You know, I was going to say that I had "two nickels for everytime" NeroHaku and Aikoto reminded me of one another. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized there actually are a good few parallels between the two. Which is interesting, since I had never really thought about them as being all that similar.
1) In CCC, Nero says that what she wants in a relationship is to remain by Hakuno's side and protect them.
Meanwhile, Aigis repeatedly expresses a deeply held desire to remain by Makoto's side and protect him.
“You are very special to me… I do not know why, but I always want to be by your side… I want to protect you..."
2) In Extella, Hakuno is left comatose in a bad end. Nero collapses over him, professing her affections and begging Hakuno to wake up.
When Makoto dies, he does so in Aigis' lap as she tells him about how she wants to be by his side, always.
Both of them have allusions to "sleeping" when they are truly dying, though Aigis tells Makoto it's ok to sleep - not knowing he is dying - while Nero is begging Hakuno to awaken, fully aware that Hakuno is not well.
3) Aigis carries Makoto bridal style in PQ if she is picked as his partner.
Nero carries Hakuno bridal style in Last Encore, Extella, and Extra Record.
Assuming male Hakuno, in both cases it's the girl holding the guy rather than the more common reverse.
4) The Persona Official Magazine refers to Aigis and Makoto's meeting as being "fated".
Similarly, Hakuno is alluded to as Nero's "fated spouse" in Fate/Grand Order.
In both cases, it's only in Japanese. The Persona Official Magazine wasn't translated into English, while the NA version of FGO doesn't have the "fated" part for whatever reason.
5) Both pairings have an alternative option who is hypothetically on even footing, up to player choice...but in practice relegated to a jealous third wheel. For Nero and Hakuno, it's Tamamo, for Aigis and Makoto it's Yukari.
6) In terms of the characters themselves, both Aigis and Nero are socially eccentric, although in opposite ways. Aigis is more formal, if sometimes inept, Nero is aggressively outgoing. Both are also the more affectionate and more battle-prone of their pairings. Both are indifferent to their partner's gender, Nero's relationship being the same with male and female Hakuno while Aigis falls for FeMC all the same as Makoto. And both Aigis and Nero are criticized by fans for being given "favoritism" by the writers.
7) Hakuno and Makoto, aside from both being JRPG protagonists, don't have a ton in common...at least, unless we're counting Last Encore. The technically-not-Hakuno-but-still-Hakuno of that anime has the same broody introvert vibe going that Makoto does.
8) Both pairings have a scene where the antagonist wipes one of their minds and tries to turn them against each other, only for the character to snap out of it through their love. In Persona 3, Aigis is brainwashed by Ikutsuki, but she snaps out of it when she looks into Makoto's eyes.
In CCC, BB tries to delete Nero, and though that fails, Nero is stuck comatose. Hakuno dives into her subconscious to revive her, but is confronted with an inner version of Nero who doesn't remember them. Inner Nero is disinterested, even hostile towards Hakuno, but she falls for them again and defends them against BB despite that.
9) One in both pairings is an AI. Aigis is a robot and Hakuno is…well, literally an AI.
10) Both have a scene where they hug after forgetting about one another.
So if I had a nickel for everytime NeroHaku and Aikoto paralleled one another, I would have...50c. And that's not even two nickels at that point. That's two quarters.
I’m one who values loyalty, devotion, and connection, and so I believe a genuine bond is one of the most beautiful parts of being alive. Since it’s Valentine’s Day, I’ll post one of my favorite fanarts of my current top 5 ships (ordered for how long I’ve shipped them), and what I like about them.
I’ve loved these two since I first played Persona 3 back in late 2012/early 2013. A tragically wholesome pairing that tie in and intensify both their characters and the themes of the game.
2) AsuShin: Asuka x Shinji, Neon Genesis Evangelion
Source: https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/60053874
These two are the poster children of the fascinatingly toxic relationship. Their failure to understand one another and loss of the potential they had otherwise - but the lasting hope they may learn and grow - serve as the core of the struggle of humanity as a whole.
