The Truth About Makoto Niijima (Character Analysis in Japanese Context)

[@DanGalarzaCyber]

Remember in a relationship how she says she wants to be equals? That's not the norm in Japan, so that is a very thoughtful moment.

[@dean_l33]

What does that mean?

[@ZeroTheHeartlessKing]

@@dean_l33 you know how in the US the man or woman can be the "breadwinner" with no one (at least normal people and not "set in their ways" types) really caring? in japan it's frown upon for the woman to be the "breadwinner" (it can happen but there'll be alot of mocking and criticism) they are mostly set in the roll of "housekeeper" i could be wrong but i think that's it

[@aresnikolas2017]

i guess I'm kind of randomly asking but do anybody know a good website to stream newly released series online?

[@noeljude19]

@Ares Nikolas lately I have been using Flixzone. You can find it by googling :)

[@tavoreparan8091]

@@stephen8342 You can have power, as long as you stay in the box we've set up for you.

[@jordevio9077]

My favorite Makoto scene is honestly the scene on the rooftop after the school festival. While as "cheesy" as the reliable husband line could be seen as, I see it as an example of Makoto growing to accept that she can always ask for help and she's not a burden for doing it.

[@gaslightgatekeepgirlboss6321]

Makoto's persona, Johanna, the mythical female pope who died once it was revealed that she was a woman, is a woman who struggled as a leader in a man's world. Just like how Makoto and Sae struggle in the male dominated field. I think Johanna and Queen's metaverse attire is the perfect persona and gear for Makoto, reflecting her idea of justice and rebellion through a biker, free from the expectations of authority figures, to it showing many of the traditionally masculine things she lowkey loves like motorcycles and shonen/action packed stories, which is reveled when you give her gifts, take her to the movies, etc, reflecting more on her "woman vs misogynist society" message. Great video! Just wanted to add some thoughts. Also thank god someone else who recognizes the great stuff of Makoto's social link and knows about the meaning of the High Priestess arcana. PS: Makoto is the best girl

[@LadyVirgilia]

Great additional points! Thanks for sharing! Makoto is a really fleshed out character when it comes to the P5 cast.

[@gaslightgatekeepgirlboss6321]

@@LadyVirgilia I'd argue she's one of the most fleshed out ones and along with Futaba and Ryuji, are the characters who continue to develop past their original arcs. Makoto continues to betray Sae behind her back despite loving her, because the justice of the Phantom Thieves is what she holds dear to her and is willing to fight for. When the other Phantom Thieves are beginning to get lost in their head with fame, she reminds them of what their actual goal here ("Hey, we are NOT doing this to stand out you know!"). She musters the strength to tell Shadow Sae to remember her own justice, just like she had, which benefitted Sae's change of heart without having to steal the treasure (foreshadowed through Mishima's confidant). She makes decisions with the team like going back to the casino to tie up cognitive Akechi without waiting on an order from Joker. She commits feats and makes decisions without having Joker hold her hand completely. She's very well written as a strong independent woman character.

[@dean_l33]

Idk about fighting misogeny part but other than that very well written

[@ramenbomberdeluxe4958]

@@dean_l33 Why is the idea of tackling misogyny such a taboo concept to you people? Its okay to accept that systemic sexism is a thing in society, and that not all mentions of fighting patriarchial norms is some mad ramblings of a triggered SJW on tumblr or whatever you people like to call it.

[@dean_l33]

@@ramenbomberdeluxe4958 I just thinks its cringe or at the very least its very hard to make it interesting. The one exception to that is Rorschach because he's still keeps to his ideal despite his personal opinion on lots of matter

[@VideoGameLedgen]

Great video as always! One thing I’d like to point out is that Makoto’s wish in Maruki’s reality isn’t just that her father never died, but specifically that her family is happy. Pretty much coming from her insecurities with her sister and how she’s felt fractured for so long. She resolves to make her family heal and be happy through her own actions, and not just Maruki fixing everything.

[@LadyVirgilia]

Great point! Even though her relationship with Sae is mending, they spent so many years with that awk tension after their father died :/ Love Makoto pressing forward regardless!

[@DLxxx]

Yeah. I got the sense that Makoto wished her dad was alive just as much so that her sister wouldn't have to deal with strain of having to grow up fast and tirelessly care for both of them (effectively robbing her of a normal childhood). If Sae hadn't become so desperate to keep her and Makoto afloat, she likely wouldn't have been so far removed from her own ethics and morals at the beginning of P5, and the Nijima sisters could've actually grown up happily together. :(

[@donb7519]

i did find it odd that part of that wasnt having her mom alive though maybe thats because she told maruki she doesnt remember her mom much

[@aaronwilson8632]

I find that a lot of characters in the Persona series tend to fall into archetypes based on their Arcana. For Priestess Arcana types there is a lot of emphasis on societal expectation. Like how Fuuka is expected to be grateful to her friends, and how Yukiko is expected to inherit the inn. Makoto kind of connects into this, as she feels a sense of obligation by being a good student council President as well as by doing good by her sister. Like you I relate to the East Asian cultural values surrounding duty (義理), and it's one of the reasons I really find characters like Yukiko and Makoto interesting. I find that a lot of my friends cannot comprehend a lot of the cultural nuance regarding the Priestess Arcana characters because they don't have the same cultural experiences. Cheers~

[@TitoMcFadden]

Minor correction: Makoto wasn't tailing the protag during her investigation. She was just getting some cardio in while reading. She's very efficient like that. She just so happens to be heading the same way as you. In fact, it's US that's stalking HER! Shame on us all!!!

