#and part of it is something yusuke says afterwards: they think akechi is held back by the burden of proof

[saturnsfather]

dawg i have GOT to write a character study about goro’s feelings towards akira throughout the course of his confidant route and the game because im replaying it and taking notes and Holy Shit. I Have Some Thoughts. me when im in a Compartmentalization Contest and my opponent is Akechi Goro

[wallstoothin]

The Appearance Experiment

technically part of my Shadow ops verse but can be seen as an individual thing.

It was a random thought at two am which became a much bigger idea after a while, he was going to do something great, a social experiment if you will. Akira really wanted to test out the limit of city folks and what’s a better time to do so now and at his school too a great testing ground for all sorts of ideas.Of course, completing this experiment in just his school would be a bad idea. The school already has a bad image of him which would totally skew his data. It’s fine to include his school in his final report but it would be more beneficial if he had at least some control subject. After a few minutes of rolling around his bed Akira realise there is no other choice , he is just going to have to conduct his experiment everywhere he goes. 

On the day of the experiment which is only a mere few hour after thinking up all the terms and rules while brushing his teeth, Akira realized something. The purpose of the experiment is not because he wanted to test out the brains of Tokyo. It’s because he’s a bit of a jerk. 

Experiment notes written by Akira Kurusu:

Subject one: Sakura Sojiro

It is unknown if the subject is aware of the change. He has not mentioned a thing to me. But I’m pretty sure he mumbled something like ‘kids these days’ under his breath while he see me off. 

Subject(s) two: Shibuya train goers

Everyone was too busy on their phone to notice. In order to optimize the best result I choose a seat which would get me the most attention but it seems to be a fail. Hopefully school would give a much better result.

Subject(s) three: Students of Shujin Academy

It was interesting to see people actively trying to look away from me. Like if they laugh at my face then I would punch their lights out. I’m sure by tomorrow there would be a brand new rumor flying around. I can already hear some whispering out in the hall. Perfect, just as I expected.

Subject four: Kawakami-sensei

We held eye contact for a few seconds but that was about it. I’m sure we’ll be having a talk the next time she comes over.

Subject five: Ushimaru-sensei

That asshole didn’t even hesitate to throw chalk at me. RUDE

Subject(s) six: Ann, Mishima-kun and Ryuji

Mishima and Ryuji each gave me a high five which was cool but Ann didn’t say a thing. I think she’s used to my bullshit. But she was giggling so I’m pretty sure I got some cool points from her.

Subject(s) seven: Haru and Makoto

Haru giggled and asked for a picture while Makoto just sigh. I asked Haru to take a picture of me so I can send it to subject eight.

Subject eight: Yusuke

I sent the picture that Haru took to Yusuke at around lunch time and five minutes later he texted me back an essay. I’m not in the mood to read it all at once but I hope he’s asking to paint me nude with it on. I don’t mind.

Subject nine: Futaba

Somehow Futaba got her hands on the picture and is currently spamming random emoji to my phone. I suspect that the picture would eventually makes its way to the blackmail folder she have on her phone. I made sure Morgana stick with her for the day just so I can avoid the ‘Morgana factor’ obstacle . I wonder what he thinks of me and my experiment. 

Subject ten: Akechi

Out of all the subjects Akechi gave me the best reaction.

 When Akira first step into the club he saw Akechi do a double take. By the time he reach their table Akechi was trying very hard to hold in his laughter. He gives the brown haired man a hard look and asked . “Is there something on my face?”

With hands pressed firmly on his mouth Akechi shook his head. 

Ok then, this was interesting. The last time he saw Akechi like this was when they were investigating the poisoning case together and Akira had to wear a disguise. 

They moved on with their drink while Akira pretends to ignore all the side glance Akechi gives him every now and then. Ten minutes later Akechi cracks and finally ask Akira the question he was waiting for.

“Um…Akira-kun, why are you wearing that on your face?”

“Wearing what? My glasses? I always wear glasses.”

“I-um yes, you do wear glasses, I’m just wondering why are you wearing the Groucho Marx glasses.’ 

Akira pushed his glasses up so it fits better on his face, the comically loud plastic nose making a small ‘tap’ noise as it comes in contact with his long nails. He made sure to give his best customer service smile. Faker than any smile Akechi dreams of making and said.