3) HiroZero: Hiro x Zero Two, Darling in the FranXX
For all the problems with Darling in the FranXX, Hiro and Zero Two are what gives the show a special place for me. Their relationship starts off as a complex and toxic romance before developing into the epitome of wholesome. Both extremes and the transition between them are handled masterfully, with the reveal of their childhood encounter being beautiful beyond words.
I never liked Nero in Fate/GO, so I wasn’t expecting to when I picked up Fate/Extella. How wrong I was. Nero’s devotion to Hakuno was the heart of the story, and it gave her otherwise off-putting tendencies a new and intoxicating twist. This pair is the key example of how a solidly handled romance can flip a character’s perception.
These two walk the line between the wholesome and the toxic like it’s nothing, fitting the themes of Durarara. Shinra is obsessive and controlling, Celty is emotionally hot-cold, yet their relationship actually works in some odd way.
I came across this ask meme format and decided to do it for Durarara.
The character I first fell in love with: Celty, actually. I was interested in her as a dullahan, and I wanted her to get her head back - badly - when I saw how beautiful it was.
Ironic, considering all we got when she finally did get it back was angst, angst, angst.
The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Shinra. God, when he first showed up, I expected him to be some sort of cringe comic relief pervert. I started to warm to him as soon as it became clear that wasn’t the case. By the end of the show, he was pretty much my fav.
The character everyone else loves but I don't: Ruji and Kasane both have their fans, but I really disliked them. My opinion could easily change as I read the books, though.
The character I love that everyone else hates: Vorona. I think most of the hate for her is because she’s a potential hetero love interest for Shizuo, but still.
The character I used to love but don't any longer: I wouldn't say I loved her, but I was interested in Mika early on. That vanished once I found out what a yandere she is.
The character I would totally smooch: If Human!Celty counts, then her. If not, Vorona.
The character I'd want to be like: Before reading the books, I'd have probably said Shizuo. Now, I don't know. I feel like all the characters have some pretty noteworthy issues.
A pairing that I love: Gotta be honest, I really like... (drumroll)
ShinCelty
GASP, SHOCK AND AWE
The character I'd slap: I hate Nasujima with a passion. He’s a predator, though, so you’re kinda supposed to hate him.
A pairing that I despise: Shinra and Celty with anyone but each other is gonna be on shaky ground in my eyes, but Celty x Shizuo is definitely the one I find the least palatable.
Of course, there’s a ton of pairings in DRRR that are supposed to give you the creeps (Seiji x Anyone, Nasujima x Anyone, etc) so those are obviously worse.
“I Choose this Fate of My Own Free Will” - What Persona 3 Means to Me
As a forward, I decided to write this post after finishing my fifth replay of Persona 3. I didn't want to go too in-depth, but rather to focus on what particularly stood out to me as the most important elements: gameplay, design, and story synchronization, and the characters of Makoto, Aigis, Junpei, Chidori, Takaya, and Shinjiro. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!!
Persona 3 is a game unlike any other that I have ever played. When I began it for the first time on December 25th, 2012, I was in a pit of confusion and fear, struggling with abuse, isolation, depression, and anxiety. By the time I finished the game, on January 2nd, 2013, I was overwhelmed with emotions that would bring about the biggest change in the way I see the world any work of fiction has ever led me to. Even six years later, when so much media is unable to elicit response from me, it’s Persona 3 that drives me to tears again and again.
At first glace, Persona 3 wouldn’t seem much more than an edgy escapist experience for nihilistic teenagers. The emo design of the protagonist, the often rude and even callous dialogue options, the coffins, and most notably, the mock suicide used by the characters to fight. Yet, this initial impression hides behind it a genuinely heartfelt and anti-nihilistic message, hinted at from the start. The first screen of the game gives us this cryptic statement. “Time never waits, it delivers all to the same end. You who wishes to safeguard the future, however limited it may be, you will be given one year. Go fourth and do not falter, with you heart as your guide.” This is presented without ever receiving much explanation, but it sets the tone for what is to come. All throughout Persona 3, the shadow of death is present. The obvious places to point are Pharos’ visits to remind the player the end of the world is near, or the evokers and their aforementioned suicidal imagery. But it also does so in more subtle ways as well.
