Persona 4 the Animation Episode 6

I've laughed at ridiculousness, and then I have LAUGHED. This episode made me LAUGH. It was primarily about introducing Kanji this tough as nails degenerate kind of guy that has the whole misunderstood(his sexual orientation perhaps?) thing going for him.

Kanji is a big boy and throughout the episode had Naru and the gang running for their livers. Now I don't get how one guy beats 100 of ANYTHING, let alone a street fight/brawl. What were all the other biker gang dudes doing while Kanji kicked their buddies a$ses? Sip'n tea? It never made sense to me. While Kanji was busy I would have snuck around the back side of him and stabbed him in the spine or cut his neck open, or grab him at the least so my buddy could scrape Kanji's brain as he dug his thumbs through Kanji's eyes(28 days later comes to mind). Then again there goes the entertainment right? This is anime NOT real life, I'm sorry forgive me. Either way, for being such a tough a$s one has to wonder why he's carrying around little stuffed pink bears(which hilariously Narukami gave back to him when Kanji dropped it)? Or blushing at the thought of a guy being intrigued by him. NOW, being a dude myself I can honestly say I don't really care what anyone thinks of me(with in reason) let alone a dude. If I want to impress anyone it'd be chicks but if they don't want anything to do with me, I'm certainly not going out of my way to do them any favors. SO. I see it as meaning one of a few things. ONE, is that this guy is so anti-social and friendless by his own accord that when someone(anyone or thing) cares about him it flatters him whether it be man, woman, or insect. TWO, this guy is just SUPER shy and is embarassed when someone isn't trying to kick his a$s but try and conversate like 99% of most other people do(kinda like my first idea). THREE, is that this guy is a tad homo-erotic, and in much the same ways our male leads react to women talking to them(I don't get it, how a dude or anyone can blush just because a cute person talks to them but then again I'm practically a social retard in regards to how open I am or simply uncaring) he reacts to men talking to him. NOW I think the shows people are either going with the "were going to imply he is a homo-sexual by having people say queer and have him with strong reactions but really hes not and we tricked you the viewer, shame on you for assuming" OR go with the equally likely "You think we think we will try and fool you into thinking he's a homo-sexual but thats not the truth, when in reality we know your thinking that and he really will turn out to be a homo-sexual, shame on you for assuming you knew our gameplan". Its anyones guess at this point unless you already know and then it isn't anyones guess I suppose.

Another thing! Narukami's eye catch said he was reliably brave YET he ran away from Kanji TOO!..... TWICE! That is bull sh*t! I wanted to see my main man Naru stay calm cool and collected like the bada$s he is. Still him saying we should run away to Amagi in a monotone voice was very amusing. AH! Amagi. Not only was she back in this episode but her personality is notably more sarcastic. I like the subtle change. We also had some relational development between Amagi and Narukami. Now THAT is what I like to see! Narukami is EXACTLY like me when I'm alone with chicks or anybody for that matter all the way down to the crossed arms. You see Narukami gets it. Its not about how you really feel or are, its about how you want to be perceived. NOW, the difference is Narukami really is a bada$s, he probably in his head is thinking "ah, this silence is nice" and I on the other hand would be thinking "yea babe, I know, I'm the strong and silent type". HAHA! clearly I'm biased towards Narukami. I feel I am a bada$s and I think Narukami is too. Nothing cooler than people thinking your confident and strong even if you aren't ;) now once you get to know me I'm more like Hana. I'm half and half in fact I feel most people are. Theres a time to be cool, and a time to be silly. I wouldn't want to be like Naru at a party, people would be wondering who died lol. Time and place for everything. Now that I'm a mile off subject getting back to it, Amagi isn't good with men and is CUTE because of it, and I think Naru took advantage of this by snatching her digits. O.K. I don't know how the f*ck it happened but I think Amagi beamed her phone number to Naru just by holding their phones together..... Yea, I know. Technology these days, its amazing right?

To end it, while Sato and Hana are on recon of Kanji because he appeared on midnight television, Sato and Hana are talking to each other on phones like they're on walkie talkies but there 2 feet from eachother! Oh man, I love it. Those two are PERFECT for eachother, a match made in heaven. They start talking about munchies and all this other crap lol.  Then while running from Kanji you have a women hunting them down to give Sato her delivery of food(some crazy Japanese food) needs change which Amagi gives her ALL while running. I love a show that doesn't take itself TOO seriously, I thought it was hilarious. I couldn't get a picture of it as all the action going down made the resolution atrocious and frothy(nvm I just got a good source).

