HELLO I DIDN'T THINK ANYONE WOULD ANALYZE THIS WHAT WHAT DHSHDHJBFHJ I'm flustered thank you:]]
How did you interpret more than what I did what whatt
I wanted to ramble and reply in the tags but I can't apparently so here's an artist's commentary you didn't ask for~
you're right about the tendrils and yaldy ehee~ They're intended to come from under the papers and the laptop
The other two books are Wakaba's research and my watermark :]
Yes yes Jung's book is a reference to Jungian Psychology being the foundation of the Persona series' lore!! (Also I just like psychology)
The framed picture... I forgot why I added it, something along the lines of Maruki not letting go. I wanted to place it somewhere obscure, almost as if Maruki doesn't have it in him to put it away in storage, but can't look at it either. So it's hidden. Buut I didn't want it to be so obscure that people have to squint to see it. The flower's there for the same reason. I put it near the photo as a half-reference to Twilight Corridor.
I'm surprised by your interpretation of the cats!! Nyakira's placement and eyes are meant to catch the viewers' attention more than anything. Meowkechi and Nekosumi's eyes were supposed to shine as bright as his, but I felt that it was too distracting since they're close to the desk lamp. I also wasn't able to put them together in a way that I liked, so I settled on having Meowkechi and Nekosumi be next to each other as they're the ones most affected by Maruki's influence.
The cats watching him, I always meant for it to be up to interpretation. Personally, I always thought they're simply just watching, observing, thinking. Like they're trying to figure out what Maruki's doing and why, and almost pitying him. But I like your interpretation a lot better.
I intended to signify how Maruki buries himself in his research through the contrast between the warm desk lamp light and the coldness of the rest of his study. Almost like he's grasping on to what he thinks is his last hope of happiness. Coloring this was HARD. (I also wanted to make the bg around him messier but I didn't have much time)
The pendulum thingy has no significance, It's a reference. There's a pendulum in his office (I forgot whether it's in the Shujin one or the office from Sumire's counseling session in that one cutscene)
One thing no one has pointed out: The other books are colored based on the rest of the PT's winter outfits! Ryuji, Makoto, and Ann near Maruki, Yusuke and Haru near Nyakira!
I didn't think much of the details and focused more on the vibe I wanted to bring. A small bit of hope, holding on to a dream, but in a way that it's fuelled by loneliness and emptiness if that makes sense. What Maruki's palace theme makes me feel. I don't know if I delivered said feeling successfully.
thank you for coming to my tedtalk I hope this wasn't annoying
