[gnawe]

[eela]

yoshizawa

[taldigi]

Ren: hey futaba whens the last time you uh... brushed the chip crumbs out of your persona?

Futaba, grasping desperately to Necronomicon: SHE LIKES THEM

Necronomicon: *vauge sci-fi blooping*

[necrosepriest]

haha sorry im alive : ))))

[persona-game-info]

Persona 6 Official Announcement Teaser

[noahes]

You Are Grave. Want Persona 6?

[one-in-hiding]

promise

[chuukiyouwu]

Persona 30th Ani 🎉🎉🎉

[aprilumillusion]

[wander-bunnies]

"Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting.

This is the treason of the artist:

A refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain."

[spicykaraage]

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment - Long Interview

An interview with Satomi, Okada, and Kaneko from the official P2EP guidebook published in 2000 regarding the development and themes of Persona 2.

Thanks in advance for reading.

Eternal Punishment: “Adulthood,” “Horoscopes,” and “Self-Discovery”

—So the previous title was the “Juvenile Arc,” now this title is the “Adult Arc.” Was there anything specific you focused on during production?

Kaneko: We discussed what it means to “be an adult.”

Satomi: I’m already 30 years old. I’m feeling pretty blue. I thought the peak of my life was at 27.

Kaneko: When the first Persona title released.

Satomi: Now I’m thinking, “is this it for me?”

Kaneko: Don’t say that. (laughs)

Okada: People your age just say “yeah, I’m thirty,” you know.

Satomi: Well, it’s a huge wall.

—Did you just turn 30, Satomi-san?

Satomi: In May.

Kaneko: You’re a Taurus? What’s your animal sign? I’m a monkey.

Satomi: I’m a sheep.

Okada: Deer. (all laugh)

—You really know yourself, don’t you?

Okada: Can’t be saying that now, can we?

Kaneko: What do they have now? Sushi horoscopes? Insect horoscopes?

—I think there’s actually home appliance horoscopes.

Satomi: Yeah, like where your sign is a word processor or a vacuum. Did you hear about the Yamanote Line horoscopes? And the bread horoscopes. I’m white bread.

—You’re very knowledgeable.

Satomi: No, I just delved pretty deep into it is all.

Okada & Kaneko: And so, we did a game about horoscopes.

—Where did that idea come from?

Okada: First, we pictured an adult, then an adult woman…

Kaneko: They’re really into that stuff like blood types, aren’t they? They’re practically controlled by those things.

Satomi: So the idea started from the belief that adults would be more particular over those things.

—And why do adults tend to be more particular over those things?

Okada: I feel like I’m in a state where I’m starting to lose sight of myself. Like when I watch those horoscope programs in the morning before going out. Entrusting myself to something like the day’s fortune. Children aren’t really affected by that. Nowadays, I feel like I’m steadily losing myself, and tend to leave things up to all sorts of factors. And maybe horoscopes are a symbol of that. When someone tells me “this is how it is,” I’ll just accept it like “yeah, okay.” I connected this state I’m in to the situation in the game where rumors you would never have imagined become reality.

—As soon as the TV announced that those who performed the “Joker Curse” would turn into Jokers themselves, and the Joker transformation immediately started happening, it felt quite realistic and scary.

Okada: Ever since “Innocent Sin,” we’ve talked about how mass media has a huge influence. Even though internet users are increasing, television still has the most influence. Once something becomes a hot topic there, everyone immediately flocks to it. I wanted to incorporate that into the story. It’s interesting since it symbolizes modern Japan.

Satomi: We also talked about how people don’t feel secure unless they fit everything into a mold. Realistically speaking, not everything fits perfectly, but they don’t feel secure unless it at least fits into said mold. Making a decision takes a lot of courage and a lot of power. In this society, you don’t feel secure unless someone tells you “this is who you are!” or something like that… And so it led to us discussing that perhaps horoscopes would be a good idea.

—So does becoming an adult simply mean forcing yourself into the mold of an adult?

Satomi: I’ve thought about if there really is something as a “real” adult, and it just got more and more confusing. Even though we say “we create our own destiny,” there’s still things out of our control, right? Like a typhoon. Okada once told me “accept and adapt.” I don’t think you can just view things in a one-dimensional way. Like this is “good,” that’s “evil.” This is “joy,” and this is “sadness.” It all depends on how you look at it. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that being an adult means being able to overcome any situation by viewing it in a way that suits you.

Okada: It’s not about “true” or “ideal” adults, but rather an ironic portrayal of what adults in modern Japanese society have become. The “adults” here that create their Personas have this outlook that they have a “sense of self,” but adults in Japan today are controlled by things like horoscopes and the media. Even in education, adults tell kids to “study hard” and just do the same things with all of them. And then, if children deviate from that path, they end up feeling like failures, which is probably why incidents with them hitting people with bats tend to happen. Japan is a country where people, all to a certain extent, have the freedom to make choices in life and explore their potential. Yet the problem lies in adults trying to use standardized education to force children into these molds. And then it leads to another problem where adults who “fit the mold” are being mass-produced…

—Having too much freedom will make you yearn for structure, though.

