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lightace
Jul 13, 2016
So if Maaku has a cat companion, does that make him the magical girl?

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Josef bugman
Nov 17, 2011

Pictured: Poster prepares to celebrate Holy Communion (probablY)

This avatar made possible by a gift from the Religionthread Posters Relief Fund

Deltasquid posted:

The final boss is a huge pair of Kamina sunglasses, going "who the hell do you think we are"

I think if there is any justice Makku should get a set of sunglasses like that.

vdate
Oct 25, 2010

lightace posted:

So if Maaku has a cat companion, does that make him the magical girl?

Maaku is the most magical of girls.

Cuveball Sliders
Oct 9, 2007

vdate posted:

On a topic not related to Mishima or the increasing improbability of the specificity of Sae's interrogation...ity, it's interesting to me how quickly the kids have boomeranged from 'sweet jesus gently caress what did we do' to 'you know, there are an awful lot of highly deserving complete douchebags out there that society can't touch'. Part of the reason it's 'interesting' and not 'a deal-breaker' is that it's pretty clear these days that there are an awful lot of highly deserving complete douchebags out there that society is unwilling to touch.

It does make me wonder, though - the complete douchebags have only really been obvious to me (who admittedly lives in his school bubble, devoid of information not related to microbial ecology) for about a year, and I'm guessing that the game was in development for considerably longer than that. Has there been some similar upwelling of douchebaggery in Japanese politics/culture prior to that that inspired the game's themes? Alternatively, it's possible that they started with the 'phantom thieves' angle and just extrapolated to the whole 'spirit of rebellion/revolution' business. I know approximately gently caress-all about the 'phantom thief' sub-sub-genre - is anybody around here better-qualified to comment on that?

This is actually one of the most progressive and compassionate eras in human history by many metrics

Rangpur
Dec 31, 2008

e: ^^^^ pretty sure that's not the question he was asking, man

Japan is a hidebound gerontocracy, and often vicious towards those who buck the established hierarchy. Most of the social links deal with this in one form or another, though I can't get too specific without treading into spoiler territory. I wouldn't say the issues it tackles (with... varying success as we've seen with Ann & Kamoshida) are unique to contemporary Japan, but they express themselves in a way that marks Persona 5 as a product of its time and place, moreso than 3 & 4.

eternaldough
Jan 16, 2017

Rangpur posted:

e: ^^^^ pretty sure that's not the question he was asking, man

Japan is a hidebound gerontocracy, and often vicious towards those who buck the established hierarchy. Most of the social links deal with this in one form or another, though I can't get too specific without treading into spoiler territory. I wouldn't say the issues it tackles (with... varying success as we've seen with Ann & Kamoshida) are unique to contemporary Japan, but they express themselves in a way that marks Persona 5 as a product of its time and place, moreso than 3 & 4.

I don't know, Persona 3 feels as mid 2000s as you can get.

Blue Labrador
Feb 17, 2011

freshlybaked posted:

I don't know, Persona 3 feels as mid 2000s as you can get.

Aesthetically I agree; you can't have that many horns and fat beats in your ost without sounding like you're from the era of OutKast. But as far as plot and themes go I don't remember anything being particularly political or topical for the time period. I might be forgetting something about it though, it's been awhile since I played through the thing.

Montegoraon
Aug 22, 2013
P3 was more about internal struggles. It's themes would have been quite recognizable to a Japanese person, but it stringently avoided drawing parallels to specific real world events.

Deltasquid
Apr 10, 2013

awww...
you guys made me ink!


THUNDERDOME
P3 is very early 2000's. It belongs in the era of halo montages and Linkin Park.

GoneRampant
Aug 19, 2016

by FactsAreUseless

Blue Labrador posted:

Aesthetically I agree; you can't have that many horns and fat beats in your ost without sounding like you're from the era of OutKast. But as far as plot and themes go I don't remember anything being particularly political or topical for the time period. I might be forgetting something about it though, it's been awhile since I played through the thing.