[@blueotter5954]

Bathroom scene

[@rexorchid9745]

That goofy moment alone is what locked in Makoto as my favorite character. That and the brawler battle style. All the swords and sorcery, but good ol' fisticuffs is just as good of a problem solver.

[@megabyte01]

I know I'm late to the party, and there are a lot of great character scenes for Makoto in the game, but here's my pick. When Joker is listening to Makoto in the council room. Makoto recalls the advice her father gave her: "the most important part of your life is how you choose to live it". For me, that advice feels like it summarizes the theme of the game as a whole.

[@Master_WannaBe_]

What really connected me with Makoto was her interests outside of school. She enjoys things that are viewed as contrary to her sex and age. She still has a huge soft spot for Buchimaru, a cute cartoon panda bear, even though she’s a third year high school student. She also loves Yakuza movies and shooting games, even though she’s a girl. For me, a 23 year old male, I enjoy a lot of cute stuff. For example, some of the characters I enjoy in movies, shows, or video games tend to be bubbly, eccentric, or cutesy ones. Such as Ty Lee in Avatar, Sophia in P5S, and Aqua in Konosuba. I also enjoy activities that, at least here in the US, are non-typically masculine. I enjoy cooking and baking, singing to Broadway show tunes, and watching rom coms and movies that make me cry. It was nice to see a favorite character of mine have untypical interests and not be ashamed of them. Even though I’m more than secure in my interests now, I do wish I discovered this game back when it first came out, when I was still ashamed of having non-typical interests.

[@ArividerchiMagmuasue]

Crazy how u look exactly like the type who would do this

[@metarcee2483]

Ty Lee, Broadway, and baking are awesome. Are you more of a savory baker, or a sweet baker?

[@NIHIL_EGO]

@@ArividerchiMagmuasue The beautiful type ? Absolutely.

[@ArividerchiMagmuasue]

@@NIHIL_EGO not even u can say that seriously, with your levels of delusion lmao

[@NIHIL_EGO]

@@ArividerchiMagmuasue Yet here I am.

[@leoyakovlev6547]

I am an ethnic Russian, and for a very long time I believed that our culture has more in common with the West. However, when I started living in 'the west' for some time, I noticed that the culture seems really weird to me, and then those suspicions got even further reinforced when I played through Persona games and realized I relate to a lot of collectivist societal issues that these games try to have conversations about. To my surprise, Russian culture has a lot more in common with what I saw in Persona games than with what I see in 'western' societies, and I really appreciate your videos for helping me put these things into perspective. Because a lot of things that could be weird for a westerner are not weird for me, like the notion of standing out from the crowd for example, or the notion of respecting your elders. Those notionz are very prevalent in Russian culture. Even the strictness of how Japanese people refer to each other: Russians also have several names - we have our slang name, our passport name and our patronimic (official name), and there are different names that would be appropriate for different group of People. For example: my passport name is Lev. My mom calls me By one of my slang names, which is Levochka, however, it would be weird if anyone other than my mom or girlfriend called me that. And my friends call me Lyovich, which would be weird if my mom called me that. And I can go about these things for hours, so thank you again for putting these things in oerspective. I really like your videos.

[@RedTideOfWolves]

My favourite thing about Makoto: Everything. I've been a long time Persona fan, and I feel she is something of a crowning achievement in terms of character writing. She has so many traits I've loved from Maya, Mitsuru, Naoto, all arranged into a character I find honestly inspiring.

[@kaitokid5797]

Above all her appealing qualities (smarts, position in school, looks, etc.), I would say that what I really find charming about her that makes her my favorite female character in the Persona series and just one of my favorite characters in general is how humble and self-aware she is. She very much acknowledges her flaws and strives to make an effort to better herself. What also makes her a great leader figure is that she is an open and willing listener. While her first impressions to player and the PT are certainly not likable in any way, seeing her perspective and inner thoughts about the situation made me more sympathetic to her and eventually found myself liking her a lot. Her personality and behavior is certainly not for everyone. She can be seen as boring and a party pooper but I see her as just being mature and responsible and I really appeal to that.

