The Psychology of Haru Okumura (Persona 5 Royal)

Haru Okumura is one of the most under-represented character in Persona 5 Royal due to the fact that she was introduced so late into the game, but even still Atlus was still able to flesh her character out to an incredible degree throughout her confidant conversations with Joker. So today we want to look at how her father's parenting, her relationship with her creep of a fiance, and having the weight of an entire corporation thrust onto her shoulder after the collapse of her father's palace has impacted her as a character. But even past this we want to look at how she was able to overcome all of these hardships with the help of the phantom thieves even though it may have seemed like the deck was stacked against her.
I do want to note that all counselors will come at situations from different theoretical orientations, backgrounds, and belief systems. My opinions correlate with my own education and professional experience up to this point in my education as a Master's level counseling student.
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[@royaldance26]

finally. someone with a galaxy brain who understands how severely underloved she is from both fans and company

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Ha! She's definitely crazy underrated. Also, being called a galaxy brain is probably the best compliment I've ever received since starting this channel! lol

[@AdumbroDeus]

She's underrated cause Atlus kinda gave morgana her spotlight though.

[@CrowAkechi_The_Luminary]

She is best girl

[@guranyann]

Haru best girl no cap

[@namishusband818]

She gets a lot more screen-time and attention in Strikers.

[@ItsKy99]

haru is the literal definition of “deserved better”

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I couldn't agree more.

[@namelssssnake9466]

Really hoping we get to see more of her in P5S

[@MultiGamerchick]

Agreed!

[@BigKlingy]

Thankfully Strikers gave her a much-needed spotlight arc.

[@pyrocinematics6649]

@@BigKlingy Yeah, her arc was the absolute best in Strikers. Plus, that driving sequence with her helped build up her personality AND it was pretty funny

[@phantomslay5612]

I always liked Haru. How can you not love a character who's sympathetic and peaceful, but can also be equally sadistic in the most adorable way?

[@CMGThePerson]

" take my chocolate *before I crush it* "- Haru Okumura if you go harem

[@shinigamimiroku3723]

Haru is probably my favorite of the Phantom Thieves. As someone who also grew up under the idealogy of "be seen but not heard," her story really resonates with me.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Yeah, one of the things that I think Atlus does so incredibly well is creating such a variety of unique characters where we can all find someone that we can resonate with.

[@shinigamimiroku3723]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT Haha, yeah, definitely! For all of their flaws Atlus has gotten really good in that aspect.

[@marche800]

Haru and Yusuke are both very different compared to the rest of the grou because they are the only two (aside from akechi kind of) that were actively raised by some of the villains from the game. And the differences between how they are initially presented are also very interesting too.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I really wish that we could have been more interactions between Yusuke and Haru specifically. I think that would be a very interesting dynamic especially given their pasts.

[@devilsadvocate22289]

ThoughtBubble I’m curious what you would think about Haru and Yusuke’s interactions in the Dancing game since they do have some interactions there.

[@joseph86255]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT Funny, because I actually feel Haru has more chemistry with Yusuke than she does with Ren. The two of them compliment each other perfectly.

[@wsgattrad2417]

@@joseph86255 I feel that way with Yusuke and a couple of other characters too(Royal added an intersting interaction between him, Hifumi and Chihaya and it really got me thinking about how intersting it's be to see more interactions between him and other characters), but especially with Haru

[@BradyKaynee]

Another note that the Protagonist has the option to romance or turn down the girls in the game. If you turn them down... all of them are okay you turning them down for a romance option... except Haru. She is the only one that takes it the hardest.

[@BeeDub57]

Absolutely. It's her first chance at a relationship with someone she actually likes... and you turn her down. That's gotta hurt.

[@SpiritKitten]

I always did like Haru more than the other girls Persona 5 probably because I saw a lot myself in her, shy, insecure, quiet, and very uncomfortable when it came to speaking up for myself. I wish had friends like Joker and the Phantom Thieves when I was in school, but the friends I did have, I still treasure!

[@ProsperousKingFlorent]

I'm kinda sad you never mentioned her sadistic streak since that's an important and great part of her character

[@Makkajakka]

Joker, please take my chocolate, *before I crush it*

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Yeah, I'll be honest that part did slip my mind since it really only shows up every here and there in Mementos and can be inferred by her persona. That one was definitely a small oversight on my part!

