#p5a musings

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Why did you agree to take me in?

I really love how they’re giving Ren a lot more personality in the anime. He’s still quiet most of the time, but the few expressions he was shown to wear and the way he speaks show a lot of what he’s feeling inside. 

Shading both his eyes in this scene was a great move in my opinion. Topped with his voice that had gotten slightly deeper and quieter, it’s a great display of him hiding his emotions. Because that is what Ren did--does. He was given a criminal record, kicked out of his school, forced to change school and to live in an old dusty attic. Not to mention his “supervisor” wasn’t really helpful in welcoming him. I admit, Sojiro seemed nicer than he was at the start of the game, but when Sojiro came to show Ren his room and told Ren he wasn’t interested in what he had to say about what had actually happened nor did he want to know and he even said not to involve him in it

In other words, they got rid of you for being a nuisance.

The change in Ren’s expression said it all. 

It’s no use. He wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t believe me. 

That’s what I think he must be feeling. 

And the way he said��“Okay” in resignation to Sojiro after his lecture... 

Anyway, don’t get yourself involved in any nonsense. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. And no matter what happens, pretend like you didn’t see it. Got it?

I know Sojiro is probably only trying to look out for him in his own way. But Ren is not like that. If he knows there’s something he can do about it, he’s not the type of person who will just stand by and let bad things happen. Not to mention how his new teachers at his new school just immediately labeled him as the problem kid without hearing his side of the story first. That’s why he is frustrated. And he has to hide that frustration if he wants to survive the next year. And I love how the shot that showed his glasses shielding both his eyes conveyed this feeling perfectly. 

Or maybe that’s just me thinking too much and looking into things too deeply lol. I’ve been trying to analyze his character in the past couple weeks for my fanfiction about Ren’s past, but the game only gave us so little so I’m glad the anime manages to capture an essence of Ren’s personality. All in all, Ren is a very interesting character to analyze. 

[kougha-aa-blog]

(I'm peeking out from this void...

Do you see me... ? hello...)

@maeigha @queenedme @prettyguard @skulledme

[psychopomp-namine]

I gotta say... P5A started out mediocre in the Kamoshida arc but the pacing and action scenes seem to be improving a little? The Madarame arc is soooo much better fleshed out now

[askkrisachan]

Summer casual~

Ren Amamiya icons

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Persona 5 the Animation Episode 12

I love all these additional scenes!

Look at Ryuji being friends again with his former teammates! And he looks so happy ^^

Girl power!

Sigh... lololol

Instead of having Ren buy the TV himself, they have Ryuji buy the TV for him--well, with Ren’s money lol. Kind of adds to Ren’s character a bit because he doesn’t seem to really care a lot about what his room looks like or what he has and doesn’t have. Never really thought about buying a TV or anything since maybe he doesn’t use it much either. And now Ryuji’s bought something Ren never asked for nor really cared about using his money when, even though Ryuji probably genuinely thought having a TV in Ren’s room would make it more homey, he probably also bought the TV for himself and the Phantom Thieves so they could have something to watch when they hang out in Ren’s room. 

These dorks xD I love them!

I also love how they shift between the Palace explorations and these daily life scenes. And the battle was quite cool. The baton pass and the boss battle were enjoyable to watch. I like seeing Makoto’s confidant arc. Ren and Makoto’s outing to the arcade also seems kind of more natural here. 

Can’t wait for Futaba’s arc after this! The story will also get much more interesting from here on out. Now entering the second act!

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Ren Amamiya Analysis Part 7.2

There are two main things I’d like to write in this post. One is Ren’s attitude toward girls. Two is his selfless dedication to his friends (or the people he cares about). This is part 2. This is mainly a Ren Amamiya post, but I don’t think I can write it without talking about Ryuji. 

Does it bother you?

Ryuji asked him to have a run with him. They did, in Ryuji’s secret training place, only to encounter his former teammates once they were finishing. 

I heard what you said. You’re still not done with track?

Ryuji couldn’t fight back. Kamoshida might be finished but the former track team members were still antagonistic toward him. No matter what happened, it was him who had provoked Kamoshida to disband their club, even if he had a justifiable reason. And Ryuji knew this and he had always felt guilty about it. So he couldn’t fight back, he couldn’t talk back, and Ren saw it, what Ryuji was really feeling. Knew that his friend was holding back and he might have decided to let it be and let the situation resolved by itself. But Ren decided he wasn’t going to let that be. 

Ryuji was his friend. The first person at the school who saw him as him, not some labeled criminal. I like to think that Ryuji had a special place in Ren’s heart. And it was Ryuji who first listened to his story, who wanted to know what really happened, who said that what he did wasn’t wrong. That that woman had been in trouble so of course Ren wanted to help. And now despite the Kamoshida incident was over, Ryuji was still in trouble with his former teammates and Ren wanted to help him.

“You’re probably not being raised right with only one parent.” Anyone not just Sakamoto-kun would get mad hearing something like that.

Ren called Kawakami to talk about Ryuji and found out what Kamoshida had said to provoke him. 

Ryuji took a swing at Kamoshida not because of his knee injury, but because his mother was insulted.

He found out the real reason why Ryuji hit Kamoshida, why Ryuji took all the blame. And he found out that the new advisor was a teacher who had been close with Kamoshida. 

He didn’t have to do it, to go all this way to investigate the new track team and the new advisor. There was no reason at all. Except that he wanted to help his friend.