[@user-ww1gk5ku1w]

@@kaitokid5797 Same here, I love everything about her: her casual design being simple but effective, her PT design being one of my favourites together with Joker, Sumire and Akechi’s, her Persona being a motorcycle(something unique in the series), The fact she’s both elegant and tomboysh at the same time, her intelligence, her maturity, her romance being absolutely adorable, and most of all I greatly relate to her struggles feeling useless, having low self esteem, being very insecure and I love the way she grows as a person😌

[@PeninsulaCity2024]

Futaba and the Niijima sisters were the most relatable to me. The former from a personal level, and the latter in regards to my sister though becoming a chemist rather than going into law. Makoto and Sae was basically her rolled into one. While our situation wasn't exactly like the Niijima's, the pressure and expectations from almost all angles was there especially after our parents divorced. Coupled with some East-vs-West culture clash when it came to schooling, social, and home life, it was... rough. Anyway, I know I am very late posting but I just found this channel and this was an excellent video. Keep up the good work! Time to see Kitagawa's video next which went live "11 hours ago" at the time of commenting.

[@16BitGamerCat]

So, I actually have something to say about the "anti-school" sentiment in western culture. To me at least, it's not that school is an inherently terrible thing. Moreso, it is that the system in place is incredibly flawed, not only letting those who are "slow" fall through the cracks more often than should be tolerated, but practically forcing those who are "fast" at learning directly into other, just as vicious cracks. The way the system is designed right now encourages becoming a workaholic, as for those who are "slow" it is the only way to catch up to expectations, and for those who are "fast" it is the only way to keep up with expectations. I'm currently in a state of absolute burnout from being overworked, mainly because I made the stupid decision to take 8 AP courses in a single school year. However, had I been properly warned of the danger of this decision, I may have at the least had my expectations set such that I would not have been taken off guard by the sheer workload of these courses. This isn't to say I wasn't warned, but that the warnings were inadequate, and contained no substantial information that I hadn't heard 100 times before.

[@accountid9681]

You've probably already finished those courses by now, but I understand you. This year I took 3 Dual Enrollment courses, 2 AP courses, and 2 courses which earned me certification in the use of obscure Civil Engineering software. Half of my teachers quit by the end of the year due to stress from the pandemic which is still a problem where I live. I barely managed to survive it, but I'm gonna do even more next year to get into a good university.

[@quixadhal]

As an old fart who grew up going to a small town "midwestern" public school, from the 1970's to the 1980's, I can tell you that much of the anti-school sentiment in America stems from a lack of standardization AND a lack of proper funding. In my tiny town, I was amongst the brightest of the kids there, and we had no "AP" classes or anything of the sort. Instead, when I ran off the end of the K-6 reading materials list in 5th grade, I was told to go get books from the public library downtown and write reports on them, mostly to keep me busy. The funding was mostly from local taxpayers and a few state grants, so there's no way a town of 4000 people with a mediocre football team was going to get funding for anything advanced. The lack of standards became apparent when I went to college and discovered that while I'd been a tall tree on my tiny hill, I was just slightly above average in the larger forest around me. Kids from all over the world were much better prepared than I was, as many of them came from countries that cared about education more than empty rhetoric, and were not afraid to hold back students who did poorly, or help their best and brightest move forward. From what I can see, we still haven't learned that lesson. We have more standards in place, but they're designed to teach students how to pass tests, not help them actually learn to be successful. THAT is where much of the negative sentiment comes from. We recognize our system is broken, but there is no central authority which could tear it down and rebuild it from the ground up... it's scattered around between State and Local control, and budgets being what they are, the places that need change the most are least likely to get it.

[@cullenlatham2366]

