Persona Q2, Liveblogged by Persona Users

"Fate leads the Willing; Drags along the Unwilling" -A Spoiler&Liveblog Blog for "Persona Q: Shadows of the Labyrinth", hosted and commentated by the Investigation Team of 2012, the Shadow Operatives and some special guests.

[persona-play-q]

I can't wait for them to watch FeMC's inclusion. It'd be a blast for the SO's commenting on her as well as her Persona. Also... the IT's

Really need to continue playing once I got the time. Sorry for being so slow!!

[persona-play-q]

Why are the reviews for Q2 so bad on Amazon?

How should I know, ahahaha... I’ve been busy lately and didn’t get to play much further than what I’ve posted here already, so your guess is as good as mine.

Though, checking Amazon, I don’t actually know what you mean. The game is on 4 stars there, with a majority of the reviews being 5 stars, and the majority of the 1 star reviews are about broken catridges, so... Not sure why you’re asking me, to be honest, ahaha. 

[persona-play-q]

The Map

Ryuji: "Let's hurry up and save Haru and Makoto!"

Ann: "The place inside that movie was pretty confusing in layout. I hope we don't get lost..."

Ann: "Futaba, will you be able to navigate?"

Futaba: "Um... I keep trying, but the results aren't as precise as usually."

Futaba: "There's some unclear elements in there... I can't really exactly tell you what is where."

Yusuke: "Do you think that there's interference?"

Akechi: "Whoever is causing all these strange things to happen here might be sabotaging Futaba's navigation as well."

Ryuji: "Even then, we can't exactly back down from helping out Makoto and Haru, right? We'll have to do it without navigation somehow."

Ryuji: "It's gonna be fine! If there's one thing I trust, it's my sense of orientation. I got the intuition of a wild animal, y'know!"

Morgana: "And now I trust your sense of direction LESS than 0%!"

Hikari: "Um... You could use... this?"

Yusuke: "Hm? ...A notebook?"

Hikari: "Yeah... I thought it might help..."

Futaba: "Ohhhh, I get it! So we're doing things old-school analogue now!"

Ann: "I see! We can just draw a map in the notebook and keep us on the right path that way, right?"

Futaba:" When you move on in the movie, note the things you see down in the book."

Futaba: "If you do that, you'll end up with a map you can use and won't get lost! Probably!"

Morgana: "Can we really use that? I mean, it's yours, Hikari-san."

Hikari: "Just... Take good care of it..." 

Hikari: "I don't know what I should be doing, but... you can use it... No, please. Use it..."

Ann: "If you say so, we'll put it to good use. Thank you very much!"

Hikari: "...."

Yusuke: "Ren, we'll leave map-creation to you."

Ahahaha please don’t-

Ren: > "Got it." > "You're the artist. You draw." > "Ryuji, you do it."

Yusuke: "Of course, I do believe that I could bring out beauty even in something as simple as map."

Yusuke: "However, if you give this notebook to me, I cannot promise that I will be able to restrain myself. A lot of my sketches might end up in it... Is that alright with you?"

TBH, I think everyone doodles on the PQ maps-

Ryuji: "No, it's NOT! What are you even gonna draw in there!?"

Ryuji: "Seriously, this is a job for the leader. We rely on you, Ren!"

Aww. I wanted to see Yusuke's random doodles. 

Nagi: "You are about to embark, I see... I understand your hurry, but please do not overdo it."

Ryuji: "Don't stress yourself out. We're good at this sort of stuff."

Ann: "S-So we jump into that screen... And end up inside the movie. Right?"

Yusuke: "Quite different from how we enter palaces, to be frank."

Ryuji: "Alright! LET'S GO!"

Ryuji: "...."

Ann: "Are you going?"

Ryuji: "W-Why do I have to go first...! Yusuke!!"

Yusuke: "...Humans are truly not as firm in their determination as they would like to believe."

Clearly, Yusuke has never played Undertale.

Morgana: "Seriously, you guys... Ren, please make a decision for them!"

Ren:  > "Leave it to me." > "You guys go." > "We'll all go together."

Ann: "Alright, then we're all gonna hold hands and enter together?"

OH MY GOD THAT'S CUTE

”You know, I always wanted to enter that way too, but Yosuke kept saying the TV at Junes was too small for that.” 

”Because IT WAS!”

Ryuji: "Okay, now THAT sounds seriously like diabetes! What are we, a Kindergarten PE class!?"

Shoo, Ryuji.

Ryuji: "Sorry, Ren, but you're the leader, so please. Take the bullet and lead the assault."

Futaba: "Alright, it's decided. Go ahead, Ren!"

Hikari: "Everyone... Please, be safe..."

The animation for entering the film world is a movie count down

Ryuji: "Whoa... Seriously...!? We really did go in...."

Okay, skipping some dialogue here.

Futaba's outfit changed when the others entered. She doesn't know why either.

GAMEPLAY TIIIIME!!

(Time to turn on Automap ooops)

[persona-play-q]

The hub menu. It’s very similar to PQ’s, but, again, streamlined. 

A new addition is also the fact that the characters talk to one another. Every few seconds, messages pop up as you overhear their conversations. Some example: 

Akechi: "What a fascinating world."

Ann: "What is up with this place?"

Akechi: "Let's save the others quickly." 

Doe: "......" 

Nagi: "There is nothing to fear, Hikari-san." 

Hikari: "Yeah..." Ann: "How long do you think those two have been here?"

[persona-play-q]

Mission Preparations

> Ryuji's hand went into the screen...

“...”

“...”

“H-Hey! Why do none of you look surprised by this!?”

“It’s... Tuesday, honestly.”

“!?!?!?!?”

Ryuji: "M-My hand...!?"

Ryuji: "My hand just... went into the screen! Just like that!!"

Ryuji: "That's not just some kind of trick, is it!?"

Akechi: "I cannot believe this..."

Ann: "Hold on a sec. They said Makoto and Haru were inside that movie, so..."

Ann: "Does that mean they stayed behind on the other side of that screen?"

Nagi: "It is quite possible that that is what transpired..."

Yusuke: "In other words, in order to save the two, we must enter into the movie."

Ryuji: "We have to go help them! Right, Ren?"

Ren:  > "Of course." > "Let's hurry up and go."

Morgana: "Alright, then let's... Jump in? I guess?"

Hikari: "Ah...! Nagi-san..."

Nagi: "What is it?"

> They speak in whispers again...

Nagi: "Hikari-san is greatly worried about you all."

Nagi: "As it is quite dangerous inside the movie, she recommends you to remain here."

Ryuji: "Thanks for the advice, honestly! But you don't need to worry about us."

Ann: "Yeah! We got no choice but to help them!"

Hikari: "Heh...?"

Hikari: "Because they're... your friends, right...?"

Hikari: "..."

Hikari: "Just because they're your friends..."

Futaba: "Hikari...?"

Ryuji: "Alright! Let's take a deep breath and jump in! 3, 2, 1...!"

Hikari: "W-Wait...!”

Ryuji: "Wha-!? What is it now...?"

