Welcome to the first ever HellFlare Exchange of 2026!
An exchange of fanwork between those interested in seeing more of Dion Lesage and Clive Rosfield in either a platonic or romantic relationship. Fanfiction and fanart are accepted.
As this is a gift exchange, a completed work is expected by the end of the due date. If you need to bow out, that’s fine - just make sure to let me know. For fanfiction, at least 1000+ words is recommended. And for fanart, one finished art piece is the aim. You will have two months to work on your assigned giftee’s request and can submit directly to the AO3 collection at any time before the deadline. For posting on tumblr or elsewhere, please wait until after the deadline.
Dates to keep in mind:
Sign ups open: June 14th - July 4th
Assignments: July 5th - 11th
Deadline for submissions: September 12th
Reveals: September 13th and onwards
If you would like to create more for either your giftee or someone else, feel free to submit extra stories or art pieces to the collection as a surprise. We’ll be using the AO3 collection to host the requests, so you can browse through those to spark ideas if you’re interested. Also, if anyone would be interested in pinch-hitting, please reach out through an ask on tumblr @hellflare-exchange. That would be appreciated!
As a small plug for the artist, they are currently running commissions throughout the month of June for anyone interested. They're closed at the moment, but you could reach out to the artist to find out when they will next be open!
Trying to recommend people watch Yu-gi-oh is always an insane pitching experience because the basic premise, what the show's about, and the actual meat-and-potatoes plot mechanics are all extremely different from one another.
The premise for DM is that some kid has an amnesiac ancient egyptian ghost haunting him and various billionaires are going to try to divest him of his jewellery. What DM is about is platonic devotion, staying true to your friends, the all encompassing power of love, and the eventual burden of moving on from death. This entire thing is painted in the aesthetics of 90's punk and visual kei.
The premise for GX is a kid attends card game high school and goes on wacky adventures. What GX is about is growing up, about seeing the world get more and more dark as you get older until you don't think you are the same person anymore, and having to hold onto the things that make you you. The later seasons draw heavy inspiration from lovecraftian cosmic horror.
The premise for 5Ds is a street punk has to team up with new friends and old enemies to fight on behalf of ancient south american space gods. What 5Ds is about is classism, and tools of oppression in a hi-tech futuristic society that is literally powered by magic. The visual language ping pongs between classic cyberpunk grunge and ultra sleek hypermodern.
The premise for Zexal is a different kid with a different amnesiac ghost that lives inside his necklace team up to find his memories. What Zexal is about is human connection, about reaching out a hand into the dark, about not being alone, and the pointlessness of war. This entire thing is themed with elements of the christian bible.
The premise for Arc-V is a theatre kid who travels the worlds spreading cheer and smiles with his circus performances. What Arc-V is about is child soldiers, and indoctrination into the military industrial complex, and the emotional dissonance that forms between events of trauma and day-to-day survival. One of the characters is inexplicably a traditional japanese shinobi.
The premise for VRAINS is a depressed highschooler cybercrime-ing his way through the internet so he can find answers to why he was kidnapped and tortured when he was 8. What VRAINS is about is the future of corporate greed, about healing, about what makes a consciousness, and the poisoning power of hate. A solid 50% of the story is just really good goofs on modern internet culture.
But if you just throw on a random episode of any one of those, the actual construction of any given one are going to be pretty much the same: It's all Card Games babeeeey
I think we as a society should bring back brotps. I think we should be weirder about characters being friends the same way people are weird about ships. Make those two characters who interacted once or twice besties. Make it difficult for them to get rid of each other even if they want to. Go nuts
Started playing p5x and immediately started thinking of how fitting it would be if Akechi was the protagonist... the world is all glitched, and he sees visions of the original world.
Part 3 of my multi-post series: "The Universally Hated Futaba Line: Biased Opinion to Throw Out, or a Valid Point Taken Too Literally?"
The posts will be in the following order:
Part 1: Clarifying the meaning of the line (link)
Part 2: A Mask of Lies (link)
Part 3: A Mask of Heroism (this post)
Please check out the first two posts of the series for more context, as it'll help explain the direction I'm going in when discussing this subject.
Without further ado, enjoy the final part!
So you guys might be asking why I started with the "Mask of Lies" first, and not this one. Especially since Akechi's childhood dreams of being a hero are stated very explicitly in his Royal confidant.
Well, it's because when you ignore the lies aspect (i.e. Futaba's words), and focus exclusively on this single portion of Akechi's character... A lot of people tend to think that's all Robin Hood represents. That he's the "Good Shoulder Angel™️" to Loki's "Bad Shoulder Devil™️" and nothing more.
Sound vaguely familar?
It's the other unfortunate extreme that's full-tilt in the opposite direction.
By fervently ignoring Futaba's observation, you accidentally horsehoe right around from pigeon-holing Akechi's persona(s) with a convenient, singular label to... pigeon-holing Akechi's persona(s) with a convenient, singular label. This time it just sounds cuter because it's childhood nostalgia flavored.
But both Robin Hood and Loki are far more nuanced than that, and nothing's a bigger example of this than how Akechi's ideals of a "hero of justice" grew up with him (even if he himself can't see it).
How his methods of helping others gradually evolved from playing pretend with a toy gun and saving imaginary people...
To expertly utilizizing his crafted image and its connections, as well as his own resourcefulness and cunning, to help real people even if it doesn't his benefit his revenge against Shido in any way.
Much like the actual hero of legend that Robin Hood is based on (or at least, it's more modern interpretation).
Let us go back to the previous examples in a different light, shall we?