[@ProsperousKingFlorent]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT A comment section is a good place to add your thoughts on that side of her! It's not at all that I'm impatient to hear your thoughts, not at all.

[@deathlytaco7467]

I sense a connection between that and "Children are aggressive," "Children have a difficult time managing their anger and are very resentful." ( 5:37 )

[@BradyKaynee]

You shouldn't annoy a girl with an axe!

[@jonathanfaber3291]

Not gonna lie the best part of this video was learning the difference between stress and anxiety rather than believing that they’re synonymous

[@Mysticgamer]

Yeah, it's good to know.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Yeah, I feel like it's super interesting but not widely well known! :) I'm glad I could share!

[@a.z.pantera5577]

I think it's worth noting Haru's weapon choice in the Metaverse: Axes and Grenade Launchers. Very heavy, loud, haphazard weapons that supposedly represent a part of her rebellious spirit. I'd like to think it alludes to her having the strength to even hold such weapons (as in the strength and resilience she is known for), but also that maybe she's trying a bit too hard to overcome a problem(s), which makes some sense given Haru's character and per your analysis.

[@prime1773]

In P5D, she actually did use axe from time to time to cut wood. She even enjoy it as a form of stress relief.

[@CrowAkechi_The_Luminary]

@@prime1773 Haru chopping down trees would be an amazing sight

[@Mojo1356]

And they all said she has no character. Now who’s laughing.

[@Enchie]

Who did? Is it the same people who said Makoto is just a robot?

[@Mojo1356]

@@Enchie nope.

[@WackyJack322]

I imagine Haru's mother had a massive influence on her personality and outlook considering she's absolutely nothing like her father. It's a shame the game never mentions her at all as I'm sure it would've given a lot more insight into Haru's character and how she's so sweet and empathetic despite being raised in a cynical, corporate environment. Would've probably also given some depth to Okumura's character too, like maybe Mrs. Okumura was this ray of sunshine and losing her is what caused him to slide further down into ruthlessness and villainy.

[@bluebird1914]

I feel like Haru's family life was probably quite similar to that of Zuko from ATLA, and in that same idea, Haru's mom was probably very similar to Zuko's mother. Which if you didn't know, Zuko's mom was a very sweet and empathetic person, who I would say is very similar to Haru herself. And Zuko's mother was one of the only things when he was young, that stopped him from being a terrible person like his father, which is also probably what happened to Haru.

[@jbear3478]

She probably committed suicide due to the father's crushing control and mental abuse

[@Kejosruler]

I am always happy when people realise just what an interesting character Haru is. Too many people completely miss that

[@astaldo]

Always excited to see these. If only Haru’s arc was expanded more in Royal.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I definitely could have gone for more Haru content in Royal!

[@notcrow7876]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT They should've just made Okumaru's palace before Futuaba's so we could see more of Haru and more of medjed (But less of Futaba :[)

[@notcrow7876]

And tbh it felt like we got too much Futaba in the game

[@thomasfairburn5254]

I'm of the unpopular opinion in what we gotten was great as is. The development and focus is there, it's just shared with the cat's own main story journey. It's honestly not so different with Ryuji and Ann who shared their respectively in the Kamoshida arc.

[@Nitram4392]

We will get another arc focussed on her in scramble. (I watched a translated LP f scramble)

[@kamatari1220]

It always pissed me off that we never get to either change her fiance's heart or have him get his comeuppence in any way. Haru doesn't even get a strong moment of telling him off or to go F himself, the VP ends up doing... something. He just quietly fades into the background!

[@Akechi_The_Phantom_Detective]

To be fair, she did hook up with Joker and if cucking him is a good enough win to consider then it's one I'm happy to run with.

[@namishusband818]

Yeah, I was surprised her fiance doesn't appear again to cause trouble.

[@wolfranger5526]

Would have loved it if he showed up in the 10 and final rank if you romance Haru. Mabey she is out on a date with joker and he shows up looking for her and gets's angry. Gives her an opportunity to tell him to fuck off for good with the assurance of protection if he tries to get physical again.

[@kamatari1220]

@@wolfranger5526 I wish the fiance got to see just a sliver of Haru's sadist side! He would have run away screaming!

[@countjoelcula]

I imagine that she dumped him off-screen, since he would have had no choice but to leave her alone. I can almost see the steam coming out of his ears as Haru says "Goodbye, Sugimura-san" and turns on a heel to walk away. I oughta try making fanart of that scene sometime.