Having you moping around uncharacteristically bothers me.

And Ryuji was surprised, and embarrassed. Because this guy went out of his way to do this. He didn’t have to do it. He could have just left it alone. Ryuji never asked for his help. Yet Ren had done this all and Ryuji was touched. And maybe Ryuji was still reluctant to go, because he was still hurt, and Yamauchi knew his face. And there was no hesitance at all as Ren told him to leave everything to him. And Ryuji was surprised yet again. 

And that was the sole reason why Ren was doing this for him. Just because this whole thing with the track team and Yamauchi being their supervisor were bugging him but Ryuji didn’t feel like he had any right to meddle with their affair anymore, not after what he’d done to them. And Ren knew this and couldn’t stand seeing his friend tormented by his own emotions, so he took the initiative and did everything in Ryuji’s place. 

Nakaoka... ah you mean the one who asked them to bring the former coach back? Don’t worry, I’ve already taken care of him. I leaked certain information to other team members. Information that Kamoshida told me before. 

And Ren couldn’t stand that. These adults who think they could get away with toying with their lives. And he asked Ryuji, pushed him, to be the one who told his former teammates what exactly was going on. They probably wouldn’t believe him anyway, but if it was Ryuji, Ryuji had known these guys and it was the chance for him to repair any broken bonds between them. 

Yet they asked them what proof they had. Why should they believe them? One was a criminal, the other was the one who had ruined their club. 

I believe Ren. That’s my proof!

And Ren was surprised. Ryuji believed him 100%. No shred of doubt. And from Ryuji’s point of view, that was the least he could for him after all that Ren had done for him. And Ryuji has found his peace. He wasn’t hurt anymore, wasn’t mad when he found out who had leaked info about his parents to Kamoshida. Because he has Ren now, who would always have his back even when he never asked for it. And he couldn’t have found it without Ren’s help.

My brotp :3

Ren’s Analysis (Part 1-7) - Part 7.1

Yusuke’s Analysis (Part 1,2)

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Persona 5 the Animation Episode 10

Hmm... after watching it again, there’s not really much going on and I was kind of surprised when the episode ended. But there are a few moments that I loved (reaction post plus some analyses). 

Ren x Akechi

I love seeing this part animated. It gives more depth on the Ren vs. Akechi thing. And I am really appreciating the staff’s decision to make all those Akechi foreshadowing in the first four episodes. And they even let these two meet in LeBlanc. It makes this meeting so much more meaningful, because Ren already knows who Akechi is and what he’s doing and knows he can’t let his guard down around this guy. The smile he had as the presenters were about to announce their guest immediately disappeared when he saw Akechi on stage. And Akechi noticed him in the crowd and he smiled. What coincidence? He had probably already guessed--or had a thought--who this group called the Phantom Thieves are. It had been hinted at a previous epilogue how this group had come to his attention after Madarame’s arc. And even in episode 5 it was hinted that he probably already had suspicions on Ren when he went to LeBlanc with Sae. And now here he saw Ren in the crowd on a TV show. What better time to publicly give pressure on the Phantom Thieves? 

It was probably a deliberate action on his part to mention Madarame. 

If there are Phantom Thieves who can manipulate other people’s minds, I believe they should be tried in a court of law. What the artist Madarame did truly was an unforgiving crime. However, they’re taking the law into their own hands by judging him.  

One of the reasons why I love Persona 5 is this. After Madarame’s arc, this conflict between doing what they believe is right and doing what the society thinks is right becomes more prominent as the story progresses. What they’re doing... they are taking the law into their own hands. Even if what they’re doing is right, and what they’re doing is justice, in the face of the law, that’s still not something they should have done. 

The matter of how they change people’s hearts. If they truly possess that ability, then it could be used to commit crimes. Take the runaway subway train case from this spring for example.

Ryuji was immediately angry at what Akechi said but that’s only because he is a Phantom Thief and he knows what they’re doing and the subway train case wasn’t their doing. In the eye of the masses, it’s pretty easy to see them as criminals when no one knows who they are and what they’re doing and then before these incidents there had already been another chain of incidents dubbed psychological breakdown and we know who’s the cause of that. And I love how Akechi mentioned that, which would confuse the people whether these Phantom Thieves really are a group of justice or not. I love how Akechi give half truths and mix up the facts because “hey, there’s a group who’s doing stuffs I’ve been doing. let’s just shift everyone’s attention and put the blame on them so now i don’t have to worry about anything leading up to me.” And as a final touch, he even mentioned he’s working with the police to solve the case. Another touch to put more pressure on the Phantom Thieves and, possibly, gain the public’s favor. In the end, the TV show encounter turned to be a debate between Akechi and Ren. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Akechi had set up the whole thing with the presenter to choose Ren to give his thoughts on the matter. 

To be honest, I never liked Akechi very much. I don’t know why. Maybe he seemed somewhat fake? Or a bit annoying? But when we were given his back story, I’m kind of conflicted. I still didn’t like him very much in the end, but I kind of like him a little better after I realize everything he’s done had been calculated since the start, but I had hoped he had gotten a redemption arc.

Ren x Ryuji

lololol I love Ren’s reaction! And then he immediately, casually walked away leaving Ryuji alone and watching from the side before they realized he’s there xD

I just love seeing this animated! Seeing Ren’s immediate reaction and him being uncomfortable to leave Ryuji to his fate. He wants to help, but there’s something more important he had to do. 

