MiguelMexMIstery
Member
All these juniors joining the day P5 was announced. You guys are so lucky.
I joined the day P4GA was announced.
I was doomed from the start.
I joined the day P4GA was announced.
I was doomed from the start.
Persona Community Thread |OT6| Where 6 Comes Before 5 (No PQ or P4U spoilers!)
- Thread starter Dantis
- Start date
Seems like they're biweekly, though they won't be showing off much of note or interest for me now that the game's out.
Eh I feel like this actually describes P3 more than P4. The P4 crew all become very friendly very quickly.
A Dead Diehard
Member
Didn't Chie ask him to stop that? Or was it just the dirty jokes?
...Then again, if she was sick of them, why did she still pick up in the first place? Hm...
GamingBird
Member
sincerely wishing for simultaneous global release of p5, the fact that you know somewhere in this world, some players are either playing p5 or have finished p5 makes you feel uneasy inside. you wish you were them
but no, never, its not even "dragonscrown close", but just "close"
ScraftyDevil
Banned
I joined the day Pokémon Black and White 2 were announced.
That was a good day.
To stop the dirty jokes, though in all likelihood she only brought that up to warn Yukiko to not give him her number. I mean, I can *still* picture him calling her at like 1am or something months after the case is over and still doing it.
If I were to take a crack at their interpersonal relationships throughout the course of Persona 4, i'd probably describe it as such:
Yosuke
Best Friend: Yu
Friend: Chie, Teddie*
Group acquaintance/classmate: Yukiko**
Underclassmen: Kanji, Rise, Naoto
*Sibling like relationship
**Up until Persona 4 Arena, in which they become friends. Openly flirts with her and doesn't truly understand her until then.
Chie
Best Friend: Yukiko
Friend: Yosuke, Yu
Underclassmen/Group acquaintance: Kanji, Teddie, Rise, Naoto
Yukiko
Best Friend: Chie
Friend: Yu*
Underclassmen/Group acquaintance: Teddie, Yosuke**, Kanji, Rise, Naoto
*Has a crush on Yu
**See Yosuke's entry
Kanji
Friend: Yu, Rise*
Classmates: Naoto**
Upperclassmen/Group acquaintance: Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Teddie
*Rise spends quite a bit of time with Kanji and has a genuine relationship with him. Possible one-sided on her part.
**Openly has a crush on Naoto
Teddie
SENSEI: Yu*
Like brothers: Yosuke*
All girls love Teddie ♪: Chie-chan, Yuki-chan, Rise-chan, and Nao-chan
Group acquaintance: Kanji
*Openly admits to loving the both of them.
Rise
SENPAI ♥: Yu
Friend: Kanji*
Upperclassmen/Group acquaintance: Naoto, Teddie, Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko
*See Kanji's entry
Naoto
Openly respects: Yu
Group acquaintance: Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, Teddie, Rise
---
Notes
-Discounts the romantic routes for each of the girls
-There's a special emphasis on the word "friend." Everyone in the group are more or less friends with each other, but the word "friend" in this sense refers to how close they are on a 1-1 basis. People who are "friends" tend to hang out with each outside of the group. They're generally a lot closer in Persona 4 Arena.
Yah it takes like the entire game for P3 to get used to each other. I was still feeling totes awk by October or September. P4 you were basically in the groove right after Yukiko's castle.
MiguelMexMIstery
Member
I would say Kanji, Teddie and Yosuke have a pretty good bro relationship between them, at least a more deep one than Kanji-Rise. They endure a lot of bad moments together and spend most of the time with each other. Heck, they celebrated Christmas just between them. Otherwise that list is pretty accurate, specially the Yosuke and Yukiko relationship.
A Dead Diehard
Member
I find that rather vexing.
Cannon_Fodder
Member
I think your list is a really good summary of the P4 group PK. This line caught my eye though, because I don't remember anything of note happening between Yukiko and Yosuke in Arena. Who's story was that a part of? Both of theirs, one of theirs, or someone else's?
MiguelMexMIstery
Member
I do remember their interactions were pretty friendly and caring, at least in Yosuke's story, but I think the deciding factor is the fact that Yosuke finally has Yukiko's cell number, since he didn't have it for the whole game (P4).
Xenoflare
Member
I need to check on Dojima more often lol.
P4G confession, Teddie and Chie are my least used members. Especially Teddie. LOL
Scrooge McDuck
Member
It's just that in scenarios when you coincidentally meet Kanji while doing something else, Rise is sometimes with him and vice-versa. They also arrive together often during a meet up. This is never the case with Yosuke-Kanji.
Xenoflare
Member
Interesting..... I never paid attention to the finer details.
Cannon_Fodder
Member
Ah, I guess I just forgot that Yosuke finally got her number. Good for him, making the big leagues. Thanks!