Persona 3's themes largely revolve around death- the knowledge that your time on this world is finite and that you must strive to live every day to its maximum potential so that you can ultimately embrace death and not run away from it. It's a rather timeless game story-wise, since humanity will always have that fear of death, and most modern medical advances are there so we can prolong our time here.

kw0134
Apr 19, 2003

I buy feet pics🍆

I want to say that P3 has a sense of the apocalyptic doomsaying that was felt strongly in the turn of the century and the fact it firmly rejects it feels like a response to the millennialism that the world was coming to an end soon, whether it was Y2K, 2012, any number of asteroids hitting the Earth, climate change, Bush triggering a nuclear war, etc. The reveal of Erebus in "The Answer" can be viewed almost as a metatextual swipe at the contemporary doomsday trend in fiction and media.

P4 is more relevant than ever with its plot driven by who pays attention to what at any given time, but its focus on television exclusively above all other media feels dated. The underlying theme of personas and accepting who you really are is of course an utterly timeless theme and is particularly resonant given that the primary cast members are high schoolers for whom identity is often malleable and uncertain.

Oxxidation
Jul 22, 2007

kw0134 posted:

I want to say that P3 has a sense of the apocalyptic doomsaying that was felt strongly in the turn of the century and the fact it firmly rejects it feels like a response to the millennialism that the world was coming to an end soon, whether it was Y2K, 2012, any number of asteroids hitting the Earth, climate change, Bush triggering a nuclear war, etc. The reveal of Erebus in "The Answer" can be viewed almost as a metatextual swipe at the contemporary doomsday trend in fiction and media.

Little did they know that the millennials were right all along.

vdate
Oct 25, 2010

kw0134 posted:

P4 is more relevant than ever with its plot driven by who pays attention to what at any given time, but its focus on television exclusively above all other media feels dated. The underlying theme of personas and accepting who you really are is of course an utterly timeless theme and is particularly resonant given that the primary cast members are high schoolers for whom identity is often malleable and uncertain.

Kanji and Naoto's particular identity crises are also increasingly relevant what with examination of gender roles (and gender relations and indeed gender studies in gend general) being increasingly present in the public consciousness lately.

Haifisch
Nov 13, 2010

Objection! I object! That was... objectionable!



Taco Defender

kw0134 posted:

P4 is more relevant than ever with its plot driven by who pays attention to what at any given time, but its focus on television exclusively above all other media feels dated.
It felt slightly dated even at the time of its release. Some wiggle room could be given for its dying small town setting(since infrastructure presumably wouldn't be the best), but it was still unrealistic that the internet didn't enter the picture at all. The internet was definitely A Thing for getting news by 2008. Not as overwhelming as it is now, but still enough that someone P4 Protag's age would be using it a lot.

Which made P5 even more refreshing since suddenly everyone has a smart phone with them and we get an internet opinion poll on the loading screens.

Stephen9001
Oct 28, 2013

Oxxidation posted:

Little did they know that the millennials were right all along.

I assume you're referring to stuff like Trump and Brexit with this right? My apologies for asking, I just have an irrational need to confirm these things, even when they seem obvious.

I can have moments of... eccentricity and sometimes be quite curious about things. Please forgive me if I do something foolish or rude.

eternaldough
Jan 16, 2017

I hope the next Persona game is set in 2035 or something, and everything's shiny with holograms and robots serving trays.

Rangpur
Dec 31, 2008

I hope the next Persona game brings back Philemon and Nyarlthotep as romanceable social links.

girl dick energy
Sep 30, 2009

You think you have the wherewithal to figure out my puzzle vagina?
I don't think that's what "butterfly kisses" means.

vdate
Oct 25, 2010

PMush Perfect posted:

I don't think that's what "butterfly kisses" means.

