When the protagonist asks Morooka if he's calling him a loser, Morooka responds by saying he'll put the protag on his shit list. In Japanese, Morooka instead says he will put him in his "rotten orange book" (or rotten mikan) which is a reference to a Japanese drama about a high school teacher called Kinpachi-sensei.
Morooka then proceeds to call students "rotten oranges" throughout the game, and I thought it was disappointing that it's never translated as "shit (list)" ever again.
When Morooka shit talks Kanji, "rotten orange" was translated as "lazy punk":
During the camping trip, he says it while he's drunk and checking if students are out of their tents, and here it's become rotten apple (makes sense; rotten apple is something you say in english):
And then during Void Quest, in the RPG text, it actually is just rotten orange:
The first time it shows up is on floor 2, and there's no text surrounding it that indicates that Mitsuo is encountering Morooka, so the "rotten orange" (and pronoun; see below) bit is how you're supposed to know it's Morooka.
As mentioned in PClub P4 and the Premium Fun Book, Mitsuo used to be a Yasogami High student, but he got caught messing around outside of school by Morooka, got suspended, and then he was so ego butthurt mad that he dropped out of Yasogami and went to another school. So this text is referring back to that incident where Mitsuo got suspended by Morooka, why he held a grudge against him, etc.
(I think the text is oddly worded here too - "stand against me *for* being a rotten orange" could be interpreted as Mitsuo saying this while fighting Morooka, but it's Morooka saying it. Maybe more like, "You've got some nerve defying me, you rotten orange"? In Japanese, the text uses Morooka's pronoun (ワシ), so there's no ambiguity about who is speaking.)
Anyho, the 2nd time this appears is on Void Quest floor 8, and this time it explicitly says, "Morooka has appeared", so you know it's him.
Personally, I really like the "shit list" localization. Like it works really well since it gets Morooka's crass nature across. I feel like there's a missed opportunity that they didn't keep translating it as "shit" for the rest of the game: "Kanji Tatsumi, that shit", "Are there any little shits out of their tents?!", "You stand against me, you piece of shit", blah blah. This totally sounds like Morooka in my head lol.
Also related to Kinpachi-sensei is that Morooka seems to be named after him too. Kinpachi-sensei's name comes from the timeslot the show aired: Friday at 8pm. Friday in Japanese is "Kin"yobi, and 8 is "hachi/pachi", thus "Kinpachi".
Similarly, Morooka's first name Kinshiro uses the same "Kin" character as "Kinyobi" and "Kinpachi", and then "shi" is 4, and he's in Persona "4". (Hey the first character being "gold" works out too cause Golden came out later.)
WIPS of almost all of the changed social link cards are here!!! The only two missing are the swapped duo- protagonist Tohru as the fool and culprit Narukami as the sun
As she was walking to school the next morning, Yosuke pulled up on his bike. “Yo!” He called out. He stopped so they could talk.
Yua smirked. “You’ve learned how to handle that thing, huh.”
“Well, you know, practice makes perfect,” Yosuke replied, chuckling. He grew more serious. “I take it you saw The Midnight Channel last night?” Yua nodded. “Could you make anything out?”
“Barely…” Yua answered. “All I saw was the silhouette of a girl in a kimono.”
“Figures,” Yosuke said. “I saw the same thing too.”
“However, Izanagi has told me no one is inside yet,” Yua informed him.
“Well that’s good,” Yosuke noted. “But maybe we should try and figure things out. I mean, we have this mysterious power, and it seems like whoever put Saki-senpai and that reporter in the TV does too. And if you ask me, I think we’re the only ones who can stop this from continuing. I mean, who’d believe us?”
“You believed me,” Yua pointed out.
“Well, not necessarily,” Yosuke admitted. “I just know what it’s like to be new in town. And, well, I know what can happen if people don’t like you. I just didn’t want you here with no one to rely on, you know?”
“I mean, I have my uncle,” Yua pointed out.
“Right, but like, someone our age,” Yosuke said. “As much as your uncle cares for you, I think it’s important to have friends and stuff.”
“Yeah…” Yua replied.
Yosuke pondered this response. “You know, you opened up a lot to me back there. You said a lot of things that I imagine weren’t easy to say. And I really believe that if we’re going to do this, I have to be just as open. That world preys on insecurity and darkness. So I need to try my best to keep myself steady, and I believe with you by my side I can do it.”
Yua chuckled. “To be honest, I was just following someone else’s advice. ‘In order to save others, you have to save yourself. And in order to save yourself, you have to admit you need saving.’”
Yosuke smirked. “They must be pretty smart.”
“Perhaps,” Yua said. “Now if only I could remember who they are…”
“More shenanigans?” Yosuke asked.
“Yeah,” Yua admitted. “It seems like my life is full of them.”
“Well, you know you can count on me to help,” Yosuke said. He reached out his hand. “Put ‘er there, partner!” Yua smiled and shook his hand.
Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…
It brings thee closer to the truth…
Thou shalt be blessed by The Magician Arcana…
Magician-Yosuke Hanamura: Rank 1
“C’mon,” Yosuke said. “We should get to class. And after school, we can think about what to do next.” Yua nodded, and the two of them headed off.
As they arrived, they got themselves situated, when Chie burst in. She saw Yua and Yosuke and charged towards them. “Have either of you seen Yukiko?!”
“Yeah!” Chie explained. “DId you two watch The Midnight Channel?” They both nodded. “I think the person on it was Yukiko.”
“Yukiko?!” Yosuke exclaimed. “Are you sure?”
“Well…I can’t say for certain…” Chie admitted. “BUT the kimono she was wearing looked kind of like the kimono she wears when she works at the inn.”
“Hmmm,” Yua pondered. “Come to think of it, I saw her in that kimono yesterday after everything.”
“You did?!” Chie asked.
Yua nodded. “She was out on an errand, and we chatted for a little bit. And later, I saw her on the news. Apparently, her family’s inn was where that reporter Yamano was staying to lay low.”
“Perhaps this is all connected then,” Yosuke posited. “I mean, Saki-senpai found the body.”
“True,” Chie said. “But why would someone so obsessed with this reporter have this power?”
“I don’t even know why I have it to be fair,” Yua explained.
“True,” Chie said.
“Oh! But a bit of good news,” Yua continued. “According to the voice in my head, she’s not in the TV world yet.”
“Really?!” Chie wondered. “How can you be so sure?”
“Well, he told me last time when someone was in the TV,” Yua said. “And he has no reason to lie to me.”
“For what it’s worth, I believe her,” Yosuke said. Chie was still unsure. “OK, look, if Yukiko’s not here, we can stop by the inn after school to check on her, OK?”
Chie relented. “OK… I am worried. I don’t want her to disappear.”
“Alright, you savages!” Morooka called out. “Get in your seats NOW! Class is about to start!” Everyone got seated, calm, but on edge.
After school, Yua, Yosuke, and Chie dropped by the inn to check on Yukiko. “There sure are a lot of people here today,” Yua remarked.
“Yeah,” Yosuke said. “I can see why Yukiko might have needed to skip school.”
“Oh yeah,” Chie remembered. “This kind of thing happens, like, at least once a year. They get a big reservation, and it’s all hands on deck.”
“You could have told us that before,” Yosuke said.
“I mean, it’s not a secret,” Chie said. “Pretty much everyone in town knows about this.”
“Counterpoint: I only got here six months ago, and Yua JUST got here!”
“True…” Chie admitted.
Yua sighed. “Well, regardless, the point of us coming here is to make sure she’s OK. We can still do that.” The two of them nodded, and all three headed in the inn.
Surprisingly, Yukiko was behind the front desk. “Well that was easy,” Yosuke said.
Yukiko looked up at them. “Oh. Hello. Did you need a reservation for something? I have to warn you, I do have a lot going on, so now might not be the best time.”
“Nah,” Chie said. “We just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I see,” Yukiko said. “Well, to be honest, I am burning my candle at both ends right now trying to keep things together.”
“Well, um,” Yosuke said, “I can tell you’re rather busy. So, tell you what, once things die down, why don’t the four of us share a meal at Junes? My treat.”
“You’d do that for me?” Yukiko said, surprised. She smiled. “Thanks.”
Yua glanced around. “Say, um, have you seen anyone suspicious in this crowd?”
“Um, not really,” Yukiko said. “But I carry some pepper spray just in case.”
“Good,” Yua said.
“Is something the matter?” Yukiko said.
“Well…” Yosuke said. “It’s just with the two murders recently, we just want to be sure you’re alright.”
“Yeah!” Chie said. “You’re coming to school less, you’re working at the inn more, plus this inn was where that Yamano lady was staying at.”
“Aww. Are you worried I’m going to get caught up in all this?” Yukiko said. “Like I said, I’ve got pepper spray. If some unknown creep tries anything, pachow! Right in the face.”
“No offense, but you’re not the best judge of that,” Chie said. “Remember earlier this week with that one weird kid?”
“Well that’s…” Yukiko said. “I mean, he ran away, right?”
“Yeah, but!”
“Don’t worry, Chie,” Yukiko said. “I can handle it. “Besides, most of the customers have been checked in at this point. The rest of my day is going to be spent taking inventory, accepting a delivery, and some room service with my mom. I’m going to be fine.”
Chie sighed. “Alright. I trust you Yukiko. But I’m going to come back tomorrow, OK?”
“Fine by me,” Yukiko said.
Yua nodded. “Thank you.” She, Yosuke, and Chie left the inn.
As they were walking, Yosuke asked “Are you sure she’s going to be safe?”
“I don’t know,” Chie said. “But I don’t think I need to be some knight in shining armor protecting her 24/7.”
“Yeah,” Yua said. “She has a lot on her plate already. I think us serving as protection detail would just be more of a hindrance than anything.”
“True,” Yosuke said. “But I think we should keep an eye on The Midnight Channel just to be safe.” The two girls nodded. The group continued on, heading home for the evening.