It'll be interesting to see what kind of group dynamics there'll be in P5, whether it's a bit friendlier like P4 or maybe a bit more awkward like P3. Hopefully they'll have a lot of scenes similar to the one Jintor mentioned, with odd pairings doing things.
Xenoflare
Member
I would like to see it like P4, as much as I preferred P3's story, (yes you read that right), the characters felt very disjointed among one another.
MiguelMexMIstery
Member
Well, they are in the same class and both of their relatives' shop are pretty close.. And I don't think them arriving together > guys doing stuff like assaulting the girls' room together
Scrooge McDuck
Member
Granted, I am not really that well-versed about guy-bonding and stuff, but you could totally do weird and stupid things together without actually be all that close. It's all about the heat of the moment.
Cannon_Fodder
Member
Ain't nothing wrong with that.
I could personally go either way. The P4 approach did make them seem tighter as a group, but I found their interactions with each other a little less interesting as a result. The conflict and awkwardness amongst S.E.E.S. was pretty interesting, and made the pay off of them becoming (closer to being) friends with each other more worthwhile.
Just my opinion obviously.
I dunno, the fact that they experienced a bunch of (gag) sequences together doesn't exactly make them close. Discounting the fact that Yosuke constantly gets on Kanji's nerves with his comments, the two don't seem to get along all in general. To start, Yosuke's was pretty damn irritated at him for crashing "operation up close and personal." He's pretty aggressive towards Kanji (mostly due to the latter's nonchalant activity during group meetings) and Yosuke pretty much instigates the infamous camp scene and, yet he calls him a "putz" for running off. I don't think they have many dungeon conversations either, and the way that Yosuke talks about Kanji in arena seems a little less warm than the way he talks about the others (He explicitly refers to him as an underclassmen.) Can't forget the "BEEFCAKE EMPEROR?!?" sequence either.
EDIT: Kanji (to Yosuke): Ohhh... I get it. What you're really asking is... Will you please beat the shit out of me, Kanji?
Yosuke's. He describes her in detail (even going as far to call her an airhead), which is a huge contrast from P4 where he used to put her on a pedestal. Oh, and he actually has her phone number now which is interesting.
Xenoflare
Member
I actually did not enjoy the newly added scenes in Golden as much as I thought I would. I don't know why and as I mentioned earlier I hated the camping scene although that's present in vanilla P4 as well. I don't know if those are meant to make the group tighter together. I think the Fool S.link and the cast member's S.link did a splendid job connecting the cast together. Without dumb comedy involved.
But that's just me.
MiguelMexMIstery
Member
Hmm. I'm still not really convinced. Yosuke and Teddie bring the wild side of Kanji by teasing him to do stuff somehow, they all do all those whacky and stupid plans together. I could also say that Kanji and Rise being seen together often doesn't equal to being close or having a friendship, but then you could say about that NPC that comments she thinks they're dating, but eh, I think the reason of that is because Kanji and Rise know each other outside of school and probably don't have other friends to hang out with during class, as when the "After School" segment starts they inmediantly go back to see Yu and their other senpais.
Hmm, I can see your poin there, but most of that is in the beginning of the game, where Yosuke's pretty much scared of Kanji and resorts to make fun of him. And their aggressive comments to each other I can see them just being boys, being confident that they can insult each other. [/QUOTE]
Well I don't have Golden so I can't comment, but I have read that they have one of those in-battle dialogue in PQ.
I can't remember his exact quote, but I do recall Yosuke says that despite his nature, in his inside he's just a fluffy guy, which shows that Yosuke really gets to know him. And after that he says that he appreciates him. He doesn't even mention any issue with him thinking he's gay. It's way warmy than calling Yukiko an airhead.
Heh, I thought about this before. The reason actually Yosuke is scared like that is because in that moment he realized that the people he is battling act like that: Chie tries to eat him, Yukiko acts like of the high royalness, Yu is all Nanako crazy, so of course he figures out that then Kanji would actually act like a Beefcake Emperor, much like his Shadow. I doubt any other party members wouldn't be scared.
And after that, Yosuke gives Kanji tons of yen for him to spend with Teddie.
Cannon_Fodder
Member
Thanks for the link PK! That's actually quite a nice description of Yukiko, coming from Yosuke.
To be honest, there are barely any Persona comedy scenes that I actually like, so I'm with you on that.
To be honest, there are barely any Persona comedy scenes that I actually like, so I'm with you on that.
Xenoflare
Member
Haha, I'm glad that I'm not the only one. I used the skipping function for most of them. P3 is guilty of that too, although there was only one scene (the hot springs).
