation/explanation of p2s characters/story (I mean I get it’s not really a analysis or critique), although I will say the game play explanation is accurate

[@thatrandomguy3914]

you should really go play p2 it has undoubtedly the best story and characters compared to the other persona games. Also this video does kind of shitty job with p2 so take what this guy said about p2 with a grain of salt for the most part.

[@abadenoughdude300]

I hear him say how Ryuji isn't popular because annoying anger outbursts and immediately remember what a cult following Bakugo from MHA has, and that's annoying anger outbursts personified. So, ehhh...

[@n1rvanna_chaos]

Kbash is literally the strongest character in all of fiction. Not only did he oneshot philemon, he did it with a gun

[@pineappleactavis420]

while you have plenty of takes i dont agree with, these reviews were great and you made good cases for your points. even switched my opinions a couple times. very entertaining and funny shit bro, keep at it.

[@Gael-x999]

It's a decent competent put together video but most of his criticism and analysis are just for a lack of a better term Shit

[@rafaelluciano5596]

I played persona 3 when I first moved out in my own to college, and I credit it a great deal for helping to teach me to manage my time as an adult, while valuing the bonds I've formed along the way. Not to mention the religious/smt angle influencing my view of my own faith a great deal. I feel like social links truly felt at home in 3, and characters like junpei and yukari truly felt real. 5 came out after I graduated and moved to Washington state for work, and it resonated deeply with me again as I made new friends while managing my professional life. I can't help but play social link music in my mind after any group hangout that has gone well. 3 and 5 are truly some if the most influential pieces of media in my own life. I'm not even sure if I can truly credit the games for this, but they truly remained the right games at the right time for me. Thanks for putting this video out there and allowing me to reflect on this franchise once again.

[@CU-Later]

"People hate Yukari because shes a realistic character but I think she's amazing" "Yosuke is terrible because he acts just like a teenage boy would" Yeah, that sure makes sense.

[@Gamescook]

She ain't a *creepy* teenager's the thing

[@Hawkatana]

I dunno, I wasn't that much of a little shit when I was a teenager. Yosuke honestly just reminds me of that kind of kid in class who acts edgy because he thinks people will find him funny when everyone is just (rightfully) annoyed by his bullshit. The guy deserves the trash can.

[@ProfiteerProphet]

I feel like the biggest issue with Yosuke is that he has a lot of the bad behaviors one would expect of a boy his age but that are still not good, and recognized as such by many teenagers, but no one ever calls him out, it is never addressed. His blatant homophobia and creepy horniness is always played as a joke. I don't personally feel like he is a bad character, though, as there is a lot to like about him. In a way, that ends up being an interest commentary (probably not intentional) about how we are often willing to swipe under the rug the flaws of people we like. But he is still one of the Persona characters that irks me the most often.

[@tim_soup7099]

@@ProfiteerProphet Dude just straights up suggests murder in cold blood and it's never addressed afterwards, like everything is all hunky-dory.

[@ProfiteerProphet]

@@tim_soup7099 To be honest, unless I'm forgetting something, this was at a point where he thought that the murder victim to be was a serial killer who had just murdered a small child who was very close to him. So this is quite the opposite to "cold blood". He was very much in an altered emotional state. Frankly, if Namatame was, in fact, the killer, and Nanako had, in fact, died....there would be a realy strong argument that Namatame would deserve death. Although I am against the death penalty, I don't know how I would act if in front of me was a guy who I thought had murdered my best friend's six year old cousin/practically little sister. However...that should totally have been addressed. This conversation we are having should have happened in game.

[@Robin-234]

I shouldn't have laughed as much as I did when you put a tic tac toe game over Shido's head lol

[@Stoplightlive]

i disagree on a few points, but overall this was a very well thought out and well written review of the series as a whole. I'm interested to hear what your first game experience was, from what I've seen the first game people play tends to be said person's favorite. keep it up my dude.

[@JakkHorwikk]

I'm not sure about that take for us older folk. My first games were some Atari jams and are definitely not my favorite, but we're all that was available. It wasn't until years later when I first played Sonic 1 and found my adolescent favorite.

[@KasaiKouhai]

@@JakkHorwikk I think he meant first game played in the persona series

[@MrDakold]

Yeah this got recommended randomly to me and i really enjoyed it.I also disagree with some of stuff he said especially about naoto and yosuke but other than that , very good review.

[@seraaron]

Aww I really liked Akechi, I though he was a really written foil to your party in the early game, and I always enjoyed conversations with him. I could never quite tell if he truly suspected me of being a Phantom Thief or whether he was just trolling me.

[@Entropic_Alloy]

It is fucking insane how people keep thinking that Naoto has anything to do with transgender issues and Kanji has to do with homosexuality when they are statement on stereotyping gender roles and how the stereotypying of jobs or hobbies only hurt people with tremendous talent in those roles. Christ it is in the text of the game but people constantly have to mental gymnastics this shit. You can argue that Kanji has more elements about sexuality, but the point of his S. Link is that it didn't matter to him, he just wanted to be accepted for what he loves to do. He clearly likes Naoto as a boy or a girl, in fact he clearly finds girls attractive anyway because he gets flustered with Rise too and nosebleeds seeing Chie and Yukiko in their swim suits. His sexuality isn't important to him, being able to do what he loved without being hated was. As with Naoto, she doesn't WANT to be a man, she is frustrated that she can't be taken seriously because she is a woman and a child, so she thinks that the only way to be taken seriously as a detective is to hide her feminine self, but she comes to terms that she can still be a great detective and a woman. It is literally a female empowerment story. The romance S. Link while having teen horndog tones, also drives home the point that she can be comfortable being feminine and shy but still retain her identity.

