As always when writing anything there truly hard part is where to begin and with Yukiko there are countless of entry points where one could start talking about her. Yukiko is given a very traditional role with more constraints and limitations than almost any other role in the society she lives in. Already from the basis of being a female her options are being limited and on top of that she’s born into a family that set her apart from the normal girl. From the start of her life Yukiko is set on a path to follow and this is a very large part of her social link and the interactions with her, she’s the heiress of the Amagi Inn and it obviously add even more pressure and what she perceive as limitations on who she can be and what she can do. Her position require a lot of attention in her life and to that degree that it affect not only her spare time which a normal kid would in many cases spend with friends, do stuff they want and just have a fun time. It also affect her school life in several ways in which how people look at her is the most obvious one but also that we learn that she some days are required to either skip classes or entire days because the Inn require her assistance. This even more set her apart from people around her and only add to the feeling of being constrained. She’s also given the normal expectations that other kids are often given by their parents should do well in school and this alone do not affect her is another small weight on shoulders that already have been made to carry a great deal. The bars are being added up and what she end up feeling is like a bird caught in a cage and only being able to observe what other people are allowed to do but she within her cage is entirely unable to do. This causes her a great deal of anxiety and this is what the player end up dealing with.








One large reason why I completely love Yukiko and her story is that it’s a story that allowed me a lot of self-reflection and encouraged me to look at life and look at many aspects of my life in different ways than I originally did. The player helps Yukiko in doing this over the course of her social link and the rest of the game. When we rescue her we more or less break the cage wide open and Yukiko go from being caged and instead get caught up in a sudden rush of freedom that let her spread her wings to their full extent and this allow us to see that she’s so much more than the formal, quiet and reserved girl that we are first shown. Yukiko laughing at the most silly jokes makes me smile like few things and it just make her that more alive. Yukiko truly care and appreciate her friends which thanks to being raised as a lady give her a bit of a motherly aura. She put the wellbeing of the people she cares about as her top priority. Yukiko is also a very open-minded person with a straightforward approach and this only adds to her very caring personality. One only needs to look at how she verbally knocks out the rude reporter to get a perfect example of how caring she is. What the player and Yukiko are doing over the course of her social link is taking a look at who she is and where she has grown into this caring, supportive and lively person that she actually is. Yukiko start with the rather natural step of doing a bit of a rebellion at what she perceives to be a life that never allows her freedom or chances to deviate and her idea of becoming an interior decorator which is a rather creative and allow a good deal of freedom does contrast a great deal with the life that she see as limiting. Now to make this possible she do need to learn to cook (oh dear) and learn a few other things so that she can be able to live on her own and this is where things start to appear differently to her than they have in the past.






What Yukiko start to notice and understand is the immense support she’s given from the people around her and that they genuinely do want the very best for her. What she first saw as people grooming her for a role are now instead full of wonderful people that do what they can for her to make her life better and give her the tools she need to experience more things in life, to be more free. It’s through the freedom that she has been given with the aid of the player and the things that she do with it that allow Yukiko to reflect on her life and everything around her. She’s always been thinking a lot and often gloomy thoughts which are now replaced by thoughts given fresh air. She discover that she don’t actually hate her role or the future that she’s been set to work towards and she herself make the choice to follow the path once more and this is the key to her transformation. With her making the choice the chains and the bars are vanishing into nothing or even become tools for her to focus even better on what she needs to do. Yukiko is a very dutiful person so with her own will deciding to follow the path she’s now able to do the same things as before but with the result of having more energy over and being able to keep her true lively nature intact under the stress of her position. She’s finally happy after being contained for so long.






Her romance is just so awesome that writing about it quite easily end up using several ways of describing lovely or sweet. But it’s where Yukiko is able to spread her wings the most and be herself to the best of her ability and just from that it’s impossible for me to do anything else but completely love every moment that I get to spend with her when she’s like that. Also seeing the entire Inn stand with her kind of strengthen the idea that she’s never alone and will always be supported which is a reminder of all the work she and the player put in to see the world from another point of view. Her daydream around valentine about them standing together at the entrance welcoming new guests is just so adorable that but it also make it clear that Yukiko now look towards the future with hope and excitement instead of being gloomy and stressed out. She has been allowed to breath and growth and this becomes that much clearer when romanced. Also we get the chance to see her be open and honest which was not at all the case when in her cage. One can also mention that all the skills she has learned due to her position and family are exceptionally well suited skills for someone that want to take care of others and especially a family, we never heard Yukiko actually say it directly but she’s a very intelligent and now also more happy person so she will find even more reasons to work towards her goal of being the next manager. Anything that helps the people she cares about help her.