Sorry, Ryuji

Ren x Makoto

I don’t know why but I loved seeing this shot. Ren had been aware of Makoto tailing him ever since he got out of school. And I wonder why he just stood there as the train moved. Why didn’t he just go somewhere and look for a seat or something, maintaining that facade that he didn’t know he was being tailed. Or maybe, why not turn around and let Makoto know that he knows she was tailing him. I think that would bring more trouble though. This stance, however, makes it feel as though he’s telling her that he knows she’s following him, but at the same time with his back to her, it’s like he’s not telling her directly. Like “I’m not going to confront you about this but I know you’re tailing me.” And whether or not Makoto understands that, he didn’t really care. But Makoto did see his back. And maybe she realized what he was telling her... I’m not sure though. This may just be me thinking too much again and there may be no real meaning in this

Other Things:

I AM LOVING THIS FORESHADOW!!!!

Not something I love but something I’m annoyed with because No! Makoto that’s not how you do it! What kind of criminal would answer a question like that xD You should have left it to Ren. He might have been able to get more from them. He’s better in undercover operations lol 

And last but not least, I saved the best for last

That reaction was priceless xD Best moment in the entire episode lololol

You can’t help but think Mishima was probably thinking some dangerous/dirty things that when he was caught by the security he immediately screamed xD the security was probably only wondering what he was doing there and who he was lololol

And that was the Green Room and Hifumi had just entered that room and can I think that Mishima might have a celeb crush on Hifumi :D or well he just wants to meet celebrities lol

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Ren Amamiya Analysis Part 4

First, I’d like to say I adore this shot. I don’t know. Ren’s just so cool in it. Like he’s intently listening to Morgana’s explanation and we could feel the gears of his mind turning as he realized that they had only one day to steal the treasure and they had to steal it that very night or the treasure might disappear again yet... could they really do it?

One of the advantages of a visual entertainment medium is the creator has the ability to emphasize or focus on certain scenes/expressions/objects. This works well for foreshadowing or for conveying what the creators really want to tell us. Spot-on expressions, perfectly-timed dialogues, plus colors and tones to create the atmosphere and the cinematography to bring our focus to one thing. And I think, this works even more well in animation as the creators have the freedom to create the scenes however they want without having to depend on the actors’ skill. And unlike a live-action movie/series where you depend on the actors’ skills to be the character, in an animation where it’s the staff who drew the characters and all the storyboards, I think there’s always a reason behind every shot. 

And there we have one of Ren’s notable shifting of expressions in the episode. As Morgana told them that they had only one day to steal the treasure, we were brought to a close-up of Ren’s face and saw how he, whose focus had been solely on Morgana, retreated into himself as he registered everything that Morgana had said. But then Ryuji thoughtlessly said that they should hurry to the Palace and be done with it, Ren’s attention was immediately brought back up when Morgana told them not to be hasty.

I believe there’s a reason for this--bringing the audience to focus in on Ren’s expressions before pulling back to the shot of Ren and Morgana. More so because Ren is quiet and he mostly “talks” with his expression and body language. I had wondered if, maybe, Ren was having second thoughts, but I don’t think that’s it. I think, as I said before, that the anime staff wanted to show us how Ren, despite being quiet, always tries to think things through and think ahead (in his wiki page, it’s also said that Shigenori Soejima saw him as a character who always plans things but doesn’t talk about them). He went back into himself and thought about everything Morgana had said, realizing they had only one night to do this and wondering if they really could do it--or mentally preparing himself that they had to succeed.

Another thing I caught is how, as Morgana told them they had to prepare for their heist and Ann said she had to go somewhere, the shot immediately focused into Ren, whose attention was solely focused on Ann, and that look... Ann didn’t tell them where she was going but he could guess where it was. Troubled, worried, and his resolve. And maybe, a part of him was worried for Ann and wondered how she was holding up. He didn’t ask though. It was her privacy. 

And so why, at the end, when Ann told them that Shiho had woken up, he jumped up from bed and there was a surprise and happiness you can’t describe as he looked at her message and the slight smile as he responded to her news. 

Another thing I’d like to point out is Ren’s relationship with Morgana. The cat is cocky and bossy and thinks he knows everything--which he does, at the moment. At least, about the Metaverse. He acts as their mentor and sometimes, he can be overbearing. And listening to Morgana, there’s really nothing Ren could do but to listen and obey because the cat probably wouldn’t listen to him and there was still a lot that he didn’t know and needed to learn about this new world. 

Yet sometimes... the cat was being too much. Just look at Ren! They were coming up with each other’s codenames and Morgana didn’t like the one Ryuji came up for him and Ren was just

Do I really have to put with this?

Lololol. He had to put up with Morgana at home and at the Metaverse. He probably didn’t even care about the codenames too xD. 

And last is his relationship with Sojiro. I love seeing this. How Ren is still awkward around Sojiro. How he came home late after buying the gun from Iwai’s shop and the first thing Sojiro said was “You’re late” and Ren was quite surprised and he immediately went inside, not wanting to make Sojiro even more angry at him, after greeting Takemi--only to have Takemi stop him and give him the experimental drug though lol. 

And at the end, when Sojiro found out about Morgana. How shocked and slightly scared Ren looked when Sojiro went upstairs. And how he stammered Morgana’s name when Sojiro asked about it. And how relieved he was when Sojiro didn’t ask anything more and just seemed to accept him keeping a cat. Sojiro had even planned to offer to name the cat if Ren hadn’t named him yet. The awkwardness was still there and I can’t wait to see how the anime will handle their relationship. They have to adapt Sojiro’s confidant!