[@thomasfairburn5254]

Very well analysed, it's kind of a shame many people tend to write Haru off as one note due to the dead horse of "her lack of screentime being overshadowed by the cat's temper tantrum". A lot of people think that Haru didn't care about her father because we don't see her cry or how it was dumb of her to not question the Thieves after the death of her father trusting them immediately. But what you perfectly mentioned here is her resiliency as well as the gilded cage like upbringing she had resulting in her stressful situation which is more impactful than what we give credit for. As a suggestion: I would be interested in how you'd analysis the token non human of the team Morgana seeing as he is the odd one out of psychology analysis videos among the Thieves, plus not like he was able to have a Maruki counselling session. The conception of his existential crisis would be pretty insightful.

[@Shaabz]

They give Haru a better reaction in the anime.

[@andimason3370]

Something I really noticed with Haru's social link is that her problems aren't solved by the phantom Thieves. They do everything they can to help but ultimately can only really provide emotional support (which yes is massively important but it doesn't fix the issues in her life) Haru pulled herself out of the massive hole her social situation have forced her into; and the fact she could do that whilst dealing with grief, an abusive spouse, her fathers company (at 17 years of age at that!) and saving the world with the phantom thieves. The strength of will that is needed to do that is outstanding.

[@kevinespada3421]

Suggestion: What about The Psychology of Makoto Niijima? It's a interesting case about someone breaking out their shell, loneliness and living under their family's legacy.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I definitely am interested in talking about Makoto more in depth at some point because there's a lot of depth to her character that I'd love to really look into! :)

[@kevinespada3421]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT Cool. I can"t wait.

[@josueravena3464]

Also, since her social link was boring. Since it heavily focuses on someone who is gonna be a REDACTED. I just wish her social link focuses heavily on her instead.

[@kevinespada3421]

@@josueravena3464 True, but the main story did good job with her character. It balance it out.

[@josueravena3464]

@@kevinespada3421 They did mention her briefly in scramble. Especially her college course.

[@musoumiko4730]

I really like Haru, and I think my biggest gripe with how Atlus handled her was that they didn't let you start her link earlier. It feels like such a missed opportunity to flesh out her relationship with her father more while he's still around. P5S ends up going a bit more into her really empathetic side by introducing a woman who she knew in the past as a child, and they both reconnect with each other over the loss of her father. I won't go further since uh, the game doesn't exist in English yet and no spoilers, but I think Persona 5 could have gone a long way by just giving her more screentime to work with since she's a really deep character who just doesn't get enough time to shine. It's kind of really apparent in the Royal where Kasumi has *sort of* the same issue with her story and crux being tied to the last 10 hours of game, but having five confidant ranks and a bunch of other scenes spread out over the main stretch of the game makes her feel much less... Rushed, I guess for lack of a better term, than Haru did. Like think about how much better it'd be if she planted those coffee beans back in July, and then finally in December you reap the rewards. Instead its all just a month long blitz while you're basically right up against the finish line with the main story looming overhead.

[@egg_l0rd13]

I do certainly agree with this, it’s why Naoto from Persona 4 doesn’t have the same problem as Haru despite actually joining the party at a similar time. Unlike Haru, Naoto is relevant to the game’s narrative far earlier (as early as the second dungeon) than the point where she actually joins the party, which is right before the penultimate dungeon. If Haru was a confidant similar to Yoshizawa or Sojiro, where you cannot fully complete them until you reach a certain point in the story, I would feel a lot more satisfied with her place in Persona 5.

[@KikiYushima]

Absolutely stellar video as normal, though I think there was important point you might've missed. You're right that we don't know much about Haru's childhood, but she does talk about her grandfather a lot. During that period in her life, her father wasn't a cold, distant man. He was a good man that cared. But seeing her grandfather taken advantage of is what transformed Kunikazu into the ruthless businessman he is now. Changing her father back to who he used to be was one of her _biggest_ motivating factors. She wants to return to what they once had together. It's also why things in the Third Semester are the way they are. It's not just her being close with her father; it's returning to the bond she _craves_ having with him again. This part might be more conjecture and headcanon in my personal interpretation, but I feel like I can make a solid argument for it. I think those memories are a reason she might have listened to and agree with what he said and did. She sought the validation he once gave her and hoped that maybe, by listening, he'd show her love. So she put up with all of the abuse to try to regain the once-unconditional love he showed her. But, again, this particular point is probably open to interpretation. I hope this didn't come across the wrong way; Haru's just my personal favorite character in the game (I call her my floof daughter.) I just thought it was a valid point that had some pretty major implications by _not_ bringing it up.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