Hikari: "..."

Ryuuji: "Umm...."

Hikari: "Please... wait..."

> Hikari began to consult with Nagi...

Hikari: "...is that okay...?"

Nagi: "Yes, I understand..."

Nagi: "Hikari-san told me that she cannot help but be concerned for your well-being."

Nagi: "That is why she has asked me to aid you."

Yusuke: "So you will cooperate with us?"

Nagi: "Yes. I believe I may be of assistance. Would you please follow me?"

> Nagi headed for the kiosk...

Morgana: "If she says that she will cooperate... We should probably follow her for now."

Ryuji: "Hm...?"

Ryuji: "T-the hell is that thing!?"

Ann: "A lifesized cardboard Kamoshidaman...? That wasn't here before!!"

Ryuji: "You think it showed up while we were watching the trailer for the flick?"

Morgana: "That would fit with what Nagi told us."

Morgana: "The movie's contents themselves changed when we first came to this world."

Morgana: "If so, then this, too..."

Akechi: "...might be a similar situation. But I don't think standing here and pondering the possibility will help us much."

Ann: "Yeah, you're right... Nagi-san is waiting for us at the Kiosk. Let's go there for now."

They move on.

Yusuke: "This is... The Kiosk?" 

Yusuke, you literally tried to EAT it. Just earlier.

Nagi: "Do you believe the items here can be of any use to you?"

Nagi: "Ever since the strange happenings have begun, the assortment of this place, too, seems to have changed ever so slightly..."

> You can buy as well as sell arms and items here...

> Further, you are able to store and retrieve items here...

Ann: "Awesome! This is gonna be a great help!"

Morgana: "Yeah, we owe you our thanks. We should probably use this place to prepare before entering the movie."

Morgana: "After all that weird enemy might come after us again."

Ryuji: "I mean, seriously, I don't even care about the cops anymore! The hell was up with that giant thing! The one that looked like a chicken!?"

Futaba: "'The one that looked like a chicken'. Terrible description. Too long. Can't use that in my lines! Make it shorter!"

Ryuji: "Um, alright. Chicken Man." 

Ann: "That's both TOO simple and too lame."

Ryuji: "If you think you can do better, you do it!"

Ann: "Um, me? Well..."

Ann: "Chicky-chick...?"

Ryuji: "You're not supposed to make 'im sound adorable, damn it!"

Yusuke: "That wild power and it's silhouette as it chased us to the edge of our lives...! If I had to put a name it it, I would call it "The devilishly fearsome Hellbird"!"

And then Yusuke became Gundham Tanaka.

Futaba: "...Yeaaah, let's just ignore Inari..."

Futaba: "It's a monster we found in a movie, so why don't we give it a name that got something to do with films?"

Ryuji: "Films, huh... I know barely anything about movies, to be honest."

Ann: "Cinema...? Movie...?"

Nagi: "A creature that resides within a film..."

Nagi: "What do you think of ...'Film Obscurité Étendue"?"

Ryuji: "Eh? Filubilubirubleh...? Is that some kind of tongue twister?"

Ann: "Wait, was that French?"

Nagi: "The art of the motion picture was invented in France."

“Wait, Film Obscu--- Oh god. I get it.”

“...Oh wow. It means... F.O.E.?”

*nods* “F.O.E.”

“Yeah. F.O.E.”

*sigh* “F.O.E.”

“The hell’s an F.O.E...!?”

“A strangely... appropriate... coincidence...”

The writers CAN’T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS, DAMN IT.

Oh, by the way,  “ Film Obscurité Étendue” means “Extended Darkness Movie”. I’d say it’s nonsense, but it perfectly describes the feeling of trying to desperately take down an F.O.E. you ran into by accident after forgetting to save for several hours.

Morgana: "The name isn't bad, but... It's too long. We really might just twist our tongues."

Morgana: "I know. How about we shorten it? Use the initials, make it "F.O.E."?"

I swear. They'll run out of things to abbreviate as "F.O.E" one day.

ONE DAY.

Futaba: "Alright, I can go with that! That one I can say easily!"

You're just in it for the pun, ain't you, you meme lord...

Futaba: "So, we're gonna be calling powerful enemies like that one F.O.E. then?"

Ren:  > "That's fine." > "Chicky-chick." > "Chicken Man."

Ann: "P-Please just forget about that one..."

Morgana: "We'll call them F.O.E."

Who’s the real leader here, cat, you or me?

Morgana: "Anyway, that F.O.E. seems pretty strong. We'd do well trying to avoid fighting it."

Akechi: "But that brings up the question as to why it attacks us in the first place?"

Ryuji: "Argh, let's deal with that question later! We need to search Makoto and Haru now, right?"

Akechi: "I am sorry. As a Detective, I have a bad habit of over-analyzing things." 

Except, unlike Naoto, your over analysis is obvious and annoying.

I am sorry, Akechi gives me salt-

Ryuji: "Alright, let's go back to that screen."

Morgana: "Wait a moment. Futaba, do you think you can navigate from outside of the movie?"

Futaba: "Ah, yeah... I think I might be able to do it somehow, maybe..."

Ann: "Um, I don't like the idea of leaving Futaba behind alone..." 

Morgana: "She won't be. I've decided that I'll stay back here as well."

Morgana: "I want to investigate this place further and gather information."

Ann: "Investigate? But we already searched the whole place, didn't we?"

Morgana: "Everyone... Can I talk to you alone for a moment?"

Yusuke: "Why are you whispering?"

Morgana: "It's about Nagi and Hikari... I know they are nice and all, but they're still strangers."

Morgana: "We have no way of knowing if they're telling us the truth. So I'd rather try to look into them before we decide to trust them."

Yusuke: "I see. You do have a point." 

I agree, as much as not having Morgana in my party is gonna upset me, I do like the fact that they don’t immediately trust Nagi and Hikari. It’s very in-character for the PT. While the IT is very trusting towards people in general, the PT have always been more secretive and careful. It’s a nice touch.

Morgana: "For now, you all need to search the inside of that movie. Alright, Ren?"

Ren:  > "Leave it to me." > "We're leaving."

Morgana: "Alright, then we're agreed!"

Akechi: "We're leaving the theater to you."

Ryuji: "Um, hey... Nagi-san, Hikari. Morgana and Futaba are going to stay back here."

Nagi: "I see no issue with that."

Hikari: "Are you others... still gonna go...? It's really... dangerous, you know..."

Ryuji: "We told you earlier, but we have to go BECAUSE it's dangerous. We can't leave our friends back there."

Ryuji: "Makes sense, right?"

Hikari: "..."

Ryuji: "Well, whatever. Everyone, let's go."

Morgana: "We're counting on you. Still, don't take it too far. If anything happens, come back here immediately."

Ann: "Yeah. You be careful too, Morgana."

Let me be bluntly honest about something here: 

So far, I like the Phantom better in this game than I liked them in Persona 5. In P5, I never really felt a strong bond or dynamic between them, it didn’t properly feel like every member had a place and role to play in the group. Here, they feel like actual friends. The needless slapstick was toned down and balanced out with genuine concern among them members as well. I suspect that some Persona 4 writers had a hand in that. In any case, I am enjoying this. 

