List of SMTIV-related unarchived materials that we need help to obtain so we can make them accessible for everyone:
1) Burroughs Navigator guidebook
2) SMTIVA pixel-art mythology video focused on Lucifer
3) SMTIV and SMTIVA's decoded script files
SMTIV's English script extraction here.
There's still Japanese for SMTIV and both languages for SMTIVA left.
4) Scanned SMTIV articles from Japanese game magazines
If you know of anyone that owns any of these issues, or would like to help by spreading the word, it'll be greatly appreciated!! Exclusive information will be translated and archived for everyone to enjoy 👍
(if highlighted in green, it means it's secured and soon to be scanned)
V-Jump 2013/4
V-Jump 2013/7 (Jonathan manga highlight)
Dengeki Nintendo 2013/7 -> Doi cover of Flynn & Isabeau
Dengeki Nintendo 2013/8
Nintendo Dream 230 2013/4/21
Nintendo Dream 231 2013/5/21
Nintendo Dream 238 2013/12/26
Famitsu 1227 2012/6/21
Famitsu 1242 2012/10/4 -> Doi cover of Flynn looking at the viewer
Famitsu 1250 2012/11/29
Famitsu 1257 2013/1/17
Famitsu 1261 2013/2/14
Famitsu 1264 2013/3/ 7-14
Famitsu 1271 2013/4/25
Famitsu 1275 2013/5/23
Famitsu 1276 2013/5/30 -> Reviews for SMTIV (9/9/10/9)
Famitsu 1277 2013/6/6 -> Doi cover of Flynn tied up in chains and vines
Famitsu 1278 2013/6/13
Famitsu 1279 2013/6/20
Disclaimer: these are the magazines I was able to locate the title of SMTIV on the cover. The thing is, sometimes a game can be featured on an issue without necessarily being advertised on the cover, so this list might not be complete. If you happen to know of an issue that wasn't included here, please let me know!
(this post will keep being updated as a work-in-progress)
The subtle ways androgyny is used in SMTIV&A and its context in the franchise
What if I tell you... there's more characterization than it appears to be?
The most consistent trait among Megaten protagonists is certainly their androgyny. Fastidious fans would accept nothing less than the most beautiful eyelashes someone could have the privilege of being born with as it became a long defined characteristic in Kaneko's art.
Considering the franchise debuted with a main character described as a guy that would look good in a skirt, it's no wonder Kaneko (and later, Doi) had to follow the feminine-looking boy legacy:
However, this aspect is not actually that commonly depicted as a self-aware trait in the games. Attractive? Sure. Wooing ladies? Almost always. Specifically having a spotlight on the feminine features, though? Hardly any would be at par with our originator Nakajima.
Which includes Flynn. That being said, even if it's not brought up in the story, Flynn's androgyny is still touched upon not only in his profile notes in the SMTIV Artbook...
...but also in the way he's perceived in demon negotiations:
Excuse me!
Going from a stinky swordsman to bestie <333 in a flash.
Lham Dearg having this dialogue when the motherfucker shares the same hair lenght as Flynn is some double standards BS.
And then Chagrin-chan gives you a Detox solution.
However, you also have a chance of becoming a target of gender rivalry for this same answer:
No good, Chagrin-chan.
And then you have the rather unusually neutral way Flynn looks at relics:
You could argue that it’s due to Flynn being a country bumpkin born in an artificial world currently in its medieval period hence even basic concepts that he would know of would be interpreted differently when seeing their modern versions.
On another note, we also have to recognize that the location with the most conservative worldview is Mikado.
And yet, it's Nanashi the one with very gender-specific commentary:
A feasible counterpoint perhaps would lie on the possibility that Flynn didn’t grow with many women around him, specially ones that would invest in their own appearance which would be difficult considering their peasant background.
And an indoctrinated one on top of that.
Which isn't to say that there isn't makeup culture in Mikado though, as shown by Isabeau and Gabby.
Regarding Isabeau, I commented before that her choice of fashion seems to be more adapted to her own self-expression rather than a default way of presenting for either Luxurors or Samurai women. At any case, it's still part of a larger issue.