P3 suffers from uninteresting S.links. I still cannot understand why should I care for a lot of them, the MC is so out of the loop when you are supposed to form connections with these people. P3P remedied the issue in a certain degree with altered links for the FeMC
P4 on the other hand handled the S.links quite well, the only one I didn't really get is the nurse one, even that is better when compared to P3. Seriously what the hell. The only one I was invested in was Sun (dying author) and the Hierophant, even so, the MC still feels so out of the loop for those two.
I'm not sure where you're going with that line of reasoning. When Kanji gets caught up in Yosuke/Teddie's antics, they act as a single unit. It's not like he makes the conscious decision to get involved in their nonsense, he's just going along for the ride because he has nothing better to do. The thing is, they don't become bffs through events,;they're just buttmonkeys for that particular scene. (And it's not like he's always cooperating with them either. He hangs back when Yosuke and Teddie try to peep on the girls in Golden, for instance)
Re: Rise & Kanji
It's more than just the fact that they live near each other. They spend time together outside of the investigation group, which is more than you can say about most of the single pairs in the investigation team (including Yosuke/Kanji). You can see them hanging out during one of Marie's social link ranks. Rise's involved in Kanji's social link. Rise looks out for him during the ski trips (sets up Kanji with Naoto). It's reflected in the dialogue too; Rise's a lot more casual towards Kanji than she is towards anyone else. I think there's this unique closeness between them.
Incidentally, Rise has friends at school. Tons of them, in fact.
He's definitely not scared of him; in the examples I brought up, he's actually quite annoyed at him. Admittedly, their relationship does get better as time passes, but not to a point where i'd call them close in any capacity.
It's all about tone. Yosuke says "I bet he would love to talk to an upperclassmen like me" doesn't sound like something you'd say about a friend. That line to me, shows that he sees him as a secondary friend; someone who's a part of the same group, but not exactly someone he's particularly close with. I'll concede that he's on noticeably better terms with Kanji in P4A than in P4, but I don't think they're that close. Incidentally, the fact that Yosuke can actually deride Yukiko is a big deal. It shows that he's come a long way from treating her like some goddess.
I'm fully aware of why he's scared. It's basically a gag scene, but it's worth noting because he's noticeably less compliant about finding Kanji than the rest of his friends.
"Noooo, I don't want to be alone with him!" Jesus man...
Yeah, because he sees him as a kid who gets into a trouble. Yosuke wouldn't give yen to a friend and say "here, by something" because it would be incredibly disrespectful.
Askherserenity
Member
Uh...holy shit. I am so happy I haven't gotten spoiled in all these years.
Spoilers for P4 below.
Spoilers for P4 below.
So I never got a chance to finish P3 but I am hoping to do so after I finish up with Golden.
So I'm in the beginning of the school trip right now in Golden and I really didn't expect any of this. Wtf. So great! Just hearing the music got me excited. Now I don't even know what else to expect...tell me there's more.
So I'm in the beginning of the school trip right now in Golden and I really didn't expect any of this. Wtf. So great! Just hearing the music got me excited. Now I don't even know what else to expect...tell me there's more.
Scrooge McDuck
Member
Shenanigans-wise and plot-wise, there's still more. (still doing the vague thingie)
MiguelMexMIstery
Member
The way I see it the fact that Kanji decides to go along with both of them makes him try a lot of different things he has never done before and helps him grow. In the beach scene you see Kanji saying how pleased he is to scenes "out-of-character", so he takes value of the moments he spends/suffer with those guys
Rise's involved in Kanji's social link? The only thing I remember about is Kanji telling how he showed one of his sewing products to Rise, and then she calling him weird.. Yosuke is also supportive of Kanji's relationship with Naoto, he tries to convince him to go with Naoto during that umbrella scene.
I recall that you commented about Yosuke being angry at Kanji or viceversa, or about the teasing, saying you felt they didn't get along. But I don't get then Rise calling Kanji "Moronji" just over one thing he said about New Years. Of course she had to use the word "moron". Specially since during the skii trip scene Kanji tells her to stop calling him like that, and even months after that, in the epilogue, Rise stills calls him that. Yup.
Where did you get Rise having friends? During multiple times in the game she says she really feels good having friends and hanging out with them (the IT), acting like if she doesn't have anyone else aside them. I recall you said she got a lot of cards in the Valentine scene, but couldn't that just be some crazy Rise fans?
I was recalling the moment he freaked out in the camp scene to the point of teasing him. Should have worded myself better.
I rewatched the scene. Yosuke just says he's a year younger than him. I don't where you took the conclusion of underclassmen to secondary friend just like that.
Then the things he says about people fearing him:
"Poor dude....
He's actually a hard-working, honest guy"
See? That's what a friend is about. Oh, and yeah, I agree about Yukiko, I'm just talking that it shows how Yosuke actually doesn't badmouth him while talking about him.
It's not about Kanji itself, it's because the way he's gonna act according to the video. Of course he would prefer to confront a carnivore, a bear beast, etc. compared to a guy who would try to, um do that stuff.. It's Yosuke. If it was Teddie or Yu or some random guy who were gonna act like that, he would def not want to be alone with them.