“ For the sake of science of course” 

It was not a lie of course no matter what kind of look Akechi gave him afterwards.

Needless to say the experiment was a big success and Akira is very proud of his contribution to science.

[wondr18360]

Thoughts on Goro Akechi

Okay I admit that my initial opinion of Akechi wasn’t that great when I was watching the P5 playthrough, but after seeing his last few scenes and thinking it over, he actually kinda grew on me as a character… Which is why I am pretty disappointed that he kinda got tossed to the side after the Shido arc.

Warning: Long rant analysis and spoilers ahead

Throughout the game Akechi does play a pretty big role in the story, first as the Ace Detective who challenges the Phantom Thieves’ sense of justice, then as an “ally”(?) of the Thieves, and finally as one of the primary antagonists that the Phantom Thieves have to defeat, yet after Akechi had his painfully short redemption arc scene (which didn’t totally redeem him partly because it was so effin’ short) and died, he literally only gets a few seconds of mourning from the Thieves right afterwards, a brief discussion about him in the group chat once they go back to the real world after his death, Shido asking his men where he is and calling him a “useless brat” when they can’t find him after Shido’s calling card is broadcast, a short dialogue mention before the Shido boss battle, and finally a mention from Sae Nijima when she says that he’s “missing,” and apparently the Thieves can’t straight up tell her that he’s dead. I get that storywise the Thieves aren’t obligated to forgive him and really feel horrible about his death given that a) he was the culprit behind the mental shutdowns, b) he did murder Futaba’s mom and Haru’s dad and attempted to do the same to Akira, and c) he attempted to place the blame on the Phantom Thieves and get them all arrested and killed, but I still feel like his existence and his death, particularly the way he died and what happened right before, should have had a bit more of a lasting impact on the Thieves and on the story.

Let’s face it, Akechi did some pretty horrible things and he deserved to be held accountable for them, but one of the reasons he ended up the way he did was because he had to endure both the loss of his mother and the lack of a father figure due to said “father” being a selfish asshole who would willingly get rid of anyone and everyone in order to get what he wants. Not to mention that because he had no parents, Akechi was passed between foster homes quite often, and this made him feel both lonely and as though he was unwelcome everywhere, something he tells Futaba and Akira when he visits Leblanc for the first time. It’s no surprise that having these experiences would make Akechi resent Shido once he figured out that he was his father, and there’s no doubt that they’re at least part of what fueled Akechi’s twisted desire for revenge. However, there’s also a part of Akechi that desperately seeks acknowledgement from Shido because he’s his father, which is probably part of why he decides to help him by causing the mental shutdowns before carrying out his own revenge, rather than working against him from the very beginning like we sometimes see other “heroes” in similar situations do. His desire for acknowledgement is also what drove him to become a detective, since he thrived off of the public’s support. Though that being said, Akechi most likely doesn’t necessarily enjoy working with Shido and killing people; to him it’s just a job, a necessary stepping stone to get him closer to Shido so that he may ultimately bring about his downfall. And it’s clear that that is his plan; he says so to the Phantom Thieves when they meet in Shido’s palace, and he curses them for interfering, albeit unknowingly.

But, when Akechi first began to interact more with Akira in particular, he took an interest in him, and as he also got introduced to the rest of the Phantom Thieves and eventually “joined” them (quotations cuz he technically wasn’t a bona fide mona fide Phantom Thief), he got exposed to something he never really experienced before: strong bonds of friendship, camaraderie, and even love to a certain extent, since the Thieves all care for each other quite deeply. Moreover, he felt a certain connection with Akira and greatly admired him, while simultaneously envying him for being surrounded by friends he can rely on and for being able to freely walk a path of his own choosing despite the shackles that others have tried to place on him (his criminal record and the related stigma from others). This envy is what causes Akechi to choose his personal mission over a possible future with the Thieves in the hopes that he can become a hero himself, and the resulting conflict between his obsession with revenge and acknowledgement and his yearning for friendship unhinges him to a certain extent, so much that while he seems to revel in killing Akira and the rest of the Thieves, he also is slightly hesitant to do so, and especially during his boss battle he alternates between these two attitudes.