:perfect:

gyrobot
Nov 16, 2011

GoneRampant posted:

Persona 3's themes largely revolve around death- the knowledge that your time on this world is finite and that you must strive to live every day to its maximum potential so that you can ultimately embrace death and not run away from it. It's a rather timeless game story-wise, since humanity will always have that fear of death, and most modern medical advances are there so we can prolong our time here.

Not just death but also loss in general. A friend moves away with no way to keep in touch, an online game shut down leaving nothing but memories or a store opens its doors for the last time.

Persona 4's idea about truth and lies also is seen in the social links. Everyone had a lie they made themselves to cope and through your help they stop lying to themselves and become stronger people

Haifisch
Nov 13, 2010

Objection! I object! That was... objectionable!



Taco Defender

Rangpur posted:

I hope the next Persona game brings back Philemon and Nyarlthotep as romanceable social links.
And Nyarly gives you a bad end like Adachi does in P4G.

Tendales
Mar 9, 2012
One of the great things about the Persona series is that each game, at least from P2 onward, has a theme beyond the literal plot of the game. That's why even though the day-to-day stuff might be dated, the story still holds up. They're variations on the theme of accepting difficult truths. P2 is about accepting your past mistakes, P3 is about accepting your future non-existence, P4 is about accepting your current gooniness.

We can probably tell by now what P5's difficult truth is by now, but discussion on that should wait, I think.

ApplesandOranges
Jun 22, 2012

Thankee kindly.

gyrobot posted:

Not just death but also loss in general. A friend moves away with no way to keep in touch, an online game shut down leaving nothing but memories or a store opens its doors for the last time.

Persona 4's idea about truth and lies also is seen in the social links. Everyone had a lie they made themselves to cope and through your help they stop lying to themselves and become stronger people

Except the Fox. And Margaret.

P4's choice of SLs can be rather questionable at times.

C. Everett Koop
Aug 18, 2008

Tendales posted:

One of the great things about the Persona series is that each game, at least from P2 onward, has a theme beyond the literal plot of the game. That's why even though the day-to-day stuff might be dated, the story still holds up. They're variations on the theme of accepting difficult truths. P2 is about accepting your past mistakes, P3 is about accepting your future non-existence, P4 is about accepting your current gooniness.

We can probably tell by now what P5's difficult truth is by now, but discussion on that should wait, I think.

P5 is accepting the that the law isn't on your side. P6 is accepting that you're always broke. P7 is accepting that You Can't Count Out Touchdown Tom. P8 is accepting tha

Jen X
Sep 29, 2014

To bring light to the darkness, whether that darkness be ignorance, injustice, apathy, or stagnation.

C. Everett Koop posted:

P5 is accepting the that the law isn't on your side. P6 is accepting that you're always broke. P7 is accepting that You Can't Count Out Touchdown Tom. P8 is accepting tha

I would totally play a Persona game about stopping the New England Patriots through the same satanic bullshit Belichek uses to power the team

Haifisch
Nov 13, 2010

Objection! I object! That was... objectionable!



Taco Defender

C. Everett Koop posted:

P6 is accepting that you're always broke.
I see they're going to target millennials even harder, then.

gyrobot
Nov 16, 2011

ApplesandOranges posted:

Except the Fox. And Margaret.

P4's choice of SLs can be rather questionable at times.

Fox's lie is through the people around them, the lie that they cannot make the wish they want happen and the fox herself can't give advice personally to aid them. Through the protagonist's assistance, they embrace the truth that they can change as a person.

For Margaret her lie would be lying to Yu that she wants the Personas but because she wanted to see Yu's dedication to improving his own personal self by making others see the truth isn't such a terrible thing

ManlyGrunting
May 29, 2014
Margaret's lie is that she thinks she wants beefcake, but she is actually thirsty for Yu's twinky self.

Arist
Feb 13, 2012

who, me?


Part 23: 5/6-5/7: Night Moves

Music: Tokyo Daylight



Don’t forget to study, though. I won’t have you blaming me if your grades start dropping.