Okada: True.

Satomi: I don’t know if I can explain this properly. Back in the day, if you were born into a family of farmers, you would take over the farm, and if you were born into a family of samurai, you would become a samurai, right?

Okada: But that’s all in the past now. (laughs)

Satomi: Social status is essentially a mold, isn’t it? In this day and age, there’s all this talk about being free and equal, but on the contrary it makes people unsure on what to do. That’s probably why people yearn for a mold. I imagine it’s very hard to find yourself and what you really want to do under these circumstances. And I believe that’s why all kinds of problems and strains are occurring.

Okada: I haven’t really talked about it openly until now, but a theme I’ve been working on is “self-discovery.”

—Have you been working on it since “Innocent Sin”?

Okada: Yeah. In “Innocent Sin,” it was about self-discovery from a student’s perspective. This time, despite carrying various burdens and having grown into adults, the adults still hadn’t truly found themselves. They grow throughout the story and heal their past traumas. I wanted to convey this message: that people continue to search for themselves even as adults, and that I hope people will continue to search for themselves even after they become adults.

—Even after resolution of “Innocent Sin,” we face new problems again. So there’s the implication of repeating cycles, right?

Okada: Yes.

Cause and Effect, “Sin and Punishment”

—Jun and everyone else are depicted as a fusion of what had occurred in “Innocent Sin.” So what’s their state in the world of “Innocent Sin”?

Satomi: I have a conclusion in mind, but I think it’s better not to discuss it. It can’t be explained in a simple way. And yet, people would want it to fit into a mold. That’s why I feel that I shouldn’t present a clear conclusion. I want people to think about what they felt when they watched the ending.

Okada: We’re doing it the usual “Megaten” way, leaving it up to the player.

Satomi: People ask, “was this good? Was this bad?” And then there are those who try their hardest to interpret it in their own way and then go from there. Life isn’t just about the good. There’s bad things, painful things, many unbearable partings, and you’ll have to live carrying those things forever. I don’t think they can be determined as just “good” or “bad,” though.

Okada: People these days have a tendency to completely ignore their past, as if they had pressed a reset button. It’s fine to change your mindset so you can move forward, but I don’t think it’s right to erase the past entirely. I want people to carry their past—the good and the bad—and move forward with it all.

Satomi: With them creating the world of “Eternal Punishment” from “Innocent Sin,” it can be seen as a means of escape, or as a favorable, yet painful decision to save everyone. It’s easy to say “don’t run away,” but I think it’s okay to run if it’s extremely painful. Take skipping school, for example. Only that student can understand their own pain. But running always comes back to bite you later. You have to pay the price. That’s what I also wanted to convey in “Eternal Punishment.”

Okada: The word “punishment” carries a negative connotation, but that’s not always the case. In the game, it’s the result from causing a “sin.” It’s a word that establishes causality.

Satomi: I used to think everything about being alive was sin and punishment.

Okada: At first, Satomi was thinking about touching on more serious topics like nuclear plants and politics. (laughs)

Knowing Pain—“Persona”

—Was the name of the fortune-teller changed to “Sumaru Genie” due to ethical regulations?

Okada: Yeah. But it wasn’t just about the term, I deliberately pushed the boundaries as a way to challenge various aspects. To make people think more seriously about ethics and the impact it has on children. I read in the newspaper that if you have a child who plays video games for more than three hours a day draw a picture, they’ll draw something unrealistic like a person flying in the sky, and that video games are “bad” for them. Like it’s wrong to have a fantastical imagination.

Kaneko: They shouldn’t have called them “bad.”

—On the contrary, people have said they lack imagination.

Okada: Right.

Satomi: That’s a “mold” too, isn’t it?

Okada: Even if there are expressions that raise ethical concerns, it’s not my intention to encourage bad behavior. It’s posing the question, “What do you make of this?” I think it’s necessary to raise questions and awareness on social and ethical issues through these works.

—Whether someone can understand another’s pain is an important factor, such as Ulala getting involved with Joker.

Okada: “Persona” also address issues with the heart and expression. Like with violence, if you’ve ever been hit, then you’ll understand how someone will feel if you hit them. We’ve talked about how people may resort to hitting others with a bat or stabbing them with a knife precisely because they don’t understand, they don’t know the feeling firsthand and therefore act very recklessly. So when it comes to words, I think there’s a major difference between using words that you know will hurt someone versus using them without realizing that.

—When Makimura was caught and Katsuya was about to hit him, Baofu hit him instead. I feel that Baofu could hit him because he understands pain, but Katsuya wouldn’t have been able to hit him even if Baofu hadn’t stepped in.