The theme “Mystic” plays at the beginning, when the player agrees to Pharos that he will “take responsibility for his actions”, and is reminded that “nobody can escape time.” From then on, Mystic plays in the background of the Tartarus themes. The theme of the first block is subtle, mysterious, and eerie. As the player climbs, the omniscient atmosphere grows. By the time of the final block, the music has taken on an intensive and foreboding feel, the shift building towards a gradual climax. Pharos’ statement that one can’t “close their ears or cover their eyes” is one the player is reminded of time and time again, and it can be felt that things in Persona 3 are building towards Makoto’s doom from the very start. While I can understand the oft repeated criticism of Tartarus as grind-heavy and somewhat generic randomly generated dungeon, it being a tower is the perfect way to metaphor for this inescapable fate. Each step up the stairs of Tartarus bring the player one step closer to their ultimate fate, one that, fittingly, can only be death. After all, what else does life amount to but one step forwards to death with each moment we all live? The game over screen serves as yet another reminder of this: “Death is not a hunter unbeknownst to its prey. One is always aware that it lies in wait. Though life is merely a journey to the grave, it is not one to be undertaken without hope.” Tartarus is the ultimate symbolism of this concept, even more so with the appearance of the Reaper. If one stays on a floor of Tartarus too long, they are reminded to keep moving forward, lest death take them before they have accomplished their mission.
Makoto Yuki is a unique protagonist. A mix of Japanese and Western RPG tropes, he is both his own character, and yet also an extension of the player. In many ways, Makoto has an individual personality that is portrayed subtly throughout the game. This can be seen in his design, in his unchosen reactions, in the range of options provided to the player, his turbulent but close friendship with Junpei, and in his bond with Aigis. Yet, the game also goes out of its way to reinforce the player’s identification with Makoto. In another oft criticized choice, the player is unable to directly control any character but him, even in battle. This forces the player to identify themselves as Makoto in particular, rather than as the puppet-master of the entire party. As mentioned before, his dialogue and certain actions are often controlled by the player as well. In this space the player is given to input themselves on to Makoto, the game ensures that we remain in his shoes, while also ensuring that the narrative purposes ultimately override player choices. In this implementation, the game is given unique control over its audience for narrative purposes.
From the start, the player is encouraged to expressing an uncaring worldview onto Makoto. When Pharos first states that the end of the world will soon come, one of the options is “I don’t care”. Indeed, why would the player care? Regardless of their thoughts on such a thing happening in reality, there seems little reason to feel invested in the fate of a fictional one. What more is the player there but to fantasize about being a hero, right? It’s natural to look at SEES and romanticize their struggle. In some ways, Persona 3 would seem to encourage this viewpoint, but it also questions it. Much of the game is focused on the motivation of the characters, on their varying opinions on the Dark Hour and on their lives in general. The player is given many views at which to approach the situation and of course, many options to express their own stance. Yet, the player can’t deny that their role is in that sort of escapism. The most on-the-nose comment is given by Junpei, trying to understand why he is angry at the thought of the Dark Hour vanishing, despite it putting a decent amount of people in a coma. “I talk a big game about fighting, but hell...it’s all I’m good for. If it weren’t for that...I’d be worthless.” Junpei cuts through the audience’s defenses with this statement. Despite their proposed hatred of the Dark Hour, many of the characters do feel a sense of purpose in their powers that is missing from their daily life. But can the players say much else for themselves? Even if it’s just a simulation, a game, why would one play it if not to fulfill something missing in their real lives? Would we really react much differently in their shoes?