It definitely didn't come across the wrong way at all! I'm glad you enjoyed, and this is exactly why I ask at the end of the videos to see if there's anything I missed because it can be easy to miss details while writing these! So I genuinely appreciate you point stuff like this out, not only for my benefit, but everyones to better understand Haru! :)

[@AdumbroDeus]

My big frustration with how Haru is presented is Atlus decided to essentially steal her moment with Okumaru's offer to morgana, removing attention from Haru in her own palace. She's a cool character, but not having much real time to shine I think has a lot to do with why she isn't appreciated as much as she should be, and I can appreciate a lot of her attributes due to having grown up in an authoritarian household myself. Btw, I know you've done some 4 content (which I haven't finished yet) you gonna do any for 3 or possibly even revelations and 2? Mainline SMT?

[@uwuifyingransomware]

Yeah, I agree. I feel like her canon character is so vague and a lot of things seem contradictory just because of how little she was spotlighted, even during her own arc. Like, the huge focus on Morgana just detracted from any chance to learn about her character and motivations when they're most important - in particular, I genuinely thought that her taking issue with her father's death was a major contradiction, because she's so resentful of him and it seems unnatural for her to go from hating everything he stands for, to completely set on avenging him. Seeing her respecting her father's character after everything just feels like it came out of nowhere.

[@prime1773]

Noir is actually much more interesting Phantom Thieves member as soon as you learn her kindness and sadistic nature. I'm glad she got her spotlight more in P5S.

[@bonnietalept9809]

I love Haru, I just think that Morgana stole attention in her OWN ARC

[@averagepeacheater6969]

somebody finally did a video like this, it’s sad how her arc is not as touched as many of the other phantom thieves or just in general, as it happened in the original game.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I definitely wish she had more screen time, even having to share her palace with Morgana to an extent, but I still love the content we did get! :)

[@B_A-tr]

Oh there are many parts that are horrible in that palace. When you defeat some of the robots, they might say "finally i can rest". Also, human beings being robots, mere tools. Last but definitly not least, when okumura tells his workers or cognitiv haru to blow up, the letter says somethinh along the lines "effectivly now, you are in the position of suizide bomber". It might be that okumuras based on an existing person. A company owner who drove his workers to suizide because he worked them so hard. But unlike okumura he actually got into politics.

[@B_A-tr]

@Kira Diaz notice how the so mighty employer is so useless after his workers fall? They arr the strength, not him

[@jacobfreeman5444]

@@B_A-tr Given this is his perception of the situation it shows how aware he is of how much he is propped up by his company. Makes his line after losing more poignant. "So I am just another in a line of failures".

[@somasora7]

It took me rethinking Haru's character after playing and rewatching her Confidant to truly understand just how much she goes through in such a short time, and how resiliant she was to get through it. That she's able to stay as composed and positive as she does is nothing short of miraculous, honestly. It's such a shame she turns up so late in the story, because her journey is really quite admirable when you look at it

[@VXMasterson]

Haru is my favorite character, but I felt the writers did her a disservice, especially with how late she was introduced in the game. Her arc is so interesting and so integral to the narrative. I could go on forever with how I personally would have handled her character, but all I'm gonna say is I wish she was introduced earlier, like Makoto was, and that I think she should have had more of a reaction to confronting her father's killer. I'm very happy with this video, thank you!

[@elopez1882]

My most recent playthrough gave me a better appreciation of Haru. She’s a cinnamon roll with a grenade launcher

[@devilsadvocate22289]

Ah.... someone who recognizes how much of a diamond in the rough our favorite Floof Thief is. She truly is the most underrated character in Persona 5 as a whole. Honestly, I wish that Atlus cared more about her as she is quite possibly the best written and most misunderstood out of the Phantom Thieves because of the way Morgana interferes with her introduction.

[@shadejakva9367]

There are deleted scenes from Okumura's Will Seeds that really make you think regarding his past, where we learn people he trusted in the corporate office have sold company secrets to competitors for bribes or sought to oust him, making him unable to trust anyone and seeing all around him as expendable. This coupled with his troubled childhood of seeing his own father get frequently exploited and bullied by debt collectors for his generosity and kindness at the cost of profit made him see those things as weaknesses others will only seek to take advantage of. Haru's social link sees her in a similar position, telling us how at risk she was of ending up just like him.