Let's Discuss: The Game
So we've already covered Akechi's absolute masterclass of subterfuge and cheating a rigged system to benefit the Phantom Thieves.
Is he only doing this to win their trust in order to pull the rug out from under them?
Perhaps, but that ignores the elephant in the room: His relationship with Sae.
While he does have a single line of "foolish woman" before the interrogation room, there's one small detail that often gets overlooked.
Why didn't he remind Shido that Sae was a loose end in their plans?
While he didn't know about the Phantom Thieves' actual plans to keep Joker alive, that still doesn't change the fact that the Sae now has direct ties to the Conspiracy's actions because they used her palace as a trap, and she presumably has a Change of Heart.
With how close Sae was to uncovering The Conspiracy already, and with a determination to keep digging until she found the truth, it would make sense for Shido to order her death. After all, he did so for Kayo (Ohya's friend), Kobayakawa, and the SIU Director and they arguably knew just as much.
So why didn't he?
Because Akechi kept his focus on the Phantom Thieves, and not once did he ever remind Shido about Sae.
"Well, maybe Akechi was riding the high of victory and simply forgot? He seems pretty egotistical during that timeframe."
True, but then you have multiple scenes following the Interrogation Room.
The first is his phone call with Shido on 11/20 (while he's in the elevator), where he tells him he'll take care of the Phantom Thieves:
And then the second scene is during Shido's arc, after Shido becomes paranoid due to the Thieves destroying his cognitions of people in his palace, and he and Akechi are in another call:
Notice something specific about both of these interactions?
Not once does Akechi give any specifc info about when or how he eliminate these people.
He instead keeps giving vague half-answers wrapped in a villianous bow, downplays the threat of the remaining thieves (especially Morgana), or tells Shido "why not wait until after the election?"
The election that he's already planning to ruin Shido on.
Both moments are such a blatant attempt at damage control to ensure less blood is spilled in the long-run, and recontextualizes everything beforehand with Sae.
Throughout the game he says he respects her, and that's no more evident than this. Despite tricking her, he's not interested in killing her or inducing a breakdown/shutdown in her.
In fact he went along with the plan to Change Her Heart and left it at that, only knowing that by stealing her treasure, she'd hopefully re-evaluate her actions leading up to this and go back to normal.
He didn't know that the Thieves never planned to actually steal her treasure. He just trusted their methods, knowing it helps more people in the end than his own.
He even asks Makoto herself this:
Which, while it could be seen as him just pretending to be comforting her, gains a more genuine layer with the above context behind his question. The guy loves his double-entendres after all.
He put his faith in them, and lied on their behalf to Shido to keep the remaining thieves and Sae safe, regardless of whether he was aware he was doing such or not.
On another note, there's also some cut Mementos lines as well (implying that it's not just Joker he opens up to, but everyone else as well):
And finally, we can talk about that Cut Mementos Request as well.
In a way, I understand why this was cut despite being nearly finished. It doesn't leave the players feeling accomplished, but rather like they just made the situation worse and can't take it all back.
But that's the point, and it's a very important lesson they sorely need.
Akechi intentionally chooses targets similar to his situation with Shido, and any information he gives to the Thieves is superficial. Past work history, past connections, etc. As far as investigating goes, he even says he'll do it himself, which the other thieves agree to. Then when they all discuss a game plan, he hangs back while the other thieves come up with their own narrative for what's happening, and doesn't correct them.
The entire point behind this long charade though?
He doesn't want the Thieves to get hurt any further by people like him.
One very important thing to note about this request is that it only occurs during Third Semester. Maruki's Reality. The same reality where, once they defeat him to restore the true reality, everything that occurs during it will be reverted.
Including the events of this request.
Which is probably the actual reason why it got cut other than time-constraints. What's the point in learning it if your mistake can be undone in the end, right?
But again, that's the point. It's a means of giving the Thieves a reality check to be more careful in the future, without them carrying a permanent weight on their shoulders like he has. To let them actually feel first-hand the consquences of their powers when used recklessly, or blindly putting their faith in anybody, and hopefully learn from it to save others more effectively.
He's giving them the lesson and out that he never got before he started working with Shido, and was in too deep to quit.
Let us discuss: P5: The Animation
This time, we've actually got two instances instead of just one.
The first is Yusuke's situation with Kawanabe: (Episode 13 · Dreams and Desires)
The second is Futaba's situation with her uncle: (Episode 24 · A Challenge That Must Be Won)
In Yusuke's case, Akechi's main argument to convince Joker into helping him with the investigation into Kawanabe is this:
Of all the people he could've gone to for assistance on the case, he went directly to Joker because he knows Yusuke is his friend, and if they don't do this, Yusuke, a child with honest aspirations, will become yet another casualty of a corrupt individual in power.
He's solved plenty of cases without needing Joker's presence, case in point his entire years-long Detective Prince career (which the anime shows isn't just the cases involving the shutdowns). But he's still willing to ask for his help anyways because he knows Joker will also do anything to protect people in need, even if it means bending or outright breaking the law.
In Futaba's case meanwhile, the dynamic is flipped around completely: Joker asks Akechi for help.
The whole situation starts with Akechi being the one to initiate the topic on Futaba acting off due to her uncle:
And Joker responds to him with this sometime later:
The day after, they both have this exchange while discussing the matter:
The entire time, Joker's very open about not wanting to share much information about Futaba's situation to Akechi, who at this point the thieves are well aware he's the Black Mask.
It's only after Akechi shares his own experiences with his mother and the foster care system that Joker finally gives him the info he needs to look into Futaba's uncle. Akechi never asks for more context, he trusts Joker's judgement that this is another awful person who needs to be stopped and goes along with it without question.