Over on this side of the classroom is that crude logo of Ryuji’s design. The image drawn on this chalkboard will change as the game progresses to reflect the story, so I’ll make note of it.



Oh poo poo, cops. Let’s just calmly avoid them...



poo poo.

Oh, right, can I ask you something? Have you received any physical punishment, threats, or verbal abuse from Mr. Kamoshida? Even if it’s something minor, let me know if you happen to know anything at all.



I’m having war flashbacks to that speedo.

Huh? Hold on, so what you’re saying is that he’s exposed his naked body to you?
Physical punishment, threats, sexual harassment, and even indecent exposure. That fiend… I’m sure we’ll find that he committed even more offenses if we dig around a little more.

The cops only show up today, so we don’t need to worry about their presence later on.

Anyway, we find someone else worth talking to over in the Practice Building...




Heh, there’s no need for you to play dumb. My actions have been attracting too much attention lately. It’s no wonder you figured it out… Keep this just between us, OK? No one can know I’m the Phantom Thief who defeated Kamoshida…

I love this dumbass.

Anyway, let’s head back up to Ann, who seems… perturbed.



What should I do…? Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to at least ask… No, but then…
Lady Ann seems depressed...
U-Um… never mind! It’s nothing!
I should be able to invite her out with my current Kindness.
I’m fine, seriously! Besides, I wouldn’t wanna trouble you...



...Are you sure? You’re so reliable. I guess it wouldn’t be so bad talking to you about this stuff.
So, what do you think? Will you spend some time with Lady Ann?
>Hang out with her
All right, let’s go to the diner.
Well, I’m gonna go take a walk while you’re busy with her. Let me know when you’re ready to leave.

Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)



...It’s Shiho. Well… I went to visit her in the hospital. She… She said she was sorry. Sorry for not telling me about Kamoshida… about all the things he was doing to her… But it was my fault too. I didn’t realize how much trouble she was in… I wasn’t there for her… So, I apologized as well.




I’m glad I finally got to tell her everything I couldn’t bring myself to say before. And, um… remember how Kamoshida threatened to take Shiho off the team if I didn’t sleep with him? I had only agreed to it so that I wouldn’t ruin Shiho’s dreams… But now that I think about it, he never would have put her on the bench and cost his team games… I seriously should have dared him to try and take her starting spot. ...But in the end, maybe I just didn’t believe in her ability.




You actually get more points if you agree with her here, but to hell with that, I’m here to try to make her feel better, not indulge her bullshit self-loathing.

But… it all happened because I was weak. That’s why I believed Kamoshida’s authority outweighed Shiho’s own ability to earn her starting spot. Maaku, do you remember the last time I talked to you like this? When I got that phone call from Kamoshida… and cried. I felt so alone… scared, even… But because you were there for me, I decided not to go. I was a little surprised at how pushy you were about it… but I see now you just wanted to help. ...Thanks.




Back then, people used to call me all sorts of names… “Prissy bitch,” “Kamoshida’s girl”… I got tired of it pretty quickly. But to tell you the truth, someday I want to be able to take labels like that in stride. Hey, um… Personas are the power of the heart, right? That means if my heart gets stronger, my Persona will too. So… I want to strengthen my heart. And I want to use that strength to help the people around me. I hope we can save people from trouble, just like we did when we changed Kamoshida’s heart. Though honestly… I don’t even know what “strong” is. But I’m going to find the answer, I promise.





*giggle* I guess that doesn’t really count though, huh? Well… I’ll be relying on you. Let’s train together and make our hearts super strong!
I sense a heightened motivation from Ann...



Girl Talk is exactly the same as Ryuji’s Punk Talk, just for Ann instead.

A strong heart… Hmmm...



I mean, they’re free, so not getting any would mean you have a strong heart!



...Is that not right? Well, I’ll see you later.