I’ll stop here for now. There are just so much more that I could talk about not to mention the relationship between Yukiko and Chie and how it affect both of them and just so many other parts. Yukiko is a child of Inaba and that is getting clearer by each time I think about it.

So I finally finished Persona 3.

There's definitely a lot to say about P3, but that would require a series of blogs for me to cover everything that I would like to express and which is something I don't see myself doing, due to a busy schedule and people here having already discussed the game to death by now (in addition to you having most likely found stuff that I missed). So I'm gonna simply state that I enjoyed the experience quite immensely. Truly, the way the game correlates gameplay and narrative through so many avenues on each respective aspect to create a complete whole, is impressive to say the least. Taking into account the distinctive and well written characters, a variety of different thematic materials to convey the narrative, compelling mechanics that are integrated both in the usage as a dungeon crawler and high school setting, a rather enriching soundtrack to complement the tune in various ways, graphical style and more, all help create an atmosphere to the game.

What I am however going to delve into is four main aspects that resonated with me personally in the game, which was its portrayal on multiplicity, duality, individuality and the stories main focus on the propensity of apathy. As I previously stated here, I initially didn't quite enjoy the Main Character in the game--due to him being too ambiguous in nature while still empowering a basal personality, which made it hard for me to properly define him. It wasn't until later however that I realized really how very believable the MC really is in the story. In my experience, plenty of games that allow you the opportunity to define the protagonist usually does this by making the interactions with the world rather straightforward in style, putting emphasis on whether you are more of a sensible or amoral character (a wild simplification, of course). The concept varies of course from game to game, but generally the execution tends to be similar. Persona 3 in contrast, utilizes the "blank slate" character as a means to tap into the various distinctive characters that occupy the world, wherein the game doesn't encourage to restrict yourself to one specific role and instead occupy different personalities with different people. This is a very realistic take for a game to do, especially since there is a lot of truth to its approach. We humans tend to behave differently with different people, wherein we show different sides of our personality. The way we interact with our families, friends and loved ones. It came as quite a surprise when I finally realized what the game was accomplishing with the MC, and is certainly something I enjoyed. In addition for it not only working in the narrative with creating relationships with the characters, it also having an impact on the mechanic level through the use of Personas and Tarot cards, how the MC adopted the "Fool" arcana, made it all the more satisfying. However, I still found the MC to occupy the role of a passive observer too much in the game, and I would have appreciated the opportunity to more actively participate in various events that took place--being able to act instead of constantly reacting. Of course it fits with the MC's aloof nature and is one who "participates" instead of "organizing", so it is more of a personal bias on my part since I prefer more proactive protagonists.

Duality is a motif that I tend to love in fiction. Primarily scenarios that rely on the conflict of moral dualism through the focus on benevolence versus malevolence are approaches that I have a soft spot for. While generally conventional mechanics used in stories, when a work manages to properly go in depth into respective oppositions and portray them on an equal footing through different means, is something that I respect. Persona 3 is a game that manages this quite astutely on different levels. The game utilizes this through different means; through simply methods such as "Tartarus or school" or moral struggles such as the one between "Strega and Sees" and even the stories main focus on "Life and death". Just as the main story relies on prospects of sacrifice and gratification in the narrative (which end up coming into limelight in the climax of the story) it also portrays this through the MC and the Social Links, along with the SEES members. Just as the MC helps the various SLs through different life struggles, they also help in turn to teach valuable life lessons. The different personalities and ideals within the SEES members are explored. All of these aspects make the duality trend play a focal point in the role, and is something I appreciate it for exploring.