yeah, i was on the opposite end; someone who cared about my own happiness and mental health over undue stress from topics of little relevance after leaving school. If we are exclusively talking grades, i was a bad student. If talking about participation in the broken system, (or some other more specialized metric) i was likely one of the better students. I never really struggled on tests outside of not knowing the topic in question or overthinking the way the question was worded, and i regularly showed up to school and classes despite my distain for the system. In class, i would give 100% up until late high school when i either struggled with the unnaturally early mornings for kids (just for perspective, including bus time and prep, expected wake up was 6 am, with no room for debate), or my growing interest in video games, despite the obscene blocks and filters on school provided devices*. I showed up to school exclusively because of my music classes, the only subject that really held my interest, and ones that did not have much if any work outside classes unless you include the occasional concert and all the time needed to be committed that they required. So how did i graduate if i cared so little about grades that the occasional (overall) F (which, to be clear, almost always came from an overreliance on homework, or a chronic case of writer's block either from a lack of interesting, required topic or subject lists too broad to pick any interests from) didnt bother me? Senior year offered an extracurricular catch-up program that consisted of a single packet of work covering the entire credit course that would not take more than a week to complete outside of procrastination, with a time limit as generous as graduation. Sure, there was no academic instruction beyond asking a study hall teacher for help, but if the entire class can be passed in a week if the student already knows the subject, then what was the point in taking the class in the first place? If nothing else, why is it only given to "slakers" to bypass all the work? How much more enjoyable would school have been if students were given these packets the first week of a course and given the option to complete it at any point for an automatic C? Know the topic already? complete the packet early, get left alone by the teacher if not immediately advancing to the next level credit. Sticking around in the class allows the student to bring the grade up to an A through other methods and "extra credit" that i have not fully thought out. Did i, someone who ignored the grades for lack of meaningful weight, hate school? No, i hated the system and mundanity. If the single teacher for the class slows down for the slowest student, the fastest ones get bored and falls through the cracks in one form or another. If the teacher speeds up for the fastest student, very few would actually pass. As binary as the example sounds, the results are the same, even on a spectrum. The teacher can only effectively teach 1 student, anyone who is slower gets left behind and doomed to fail, and anyone faster gets bored to the point of forsaking the value of the grade, as small as it may be. The closer a student is to the single one being taught, the less they will struggle- but the west values individuality, and with that comes the recognition that every person is unique; since everyone is unique, it is impossible for the teaching to translate 100% to each nearby student of the target. All of that is also assuming the teacher accurately judges the target, and is not projecting their own style of learning onto a class of kids without a single 100% match. Yes, it is cynical and a bit of a hyperbole, but the point is that, with the system as it is, students will fall through the cracks if they are anywhere but the middle of the pack. Excel? Failure by stress overload or boredom. "Struggle"? Failure by apathy towards grades or lack of understanding and failure to adequately communicate ideas between teacher and student. *(around the campus, the saying between students was "if it is not appropriate for K, it cant be accessed, even by 12 graders" and that is despite the teachers being unblocked and uninformed about the difference of freedom. In more simple terms, high school students either needed a personal device or direct communication with a teacher to complete or revoke assignments and their associated grades. Despite all the blocks, most games, be they web or apps were fair game. Sites like cool math games were more common than any form of academic resource.)

[@shikitohno47]

Makes too much sense, its much easier to say "merica bad" and talk out of your ass.

[@marquisehebbler9471]

I was a high school student in the USA, and I’m currently getting my masters in college. For me the “anti-school” sentiment is more about placing your effort to achieve things you deem personally valuable. I knew that I would never talk about my high school achievements after graduating (same with undergrad) so I put grades on the back burner and looked for personal success outside of school. I personally wouldn’t recommend anyone to put emphasis on academic success

[@BigKlingy]

I like the way you say "Makoto". And it's nice to see a defense of Makoto's Confidant for once. I considered myself in the very common camp of "I love Makoto in the story but damn her Confidant sucks", but this video might have changed my mind. When you think of the Eiko thing as less an NPC subplot overtaking her arc and more as a microcosm of the change for good Makoto wants to be as a police officer, it makes a lot of sense. Her new dream is to do for countless others what she could for Eiko. I'm looking forward to you covering Ann, because it could go into some of Japan's racial issues regarding "hafu", which a lot of western analysts miss.

[@morgana1110]

good talk, honestly. In my opinion, Makoto's confidant was rather decent though (apart from the scene where she slaps her best friend) but thinking that Eiko is just a subtle projection of Makoto herself is something I something I need to get used to.

[@BigKlingy]

"Get a hold of yourself!" slaps are really common in Japanese media, they're even more common in the Trails games.

[@morgana1110]

@@BigKlingy That's why I hate them. Slaps in Japanese culture are very cliche. When will they learn that repeating the same useless gag over isn't really going to impact the point. No offence.

[@kraigshall]

There's also the end of the kaneshiro chapter. The bad ending we hear about a girl who is on drugs to the point where she's delirious and only manages to say joker's name. I never got the bad ending I never will but after hearing that I am always bringing a fully started out sataniael with me when I go to deal with him.

[@phobics9498]

I mean its not an actual ending, rather fortunately as its just written off as joker misremembering the events and the game thus boots you back a week And also the full thing is that a high school student has been found doing illegal services while being heavily drugged so even worse lol

[@HanCurunyr]

When I made makoto awaken to the 2nd persona, I kinda missed the "CHARGE JOHANNA!" in battle, but her arc is one I can relate the most, as I was raised to be a "perfect teenager" as well, tho by western standarts, most of the struggle and the objectives are the same.

[@Metalman200xdamnit]

At first her desire to serve was for her own purpose. Then as she grows,she sees her position,not as a stepping stone,but as her duty to those she swore to serve. Side note:And who does not love her team up attacks with Ryuji and Haru?

[@manub9750]

What surprised me the most about Makoto's arc is what Shujin's director asks of her. I mean, he basically delegates all of his work on a student to conduct what should be done by teachers and/or police officers concerning students being scammed into drug deals by mafia people (and we can see both council students as well as Makoto make righteful complaints about this situation). Do japanese School directors really have that kind of power, or is it greatly exaggerated to drive the game's story?

[@OzixiThrill]

They do have that kind of power, but in general, if it got found out, it would be viewed as a colossal failure by the principal.