[@GReyn]

ikr.. i mean as for Kanji we can at least label him as bisexual, but his point of issue isnt about sexuality, but more of acceptance.. no matter what it is.. and imo, what makes Kanji like Naoto is the fact that she is the first stranger he met that doesnt jump to conclussion and fine being with him alone, although it was necessary for the case.. I mean, like u said, everything has been said in the game dialogue.. not just in the social link but when we go to their dungeons and they talked about it..

[@brotbrotsen1100]

@Something Diabolical I think it's not that deep, it's just a lack of understanding.

[@Ramsey276one]

Vocal Minorities still ringing in our ears ... D-:

[@Mangofdestiny7]

I thought kanji got a nosebleed because he was implied to have been beat up by Yukiko and Chie the night before

[@razzberrysoda89]

I genuinely count myself lucky for having found your channel. I love kicking back and listening to you talk about a classic or obscure game/series

[@Gael-x999]

Is persona really obscure though? I think it's really mainstream especially P5

[@cookieface80]

@@Gael-x999 He said classic or obscure, not and obscure.

[@Tnu1138]

“Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” ― C.S. Lewis

[@grimbobagman4133]

I can't comment on 1 or 2, but I absolutely love how 3, 4 and 5 can be built so similarly but all have such unique style and feelings to them. I love the depressing, moody and almost uncomfortable vibes 3 gives off through its playthrough with its heavy themes of death, I love the warm and cozy hometown vibes from 4 and digging deeper into the unsettling secrets lying just beneath and I adore the bombastic, powerful feeling of playing through 5, taking down basically a bunch of cartoon villains cranked up to 11 to try and better the world. They've always felt like such unique experiences compared to any other JRPG I've played and few others can pull me back in as often as they do. It's still crazy to think it's already been 7 years since 5 was released and I can't wait to see how 6 will feel if/when that comes out down the line. Hopefully we'll get to see KBash love and hate that one in the future too.

[@Ramsey276one]

If you like other RPGs you may like P1 and the P2s They're HARD, though!

[@AwkwardFellow]

Watched all the other ones and a lot of your other content and I gotta say you deserve more people finding your content. This was honestly such a funny and interesting look at the series and you bang out nothing but quality.

[@realkingofantarctica]

You could rank the games backwards and forwards, but the music is always an absolute that people can agree on when it comes to this series. It goes hard.

[@La_Toupeira]

oh my, i´m early, time to have a blast with this!

[@scribeslendy595]

Your combination of serious analysis interspersed with razor sharp barbs (and some great dumb jokes) is a total breath of fresh air. Been watching for quite a while but I'm nowhere close to burning out; please don't burn yourself out on this channel, we'll still be here.

[@tyronechillifoot5573]

Kbash tries to play SMT a story of an abusive relationship

[@havokmusicinc]

You know this was a really good suite of reviews and I'm glad it popped up in my recommended

[@crazydude9991]

Well thought out video. The thing I've noticed is that when it comes to Persona games people seem to take certain aspects and view them in completely different ways. This showed the most in the video on P4 since I just don't agree with pretty much anything that was said about the characters, other than Nanako being great and Yosuke being a dick. For example I never saw Naoto's story being about her not being happy as a woman but more that she wasn't taken seriously as a woman and so she chose the easiest thing she could do and pretend to be a man, but by the end of her link she effectively decides to not change who she is just to please others and that she will be taken seriously as herself and not as someone else, which connects with all the other party members as the entire story is about people throwing away all the things they pretend to be and accept their true selves. It was never about trans people and I don't think it will ever be about trans people regardless of today's landscape. Honestly I think this is a case of someone misreading the theme of the story and then being angry when it doesn't go in the direction that you had assumed it would in your head. It's hard to do analysis on Persona for this reason as part of the games is about getting immersed into the world and characters but by doing that then you become more emotionally connected and opinions are bound to change based off of how you interacted with the game.

[@abadenoughdude300]

To use an easily recognizable parallel, Naoto is basically Mulan - nothing to do gender dysphoria, just putting on disguises to blend in where you wouldn't be normally allowed. It's all over her dialogue, she's not pretending to be a man because she feels more male than female, she does it because she's trying to match her percieved (or socially constructed, as it would be said these days) image of a genius detective, in a society that wouldn't take kindly to a woman in this position (or someone as young either for that matter). It's a commentary on workforce sexism, not transgenderism.

[@alexamorenodelucio8484]

it’s straight up transphobia but you guys aren’t capable of empathize

[@crazydude9991]

@@alexamorenodelucio8484 She's pretending to be a guy for her own benefit. If it wasn't for the fact that she wasn't being treated fairly because she was a woman then she wouldn't have dressed like a man, she even says it outright in the game. Her entire story is about not hiding who she really is, and she feels that she's really a woman, it seriously has nothing to do with her feeling like a man on the inside or anything like that. I get so sick of people intentionally misinterpreting the game just to fit their own ideals and then get upset when it doesn't match up to those expectations.

[@pickedceasar1216]

@@alexamorenodelucio8484 it's literally not. You just don't understand Japanese culture and are trying to make an opinion based on western social structure and history

[@VVVU2x]

Imo, I think the reason why the midnight channel is so high concept is because it refers back to it's themes of pursuing truth instead of distorting the truth.Since the setting feels like a TV station and television likes to distort the truth a lot to appeal to the masses.