And all to help a girl that he's aware is in this whole situation because of his actions, too. You could probably argue this is way of atoning for what happened to Wakaba.
Let us discuss: Mementos Mission
Here we can actually talk a bit of the grander plot in the manga, rather than focusing on an iconic yet minor part of it.
To give a brief summary, Mika is accused of a murder, and Ann and Joker (followed by the rest of the thieves) want to clear her name and find the true culprit.
To this end, Joker decides, against the judgement of the other thieves, to ask Akechi for help in looking into this whole mess.
One key thing to note about this is that Akechi goes out of his way to look into this in between his own cases, including that of the "Double Fanged Murder Demon" that they find out later on is connected to it.
And the kicker?
It's not even remotely connected to The Conspiracy at all, either. Nor Akechi's revenge plan against Shido (which does get hinted at in this story). There's no subtle clues indicating that some parties might be tied to the conspiracy, or need to be taken out like Okumura was. It's just an entire cast of people in their own smaller spider-web of coincidences, that Joker and co. happen to stumble into.
Akechi has absolutely nothing to gain from indulging in Joker's request to look into police files or clues, but he still chooses to do so anyways, even if he's technically not supposed to share details due to confidential information.
The only thing he asks for in return?
More coffee and curry. That's it. Surprisingly simple pleasures for a very complex guy.
Akechi's honestly one those characters that's fascinating to see others react to. When people hear the "lie" comment, they tend to jump straight into two categories afterwards:
The people who take it too literally, and proceed to loathe him with every fibre of their being and doubt every word he says (and end up falling for his black mask "being his true, more likeable self" by Third Semester when it's yet another distancing tactic).
The people who write it off completely, and proceed to victimize him to the point that it takes away any agency he has over his crimes (in spite of how frequently Akechi accepts the blame for his own involvement, or says that it wasn't solely Shido's manipulation driving him forward).
Even Akechi himself says it: It's not that simple.
He's a liar, but he lies for a damn good reason.
It's just such a shame that there isn't much room to have nuanced discussions about this, because of the two sides and the admittedly knee-jerk reactions to anything opposing them.
Because everything involving the Robin Hood side of Akechi is honestly fantastic. It's a middle-ground on justice between blind righteousness (like the Phantom Thieves) and tunnel-visioned "might makes right" (like Shido, Yaldy, Maruki, and to an extent Sae).
It's the stance of someone who's crawled his way up through a living hell with pleasant smiles and a gun behind his back, but still has enough faith in humanity to put his trust in Joker: The closest person to his idealistic image of a hero, moreso than himself.
The Detective Prince and Black Mask may have been public images, but underneath both is a kid who just cares deeply and painfully about others.
Why I think you should be able to romance Yosuke in the P4 Remake
Canonically speaking, Yosuke is pretty much Junpei 2.0. The straight bro best friend to the MC who is obsessed with getting a girlfriend. However, there was a romance route for him that was cut from the game, probably late into development. This would have no doubt recontextualized his entire character arc.
"Comphet," short for compulsory heterosexuality, is a term used to describe the societal assumption that everyone is naturally heterosexual. This concept suggests that people may feel pressured to form heterosexual relationships due to cultural norms and societal pressures, rather than genuine attraction. My opinion is that Yosuke's original character arc was supposed to be an exploration of this idea, due to how much support there was for it in the narrative. And here’s why I think they should add this idea back in for the remake, which looks to be on the horizon.
In P4, everyone's shadow was connected to their sexuality or gender role. Chie was a tomboy who was jealous of Yukiko's femininity. Yukiko was a "Yamato Nadeshiko" who was sick of being fetishized as the ideal girl, which in Japanese culture, is often overly meek. Kanji was bullied because of his feminine hobbies and adopted a hypermasculine thuggish persona. Rise felt disillusioned with her oversexualized idol persona and the performative aspects of show business. And Naoto dealt with internalized misogyny which manifested in her adopting a male persona.
Yosuke: And what's this about checking out this world for Saki-senpai's sake? Hah! I know the real reason you came snooping... You just came because you thought it sounded like a good time! What else is there to do in this shithole? A world inside the TV—now that's exciting! You didn't have a single other reason for coming here, did you!?
Yosuke was the odd one out, as his shadow mainly involved his repressed resentment at living out in the countryside and being very lonely. His shadow also had the least humiliating baggage to expose. He had feelings for Saki. But his shadow self's "dark secret" was that he was more excited about exploring the TV world than genuinely investigating her death. Shadow Yosuke accuses Yosuke of not being as sweet on Saki as he appeared to be. However, this idea didn't really go anywhere.
When the Magician card is reversed in a Tarot reading, it can suggest manipulation. In a relationship context, it means that someone may be presenting a false image or facade in order to manipulate the perceptions of others. And that idea certainly fit Yosuke. He pretended to be carefree. But what if he was also pretending to be heterosexual? What if the "horny straight bro" was just a mask? Is there any evidence of this? Actually, I think there was.
Shadow Yukiko: Tonight, Princess Yukiko has a big surprise—I'm gonna go score myself a hot stud! Welcome to "Not a Dream, Not a Hoax"—Princess Yukiko's hunt for her Prince Charming! And I came prepared: I've got my lacy unmentionables on, stacked from top to bottom! I'm out to catch a whole harem, and the best of the lot is gonna be all mine!
The Shadows in P4 are partly comprised of the suppressed thoughts and emotions of the actual person. There was a part of Yukiko's subconscious that felt like she needed a "Prince Charming" to save her. But the shadows who showed up on the Midnight Channel were also formed from the desires of what the general public wanted to see. Yukiko herself didn't really want to score with a harem of hot studs. It was the male students at Yasogami High who truly wanted to see that happen.