Hikari: "W-Wait...!"

Akechi: "Do you still need something?"

Hikari: "Here...Popcorn..."

> Hikari held out a box of Popcorn to you...

Ann: "Is that for us?"

Hikari: "...Take it with you."

Ren: >"Thank you." >"What's with you all of a sudden?" >"I don't like mine salty."

Ren confirmed for Marina’s Team on last spring’s European Splatfest.

That said, I actually went for the third option without saving before and Ann gets rightfully furious with Ren if you do that. So let’s be nice instead.  

> GET! 

>  Popcorn > Popcorn with salt.  > Effect: Restores 30HP to one ally.

Yusuke: "Well then. Let us begin our mission."

Ann: "Mission..."

Ann: "Hey... There's something I've been wondering about."

Ann: "If we go back into the film... Are we gonna transform back into our Thief Outfits...?"

Ann: "What are we gonna do if they find out we're the Phantom Thieves...?"

Nagi: "Hm? Phantom Thieves...?"

Ryuji: "Gah...Well, THAT didn't take long!"

Ann: "UMM, WELL... When I said Phantom Thieves, I meant..."

Nagi: "Is that something that was on the news? Or are you talking about a novel? Or a movie...?”

Hikari: "I don't really know what they mean..."

Ryuji: "Seriously!? You've both never heard of the Phantom Thieves?"

Ryuji: "That kinda... shakes me to the bones, man..."

Ryuji's ego. Shattered.

Nagi: "My apologies. I am somewhat out of touch with the media these days... And Hikari-san appears to be the same as me in that regard."

Morgana: "Everyone, just keep quiet now. We're already insanely lucky that they don't know about us."

Nagi: "But, speaking of Phantom Thieves, there is one thing I have been wondering about..."

Nagi: "When we saw you in the movie, your clothing were quite different, and you appeared to be using a strange sort of magic. Was that a costume performance, or...?"

Ann: "They saw everything..."

Akechi: "When it comes to these circumstances, Nagi-san, I am afraid we are just as clueless as you."

Akechi: "It was within that movie that we suddenly found ourselves able to use a strange power called 'Persona'..."

Akechi: "So our situation might be the same as that of the protagonist who suddenly became Kamoshidaman."

THAT TRICK IS ACTUALLY SMART AND I HATE IT.

It’s gonna fall apart as soon as the IT and SEES show up, because they know Personas don’t work that way, though. Probably. Maybe. 

Ryuji: "Y-Yeah, something like that."

Nagi: "Oh, I see..."

Nagi: "Ah, all these occurrences are so difficult to grasp. Whatever shall we do about them...?"

Akechi: "So many mysteries to solve. Let us hurry forth to the showroom."

[persona-play-q]

Sorry. 

I couldn’t resist. 

[persona-play-q]

Déjà vu

Ryuji: "T-That was Kamoshida just now, wasn't it!?"

Ann: "Him, a Hero of Great Justice!? That has to be a bad joke...!"

Nagi: "Who might this Kamoshida be...? Is he an acquaintance of yours?"

Ryuji: "Yeah, he used to be a teacher at our school. In a nutshell, he's a dirty criminal."

Ann: "Why is he in that movie? What is up with that ridiculous outfit!?"

You’re one to talk, “Panther”.

Yusuke: "He was being treated as the protagonist of the tale... Are the other movies here the same?"

NagI: "I have no way of telling... The film you just saw alone has been replaying here for quite a while now."

Akechi: "Only that one movie...?"

Nagi: "Ever since the strange happenings in this theater began, the same film has been replaying over and over again..."

Nagi: "Have you seen the strange engineer handling our projector?"

Yusuke: "Are you talking about the unsettling, black figure in the projector room? the one that does naught but wriggle...?"

Futaba: "That thing's handling the projectors!? So it's seriously alive and not a doll!?"

Nagi: "Well, I have taken to calling it an 'engineer' as it has continued to handle the projectors and play the film, but its true nature eludes me."

Nagi: "This dark figure appeared in the projector room shortly after the odd phenomena in this theater began..."

Nagi: "For some reason, it does nothing but repeat the same film over and over without end from the projector room."

Hikari: "I'm... scared of it... I don't wanna get... anywhere close to... that thing..."

Nagi: "For the time being, we have decided to call this creature "Doe"."

Ryuji: "Doe? Like... a deer or somethin'?"

Nagi: "No. We derived the name from 'John Doe'."

Ryuji: "Wait, who's John? Someone from abroad? Ever heard of him, Ren?"

Ren: > "A musician." > "An actor." > "It means 'Anonymous'."

Akechi: "Exactly. You are well informed."

Akechi: "If translated into Japanese, it would mean 'Unnamed Authority'... The name is used as a stand in when the true source of a transaction or similar is unknown."

Yusuke: "Has Doe been doing anything other than replaying the movie?"

Nagi: "No, nothing... Doe will not even respond to our questions."

Nagi: "It is a truly mysterious, irregular existence. We are trying to not disturb it too greatly..."

Hikari: "......" (she nods.)

Futaba: "Sounds kinda like me back then..."

“........”

> Rise makes a face like she wants to scoop Futaba up in a hug.

“I-I’m doing better these days! I-I swear!!”

Morgana: "Hm? Futaba, did you just say something?"

Futaba: "Um, no. It's nothing."

Ann: "But, hey... Why is Kamoshida in that film Doe is playing?"

Ann: "Does Doe have anything to do with Kamoshida?"

Yusuke: "Perhaps this cinema itself is connected to Kamoshida."

Nagi: "Please wait. I believe you may be jumping to conclusions..."

Nagi: "The movie has only become the 'Kamoshidaman' you just saw after you all appeared here."

Yusuke: "...It 'became'?"

Nagi: "Before you all arrived, it did not carry the same title."

Ann: "Huh!? T-then that guy wasn't always Kamoshida either?"

Nagi: "The plot has not changed, but... The Superhero that appears in it was an entirely different person, both in appearance and name."

Ann: "So the protagonist was just suddenly swapped out? How can that be!"

Yusuke: "The odd occurrences in this cinema just keep increasing."

Nagi: "It is nothing but one shock after another. Especially the fact that you all suddenly came flying out of the movie..."

Ryuji: "Heh?"

Ann: "...What did you just...?"

Yusuke: "We came flying out of the movie?"

Nagi: "Indeed. You all quite suddenly appeared out of the Theater's Screen and flew into this room."Ann: "Whoa, hold on, hold on! Now nothing makes sense anymore..."

Nagi: "But I am sure that is how you appeared... Hikari-san saw it too, am I not right?"

Hikari: "Yeah..."

Nagi: "We were greatly surprised by this event. And thus, we hid ourselves from you."

Ryuji: "Hah, nah.. There's no way anything could come out of that piece of..." 

“...Well, that plot twist sure seems... familiar.”