[@557deadpool]

...........so what you're saying is P4 is Demolition Man but a game?

[@TheWolfgangGrimmer]

Ameno-Sagiri literally spells this out, I don't know how so many people miss the point...

[@Hello-bg8hv]

Thank you youtube for recommending me this channel. The guy makes watching a video about person barable.

[@randomplaceinruralamerica9618]

“Persona? Isn’t that the game you use to supplement human interaction?” That’s…too accurate. God that’s accurate.

[@davenic2471]

As a huge SMT fan. Thank you for this, this is an amazing project that came out perfect.

[@Whatthescallop1776]

Which is funny because he's only talking about Persona and nothing else SMT related. I get why people see Persona is separate from SMT because of how 90% of "SMT fans" are actually there for Persona content and almost nothing else. I mean SMT V is barely being talked about now while there are youtubers still making Persona essay videos, including this one.

[@davenic2471]

@@Whatthescallop1776 I much prefer mainline SMT but can very much understand the public disinterest. Except for maybe pokemon most people in the west know JRPGs to be HEAVILY story and character driven, I would imagine that's because the only consistently popular one in the west was FF. Except for SMT IV and arguably nocturne, mainline SMT is almost purely gameplay focused, which is probably very strange to most people coming off of other more popular modern JRPGs

[@neaosmt1562]

Time to spread the rumor that in some Universe Persona Trinity soul is canon it's kind of like Megami tensei if

[@neaosmt1562]

@@davenic2471 the devil Survivor series with cool I'm hoping to get Demi kid light and dark version as well ridoh cuzanoa and the soulless Army

[@GinraiPrime666]

@@davenic2471 While there is definitely a larger focus on the gameplay aspects of mainline SMT that doesn't mean story has taken a backseat or is completely non-existent. Its definitely there and is important in the original Shin Megami Tensei and definitely there for Shin Megami Tensei II, even in Megami Tensei I and Megami Tensei II, although not as in-depth as later titles, its still there so you don't forget about whats happening. Speaking from my personal experience as I'm in the UK, I was first exposed to Megaten as a whole via Persona 3 but that would lead to me discovering mainline SMT and the rest of the franchise over the years. Its a shame alot of mainstream Persona fans look at Persona as seperate from the rest of Megaten when you can not only appreciate more of Persona if you're familiar with any of the other games, it can lead you to discovering those games too.

[@c0mplex_Ale]

This is godlike, how tf can one make a retrospective analysis this good? Holy shit.

[@goldentiramisu7935]

2 HOUR??!!! dang KBash, you're really pushing the number huh? great work!

[@renaeg9454]

This was awesome to watch in all in one sitting ! Thanks for all the time and effort !!

[@yuniedante]

I can deeply relate to Persona 4 Naoto's problem. Although I don't think it is a transgender stuff, Naoto just wants to be taken seriously in a male dominated area. Hence, she thinks it is better if she was born as a male (I used to think like that too because my area (Game Design & Development) is male dominated area and it is still is presently especially in my country). Later on, she understood that what she is striving for is to be a great detective and that has nothing to do with her gender, which is a great character development. Naoto still looks cute wearing either girl or boy's outfit. Being a girl, you can look great in both gender's outfit, so flaunt it lol.

[@OOPmanL]

Finally someone actually listened to the dialog in the game.

[@Draven.G]

Naoto was not even a trangender issue and thinking that is egotistical since it means there is a will not dismiss her actual problems and project the own ones into her

[@jureigeeksoutoccasionally]

I am obsessed with the way you talk, This was so good to watch! Great video(s) man!

[@leandrabarros3582]

That's so cool, thanks Bass! Am finally getting my way into playing P4 after some time and am loving it! Edit! I JUST FINISHED P4 YESTERDAY AND OMG IT HAD ME LOOSING MY SHIT FANTASTIC GAME WE ARE LIVING OUR LIVES /10

[@srfn1253]

Persona 4 is awesome! That’s my favorite game of all time!

[@leandrabarros3582]

@@srfn1253 Its so fun right? The soundtrack is so good, the characters and the setting are so charming and the battles! I LOVE the 1 more system, so many amazing stuff really. That's why ATLUS are one of my fav game developers, they are always putting so much care into their craft, its always a joy to play

[@srfn1253]

@@leandrabarros3582 agreed the soundtrack is awesome, characters are great, and the story is awesome.Also it’s really funny.Also dope one piece pfp.What part are u on so far in persona 4? And have you played any of the other personas?

[@leandrabarros3582]

@@srfn1253 Am pretty much towards the end, on the last dungeon it seems. As for if I played other Persona games, I have! My first one was 3 but the first one I finished was P5 Vanilla since I don't have a PS4. Then I finish 3 right after, and now am playing 4.

[@Gael-x999]

@@leandrabarros3582 which persona game is your favorite?

[@Pduarte79]

When this does a better job celebrating P25th than the actual event itself. 😅

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

Holy crap man, congrats on reviewing all of this, wow. I’m a pretty small-time Persona fan who loves 5 and hasn’t experienced the rest, but I know how long these games are and I’m amazed you got through all of these and that made reviews and crammed it into 2.5 hours. I haven’t seen it all her as it’s 6am and I’m too tired but I’ll be watching these tomorrow. Also I’ve gotta say, that joke at the start with the guy giving you personas was hilarious, but you should’ve summoned your persona like they do in 3 with the gun-to-the-head thing since you had a pistol to hand, such a big missed opportunity! /s I know that probably would’ve demonetised your so the way you did it is good too.