Yosuke was very nonchalant about failing the "Amagi Challenge". He took it in stride, almost as a badge of honor. And I found it very interesting how he showed absolutely NO reaction whatsoever to what Shadow Yukiko said. Nothing. If it were any other boy at school, I'm sure he would have had something to say about the most popular girl talking about how badly she wanted to lose her virginity to a bunch of hot studs. But Yosuke acted like he couldn't have cared less. He just said that the stuff she was saying sounded weird and that was it.
Yosuke: I haven't changed addresses since before we moved to Inaba. I mean, I might get a text from someone…It's hard to call, y'know? If I called people just to tell them my number changed, they'd get annoyed. And some of them never planned to text me anyway… Oh but hey, don't look at me like I don't have any friends!
According to Saki, "Hana-chan" didn't hang out with the other guys much. But in Rank 3 of his Social Link, it seemed like he desperately wanted to have closer relationships with male friends. And that may have been the true reason he happily took on the Amagi Challenge when he was a new transfer student. He probably just wanted to fit in with the other boys.
Yosuke: Haha…I never thought I'd be talking about serious stuff like this. Before I moved here, it was all small talk…Stupid, trivial things. I thought that was fine. It's only with you guys that I talk seriously like this. I dunno why, but I feel like I don't have to lie… Especially with you. You've already seen the worst of me and all. But well…thinking about it now, if someone had to see that, I'm glad it was you. It's a bit late now, but… Thanks for going in with me that time.
Yosuke is smiling sheepishly…
By Rank 4, Yosuke acts very different around Yu than he does around the rest of the Investigation Team. He never acts this serious or sincere around anyone else. The other members of the group also open up emotionally to Yu. But Yosuke especially acts like a totally different character. He takes off his mask around Yu and only Yu. He's probably the first friend—especially a male friend—that he ever had where he could just be himself instead of adopting a false persona to fit in.
Yosuke: I can't get my mind off certain things whenever I have a spare moment…
(option 1) Yu: Certain things?
Yosuke: Uh, you know…stuff. I mean, well… Argh! Let's not get into it! Why do I get the feeling this is going to turn into a depressing conversation!?
During an evening conversation that occurs around Golden Week, Yosuke hints at some unresolved baggage related to his Shadow.
(option 2) Yu: Like Saki-senpai?
Yosuke: Oh, come on... Of all the things you could bring up, you pick that one? I mean, that's part of it, but... I dunno, how do I put it? Argh! Let's not get into it! I don't wanna have this conversation!
Saki was part of it, but not the only thing. And he was blushing, too. The implication was probably that he was developing feelings for someone other than her and he might have been feeling a bit guilty for that. Or at least, that was my own personal interpretation.
Yosuke: Y'know, Chie and Yukiko seem different lately. They're a lot closer. Oh yeah, I was just curious, but are you...Ehh, never mind. If we keep chatting, we're gonna be late.
But there is evidence for that interpretation. After Golden Week is over and the group is headed back to school, Yosuke attempts to ask Yu if he is interested in Chie or Yukiko. The fact that he was so hesitant about asking made it stand out a bit to me. He probably had feelings for someone within their friend group.
Yosuke: Oh, I almost forgot. It's kinda off-subject, but as long as you're on the line, mind if I ask something? It's something I've been meaning to ask for a while. So…what do you think about Yukiko and Chie? I mean, let's not mince words: Which one's your type?
Before the stakeout for Kanji, he finally asks Yu which girl is his type.
Yosuke: Huh? Seriously? So that's the kinda girl you go for, huh...? She is a great girl, though. Plenty of fun to be around, too.
If Yu answers that he's interested in Chie, Yosuke acts a bit surprised. Not in an insulting way. He just assumed it would be Yukiko because all the guys in school were crazy about her.
Yosuke: Ohhh, I had a feeling you'd say that. She's actually pretty interesting. I never knew she was like that. My image of her has changed completely, but I like her way better now. Hey, but don't worry. This is just between you and me. Okay, see you tomorrow.
If Yu says that he is interested in Yukiko, Yosuke says he suspected as much. He doesn't say anything about her looks or anything. Interestingly, he just says that his image of her has changed, but he likes Yukiko more now after seeing her true self. Almost as if he didn’t have a very great impression of her before.
Yosuke: That being said…Yukiko, can I have your cell number?
Chie: Hey…Was this your plan all along?
Yosuke: Uh, no? I got everybody's phone number except for hers. And the Y section of my address book needs some filling out.
During the stakeout, he asked Yukiko for her phone number. So, the player would probably assume that Yosuke wanted to go out with Yukiko. That is what Chie assumed, after all. But I think that was a red herring.
Chie: Hey, how do you think the others are doing?
Yosuke: Beats me. For all we know, he's hitting on Yukiko as we speak.
Chie: Yeaaaah, no. He's not like you. Yukiko doesn't seem to be interested in that stuff anyway. Wait—are you saying he's interested in her?
Yosuke: Huh!? Uh…I…wouldn't know…We don't really talk about that kinda stuff…Hahahaha.
Chie: Now I'm even more suspicious! You know something, don't you?
Yosuke: I-I seriously don't know! It's not like we've been hanging out that long, haha…
But Yosuke actually seemed less interested in Yukiko herself and more interested in the possibility that Yu might be interested in her. Even if Yu tells him that he's not interested, Yosuke probably didn't believe him. So, it’s possible that he wanted to become closer friends with Yukiko so that he could know right away if she and Yu started dating.