It’s not until October that the game truly begins to turn this sentiment on its head. After a boss fight, Shinjiro is shot and killed. Killing a party member so soon after their active addition is an uncommon choice, in part because it essentially leaves any effort that the player puts into leveling them null. The most notable example is certainly Aerith from Final Fantasy VII, one that has become infamous for the reaction it invokes in fans of the game. Killing off Shinjiro makes clear that the game is willing to kill off major characters, and it breaks through preconceptions about plot armor, all the more prevalent in games, to remind the player that there is true danger in this situation. Shinjiro’s death also highlights the disconnect between those who have lost loved ones and those to for whom death is just a statistic or a news story. The other students are apathetic at best and disrespectful at worst. They don’t act unrealistically, or even too unsympathetically, but they clearly don’t grasp that Shinjiro was more than a punk. He was someone with friends, dreams, and a future. And can any of us really say we would think any differently? When we hear that some number of people died on the news, do we really see these people as individuals? I can attest that I at least would reasonably see such things in a very abstract way. The other students are not vilified, their comments are nothing that seems unlike what we ourselves might say. The fear of their own mortality leads them to distance themselves emotionally from Shinjiro, writing him off as a delinquent so as to paint him as "the other". But we knew Shinjiro, and so we see their comments in a different light. Makoto is given the option to tell the students badmouthing Shinjiro to shut-up, with Junpei joining him. It’s here that Persona 3 demonstrates a remarkable ability to shift itself away from the nihilistic view of the world that it once seemed to foster, while still demonstrating a balanced understanding of that view. This is reinforced again later in the game, when Junpei, the person who clung to the Dark Hour for his sense of purpose, loses Chidori to its violence.
Then there is Takaya, the man directly responsible for Shinjiro’s, and later Chidori’s deaths. Takaya is someone who has fully embraced the Dark Hour as his purpose in life. He is unable to let it go, and he doesn’t care who has to die to protect it. Takaya’s views are extreme, but hardly unrealistic. Much like a drug addict unwilling to accept the damage of their addiction, Takaya downplays and even justifies the Dark Hour as being benign. To him, that feeling of abstraction towards the death of others has become prevalent enough that he only seeks to protect what he believes makes his own special. When he discovers the world is soon to end, he is enthused. This sentiment is echoed by Ikutsuki, many NPCs, and is implied to have been a driving force behind those that created the Dark Hour. Predicting and even anticipating the apocalypse has been in vogue for generations now, and even my own Father once spoke of this to me: “When I was a teenager, people talked about nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union. There was a part of me that found the thought exciting. The world ends for someone every day, but what a way to die in the absolute end of humanity.” My memory of this statement has allowed me to understand Takaya’s sentiment. When someone becomes disconnected from the world around them, from the mortality of themselves and others, they don't care about the consequences of their actions. Suddenly, the end of the world seems exciting rather than horrifying. Just before the final boss, Takaya forces the party once again to face the reality that their views were originally not so different from his. There is truth in this, as even Aigis admits, yet, they have realized then that they took their lives for granted.
January 31st is the first time that the player is given a choice of their own. Ryoji reveals that the end will soon come with the return of Nyx, the result of so many wishing for an end to the pain of life. He gives Makoto the option to killy him, erase his friends’ memories, and let live them in ignorance of their coming deaths. To refuse this offer is to face Nyx without any hope of success. It’s clear through the party’s gradually unanimous support for fighting Nyx where the game’s writers sided. However, Ryoji once again shows their ability to portray the opposing view in a sympathetic light. Ryoji genuinely cares for his friends and wholeheartedly believes that erasing their memories will save them from unnecessary suffering. In any case, there are many ways to interpret this question. The first time I played the game, I saw it as similar to my own thoughts on whether or not to give up on life and commit suicide. Did I want to struggle against my social, mental, and familial problems that seemed insurmountable, or did I want to give up, and go for one last hurrah before the end of my life? Death awaited either way. The only change was the what my life would amount to. The choice was mine - just as the game had said at the beginning. Whichever outcome resulted in the game, as in real life, was my responsibility to make. At the start of the game, I picked "who cares" as my response to Pharos. Truthfully, at the time, I may well have said the same thing in real life. And, in a decision I would have considered unthinkable when I began the game, I decided to let Ryoji live.