In fact, Luxurors and even monks from the Monastery weren't shown to be as anti-Unclean extremists as the Divine representatives themselves.
In the myth, Gabriel is a messenger who was entrusted to deliver several important messages on God’s behalf. Therefore, as Gabby, Gabriel acts as a mediator and makes God's message understandable to people through adapting her appearance to reach the most hearts as possible.
In other words, we have the picture of peasants being fairly ignorant of new technology (with Flynn among them) and only having the bare essentials while the higher caste thrives over luxuries to the point that becomes normalized what would be considered slightly sinful.
So much that even the angels had to tolerate it to a certain level in order to become close to humans and manipulate them.
Nanashi, on the other hand, meets so many ladies worried about their appearance underground that he learned even more than Asahi.
So essentially, Flynn "isn't familiar with female expression" but "effortlessly passes as a woman" regardless of what he's wearing while Nanashi "knows" and "plays around" with it like a costume.
And in both cases, it seemingly comes more "at the player's choice" rather than being done in an unsolicited way.
Doi's comments on SMTIVA's wardrobe convey that Nanashi is into wearing flashy clothes. Some fashionable, some dumb, some awfully absurd for anyone to wear in the middle of a war-like environment.
Nanashi basically wants to stand out. He fully knows he looks weird and is having a blast fighting demons around Tokyo in audacious, flamboyant display.
Meanwhile most of Flynn’s wardrobe have this feeling of “gears that Flynn would consider useful for avoiding hazards while being ignorant of what the design means”.
Nanashi does it for fashion while Flynn does it for protection. This is also applied to the situations where the player "can choose" to act feminine: Nanashi crossdresses and wears make up while Flynn lets demons believe he's a woman to get a positive reaction in negotiations.
To summarize, Flynn was intended to be seen as an individual with both male and feminine traits (or the lack of both in some aspects) beyond just the stylistic choice of his androgynous design. While Nanashi is aware of gender roles and his social standing as a guy but also breaks expectations according to his own will.
These qualities are coherent to the lore of the story while simultaneously working on a gameplay perspective, as those are ways to bring diverse options for the average player while making female players also feel included even if the protagonist is a boy, which is an unbreakable tradition in mainline games to this day:
Somehow, it turns out that Nakajima's legacy comes in handy with a seemingly unisex-presenting main character that is able to fill the gaps of an audience.
On an ending note, one can understandably connect a similar reasoning for the design choices behind the SMTV protagonist.
The fanbase of the series combined with Persona has a male-to-female ratio of 40:60, to which confirms the feminine-looking boys indeed reach a bigger female audience than male.
As interesting as it is, one can't help but wonder if we would ever actually reach the other side of the gender spectrum in an actual title. We have horny mods, so there's that at least.
It turns out that my suspicions were correct! The SMTIV director addressed the intentions behind Flynn's design here:
"The series has always adhered to a policy of not assigning distinct personalities to protagonists, as they're supposed to be the player themselves—hence their absence of lines. However, the vessel for the player must still have a "hero" aspect, and that requires an appeal that makes people want to play pretend or "imitate" them—a "quirkiness," so to speak.
Thanks to character designer Doi's efforts, after being asked to do many retakes, I'm proud to say we were able to create a suitable character for the cover of this issue that we would love for readers to try inserting themselves into.
Also, regarding gender, the protagonist was made to be as androgynous as possible—we have many female users, after all. It may be a bit of a strong statement, but it's perfectly fine to play the game while imagining the protagonist is a woman. [...]"
Katsuyuki Yamai, Dengeki Nintendo (07/2013)
So how do Japanese fans feel about this? As usual, let's read opinions from the other side 👇
@kaori_offstage
"The official side said it's okay to think of Flynn as a girl since he was designed as a unisex protagonist—well, Flynn undeniably looks like a beautiful lady..."
@uketamawawryyyy
"Rather than a hero, Flynn is better suited as a heroine in my opinion."
@tomiiy
"Flynn feels like an ordinary guy to me, but since demons often mistake his gender and Flynn plays along by making them believe he's a woman, he probably doesn't look that manly from a demon's perspective."