Okada: And it’s fine for everyone to have their own take on it. There’s no single, right answer. I’d appreciate it if people would perceive these things in various situations and think about them in their own way.

Character Creation

—You can feel the unpleasant sides of women from Ulala…

Kaneko: Maybe it came from firsthand experience?

Satomi: No answer. (laughs) Uhhh. Well, you know. I’ve had some bad experiences, but… overall, Ulala is the character I can relate to the most.

Kaneko: Oh yes, do tell. (laughs)

Satomi: Oh, man. Honestly, I’ve seriously considered getting psychotherapy. Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m going through some kind of trauma… (unfortunately, this part has been omitted)

—(After a bunch of laughter and sighs) …Everyone has their own story, huh? By the way, how did you create the characters?

Kaneko: Doesn’t really take much. Satomi comes up with an outline to express the scenario’s theme, and then I add ideas for the artwork from there. I think the gap between those two steps is where things get interesting. Ulala was meant to be a character for office ladies who like listening to Toko Furuuichi’s music. We didn’t need to include so many jokes about her being flat-chested, did we? (laughs)

Satomi: Well, when I created her, that’s just how it turned out.

Kaneko: Oh, come on!

—A lot of the characters have trauma, don’t they?

Okada: Making the story interesting is a given, but I wanted to express that everyone carries baggage with them.

Kaneko: Specifically, with “Innocent Sin” and “Eternal Punishment”: “Innocent Sin” is the characters undergoing the process, and “Eternal Punishment” is the characters dealing with the aftermath. I think we should clarify that part as well.

—And the visuals?

Kaneko: “Innocent Sin” was about expressing individuality within uniformity, hence all the uniforms, but “Eternal Punishment” was about adulthood. Since adult’s hobbies tend to be fixed, I tried to make all of them well-defined. But if you make them look too mature, it’s hard to bring out their individuality. A guy in just a suit looks cool, but he won’t be a captivating character. He needs a touch of mischief somewhere. But then that will make him seem childish… I really agonized over it.

—What was the concept for Baofu’s design?

Kaneko: We wanted him to have a cool, bad boy vibe, someone jazzy and puffing on a cigarette. I personally wanted him to have a golden image. I also wanted to convey that he’s assertive but tries to keep a low profile. Those types of characters are easy to create. But Maya was definitely the hardest for me to work with.

Okada: We actually discussed changing her outfit.

Kaneko: Ulala’s a lady who’s like a spiderweb. You think she’s letting you into her good graces, then you slowly realize you can’t escape. (all laugh)

Okada: She’s pretty gloomy at heart, though.

—What about the redesigns for some characters?

Kaneko: Oh yeah, like Kandori. It’s kind of a touchy subject. Me personally, I’d rather not bring back my previous characters. I interpret him as a figment created by Nyarlathotep, but Satomi might have a different interpretation.

Satomi: Created/revived by rumors.

Kaneko: It’s not the real Kandori though, right? I feel like it’d be disrespectful to those who played the last installment to not think that way. Kandori then had a certain aesthetic, and there’s no way he’d go through the trouble of coming back. In terms of design though, there’s differences like his lack of eyes. I really don’t want to bring back any previous characters, but there’s also the fun of changing and rearranging them, it’s kind of tricky.

—Tatsuya’s demeanor has slightly changed.

Kaneko: I wanted to give Tatsuya a futuristic look. Like someone out of a Takashi Mayumura novel. That’s why he’s wearing that red getup.

Okada: Yeah, he really stands out. (laughs)

Kaneko: Yeah, especially walking around with that Japanese sword and troubled look on his face. (all laugh)

The Future of “Persona”

—How did you end up choosing the theme song?

Okada: We were coming up with the song and decided on an R&B, but we couldn’t find an artist. While we were feeling stuck, I had met a Western music producer. When I asked him for advice, he mentioned Elisha, so I asked if we could use her and he told me he was her producer. It just so happened that this producer was also a fan of “Megaten” and had been playing it, so he said, “I’ll write a new song for you.” I gave him a few keywords from Satomi, and he wrote the song specifically for “Eternal Punishment.” “Change Your Way”—a song about how changing yourself can lead to a more positive outcome. It’s really great. They also took our requests regarding the song’s sound into consideration. It became the main title track of the album released in March, and a maxi-single was released to coincide with the game’s release in June.

—You can’t really grasp the meaning of those lyrics just by listening, can you?

Okada: We should’ve included them in the manual.

Satomi: Right. Once I read them I thought, “that’s exactly what I was trying to say! I’m a failure!” (all laugh)

—Looking back on “Innocent Sin” and “Eternal Punishment,” what does the future hold for “Persona”?