I live for these small moments in P5A

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and 3.5

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Ren Amamiya Analysis Part 7.1

There are two main things I’d like to write in this post. One is Ren’s attitude toward girls. Two is his selfless dedication to his friends (or the people he cares about). This is part 1. 

I’ve always seen Ren as a cool guy. He doesn’t really think about girls. Or, more like, he respects them and never really thinks dirty thoughts about them. Like sure maybe he does have thoughts like that sometimes, but he never expresses them and the whole Operation Maidwatch thing was just him going along with Ryuji. Unlike Ryuji, who is quite clearly easily fascinated by them, and Yusuke, who even asked Ann to be a nude model for him, and even Mishima, who doesn’t look like he’d be fascinated with those stuffs. He’s quiet and he doesn’t really express his feelings and thoughts, but when he does fall in love with someone, he’d be the type who love to playfully tease his girlfriend. That was my image of him. 

But then we have this public bath scene. And Ryuji did ask what Ren thought about Ann in the game and I think we have the choice to either say she’s beautiful (and maybe implied his attraction to her) or she’s okay. But here in the anime, we clearly see how the three of them are quite flustered as they heard, or probably listened, to Ann at the women’s bath. 

He’s not really that much of a “cool” guy, is he xD (well, there’s a lot of way to interpret his character at this scene and this time, this is the path the anime chose lol)

Back when he first saw Shadow Ann in Kamoshida’s palace, Ren wasn’t moved one bit. Ryuji had been ogling at her and her outfit but Ren saw her as a person made by the Palace and immediately knew that she was a fake. When the boarded the train the next day and Ryuji was still fantasizing about Shadow Ann, Ren had this look on his face that said “Stop thinking about that.” And now we have this, and the entire first half, where Ren is practically flustered and nervous. 

We saw how his eyes widened as Ryuji handed him the maid service flyer. He knew what this was, even though he acted as though he didn’t, which led to Ryuji calling him not honest when Mishima joined their conversation. It was as if he was denying it himself that he had these thoughts. He’s 16 or 17. He’s a growing boy. Though I don’t know what’s in the mind of a growing boy, it’s probably natural for him to have these thoughts. But the way he said “to help at LeBlanc?”, feels like he didn’t want to admit to having these thoughts. 

But Ryuji knew that Ren probably knew. So he kept talking and he kept planting these ideas in Ren’s head. Just look at Ren’s face! He can’t help but think about it now lol. And then Mishima came and his lame excuse to “research” the maid service when really he just wanted to order the maid service became the perfect reason or justification for Ren to join their operation. 

We’ll get to the bottom of what it actually is! To punish bad guys!

In that case, maybe we should do it!

Because as a guy, he was curious and he wanted to know, but on the other hand it didn’t feel like the right thing to do. 

He’s not cool xD He’s a bundle of nerves! Sure he’s cool in a normal basis. But when he was faced fore-front with girls, to think of them as girls and not his friends, to be faced with this sort of thoughts and feelings... he’s all flustered and he’s quite innocent, isn’t he? xD Then again, he was the one who came up with “Sexy Cat” lol. But that was supposed to be only a joke haha. 

There’s something I want to note here. There’s a difference in Ren between his daily persona and his Joker persona. As Joker, he wears a mask. That mask hides his identity. But it’s that mask that enables him to be who he is. He’s more confident, assertive, and in the game slightly a show off (lol). In his daily life, there is no mask. There’s just him. He’s quiet and keeps to himself, doesn’t really show his feelings, never really speak his thoughts. That changes though when he’s with his friends, where it’s shown that he’s more free to express them. However, there’s still that awkwardness in him--whenever he interacts with other people, and even when his friends were all so excited for something, he’d sit there or stand there and he’d smile and observe. 

The same thing happened here. It was his decision to hold the operation and no matter what kind of excuse he told himself to justify what he was doing, he still wanted to order the maid service. Maybe he’s nervous (I can really feel his nervousness). Maybe he’s still wondering if they really should be doing this. But even as Mishima and Ryuji excitedly began their operation, Ren couldn’t do that. He couldn’t shout “Party!” and it makes me feel as if, his life, his real life, was some form of cage that even with having friends now who trusted him, it couldn’t break him free. He couldn’t truly be himself. He was still holding himself back. 

Though then again, maybe this is still a part of him. Some people act differently when they’re alone and when they’re with people. That’s not to say these two persona are two different people. They’re the same and maybe you’d feel like the you when you’re alone is your true self and you feel like you’re a fake when you’re with people. But that’s not the case. It’s still you when you’re with people, and it’s still you when you’re alone. When you have a mask, you hide your identity, and most people feel more freedom when they’re anonymous to do what they like and say what they want. Your mask if off, and you’re back as yourself, part of this community and there are limits and boundaries. 

But despite this, I still think he’s still holding himself back even among his friends. Though in his defense it’s still only been 2 months since he met them. He couldn’t have warmed up to them so quickly. (compared to the end of the game when he has this huge free smile as he rode the car with his friends). 

... out of topic, but now I wonder which is the true mask that hides ourselves. Or maybe, there is no mask. There is just you. 