[@danm8004]

Pro tip, viewers: when a North American says "Wider Western World" they usually mean North America and have no context for the rest of it. Your mileage may vary if they have a Japanese grandparent or something.

[@jonunciate7018]

Makoto was my first romance in P5 classic. Kinda regreted picking Kasumi for P5R but she was pushed so hard my curiosity got the better of me. Regardless, context matters, and the information on Japanese culture in your videos is adding depth to my enjoyment from my P5R new game plus. Great work.

[@acorninhaler5260]

I go to school in America and my school is actually like this. Share test scores with grade, status and friendship are based on how smart you are academically and actually fit more into the Japanese standard then the stereotypical America standard. The only thing different is cram school. We have study hall that is optional but the “highly recommended” and sometimes force you to do for around a hour - hour and thirty. I didn’t like her at first and she isn’t my favorite by a lot but I relate to her and how the school works. Many students at my school are depressed and they even partnered up with a therapy company because so many kids tried to kill themselves and ended up in the hospital or giving up and becoming depressed. It’s almost like an epidemic of depression cases but luckily no one at my school has actually died. But many have tried and have scars.

[@serenepastel]

While I admit that the Internet waifu wars have tainted my opinion of Makoto, and the sadly rest of the female cast, she’s still a very interesting character. I love that she doesn’t have a superficial reason to rebel against society. It’s an absolutely necessary part of changing the world: someone who fits the norm needs to be able to identify injustices as well. Ultimately, she and Zenkichi play a similar role: those who can work within the system have the power to reform it from the inside. Like you said, there are things that set her apart from the crowd, but unlike the rest of the cast, she has the advantage of being able to work under the current system to start making subtle changes. I think it’s very in character that her idea of rebellion manifests as a biker outfit. While loud and disruptive at times, bikers also have to follow a specific code of conduct in order to bike safely. They give the impression of rebelling but still need to operate under a strict set of rules unless they want to crash. It’s indicative of Makoto wanting to shake up the world under the rules that society laid out. Mess with things on the world’s terms.

[@tavoreparan8091]

Bikers also seem to be a very standard way of depicting delinquency. In the US, a "teenage biker" reads as a cool, if bad, kid that everyone flocks around, whereas the Japanese media I've consumed suggests that the baseline meaning is a dropout you shouldn't associate with: you still get the badness, but the coolness is much more muted.

[@shinkamui]

@@tavoreparan8091 oh i didn't catch the dropout connotation, but its so fitting considering she was sorta facing academic consequences from the director and the whole bribery thing from kaneshiro. And her answer is a resounding drive-by and a broken tile on the floor

[@tavoreparan8091]

@@shinkamui From what I've learned from Lady's videos, the consequences of "no letter of recommendation" are much more than academic. They're basically a threat against her entire future career, since she'd struggle to get companies to give her a look. (I think I got this out of her Persona 3 video on Apathy Syndrome.) Which makes Makoto's principled fuck-you to the principal much more of a "I will forge my future myself" kind of independence that sounds nearly unheard of in society. Honestly, the more I learn about Japanese society, the more badass Makoto becomes to me.

[@samflood5631]

Makoto has more of a realistic and healthy romance with Joker. They both value each other in terms of support and personality, and they aren’t attracted to each other by looks, even though they’re teenagers, they never let their hormones let them make stupid and terrible decisions.

[@Aya-yz6mm]

Thank you so much for the great analysis! Makoto's my favorite character in the game and this video made me understand her more. I highly appreciate how you related her to JP's sociocultural issues. You just earned a new subscriber. I'm currently watching your other P5 videos and I'll look forward to more.

[@yeoman7979]

Interesting information presented here, thank you. Love the game and Makoto is my favorite character. Well done!

[@TheOwlet22]

Thank you for making this video, honestly this is a really interesting insight as to what Makoto was intended to show to us, as a person from the southeast I related to Makoto a lot and while in the end She and I actually have mostly different backgrounds, J still think that compare to the rest I still think she also fits with me and my past situation here in the Philippines. In the Philippines, the Ideal teen is basically someone who excels in academics while having high social skills, I almost fit the bill except I don't have high social skills, I'm not shy nor am I anti-social, I just don't hang out with people all that much, and because of it some of them say I don't fit in or I'm too closed off which is not true at all, furthermore if you act all too serious all the time you're considered as a stuck up and people will avoid you unless it's necessary to talk to you because you're not fun to be around. Anyways I'm sorry for being too personal, I just love Makoto to bits and what she means to me as someone who at least has similar background to her socially.

[@venn8842]

As a Filipino, I can also relate...