Shadow Kanji: I think that you three…would make wonderful boyfriends.
Yosuke: S-Stop it! Y-You got it all wrong!
Kanji's arc introduces the idea of homosexuality into the story. And Yosuke got worked up over Kanji's shadow FAR more than he did with Yukiko's. When he called Yu after Kanji's Midnight Channel program aired, he was "too flustered to get his point across". And Yosuke felt the need to deny Kanji's Shadow almost as much as Kanji himself did.
Shadow Kanji: Accept me for who I am!
Yosuke: Wh-Whoa! I really don't swing that way!
It gave me the impression that themes of Kanji's dungeon were just as relevant to Yosuke's character arc as they were to Kanji's. Perhaps even more so in some ways.
Kanji: I, uh…I don't really get it myself. Girls are so loud and obnoxious, so, y'know…I really don't like dealing with 'em. Guys are a lot more laid-back. S-So, uh, I started thinking…What if I'm the type who never gets interested in girls…? And I couldn't accept that, so I kept spinning around and around in my head…
Yosuke: Well, I can understand the part about feeling more relaxed around dudes.
Homosexuality is a societal taboo. It is often something that people suppress and do not accept within themselves. It is actually the perfect subject to explore for a game about the shadow self. I don't think Kanji was gay. But I do think that Yosuke was originally supposed to be. And a lot of what Shadow Kanji said hit a little too close to home for him.
Chie: Well, the night's kinda fun. We cook our own meals with mess kits and sleep in tents.
Yukiko: The four of us are in the same group.
Yosuke: The same group, huh…? Does that mean we sleep together at night, too!?
Chie: You wish! Guys and girls sleep in different tents! I'm warning ya…If you leave your tent at night, you'll be expelled on the spot.
When Yosuke found out that they were all in the same group, he actually stood up out of his chair. You're meant to think he reacted this way because he was thinking about sharing a tent with girls. Typical straight teenage boy. But I'm sure he knew they weren't sleeping with the girls on a school trip. His reaction probably had nothing to do with the girls. He probably got worked up about sleeping in the same tent as someone he had been developing feelings for.
Yosuke: This is as good a time as any, so…I-I want you to be honest with us.
Kanji: Uh…okay?
Yosuke: A-Are you really…you know…?
Kanji: Am I really what…?
Yosuke: What I mean is, uh…Are we gonna be safe with you?
Kanji: Wha—!? Wh-Wh-What the hell's that supposed to mean? I-I already told you guys I'm not like that!
According to Jung, psychological projection is a major aspect of the shadow. When individuals project, they unconsciously attribute qualities that belong to their own shadow onto others. This allows them to avoid confronting these aspects within themselves. If they had stuck with that original idea, I don’t this scene would have been so controversial and offensive to people. By taking Yosuke's same-sex attraction out of the narrative, the game felt a lot more juvenile as a result. Yosuke's homophobia could have been used to explore his shadow self. But instead, it was just used to take cheap shots at Kanji for no reason other than comedy.
Yosuke: W-Well then why are you all hot and bothered about it!? That's just more suspicious!
The irony of this line certainly wasn't lost on me. And I don't think the writers were so lacking in self-awareness that they didn't realize how Yosuke was the one getting all hot and bothered by anything related to homosexuality after Kanji's dungeon. I think it was supposed to raise some suspicions in the player about Yosuke's sexual orientation.
Yosuke: And c'mon, you guys gotta admit I chose some good suits. Those girls might be childish on the inside, but I bet they're gonna turn into some fine-looking women before too long! Don't you think so, Yu?
If Yosuke was always intended to be written as a straight guy or even a bisexual guy, this part would come across as misogynistic and kinda creepy. Even Stupei wouldn't buy swimsuits for his female friends. But if Yosuke was actually meant to be a gay boy, this is more of a sad attempt at imitating a straight boy to appear "normal". And if that were the case, his behavior with girls is a lot more forgivable.
Yosuke: So…? You keep the goods under the futon?
(option 1) Yu: Huh?
Yosuke: C'mon…No need to play dumb. Don't worry. I'll still be your friend even if you're into the freaky stuff.
Yosuke looks like he's having fun.
Yosuke wasn't truly interested in Yu's dirty magazines. He was only interested to learn more about what kind of girls he was into. I know they added a scene in Golden where Teddie finds Yosuke's porn stash and he shows it to his parents. It's played straight as pure comic relief. "Haha, Yosuke never stops thinking about girls". But in his Rank 5 SL, this felt like it was meant to be a more serious topic.
(option 2) Yu: Of course.
Yosuke: Hahaha! Why are you acting so dignified about it? Alright, I'll check 'em out when you go take a piss or something. I'll expose your embarrassing tastes!!
Yosuke looks like he's having fun.
The "embarrassing tastes" comment was interesting.
(option 3) Yu: What, don't you?
Yosuke: Haha! Like I'd hide mine in such an obvious spot! One time, my mom found it and read the title out loud to the whole family…
Yosuke is reflecting on his past…
It actually sounds like Yosuke was the one with "embarrassing tastes". If his mom felt the need to shame him in front of the family like that, it leads you to wonder what he was looking at exactly. Sure, it could have been some typical straight boy stuff. But what if it was a men’s magazine or something? Depending on how traditional his family was, he could have received disapproval for that.
Yosuke: So, you ever invited a girl in here?
(option 1) Yu: I haven't.
Yosuke: Haha, maybe you're more of a man's man than I thought.
Yosuke seems happy…
Yosuke seems happy if Yu is not planning to bring a girl over.
(option 2) Yu: I will soon.