Music: Alright (Elp Version)



Sojiro tosses Maaku a key.



You get to lock up from now on. I can’t keep waiting for you to come home. Don’t start any fires, OK?

Music: Beneath the Mask (Absolutely listen to this)

We finally unlock the full night theme, and it is amazing.



FREEDOM AT LAST

Do you want to go out now that we’re allowed to?

HELL YEAH

Oh, and come to think of it… shouldn’t we stop by the airsoft shop and ask about that paper bag?



But first, TV.

His many works fetch extraordinary prices, even overseas. He’s truly a world-renowned artist.
Madarama takes in children with no family as his pupils, giving the a home, right? He’s a saint...




Over here, we find a cop talking to that drunken souse from earlier.



Pleash, forgive me. I failed yoush as a mother, Kamoshida. Why’dya do those thiiiings?
Kamoshida? Oh, that guy who was arrested for sexual harassment?
*sniff* Suguru…! I didn’t raise yoush to grow up like thish! Suguruuuuuuu!

Isn’t crippling alcholism a riot?




Over by the station square, we find the man we met earlier giving a speech. Doesn’t seem like the crowd is into it though…



The runaway-train incident, mysterious psychotic breakdowns, a school with corrupt teachers… We have yet to discover the truth of it all! The apathy that permeates society is a direct result of negligence by our government and the media.



Are you interested in politics?



Are you a student? I’m delighted to captivate the interest of someone your age. ...Hmmm, I could use the help of a young person, but I can’t hire someone without any experience. I’m sorry about that. However, I’d be happy if you stopped by to hear one of my speeches again. ...Well then, that’s all for today. I’m heading to the beef bowl shop...



That guy seemed to want some help… He isn’t very popular, but his speech-giving skills might be helpful in the Metaverse. Hey, you should work part-time at the beef bowl shop. If he sees you working hard, maybe he’ll let you help him.



On the way back to the job magazines, however, we run into this random homeless man.




Tch… so you’re just messin’ with me. Whatever. You know about that huge accident the other day? Pretty funny stuff! Everyone’s been gettin’ all nervous because of it. I love seeing the fear in their faces.

Uhhhhhh, well… Let’s just go find the job magazines.




We now have enough Charm to accept this job.

A part-time job at a flower shop, huh? Being around all those flowers might boost your Kindness. It seems kinda hard. You sure you wanna do it?
>Apply
Let’s call them right now.
Hi, this is the flower shop Rafflesia. Would you like to order some flowers? Oh, you saw our ad? Ah, I see. In that case, I can get you started right away. As for what days… We can work around your schedule. Just come straight to the store on a day you’re available. We’re in the Shibuya Underground Shopping Mall. I’ll be waiting for you.
You got the job! Nice going!

Instead of heading to that job, we’re just going to accept the other available job, because that’s the one we’re actually here for.



Ooh, a part-time job at the beef bowl shop, huh? Seems tough, but you might improve your Proficiency. What do you wanna do? Gonna apply?
>Apply
Yeah, we can go to Shibuya at night now! Let’s call them right now!
Hello. This is Ore no Beko on Central Street. How many people are you ordering for? Oh, you’re calling about the job opening. This is great timing. We’re in need of some extra hands. I’d take just about anyone at this point. You don’t mind working at night, do you? Stop by any time you’re free to work. I’ll be waiting! We’re right by the entrance to Central Street. Hope to see you soon.
That settles it. You’d better work hard, OK?

Let’s head over to Central Street, then.




The world the way it is, a lotta people been finding themselves roofless. I had a life once, you know. I was an art student. Yeah, I was cool and everything.

Huh, poor guy.





Hey, man! Thanks for giving me the time of day. Everyone avoids me because my Japanese is pretty rough. I’m just trying to promote this bar, y’know? You’re just a kid, though. I can’t let you in. Sorry, man.