[@cleanbladenegro1]

I can't help a point out the symbolism and Sae's, a then prosecutor, palace casino despite Japan's strong anti-gambling laws and casinos being banned outright. For me it's symbolizes 2 things: 1. How strong Her disillusionment with the law really Is and 2. How deeply repressed she is emotionally as her shadow self is far more bold, openly seductive, and how badly she wants to be free

[@lordphil1874]

I have been binge watching your videos!!! I'm so glad I found you, the persona analysis scene on KZbin is definitely dominated by men so its refreshing as heck to see a woman's take on all of this. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Persona 4 characters one day(esp. Adachi or Kanji) :)))

[@LadyVirgilia]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you find my takes refreshing~ Will definitely do series on the P4 cast at some point! ^^

[@NuclearConvoy]

So, I've watched a handful of ypur videos (skipping the R segments though, I play games WAY SLOW these days,) and I'm generally fairly well informed on the broader strokes of Japanese societal pressures and the history of the country, but the research you have done, like s0ecific case studies, specific news stories etc., is really helping me to better appreciate a franchise that already fascinated me. Thought you should get the extra praise you've earned. I hope whenever P6 eventually releases you continue your videos. I hope that ypur social work education and career are going well.

[@BlackRicee]

It's funny because she has the same name as naegi from danganronpa and her voice actor is naegis sister komaru

[@AnlaVerse]

No that's wrong! Actually you are right, I always thought that was funny

[@Flashchocobo]

That was a good analysis, I love Makoto so much

[@sjk8495]

Joker's festival scene with Makoto might be my favorite Makoto moment. Watching her get flustered and vulnerable and Joker coming in with the save somehow makes the moment endearing. Honestly, for characters I ship with Joker, my top two picks are Makoto (my Persona best girl) and Sumi.

[@archivist_13]

Great video! Makoto was already one of my favorite characters and this vid just made me love her more

[@glyphidbulkdetonator]

7:44 "Asian culture favor thinking as a group. Western culture favors thinking for oneself." That seems pretty ironic to mention, considering how most Americans seem to let themselves be controlled and give up free will nowadays. Oh well, I could be wrong.

[@OriginalGameteer]

Thinking about the school + friends thing cause I noticed a total lack of it in my high school My friends had no real impact on my motivation towards schoolwork

[@JesskuHatsune]

before, I alwayys thought Makoto was best girl. Now I KNOW she is best girl.

[@LeoLucisCaelum7789]

Keep the good work I enjoyed the video thanks

[@LadyVirgilia]

Thanks for tuning into the premiere and glad you enjoyed! ^^

[@LeoLucisCaelum7789]

LadyVirgilia no problem

[@harshinigorijala3765]

I really liked this video, thank you so much for posting!

[@jmporkbob]

In the end, I think I ended up liking Makoto the most.

[@awakarikatase]

Found another gold mine of persona content in tbis channel, I love it ♡

[@EmileeAshe]

Oh man I remember how I would have entire classes prepping kids for upcoming tests!! (I used to teach English in Japan, and we legit had entire classes dedicated to the nation-wide English tests they have to take in Japan) My school was super dedicated but not pushy, which was nice to give the students extra practice time, but I always did feel a little bad at just how long their school days are... I used to always encourage them to spend even a little time doing something relaxing like listening to music or watching anime. Maybe that was just me being the rebellious foreign teacher tho lol but u gotta rest sometime!! Makoto definitely hit me pretty hard playing p5 because she rly did remind me of some of my students (actually playing the game set mostly in a japanese high school when you have taught in a japanese high school makes it a VERY different experience to most regular players I think, but also nostalgic in a weird way?? Wonder what it would be like playing it while working in a japanese high school...). Thanks for making a series of vids on these topics!! Im happy to see the incredibly japanese context of p5 hit the intl audience, for those who might not be as knowledgeable about it but wanna learn, this is a great way to do it!! As an (ex)teacher, love seeing ppl getting educated in fun ways ^w^

[@farrens_ak]

I hate when people get dismissive on Makoto's Confidant being "too focused" on Eiko when Eiko is the perfect conduit to bring out Makoto's character. As we know Makoto is a Student Council President but what people tend to overlook and don't understand (by personal experience, as a former Student Council member) is that it can be a lonely title to have because you won't be seen as a peer by the fellow student but instead you'll be seen as an authority figure who happens to be a student or close to a school staff. That's why it was important to have Eiko to bond with Makoto over Buchimaru and have Eiko see Makoto in a whole new light that they are able to be friends and see each other as peers and fellow students. Even this experience is already a fresh new perspective and a whole new experience to Makoto that it is important for her personal growth. It's always a professional relationships for Makoto up until the Phantom Thieves and Eiko being her first friend in Shujin outside the PT is a huge major step. Her desire to connect to people her age is so huge she is okay in dropping formalities among the Phantom Thieves to get to know better which can be a huge taboo or considered very rude in East Asian culture.

[@bearson4075]

All I have to say is.. Makoto really is a Queen. But fr, I related to Makoto the most, from my western perspective, in the sense that the principal tried to pin Makoto against her sister. I believe there was a line where the principal said "Your sister Sae would complete this task no problem, so I expect no less from you." (task of uncovering who the PTs were). And boy let me tell you, having to go to school and live up to the sky high expectations of an older rock star sibling is not a pleasant thing.