Ren’s Analysis (Part 1-7) - Part 7.2

Yusuke’s Analysis (Part 1,2)

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Ren Amamiya Analysis Part 3

I love their interaction at the beginning. One, Ryuji called him Amamiya, in response to how Ren called him Sakamoto at the end of episode 2. Well, yeah that was a bit too close Ryuji, especially since you guys just met lol. So Ryuji called him by his last name and they talked about the dream Ren had just had about Igor telling that what they had seen at the Palace was actually representing what was really happening in the real. I love how they’re both so comfortable around each other, and I love how Ren was already freely showing his emotions when he’s around Ryuji.

Hey, is that the new kid everyone’s talking about?

And Sakamoto’s with him.

In fact, we’re the ones people are scared of.

The vibe I get from this is different from how Ren had his guard up all throughout the previous episodes. They’re still talking about him, but it’s like he doesn’t really care anymore. Because now there’s Ryuji and despite having accepted that what he did was right and awakening Arsene, it was Ryuji saying “You can’t just walk away when someone’s in trouble, right? That’s why you helped her. How is that wrong? It ain’t at all!” that finally helped him come to terms with himself.

Then again,

We see this shot right after. When we see Ren from Ryuji’s angle, his eyes weren’t guarded at all, and yet we see them down-cast. So maybe, even though he’s come to terms with himself and accepted that he wasn’t wrong, it was still awkward walking around school where everyone was still giving him “the Eye”.

Before we go any further, I’d like to point out what Shiho said:

I hope he’ll be okay. Maybe it doesn’t bother him.

And I just like to appreciate the anime staff again. Because this was said by Shiho in the game without any preamble so we only see Shiho’s caring side, but in the anime, we saw how Ren had helped her just the other day when he bumped into her. So it wasn’t just Shiho’s nature to be caring toward others when she said this, but because she had received Ren’s help first-hand before and she knew that maybe, Ren wasn’t what the rumors made him out to be. That he’s actually a good kid.

Going forward...

What I said about Ren still being awkward around school is then emphasized on his interactions with Ann later on. He never talked to anyone at school other than Ryuji. When Ren and Ryuji wanted to talk to Shiho, Ren let Ryuji did all the talking, and even Ann was dismissive over his presence. But still, their only hope was Shiho. So when he saw Ann later after school, the awkwardness was still there on his face.

And I just love all these subtle eye shifting

Ren was chasing after her because he wanted to ask about Shiho, only to find Ann arguing over the phone. She got mad, and then knew it her anger was misplaced. Everything was spoken in the game whereas here, we see them casting their eyes down in apology and awkwardness.

Can’t blame them. It probably looks that way... But they don’t know anything.

Ren realized Ann’s situation may just be as similar to him as Ryuji’s was. The sadness he’d felt reflected Ann’s. And I love how this shows just how Ren hated the rumors about him as much as Ann hated the rumors about her.

And as Ann talked about her and Shiho and how Kamoshida was using their friendship against her

His guard is up and I believe this is the start of his desire to truly help Ann and Shiho. Of his hatred and disgust toward Kamoshida. How he had been listening to Ann while eyes down-cast, but when he heard Kamoshida asking her to come to his apartment alone, he immediately looked up and

He was going to do something about it.

Shiho’s attempt at suicide, Mishima’s confession, their expulsion... they were only strengthening Ren’s resolve do follow on Morgana’s offer.

Because this has to stop.

You’ll just give in? Without paying him back, for you, or Suzui? She’s your friend, right? You’re only friend!

When they met Ann at the Palace and she almost broke down in front of Kamoshida, Ren reminded of her of what she had told him the other day. That she was crying for help and she wanted to help Shiho and she wanted Kamoshida to stop everything he was doing to her and Shiho. And that simple encouragement reminded her of her resolve.

And unlike Morgana who was excited and Ryuji who was surprised that Ann became a persona-user, Ren had this satisfied smirk, because Ann hadn’t succumbed and found the strength within herself to fight back.

Part 1, Part 2, and some additional note in Part 3.5 

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Ren Amamiya Analysis Part 6

A/N: The week is halfway over and I’m just writing this lol. I didn’t plan on writing anything but there’s something I really want to write about Ren and with everything that’s been happening here--plus my new work--I’ve kind of forgotten to write it. So here it is. Part 6 (in the end, this might turn into a series of posts I do on every episode haha).

Unlike the rest of the Thieves, perceptive Ren caught on the name shadow-Nakanohara mentioned on their fight in Mementos. Madarame. And right after that, they immediately met one of his pupils. He wanted to know more, so he decided to tag along with Ann to find out what Madarame was like. 

Yet the person he saw wasn’t like anything he imagined. He seemed like a kind old painter who had everyone’s love and respect. But Ren had probably read the Kaitou Channel the night before and probably came across some posts and when Madarame said the word “shack” in his interview, it took a moment for Ren to realize something--someone said about a shack in the Channel. 

And he couldn’t get his mind off it, so when Yusuke took Ann to see the exhibit, Ren brought Ryuji and Morgana outside to talk about it. 

Maybe it’s because of what he had experienced, but Ren is not someone who is easily swayed by what other people say or do in front of him. Whether he had had this distrustful nature since he was a kid, the unfair treatment he had received from everyone--the police, the court, Sojiro and the school--had probably made it grow. 

Ryuji and, especially, Ann were doubtful that such a “kindly master painter like that” could do such a thing like abuse and plagiarism. But of course, there’s no harm in checking. 