Based on this interaction, I assume that in Japanese he’s speaking rudely or informally by accident, but if so it simply didn’t translate at all, which makes the other options hilariously dickish for no reason.



Time to head to Untouchable to hand over that bag.

Music: Layer Cake



Are you gonna try and sell me somethin’ weird again?
That modified model gun should be a powerful weapon to use during Palace battles. Let’s ask him about what was inside the bag! ...Don’t freak out, Maaku! Just ask him!
…...



...Should we not?
Hey, you gonna buy somethin’?

Sorry, no. For reference, Dauntless is Rank 4 Guts. We’re still at Rank 2, meaning we’re going to be holding on to that bag for the next several months, and every time we come in here it’s going to notify us that we’re too chickenshit to talk to him about it.

It’s a lovely situation all around.



Let’s head to work then.




Time for work? All right, work hard and make that money.

Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)



No need to introduce yourself. I actually need you to start working right away. Do you have any questions about the job?



Not quite. Our budget’s been cut despite being short-staffed… so you’ll have to do everything alone. You’re a spry young dude, right? You’ll be fine. I’ll pay you more to make up for the extra work! Anything else?



Take customers’ orders, prep them, serve them, ring them up, and then clean the store. The meals are all ready-made, so it should be simple. Just make sure you’re nice to the customers, OK? OK, I need to head out for a bit! Keep an eye on the shop until I get back.

Oh jeez, I’m alone on my first day.



Oh, well. Just give it your best shot, I guess. I’ll be cheering you on.



Hey, someone wants to change their order. Add an egg? They should have told us earlier.



This is your pay today. Thank you. Well, I hope you can keep it up.




But you still managed all those orders by yourself. If you ask me, you were pretty proficient.

Maaku gains Proficiency +2.

Come on, let’s leave.



Anon: laaame roflmao
Anon: not even worth a laugh
Anon: Who’s spreading this?


Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)




“Volleyball Beating Investigation!” The school claims to have left teaching methods up to its staff. It has denied once again that it had any knowledge of the beatings. “Pollen Warning as of Next Week!” Greater volume and arriving later than in previous years. “Hotspots of Tokyo!” Experience art in Shibuya! The Madarame exhibit opens next week.
People are really talking about the Kamoshida incident. No one in this car knows that we’re the ones who did it...

Music: So Boring



Anyway, today we’ll be talking about “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.” Most theorize it’s the oldest story in Japan; for some, it’s the oldest science-fiction story in the world. But if you ask me, it’s the oldest story in Japan about a terrible woman. I mean, Princess Kaguya gives her suitors absurd tasks, demands fancy gifts, then runs off to the moon. Some men lose their fortunes, some are humiliated, and some even get serious wounds or go blind. Women like Princess Kaguya actually show up in a lot of stories from around the world. Now then, Hamiru-kun. What do people generally call a woman who has a charm that sometimes leads men to their doom?



Really tempted to pick “Elizabeth” there, but alas.

That’s right. The answer is femme fatale. Literally translated, it means “fatal woman.” Some famous examples are the witch Morgan le Fay from Arthurian legen and Queen Salome from the Bible. Not to mention the wild, seductive dancer of opera, Carmen.

Maaku gets Knowledge +1

...Let me just warn you that exams aren’t so easy that you can pass them with a single night of cramming. Take your time and make sure you understand the material, OK?
...You heard her. Must be rough being a student. Well, you have nothing to lose from studying. Give it all you got.

Music: My Homie



There ain’t even a hint of a hint about a new Palace...
We can’t get everything online… Finding a post with a name and location is asking a lot…
Guess we just gotta find one ourselves then!
Are you seriously suggesting we look for a target that even the police have overlooked?
...Yeah, you’re right. We should prolly just hold off ‘til exams are done with, huh? We can wait and see for a little longer, then worry about comin’ up emptyhanded if it happens…




Morgana jumps out of sight via Ryuji’s head.

Oh...