“Yeah... How could I ever forget...”

“What? Passing through a screen? Oh, c’mon,  no way that’s gonna work! I mean, this ain’t some cheesy fantasy movie or-”

“...”

“Um... Let’s just hope everyone in this story remembered to go to the bathroom after class...”

“Don’t remind me of THAT!”

Cutscene.

[persona-play-q]

Nagi and Hikari

Graceful Lady: "Would you please cease? You are scaring this young... You are scaring Hikari-san."

Ann: "They're... not enemies?"

Morgana: "Looks like it."

Hikari: "...A cat...?"

These are Nagi and Hikari (Well, Hikari’s hat at least. She’s more visible in the next screenshot), our Zen and Rei for this game. Nagi’s vibe immediately sets off alarm bells in my head, which won’t cease to ring as the scene progresses.

Akechi: "We apologize greatly for surprising you. Just who might you be...?"

Graceful Lady: "I am the manager of this Movie Theater. My name is Nagi."

Ryuji: "The manager!? Man, and here we were thinking the place was abandoned!"

Nagi: "Could it be... Were you all locked in all the same as us?"

Akechi: "When you say 'all the same as us', you are telling us that you cannot leave either?"

Nagi: "Indeed... You may not believe me, but it all happened so suddenly."

Nagi: "Before I knew it, all our customers had vanished in an instance and the exit door, too, was sealed with locks..."

Nagi: "In a hurry I searched the entire building and found only a single customer... Hikari-san here is the only one who has remained."

Hikari: "...."

Nagi: "As I am the Manager and thus responsible for this place, I have taken it upon myself to protect this girl."

Unlike Persona Q, there is no mention of Amnesia for now, which is a nice change of pace. That said, I don’t trust Nagi. Like, at all. 

She speaks in a style that reminds me of a foreigner who learned perfect, but overly polite Japanese. For example, she uses "kanojo", a word meaning “that female person”, which is often used to translate the pronoun “she” when translating western works, such as movies, a lot more than a normal person would use it. In that way, her speech sounds a lot like the sort of Japanese subtitles you’d find on French movies. I assume this is intentional. 

Futaba: "Ah, um,... well... I'm, uh, ehm..."

Ann: "Calm down, Futaba. We're all right behind you."

Hikari: "U-Um.. So..."

Futaba: "O-Oh...eh, ah, heh?"

“That’s... a conversation.”

“Eheh... heh... heh...”

“Um, yeah. Futaba suffers from Social Anxiety, so meeting new people is always a bit of a struggle.”

“Oh, I see...”

> Rise looks very sympathetic. Her words are gentle.

“I’m sorry, we didn’t know. Are we scaring you?”

“We’re mostly pretty lively people, so we can be a little much to handle. Especially the guys.”

“What’dya mean ‘especially the guys’??”

"Yeah, just ignore Yosuke-senpai being insensitive. If we come on too strong at any point, please, just tell us to back off. We won’t take it personal, I promise.”

“I-It’s alright... I’ve been getting better... I-I think...”

“She’s been doing great.”

“Aheh... heheh...”

Futaba: "Y-You're... shivering... real bad..."

Nagi: "Um, I believe she may still be under shock. The whole ordeal has given her quite the scare."

Nagi: "I have been staying close to her in order to alleviate her anxieties, but..."

Ann: "Ah, right, right! Excuse me! Have you seen two girls who go by Haru and Makoto!?"

Ann: "They are our friends, but we somehow got separated from them when we ended up here. We're searching for them!"

Hikari: "Your... friends...?"

Ann: "Yeah. Have you seen anything? We keep searching and searching, but we can't find them!"

Nagi: "Could you describe your friends, perhaps? Maybe you could tell us of their appearance or share a photograph..." 

Ann: "Um... Describe them? Well, um... spiky chains and... axes...?"

“...”

“...”

“L-Look, I’m not good at descriptions, okay?”

“...No kidding, you made them sound like they’re into weird stuff!” *mumbles* “Actually, that’s kind of hot...”

“...!”

> Yukari elbowed Junpei in the ribs.

“Urgh-!!”

Ann: "Ah, I got it! Yusuke, maybe you could draw them?"

Yusuke: "With the correct tools, yes."

Nagi: "Of course. I shall fetch something immediately."

Yusuke: "This should be roughly it."

Ann: "Whoa! It looks just like them!"

They could have just shown photos, like normal people, but any excuse for Yusuke to draw is a good one, so I’ll take it.

“Whoa, this really DOES look amazing! I can barely even draw a heart myself...”

“No kidding... It’s been a while since I’ve seen anyone sketch like that...”

“Well, duh. That guy’s a proper artist. His stuff’s even been in exhibitions and all!”

“W-Wait!! S-So you’re a guy... Who draws... for a living..”

“...? Yes? Though, I do consider myself more of a painter, personally...”

“A-And nobody thinks it’s weird!? Or gross?? Or creepy!?!”

“...No? Why would they? Artistry is a honorable path, after all.”

“...*cough*.”

“...”

> Kanji is starring mouth wide open.

“...City Folk sure are amazing...”

“You say that only now? You’ve known Yu and me for years, man!”

“Yeah, but... um...ehm...”

“...”

“I’m moving to Tokyo, damn it!!”

“What happened to taking over your Mom’s shop?”

Nagi: "Oh, these girls... I have certainly seen them... In that film..."

Nagi: "Am I not right, Hikari-san?"

Hikari: "Ah...!"

Morgana: "You know them!?"

Hikari: "Um... well..."

Hikari (whispering): "Hey... Nagi-san..."

> Hikari is whispering in Nagi's ear...

Ann: "...Why are they talking in secret?"

Ryuji: "I'd rather she just talks straight to us. Right, Ren?"

Ren:  >"I'm sure she's scared of you, Ryuji." > "She's just being on guard." >"Let's just keep an eye on her."

Yusuke: "I agree." 

Yusuke: "Of course, we got an obvious nerdowell with bleach blond hair and a talking cat demon with us, so I cannot blame them for having their suspicions of us..."

Ouch.

Ryuji: "Don't call me a 'nerdowell'!"

Morgana: "And stop it with the demon cat!!"

Hikari: "..."

Ann: "Ah, looks like they're done talking."

Nagi: "Hikari-san and I are quite certain we have seen your friends."

Nagi: "We first saw them in the same place we saw you all. Inside the movie."

Ryuji: "Heh...? Inside the movie? What?"

Nagi: "Originally, you all traveled as a group, together with your missing friends, correct?"

Ryuji: "Well, um, yeah... They were with us."

Yusuke: "But we have no idea what you mean by 'you saw us in a movie'..."

Morgana: "Let's not sweat the details for now. Just tell us what exactly happened to them?"

Nagi: "Well, the protagonist, 'Kamoshidaman', quite unfortunately took them into custody."

Ann: "K-Kamoshidaman?"

Ann: "Kamoshida... Kamoshida!? What do you mean?"

Akechi: "Hm...? That sound just now..."

Nagi: "And thus it begins again..."