Yosuke: Seriously!? That mean you're working on someone!?
Yosuke is keyed up…
And he gets keyed up if he is.
(option 3) Yu: I have.
Yosuke: Seriously!? Who'd you… I'll stop there. I think it's better I don't know.
Yosuke is smiling wryly…
He probably assumed it was Yukiko and he didn't wanna know any more details than that. Again, due to comphet, most people would probably assume that he was just jealous because he wanted to date her himself.
Yosuke: Because she likes him…? M-Man, kids sure are mature these days…Well, my first love was in first grade, too! I've always been ahead of my time. But, well…I don't really need that in my life right now. It's just not the time…I have something I need to do before that can happen…
But he actually didn't. His true feelings are quite different than his public persona where he's obsessed with getting a girlfriend. Especially in Golden, like with the motorcycle scene. Yosuke said he was ahead of his time. And I think he was. His character arc seemed to be about being closeted and coming to terms with it. But that was a trickier subject during the time period which the game first came out.
Rise: And the bustline…
Yosuke: Huh?
Rise: Mine aren't that big.
Yosuke: Oh yeah, I see what you mean now… I-I mean…What am I saying!? U-Um, I'm sorry…!
Similar to Yukiko's Shadow, Yosuke had no real interest in the sexual aspects of Rise's Shadow. The Midnight Channel zoomed in to emphasize her chest and waist area, which was due to the general public's interest in her sex appeal. Yosuke told Yu he could tell it was Rise by the hairstyle. However, in front of the others, he said he knew it was her because of her figure. It's a minor detail, but it suggests that his reaction was completely performative. He didn't even recognize her figure in person that well anyways.
Chie: Let's hurry and rescue her! Yosuke! You better not slack off, hoping she'll "bare it all" if we take our sweet time!
Yosuke: I-I wouldn't pull a stunt like that!
Yukiko: ……
Yosuke: Wh-What's with the silent treatment!? I won't do that, I swear! Believe me, I know! We'll rescue Rise before the fog sets in!
The female members of the team assume that Yosuke would want to take as long as possible to save Rise so he could see her strip.
Shadow Rise: Eee, how embarrassing! Is this too hot for TV!? Well, if a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing all the way! I'm gonna bare it all for you! Heehee! Stay tuned!
Yosuke: I-Is she serious about baring it all!? Is it me, or are these shows getting crazier and crazier!?
Yosuke sounds excited.
Yu: We're in no rush.
Yosuke: Huh? But if we don't recue her, isn't Risette gonna...s-strip...? *gulp* Dude, we can't let her go through with that!
However, if Yu actually suggests that they take their time, Yosuke doesn't even get why. He doesn't want to see her strip and never even jokes about it, like Junpei no doubt would have.
Snooty student: So it's Kazumi now that Saki's dead!? Don't even bother, she has a boyfriend. Didn't you get it!? Saki didn't like you! We heard so from her! She may have acted that way, but…
They started to badmouth Saki-senpai…
Yu: Shut up!
Yosuke: Yu…
Snooty student: Wha—Who are you!? You shut up!
Yosuke: You're the ones who should shut up!! What do you know about Saki-senpai!? She didn't do things half-assed like you! She looked lazy, but she worked hard! She talked bad, but she was good inside! So she hated me? I knew that! She's not here anymore! I'm left behind! …Just leave me alone.
In Rank 6, Yosuke didn't become angry when he listened to the girls gossiping about Saki. He only lost his temper when they insulted Yu.
Yu: You were just upset.
Yosuke: N-No, I was just…
Yosuke is smiling pathetically…
Yosuke: Damn…Another pathetic display from Yosuke, huh? Thanks, though. Hearing you say that stuff to them…It made me happy.
Saying "You were just upset" in Rank 7 is a flag that unlocks the option to hug Yosuke in Rank 8. And the Rank 8 hug was probably a potential romance flag, just like when Rise was crying, and the game warns you that this is an important moment and there's no going back. The fact that these flags were still left in the game suggests the romance route was taken out relatively late in development.
Yukiko: The people at the inn keep asking me questions every day, like "What kind of guy is he?" and "Is he handsome?" *chuckle* I'm sorry I got you involved.
Yosuke: …… Oh, uh, I'm going to go take a little walk.
Yukiko: Huh? No, it’s not what you think!
When Yukiko is at Rank 6, this is the dungeon dialogue between them. There was definitely a love triangle going on between Yu, Yukiko, and Yosuke. Yosuke was clearly jealous.
Kanji and Teddie were conveniently removed from the equation. But Yosuke was a King's Game option. Kanji wanted Naoto to enter the beauty pageant to prove to himself that he was into girls. And Yosuke signed up all the girls. Was he also trying to prove himself straight?
Yu: What kind of girl do you like?
Yosuke: W-well, for me, um... I guess a girl that's kind and sorta fragile, you know? Someone I'd want to protect...
Yosuke actually had a hard time with this question. He gets one on those blank scribbly symbols over his head. He was actually describing a Yamato Nadeshiko, which is the idealized woman in Japanese culture. A very safe and generic answer for someone who is "totes into girls" but has no specific type. Kanji's answer to this question was more detailed because he had a specific girl he liked in mind.
Male class rep: Okay…your turn. Who would you want to date?
Yu: Yosuke.
Yosuke: Okay, we get it! You're good at role-playing! Now quit it! You're creeping me out…
Kanji: There are many forms of love…Didn't you tell me something like that?
Yosuke: No! Not at all! Well, I admit, I'm pretty dependable…and decent lookin', right?
