Persona 5 Analysis: Yusuke, Usurper
During my first playthrough of Persona 5, I took interest in the portrayal of Ichiryusai Madarame, the world-renowned artist who, spoiler alert, steals the futures of his apprentices. I found it curious that the game emphasized his being a quintessentially Japanese artist in multiple scenes, such as this one.
(screenshots from RabidRetrospectGames)
Madarame’s appearance and claim of Japanese-ness doesn’t end with his media portrayal, however.
In his Palace, the manifestation of his distorted desires, Madarame construes himself as a shogun, a historical warlord-ruler of Japan. While the office itself may not necessarily be “quintessentially Japanese,” the shogun’s Japanese-style garb, accoutrements, and hairstyle are distinct enough for even Ryuji to point out. Even in reality, Madarame is only ever seen wearing traditional Japanese clothing.
At first, I was puzzled by this effort to mark Madarame as authentically-culturally-Japanese, since no other characters seem to receive this treatment.
Then I realized that one other character does receive this treatment.
Yusuke’s Phantom Thief Garb is culturally Japanese, as he dons a Kitsune mask. Kitsune are foxes, but, in mythology, they are often thought of as having supernatural,shape-shifting powers. In addition to the mask, Yusuke wields a katana in battle, a traditional Japanese sword. And, when you deliver a combat-ending All Out Attack during Yusuke’s turn, you’re treated with this post-combat screen, which prominently features a Japanese dragon and what seems to be Yusuke’s hanko (a stamp of someone’s name used as a signature on official documents).
More importantly, even Madarame is outshined by Yusuke’s good looks in traditional Japanese clothing.
Yusuke’s “Japanese-ness” doesn’t end there, however.
Just as Yusuke is the only Thief to be aligned with Japanese aesthetics, his Persona is the only one that is aligned with Japanese history or mythology. And his Persona, Goemon, is a fascinating one. Since the figure of Goemon is generally discussed within the game, I just want to focus on a few key points. On the P5 website, Goemon is described as really catching the eye with his “Eastern-style garments,” with his ensemble complemented by a “kabuki-style face mask, and an enormous ornamental pipe.” The pipe is known as a kiseru, and it is, you guessed it, a traditional Japanese pipe. Additionally, the Persona Goemon is aligned with kabuki, a classical Japanese form of drama. The in-game description of Goemon’s background even makes reference to a famous kabuki scene in Kinmon Gosan no Ki, a play about the legendary figure Goemon. In this scene, Goemon sits atop the Sanmon gate at Nanzen-ji in Kyoto, smoking a silver kiseru.
Just as both Goemon and Yusuke are portrayed as quintessentially “Japanese,” they both attempt to usurp unjust “Japanese” rulers: legend says that Goemon attempted to assassinate Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Imperial Regent of Japan at the time, while Yusuke overthrows Ichiryusai Madarame, the self-imposed shogun of the Japanese art world.
How’s that for a fitting Persona, huh?
But, aside from the elegance of the storytelling here, why should we think about and discuss the depictions of Madarame, Yusuke, Goemon, and the “Japanese?” Why does all of this, you know, really matter?
It matters very deeply, because we can and should learn a very powerful lesson from these characters and this story.
That lesson is this: all that which seems to define and belong to your nation, people, or culture isn’t set in stone. The identity of any group, no matter how large or small, is always under flux. Your nation, culture, people- these are all fluid groups that change with time, actions, and ideas. That which is considered as “authentically Japanese,” or as defining “Japanese,” like Madarame defining the Japanese art world in Persona 5, is not inherently “Japanese.” Rather, it is just what the public thinks is “Japanese.” But that meaning changes, and so do the things and people which represent that meaning. Just as Madarame had to fight to become the face of the Japanese art world, so too can Yusuke fight to reclaim the face of the Japanese art world.
An individual can change their culture, their nation, or their people. Do not be bound by how others try to define you: break their definition, and you can create a new future defined on your own terms.