And when they finally met Madarame officially, there’s that look in Ren’s face that practically says “Here he is”, ready for anything Madarame would do. 

Yet Madarame was still his kindly painter self and they even learned that Yusuke owed his life to Madarame and it was enough to make Ann and Ryuji back out, because maybe, they’re wrong. 

It seems like Madarame-sensei really is a good person. I can tell Kitagawa-kun sincerely respects him. Someone who’s been on TV bowed to us. Maybe the rumors were mistaken?

Maybe. 

He might have said that but what I feel in what I think is one of my favorite shots in the episode is the conflict Ren was having. He didn’t believe it. He’s not buying Madarame’s act. It’s like, when Ren has a hunch, he’s determined to prove whether it’s true or not. There were a lot of accidental clues that pointed to Madarame’s guilt. Yet everyone said that maybe they were wrong and seeing Ren, it felt like a heavy decision for him to let it go. And I feel like, if the Meta-Navi didn’t react then, Ren would go home trying to accept that maybe his hunch was wrong but still try to investigate a bit on Madarame on the side (without anyone knowing of course, except probably Morgana). 

Yet the Navigator reacted and they found out Madarame did have a Palace. But despite their wish to help Yusuke, Yusuke didn’t want to be helped (okay, the start of Yusuke’s arc was a lot better in the game I think haha) because no matter what the rumors were, he was indebted to his teacher. And if that really were his reasons for being defensive, then it’d be really hard to do anything for him. 

And just as they were thinking what to do, a help came from Mishima in the form of Nakanohara. And from him they learned of Yusuke’s real feelings. 

“If I could leave, I would!”

There’s no question now. Their resolve is set. 

What should we do, leader?

Our next target is... Madarame.

There’s not even an ounce of hesitation now in his eyes or stance. They’d seen the Palace. That was proof of Madarame’s warped desires. They could easily go to the Palace and steal his heart if they wanted to, but there was Yusuke to think about. Yet despite what Yusuke said in front of them, deep down, he wanted to leave the place, and now that they’d known that, there’s no reason to hesitate anymore. 

I really like the difference in his attitude between the ending the when they first went to Madarame’s shack. The lack of doubt as he announced to his friends that their next target is Madarame. One of thing I get from this episode is how Ren doesn’t give up easily. He has a hunch... he’ll try to prove if it’s true. Before, he didn’t have his friends’ back-up. Even if he had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right with Madarame, his friends believed what they saw in front of them, so there’s nothing he could do. Yet now, since they’ve heard with their own ears what Yusuke was feeling--albeit from a third party--everyone was on board to change Madarame’s heart and save Yusuke. 

Or maybe, there is also that desire to help people who are like him, constrained in a place he didn’t want. After what he’d gone through and what had happened with Kamoshida, he probably didn’t trust adults that much either. He’s perceptive, yes, and everything that happened here was, I think, because he caught on to the name “Madarame” shadow-Nakanohara said. If he hadn’t heard it, he might not have connected all these things, or he might not have been as compelled to find out about him. Because if he hadn’t heard it in Mementos, when Yusuke came to them introducing himself as Madarame’s pupil, Ren might still have a positive image of Madarame. And he wanted to know if the rumors were true, and he wanted to help Yusuke escape from being exploited by his own teacher. 

Additional note:

Realized once again that they’re using Ren’s phone. So that means Ren has a shogi app. That means he would play shogi when he doesn’t have anything to do. *grins* *maybe a start or hint on Hifumi’s confidant arc?* *maybe Ren likes to play shogi and isn’t truly a beginner? just that he acts that way to gain Hifumi’s trust lololol* OMG I’m really getting a Lelouch vibe from Ren XD

Part 1, 2, 3, 3.5, 4, 5.1, 5.2 

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Ren Amamiya Analysis Part 5.2

Let’s talk about Ren’s dorky side now *grins* Beware! This post is not really an analysis but just me gushing on Ren and his interactions with everyone 

You’re fine with being our leader, right?

Don’t forget the kid’s only 16. Right after they decided they’re going to continue this Phantom Thieving and after Ren’s internal emotional turmoil, they went to have dinner and decide on who’s going to be their leader. And maybe it’s because Ren had been the one who had helped her regain her composure back in Kamoshida’s Palace before she obtained her persona, or because Ren just had that leadership aura whenever they’re in the Metaverse, but Ann just offered the spot to Ren out of the blue and... he grinned. Lol the kid’s so happy for being entrusted with the job.

As if he’s saying “leave it to me”

And all of their interactions! I loved it so much! Ren’s slowly opening up to them and when he called Ann by her last name

Just go with Ann. We’re friends by now, aren’t we?

And then the slight pause. And he said “Okay... Ann.” And it’s so cute! He has this voice... happy? relieved? touched? Quiet and somewhat content(?) And I could imagine him smiling. And Ann’s smiling too. And then Ryuji was like you blew me off when I said it! And that slight chuckle, slight teasing in his voice as Ren called Ryuji by his first name and I could just imagine his smirk! And Ryuji seemed slightly embarrassed and taken aback by the suddenness, yet he’s still happy that Ren had truly accepted his friendship now. And I’d like to note how Ryuji had called him “Ren” and “Renren” in this episode and not once did Ren call him off for it. And the kid is slowly opening up to him!!!^^

And it’s not just with Ryuji and Ann. 