[@Naruto85RasenShurike]

Makoto's character arc and development was easily the standout for me when I first played PERSONA 5 ROYAL and she still remains my personal favorite character from the entire game! Makoto's journey of outgrowing her inital status as a prim and proper honors student who blindly follows the orders of the adults in her life, to her gradually questioning corrupt authority leaders and eventually joining the Phantom Thieves and utilizing her knowledge and skills to help the oppressed and enact positive social reform truly resonated with me! Plus, I 100% agree that Makoto's confidant line is unfairly maligned and criminally underrated! I even wrote an entire Tumblr post analyzing and defending it!

[@accountid9681]

As a student in the USA I can say that the "anti-school" sentiment present in our society feels foreign to me. I live in an area which would best be described as a cultural anomaly though, so my experience is to be expected. Nevertheless I felt like I related to Makoto more than most other members of the cast.

[@magnusprime962]

I think Makoto’s arc is a perfect microcosm of what makes P5 great. The nuances are rooted in Japanese culture, but the broad ideas and themes are universal. You don’t need to be Japanese or to understand Japanese culture to understand the game, but it will enhance that understanding.

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

Great anlysis as always!

[@kander03]

Great video, really enjoyed it! On a side note, does anyone know what the background music is playing around 24-25 minute mark?

[@tennoryu2794]

Recently stumbled across the videos. Pretty sweet analysis. I took the TLDR as Makoto is best girl V^_^V LOL Thank you for all your insight into the aspects that influenced Persona's background.

[@joshuagabrielcatindig7607]

Not my gal of choice, but after consuming all of your P3 Persona analysis and this, I knew, it was time to make the red text grey.

[@theanokyrali6240]

The fact that the idea of "the collective" exists in Japan, tells me that the Japanese believe that a single set of standards can fit everyone, which just sounds wrong...

[@mystery8820]

LV, if you alternate between male and female party members, then since you already did Akechi, all that is left is Protagonist, Ryuji (which is pronounced with a hard j), Yusuke, and Morgana. Whoever you choose, I hope you give it your best shot. I mentioned the mispronunciation since I heard it but other than that, great video. Precise and analytical.

[@mystery8820]

Also, after the next male character analysis, are you going to do the poll for the next female character again? From the last time I saw the poll, Yoshizawa was a close second to Makoto. There may still be a chance for a Yoshizawa analysis before the end of the year. I just need to be patient.

[@LadyVirgilia]

I feel like I'm stuck in this weird void where Ryuji and Futaba are the only two names I keep pronouncing in "Engrish" cuz I'm so used to hearing it...

[@VolticWind]

Too many people bash Makoto for apparently “not fitting in” the Phantom Thieves because of the image of a prim and proper student council president that’s she’s explicitly supposed to be a deconstruction of.

[@SomeGlasses]

This is too intriguing I’m paying too much attention to fall asleep

[@toonkid5196]

(8:01-8:32) Me: Holy crap, I think I found my people!... sort of.

[@CyrussNP]

I’m a little confused, where in the US is studying looked down on? I’ve never heard of that before.

[@chucrutedip6034]

In the US/Western media, it's not unusual (or it used to be like that anyways) to portray the nerdy characters who get good grades as meek, weak, unappealing losers whose fate is to get bullied. Sure, the jocks who harass them are often portrayed as jackasses the audience is supposed to root against, but the nerdy victims still aren't meant to be people the audience would want to be or associate themselves with. Look at the Krelbones from Malcolm in Middle for example. The main character is an outcast (partly) because he is part of that group of gifted students, but he desperately wishes to be in a different situation. Also, even when those characters grow up and earn a job in academics, they might still be relentlessy mocked for their nerdiness and academic success. For example, in Friends, Ross' profession, which is related to Paleontology, is denigrated partly because of that association. In one episode, Joey even said that Ross' coworkers are losers who live in their mother's basement (and said coworkers are characterized in a way that doesn't deny that accusation). Another show, The Big Bang Theory, portrays its male main characters, who all work in academics, as weak, pathetic men and doesn't shy away from implying that their interests and careers are directly related to their undesirable traits

[@deiongreenaway9751]

Is hard unsure what is word means can you help me?

[@petitnicollas]

Best girl

[@WishfullGamedev]

thx!!!

[@journeymanX]

My biggest gripe is Why would that egghead principal allow a model highschooler like makoto to investigate school matters and take on the friggin yakuza? I get she's student president but you wanna put her in harm's way,and when she's reluctant you bring up her older sister who's a prosecutor someone she must emulate,fine go hire sae to investigate or some third party Then they can relay the info to the cops thus saving your school and pupils i may be overthinking this after all its a jrpg with anime vibes

[@NiteF0X]

Best girl.

[@zephaniahbean]

beep boop

[@ammonahwong9994]

Are you a robot?