Futaba: "W-what is beginning!?"

Nagi: "I am certain... Doe has begun to replay the movie once again."

Yusuke: "Doe? The movie?"

Nagi: "...You will understand once you see it."

There is a cutscene here, but my recording of that one sadly failed, so I can’t show it. Thankfully, it’s essentially just the animated bit from the first dungeon’s official trailer, so it’s easy to look up on YouTube if you want to see. 

[persona-play-q]

Ryuji: "Yep. Still as creepy as before."

Yusuke: "Indeed. I wouldn't even be surprised to encounter a ghost right now right here..."

Futaba: "S-SHUDDUP, INARI!"

Ann: "Hey, there's somebody there!"

Yusuke: "So there really are ghosts here!?"

Futaba: SHRIEK

Nagi: "..."

Ryuji: "W-Who the hell are you guys!?"

Morgana: "Everyone, stay on guard!"

[persona-play-q]

Two Heads Short

Now that we have a save file, the Anime Opening plays whenever we start the game. Neat!

Ryuji: "The... The hell is this place!? Weren't we in a city until just now!?"

Yusuke: "Look, over there. There appears to be something like a screen."

Futaba: "Wait, is this a... cinema?"

Ann: "But there's nobody here but us, huh? Kinda creepy..."

Morgana: "Ugh... This is all a lot to take in."

Morgana: "First we were in Mementos, then we're suddenly in a city none of us know, and now we're in a cinema...?"

Ryuji: "While we're at it, look at our clothes! We're back to normal!?"

Ann: "Huh, you're right!"

Morgana: "Wait... Am I the only one who didn’t...!? What is going on!?" 

Morgana: "Oh well. Anyway. If you guys' outfits reverted back to normal, that would mean..."

Morgana: "That even if we assume that we're still in a cognitive world, your subconscious minds see no reason to be on guard in this specific area."

Akechi: "I see... Even so, the MetaNav still appears to be non-functional."

Akechi: "This does  seem to be a different place from the city we were in before, but the fact that we're in an area with "irregular conditions" does not appear to have changed."

Ann: "Wait a sec! Where are Makoto and Haru!?"

Ryuji: "Huh? Shouldn't they be right..."

Ryuji: "..GAH! They're really gone!?!"

Yusuke: "Does that mean we got separated somewhere along the way?"

Ryuji: "S-Seriously...!?"Ann: "We have to find them, quick! They might still be back there!"

Yusuke: "But how should we return there? We don't even know where exactly we entered from..."

Akechi: "Everyone, try to calm down a bit. They might be somewhere in this building."

Akechi: "There is a door over there. How about we check what's behind that for now?"

Ryuji: "A-ah... Right. Sorry, I lost my cool there."

Futaba: "I do have a ton of questions, but for now we really gotta focus on finding Makoto and Haru."

Ren:  > "Exactly" >  "Let's try to be careful."

Morgana: "Then we're agreed. Let's get moving. Everyone, stay on high alert!"

> This appears to be a kiosk...

> Popcorn and Movie Merch stand lined up before you...

I feel the need to say that in Japan, cinemas sell a TON of merch for the movies they're showing. Far more than here in Europe.

Yusuke: "This looks delicious..."

Ann: "This isn't a self-service buffet, got it!?"

Somebody feed this boy.

Ryuji: "Hey, maybe Makoto and Haru are... probably not here. Got it. Let's go somewhere else."

> Movie Ticket Vending Machines stand there, ready for use...

Futaba: "Looks like they're on, but I've no idea what the tickets are for..."

Yusuke: "We could use them if we inserted some money, but... I don't have any."

SOMEBODY FEED THIS BOY.

Morgana: "Hmpf... It doesn't look like there is anything of note here. Let's move on."

> It says "Staff only" on the door...

(Door rattling noises)

> It won't open...

Akechi: "Staff only, huh. Of course it would be locked." 

Morgana: "I might be able to open it with a lockpick, but..."

Morgana: "Haru and Makoto are more important right now. Let's look somewhere else."

> The Projector Room...

Ryuji: "Whoa... This is my first time going into one of these. Is that huge machine the projector?"

Futaba: "Hey, stop touching it with your grabby hands! Equipment like this is highly sensitive."

Short inconsequential cutscene of a silhouette appearing as they switch on the lights in the room.

Mysterious black thing: "........"

Futaba: "W-WHAAAAA!? What IS that thing!?"

Akechi: "A Shadow!?"Mysterious black thing: "........"

Ann: "This gives me the creeps.... But I somehow don't think it's an enemy... What exactly is it!?"

Ren: > "Let's try touching it." > "Let's try talking to it."

Morgana: "Let's just hope it won't start attacking... Be careful, Ren.

Ren stepped up to the thing and poked it. It just wiggled like a balloon filled with jelly.

> .....?

> It feels strange to the touch...

Futaba: "I-Is it okay? Is that all? Is wriggling seriously all it's gonna do...?"

Futaba: "Okay, alrighty... Somebody try talking to it."

Ann: "H-Heeeey there...? Can you heaaaar me~?"

Mysterious black thing: "......."

Futaba: "No reaction. Assessment: It really doesn't do anything but wriggle."

Yusuke: "It doesn't respond to our words, doesn't move, doesn't speak..."

Yusuke: "If so, it's probably just a doll, right?"

Futaba: "H-Hah, a doll... Why does it have to be that big, tho? Somebody scale it down to 1/7 please..."

Morgana: "Our two missing members aren't here either, huh... Let us look somewhere else."

Futaba: "No use, they're not anywhere around here..."

Ann: "There were some doors, but they wouldn't open... What is going on?"

Yusuke: "They downright appear to have been spirited away. What a mysterious place this is."

Akechi: "Well, we are certainly in a cinema, but what a strange one it is."

Akechi: "There don't appear any other people here."

Ryuji: "Seriously though, where did we come in from?"

Ren: >"Definitely from above." >"Maybe from the side?" > "Probably from underneath."

Akechi: "Yes...It didn't feel as if we were falling or rising, and more as if we were moving on an even plane."

Ryuji: "UM, that doesn't exactly answer my question, man!!"

Morgana's Voice (from off-screen): "Hey, you guys!! Come over here for a second!"

Ann: "Looks like Morgana found something!"

Yusuke: "Let's go, Ren."

Ryuji: "What's up, Morgana? Did you find a clue or something!?"

Ryuji. You have. EYES.

Morgana: "Look at this door here."

Ann: "Door...?"

ANN NOT YOU TOO.

> It looks like the entrance gate, but both mechanical locks and chains are wrapped around it...

> There are four locks on the door...

Ryuji: "The hell is this!?"

Yusuke: "This is pretty rigorous, I must say..."

Ann: "Seeing this thing, it just makes you feel like somebody's locked us in here on purpose, right!?"

Futaba: "ABDUCTION, HERE WE GO."

Ryuji: "Hey, Morgana! Can't you pick the locks or somethin'!?"

Morgana: "I tried, but the keyholes have a weird shape and I couldn't get anywhere. These aren't normal locks."