Next episode I'm thinking they'll help out Kanji. But theres an X-factor. Who is that guy(very androgynous) that is bothering Kanji? He a villain or is he doing what Naru and the gang are, trying to save people on midnight television, but lone wolf style? not sure. Anyway good episode. By the way when Nanako said her mom was dead. Man that kid is optimism at its finest. Being without a parent certainly isn't easy. I find her strength in character very refreshing and a breath of fresh air. Her dad is also trying his best as a single parent who works as a detective, and while Nanako must have been lonely before now she has big bro Narukami, I'm happy for her. Oh yea, how in the F*CK did Sato remember the scarf as a connection between Kanji's textile store and that women having an affair?!?!!? I had COMPLETELY forgotten I would never remember that. In fact only that it was a noose stool out to me. I think that revelation would make Jimmy Kudo blush.

-Relic P.S. Nice swimming trunks yo!

Persona 4 the Animation Episode 4

It definitely started quick. We find Naru gets ANOTHER power! I didnʼt play the game so 

Iʼm not sure how many Personas he gets to have. Sato is immediately taking the lead 

and slicing stuff up with her new found Persona. I donʼt know when but sheʼs got the 

glasses now too(the have some rainbow stripes on the side)! Those glasses make 

everything better I tell you! The action is a little more action-y, the sexiness a bit more.... 

sexy. I love it, its like the initiation thing, you know your a bada$s when you got Teddie 

giving you some glasses. Now Iʼd like to quickly mention my thinking when they run into 

Amagi at the top of the stairs... What was Amagi doing(her Persona version that is)? 

Why didnʼt Amagi just send those tongue monsters before and then just wait in her 

Persona form for the group? Was she just sitting up there with her back turned JUST so 

she could get caught with her pants down(figuratively of course)? I think most people 

donʼt think twice but when you have that video game moment where they give a speech 

as your hanging off a ledge giving just enough time for the tables to turn...It never made 

sense! Just go over there step on there fingers! Albeit, I acknowledge this doesnʼt make 

for good entertainment BUT Iʼm just saying...... 

Well we get some of Amagiʼs back story which was QUITE nice, I must say. I was 

REALLY loving that bird cage permutation and how it was a parallel of how Amagi felt 

deep down. Hasnʼt everyone at some point felt like they were suffocating from their own 

life. Feeling destined to be something you donʼt want. Amagi dinʼt ask to be the 

successor of an inn yet here she is, born to here fate. Nobody wants to feel the 

constraint of something like that, to feel the pressure and forced burdens of other 

people. At the least Amagi could commiserate with the bird she found right?! Well no. 

That bird refused to be caged in and went to soar into its OWN sky and horizon, while Amagi was left behind. She was probably angry that she wasnʼt needed like she finally 

felt she was(which she is to Sato but a lack of confidence and being misunderstood, you 

can see the trouble this can cause). At some point co-dependence can be the death of 

someone. Amagi wanted to be saved by someone but that person couldnʼt even save 

them selves. Sato and Amagti need each other to stand which is fine as long as it isnʼt 

dysfunctional like it was(Satoʼs jealousy and Amagiʼs lack of self worth, bad combo 

though their friendship looked good on paper Iʼll admit). 

I like the point Naru made. Even though Sato couldnʼt do everything and be Amagiʼs 

prince(Idolm@ster episode 17 anyone?), Sato genuinely loved Amagi truly cherishing 

her friendship regardless of the jealousy she occasionally walks hand in hand with. Sato 

tried too hard to save Amagi instead of letting Amagi save her self! The fisherman, teach 

a man to fish he can feed himself for life, proverb comes to mind. It was really a very 

touching and morally intricate episode if you were willing to dig deep and glean the 

philosophic lessons it subtly provided. I love it! 

also liked the implications of needing to accept even the negative, and not leave 

anyone behind or forget about them. I think the tortured Persona souls when I think 

about this. Sure they seem terrible but think about it. Theyʼre all alone and hated. 

Wouldnʼt that warp your sense of morality too? The personas are also very childlike, 

they just want to be loved and needed too. And really these Personas are just the 

characteristics in yourself that you find undesirable and shove away deep in the 

subconscious. How can you love others when you donʼt completely love yourself? And 

by loving your Personas and accepting them you can then begin to love and accept 

others. It was very cathartic episode and when Amagi hugged her Persona who was like 

a child full of superficial problems that just needed a spanking(or round house kick of 

fire) and a good talking to, to reform, my heart squirmed(in a good way).

On a lighter note, Narukami got his facial expression all the way to clumsy, hell he even 

smiled in this episode! I like the interactive eye catches the show has. As for Amagi, 

sheʼs actually quite hilarious, she just had to be comfortable with herself and everyone 

else, in fact sheʼs down right dorky(in a good way) and i liked this other side of Amagi 

that no one sees too much beside I suppose Sato. With everyone in their quadrio clan 

with their own Personas and newfound iron will Iʼm excited for next week!  I wonder why 

Naru never had to fight his Persona though..... Hmmm? he IS a bada$s I guess!