It is only when Akechi is finally defeated for the second time that he loses the will to keep fighting and says, “I’ve had enough,” which is honestly quite heartbreaking because you can practically feel the exhaustion and despair that he’s experiencing as he accepts that he’s not only failed his personal mission, but he’s effectively destroyed what chances he may have had to experience true friendship and acknowledgement, which leads to him pouring his heart out to the Thieves and finally musing that he “couldn’t be special.” And that’s when the Phantom Thieves, who practically despised Akechi since the time they met him and possibly even hated him after finding out his true identity, feel for him. Because he’s at his lowest point now, all secrets bared, ready to call it quits and give up, and they recognize that because they have all been in similar positions at different points in the game, normally right before they awakened their Personas. Moreover, they see where he’s coming from, as each of them have their own troubled backstory that isn’t too far off from Akechi’s, but they also take it to heart when he reveals how he envies their bond as a team because they’re able to recognize that they lucked out when they found each other, and that Akechi didn’t have that same fortune. This is why Ryuji, who constantly ragged on Akechi before, assures him that he is special, and why Makoto admits that they needed to work as a team in order to be able to match and defeat his wit and strength. It’s why Haru and Futaba, despite not being able to forgive him for his previous actions, find a way to sympathize with him and see things from his perspective. And it’s why when Akechi tells them to kill him, they refuse, and instead want to give him a chance to redeem himself at least somewhat by working with them to take down Shido.

So when Akechi's cognitive clone appears and Shido's true intentions to eventually dispose of him become clear, Akechi decides to entrust his mission with the Phantom Thieves, opting to sacrifice himself to aid in their success not just because he doesn't want to weigh them down in his weakened state, as he tells them before he dies, but also because he has "had enough." He knows that even if he does decide to join the Phantom Thieves for real this time, he'll still be somewhat of an odd one out because of how he's hurt them before, and in the end regardless of their success or failure he still won't be a hero because his justice - and justice itself - won't allow his crimes to go unpunished. The public will shun him after finding out what he did, and at this point Akechi is too tired, too jaded to even imagine undertaking a long journey to redeem himself and regain acknowledgment after that, especially since he knows that unlike Akira, his crimes are real and that he will always have to live his life atoning for them. In that case, the least he can do is attempt to make up for everything by giving up his own life for the sake of the Phantom Thieves, who he now trusts to carry out justice in his stead.

So here’s where my problem begins. I think that the Thieves should have given more remembrance to Akechi later after they defeated Shido and even after they put an end to the Metaverse, since by doing so, they ensured that Shido would be brought to justice, and they fulfilled the promise they made. Yeah I get that right after the Shido boss battle they had to try and get out of the palace alive and then Ryuji “died” and came back to life, and that after the final battle not only did Morgana disappear but Akira also went to juvie, but at least after Akira and Morgana returned and things settled down, there should have been more dialogue or other story material that indicated that the Phantom Thieves hadn’t forgotten about Akechi and still kept him in mind at least somewhat. At the very least, Akechi’s story and how it could have been any one of them should have had some sort of lasting impact on the Thieves and their views regarding good and evil, teaching them that people aren’t always inherently good or bad; they’re often the product of the events and circumstances in their life, and without guidance and support from others, they can stray down the wrong path.   Instead, Akechi is basically treated as a mere stepping stone in the plot that lays the foundation for Shido being the more important villain, and he’s practically forgotten once Shido is defeated.

As I said before, the Thieves are visibly saddened after they hear the gunshots that indicate Akechi’s death, and later on when they return to the real world and begin the group chat, they discuss what happened, and they make some important points:

Haru says that it was sad what happened to him, and that while she honestly has mixed feelings, she thinks that he was a victim too (to which Ann follows up by commenting that he was a victim they couldn’t save).

Yusuke says that if he had not met the other Phantom Thieves, he may have become like Akechi himself.

Ryuji says that he personally cannot forgive Akechi, but more than that he can’t forgive Shido for warping his mind so much.