Okada: I’ve had this idea for a while of expressing a student’s perspective and an adult’s perspective within a single work. And now that we’ve completed “Innocent Sin” and “Eternal Punishment,” I feel that I’ve finally achieved that. Having released three “Persona” titles, the characters and themes have become firmly established, and I’d like to explore them even further. I don’t want to simply continue what we’ve done, I want to take an even bigger leap forward.

Kaneko: It took a long time to put it all together. For the visuals, I tried making them stand out by having them look like something you’d see on a poster, so I’d be happy if you checked those out as well. I left a lot of parts intentionally unfinished, so I hope you’ll use your imagination and complete them in your own image. As a designer, I feel that my works have been a bit over-designed lately, so I hope to do something a little simpler next time.

Okada: Well, it’s just the standard for you, Kaneko. Like don’t get me wrong, but even “Maken X” is pretty standard for you. (all laugh)

Satomi: I believe “Persona” is about humanity itself. I’m hoping everyone will take the themes to heart, return to the real world from the game, and keep advancing. I’ve put nothing but positive messages in it, and nothing would make me happier if people would pick up on them. I hope you’ll reflect on the endings the characters chose, draw strength from them, and move forward. That said, it’s not my intention to dismiss any pure emotions like sadness or anger, because for some people, it’s the right response. You have to find the right answer for yourself.

—There’s no winning or losing, you mean?

Satomi: “Winning” or “losing” all comes down to you. It’s about how you perceive it.

Okada: It’s all up to you.

Satomi: That’s right. It’s probably why I actually like losing. (all laugh) That feeling of “ugh, damn it!” is what drives me.

—I’m not sure if that’s positive or negative. (laughs)

Satomi: Haven’t you ever felt that way? Like, “I failed this time, but just you wait, dammit!”

Kaneko: I have.

Okada: Me too.

—So you’ll deliberately put yourself in a losing situation to bring out your best?

Kaneko: That’s actually pretty positive, isn’t it?

Okada: Yeah, Satomi’s a positive guy. No one takes criticism as well as he can. We’ll be working on a story and I’ll say to him “that won’t work, it should be like this,” and most people would probably get discouraged, but he just keeps pushing forward. He’s incredibly positive and a pleasure to work with. I think it’s why we were able to get this far. There, I gave you your flowers in the end. (laughs)

Kaneko: That oughta boost morale. (laughs)

—From what you’ve all shared, it’s clear that “Persona” is filled with all kinds of positive thinking. I look forward to seeing more of your “let’s think positive” efforts in the future. Thank you very much for today.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Love seeing what stats you get from reading each of the books about your teammates’ Personas because I like to think it gives you a little more insight into what they’re strong in and what their awakening helped them improve:

Arsène- Knowledge (Joker’s awakening was about him deciding to take action, which he does mostly by gathering information and learning various new skills and maximizing his advantages)

Captain Kidd- Guts (Ryuji’s is pretty straightforward; he just decided to be less apologetic about who he is and take risks to help others)

Zorro- Kindness (we don’t see Morgana’s awakening, which makes me kind of sad tbh, but we do know he is very much about acting the gentleman, and his arc has a lot to do with letting go of his insecurities related to his very pragmatic way of viewing relationships and opening himself up to being a true part of a team and a family)

Carmen- Charm (again, very straightforward. Ann takes back her beauty and sexuality and uses it to inspire others and find her own strength)

Goemon- Guts (Yusuke had averted his eyes from the truth for so long because of his precarious situation and because it hurt him. his choice to stand up to Madarame took a tremendous amount of courage, as does his ability to keep forging onwards through his doubts about his art)

Johanna- Kindness (Makoto is all about coming out of her role as model student and attempting to learn how to relate to her classmates and friends so she can support others better)

Necronomicon- Guts (Futaba is very similar to Yusuke - she faces her fear head on and finds the truth she buried, and is also training herself to overcome her fears in the real world as well)

Milady- Proficiency (haven’t gotten very far with Haru’s SL yet but it does seem like she’s now in control of the company so she’s going to have to learn how to be quite skillful. She has a very finicky hobby (gardening), her persona is great for technical damage, and what I love most about Haru being associated with proficiency is that it directly flies in the face of her father treating her like an object with no value other than family business ties. Haru is skilled as hell. Fuck you)

Cendrillon- Charm (I don’t currently know what to make of this yet. Kasumi’s awakening was really weird in the first place. I guess it’s because all eyes are on her and she has a lot of expectations - her routines are about grace and strength and flexibility)

Robin Hood- Guts (tbh I don’t know what to do with this either. I thought for sure Akechi was going to be knowledge like Joker… but apparently not. I guess detective boy is gutsy.)

[phantomcabij]

Dark Hour Blues

[wardingshout]

my favourite guy whom I never draw

[zegalba]

Persona 2: Tsumi - Innocent Sin (1999)

[leylinefount]

[spoiky]

"Look, now we're matching!"