The heavy atmosphere of the game’s final month serves as a constant reminder of the decision made. It is during this time that my favorite Social Link unlocks - Aigis. Her Link focuses on in-depth exploration of what her arc had touched on throughout the previous months. As she had found greater emotional fulfillment in her life in the ability to make choices for herself, she had awoken to the fear of death, and of loss. To find the meaning and purpose she longed for in life was to also be aware of her limitations. Aigis is tormented by her inability to protect her friends, and her feelings of inadequacy as a lover to Makoto. Aigis’ struggle shows that to live with purpose is to live with awareness of how fragile and fleeting life is. To enjoy life, to love, is to open oneself up to the fear and pain of loss. Yet, is to live without enjoyment and purpose any life at all? This dilemma was faced earlier by Chidori, who had lived with apathy and detachment similar to Aigis’ before meeting Junpei. And just as Chidori was forced to confront a fear of death in her newfound love for Junpei, so to is Aigis in her love for Makoto. Ultimately, Chidori pushes Junpei away in an attempt to protect herself from these fears, as Aigis is similarly indecisive for how to approach them. Yet, in Junpei’s near-death, Chidori decides to sacrifice herself to protect him, ultimately deciding to accept and face her pain in order to live.
When the party reaches the height of Tartarus, they face Nyx Avatar. Here, the dialogue explicitly targets the audience. Mitsuru calls Nyx “what awaits all living things from the minute they are born.” Indeed, Nyx Avatar proclaims in the final stage of the battle: “it matters not who you are. Death awaits you.” There is no escaping that this applies as much to the player as to anyone else. When the fight against Nyx Avatar concludes, Makoto ascends alone to fight the true Nyx. With a remix of Mystic playing, he rises through darkness towards a bright light. This scene is reminiscent of the concept of one’s soul rising to heaven, as well as the description that to die is to see “a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.” Finally, Makoto is face to face with the true Nyx, a ball of glowing light with outreaching skeletal arms. The symbolism makes it clear: the protagonist is facing the very incarnation of death itself. This is what every step up Tartarus, every second of the story has been building up to. Makoto stands alone against his doom. And yet, his friends’ cries of support reach him and give him the power to resist. Eventually, the protagonist gives up his HP to seal away Nyx. The metaphor is heavy, and yet, it is effective.
The ending of the game is, fittingly, where the message is truly brought home. In many ways, it seems almost euphorically happy. The characters regain their lost memories, and Mitsuru jumps off stage in slow motion as upbeat and cheerful music plays. The foreshadowing is there, however. The music that begins when we cut to Makoto with his head in Aigis’ lap is somber, and sorrowful. This scene gives us Aigis’ final resolution. She accepts her fears of losing Makoto, and promises to protect him and stay by his side. Just as nearly losing Junpei had done for Chidori, nearly losing Makoto allowed Aigis to realize the depth of her feelings for him. Aigis has firmly embraced that life is precious and worth living, rejecting her earlier fears that it may have been better to live without emotion. Of course, unbeknownst to her, this realization has come to late. Makoto succumbs to his exhaustion and falls asleep in her lap, never to wake up again. The ending song, Memories of You, expresses Aigis’ resolve to remember and love Makoto for the rest of her life.
Killing a silent protagonist is a rare choice. I have only personally played three other games that do so, though I’ve heard that a small handful of others exist. The belief that the main character of a story should be all but unkillable is a popular idea even outside of gaming. But when the character is meant to have an element of player insert, to kill them off is normally seen as too intense, and too on-the-nose. In Persona 3′s case, it is exactly what is needed to drive home the point. Much like the main character of fiction, it is easy to feel that we have something special about us keeping us alive. Indeed, we are the main character of our own tale, and for as long as it lasts, so do we. But someday our luck will run out and our journey will end, just as Makoto’s did. Makoto’s death reminds the player that nobody is immune to death, and our time will come as well. Nonetheless, Makoto is enough of his own character that we are also able to see his death from a more traditional viewer’s perspective. And in that, the joy of the party, the seeming upbeat nature of the ending, and Aigis’ promise to protect and stay by Makoto makes the loss all the more effective. The ones we love could be gone at any moment, and making it come for the party when they seem so close to a almost cheesy happy ending reminds us of this somber fact.