Guess we percieve the scene differently then.
Yosuke's scared of losing to Shadow Kanji cuz he doesn't know what would happen to him them. It's one thing to be okay with your friend's flexible sexuality and another to have that sexuality running on crazy pills chasing you with a folding chair and a loin cloth.
I still like to think that Yosuke sees Kanji as the little brother in his way of Yu (the elder brother)'s attention.
I still like to think that Yosuke sees Kanji as the little brother in his way of Yu (the elder brother)'s attention.
MiguelMexMIstery
Member
Uhh, I'm way too sleepy right now. I should go to sleep. Guess we'll have to continue someday later.
snow in jamaica
Member
a boston terrier
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
I love Yukari as a character and her social links is my favourite in the entire series but at the beginning its really not surprising people would call her bitchy. She was so angsty with her needless negativity with Junpei, her anger towards Mitsuru and even when you spend time with her at the beginning.
So you can see Personas
you can hear Personas
you can talk to Personas
you can smell Personas (getting a little weird here)
you can taste Personas....0_0
Very good point, especially about Japanese society
40detectives
Neo Member
Well, I guess I'm lonely here but... I'll say it anyway:
I love Persona and Soejima work like no one here but, seriosly, why:
Lets put it all together:
Something were missed along the way....
Too much generic anime cute curly and shy-nerdy boy maybe?
Oh! And one more thing, the logo... uffff, I'll save you the comparison between P3-P4-P5 cuz... It hurts my heart when I think about it.
I love Persona and Soejima work like no one here but, seriosly, why:
Lets put it all together:
Something were missed along the way....
Too much generic anime cute curly and shy-nerdy boy maybe?
Oh! And one more thing, the logo... uffff, I'll save you the comparison between P3-P4-P5 cuz... It hurts my heart when I think about it.
Hahaha, that missing poster's hilarious!
Well, I guess I'm lonely here but... I'll say it anyway:
I love Persona and Soejima work like no one here but, seriosly, why:
Lets put it all together:
Something were missed along the way....
Too much generic anime cute curly and shy-nerdy boy maybe?
Oh! And one more thing, the logo... uffff, I'll save you the comparison between P3-P4-P5 cuz... It hurts my heart when I think about it.
I think Soejima did a great job. Glasses-kun is different from the previous protagonists, but still visually appealing.
It also helps we have yet to see Soejima's original art. Remember that the characters always look different in the animated cutscenes.
I admire a lot of the dissection of the trailers and subsequent discussion. I'm leaning towards thinking that the majority of the stuff shown was just for flavor and mood. Can't wait to see more though and I'd be happy to be proven wrong. It's interesting that the first JP reveals of P3 and P4 showed so much right off the bat. Definitely feels like they've stepped up their marketing game on this one lol.
40detectives
Neo Member
You are playing with my feelings.
GamingBird
Member
exactly
look at the final p4g epilogue animated cutscene render of the p4protag
hes got no where near the swag, the manliness, that a lot of ppl refer to, in fact in a lot of the cutscenes in p4, hes just depicted as tall and thin
p5protag can be as manly as u make him to be - the skeleton is there
MysticDistance
Banned
Alright, everyone, I think it's time I post this. Since yesterday, I have been analyzing the Persona 5 trailer, and putting together possible theories. Here they are. Tell me what you think.
Theory 1: Official Website Update and Release Date
Shortly after the second teaser trailer was shown at SCEJA Press Conference 2014, the official website for Persona 5 (persona5.jp) was updated. The background visual was changed, showing the fifth chain broken. The image name is also "bg_visual02.jpg" which leads me to believe this is definitely not the final background visual we'll get. What am I saying, exactly? Well. I have a feeling that every month, we'll get a new teaser trailer, showing a character in the game, similar to the trailer we got at the SCEJA Press Conference. To further back this theory, take a look at the "MOVIE" button on the official site. The movie will be updated, as shown by "09.01 UP" and it having the title "btn_movie02_on.jpg" With each new trailer, a new chain will break, until each chain has broken, opening a non-teaser version of the site. It wouldn't make sense to label it "0X" (with X being where the number goes) if they weren't going to update these buttons. Also, most ATLUS trailers aren't called "MOVIE" and have updates, they're usually PVs. It seems likely that this theory may be correct. It wouldn't make sense for them to break just one chain, and not the others as we lead up to the release of Persona 5. I'm sure we'll see more cinematic teaser trailers, and the MOVIE button will probably have the date it was uploaded, with the text UP, just like this trailer. Again, this is still a theory, regardless of how likely or unlikely it may be.