-Relic

persona 4 the Animation Episode 3

I was pretty spot on with my thinking that the following episodes would have to do with each main character acquiring a Persona of their own. May I just quickly say that each week I don't own and can't play this game(Zelda performance broke my bank, I can barely afford to breathe air) is another week I scheme to come up with the funds to get it! The yellow box art and cover beckons me. Anyway when Sato and Amagi were kids they were so cute! You could see their personality even then.

Well I got to say I am liking the approach to Persona THUS far. Though they're essentially using a formula, it is a good one and the formula uses variation in order to keep it fresh. I can't get enough of Sato! Oh yea I'm using nick names for our characters. I'm notoriously biased in regards to my affinity for anime characters. I generally am indifferent to every male character EXCEPT the type like our man Naru! I'll get to him later though. As for Sato. I love that she is a female and has my favorite personality, which would be the head strong personality and one full of smiles, but STILL has faults and character flaws where we find they're not as care free as we'd previously thought. Sato has that really balanced friendship with Amagi, they complement each other so well. THEN Amagi goes missing. Sato, joined by Hana and Naru, desperately searches for Amagi in the Velvet Room. In doing so Sato came across her Persona. Her Persona was UNEXPECTEDLY sorta....kinda..... well, SEXY! and mysterious with those yellow eyes of hers. Then she turns all S+M looking with a giant yellow banana mask, with these really gross man eyes and... yea its NOT happy times. I think what the shows theme is, this far in, is that we should not repress the parts of our personality that we find undesirable because in doing so we are not truly being 'us' and by burying it the trait only becomes more warped and out of hand and will manifest itself some how some way. Accept who you are and then recognize even the malevolent part of what makes you, YOU, where you can then  make an attempt to eradicate the trait or at the least live beside it with a close eye so as to keep it in check. Sato needs to be comfortable with who she is. She may not be Amagi but Amagi isn't Sato and in being together they can rub off on each other , mutually benefit each other, and minimize chances of jealousy or resentment. I hope Sato can save Amagi, just the way they became friends was cute. Especially Sato's big Mastiff looking dog that brought the two together so long ago.

Now as for Naru... I love when the cool types suddenly reveal heaps of personality. He saw Amagi acting QUITE provocative on the midnight television. When called by Hana who asked if Naru saw it he was like, I wished I'd TAPED it. Even he has desires. Amagi is cute, he knows that, and he wants to see her do sexy things and act phoophy. What more logic be needed? Him and Hana are making a cool team, with Hana slowly learning how to fight from Naru who is supernaturally adept at it and somehow knows the intricate details without prior knowledge(or so it seems). He even disassociates him self from Hana(I don't know if it was just because people are being murdered left and right but those police were overly cautious, not to mention the swords were fake weren't they?) in an attempt to avoid the slammer. I love it when people leave their friends out to dry with no remorse but then get caught up anyways. With those two and sato's new abilities I'm confident they'll save Amagi. Heck Naru gets multiple Persona's?! Pyro Jack was sick as f*ck yo! I feel bad for the BAD guys. Oh yea, and police detectives shouldn't be so loose speaking.

Now as for Naru getting bit in the hand by Teddie.... UHHHHH what if someone had seen him stick his hand through a GOD D*MN TELEVISION!?!?!? THAT, I guarantee would not have blown over very well :) in fact I would have absolutely pulled a bystander and screeeeeeeeamed like a pig, haha! As for Amagi acting very B-Hata-ish I dont know why. She wants a harem and is wearing(or so she says) lingerie panties!? acting flirty? So uncharacteristic. I think maybe its not really Amagi. Who knows? I liked it though, I can hardly wait for next week.

Oh yea and that eye catch that shows his stats I think effects Naru in the show because the time he has better understanding he is really funny! And another thing I noticed is that little girl Nanako said the weather is nice so she should do laundry... that means the velvet room(I'm starting to doubt that this is what I should call the Other World but I'm stuck and enjoy it so for now its the Velvet Room) is a hell hole of hostility! Then Amagi is in deep sh*t! They got to find her. But by the looks of it shes already...brain washed? Acting how she... I dunno truly wants too? I have a feeling that Amagi's Persona is going to have a psychological field day, raping Amagi's mind.

-Relic P.S. I can't add enough EMPHASIS when I say Persona version of Satonaka was SEEEEEEXY!

Look at those sharp wolfish eyes and lips!
Not to mention that smirk!Dang!