[@exostudios8563]

I enjoyed this video, however I feel that you heavily shafted P1, P2IS, and P2EP by one putting them together and two not going more in depth like you did with the last three. PS: Was it only "Revelations: Person" or was Shin Megami Tensei Persona (the Japanese Cover) and Persona Portable not options?

[@thatrandomguy3914]

yeah also he shits on the p2 cast and story way too much someone who has't played the games probably would think the game is dogshit based on what he said

[@stormstrider]

On the 'Escapist's Dream Made Real' argument, the one point I can make is, you're letting one individual play a god. Even worse, you're expecting an imperfect human to play a god, who has all the moral dilemmas and lack of integrity any other human can have. One bad day can bring about the apocalypse. You also have to hope that one person remains altruistic. If they start making demands after the whole world has bent knee, who would stop them?

[@raidenvakarian9362]

To preface, I absolutely 100% agree that the depiction of trans people (and LGBT folk in general) in the Persona franchise has been pretty abysmal. But with that said, I don't think Naoto's arc is about her being pressured into womanhood - instead, it's about her presenting as a male solely because in her line of work it's next to impossible to be taken seriously as a woman (a sentiment echoed by Sae in the sequel). A lot of the party members have this arc where they kind of start and end in the same place. Yukiko starts as next in line for being inn manager, refuses that, then accepts it again. Yosuke goes through something similar with his parents' Junes. Rise starts as an idol, retires, then returns. Kanji starts off being a tough, intimidating guy, mellows out his demeanor, then ends up still being a tough, intimidating guy (even after he changed his appearance in the time skip). What really changed was their own perception of themselves, and how they felt comfortable with these choices because they could rest assured that they were the ones who made them. Similarly, Naoto starts off dressing in masculine clothing, tries to reject that and wear more feminine outfits, and then goes back to wearing masculine clothing, but now comfortable with the knowledge that she's comfortable with them and it's not something she feels like she HAS to do. It's her choice now, regardless of what anyone thinks she should or shouldn't do. Now, I agree this isn't presented super gracefully, but overall, I'd say her social link is pretty much thematically in line with those of the other party members, and I don't feel like Atlus have objectified her or done some great disservice to the trans community (not with Naoto at least).

[@dbear7717]

@Something Diabolical huh?

[@null6094]

@@dbear7717I think they were making an attempt at calling lgbt people bad but it didn’t really make sense

[@laflemmeinfuse5443]

It's honestly incredible how this many people misunderstand Naoto's arc It was never about her wanting to be a man because she felt she was a man, but her wanting to become a man because it would make it easier for her to be a detective and be respected at her job. Only she understands throughout the game that her being a woman will not have any impact on her ability as a detective, and that her true self, the WOMAN, has every right to be and do whatever she wants That's why her romance has the option to push her out of her comfort zone; she wants to be more feminine but doesn't know how to because she had to act masculine for her entire professional life, while the other option is basically "I don't care what you decide, you're you and that's enough" Both are incredibly empowering messages that have nothing to do with belittling Trans issues, and it's quite literally spelled out by the game

[@lotus_143]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS! It baffles me how many people don’t understand this game’s writing. People don’t understand Kanji’s arc either. Also, Yosuke is a high school age boy. OF COURSE HE AWKWARDLY FLIRTS WITH THE GIRLS. OF COURSE HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND KANJI’S CONFUSION. YOSUKE IS IMMATURE AND THAT’S SHOWN THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE GAME. I’m not yelling at you, btw. You’re a smart one lol

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

@@lotus_143 People understand the text. That's not what's going on.

[@Cloudindustries]

I appreciate the reviews and the humor. Definitely made work go by super fast and made me want to play through the most recent 3 games.

[@charlielyrictarot]

And can we just note that every persona had amazing music from the beginning! My first persona was 3 fes and I've played all of them besides the 2’s. I beat persona 5 and played 1 for the first time last year. The battle theme had me jam’n!

[@dexstockworks2043]

Respect this man made a 3hr long video reviewing Persona

[@slappyface6574]

Pretty good video overall but those are such incredible reaches at the end, like pretty much the exact same thing as the "I like pancakes", "So you hate waffles?" Tweet

[@thales7947]

Did you do Persona 3's Sun Social Link, Akinari? I love that thing to death, so I may as well ask. Incredibly well made review, by the way!

[@impIicit]

kiwi beer? what‽ that sounds amazing. also great video so far, i’ve watched nearly the whole thing. was going to comment at end but the kiwi beer got me lol. never played any persona games just love well-researched/dissected/detailed video essays on anything!

[@ZatchBell24]

I didn't know I needed this but I'm glad it's here

[@VoidEternal]

Oh my god you scared the shit out of me. I thought you were releasing ANOTHER fucking video. Also I will most likely watch this at least 3 times.

[@daddyespressodepresso2207]

watched every individual video and now this supercut and I know I'm late and someone has probably mentioned this before but I don't see it in these comments so I want to say; I actually think the fact that the game asks you to mimic the personality of a social link to increase your rank with them is VERY thematically appropriate and resonant. Your character's unique trait is literally that he can embody any persona, that he can mask any personality. In a way, the game asking you to mask as different personalities to maximize your relationships is the same as Igor asking you to sacrifice and fuse many personas to excel at the dungeon crawling. This is most obvious in P5 with it's aesthetic theme of a masquerade (you're literally wearing the mask of the personality that best matches the social link), but mechanically it's the same in P3 and 4, you're the fool, the wildcard, the one character that can use multiple personas, and there's a thematically resonant reason to do so in both "halves" of the game. In the JRPG half it allows you to play the elemental Rock Paper Scissors with your enemies optimally and in the Social Sim half you're literally equipping the best personality to become friends faster. Is it manipulative? yes, but it's also very fitting for the themes of this series and your characters specifically.