If Yu sits on girl side, Kanji is also an option. However, Yosuke is the one who gets hot and bothered by homosexuality. At least in public. Privately, he apparently told Kanji off-screen that he had nothing against other forms of love.
Yosuke: Your turn. What type of girls do you like?
Yu: A kind girl.
Yosuke: Ooh, me too! You get this urge to care for and protect them...
If Yu sits on the boy side, Yosuke is the one who will be forced to sit on the girl side. And he will single out Yu with his question, to learn what type of girl he likes. He can respond that he likes a girl like Chie, a girl like Yukiko, or a kind girl. Yosuke is very happy if Yu says he likes someone he has the urge to care for and protect.
Yu: Any of us you like, Yosuke?
Yosuke: Well, you guys are all wonderful... But I think you'd be the most reliable. I-I mean—You idiot! Don't make me play along!
Yosuke would choose Yu to date because he's "reliable". It begs the question. Did he want a kind girl to care for and protect? Or did he truly want to be the kind fragile girl being cared for and protected by a reliable guy?
Yosuke: …I found this. It's a Print Club sticker I took with Saki-senpai… When I first got here, she insisted on taking it… Back then…somewhere inside me, I thought I was above this place… A lot of people saw me as the enemy because Junes was going to ruin the shopping district. But…when I met her, she told me, "Parents are parents. You're you…" Even if she didn't really mean it…it made me happy. Because of her…I started to think maybe this town wasn't all that bad. But then…
Yu: She dumped you?
Yosuke: No… that didn't matter. As long as she was still alive…
Yosuke was still mourning Saki's loss in Rank 8. But his relationship with her was not particularly close. They were coworkers for less than a year and he knew she didn't even like him. However, she accepted him. That's why he latched onto her. He probably thought he liked her romantically. Maybe he even wanted to like her, since he was so lonely. But I think as he spent time with Yu, he slowly realized that he never really did. But he did have those feelings for Yu.
Yosuke: Yu…I get it now. I wanted to forget about Saki-senpai. How she's not here anymore. I wanted to forget that…I was living a boring life in the middle of nowhere. When the murders started, I got excited…I thought there was finally a point to me being in Inaba…I thought I could forget Senpai was gone…and the fact that I was such a loser…I jumped at the murders and never once thought about what I was doing… I… didn't even take the first step…
I believe Yosuke liked Saki as a person, but he wasn't in love with her or anything. She was a crutch to help him forget his loneliness. And when she died, he latched onto the excitement and mystery of TV world as a distraction. And he felt very guilty over that.
Yosuke: But I think I'm awake now… I need to get over the fact that Saki-senpai isn't coming back… That when this case ends… I'll have nowhere to run… And I won't have changed… …… …You made me realize that.
It seems you were able to act as Yosuke's crutch… You feel a bond between you and Yosuke.
The reason Yosuke was crying was probably not because of his deep grief over losing Saki. It was likely because he had found a new emotional crutch. And he was a lot closer to Yu than he was to Saki and even more afraid of losing him. He was afraid of what would happen when the case was over, Yu went back home, and he was all alone again.
(option 1) Yu hugs him
Yosuke: You dumbass…That's for girls…
Yukiko's character arc was about moving away from stereotypical femininity and the whole ideal of Yamato Nadeshiko. She became more independent and assertive. But I think Yosuke's character arc was probably meant to mirror hers in many ways. He wanted to be the "girl" in a relationship, but he learned to view that desire as something shameful and he was unable to acknowledge it within himself.
(option 2) Yu pats his head
Yosuke: Haha... Quit treating me like a kid...
Amusingly, the kanji for nadeshiko (撫子) also literally means "child being petted".
Yu: Be a man. Stand up straight.
Yosuke: Haha… You're right. I wonder what'd be going through my mind if I was man's man like you.
Yosuke is smiling weakly…
Yosuke was not a man's man like Yu. He had an obnoxious dudebro persona he adopted in a social setting, but it was not his true self.
Yosuke: This town I hated so much? Now, I love it. There's still nothing here, but I have family and friends...and you. The important things are never far off...They're all around you.
Yosuke seems a bit embarrassed...
Yosuke: I always wanted to be "special." I thought my life'd finally have meaning if I was "special" to someone. That's why I was really excited when I got my Persona. But I really didn't need it…It's not what you have or what you can do…Just being born, living your life…Before you know it, you're already special to someone.
Yu: You're right.
Yosuke: Yeah…Like you…You're special to me, you know?
Comphet can cause people to pursue romantic relationships even when they are not sexually attracted to the person. They often don't feel like someone of the same sex is even an option. I don't think Saki was truly "special" to Yosuke. But he wanted to be special to someone else so badly, and he thought that a girl was his only option. So, he latched onto the first girl to show him a tiny bit of acceptance.
Yosuke: There's something I wanted to tell you. Somewhere deep down… I didn't trust you. No, it's more like…I was jealous of you.
I thought you were like me. Coming from the city to the countryside, I thought you'd be bored out of your mind here. But as soon as you got here, you called your Persona…Became our leader, gathered people…You're a hero. I like you for that, and I'm proud of you…But I guess I was jealous at the same time.
Yu: I didn't know.
Yosuke: I didn't know it either…When I called you "special," I thought some more about it. I think out of everyone, I wanted to be acknowledged by you the most…
Yosuke had an unused confession where he would tell Yu that he liked him. And based on the Japanese wording, there's almost no chance it was meant in a platonic way. It's how people express romantic liking. He was jealous of how Yu was special. But I don't think it's because Yosuke wanted to be the hero, the way Junpei did. Yosuke wanted to be special to Yu. But he didn't feel like he was good enough because Yu was more objectively cool and special. He wanted to be an equal partner.