Morgana: "If we could do something about those locks, I'm sure we could get out of here, but..."

Ann: "I see. Hey, Ren, isn't there something we can do?"

Ren: >"Let's open it with force." >"Let's search the keys." >"It's no use."

Morgana: "We already searched the whole place, but there was nothing. Not even a single mouse."

Morgana: "By the way, did you guys find out anything about Makoto and Haru?"

Futaba: "We searched and searched, but nothing. We can't find them..."

Ryuji: "Not even a hint, man."

Akechi: "But with the exit closed off like that, they couldn't possibly have left either. Just what is the meaning of this..." Ann: "...Hey, how about we go back to where we were earlier?"

Ann: "They might just have come in a bit after us."

Morgana: "You might be right, Lady Ann. Just standing around and thinking about this won't get us anywhere."

Morgana: "Alright, let's go back!"

“Hm... To the setting is surprising, the situation appears quite similar to what happened to use during the incident involving Rei and Zen, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes. Right down to the locked doors...”

“But this time, there’s three locks. It was only two last time, right?”

“One for each time. So the third would be for the Phantom Thieves. But... What is the fourth for?”

“We get two, because we’re extra awesome.”

“Way to sound bold!”

“There’s no way that’s the reason!”

“How are you so sure, huh?”

“...I have noticed that in the Phantom Thieves’ investigation of this ‘cinema’, no access point to the Velvet Room was discovered. Its denizens, too, have yet to make an appearance. Given that Lavenza-san said part of this story is derived from her memories, I do find that very strange...”

“Well... The circumstances on our end were quite unusual at the time. But I do assure you, we are getting to the relevant section of the story in due time.”

“And then, we shall all think of a worthy punishment for Theo’s tardiness!”

“...Popcorn. The sweet stuff. I want a big bucket. You fetch it.”

“....” *sob*

[persona-play-q]

Ryuji: “Ugh.. It’s so bright...”

Ann: “Huh? What is this place...?”

[persona-play-q]

RIP Guns, 2016-2018

Makoto: "Y-You guys! Look at the MetaNav. This is just strange. It doesn't show anything at all."

Morgana: "An error screen on all of your phones? They can't all have broken at once, can they?"

Akechi: "That seems highly unlikely. We need more information."

Haru: "Is there anything around that could give us a clue?"

Ryuji: "Fuck, it's a cop!"

Ann: "Hold on just a sec. Look at his uniform. That's definitely not the Japanese police."

Futaba: "Yep, looks pretty western to me. I see that sort of outfit in FPS games a lot."

Futaba: "Hm... Doesn't appear to be a Shadow."

Makoto: "Then, maybe we should try ask that man.... something?"

Ryuji: "Huh!? Ask a cop? Dressed like THIS!?"

Ren:  >You do it, Queen. > If it doesn't work, you try.

Makoto: "Huh!? Me?"

[...]

Makoto: "Alright, I will do it. But if anything goes wrong, I rely on you all to have my back."

Makoto: "Um... Excuse me, Sir."

Serious-looking Officer: "Hm...? Who are you all? Why are you dressed like that!?"

Ryuji: "I knew this was coming..."

Ryuji: "I mean, just look at Queen. Her outfit just screams 'danger'."

Makoto: "Well... We were on our way to a costume party and lost our way."

Morgana: "T-That's the oldest one in the book...!"

Futaba: "But that's why I think it might just work."

Serious-looking Offcier: "A costume party? Hm... There is an awful many of you too."

Futaba: "See, he bought it! Pretty simple-minded, that guy."

Makoto asks the officer where they are.

Serious-looking Officer: "This is Kamocity, first district... How could you possibly not know the great Metropolis of Kamocity?"

Ryuji: "I don't know what it is, but something about that place name just pisses me off. Hey, Joker, have you ever heard of a city called that?"

...Please brush up on your pun-knowledge, Ryuji.

Ren: > "I've heard of it." > "No idea."

Haru: "Hm... Maybe this is some kind of new theme park?"

Serious-looking Officer: "Hm, you are suspicious... Where do you kids come from anyway?"

Ren:  > "From over there." > "From Mementos." > "We don't remember."

None of these are good. For a thief, Ren is a surprisingly poor liar. 

Serious-looking Officer: "I was asking from where exactly!"

Ann: "Oh gosh, he's on to us, isn't he!?"

Akechi: "Hm... What an unfortunate turn of events."

Serious-looking Officer: "You really are a very suspicious bunch... I'll have to interrogate you about what exactly you have really been doing."

Makoto: "W-Wait! We really haven't been doing anything-"

Oh hey. A black person. In a Persona game. That’s rare. 

Morgana: "Hey, they got backup now!"

Serious-looking Officer: "These masked figures have proven plenty suspicious! Arrest them all!"

Pudgy Officer: "Understood! Providing backup!"

Ryuji: "Oh shit! Everyone, RUN!!"

Makoto: "I-I'm so sorry!"

SLOfficer: "Don't let them escape! Seize them!"

Ryuji: "...Gah, where the hell are we even supposed to run to!?"

Ren: > "Oracle." > "Let's wait and see."

Futaba: "Just a sec! The best escape route here is, um..."

Futaba: "Joker,  that way! There shouldn't be any enemies that way."

Morgana:" Alright, let's go, everyone!"

We get control for the first time, and move through the Labyrinth. It’s pretty much the same as in PQ. 

There’s an objective written in the top right corner (It says “escape the Police” and “follow Oracles advice”). In the bottom right corner, there’s the enemy radar, so that’s still there too. However, we only get to move a couple of squares before the plot catches up with us.

Encounter time!

Ann: "I've never seen Shadows like that before, but fighting should still work..."

...!! 

YAY! The old Shadow designs are back! Talk about a blast from the past!

These are called “Trifling Hablerie” and “Monopoly Cupid” and they’re pretty weak. Good thing too...

Ann: "Huh? What's going on? I don't feel like I'm at full power..." 

Haru: "Yeah... I can't bring out my usual strength..."

Makoto: "Really? So it wasn't just me..."

Yeaaah, the lack of Sub-Personas is gonna be annoying for the first bits of this dungeon.

The Battle System was streamlined a lot. I’m gonna post a clip after this, but basically all moves, including regular attacks, were moved into the “Attack” Menu, and the “Skill” menu was removed. The button mapping from P5 is used, which makes things a lot faster, and if you select a skill for one character, it immediately jumps to let you select for the others too. It feels a lot faster than before. However, it’s still distinctly Persona Q. 

Hah... Those P3/4 sound effects... *_*

Ann: "We can really use our Personas!"

Haru: "We're still in our Thief Outfits too. Does that mean we're still inside Mementos?"

Yusuke: "But our guns didn't work."

Akechi: "Yes, they appear to just be simple model guns once more."

Ryuji: "Seriously? But mine's-"

Ryuji: "...Huh!? Mine too!?"

Ryuji: "Our Personas come out, but our guns are a no-go? The hell is this place!?"