[@CivilChev]

I think the Naoto segment aged really well, actually. Naoto thought it was better to be a guy due to all of the greatest detectives all being male, including her family. Not only that but in Japan being a female on the force was way more unorthodox (a plot point in the next Persona game). The only reason Naoto wanted to be a guy is because they legitimately thought they would be a better detective if they were one. Her learning to accept that she is a woman, that she is who she is, and her gender doesn't change the fact she can be a great detective is actually MORE empowering than if she accepted the fact that as a woman she HAD to transition into a man to be a detective. I don't see the player telling her they like her more feminine side as a "fetishization" I see it as someone helping their friend become comfortable with a change that is difficult for them to make. Throughout the whole game they have no issues attempting to be a male yet she is TRYING to accept her femininity and her womanhood and you are shaming the player for assisting their friend? The fact that she is comfortable enough around the player to try and push herself out of her comfort zone is empowering. If she were a male transitioning into a female you would think so too, but JUST because she's a character who COULD be considered trans all of a sudden this scene is considered bad because everyone WANTS her to be trans! Yes, Kanji struggling with his sexuality was handled poorly, but Naoto was done very well and it is only BECAUSE of current events that people think otherwise because now it's bad that Naoto ISN'T trans?! If genuinely accepting your friend for who they want to be is considered "fetishization" because it doesn't match your political views doesn't that mean you're "fetishizing" the character to match your political views? If throughout the whole game they were obviously female with hints of wanting to be male, and then her max social link has her try and be more of a guy around you and then you say you prefer her as a woman, THEN you are justified. I implore to replay the scenes with Naoto while forgetting about the current political landscape and just focus on what is happening and what Naoto wants to do and who she wants to be. Also I wasn't spoiled with Adatchi yet I figured it out without a guide. Okay, in P5 Yoshida is just saying a bunch of buzzwords. That's LITERALLY what Politicians do to get elected. They say buzzwords, they promise empty promises just get that position and paycheck and literally don't do any of the things they said they would do to get elected. So him spouting out a bunch of buzzwords is ACTUALLY realistic and a pretty accurate representation of reality. As for the ending of P5R. Without adversity there is no change, without change there is no growth, and without growth humanity crumbles.

[@Draggao]

Quite the good take on naoto's character

[@Stryfe52]

I haven’t played much of P4 so I can’t say much there, but I agree? As for Yoshida, I’d agree if he were like Shido, but Yoshida is supposed to be the exact opposite. He really just wants to help the people and make good on all the promises that he makes, not turn his back on them once he’s elected. That’s how I saw it anyway, but I haven’t played P5 in some time now.

[@Lendorien]

I totally agree with your analysis of Naoto. And I think it's important to keep in mind that this is a Japanese game. Female empowerment is something Japanese culture has and does struggle with. When playing, I never saw her as a trans person, but a woman who was hiding who she was because the reality of her existence clashed with her ability to fulfill the goals and dreams she had for her life. She was a woman but she felt she had to hide it to meet societal expectations for the job she was pursuing. Trans people deal with the same struggle socially and professionally. But just because she was a woman pretending to be a man in order to be successful in a male dominated society, doesn't mean that the developers were pandering or something. Maybe some people would have preferred her to be trans, but that doesn't make her actual portrayal any less meaningful within the context of Japanese culture or the real struggles that people do have with defying societal gender expectations. As for Kanji, I saw his arc similar to Naoto. The stereotype of a gay man was what he was fighting against internally, but as he grew, it becomes clear to him that his existence isn't defined by the stereotype that society places on social groups and he grows to accept that it's ok to feel the way he does. Granted, it's a bit ham handed, but I liked Kanji's character for the most part because I identified with him in a lot of ways, not from a sexual orientation sort of way, but in the acceptance that it's ok to defy traditional gender stereotypes.

[@CivilChev]

@@Lendorien No I appreciate Kanji's character as well, I was so upset about Naoto I didn't properly communicate my point about him. Kanji's growth was handled very well; the issue is Yosuke was terrible and never allowed himself to see Kanji as anything but in the closet despite the fact he faced his shadow. Naoto was ultimately the deciding factor for Kanji. When she was first introduced he felt conflicted because he found himself pretty interested and charmed by this endogenous male, but it's after Naoto is revealed to be a woman that Kanji is also revealed for not falling for a dude. Not that it would be bad, but it's pretty clear the whole point of his character is, as you said, so him being gay would defeat that purpose.

[@CivilChev]

@@Stryfe52 It's been a while since I have played the game, but I recall Yoshida taking the money and spending it on himself, instead of for the people. He was once corrupt and after beating it he planned to root out the corruption from the inside upon being reelected.

[@bryanlane7208]

I only played 3 and 5, but planning on playing 4 now that it's on Steam. I enjoyed 3 when it came out. But 5 was a masterpiece. I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I thought it was just so immersive, and it gives you so many choices. When you spend 80 hours on a game it's hard not to get invested in the characters, even if their stories aren't exactly compelling on their own. The music is really great too.