[@FF-tp7qs]

Kunikazu Okumura even tells Haru that she will do whatever it takes for her fiance's family to accept her, implying she should even agree to premarital physical activity, when she is still a minor, and her fiance is clearly an adult at least in his 20s

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

It's so disturbing.

[@ily9718]

Her arc is great, just feels bad since she gets little to no screentime in the main plot. Hopefully Scramble will help her shine more! Loved the video as always though!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

From what I've heard she actually gets a decent amount of screen time in scramble and I hope it's true! And I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@joshuagabrielcatindig7607]

Yes, man is correct, she gets a whole arc to herself. It's still related to Mr. Okumura's death.

[@beartrombone3787]

Where was this video all my life? I'm a sophomore in college right now pursuing a psych major, and Haru already was my favorite phantom thief in P5. It's like this video was made for people like me, lol. Loved the video.

[@Willedcub93442]

Thank you for all the passion you put into this project; as an aspiring counselor I am both aware of and learn from what you talk about when it comes to Psychology. And its really cool to see that applied to videogames I really like. Keep up the good work !!

[@icypika]

This is so good! I love seeing your videos in my feed. Psychology is a subject that has interested me for a long while. Keep up the great work!

[@AT-bh8td]

I have been watching ALL of your content in like the last three days and can't get enough, keep it up !

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I'm really glad you enjoy it! I'm definitely not looking to slow down any time soon! :)

[@chloenelson3951]

Oh my God this uploaded on my birthday this is the best birthday gift ever! Haru is such an overlooked character that it's practically criminal. I loved hearing all your thoughts on what she's gone through and how it helped her develop into who she is. I think the only thing that didn't come up that I was wondering about, is her sadistic side, which really only shows up in battle comments and random dialogue in mementos. That along with how her base Persona is a full on villain, whereas the others are more rebellious figures. I think she does have that darker side of her hidden deep inside. Still, this video answered a lot of questions I'd wondered about her, so thank you so much. This was such a great thing to see today!

[@MrMario9002]

Thank you so much for this video. As someone who wants to walk the same path that you’re on, using video games as a example of what I want to do, I thank you. And I thank you for giving me motivation to continue on this path.

[@gaeb611]

I’ve always been more scared of Haru than Akechi 😂

[@gamerkron2219]

I love your videos, not only because they are very entertaining and fun to watch, but are also informative and teach us a lot of interesting things about human behavior and nature. Keep up the content I love it!

[@borisbarrientos9382]

Loving these videos, great insight into a character I even overlooked

[@lukeandersen867]

The way my parents taught me was by explaining why I shouldn’t do something, and not just “because I said so.” The made me understand from a young age on why certain rules should be followed. This has led me to learn why I should or shouldn’t do something and I’m extremely grateful to them for that.

[@juniorSM_]

these videos just steal my heart (no pun intended)!! the end of this gave me chills, and reminded me y i love haru to death~ also ur outro is super comfy c: keep it up, as usual!! \o/

[@izzyxp6830]

I don't think you missed anything! this wonderfully covered Haru's character and how she became the kind of person she is. I myself, definitely overlooked Haru in my first play through of the original Persona 5 mainly because of how late she was introduced into the game and how unfamiliar I was with the persona game structure. But after royal I am so happy that I gave her a chance and really took the time to get to know her, I fully understand why she has the fan base that she does. She truly is a lovely strong woman who's learned to grow past her trauma and take that pain and mold it into something positive. A real life heroine of justice! Might I suggest maybe looking at Ann and Ryuji in the future? They're my 2 favorites of the Phantom Thieves and I'd LOVE to hear your breakdown of them! Either way can't wait for your next video!

[@user-nn1mf8lr2w]

As always thanks for the amazing content. Bonus points for it being a Haru video!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Of course! I'm glad you enjoyed! :)

[@user-nn1mf8lr2w]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT btw, I know today's Fruits Basket episode was amazing, but based on the title, I have to tell you that next week's will be AMAZING!

