So havenāt been on here a while. But decided to write real quickly. About a subject I feel probably too strongly about. Why I like the AnnxJoker ship in P5.
Now first off I respect why AnnxRyuji is way more popular. It gets a lot of cute ship bait treatment in both the game and anime. Theyāre similar, clearly close and care about each other. I get it. But personally Iām not a fan for two reasons.
One Iām just not a fan of the whole bickering will they wonāt they thing. I get that itās cute and harmless and very real to some. But Iāve been in a relationship like that. And it eventually dissolved. Because we realized all we did anymore was fight. And the happy moments that counterbalanced this were fewer and farther between. It was a big growing moment for me. And in my life Iāve tried (unsuccessfully but tried nonetheless) to be less combative even if itās just having fun. So yeah not for me.
Second and I donāt dislike Ryuji. I wanna be clear I do love a lot about his character. And issues I have with the game donāt affect my enjoyment of him. But I hate how he objectifies her. In a way that clearly makes her uncomfortable. Ann states in the game she hates people lusting after her. As it makes her feel like a doll a literal object. And yet throughout Ryuji is leering and making innappropriate comments at her.
I donāt think heās a bad character. I just think the writers use him as a tool. To accomplish what I hated he most about the game. How Annās initial arc is about slut shaming and giving her agency over her body and life. But then once Kamoshida is done the game fetishizes her continual humiliation and discomfort. And even slut shames her itself. (The less said about the pool scene the better)
To be fair the Hero (I have no dog in this name battle) is also complicit in this. See the desert bus scene and the rooftop kiss which I wish it handled differently. But given heās a silent protagonist much of his actions and intentions for that matter are up to player choice and interpretation.
The moment where I fell in love with the ship though. Is actually her bonus date in the attic at Leblanc. After youāve already maxed her out. Sheās noticeably antsy but thereās an off hand line I thought was really sweet. Where she comments that she doesnāt feel uncomfortable with just the two of you. Despite her spending too much of the game in noticeable discomfort from the attention and advances of various men.
Itās pretty basic. And possibly even something Iām reading too much into. But that scene was so important to me and cemented her as my favorite in the game. It was a happy ending and final conclusion to her arc of gaining confidence in herself. That we frankly never got in the main game. And I love that scene and the ship to death for it. That almost begins to right the wrongs the story does to her.
These are just my personal feelings. Not a thesis statement or attempt to start an argument. Iām also a big fan of AnnxShiho and think itās arguably the stronger ship. But I do really love AnnxHero.
If you read all this rambling thanks. Hereās a scene from the new Mementos mission manga for your troubles. I love whenever sheās protective of him. Reminds me of when she was all scared for him during the solo arena fight in the Casino.