Once evening hit, the rain started pouring, and the police were investigating the area. Ryotaro was pondering what evidence he could. Adachi walked up to him. “Looks like we’ve found everything we’re gonna find. Pretty sure this rain is gonna wash away any small trace we may have missed.”
“Hmmm,” Ryotaro noted. “Do you think that’s part of this plan?”
“Who knows?” Adachi said.
Ryotaro sighed. “I hate to classify this as a murder so soon into the investigation, but there’s nothing else it could be. Grrr. It’s tough when we don’t have a lot to go off of.”
“Do you think this has something to do with the scandal involving Miss Yamano and Namatame?”
“No,” Ryotaro answered. “Namatame’s wife, Miruzu Hiiragi, was out of the country during the incident. Witness accounts and her phone records prove it. Besides, she’s the one who broke the story. Why would she do that if she was planning on murder?”
“I guess that’s a fair point,” Adachi said.
“Not only that, but Namatame has a solid alibi as well,” Ryotaro continued. “No matter how much we shake him down, he doesn’t know anything.”
“Heard he got fired too,” Adachi noted. “This whole situation must be really rough for him.”
“I’ll say,” Ryotaro said. “When I talked to him, he seemed really devoted to Yamano, but also felt bad about hurting his wife. I don’t think he would kill Yamano.”
“But where does that leave us?” Adachi asked.
“We still don’t have a cause of death,” Ryotaro moaned. “It’d be one thing if we could at least determine that. Plus the fact that there’s been two victims like this is shocking. And it’s not like they killed the Konishi girl to shut her up. She had told us long before she was killed.”
“Well, maybe she knew something about the body that she didn’t tell us,” Adachi offered. “I mean, seeing a body like that isn’t an everyday occurrence. She might have forgotten something in the panic.”
“I say Adachi,” Ryotaro replied, “that’s using your brain. Hmmm. But now there’s the matter of how the killer got to each of them. Presumably, the killer caught Yamano around the inn.”
“Ah, you saw that on the news as well?” Adachi asked.
Ryotaro was stunned. “It’s on the news already?!” He sighed. “Honestly, this is just making our job harder and harder.”
“Well, who knows?” Adachi said, trying to cheer Ryotaro up. “The smallest thing could crack this case wide open.”
“Thanks,” Ryotaro said. “Let’s just refocus and make sure we know what we’re dealing with. I believe that this is a serial homicide case, and if that’s true, I believe the killer is working alone. And whoever the killer is, they have to be in Inaba. It seems to be centered on the first victim, Mayumi Yamano, but any link to her directly is a dead end. Perhaps there’s another reason this is happening.”
“What else could it be?” Adachi asked.
“That…I’m still unsure on,” Ryotaro said. “However, it is good to think about.” He nodded. “We need to keep investigating. Right Adachi?”
“Yes sir!” Adachi replied. They continued to investigate for a bit, before returning to the station.
Yua got back to the Dojima residence. “Welcome back!” Nanako called out.
Yua smiled. “Thanks.” She noticed that Nanako was watching her trivia program and was really into it. She decided to leave her alone. After making herself a light dinner and eating it, she headed up to her room.
Once up there, she asked “Iazanagi?”
“Yes?” Izanagi replied.
“How do you know if someone is in the TV world or not?” Yua asked.
“I can just sort of sense it when I look into The Midnight Channel,” Izanagi explained. “It’s part of my connection to that world.”
“So that world is where you come from?” Yua asked.
“Is that an issue?” Izanagi wondered.
“I don’t know,” Yua said. “I just thought you were part of this world. You know, being a god and all.”
“I can see the confusion,” Izanagi said. “If it helps, think of that world as a realm of the gods and the machinations of humanity.”
“So, you’re not real?” Yua asked, confused.
“Well, it depends on your definition,” Izanagi explained. “What might not be real in the world you inhabit is real in the world over there. And as a god, I can walk between the two.”
“This has spiraled into complex theology,” Yua said, rubbing her head.
“You asked,” Izanagi snided.
“Fair enough,” Yua said. “Let’s just focus on the task at hand. I’m sure I can handle the true nature of everything once all of this gets sorted.”
“Ambitious,” Izanagi said.
The clock struck midnight. Yua and Izanagi turned their gaze to the TV. Almost instantly, Yukiko appeared on the screen. She was wearing a pink princess dress. She was smiling and had a microphone in her hands. “Good evening!” she started, her voice more bubbly than Yua had ever heard it. “Tonight, Princess Yukiko has a surprise for you! I’m going to find my own Knight in Shining Armor! Welcome to ‘Not a Hoax, Not a Dream, Princess Yukiko’s Hunt for Her Prince Charming!’ And might I mention that while this lovely dress is very demure, I do have on some lacy unmentionables to help score my stud! I’m off to catch a whole host of dreamboats who will make my dream come true! Here I goooooo~!” Yukiko then wandered off into a nearby castle.
The TV went back to normal. Yua and Izanagi were stunned. “OK,” Yua said. “I don’t have your power, but I do believe that Yukiko is in the TV world.”