[@Emilbeans]

Ngl shed a tear listening to the bit about resilience. I relate a lot to Haru and wish I could soldier through things without issues, but it's inspiring knowing that resilience can get you through the toughest times

[@jerrywalkers9409]

You know. I have to admit i've been drawn to these videos all explaining the strife that each of the characters are going through. Akechi... Haru, Maruki. They all have some sort of hold on me that makes me want to think more about how people are treated in my workplace. However. I'd like to see how you'd approach someone like... Say, Torhu Adachi or some of the Persona 3 or 4 characters. Each one has their own strifes that they go through. And i'd love to see their personalities being broken down to the bitter truth. Please, even if you don't do those. I'd love to see much much more Persona content from you!

[@thebonesman5]

7:30 holy Christ I never realized that... Oh god poor floofball!

[@josueravena3464]

Don't forget to add some story from the Persona 5 scramble since they fail to show some characters from the base game. Especially Haru who manages to get some fleshs out. Well done

[@antonydrossos5719]

My first time watching any of your videos, & the idea of my fave anime characters getting psychologically analyzed is an interesting idea! The franchise's use of Jungian Psychology must have gotten you rubbing your chin & smiling. You have yourself a new subscriber! good luck with those studies!

[@DKzCoolD2]

Very nice video. I wanna see more.

[@KennyKakes1]

Wonderful video as always. One thing stuck out to me is when you talked about the physical effects of stress, and this is explored in Haru's S. Link. That would suggest the writing was well researched or of familiarity to the writer(s). Granted, this is a Japanese work, so it's not surprising any of the original writers would be unfamiliar with stress for cultural reasons. It's kind of interesting when you compare this s. link to Maruki's scenes in general, if you assume that some of the inaccuracies are not intended to be interpreted as poor counseling on Maruki's part. Also, are we going to come back to that chart at @2:50 ever? I'd love to hear some more general videos about psychology! Maybe you can use examples from video games / anime as a reason for discussing them?

[@lightspeedasH]

It would be cool to see you to tackle Mitsuru Kirijo and/or a comparison between the two, since they’re similar but also quite different

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

So, I actually have never beaten Persona 3! So I'm planning on tackling it after I beat Final Fantasy 7 Remake which I'm in the middle of right now! :)

[@somelove9872]

Can do you psychology of Ryuiji? He is such a underappreciated character!

[@tecsiederp]

This is exactly why I love Haru

[@Dinklr]

Someone already suggested this but a psychology video on Morgana would be awesome. His whole deal with being the overconfident snarky one of the group and then being humbled is kinda cool and the psychology behind that would be even cooler to see

[@sunnysolar6364]

making a playlist for her but i had to stop and watch this video because i realised i know nothing about her. I never really liked her but her seeing her happy dream in the true ending rlly broke my heart and i started to like her.

[@talesofbravelyemblem4009]

I love your videos! But for some reason your audio level is always really quiet compared to the baseline volume of other videos that aren't yours? Is there a way you can make it louder so I can listen to your videos without headphones?

[@lanalewis6982]

ShuHaru ( Joker x Haru ) is one of the best OTPs in this game but it's super unappreciated. It makes me sad. Haru best girl ( sorry KaSUMI ).

[@joshuagabrielcatindig7607]

My dear friend would agree with you.

[@jbear3478]

I love Haru!!!!

[@Mojo1356]

Any plans to play Persona 3? There are tons of characters I would love for you to look at. I know I’ve said Yukari in past videos, but I’d actually like to see what you would do with Ken.

[@hdtin167]

I feel like you should make a video about the additional information that Strikers added to her character

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I'm definitely not opposed to the idea.

[@ChibiMalzahar]

Your mention of resilience is developed from overcoming a lot of hardships made me think of Sae Niijima. Would love to see an analysis on her since we never get a clear picture of her treasure or explicit explanation of her psychology. Mostly just conveyed through her dialogue and demeanor

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

That’s someone I hadn’t honestly considered yet, but that could be super interesting.

[@ChibiMalzahar]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT I feel like she has struggles that unfortunately a LOT of working class women in high intensity fields go through. Plus she's really young. So for as much as she gets clowned on for having no chill I think it's kinda sad

[@lumensd]

Your videos make me want to change my major to psychology, haha.