As Aigis expresses, the ultimate message of Persona 3 is that one can’t find meaning in life as long as they live in denial of the mortality of themselves and their loved ones. Doing so puts people on a path to self-destructive behavior. It is only by accepting the inevitability of death that one can realize just how precious and meaningful life truly is, and only by this realization can that we find true happiness. We see this truth firsthand in our own simulated experience. This is what makes Persona 3 so brilliant - it brings the player into the story in such a way that only a video game can. Say what you will about books, movies, television: for all the advantages these mediums have over video games, only a video game can show a player a fate that is of their own choosing. Yet, no matter how much pain the ending may cause them, it remains undeniable that the player has, in a sense, contributed to the very sentiment it seeks to deconstruct. It’s what drew them to the game in the first place.
Persona 3 develops from a story that uses suicidal and edgy imagery for the adrenaline rush into one that heavily deconstructs and averts these very concepts. By doing so, it encourages the player to re-evaluate these ideas. At the very start, Mitsuru gives a speech telling the students of the schools to dig deeply and re-evaluate their convictions. During my first playthrough, I did just that. In the days, weeks, and months following, my suicidal thoughts dropped drastically and gradually trickled down to nothing. January 2nd now serves as a constant reminder of how I make the choice, of my own free will, to live. So many still see Persona 3 as a depressing and bitter story, like the emotionally disturbed younger brother to Persona 4′s unabashed positivism. It is anything but. Rather, Persona 3 is the most candidly and genuinely optimistic game I have ever played, and it is thanks to it that I was able to find the courage and the hope to move forward from the darkest time of my life.
So you’re probably thinking to yourself: “Kasu! Aikoto week was a year and a half ago! Why didn’t you do it then, why are you doing it now?”
The answer to the first question is because the summer of 2016 was one of the most exhausting and grueling times of the past few years. I had a ton going on in a very short period, so this whole deal slipped my mind for a long while. As to why I’m doing it now, well…because I want to! And it’s 3/5, so the timing seemed right.
1. Which is your favorite official Aikoto illustration?
I know I’m cheating, but it’s probably one of these. There’s soooo many good ones, so it’s tough to pick.
2. When did you start shipping Aikoto and why? What made you first love the pairing?
Well, when I played through Persona 3 for the first time (back in December of 2012) I was spoiled of a few plot details by my cousin. He told me the main character “died with a robot girl”, which I thought was odd, but interesting.
Cut ahead and as much as I’m enjoying P3 come the Yakushima Trip (I’d been playing all but literally non-stop) I’m just not really interested in any of the potential love interests. They’re attractive, sure, but none of them really seem to have any sort of interesting relationship with Makoto. Yukari’s one-sided crush is the closest thing, and even there, her excuse for liking him felt forced. Then we get to Aigis, and her relationship with Makoto is exactly what I hoped for. It develops naturally, it’s based off a mutual need, it feels reciprocal.
By the end of the game, I was shipping them, hard. I wanted to see them together and every scene between them had me on the edge of my seat. It really made me feel apprehensive towards how they’d handle Makoto’s death.
3. What is your favorite aikoto moment?
The lap pillow scene.
While the hug scene from the movies is my second choice, the lap pillow scene was a godsend. Not just because it gave us our most undeniable place to point when people question whether or not Makoto returns Aigis’ feelings, oh no. It killed off Makoto in perhaps the most heartfelt, bittersweet way possible. Hashino evidently based the scene off his own near-death experience with his wife and the genuine nature shows. Combined with Kimi no Kioku, it was the first and so far only video game ending to make me outright cry - and it has almost every time I’ve replayed it as well. It’s by far the best ending to any game I’ve ever played.