[@Thederanged1]

Am I the only who finds it funny that Altus might be suggesting that she might have feelings for Joker 😂.

[@invincible_and_legendary]

Hate to shatter your delusions but not once in the entire game is it implied that she has feelings for Joker,not even in her own confidant and if you friendzone her she just shrugs it off like nothing. Overall a garbage tier character. Still not as bad as Ohya

[@juandiegomartinez9811]

Mi novia we

[@mikebliss3153]

Best Girl.

[@JasonwithaJay]

Makoto is the best - youtube algorithm fulfilled.

[@thedecembomber]

Mako to best waifu.

[@slickseviper9758]

i could NEVER make myself like Makoto. The first few interactions ruined it for me completely.

[@phenompy]

Ah yes, the original Heroine of persona 5 Vanilla until the new director made Kasumi to take her place lol

[@DanGalarzaCyber]

Kasumi gets a lot of complaints of being forced and having no life outside of being in love with the hero like Marie from P4 Golden. I wouldn't sweat it. This new director does make me worried about Persona 6 though.

[@mrtyphoon8923]

@@DanGalarzaCyber I think you voiced my main problem with Kasumi, that she doesn't have much personality outside of being in love with Joker

[@bjhale]

I only played P5 Royal and was all about Makoto as my NPC alter ego heroine.

[@Juanito._._]

Makoto's decision to be a police commissioner without offending her, I find it stupid and childish, the same game tells you, the player, and the other characters that a large part of all hierarchy-based systems end up being corrupt, failing the initial idea they wanted to achieve, even if makoto gets to be a police commissioner, the institution will continue to be corrupt in one way or another and congratulating her just for being a woman in a men's environment does not give her good points of being a good character because sooner or later she will see that her definition of justice It could not be applied in such a twisted system no matter what reforms are made and joker suffers from police brutality and she does not care and turns a blind eye and continues with his stupid and childish dream

[@Metalman200xdamnit]

You can only change things when you are at the top. Makoto knows that and wants to see reform within the ranks. What you said is like saying,"all cops are bad or looking to beat or shoot someone." While,yes,some cops have a piss poor outlook;others embody to protect and serve.

[@kevin-bf4ww]

before watching: this character severely disappointed me because she starts as a snitch-type following you, the principal gets deleted and then she gets relegated to team mom like her persona might as well have just been breakfast and tv remote and gingerale in bed, why make her design into an extremely cool rebel if she wasn't going to change her personality at all or grow or express her freedoms even if you romance her its the same she never comes out of her shell but thats a problem with 90% of the cast anyways

[@kevin-bf4ww]

i still think she needs a new persona but you make some good points about her acting as a cog in the machine and having literally no goals to being able to find a purpose and a positive outlook i also still think she needed more time to breathe as a student council president which would have made her interest in one random girl more poignant cant believe that royal doesnt add anything about her looking into the kamoshida situation i didn't know about the teacher recommendation system which does make a few parts of the story make a lot more sense

[@LadyVirgilia]

I appreciate your open-mind when viewing this! I also wish there was more emphasis on her role as student council pres after the 3rd palace, but otherwise you do make fair points. P5's main plot is just really bloated... Thanks for this thoughtful comment!

[@DanGalarzaCyber]

She can't do that much. Look at what happened to Joker just for protecting one woman from a rapist. Remember when Makoto defied the principal? That was dangerous as a college bound woman in Japan.

[@davidgeorge1943]

I know you're the one with Japanese descent here and I'm just being a Stupid American™, but it bothers me how you say it like "MAko-to" and not "maKOto"

[@dDoodle788]

As a bilingual, I would say that it's probably due to the fact that it's difficult to switch cadence and pronounciation mid sentence, as it kind of ruins the flow of your speech.

[@tavoreparan8091]

MA-koto is how the name is most commonly pronounced in Japan, though ma-KO-to is a valid pronunciation. If you use the Japanese audio, that's how it's pronounced in the game, too. I have no idea why the voice direction they gave to the English VAs was all using ma-KO-to.

[@ryanstarkweather3625]

agreeableness and neuroticism, both traits women are typically higher in, do not make for good traits of a leader. THAT'S why men dominate leadership positions.

[@Pduarte79]

Her older sister is better and hotter. 🤭😏🥰😍 Especially Sae's shadow.

[@viktor504]

I’m trying really hard to like the persona 5 cast but even with all this info she’s just so boring man helppppp

[@aikoneutral7866]

I'm sorry but Makoto is probably my least favorite character in Persona 5.

[@twistedbeach2805]

I hated Makoto everytime she had cutscene I was thinking ugh this chick again my hatred for her grew when she made that snide comment about shiho 😠😠🤬🙅

[@CourtofOwls92]

Is she pronouncing her name wrong on purpose? Cause it’s seriously annoying

[@tavoreparan8091]

Listen to the Japanese VAs pronounce her name.

[@DarkKnightSatellite]

dreamgirl

[@ogdeathre6en533]

Best girl