Chain 5: September 1, 2014
Chain 4: October 1, 2014
Chain 3: November 1, 2014
Chain 2: December 1, 2014
Chain 1: January 1, 2015
(As of October 1, 2014, this part of the theory has been disproven, as no updates to the official website have been made. However, other parts of this theory are still correct.)
After that, I believe we'll get gameplay videos and a full PV for the game for the rest of the month leading up to the game. I believe the release date will be February 5, 2015 (Theory partially disproven. Instead of a release date, there will be an event), judging from this theory and how they may want to make the next teaser trailers for characters and plot themes in the game. February 5, 2015 also falls on a Thursday, and follows the "five" motif Persona 5 was announced with. Game director and producer Katsura Hashino himself, never said that the game won't be coming out in early 2015. He just said the game will be out in 2015.
Theory 2: Piecing Together the Trailer
First, let's start with the newspaper clippings. Here is what they say, from right to left:
"It happened again!? People are running away."
"Taxes are increasing again!? Could this be a controversy?"
"A popular personality has been suspected of tax evasion. Accused of hiding several million yen in income."
"An uproar broke out over an affair with the innocent schoolgirl idol. Officials involved in the matter are staying quite about the identity of her lover."
"Dark rumors are spreading about a major food chain's performance decreasing."
"There is a new M.O. for telephone fraud, this one of which targets the elderly."
"Threatening phone calls have been made to those who recently won the big lottery prize. Personal information has been distributed."
"A public prosecutor fights against falsified evidence!"
"Extensive bullying."
"Died in their room by an apparent strangling."
"A rapid succession of assaults has occurred."
"A dangerous car accident has recently been reported."
What I can get from this, is that with the spread of news via social media, and the Internet, people have been chained down; some scared, and some demotivated with no will to live due to all of the bad occurrences in the world recently. With news being just a touch away, it's easy to find out about the latest gossip, rumors, and news.
Next, let's examine the mobile focus in the game, and how it ties into the recent news shown in the train.
"ENGAGE! next P.A.D" This is an ad, which seems to have someone on the right of the tablet device. Not really surprising. This just shows what is most popular in this game's world. Mobile devices, and technology. Pretty similar to the real world we live in today.
Above the protagonist, lies a caution message. This is usual in most Japanese trains, as it is disrespectful to talk on the phone or leave your phone's sound on. The text says "Please switch your phone to silent mode. Refrain from talking on the phone." This could just be the animation team copying the aesthestics of a Japanese train, and it could also be a subtle way to showcase how people are focused so much on their phones that the respectful rules are ignored on this train. Rules may not be followed on this train, but these people are not "free." They are now held down by spread of information that is right at their fingertips. That's another thought I had when I saw this scene.
Next, let's take a look at how the game focuses on mobile devices, and people being attached to them.
As you can see in these three images, this world, like ours, is flooded with people who are attached to their mobile devices. From two young high school students talking, and one pointing to the others' phone, to a man on his phone while he waits to cross the railroad, and people sitting next to the protagonist with their phones--it's quite obvious what the message here is. Also notice that the protagonist is the only one that isn't focused on any device or media of some sort. One frame shows a student reading a book. One frame shows students with their eyes closed on the train, sitting down. Another frame shows some students with smartphones, and those two high school students talking about things, while the other holds a pink smartphone. Even the man in white waiting to cross the street is attached to his smartphone. This may be a subtle way to point out that the protagonist is currently "free" from what others around him are subconsciously held down by.
Next, let's take a look at the destination our protagonist reaches. It seems to be a city that looks oddly similar to Shibuya.
These ads seem to be showcasing a few things. On the left, there is what appears to be an idol, waving on one of the screens. Could this be the "innocent schoolgirl idol" we heard about in the newspaper? It also appears that the ad is asking a question, as there is a question mark on the far right of the ad.
Next, we see a red background with five people. The person on the farthest right looks a bit like our protagonist. Could this relate to the background visual on the official website? Could this be something only he could see? Another thing, a space-esque background appears on the farthest left screen, showing the text "Next P.A.D."
A blue vehicle appears a bit to the right, and later on, the text "TOUCH" appears below it, as seen in the following image. Below it, is another ad, that looks to be aquatic.
As you can see, the vehicle ad clearly says "TOUCH" showing that it may be an ad for a vehicle that can be controlled with your smartphone, or something similar. It's nothing too important.
In another zoomed-in shot from the trailer, the aqua blue ad seen in one of the screens appears to have Japanese text. The kanji 売 and 体 as well as the hiragana for の can clearly be seen, but not much else.
Next, let's take a closer look at our protagonist. There are two things I noticed that I'd like to point out. Also make sure to note the blue light shining near him. That will be explained below.