Finally, the role of apathy and identity within the game. It is interesting how apathy is conveyed in the story not only as a disease affecting humanity with the coming of Nyx, but also on a smaller scale wherein it shows us how alone people are and how they struggle with themselves. People being ignorant of everything but themselves, each facing their own personal dilemmas while trying to find a reason to move on. With the game having the option for the MC to resolve some of these issues with the characters, gives it quite a realistic take on perfunctoriness, since it explores it through different causes and aspects, which makes it all the more relevant to the story and help creating a sense of identity. By establishing bonds with others, the MC’s identity becomes shaped and apparent as each Social Link is explored, which in turn makes him find more value and meaning with his existence. This plays heavily in the story and is the primary reason why I found that the ending is so powerful. If it hasn't already become clear throughout the journey, it is in the final moments where it shows how more one becomes more sure of themselves when they have friends to rely on (and vice versa). With the MC, his sense of self is strengthened as he grows closer to the people around him, in addition to the various personas that one occupy as a ‘manifestation of his personality’ that is used to ‘face hardships’, which makes it all rather visceral.

So in conclusion; Persona 3 is a game that uses its mechanics and its narrative to communicate something very important to the player through different ways. It brings forward the notion that sometimes in life you are powerless, alone, struggling with dilemmas that you face both minor and major ones, and in the source of the story--sometimes you are powerless in the face of the inevitability of death. And yet, with friends and loved ones around you, you can survive your greatest hardships. Your friends will give you strength, make life worth living again. Persona 3 teaches us that--poetically--that if you play your cards right, through your friends, you can even survive death.

Persona 3 is something that I'd consider a work of art, and is certainly close to my heart as far as storytelling goes. So with all that said, someone hand me over my personal Evoker, 'cause I'm definitely a fan of this series and looking forward to the rest of the games!

Finally finished Persona 4 Golden.

Well to put it simply I loved the experience that P4 offered. Truly, there are only a handful of games that have been able to stimulate a variety of emotions from me; ranging from pure joy to sadness. It's not often that I get so invested with a game, and how can't I when it offers a plethora of avenues to explore aspects of relationships, humor, dramatic progression, social purposes, ontology, and much more. All of these help create layers upon layers within the game, to convey a simplistic yet complex story, which is something that I have come to love about this franchise.

The murder mystery and the overall concept of the Midnight Channel are aspects I enjoyed tremendously. I enjoy murder mysteries as much as the next person, and when a story can tell a credible one; utilizing appropriate methods to convey all the elements that are necessary for the plot to work in tandem with the overall narrative, is something that I appreciate. While there are hiccups in the story where it stumbles, be it either by pacing, critical aspects brought forward until much later, being seemingly too straightforward in its approach from time to time and more, the game still ultimately offers a very credible tale that feels engaging. For a murder mystery it is vital to take into considerations various causes and aspects to make it believable, which is something the game uses extremely well. It focuses on realization instead of simply revelations, illusion of allusions, plot backtracking, thematic values, importance of clues, and a variety of other elements that helps shape it into a functional murder mystery. It is a real joy to undergo on this quest, and have the characters move back and forth during several scenes with the mystery and how they intend to solve it. Just as with many who follows a plot like this, a part of the appeal is for you as the audience to try to come up with the solution along the journey, which has a tendency to make it feel rather competitive with you and the characters in who comes forth with an answer first (be it either during a particular scenario or just the overall mystery in itself). For me--as the player--I felt it highly necessary to be able to bring forward my own inputs into the story during vital scenes, and to a large extent I am pleased with the outcome since it offered options for me to bring forward my own deductions, which could be either right or wrong. It certainly helped in making me feel even more invested, in actually making me feel like a piece in the puzzle. It is always a more powerful scenario when you are actually there helping in finding the truth of the matter.

Speaking of truth, it was certainly interesting to witness how the game circles around this very concept. What starts as a mere goal to come to the heart of the matter in this very quest that the characters set themselves into, it is intriguing to see how "truth" is showcased through different elements and how it develops throughout the story; being used as a means to portray characters coming in terms with their individuality, establishing peoples roles in a society and its faults, in addition the essence of human nature. While I had my initial issues with the story becoming more and more "grandeur" in scale with each consecutive revelation that brought forward the workings of the supernatural, thankfully they managed to work in tandem with what the story wanted to convey. A highlight for me regarding this was what GreyLycan brought forward earlier in this thread regarding the incident with Nanako--meaning how the game through the incident actively tried to hinder the player from obtaining the real truth. This is conveyed through several means within the game, and is something that took me by surprise. Just as the game has its main villains directly stating that humans only want an easy way through life and settle for what they will find as comfortable enough, it is impressive how the game is doing the same exact thing for the player, wherein it both directly and indirectly tries to simultaneously hinder and push you from the real truth. Emotions and logic come into play through different ways, and it is aspects like these that just makes me love this game all the more for it.