Starting with Haru’s statements, they’re especially poignant because she was an indirect victim of Akechi’s since he killed her father. She has every right to be angry at him, to hate him, to want him dead. But instead she has “mixed feelings” because while she struggles with some of those emotions and the overall resentment towards him for his actions up until his last moments, she takes his story into account and realizes that he wasn’t all evil, that like her, he was used by his own father as a tool, and despite his conviction that he was doing things by his own will in order to ultimately betray and kill Shido, he was slightly forced into it because deep down he wanted his father’s acknowledgment, something he never had before. This also ties in with Ryuji’s comments because he also recognizes that ultimately if it hadn’t been for Shido, Akechi may not have gone so far down his dark path and had such a tragic ending.

Now onto Yusuke’s statement. This is really important because it actually can apply to everyone. If they didn’t have their friends, their loved ones, and their team, and if they had to go it alone even through their toughest moments and darkest days, they may have ended up like Akechi. Just think: imagine Ann didn’t have Shiho and had to deal with not just bullying and harassment from her peers, but also harassment and abuse from Kamoshida and other adults like him, and eventually she became determined to make them pay for everything they did to her. Imagine if Ryuji had lost his mom in a similar way that Akechi lost his because she couldn’t take the abuse from Ryuji’s father anymore, or worse, if his father actually killed her, and Ryuji then became consumed by hatred and desire for revenge against not just him, but even all those who later treated him like an outcast. Imagine if Yusuke had discovered the whole truth about Madarame on his own and as a result became consumed by revenge like Akechi did. Imagine if Makoto was even more detached from her sister and became obsessed with avenging their father and fighting against the burdens and expectations that others placed on her. Imagine if Sojiro didn't adopt Futaba and she eventually either succumbed to her guilt over her mother's death or discovered the truth and became fixated on finding and killing the people who killed her mother. Imagine if Haru, like Akechi, remained unable to form any close bonds with the people around her and eventually grew to resent her father and ultimately focused on nothing else but betraying him and bringing about his downfall. Imagine if Akira, fueled by the sheer injustice of his situation, sought to rebel against society and get revenge on not just Shido, but everyone who ever shunned him and treated him like a criminal, alienating almost everyone around him. All of the Thieves could have ended up like Akechi or even worse, but it was only because they were lucky enough to have each other that they were able to come through their difficult times and avoid a fate like his.

In summary: Goro Akechi was a pretty complicated antagonist with regards to his backstory and the motivations behind his actions, and it’s a shame that he was effectively reduced to a pancake-loving psychotic hitman detective-turned-martyr with a relatively minimal impact on the story’s characters and message.

Thanks for reading this long-ass essay rant and I hope you liked it! Feel free to share your own opinions too, I’m always down to discuss stuff :D

[sweetbunpura]

I’m Your Sword and I’m Your Shield Finale

11/2 It was a grueling day at school, but you held strong, knowing that in the end you'd get to see Ryuji again. The final bell rang and you gathered up your stuff, quickly left the classroom, and practically flew down the stairs. You could hear rapid footsteps behind you, you pause at the bottom of the stairs and wait for the others to catch up. You all practically run down to the station and you're dying to get off the train and book it to Shibuya instead. You and the others met up with Akechi and Yusuke in the Underground Station and switch trains to Yongenjaya. You turn the corner to Leblanc and freeze upon seeing who Futaba is talking to. The loudness of the purple hoodie stares you down as Futaba turns to see you, she makes gesture towards you and says to the hooded figure leaning against the wall.

The figure straightens off the wall, quickly shakes off their hood, and tears gather in your eyes. Ryuji is staring at you with that smile of his and he pulls his hands out of his pockets. The others soon join you just as you rush towards Ryuji and fling your arms around him in a tight hug. Ryuji catches you and return the hug just as tight, you bury your face in his neck and curl your fingers into the back of the purple hoodie.

"I heard everythin' from Futaba." Ryuji says, "You became a Phantom Thief."

"To save you." You pull away from Ryuji and wipe your tears on your school jacket.

More tears replace the dried one and you reach up to rub those away, until Ryuji wipes them away with his thumbs. You face flushes as he places his hands on your cheeks.

"Ryuji?"

"Y'know when that asshole pointed the gun at me, I thought I was gonna die without tellin' you."

"Telling me what?"

"That I love you. I love you, (Y/N). Sorry it took me so long." He gentle pulls you into a kiss.