[@nathanosworth4640]

As a little reminder and nod, any of the Empress Arcana do tend to have a slight "aggressive" side, such as back in P3 with Mitsuru and her tendency for "executions" as mentioned by Akihiko as well as some of the voicelines that Haru has in certain circumstances (such as when you have her as a date option along with someone else on Valentine's Day, threatening to crush it in front of Akira/Joker)

[@KeyToAeris2024]

You ever going to try another series besides Persona for this I would love to see some Danganronpa episodes because there are some very interesting characters in those games as well and the thought process of their actions.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I’ve started doing Fire Emblem as well and am interested in Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy! I haven’t played Danganronpa but I’ve never played the games.

[@KikiYushima]

MY BABY GIRL

[@youdidthistomeyoutoldcoach268]

I think it would be interesting to see you do this for Trails of Cold Steel's Rean Schwarzer although it might be hard cause there's 4 games lol

[@seiishin2766]

It's so disappointing she doesn't get more screen time in the game (and I feel like morgana's speech before okumara's boss fight should have been given to her instead). She really is one of the best characters in the cast once you take the time to understand her.

[@thomasfairburn5254]

Honestly I feel like she already had gotten her message across to her father with her one liner with her awakening with nothing much left to top that as a speech really wouldn't do anything. Plus before Morgana's speech, Haru had the moment of her reaching out to her father one last time. Morgana had that speech as what he spoke resonated more with his development that it wouldn't fit Haru saying all that, plus I think Morgana using his slingshot to shoot Okumura's switch is less messy than having Haru shoot with her grenade launcher. If you have some idea of some speech Haru could've said I'd love to hear it.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Yes!! It's always bothered me that her arc in the main story was somewhat overshadowed by Morgana. Which don't get me wrong, I don't mind Morgana, but she had so little screen time as is, at least give her the spotlight in her father's palace.

[@FabioGnecco]

Does a resilient person "learns" how do deal with stress and the stress becomes a normal thing to her ? Or it's someone who fight against it until it's ends ?

[@B_A-tr]

Have you watched a video named "the dimitri documentary" by faerghast? Cause the editing is similar

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I haven’t! The new editing style was honestly heavily inspired by D’Angelo Wallace!

[@B_A-tr]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT its a pretty good video. You might wanna watch it. Its about fe3h

[@fujonazuna]

i love ghast

[@SonicFrake]

I was honestly hoping you would talk a little about her psychopathic tendencies. Well, I don't know if psychopathic would be the correct term (you're the mental health expert so I was looking forward to your diagnosis) but the girl says some pretty disturbing things if you spend enough time rolling around mementos like "I love it when the shadows beg for mercy!" and there was one other thing she said while caressing her axe that scared the bejesus out of Makoto. Whether it be a result of the stress she was under or just a hidden part of her personality that was there all along, she's got a pretty scary dark side to her.

[@jacobfreeman5444]

Power fantasy. When they beg she has the power. Power she was denied for so long. She is a sweet girl, but she clearly hates conceding to people who don't value her opinion. So bringing such down a peg is quite a thrill for her.

[@megatrashlord235]

Honestly, Haru has one of my favourite confidants in the entire game.

[@Evoker_personaified]

Do you plan on covering Caroline, Justine, and Lavenza?

[@YounganMar3921]

Hi Naoto

[@ShuraEssays]

Still doesn't explain why her mementos quotes are so sadistic. That's the thing I can never fully pin down about Haru, she's such a cinnamon roll but there's always this little feeling in the back of my mind that I *probably* should keep an eye on her. You know, just in case.

[@gaslightgatekeepgirlboss6321]

It's really not to be much more than a silly thing to make her seem cooler than she is, don't worry about it lol.

[@lizethsanchez4928]

I'm waiting for Ryuji's analysis ♡♡♡

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

He'd definitely be a fun one to look at, at some point!

[@shaturowo3216]

Why did I think the title said , "neutered by a monster"... just me, okay.

[@tonypond3970]

What I don't like about Haru is: she saw how badly the employees were being treated by her father, but once she's in control of the company, there's never any mention of her using her power to improve working conditions

[@raphaelweischer6046]

Hey i wondered why the video showed up 6 days later in the sup box???