[@bryanlane7208]

Guess I should mention I had a major nostalgia bias playing this game after leaving Tokyo after having lived there for 7 years. Shibuya station is actually really accurate and I never had a problem being lost. Now if they had had a Shinjuku station... still get lost there irl.

[@nickhalfmann8397]

I beat 5 then P3P then P4G and I would say I enjoyed the cast of P4G the most. Hopefully you enjoy it, boss!

[@deecee7073]

P5 is a great game but the bond that you had with p4g was special, I legit felt sad when I had to leave inaba

[@insertnamehere658]

​@@deecee7073 p4g is probably my least favorite out of all the modern ones (still liked it). I think vanilla is better btw. Golden ruins the small town vibe of the original, and introduced the worst character in persona (even worse than teddie and morgana).

[@Gael-x999]

@@insertnamehere658 nobody asked for ur shit take

[@icydragon308]

Never stop making videos, please.

[@psypokeslowduck2880]

21:12 What is the name of this game called? Edit: nvm I searched it with google images, it's called Knights in the knightmare

[@laughingstock6078]

when i played p3p, me and my brother have a rule. no same characters and thus i was stucked playing FeMC. now i have 16 cycled new game plus solely on FeMC. it also introduced me to the world of SMT while i was young. maybe that was the reason why i low-key cried hearing the P3 dancing moon night opening. it just gave me this landslide of nostalgia of friends telling me which chick/dude they choose and why its not Shinji for femc route or Fuuka for mc route.

[@mavymagdowney9798]

what is FeMC?

[@laughingstock6078]

@@mavymagdowney9798 The Female Main Character on Persona 3 Portable, also known as Minako if i remember.

[@imsmart799]

@@laughingstock6078 I really hope they remake persona 3, with the persona 5 engine, it looks so good, instead the chibi models, which looks awful

[@Windermed]

@@laughingstock6078 ​ Minako is a fan-made name, the closest thing to an official name is Kotone Shiomi

[@xAvitaLT]

@@Windermed It's more to do with the fact MC name is Minato in a manga and putting the K letter there makes it sound more feminine also helps that Minako is indeed an actual name as well.

[@legoboy-ox2kx]

I've always thought that Persona 4 handled those issues fine. Yosuke's a bit of a jerk, but that's part of his character. He's supposed to come off as abrasive, but his friends keep him in check. He's a high schooler that wants to be cool, but doesn't understand when his comments are innapropriate. I was the same way in HS

[@Nightxx9199]

Never had issues with the p3 AI, But that's because I quickly mastered the tactics menu to the point where I was capable of beating the reaper without using Odin cheese

[@McLovin-Chan]

It's definitely a problem, especially with nyx

[@Nightxx9199]

@@McLovin-Chan Not really... Just learn how to use the actual system and you won't have an issue, I played strictly with teammates, With only the tactics menu, No Odin, Nothing above lv60 in terms of the MC persona and still beat the Reaper, Which is harder than nyx with no issues whatsoever with teammates

[@McLovin-Chan]

@@Nightxx9199 there will always be an issue if I can’t control my party. If I die and it isn’t my fault, it’s just discouraging. It isn’t a huge issue, but it still is an issue if yukari uses wind break when my whole party is about to die (yes I had her on support only)

[@Nightxx9199]

@@McLovin-Chan Seems like just bad luck on your end, Because both myself, Multiple people I know and a pretty Influential member of the persona fandom never had any issues, Also by having her set to support, She will use windbreak as it counts as a support skill along with buffs, Debuffs and healing, However by late game there should be a strictly heal command, Also, Break skills suck in 3

[@McLovin-Chan]

@@Nightxx9199 everything you just said wouldn’t be a problem, if I could just control my party. The fact of the matter is, I can’t control my team, in a turn based RPG, in a game that came out in 2006. Ff7 on the PS1 has controllable party members. Also, where did you get the information that there is strictly a heal only command, because I 100% never had it. Checked the megami tensei wiki, and that command is absent from the tactics list.

[@cookieface80]

Always nice to find a good youtuber and now be able to binge all their videos.

[@thecynicalone6391]

Jojo had been in publication for nearly a decade by the time the first persona came out and you can REALLY see the influence in the first couple games. Everything from the art design to the dialogue is a very deliberate homage to Araki's seminal work.

[@steveaeons1576]

Uh no. If you didn't know, Kaneko (og artist for SMT and Persona) and Araki didn't even know each other's works, as said in an interview between them. It just so happens that they follow the same fashion trends at the time, and the concept of Persona is pretty much coincidental.

[@thecynicalone6391]

@@steveaeons1576 One hell of a coincidence I guess.

[@6ix9inetechashy]

@@thecynicalone6391 dumb jojo fans lol

[@Stryfe52]

@@steveaeons1576 that’s oddly hilarious

[@sheikhheisen]

@@thecynicalone6391 Wait so you basically just made up this fun fact? Okay that's actually hilarious I can't fault you for that

[@rainyjay8156]

Loved the video. Thank you so much for all the work and effort you put into to make this I'm sure it took a long time. Keep chuggin along kbash your videos help me out alot and are a fun watch. Your humor is spot on and you always make it interesting. Cant wait to see what's next. Happy holidays :)

[@aidanderson53X]

Why does everyone hate yosuke? He's basically a sterotypical high school guy. He's exactly what he meant to be.