4. How do you feel about the different depictions of Aikoto throughout the games, movies, musicals, manga?
I haven’t seen the musicals nor have I read the manga, so I won’t comment on either of those.
As for the games, both The Answer and Persona Q did expand just a bit on the dynamics established or hinted at in the original game, though I was disappointed by the former portraying Aigis as rather bland emotionally. In the movies, meanwhile, Aikoto was the strongest, when it was actually given focus. While that does show where some of my disappointments in the movies lay, they thankfully do expand much more upon Makoto’s side of the dynamic, which had to be kept more subtle in the games to fit the whole “silent protagonist bit”. It helps to fill in some of the gaps that the game left.
I’m aware that some fans argue that each adaptation is separate, but I personally see the games and the movies as complimenting one another.
5. Do you have any head canons about the couple that you’d like to share?
Headcanon is a bit of a tricky term here, but some of my favorite ideas about them are…
1) Aigis has no interest in romancing anyone else once Makoto passes. She stays true to his memory and tries to live her life to the fullest.
2) Makoto goes with Mitsuru and Aigis to the summer festival and gives Aigis a Christmas present sometime after her return to the dorms.
3) Although this one was shown in the movies a bit, I like to think of the two of them as devoted battle partners who go on “Tatarus Dates” where they kill shadows together. I’ve even done a few of them in my playthroughs!
6. What kind of things would you expect from Aigis and Makoto had he lived? What do you think their future would’ve been like?
I think they would have stayed together and probably gradually become a more traditional couple as Aigis comes to further accept herself. Maybe the two would have worked and attended college together. It’s tough to say what sort of path Makoto would have gone down, but I’m sure Aigis would have been right there with him. I’d imagine sex would be somewhat of a challenge for them, but that’s what fleshlights are for, have Mitsuru install one in her and bamn good to go I’m sure they’d be able to manage. They could probably adopt a kid if they ever wanted one.
7. What is your favorite thing about the pairing?
My favorite thing about Aikoto is, and has always been, the emotional layer it adds to the story. This is a great way to have your character’s death meaningful - give it a natural romance, full of potential, cut short by tragedy. Persona 3 is a story about coming to terms with death, and if Aikoto wasn’t a part of it, the impact wouldn’t have been quite as strong.
I beat Persona 3: Reload. I'll give my thoughts here, relatively spoiler-free. Keep in mind I'm reviewing this as someone who has played through FES about seven times now, and to whom Persona 3 has been my favorite game for over a decade.
When I think of my ideal remake of Persona 3, this is pretty close to what I would have wanted. It's undeniably the best version of Persona 3 to date. Almost all of the new content is extremely well done, and the team's love for the characters does shine through.
However, while it is the best version of Persona 3 to date, it sadly falls short of being a definitive version. And I'm not talking about FeMC, either, I'm referring to just The Journey.
There were cutscenes that, while undeniably higher budget, felt lacking compared to their FES counterparts because of a shift in direction. There were small touches here and there that were missing, a disproportionate amount of which were regarding the character models (ie, in FES a character model does something while in Reload they just stand there). And then there's a feeling of inconsistency to it all, with some scenes seeming or elements seeming rather unfinished while new content is added that feels rather superfluous.
If I'm being sympathetic, the team was under tight deadlines, if I'm going to be doomerish about it, they were lazy. Either way, a lack of priorities is apparent.
Whatever the case, though, when you have a big-budget remake of a PlayStation 2 game from 2006, one has to expect that the remake is going to blow the original out of the water. In many ways, Reload does. But in many other ways it just doesn't, which leaves the experience feeling somewhat unsatisfying for someone like myself who has loved FES for over a decade and played it over half-a-dozen times.
Of course, for newcomers, casual fans, or people who don't like FES, most of my criticisms won't shift much. For them, I'd give it a hard recommendation. But for us older fans, it feels a bit unsatisfying. I'm torn between thinking it's the best version of Persona 3 yet, but also feeling somewhat unsympathetic that for all Reload's advantages, there are still areas where FES shines brighter.