Yosuke: So… I want you to hit me! Give me a good one. Knock out all this crap inside me. I want to be equal to you. I want us to stand shoulder-to-shoulder. So c'mon…
Will hitting Yosuke make you and him equal…?
In Rank 10, the game asks whether fighting will make them equal. I couldn't help but laugh. No, I didn’t think it would. It made no sense to me whatsoever.
Yosuke: Phew…The sky's so high up. Is Saki-senpai watching us…? Is she smiling at us? Senpai…I'm going to live. Without lying to myself, without deceiving myself… Days like today, days like before when I did nothing… They're all important days… They're all days you didn't live to see… I'm going to live them here.
As the culmination of his character arc, Yosuke said he would not deceive himself anymore. I was left wondering... When did that happen exactly? I could understand if this dialogue happened after Yosuke confessed his feelings for Yu and finally came out of the closet. Whether Yu reciprocated or not, it would have been an amazing conclusion to his arc and made him a much more interesting character. But sadly, it never happened.
I have no idea why they needed to have a fistfight for Yosuke's Persona to evolve. I think that when the romance confession part of the SL was taken out, the "dude brawl" scene was probably added in its place. They needed some emotionally cathartic moment, but didn’t really know what. I know this wasn’t the intention, but it almost felt like the game was telling me I had to beat the gay out of Yosuke. I didn’t like that.
The question now is: will Atlus change this Social Link in the inevitable remake? I think there’s a good chance they will. The P3 remake removed the transphobic scene. In Catherine, they added a route where Vincent embraced his bisexuality. And Yosuke’s over-the-top homophobia just wouldn’t fly nowadays without some kind of character development.
"doesn't this charater under insane stress going through extremely traumatic events realize how inconvenient their irrational emotional reactions are to the people around them?" well, see, you're not gonna believe this, but the thing is,
Raven I’m reading the Tapis Rouge event on eng server and I’ve noticed this weird pattern with Ace? He was asking us if we’ve ever heard of Beautiful Queen, despite the fact that he knows we wouldn’t since we’re from another world, and he did the same thing in the Wish Upon a Star Event where he asks us “have you really never heard of Wish Upon a Star?” It’s like ??? Dude? You know I’m not from here? That stuff doesn’t exist back home. I mean, I can get staying in Twisted Wonderland long enough to hear about a few things but he acts like us knowing this stuff should be common sense to us even though he’s very well aware it’s not. 😭
To be fair to Ace, he’s not the only character that does this! For example, Lilia and Kalim are surprised that Yuu and Grim are unfamiliar with how they celebrate Halloween and that they don’t know what the Scalding Sands Fireworks Festival is. In the case of Halloween, Lilia is later pleased to hear that Yuu also has this holiday in another world. (In case you’re confused, the dialogue littered across Twst implies that it is common knowledge among NRC students and even staff that Yuu is from another world.)
It is true that Ace is frequently guilty of being surprised at Yuu not knowing about various Twisted Wonderland things. If I had to guess, he probably does it the most of the characters in the main cast. Just off the top of my head, there’s the prologue, book 2, Happy Beans Day, Wish Upon a Star, and Tapis Rouge (Red Carpet Cadets in EN).
I don’t think it’s an issue of Ace getting convenient amnesia (as this is a consistent thing in the main story too, not just events which are non-canonical) or intentionally saying it to be annoying despite knowing better. To me, it reads as Ace genuinely being ignorant + not being able to imagine what it’s like to be from another world and/or expecting them to know better. He seems to assume Yuu’s world is like Twisted Wonderland, or he expects that Yuu should be able to quickly pick up on things that are commonly known in Twisted Wonderland like he has.
To my first point, Ace is portrayed as flippant and not taking things seriously. He’s often not paying attention in class or finding ways to dodge doing work. More importantly, he’s also shown to be ignorant and to not know a lot about things beyond his own interests and narrow understanding of the world. Two major examples are in Jack’s Ceremonial Robes vignettes, in which Ace assumes that Jack, a beastman, MUST come from Sunset Savanna, and also generalizes the people of the Shaftlands (despite being a massive plot of land) as being a certain way. Riddle has to correct his dorm member. This indicates to me that Ace would make similar assumptions of what Yuu’s world is like, based heavily on his own understanding of how the world works. And if Twisted Wonderland is all Ace knows, why wouldn’t he default to that as the “norm” for Yuu’s world too?
To my second point, Ace has a particular talent for mimicry in many things. He can pick up dance moves, do vocal impressions, and has a sharp memory that allows him to relay mole language after hearing it demonstrated just once. Ace is also an opportunist, quick to adapt to a situation in order to get his way. For example, he cozies up to Leona in Endless Halloween Night so that he’d be spared from Floyd’s antics and tries to sneak snacks when he believes Vil isn’t watching. At the dame time, Ace is known to tease others (mainly Deuce) for not being able to be as quick to pick up on the situation or on new skills as he is. Considering all of these points, it’s not too far of a stretch to think that Ace would tease Yuu for similar shortcomings.
Speaking of Deuce, he mentions in Wish Upon a Star that it makes sense that Yuu wouldn’t know the holiday, since they’re from another world:
This reaction makes sense for Deuce’s character. While Deuce is equally as clueless about certain things (math, his own hometown, etc.), he’s still overall the more grounded and considerate of the Adeuce duo. On top of that, he’s having his own problems developing into the honors student ideal he aims for, so he doesn’t hold it against others when they’re not aware of something. Deuce and Ace may both be a part of Yuu’s friend circle, but they are very different people and react in different ways as a result of that.