First, we can clearly see the protagonist take out his smartphone. He seems to abide by the rules while on the train. He doesn't use his smartphone, and follows what the sign says. That's probably just a coincidence, though. All we know, though, is that he's looking at his phone now. Maybe he's checking the current time, or a map. It does seem like he intended to be here. Another thing I noticed was his school crest, which says "SHUJIN HIGH SCHOOL" How do we know? Shuyin is not a possible Japanese word, and the letter is clearly a capital J from the way it is designed. So, what's so special about this name? Well. The word "shujin" can have two possible meanings, both of which tie in with this game from past interviews. The first kanji for shujin (しゅうじん
囚人 means "prisoner" which ties in with the main plot point of the game, and the tagline "You are a slave. Want emancipation?" The second kanji for shujin 衆人 means "The people" or "The public." which is part of the main plot point of the game, and the main focus in this teaser trailer. Most likely, this is a double entendre. Persona games also usually have a prophetic or meaningful school name, as well. A Japanese phrase also uses the kanji 衆人 (しゅうじん It is "衆人環視" which means "In the presence of the public, with all eyes focused on one." Which brings me to this.
The shadowy blue figure. At first, it seems to be some sort of creature or electrical current, but I am beginning to believe that is not the case. I believe someone summoned their Persona here, which causes time to freeze. This also may explain why we get a semi-3D view before the logo for the game appears, to show everyone in the public area that seems to be chained down, etc. It may be that only specific people can see a Persona, and that certain Personae show those who are chained down, and must overcome their hurdles. Our protagonist then realizes he has this power, after glancing around a little bit, and looks forward. This shadowy blue figure could also be the negativity of others taking form, a la The World Ends With You. Also notice that the protagonist does not seem too alarmed by it appearing in front of him. It's almost as if he was waiting for it to appear, hence his reaction during the time-freeze perspective before the figure appears. Could this be a phantom of sorts?
From the reflection in his glasses, we can see that whatever that thing is, it is most certaintly not human. It appears to have wings, and a humanoid shape, but it is not human. Also notice that the same reflection is in both of his glasses. It isn't a continous reflection, but the same reflection and same angle in both glasses. Of course, this could just be the way the animation team did the scene, but it could be something else. His reaction also fits the Japanese phrase 衆人環視 that I mentioned above.
The image below also adds to my theory that he may be able to sense that presence. It may be unlikely, but I can't rule it out completely, due to his reaction in the image.
Now, where is our protagonist in the crowd? I think I have an idea. Take a look here.
Looking at the perspective of the map:
Protagonist in the crowd:
Notice the vehicles? Look at the gray truck in the image above. See it? Good. That truck pieces together something, which we're going to move on to next.
Before zoom in:
After zoom in:
Protagonist perspective during time freeze (Notice the same building as the two images above):
Protagonist perspective during time freeze (View of the station. Note the red and blue lights, which appear near the station in the images above. The protagonist also zooms in the opposite direction of the building.):
I believe this theory of the directions of the crossing can be taken at a near fact level, due to the zoomed perspective going from north to south and matching with the diagram image I made of what direction the station and building are in. Also notice that when he first walks out, there are blue lights shining near him. It seems this part of the theory is indeed correct, at least, from what I see.
This also confirms that when the protagonist spins around in the perspective of the building, that the blue current did not yet appear, as it is in the center of the building when it does appear. During the perspective, the protagonist zooms through the center of the building, and it is not there. This brings yet another theory to the table. Could the protagonist have the ability to sense discord, or a presence(s) that no one else can see?
Notice the green truck, as well. This points towards the building being south of the station in the crowd perspective of the trailer before the logo. From the perspective, the station is north and the building is south. The protagonist, and everyone else, sees it the opposite way. The perspective in the crowd before the logo appears is different.
This means that the top part of the crowd is the train station and where he walked out was really the beginning of the crosswalk. He then proceeded north after checking his phone, leading him towards the building with the ads.
Next, let's take a look at the final frame of the second teaser trailer.
As you can see, the flames in the text "persona5.jp" look very similar to the shadowy figure before it appears in the reflection of the protagonist's glasses. The red flames may be something else he sees, as well. The sound heard while this final frame appears sounds a lot like something appearing in front of someone. The reason I used this frame and not the text in the red background is because it proves my point a lot better.
Theory 1: Official Website Update and Release Date
Shortly after the second teaser trailer was shown at SCEJA Press Conference 2014, the official website for Persona 5 (persona5.jp) was updated. The background visual was changed, showing the fifth chain broken. The image name is also "bg_visual02.jpg" which leads me to believe this is definitely not the final background visual we'll get. What am I saying, exactly? Well. I have a feeling that every month, we'll get a new teaser trailer, showing a character in the game, similar to the trailer we got at the SCEJA Press Conference. To further back this theory, take a look at the "MOVIE" button on the official site. The movie will be updated, as shown by "09.01 UP" and it having the title "btn_movie02_on.jpg" With each new trailer, a new chain will break, until each chain has broken, opening a non-teaser version of the site. It wouldn't make sense to label it "0X" (with X being where the number goes) if they weren't going to update these buttons. Also, most ATLUS trailers aren't called "MOVIE" and have updates, they're usually PVs. It seems likely that this theory may be correct. It wouldn't make sense for them to break just one chain, and not the others as we lead up to the release of Persona 5. I'm sure we'll see more cinematic teaser trailers, and the MOVIE button will probably have the date it was uploaded, with the text UP, just like this trailer. Again, this is still a theory, regardless of how likely or unlikely it may be.