In the jpn equivalent of "That's a 'Miss' to you", Flynn uses the だもん particle which sounds feminine and a little cheeky (in a cute way)
@chagunet77
"Fem!Flynn would be the type to hide her gender and slip into the men's dormitory.
Whenever I hear Walter and Jonathan's lines, I always feel like I'm the protagonist of an otome game… ;
Flynn is the heroine theory ☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️"
@honeboomerang
"If Flynn's appearance could get mistaken for female at least by demons, then when Asmodeus said 'I'll crush the man and take the woman as my wife!', could the 'woman' be.....?"
@kitaonglacier
"I have this image of Isabeau giving a strong thumbs-up regardless if Flynn is a man or a woman, or even whether Flynn would crossdress (for both genders). Isabeau acts proper 90% of time, but in the remaining 10%, she would go off in a crazy direction."
@kaori_mgtn4
"When Walter and Jonathan invited Isabeau to eat breakfast, she would decline with 'I don't like the vibe of guys my age (mainly Walter).' But then, why was she saying that to Flynn? And so at the same time, I started to wonder if Isabeau viewed Flynn as a girl…"
One of Isabeau's quotes from the official website also complements the idea of she treating Flynn as if they're close on a gender spectrum sense:
"Your hairstyle is called a 'ponytail,' correct? Maybe I should grow out my own hair. I wonder if it’d suit me."
Megaten Spotlight
Some fan impressions got particularly heated about this matter, specially after the sequel became a thing:
@yuge_y
"I went to see what was the latest story leak regarding SMTIVA and… Flynn got kidnapped LOLOLOL What kind of stereotypical heroine role is this!!!! Are you Princess Peach?! LMAO"
@kaori_mgtn4
"I can't believe it. Until now, we were all like 'Kyaa, Flynn is the heroine!!' as a joke, and the official side just goes and turns it canon... There's only falling into darkness from this point...
This has gone beyond silly antics, Flynn is now a princess who could seriously cause the fall of a nation, no, the whole world."
@kitaonglacier
"Didn't he appear entangled in tentacles in a magazine cover before? Flynn was supposed to be a damsel in distress all along."
@contacos
"Flynn is really adorable, it's scary how he looks more like the heroine than Isabeau… (trembling)"
@Karlyjet
"If Flynn were a girl, wouldn't it increase the hidden meaning of 'Women's toy' even more...! Oh no, my fantasies are running wild /// The rabbit hole of Flynn's gender debate just keeps getting deeper..."
3D rendering by DDear
@chagunet77
"Atlus is quite the schemer for playing on the fact that's it's more fun to let your imagination run wild by not knowing whether Flynn is male or female rather than allowing the player to choose the gender right from the start…"
@kingyo_neko
"Flynn is so cute… who cares about gender...
I just want to be the weed that gets trampled under Flynn's ass in the first Mikado cutscene."
@lilisyurent
"I genuinely believed Flynn was a crossdressing beauty due to how Isabeau acted in SMTIV, so I was like 'Who the heck!?' when playing SMTIVA, but once Krishna took him captive, I thought, 'Phew, Flynn is still in the heroine role' and rested easy."
@kaori_mgtn4
"In the original myth, Krishna was the kind of man who would carry out bride kidnapping... Well, the woman in the abduction wanted it in the first place, so that's fine, but Flynn didn't consent to anything, so cut it out."
On top of those, Megaten veterans couldn't let other parallels pass by:
[Spoilers of SNES era Megaten below]
@ntmaya
"Thinking back on SMT1, the Law and Chaos representatives left a strong impression on me, but on the other hand I'm trying to remember what kind of girl the heroine was.
-> Died during the ICBM incident in order to send the heroes to the Diamond Realm
→ Pushed onto a 'messiah' role after reincarnating
→ Rescued when was just about to be possessed by a demon
Isn't this strikingly similar to what Flynn goes through?"
@kaori_mgtn4
"Adopting a self-sacrificial stance the moment a nuclear bomb is about to hit, forcing the protagonists onto another world before dying, then reincarnating before joining the team again.
Flynn is literally just like the SMT1 heroine."
@kingyo_neko
"Heroines in Megami Tensei learn Dia-type healing magic → only Flynn learned Dia-type healing magic in the DLC -> Flynn is a heroine?"