[@ProbablyAlmond]

wouldnt third semester give you a idea as to how her father was like since haru did say he used to be nicer and then eventually greed overran him

[@Ellie-bj2uw]

5:36 I just realized this was like totally me... *SHIT.*

[@jethiliusavalar6449]

Ok two things. 1) I never considered that Okumura was aware of how scummy the fiance was. Excellent detective work 2) what about her hinted psychopathic tendencies? I believe it was hinted more in Strikers than Royal but still

[@dbzjalen402]

I only have 1 word for haru “Fluff”

[@Mysticgamer]

What really sucks is that Okumura's death was start of their fall in popularity. I know most of it was Shido using his influence to turn or affect public opinion but it still he had a burger chain and possibly other companies that worked people to death or suicide but none of that is brought up again. Hell, that's the biggest flaw of of P5, once the target has a change of heart they dissappear from the narrative and are never mentioned again. The closes we get is at the end their trapped in seperate cages from the rest of humanity in momentos which I take as a sign they're still in jail awaiting judgement.

[@thomasfairburn5254]

I mean that's a reflection of the society in P5 and quite possibly the real world is that people are fickle enough to latch onto what's the latest trending thing that has their attention. As if a majority will linger in thought of the previous targets who are rotting in jail when there's something else that catches their immediate attention in the present. With Okumura, after his death the people went from saying it serves him right to feeling bad for him due to the Thieves being painted as the ones responsible for his death.

[@Mysticgamer]

@@thomasfairburn5254 True, but I kind of wonder how much of that was Shido's IT dude and how much of it was real...and oh almost forgot, how much is due to Yaldabaoth. I dont he cared about Shido or his flunkies plans but I think he was using him as avatar or something.

[@evaxiaolong4655]

sadistic fluff

[@duke0salt717]

I don't know why people don't care about Haru, I mean I understand Makoto is probably the most well written Character in the game and definitely the most active. But I like Haru she's so kind and gentle.

[@toonkid5196]

Honestly and personally for me, Persona 5 Royal fixed half of the arc's problem, that being gameplay, instead of the whole thing which is writing and gameplay.

[@DragonSword35d]

I can’t remember the guys name, either. I think it came up maybe once?

[@BipedBD]

I remember from reddit that the game does provide a small textual confirmation that Okumura was a single parent. On 10/14, Joker and Morgana overhear an NPC labeled as "Angry Parent" on the subway that says "I read somewhere that Okumura raised his daughter alone. Maybe he wasn't a great manager, but as a parent I feel for him..."

[@kriskris5907]

I really enjoy your content- it's super well thought out and well communicated, but I will say that I keep getting kind of... distracted and twitchy every time you do that laugh-breath thing in the middle of a sentence. Totally possible I'm the only person bothered by that, but figured I'd mention it in case it's something you're not aware of

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I definitely do that and I’m fully aware but honestly that’s just how I talk! :) Sorry if it bothers you, but it probably won’t change. I’m glad you enjoyed the video though! :)

[@EmmanuelMarin07]

*F l o o f*

[@thiagodutra7474]

Bro, did you made the same on other P5 charachters?

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I’ve made videos like this on a couple of them like Futaba, Akechi, and Makoto as a few examples!

[@thiagodutra7474]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT did you made about Ren/Joker already?

[@misha130]

Why didnt Haru blame the phantom thieves for the death of her father?

[@grantgarbour]

Simple: I see Haru, the best girl, I click

[@1slayer959]

Haru would have been seen better if morgana didn't hog her palace.

[@B_A-tr]

Good day

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Hope you enjoyed! :)

[@B_A-tr]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT thanks

[@junk_mccartney9504]

I’m glad someone hates “that guy” as much as I do. That guy makes me so mad

[@nightlypiano4116]

14:04 with all due respect, the Fiance (i don't remember his name and he doesn't deserve it) isn't a "Creepo" he's a fucking Sociopath. (Or psyhcopath, i get them confused)

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

You’re right. I definitely kept my descriptions of him more tame than they deserve. He and Kamoshida are the two characters that made me by far the most viscerally disgusted in this game.

[@nightlypiano4116]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT Wait, i remembered. It's Sugimura. Still doesn't deserve it.

[@notcrow7876]

Haru's role in the story feels too to Ann but more introverted. That being said, I still like her, all 10 of the phantoms thieves are amazing!

[@Anon9729X]

If the reason you like her is because she’s kind and nice, that’s fine, but she’s such a horribly rushed written character that they shoehorned in at the end of the game. Like her arc gets taken over by Morgana’s hissy fit and when her Father dies, she acts ok with the whole process, not questioning a thing and even stays with the Phantom Thieves, who everyone thought murdered her Father at the time. There’s a difference between a bad character and a badly written one, she’s the latter, and it’s probably due to her being barley in the game. She’s clearly the weakest of all the characters in the game.