[@Gael-x999]

I don't get the hate for yosuke either hes a great bro character, but P4 typically gets dogged on in general sadly 🤷

[@Skibidiligma47578]

He is that type of character I'm surprised gets any friends to be honest but you know

[@tartatovsky]

​@@Skibidiligma47578sounded like you haven't yet met enough people in life

[@Skibidiligma47578]

@@tartatovsky Oho! I say this because I know someone that has that attitude. To put it simply, he wasn't popular.

[@longsocks7798]

I think everyone hates him because he is a stereotypical high school guy and that is annoying

[@Yanomeko1]

Watched...it...all.... loved it and great work your finally done with persona!

[@Professor_SpaceTime]

Can't say I agree with all of your points, but it's always nice to see a well thought out and different perspective that isn't being contrarian just because. Persona, as a series, has a ton of problems, and fans need to recognize and accept that. Doesn't take away from the fact that's it's still one of the best JRPG franchises ever made, and that P5 is an utter triumph in so many ways. But there's always room for improvement, especially in the writing department, and only through thorough critique and reflection can we create something better down the line. I don't think Persona 5 needs points docked because it doesn't completely tackle contemporary issues realistically, though. Even though it tackles heady issues and was inspired by real world events, at its core, P5 is a larger than life, wish fulfillment, revenge story. Taking down each villain is satisfying because they're over the top. Ending on themes of hope ring true for many people, because when real life gets so fucking shitty, hope can help you power through and keep going. Personally, I don't want Persona to get into the nitty gritty of solving complex, real world, traumatic issues. I come to Persona to escape that existentialist dread, and to feel like if I try hard enough, I can make a difference. Persona helps me believe in my ideals, and that life is worth living. I don't want that to change because the writers get bogged down in accurately portraying real world issues.

[@themanboycave122]

This is the first video I’ve seen of yours. I love the persona series but I appreciate everyone’s option of the games whether I agree or not. In other words I love the series but I’m not a crazy fanatic. But this video is fantastic! I really appreciate your insight and perspective. I am definitely looking forward to watching more of your videos now.

[@antonydrossos5719]

2:27:15 "Star Platinum, nothing! THAT is Makoto's "Fist of the North Star" impression!

[@Snpaulie]

who ever told you you need to max out akechi for the royal content is hilarious

[@io9671]

I honestly loved that last final fight with the music and its cutscene.

[@ol.3917]

This is a very long annalise I didn't knew I need. Thank you.

[@SC51793]

I genuinely have no idea how this guys feels about persona 4 lmfao. He rambled so much every complaint turned into a compliment and every compliment turned into a complaint.

[@edwardsuou]

I think you did an amazing job to pinpoint the great side of P2 Eternal punishment. I love the more down to earth side of P2. Sure absurd stuff happens like in IS but the thing is Katsuya reconsidering the choices he made, Baofu to be angry to himself for not being as great as his ambitions, Ulala being unhappy with the good life she has because she lacks passion and purpose and my favorite Tatsuya learning what it means to be an adult from Baofu and struggling with the weight he initially chose to carry on his shoulders. The dialogues and the scenes are all well written and despite having a totally forgettable villain for most of the game (Tatsuzou is really bad if you ask me) it still makes you feel the tension and the difficulty of what the cast go through. I think the best way to enjoy the first three persona is to start with this game. Sure it’s a conclusion but it gives you a very solid mindset to enjoy IS as well, which if you ask me has some stellar scenes (if you also straight out ignore the symbolism you enjoy them much more) and it’s carried entirely by 3 characters if you ask me that are very good: Eikichi (for his kindness and his attempts to be though and cool even though he’s so goofy and insecure) , Maya (for both her frail and resilient side) and Jun (for his long nightmare and struggle to be forced in a role he hates and his wonderful excages with Tatsuya “what’s most important cannot be seen with one’s eyes”).

[@rhymeswithmoose228]

Just found your channel, really enjoying it!

[@JakkHorwikk]

Really love the content Kbash, only been watching for a couple of months but your manner of presentation is intensely satisfying. I'm a literary nerd too so your degree of depth and reference really gives someone like me something to sink my teeth into, a real mental satisfaction. Thanks for being a weirdo, buddy. Happy new year and always know that your genuine efforts matter.

[@edgelord8337]

I played persona 3 when I was in a pretty bad state of mood. Honestly I didn't think I would like it as all I knew from it was that the music was good and I had previously listened to music from 3, 4, and 5. Playing the game though has to be one of my most fond memories. Even if I was spoiled on the plot twist of a certain character I love this game. Out of all the characters to leave an impact on me it was probably aigis. I think she's one of the most well written character and goes far above the "you are my master" sort of character she kinda begins as. Out of all the females in the game she by far is the best for plot sense and just what I think is a good character. The game in the beginning kinda pushes yukari as she's the one I thought first getting into the game I'd like but no aigis by far is the character that stuck with me and ironically enough feels the most human. I've never really felt that way about a character until I played this game and what really gets me is the implications that aigis became depressed after the events of the game due to what happens to the player. That leaves me to say basically aigis is best waifu if you don't agree you are just wrong.

[@tomo8940]

You're opinion is trash and you can't be satisfied with a toaster you'll crush your bones. Yukari all the way.

[@edgelord8337]

@@tomo8940 Yukari is good but aigis is bae.

[@daline2275]

To each their own i guess

[@laughingstock6078]

@@tomo8940 you sacrifice a few things for chasing a dream, so losing your fingers is a valid reason for fisting a toaster.