Music: Disquiet



...We’ll get outta here once we’re done chattin’. Anyways, what’s Miss Council President want with us?
The troublemaker, the girl of rumor, and the infamous transfer student… Interesting combination.



Great way to start a conversation...
By the way… It seems as though you got to know Mr. Kamoshida pretty well.



Are you playing dumb with me?
It just goes to show how little interaction he had with him.
Hm… I heard Mr. Kamoshida used a volleyball team member to spread details of your past record. Don’t you hate him? Mr. Kamoshida, I mean.
What’s all this about? My friend here’s an upstanding guy.
I don’t mean to offend. Many students have been shaken up by what happened with Mr. Kamoshida. The rumors about that odd, calling card-esque posting aren’t going away either.
I didn’t expect someone like you would care about tactless stuff, Niijima-senpai.



Anyways, we done here? We can’t leave if you keep talkin’ to us.
At least try to understand my position. Being forced to deal with this horseplay...
Horseplay…!?
Ah yes, by the way… It’s been decided that this place will be closed off due to the incident. I heard some people are coming up here without permission, after all.



What was that about?



She figured us out! drat, if only it weren’t completely obvious to anyone with half a brain!

That girl seems rather sharp. We should be cautious of her.
She really pisses me off!



Talk about a pain in the rear end...
That reminds me… Study hard. Especially you, Ryuji. There are bound to be traps that will need to be solved with brains. Keep in mind that everything you do in your daily lives has an impact on your abilities.

Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)

True, studying won’t be so bad if we just think of it as helping us prepare to be phantom thieves…
I guess you got a point… But man, it’s just so lame… I was all fired up about helpin’ people, not about studyin’...
Well, I do have somewhere interesting to show you beforehand. You guys did originally promise to help me out with my mission, after all.



Huh? Mission?
Follow me.



Just do as I told you.

Music: Wicked Plan



Look for a post with a full name in it.
I already said there’s no info on any big shots. Don’t you remember? But man, people actually go put someone’s real name on here. That’s some scary poo poo...

In this game’s world people are doxxing people they know so strangers they have almost no reason to believe exist will brainwash them. What a hosed-up future this is. Also remember that Kamoshida turned himself in like five days ago, which means that these rumors and the Phan-site have spread amazingly quickly even if it seems like no one’s buying them.

“He won’t listen to what I say”… No wait, there’s no name on this one.



Ignore those. Aren’t there any posts about more serious trouble?
“I don’t know what to do about my ex who’s stalking me. His name is Natsuhiko Nakanohara.” It says he’s a teller at City Hall.
A government worker’s stalkin’ someone…?
That should be a suitable target. All right, now get the Meta-Nav ready.
We’re just gonna jump right into a Palace? Fine by me!
Hey, what happened to all that talk of “unanimous decision”? What do you think we should do, Maaku?



That’s what I’m talkin’ about!
OK then. Let’s go.
We need a name and a place, right? So the name is...
Actually, we don’t need a location this time. Just enter exactly what I say. The keyword is… “Mementos.”
Huh? What’re you tryin’ to pull?
Just listen to me. It should work… I think.
Geez, that again…? Uhhh… “M-e-m-e-n-t-o-s,” was it?




Just as I thought!



Music: Tension



It… kind of feels like I’m walking on air…?
Is this that Nakanohara guy’s Palace?
That’s half right, but half wrong. This is a type of Palace, but it’s different from the normal ones. Come on, let’s head down. The Shadows here lurk underground. I don’t quite understand why. It may be because they’re drawn to something.
Underground? How are we going to get there?
How? You use it every day on your way to school. Follow me!






Music: Suspicion

Wait, our clothes changed!?
The Shadows know we’re here!?
Since the moment we stepped in.
You should’ve told us!
We’re still safe right here. I’ve come to investigate a number of times. Shadows never come up to this floor. But it’s a different story once you go down. This place is simply teeming with them.
More importantly, what is this Mementos!? It’s about time you start explaining.