Ren: >"Somewhere where perception and cognition are irrelevant." >"We should still be in Mementos." >"I have no idea."

“I’m not sure I’m following. What do they mean by ‘they’re just model guns once more’?”

“Well, it is impossible to for High School students like use to buy real firearms legally, but since having access to sniping weapons is still convenient, we have been using model guns as a proxy.”

“I don’t know if this is the same for all places where one could fight Shadows, but in the Palaces we visited, just evoking the sincere ‘belief’ that the weapons might be real made them function like they were. Our weapons, generally benefited from that principle.”

“Ah, I see. I am familiar with this principle. While we did use real weapons in the Dark Hour to avoid the possibility of our arms failing, it is actually a quite common phenomenon in realms populated by Shadows. ’The mind makes it real’, as they say.”

“O-OH! That explains...”

> Yosuke looks at Naoto.

“...A lot.”

“I-I sincerely hope none of you were thinking I was using a real gun all this time...!”

“So the reason all our weapons worked the way they did was because everyone thought they would? Man, and here I was thinking the old guy in the Shopping District was actually selling real weapons...”

“But how did Naoto-kun know about it if none of us did...?”

“Oh, I found out shortly before the encounter with my Shadow. A happened upon a stray Shadow, and as I always carry a model gun on me as a decoy, I drew it. I happened to pull the trigger, and it functioned like a regular firearm, so I continued to use it as such. My apologies for not explaining sooner. I thought you were already aware.”

“Well, that’s one mystery of life solved...”

“Doesn’t explain though why in that film only our guns are jammed, but everything else’s working fine. I mean, it’s not just the guns, ALL our weapons aren’t real! That should be pretty obvious just from looking at Akechi’s friggin’ light sabers...”

“So something is interfering with your secondary weapons, but your primary weapons are fine...”

“Something in this labyrinth is clearly attempting to limit their options...”

The PT escape and make their way to a wall with a glowing rectangle. Futaba prompts them to escape through there. They have no idea where it leads, but it’s their only option, especially as Futaba starts screaming about Shadows.

Why, would you look at that beautiful F.O.E.

Welp, time to run.

The PT leap through the exit way. It is at this point that the game’s Anime Opening plays for the first time. For those who haven’t seen it, you can watch it HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpSt6-L2caw

[persona-play-q]

Futaba: “I seriously thought we were gonna die... Joker, you still alive over there?”

Ann: “Wait! Where are we!?”

Ryuji: “...Huh? A city...?”

Yusuke: “Has there ever been a place like this inside Mementos before?”

Haru: “Maybe we broke through the walls of Mementos...?”

Akechi: “Well, we’re still in our thieving outfits, so at very least this probably isn’t the real world.”

Ann: “So this is the Metaverse? But it looks like we’re in a whole other country...”

[persona-play-q]

Makoto: “The breaks aren’t working! Mona, what is going on!?”

Morgana: “I WANNA KNOW THAT MYSELF!”

Ryuji: “We’re derailing!!”

Futaba: “W-W-We’re gonna crash!! This is it! WE’RE GONNA DIE!!”

[persona-play-q]

Derailing the Plot

Morgana: “A stunning victory, Joker!”

The group talk about Mementos, explaining how they feel about it to Akechi. Futaba eventually tells them to stop the chitchat before more Shadows come. She commands Morgana to transform into the catbus. 

Futaba: "Okay, enough with the chitchat, the enemy's gonna find you. Mona, do a car-morph." 

Morgana: "..." 

Futaba: "Monaaaaa." 

Haru: "Mona-chan, why are you making that face? Is something wrong?"

Morgana: "Ah, no, it's nothing. I was just feeling as if something about Mementos was... different from usual."

Makoto: "Different how?"

Ryuji: "...It's the same as always, ain't it? What's your take, Joker?"

Ren: >It's the same as always. >Something feels off. > No idea

Yusuke: "I see... If so, my perception must be quite insufficient."

Ann: "It feels the same as always to me, though."

Morgana: "Huh... Maybe I'm just imagining it."

Morgana: "Anyway, I'm gonna transform! Everyone, step back."

Akechi: "Cats that turn into cars... What a curious world this is."

“I’ll say.”

“Yeah, even Ted can’t do that.”

“I could learn!”

“Please don’t. I dunno how I’d explain THAT to my Dad.”

“Mweheheh... Besides, a skill such as mine cannot simply be acquired!”

Cut Bus Ride.

Ryuji: "Only one person more, and now this place is cramped as hell..."

Akechi: "My apologies. I would just walk, but that is sadly not practical..."

Ann: "Seriously, this bus is NOT meant for that many people..."

Haru: "Hey, Mona-chan, will you be alright?"

Let’s strap Akechi to the roof.

Morgana: "Who do you think I am? I can serve as well as any fright---"

Morgana: "MYAAAAHHH!?"

Cat Bus starts shaking. Clip here:

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/523980788320960512/524008022524297217/video.mov

Makoto: "Huh!? What is that noise...?"

Morgana: "Mewmewmew!?"

Ryuji: "Whoa, Queen, what are you doing! This ain't your usual drivin' style..."

Makoto: "That's not me doing that! The handle is moving all on its own!"

Haru: "Maybe us overloading the bus broke something?"

Futaba: "It's definitely not supposed to move like that..."

Yusuke: "Maybe he ate something that caused this?"

Morgana: "I-I did not!"

Morgana: "God no... I can't take control back!!"

”Huh!? I-I don’t remember that happening!”

“What is going on...?”

Cue Cutscene.

[persona-play-q]

Morgana: “Alright, let’s go!”

A far superior All Out Attack to the actual Anime. >_>

[persona-play-q]

Introductions in Order

We begin our journey with quite the unusual scene.

Morgana: "...y" Morgana: "Hey! Wake up!"

Morgana. Waking Joker up, rather than telling him to go to bed.

This must be some sort of elseworld or something.

Also, WHAT IN THE UNHOLY NAME OF SATANAEL IS WRONG WITH MONA’S MODEL HERE JEZUS--

Morgana: "So you're finally up. You do know class has been over for quite a while, right?"

Ren: >"What was that cinema...?" >"What was that butterfly...?"

“W-Wait, he actually saw that butterfly? I kind of assume it was just part of the intro...”

“Those butterflies... Whenever they appear, it means something special is about to happen.”

“Yeah... Like a call for help...”

“...*cough* That is... not the inherent, intended meaning of the Butterfly...”

“...A herald of the Master above even our Master, the blue Butterfly is a symbol of human fate and its potential.”

“So, we’re watching a flick about... potential...? Huh?”

“......”

>Yosuke doesn’t even attempt to comprehend and just stuffs a hand of popcorn in his mouth. He’s seen too much to still be baffled.

Morgana: "Butterfly...? What are you talking about?"

Morgana: "Hey now, get a grip. Did you have a strange dream or something?"

Morgana: "Anyway, now that you're awake, let's go home. We still have to decide what you're going to do today." 

Ren: >Right, let's do that. >I'm still sleepy .

Jesus, Joker, what are you, Makoto Yuuki??