@kaori_mgtn4
Following a similar fate to the first female partner of the Shin Megami Tensei series while being the one in charge of healing in the Diamond Realm DLC… Flynn is doubtlessly heroine-like, no way around it."
@chagunet77
"If the SMT1 protagonist is a Neutral hero, then Demi-fiend is a Chaos hero and Aleph is a Law hero. Obviously, Flynn is the heroine."
By the way, Flynn doesn't get left behind either when it comes to a heroine's nudity protective instinct for her other half:
[End of spoilers]
So, what do you think? Have you started looking at Flynn's official and fan portrayals from other perspective?
Have any new interpretations emerged inside your head?
Or....
....
Does any of this really hold importance...?
@heine_eleco
"Flynn may look like a young maiden adorned with a beautiful ponytail, but will violently bind and extort not only passerby demons but even so-called best friends, female teammates and god-like beings that hold someone's fate in their hands"
@kitaonglacier
"It matters little that there's not an official gender*, even as a woman Flynn would still be a gorilla that hoards money at the end of the day"
*The tweet describes Flynn's gender as '迷子' ('lost child'), it's a term used for characters whose appearance is so ambiguous that their gender seems to disappear, hence the comparison to a kid that wanders off and can't find their way back.
You gotta admit, It's a fitting pun for many genderless protagonists...
Dear Megaten fans, tonight I came upon a horrible discovery.
Our dear MC’s of the upcoming Shin Megami Tensei sequel are all wearing bandanas/neck ties that correlate with the old gay bar hanky codes.
Let’s break it down.
MC/Flynn : WHITE = Jacking Off
Jonathan: YELLOW = Watersports
Walter: BLUE = Anal Sex
Isabeau: RED = Fisting
Navarre : GREEN = Daddy play
—————————
Can we all agree Isabeau is giving the rest of the lot a side eye about how vanilla they are in comparison? Thank you for your time. Let the fan art begin.
Most fans wouldn't take Dx2 cameos so seriously on a writing aspect (and I wouldn't argue against that either), but this particular dialogue made me intrigued on whether the writer in charge was following actual directions or if they just happened to unintentionally misinterpret how Nanashi's dyed skin looks to other characters.
As far as SMTIVA goes, his green markings are not supposed to be seen (by normal people at least).
Notice how, compared to Demi-fiend, Nanashi didn't have direct comments on his "under Dagda's possession" look even from people that were familiar with him previously. Asahi didn't seem to be thinking of his appearance even in the one occasion she was about to point out a discrepancy
The possibilities behind their visibility in Dx2 that I can come up with are:
a) the characters in question were exposed to the supernatural enough to see through them;
b) the markings were intentionally made visible by someone;
c) this isn't Nanashi per se but an entity that looks and behaves "like Nanashi" so the rules behind his circumstantial tattoo wouldn't apply.
Well... these are guesses from a player's perspective at the end of the day. Now I can't help but wonder what is the official view on this matter. At any case, the most interesting part of Nanashi's transformed design has more to do with his zombie-like state than how his green markings are perceived
By the way, there's another unused Nozomi sprite that is far more of a head-scratcher:
It wasn't released to the public like the previous one but it stayed long enough in the development for fans to be able to extract it from the game files. What do you think?
Her frightening expression coupled with the fact she's the only character with such green-eyed portrait makes me visualize Danu taking control of her body and about to beat your ass for siding with Dagda...
Hallelujah: HEY! You should help out a little! There's absolutely nothing around here so I'm having a hard time, y'know!
Nanashi: Woah... aren't you getting too angry? Is it postpartum blues? That's not good for the baby.
Hallelujah: 😡
[EXPLOSION NOISES]
Flynn: Master...
Flynn: Master ♥
Nanashi: Eep!
Hallelujah: Grrr...!!"*
*Hallelujah and Flynn are mirroring speech patterns of Asahi and Toki respectively
On the last page, Nobuyuki Shioda addresses a specific aspect behind Japanese gods that explains why not all of them would ally themselves with the Divine Powers.