You stall for a bit before kissing back, your own hands coming up to place themselves on Ryuji's cheek.

"Finally!" You hear Ann yell behind you.

Ryuji's hand's fall from your face and his arms encase you to pull you closer to him. Your hands slid down to his arms and squeeze them as you deepen the kiss.

"Oh my." Comes Haru's surprised voice.

"I telling Sojiro to get the hose!" Futaba yells.

You and Ryuji break apart, although his arms are still around your back. Ryuji stares at you, cheeks red and brown eyes bright and shining.

"How long?" You ask.

"Uh..." His eyes snap to the side. "Since Golden Week?"

You place your forehead on his shoulder and start laughing.

"What're you laughin' at?"

"We're both numskulls." You raise your head to look at him. "I've been in love with you since Golden Week as well." You smile as his blush deepens.

"Hey, lovebirds, let us get a hug in as well!" Ann yells.

You have to wrestle your way out out of Ryuji's arms, causing him to whine once you slipped free. He was immediately hugged by Ann, the force of the impact nearly caused them both to fall backwards. Makoto and Haru's hugs were a lot calmer compared to Ann's once she let go. Akechi gave Ryuji a pat on the shoulder, you watch as the blond fought down the urge to scowl. Yusuke pulls him into a hug as well, afterwards Ryuji gives him a confused and odd look. Morgana jumps onto the teen's shoulder and gives him a pat on the head with his paw before jumping down. Akira smiles and pulls Ryuji into a side hug, which he returns.

After all that, Ryuji latches onto to you again and you laugh as he kisses your cheek.

"Hey, (Y/N)."

"Hmm?"

"Be my partner?"

"Do you even have to ask?" You kiss him and you're pretty sure that if Ryuji had a tail, it would be wagging.

"Ryuji." You both break apart and look at Akira. "Are you well enough to go to the Palace?"

"Of course!"

"You were just kidnapped!" You stare at Ryuji, who in turn gives you a sheepish smile.

"But I'm fine now. Trust me."

You give a look to Akira, the shaggy teen shrugs and pulls out his phone in response. You sigh and place your head in your hand.

"You're both impossible."

The world shifts around you and when you raise your head back up, you're in front of a casino.

"Wow." You stare the structure and mass amounts of blinking lights above.

"Woah. That's your outfit?"

You turn to look at Ryuji and your voice catches in your throat. He never gave you a full description of his Phantom Thieves outfit and you can see why. Ryuji is decked out in leather, knee-pads and elbow-pads are tapered down to their respected body parts. A red scarf like tie was tied around his neck and you longed to use it to pull him in for a kiss. A pair of belts rested at his hips, both sets sported a row of bullets. His gloves were a bright yellow, matching his hair color and what you think is his element. His mask... his mask is a gray skull and you can't help but stare at the shadowed brown eyes that stare back at you.

Ryuji makes a quick stride up to you, the steel from the tip of his shoes making small clinking sounds against the ground. You watch as he approaches and you pull the hoodie down further over your face.

"Don't do that." He says, pulling your hood up. "You look good."

"So do you." You smile and wiggle your eyebrows, "You never told me it was leather."

You're pretty sure Ryuji blushes at that, cause he stammers and looks away quickly.

"Skull! Ace! Come on!" Panther's voice catches both of your attention. "Let's go, unless you both want to continue acting like blushing school girls!"

"Panther!" Ryu-Skull snaps out while you turtle yourself into your hood.

Panther laughs and you hear Skull huff in annoyance. You start forward, only to stop as the blond's hand gently grabs your wrist. You look back at him to see that he's pushed up his mask and his grinning at you.

"Kiss for good luck?"

You roll your eyes, push up your own mask, and lean in to grant his request. It's a short kiss, but it seems to enough for Skull, who smiles and slides his mask back down. He walks to catch up with the other, you follow him after pulling down your own mask. You and Skull easily get into a matching stride as you walk besides him. You smile softly as he wraps an arm around you and you, in turn, do the same to him.

AN:: Well this was a ride from start to finish. I want to thank you guys for your comments and support for something I thought up out of the blue. I have plans for one-shots in the futures, so the reader will be returning. This was such a treat to write and I actually enjoyed myself while thinking up everything the reader did.