You’re really risking it, taking part in these clinical trials. You’re a real challenger! 

The cat just says whatever he wants to say, doesn’t he? xD After what Morgana said about them needing confidants and telling Ren to make friends with Takemi, now he’s saying that Ren’s too reckless in accepting Takemi’s offer to be her guinea pig. Ren was probably already wondering what the hell were these drugs Takemi kept giving him and Morgana wasn’t helping him at all lololol.

Yeah, Morgana. Make up your mind! xD He’s only doing this because you told him to lololol. Unlike the previous episode where he kept every thoughts to himself, this time he talked back to Morgana, though Morgana didn’t take any heed of that lol. 

Don’t expect me to share it for nothing. “He who doesn’t work, doesn’t eat.”

(-_-) seriously?

lololol

And as a continuation of last week’s episode where Sojiro accepted Ren keeping a cat and even offering to give it a name and food, now Sojiro’s slowly opening up to him too by letting--or rather, forcing--him work while he would probably also be teaching him how to brew a coffee and how to make curry. I think this is the first time Sojiro smiled to Ren. And it’s not the awkwardness or the guarded expression Ren had but plain irritation that Sojiro’s making him work

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and 3.5, Part 4, Part 5.1

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Persona 5 the Animation Episode 7

I love this^^

I love Ohya’s appearance at the beginning ^^

The best thing about this episode is

Yusuke’s flashback!!!

A very nice touch! Gives more depth into Yusuke’s character because even though we know his past, seeing it animated makes me realize once again how pitiful this boy is. Betrayed by his own father figure. No wonder he didn’t want to admit it. Because Madarame was the one who had raised him for 13 years. No matter what he’d heard, somewhere in his heart he still loved and respected his teacher. Yusuke’s tears were also a very nice addition. And it hurts! God!

And small Yusuke is so cute ><

Also, can I just say that the battle scene in this episode is a lot better than the previous episodes??

It looks like they’re really fighting now instead of trying hard to conform into the game’s battle mechanics. And Yusuke’s ice attack is so cool!

He just froze everything including the fountain of something (forgot its name)!! Ice is my favorite magic attack in a game so I’m loving this^^ and probably why I love Shouto too

:333 bonding time in the diner! And everyone’s smiling and telling Yusuke that it’s no big deal and welcoming him to the group and Ren’s smile is just kyaaaa >////< And I finally looked up Abura-age and LOL (after all this time xD)

And finally

After meeting your comrades, you have steadily built up a resilient spirit. You should obtain even more strength and strive for rehabilitation.

Just whose rehabilitation are we talking about? What are you trying to make me do with this power?

I LOVE THIS!! After 4 episodes, Igor makes his appearance again! And Ren doesn’t trust him one bit! Even if he might feel a bit more freedom in the real world now that he has this power and friends who share his belief, he knows--or at least has a feeling--that he’s still a pawn in someone else’s game. Furthermore, Igor never explains anything to him. And so he angrily asks Igor just what is the purpose of giving him this power, to which Igor obviously won’t answer.

FukuJun + Lelouch-vibe no wonder I love this guy so much xD (well, one of the reasons lol)

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Yusuke Kitagawa Analysis Part 2

Not only had Yusuke just found out the truth behind Madarame’s mask and was betrayed by the man he had seen as his own father, now he found out how Madarame had plagiarized the work of a female pupil, who was…

That’s right. Your mother painted her last wishes into this, knowing her death was imminent, for the son she would leave behind.

I am loving all these close-up shots of their expressions that says it all. The shock at what his master had done. Even his famous masterpiece “Sayuri” was a plagiarized work. And it was Yusuke’s own mother’s. A piece she had created for him. And Madarame stole that! Stole the feelings his mother had wanted to convey to him. Took him in and blinded him to all these atrocious deeds. And he’d let himself be blinded, because no matter what, this man had saved him. 

Because that was him. And all this time, Madarame had been using him, used his mother, for his own personal gain. And there was no remorse. Madarame would gladly do it again and again. Use his pupil’s arts as his own. Destroy any who would defy him. 

He might have tried to forgive Madarame. Might have tried to see if there was still some good in him. But knowing that Madarame had not only destroyed his life, but also destroyed his mother’s–that it was Madarame’s own fault that he had grown up without a mother and led him to believe that Madarame had saved him… Yusuke snapped. 

I thank you, Madarame. Every reason for me to forgive you has disappeared without a trace just now. 

The anguish he felt was reflected in his eyes, his drawn lips. As they defeated Madarame and the shadow of the master painter crouched cowering before them. Yusuke didn’t want anything more to do with this man but he wanted him to apologize. Because the world needed to know how vile this man was. 

Part 1

Ren’s Analysis

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Persona 5 the Animation Episode 13

A/N: Ahh finally I’m out of my slump! I’m still behind on a couple episodes but I hope I’ll be able to catch up before the next episode airs. Though then again, I think I like it better like this. My hype over this is gone and I don’t feel the need to write these reaction or character analysis posts on time anymore. Plus, I don’t remember much about the details in the game anyway lol. With life getting busier everyday, I’ll try to find the time to write these reaction posts since they’re fun to do and I love writing down my thoughts, but as for the character analyses... I’ll probably only do those if something catches my eye, if I feel like it, and, most of all, if life wills it--since it took at least 2 hours to write one of those posts and I have other things to do. Well, moving on...