[@skytiburon]

I literally sat through all of this, I love it

[@Showmatic]

Persona 1 was my very first RPG back in the 90s when I couldn't stand RPGs and single handedly changed my stance on them. It will forever hold relevance to me even though it hasn't aged well.

[@laylavladi]

I love this ♡

[@citizencrimson201]

Adachi is everyman. Afred a bad day, after a bad year, after a bad life.

[@FreneticPotato]

He's the most realistic of the human villains in the series. You'd be surprised how many people out there do evil things just cause they can.

[@Gael-x999]

@@FreneticPotato exactly that's what's makes me think Adachi is the most terrifying and best villain in the series he's not just some cookie cutter P5 palace villain, This guy KBash says he understands Adachi character but he really doesn't

[@PrinnyLordNinjocity]

KBash you rock dood, wishing you well this holiday season

[@SageOfLimitlessHands]

I will admit I adored how Persona 3 had the edginess of shooting yourself set the serious tone right from the beginning

[@spicysatan3452]

while i dont think the point made about the third semester is entirely wrong and there's a lot of disabilities my rebuttal wouldn't apply to, i do have to point out that the thing that makes being in a wheelchair depressing is not having to be in a wheelchair, it is the fact that the world (more often than not) doesn't properly accommodate for disabilities. the expectation to be what's considered normal is the problem and is what causes people to treat all kinds of disabilities poorly. once again however this doesn't apply to all disability, and im mainly stating this in direct response to the one example stated in the video. i still think this video is more than some great work and dedication!!!

[@The2SidesAngel]

I think most people don't know the law or some shit, yes dating a teacher is illegal as long as it is reported, no you don't go to prison for it! Only way you go to prison is if the student/parents of the student press charges! The only thing that happens if someone else other then the student/gardians of the student reports it is you loose the job and will probably never be allowed to have a teacher job from then on !

[@Khaos909]

Eeeyyy yoooo let's goooo, I already watched the individual vids but im down for the marathon 🤟

[@kingkronosdc84psn]

“Here’s a pillow sweetie just pretend it’s me , I’m farming” …. 😂😂😂 I’m still watching but had to comment lol

[@MewDenise]

You think Shido is the best villain and Adachi's motive was ass? Yeah we won't get along.

[@chimosgameclub9765]

When it comes to Naoto, isnt Naoto based on the fact that her family wanted her to be male? Kirigiri from Danganronpa tells about similar expectations? Where she thinks her life would be easier as a man rather than it actually being her own thoughts?

[@muthesquirrel]

Yeah, while I'm all for a trans character, she isn't it. I think this is another culture thing, where it's harder for Westerners to understand her feeling shame about her gender due to family pressure while not being trans herself due to the perceived social limits of being female still being so strong in Japan. Still, I can see why trans players might relate to her when they first start playing and feel frustrated when her arc is about letting go of that shame instead of being trans.

[@huyvuminh1048]

yeah it a culture thing not a trans character. Many family in asia heavily favor male to female offspring, to passing on legacy while female often see as useless. It about being okie to feel valued and comfortable with your gender instead of trying to please toxic family members

[@crossf2351]

Bruh, he even acknowledges in the video that she's not trans. It's not that she's a "mishandled trans character" it's that her arc has a lot of uncomfortable parallels to transphobic rhetoric that have aged, uh, poorly...

[@muthesquirrel]

@@crossf2351 Japanese shame over one's gender isn't transphobic. The beach scene in P3, that was transphobic. There were also a lot of homophobic jokes. Again, I can understand why it feels that way, but gender shame from none trans women is a REAL ISSUE in Jaspanese youth due to Japan's systemic stubborn belief in gender roles. It's much worse than in the US and ignoring the issue just because trans people exist isn't the answer.

[@Armadan7]

@@muthesquirrel "stubborn belief" lol

[@Geiko32]

Hell ya posted on my work friday before a 4 day weekend.! Nice way to get through the night.!!!

[@N0sSyndrome]

I've watched all of these individually but I let that one play again on my second PC while working to help a brother out

[@bangalactic8427]

I think I saw some people playing this game at a friends place. They were reluctant to tell me much about the story. I couldnt understand anything they were doing. For some reason, I think this is the deepest rabbit hole iceberg, and it was written to be that way. The interactions, stories, mechanics, down to the trends and appearance of the characters and animations, its all procedural, but rich in its complexity and its closeness to what I would call the Empathetic Heart that all (j)rpgs seek but few rarely access, let alone reach into the minds of the players, convince them that what theyre seeing could be real, and influence them for what might be ever, towards a misunderstanding of the human condition... Thank you so much for spending such a colossal amount of time on this franchise. I am so glad I did not have to wonder what all the bizarre plot twists were supposed to correlate to.

[@y2m3e.45]

Anyone who likes Yukari, has my like. And Yosuke's character does suck. Idc about the whole "he was supposed to be gay" thing. The fact of the matter is, in the end it wasn't what was published by Atlus. Get over it. And people give this excuse usually because they know this information already. To someone who didn't, he came off as a big ahole and nothing less. I completely agree with everything you said. I couldn't stand Yosuke complaining about something all the time, especially when it came to Kanji, in that nagging voice. At the start of the game I found Chie's voice to be a little piercing and annoying, but Yosuke took the cake by the end of the game. Man, usually I like all persona characters. Some more, some less. I've realised it's only Yosuke I have a noticeable dislike for lol. I appreciate you so much for saying everything you did regarding him

[@dadenelson7570]

I didn't know you liked it enough to come back and re-edit the videos together