TL below ⬇️
"A Journey into the Mythological World of SMT4A
Text by Nobuyuki Shioda
Nobuyuki Shioda's A Journey into the Mythological World of SMT4A is currently being serialized on the official SMT4A website. Well-versed in the series, Shioda has been involved in numerous Megaten-related strategy guides and fan books, including Shin Megami Tensei no Subete and Devil Summoner Soul Hackers no Subete. This time, he was given the opportunity to write a special edition of the column that relates to the new information covered in this article.
The myth of the unsubmissive ones
Hello. I'm Nobuyuki Shioda, and I'm in charge of a serialized column on the official website for Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse, where I explore the myths and history of the demons featured in the game. We are pleased to have this special edition as part of the series and hope you will enjoy it along with the publications on the official website.
Now, in the game, the monotheistic and polytheistic factions are in conflict with each other. The influence of monotheism in Christianity and Islam centers on the One True God and his angelic followers, whereas the polytheistic forces consist of a vast diversity of gods such as those from Greek and Celtic mythology. While it might appear on the surface that polytheism has the upper hand in terms of numbers, if you take a glance at religions in the real world, you'll get hit by the realization that the monotheistic side is the overwhelmingly dominant one. Therefore, the gods of polytheism joined forces and are trying to resist somehow; to put it in rough terms, they're an opposition coalition against the ruling party. By assembling a large number of followers rather than voters, the polytheistic side might actually have a chance of winning.
In SMT4A, the underground world beneath the Firmament that is revealed to be Tokyo in the previous title takes the center stage. Naturally, as it's located in Japan, Shinto is expected to exist as the local religion there. Shinto is a polytheistic religion comprised of various deities with the sun goddess Amaterasu at the top, but how does this come into play? Normally, one might expect them to join with the polytheistic forces, but as it turns out, things aren't that simple. This is because the clash between the Amatsukami (heavenly deities) and Kunitsukami (earthly deities), which has been reflected in the demon races and other aspects of the Megaten series up to now, is present.
The Amatsukami, who came from the High Plain of Heaven, demanded control of Japan from the Kunitsukami, who had ruled the earthly world known as Central Land of Reed Beds, and established the Yamato Court. However, not all of the Kunitsukami complied with the demands of the Amatsukami. Across Japan, those who resisted the rule of the heavenly deities came to be known as 'unsubmissive ones.' They were demoted to the status of evil beings like the tsuchigumo or the oni, and were gradually suppressed by Amatsukami such as Emperor Jimmu and Yamato Takeru.
For example, the demon Cironnup revealed in this article is a god of the Ainu people and is included among those labeled as 'Emishi' by the Yamato court. Emishi was a general term for those unwilling to submit that lived in regions east of the Yamato court and initially included people from central Japan and the Kanto region. As symbolized by the tale of Yamato Takeru’s eastern expedition, the land of the Emishi was little by little subjugated by the Yamato court, and they ended up being driven off to the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions. The Kunitsukami who did not side with the Amatsukami forces and were, hence, 'unsubmissive,' gradually transformed into the oni and yōkai preserved in local legends, suggesting that considerable resentment remained between the two groups.
On December 25th, 2015 —the day after this issue of Weekly Famitsu goes on sale— we will be releasing Cironnup and Ainu Mythology, the 10th installment of the serialized column on the official website, so please look forward to that as well."
Translator note:
Cironnup's skill Enduring Cheer (grants the effect of Endure to the party for one turn) is originally named 我満のフホホイGaman no Fuhohoi.
Fuhohoi is likely an okokokse, which is a customary Ainu plea for sleeping gods to awaken. Here's how it sounds
Warding Shout (protects the party from all status ailments for one turn) meanwhile is 予防のパウパウ Yobō no Paupau.
Pau or paupau is the Ainu interpretation of a fox's cry. The Japanese equivalent is kon or konkon.
Alternate sprites I drew for Nanashi! The initial goal was to see if Akira’s expressions would fit his 15-year-old reincarnation and I ended up adding a few more.
EDIT 16/06/2026: Since there’s still interest, I retouched some and added eye variations! Feel free to use them (just link back to this post so more SMTIV fans can visit this blog)🍀