A Palace as grand as the previous castle only forms when a person’s wishes are extremely distorted. So, instead of many individual Palaces, the general public has one gigantic shared Palace. That’s where we are now… Mementos.
Now that you mention it, this place feels a bit different from Kamoshida’s Palace...
When you say shared… you mean they’re all put together? Even though they’re just strangers…?
Think of it as the collective unconscious… No, never mind. You wouldn’t understand that.
So what you’re saying is… Using this place, we can even change the hearts of people who don’t have a Palace?
Correct! The steps to do so are slightly different though.
But this place looks pretty huge. Are we gonna be able to get around just by walkin’…?








Music: My Homie



CAR

A car…!?
No way!
This comes from the way cognition materializes in the Metaverse, plus a bit of extra training. It’s not dissimilar to how you guys transform.
You turnin’ into a car is totally different than our clothes changin’!



this is a really good joke

Why a bus though?
...No idea.
Wait, why didn’t you do this at the castle!?
I would have if I could!



Ryuji attempts to… board… Morgana. What the hell.



Ann notices and chases after him.

Hey, Skull! Ladies first!
Stop pullin’ me! That’s dangerous!
Panther! Please be gentle!

I should mention that any time Morgana emotes in this form he does so by jumping up on his back tires, it’s incredible.





I’m not going anywhere unless someone drives me.





THAT’S what you’re worried about?
Eh, who cares. We’re drivin’ a cat car through the Metaverse.
All right then, we’ll leave the driving to you!






Oh, there… That feels sooo goooooood…
Uh, is that purrin’ I hear…? What a creepy-rear end car!
Don’t underestimate my meowtary engine.

I’ll admit it, I laughed.

We’re going full throttle! It’s time to fly!

Next time, we’re exploring Mementos and stealing the heart of this Nakanohara guy.

Arist fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Aug 16, 2019

DivisionPost
Jun 28, 2006

Nobody likes you.
Everybody hates you.
You're gonna lose.

Smile, you fuck.

I had to put the controller down and walk away after seeing this. Even if there's an actual "joke" that I'm missing here, this is still an amazing combination of words, and it had me dying.

And it's still not the funniest gag in the game.

eternaldough
Jan 16, 2017

You linked the regular version of Beneath the Mask where you meant to link the night version, I think.

Everything about the car is still great, however.

C. Everett Koop
Aug 18, 2008
Genuinely wasn't expecting a Catmobile.

Arist
Feb 13, 2012

who, me?


freshlybaked posted:

You linked the regular version of Beneath the Mask where you meant to link the night version, I think.

Nah the lyrics just take a while to kick in

kw0134
Apr 19, 2003

I buy feet pics🍆

Have none of you seen My Neighbor Totoro? For shame.

Rainuwastaken
Oct 30, 2012

Another blue ribbon for Hecarim.
That god drat paper bag is the worst. Doesn't eat much time, but wow does mashing through the prompt get old real quick.

DeafNote
Jun 4, 2014

Only Happy When It Rains
The best joke followed by the best visual gag'


Joker/Maaku looks so bored with this van from the getgo

frajaq
Jan 30, 2009

#acolyte GM of 2014


What the gently caress just happened

Oxxidation
Jul 22, 2007

frajaq posted:

What the gently caress just happened

beep beep meow

Rangpur
Dec 31, 2008

It's an amusing nonsequiter sort of gag even without getting the reference but you still should go watch My Neighbor Totoro, ya dinks. Also welcome to the worst dungeon in a game that otherwise has very good dungeons,

Rangpur fucked around with this message at 23:03 on Jun 24, 2017

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Jen X
Sep 29, 2014

To bring light to the darkness, whether that darkness be ignorance, injustice, apathy, or stagnation.

frajaq posted:

What the gently caress just happened

Morgana pulled a random superpower out of his rear end

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