This episode focuses on Yusuke’s confidant arc. After what happened with Madarame, Yusuke is in a slump and he asks Ren’s help to overcome it. They went to Mementos and Yusuke found his inspiration--the darkness in human heart. Of course, being the Palace for everyone’s heart, Memento is a dark place, filled with distorted desires, negative and corrupted thoughts. 

The distorted realm, the manifestation of human desire. How can a thing that produces such beauty also create such morbid fabrications? 

What I love the most about Persona 5 are these messages it conveys. This time, they focus on “human heart” and “desire”. After being betrayed by the man he had called his master and seen as his own father, it’s no wonder Yusuke has a hard time getting back to his previous mind set when the only thing he had ever sought was “pure beauty”. Now that he’s lost his benefactor, he has to survive in this world on his own, and he realizes for the first time that “seeking pure beauty” is not enough. He won’t be able to live without money and the only way he can earn money is by selling his paintings. But doesn’t that mean he’d be just like Madarame if he starts thinking that money is everything? 

That’s when Desire has the potential to distort and form a Palace of its own. 

And then the conversation between Akechi and Ren.  

People’s desires cause them to commit crimes.

The same theme is being questioned by Akechi. For the record, I still don’t understand why they decided to put that subplot about Akechi investigating Kawanabe. Is this what the director had said about the anime diverging slightly from the game? Sorry, I don’t remember the details in the game now but I think this is an additional plot. And I don’t entirely like how Ren just decided to help Akechi like that lol. Don’t get me wrong. I understand Ren’s own personal experience with cops and detectives who looked the other way and buried what really happened played a part in his decision to help Akechi. But I keep thinking Akechi probably has an ulterior motive why he’s telling Ren all of those and later asking him to be his partner--the answer to which I hope they will have in future episodes (like, come on, it’s Akechi! Surely he has something in mind). And I keep thinking how Ren should have had his guard up around Akechi all the time. Then again, maybe he does, but he still helps Akechi anyway because if Akechi is right, then Yusuke’s in danger. 

Okay so now back to the theme. 

Desire. It’s what feeds Palaces and the source of all crime. Yusuke’s state of mind may have been drawn to the darkness of Mementos. But when he presented his painting at the exhibition, Kawanabe came and said:

Look at this carefully with your own eyes. What does this painting tell you? It’s empty. 

And he’s right. It suddenly reminds me of something my mother once said about my stories. I tend to give my characters such sad back stories to the point that they can see no hope. She scolds me for that. “Give your characters strength to fight back. Give your readers something to look forward to.” And this is probably what Kawanabe was trying to tell Yusuke. “Yes, we know there is ugliness in the human heart. We know our desire can make us do vile things. Now, what can we do about that?”

It takes him a while, but when everyone was hanging out in LeBlanc and they start giving him their take on the theme, it opens up his mind to new perspectives. Passion. Gentleness. Doing something for someone else. It can be positive if it drives you to do your best. 

I don’t think having desires is bad. It depends on what you do with them.

There are both darkness and light inside someone, ugliness and beauty. Mementos is just one part of the human heart that displays the darkness. You cannot have one without the other. They are two sides of the same coin and it is your choice to be what you want to be. Desire can lead people to do ugly things and hope here represents the strength of one’s heart to resist such things. But even the blackest of heart will have its moments when light penetrates it. The same goes for when shadows gather when the brightest light dims. 

And you can see how Yusuke understands this when he hears how Madarame once was so worried when “his kid” had a fever and all the clinics were closed. Not even the man who had claimed Yusuke to be nothing more than a tool had always thought of him like that. 

I will not change. I won’t be stained by desire. After all, I can see hope. If I am lost, they will extend their hands. If I am wrong, they will chastise me. 

As a final note, I’d like to talk a little bit on the conversation between Akechi and Ren on the epilogue. 

Certainly, people commit crimes due to desires. But that’s not all. 

I like to believe Ren manages to come to this conclusion after seeing Yusuke’s development. As he helps Yusuke learn the meaning behind the human heart, it also helps him understand what the heart is and what desires are. Palaces are distorted desires. Yet if you look at “desire” from a different perspective, they aren’t all that bad. You need them to push yourself and grow. You need them to live. Imagine not having anything you want in life. Then what is the purpose, the meaning of you living? 

That’s not what the context of their conversation is, but the point is, desire isn’t all bad. Akechi asks what would happen if the Phantom Thieves begin mind-controlling people. They have the ability to do that. Why not tamper with everyone’s minds so they can have full social reformation? But that’s not it. As Yusuke said, there is desire, and there is hope. The painting shows bright light penetrating through the darkness. With the phantom thieves, their principles are their hope, their light, their goal. And Ren is very confident when he implies that they will never go astray as long as they have their “hope”. 

Side note: Or maybe I’m just overthinking about this... again lol. But I like how they ended the episode with Ren and Akechi’s conversation over a game of chess (which Ren won, yay! xD). It connects everything to the theme perfectly. But I still don’t understand the point of having the whole investigation side plot--aside from showing Ren’s confidence that they won’t go astray and a way to introduce a potential plot of Akechi and Ren working together. But I kind of like the notion of the partner thing and I’m curious where they’re going with this. 

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Hotpot party!!!

awww look at Ren serving Morgana a bowl :3 and is it just me or does Morgana looks a lot fluffier here? xD Ren’s such a good kid^^

Ren is such a good kid!!! XDDD kyaaa~~ fits very well with my headcanon xD