Chain 5: September 1, 2014
Chain 4: October 1, 2014
Chain 3: November 1, 2014
Chain 2: December 1, 2014
Chain 1: January 1, 2015
(As of October 1, 2014, this part of the theory has been disproven, as no updates to the official website have been made. However, other parts of this theory are still correct.)
After that, I believe we'll get gameplay videos and a full PV for the game for the rest of the month leading up to the game. I believe the release date will be February 5, 2015 (Theory partially disproven. Instead of a release date, there will be an event), judging from this theory and how they may want to make the next teaser trailers for characters and plot themes in the game. February 5, 2015 also falls on a Thursday, and follows the "five" motif Persona 5 was announced with. Game director and producer Katsura Hashino himself, never said that the game won't be coming out in early 2015. He just said the game will be out in 2015.
Theory 2: Piecing Together the Trailer
First, let's start with the newspaper clippings. Here is what they say, from right to left:
"It happened again!? People are running away."
"Taxes are increasing again!? Could this be a controversy?"
"A popular personality has been suspected of tax evasion. Accused of hiding several million yen in income."
"An uproar broke out over an affair with the innocent schoolgirl idol. Officials involved in the matter are staying quite about the identity of her lover."
"Dark rumors are spreading about a major food chain's performance decreasing."
"There is a new M.O. for telephone fraud, this one of which targets the elderly."
"Threatening phone calls have been made to those who recently won the big lottery prize. Personal information has been distributed."
"A public prosecutor fights against falsified evidence!"
"Extensive bullying."
"Died in their room by an apparent strangling."
"A rapid succession of assaults has occurred."
"A dangerous car accident has recently been reported."
What I can get from this, is that with the spread of news via social media, and the Internet, people have been chained down; some scared, and some demotivated with no will to live due to all of the bad occurrences in the world recently. With news being just a touch away, it's easy to find out about the latest gossip, rumors, and news.
Next, let's examine the mobile focus in the game, and how it ties into the recent news shown in the train.
"ENGAGE! next P.A.D" This is an ad, which seems to have someone on the right of the tablet device. Not really surprising. This just shows what is most popular in this game's world. Mobile devices, and technology. Pretty similar to the real world we live in today.
Above the protagonist, lies a caution message. This is usual in most Japanese trains, as it is disrespectful to talk on the phone or leave your phone's sound on. The text says "Please switch your phone to silent mode. Refrain from talking on the phone." This could just be the animation team copying the aesthestics of a Japanese train, and it could also be a subtle way to showcase how people are focused so much on their phones that the respectful rules are ignored on this train. Rules may not be followed on this train, but these people are not "free." They are now held down by spread of information that is right at their fingertips. That's another thought I had when I saw this scene.
Next, let's take a look at how the game focuses on mobile devices, and people being attached to them.
As you can see in these three images, this world, like ours, is flooded with people who are attached to their mobile devices. From two young high school students talking, and one pointing to the others' phone, to a man on his phone while he waits to cross the railroad, and people sitting next to the protagonist with their phones--it's quite obvious what the message here is. Also notice that the protagonist is the only one that isn't focused on any device or media of some sort. One frame shows a student reading a book. One frame shows students with their eyes closed on the train, sitting down. Another frame shows some students with smartphones, and those two high school students talking about things, while the other holds a pink smartphone. Even the man in white waiting to cross the street is attached to his smartphone. This may be a subtle way to point out that the protagonist is currently "free" from what others around him are subconsciously held down by.
Next, let's take a look at the destination our protagonist reaches. It seems to be a city that looks oddly similar to Shibuya.
These ads seem to be showcasing a few things. On the left, there is what appears to be an idol, waving on one of the screens. Could this be the "innocent schoolgirl idol" we heard about in the newspaper? It also appears that the ad is asking a question, as there is a question mark on the far right of the ad.
Next, we see a red background with five people. The person on the farthest right looks a bit like our protagonist. Could this relate to the background visual on the official website? Could this be something only he could see? Another thing, a space-esque background appears on the farthest left screen, showing the text "Next P.A.D."
A blue vehicle appears a bit to the right, and later on, the text "TOUCH" appears below it, as seen in the following image. Below it, is another ad, that looks to be aquatic.