And of course the characters. Yeah, just as I pointed out earlier, haven't been this in love with a cast since DA:O. There isn't anyone that I dislike, and I would have a hard time ranking them since I like what each of them bring forward to the table. I much preferred the addition of having the actual companions to directly embody the Social Links, which not only served as a way to further portray them as characters over what the story offered, but also helped create a genuine relationship with each individual, which was something that P3 lacked. However, while I enjoyed the more frequent interactions and approaches to respective character, I found that P3 managed to covey its cast and themes a tad bit more effectively within its narrative. This is mostly due to the characters not coming in terms with themselves simply due to the aid of Minato, but each other. The main narrative in P4 brings forward that they can move forward together but unfortunately that isn't made clear that well since most of their developments are excluded to Narukami, which aren't brought forward in the main plot. More focus could have been put to the casts interaction with each other outside of Narukami, since during a lot of scenarios I found that the main reason the cast is together is mainly due to them being in the same mess. That is not to say that they dislike each other or aren't friends, but with the P3 cast I found it easier to identify it as a genuine group of friends, rather than a team that is fighting against an oppressive power.

Of course, this has to mainly due with the role that the game wants to establish with Narukami, which it largely succeeds in. Yu Narukami is a compelling protagonist, and is someone I enjoyed playing as in the story. While I have already earlier expressed why I prefer Narukami over Minato--due to the former not being as passive as the latter--there are other aspects that made me enjoy role playing him as after I had finished the game. One aspect in particular that I personally enjoyed was that the games establishes him as an actual person in the world. While they both are blank slates on their own right, to give as many avenues for the player to express the character as possible, Narukami fortunately has more ground work that make him stand out. Every little detail, from him being a city boy, moving away after a year, having relatives and such are traits that manages to distinguish him in the story and make him an active member. Characters in the game reflect upon his past, bring forward references; about the daily routines of society which you often have the option to express your views on different matters. This help create more avenues for you to express the character and better build him, which in Minato's case is mostly left to imagination. It also helps that Yu has the ability to play a more active role in the murder case, wherein you can put forward your own theories and come up with your own conclusions to the crime. While he isn't able to fully address certain conclusions (outside of certain events) he acts as the instigator of the group, the one who listens to his surroundings, the deductions his friends bring forward, and ultimately points the group forward into the right direction. It is an appreciated quality, since you have the ability to actually come across as someone level-headed. Though in the end, what helps Narukami stand out is that he is surrounded by great characters who complements him in various ways. Just as much as Yu is the enabler of the group, the supporter who actively listens and aids the characters in different ways to have them come to terms with themselves, it is his friends that makes Yu who he is. He is nothing without his friends, and how the game establishes this is a much, much better take than what Minato offered, wherein the plot generally centered on him but did a poor job in establishing this mainly due to the fact that his friends were largely secondary.

And lastly what I want to write about is Adachi. Well, he proved to be quite a compelling antagonist. He isn't much of a mastermind as he is an overgrown, nihilistic brat that showcases an extreme version of what humanity could dissolve into, but that is not to say that he isn't brilliantly portrayed in his own right. I enjoyed the fact how he embodied the part of a jester; with a joyous and innocent facade that ultimately proved to be an incarnation of chaos. The vivid display of eccentric behavior proved to not only be entertaining, but also help create a rather ambiguous exterior for him that made him prove to be quite complex, rather than simply a raving lunatic. For me, the game didn't try to make you sympathize or agree with his radical methods, but more about trying to portray an extreme version of a possibility that the game has already been establishing. Just as he is a facade in his initial introduction as a character, he brings forward a facade of the world and what is lying underneath. The workings of the internent, TV, society, etc, are all means that is always asking the question; what is truly the truth? What is a right identity to personify? What is an appropriate dress code? These, along with other aspects, have been conveyed both prominently and subtly in the game, and it is only when you reflect upon it that you can appreciate what Adachi embodies as a character. He certainly receives marks from me since he serves as a foil towards Narukami; who the latter is someone that inspires people, while Adachi is simply someone who does what he wants. Narukami and Adachi actually mirrors Batman and Joker in more ways than one, haha!

Well that is what I have to say about the game. Love it to bits. I can see myself replaying the game in summer, since I honestly can't be apart from these guys too long.