In any case, Morgana acts supportive of our exhaustion, given how this is before the Casino dungeon and he gets everything has been a bit much lately. He tells Ren that he’s got his back. D’aww~ 

In front of the school...

Ryuji: "Finally, class is over! That sure was hell..."

Ryuji: *yawn* 

Ryuji’s animations are adorable.

Ryuji claims he hasn’t been able to sleep lately because their Phantom Thief work has kept him so excited. He says that’s probably why he keeps falling asleep in class. However, a certain cat thinks otherwise.

Morgana: "Um, haven't you ALWAYS been napping in class, Ryuji?"

Ryuji tells him to shuddup. 

Ryuji: "We still got plenty of time till our next deadline, but how about we go gather at the hideout?"

Ren: >”Let's meet up.” >”Should we, though?” >”Let's go have Ramen first.”

I really could go for some Ramen.

Ryuji: "Whoa, you sure are taking it easy... Oh, whatever! I want some Ramen too."

Morgana: "Hey, you guys, it's still too early to think about dinner. Let's go to the hideout first."

First my nighttime slots, now my food. Will Morgana ever stop taking the things I love??

Haru: "Oh, it's you two!"

Ryuji: "Hey, nice timing! We were just talking about going to the hideout."

Haru: "Good, I happen to have some after-school time to spare today. The situation at our company has calmed considerably by now."

Ryuji sends texts for everyone to come in.Everyone replies in 2 seconds flat

Ryuji stares at his phone.

They are all going to Leblanc.

Morgana: "Alright! Then we're unanimous: Today we shall conquer another section of Mementos!"

Not if destiny has a word to put in, Mona.

Futaba: “Roger that! I will put my all into navigating.”

After best girl appears, she gets an intro screen. Everyone does.

FUTABA SAKURA. The adopted daughter of the owner of your current residence. Was a Hikikomori when you first met her. Has genius hacking skills. Her code name within the Phantom Thieves is “Oracle”.

It actually says “Navi”, but for the sake of consistency with the localization, I’ll go with “Oracle”.

“Oh, we’re all getting intros? That’s convenient.”

“Yeah, it’s really going to save time on introductions.”

HARU OKUMURA. A 3rd year at Shujin Academy and thus your Senpai. The heiress of her father’s large company, “Okumura Food”. In some ways, she is rather naive towards the world. Her Code Name is “Noir”.

ANN TAKAMAKI. A 2nd year and your classmate. A 1/4 American girl, with a bright, caring personality. Sometimes works part time as a magazine model. Her Code Name is Panther.

Ann: "Hey, Makoto. I don't mind going to Mementos today, but do you think it's okay to not tackle the Palace yet...?"

Makoto: "Don't worry. Honing our skills first is important. The next one is one battle we can't lose."

It’s nice to have it referenced how important that upcoming dungeon was to Makoto.

“...I remember that day. That was when we gathered at the Hide Out to take Akechi into Mementos for the first time.”

“Why are we seeing that though? I don’t remember anything special happening back then. We fought some Shadows and that was it.”

“...Akechi?”

> Naoto listens up.

“Goro Akechi? You knew him...?”

“Ah... Now, that’s gonna take some explaining...”

“It’s gonna be easier to just let them see. I have a feeling it is coming up anyway.”

MAKOTO NIIJIMA. A 3rd year and your Senpai. An accomplished Student Council President of high moral standards. Occasionally also shows a less restrained side.  Her Code Name is “Queen”. 

YUSUKE KITAGAWA. A second year at Kousei High, where he studies Art. Has promising potential as an artist. Rather eccentric and emotional, he seems to live in his own little world. His Code Name is “Fox”.

MORGANA. A mysterious cat you met in the Metaverse. Transforms from a normal cat into a bizarre mascot. Can also transform into a car. His Code Name is “Mona”.

“... ‘Mona’.” 

> Yosuke squints. 

“Everyone got themselves badass Code Names, and you went for... Mona.”

“J-Just so you know, I object to EVERYTHING in that description!”

“Ah, so you CAN’T transform into a kitty-car! Geez, and bear I was confused about how that would go!”

“...ALMOST everything!”

“... Come to think, you guys are pretty unfazed by the fact that Mona-chan can talk...”

“We have Teddie. We’re beyond surprising.”

“And I’d say at this point, Teddie is only the tip of the proverbial ice berg.”

“It’s actually kind of surprising that there’s something that similar to Morgana out there. I always kind of thought he was one of a kind.”

“I-I AM one of a kind, Lady Ann! You should know that!”

“Yeah! And so am I by the way, Ann-chan~!”

“...Don’t call her that...!”

> Angry cat hissing noises.

Ryuji: “Well, doesn’t matter if Palace or Mementos, we just gotta do it to it!”

 The model looks better from this angle. 

RYUJI SAKAMOTO. A 2nd year. Used to be Star of the Track Team. Passionately hot-blooded and immature. His impulsiveness sometimes gets him into trouble. His Code Name is “Skull”.  

Ryuji: "By the way, where's that guy? This would be our first time taking him to Mementos, too..."

Ryuji: "I mean, it'd be a shame if we had to just 'forget' about him..."

Akechi: Sorry to make you wait.”

Ryuji: “Ugh.”

Futaba: “Speak of the devil.”

“That’s...”

“Goro Akechi. I did hear that he had infiltrated the ranks of the Phantom Thieves for a while during the mission that lead to the temporary capture of their leader.”

“I see... I wasn’t allowed access to the files regarding the case, so I had no idea.” 

GORO AKECHI. A third year student. A high school aged private detective. His sharp sense for deduction and reasoning, as well as his looks have earned him a lot of fame. He is also called “The second coming of the Detective Prince”. His Code Name is “Crow”.

“Whoaaaaa! What a Bishie! He’s almost up there with me on the pretty-boy scale...!!”

“Yeah, that is one thing he had going for him...”

“ Mitsuru-san, if I may ask...”

“Of course. Once we’re done here, I will give you a complete copy of the case file, Shirogane.”

“Thank you. This is all very interesting...”

“Infiltration, huh...? Yeah, that’s the right word for it...”

“Not like we fell for it, of course. But we did need to play along with him for just a while. Else we wouldn’t have been able to put an end to his games.”

“His ‘games’, huh...”

> Yosuke already doesn’t like the guy. 

> Your Code Name is “Joker”. You are the Leader of the Phantom Thieves.

“I thought I felt something ‘Senpai’-ish from that guy...”

“Yeah, that guy does feel special... He may have the same power as Sensei and Ai-chan!”

“The power of the ‘Wild Card’...”

“...”

>Marie looks up, seemingly slightly disinterested. 

“I don’t know what you mean. Yu is Yu. There’s only one of him.”

“That may be. But even so, it is surprising, to see that there is such a number of Persona Users who share the same powers as...”

“...”

“In any case. It will be interesting to see how this, as they say ‘plays out’.”

After this scene, the Phantom Thieves head out for Mementos. There’s a badass cutscene which shall be shared.