As you can see, the vehicle ad clearly says "TOUCH" showing that it may be an ad for a vehicle that can be controlled with your smartphone, or something similar. It's nothing too important.
In another zoomed-in shot from the trailer, the aqua blue ad seen in one of the screens appears to have Japanese text. The kanji 売 and 体 as well as the hiragana for の can clearly be seen, but not much else.
Next, let's take a closer look at our protagonist. There are two things I noticed that I'd like to point out. Also make sure to note the blue light shining near him. That will be explained below.
First, we can clearly see the protagonist take out his smartphone. He seems to abide by the rules while on the train. He doesn't use his smartphone, and follows what the sign says. That's probably just a coincidence, though. All we know, though, is that he's looking at his phone now. Maybe he's checking the current time, or a map. It does seem like he intended to be here. Another thing I noticed was his school crest, which says "SHUJIN HIGH SCHOOL" How do we know? Shuyin is not a possible Japanese word, and the letter is clearly a capital J from the way it is designed. So, what's so special about this name? Well. The word "shujin" can have two possible meanings, both of which tie in with this game from past interviews. The first kanji for shujin (しゅうじん
囚人 means "prisoner" which ties in with the main plot point of the game, and the tagline "You are a slave. Want emancipation?" The second kanji for shujin 衆人 means "The people" or "The public." which is part of the main plot point of the game, and the main focus in this teaser trailer. Most likely, this is a double entendre. Persona games also usually have a prophetic or meaningful school name, as well. A Japanese phrase also uses the kanji 衆人 (しゅうじん It is "衆人環視" which means "In the presence of the public, with all eyes focused on one." Which brings me to this.
The shadowy blue figure. At first, it seems to be some sort of creature or electrical current, but I am beginning to believe that is not the case. I believe someone summoned their Persona here, which causes time to freeze. This also may explain why we get a semi-3D view before the logo for the game appears, to show everyone in the public area that seems to be chained down, etc. It may be that only specific people can see a Persona, and that certain Personae show those who are chained down, and must overcome their hurdles. Our protagonist then realizes he has this power, after glancing around a little bit, and looks forward. This shadowy blue figure could also be the negativity of others taking form, a la The World Ends With You. Also notice that the protagonist does not seem too alarmed by it appearing in front of him. It's almost as if he was waiting for it to appear, hence his reaction during the time-freeze perspective before the figure appears. Could this be a phantom of sorts?
From the reflection in his glasses, we can see that whatever that thing is, it is most certaintly not human. It appears to have wings, and a humanoid shape, but it is not human. Also notice that the same reflection is in both of his glasses. It isn't a continous reflection, but the same reflection and same angle in both glasses. Of course, this could just be the way the animation team did the scene, but it could be something else. His reaction also fits the Japanese phrase 衆人環視 that I mentioned above.
The image below also adds to my theory that he may be able to sense that presence. It may be unlikely, but I can't rule it out completely, due to his reaction in the image.
Now, where is our protagonist in the crowd? I think I have an idea. Take a look here.
Looking at the perspective of the map:
Protagonist in the crowd:
Notice the vehicles? Look at the gray truck in the image above. See it? Good. That truck pieces together something, which we're going to move on to next.
Before zoom in:
After zoom in:
Protagonist perspective during time freeze (Notice the same building as the two images above):
Protagonist perspective during time freeze (View of the station. Note the red and blue lights, which appear near the station in the images above. The protagonist also zooms in the opposite direction of the building.):
I believe this theory of the directions of the crossing can be taken at a near fact level, due to the zoomed perspective going from north to south and matching with the diagram image I made of what direction the station and building are in. Also notice that when he first walks out, there are blue lights shining near him. It seems this part of the theory is indeed correct, at least, from what I see.
This also confirms that when the protagonist spins around in the perspective of the building, that the blue current did not yet appear, as it is in the center of the building when it does appear. During the perspective, the protagonist zooms through the center of the building, and it is not there. This brings yet another theory to the table. Could the protagonist have the ability to sense discord, or a presence(s) that no one else can see?
Notice the green truck, as well. This points towards the building being south of the station in the crowd perspective of the trailer before the logo. From the perspective, the station is north and the building is south. The protagonist, and everyone else, sees it the opposite way. The perspective in the crowd before the logo appears is different.
This means that the top part of the crowd is the train station and where he walked out was really the beginning of the crosswalk. He then proceeded north after checking his phone, leading him towards the building with the ads.
Next, let's take a look at the final frame of the second teaser trailer.
As you can see, the flames in the text "persona5.jp" look very similar to the shadowy figure before it appears in the reflection of the protagonist's glasses. The red flames may be something else he sees, as well. The sound heard while this final frame appears sounds a lot like something appearing in front of someone. The reason I used this frame and not the text in the red background is because it proves my point a lot better.