Gushing About "Persona 5"

 ‘SUP, NERDS?!

I'm kind of sort of obsessed with Persona 5. What better way to unleash my passion than to blog about it? Just to cover my ass, there are baby spoilers briefly mentioned, but I think you're okay and probably won't notice them.

The design is superb. You can make this your desktop background!

My Love for Persona

For those who don’t know, I absolutely love Megami Tensei games. I discovered Persona 3 when I was just a freshman in high school and bought it at launch solely because I was thirsty for more thematically dark or horror video games. Little did I know Persona 3 would be one of the most influential games I would play during my adolescence.

As a fan of both role-playing and simulation games, Persona 3 instantly gained a spot in My 5 Favorite PlayStation 2 games. Not only do I enjoy P3, but I was satiated by the delicious Persona 4 just a little over a year later, forcing my mother to drive through a snow storm to pick up my preorder.

To add to my Persona fangirl craze, I was thrilled to play the upgraded in addition to the numerous spinoff series… but the P3/P4 fatigue grew. After waiting over 8 years later for another title and exploring the rest of MegaTen, Persona 5 released right in time for my birthday.

Design

Am I allowed to cosplay every Phantom Thief?
. . .
Nah, I'd rather be one.

I can genuinely say that Persona 5 is the best entry in the series, the art design impressing me first. MegaTen games typically have unique character and demon designs, but sometimes the menus and levels appear bland. However, Persona 5 takes its design everywhere—even the loading screen. I admire every bit of dust particle floating in the game world air to Ann’s cute clovers.

When I select my class, I’m rogue in any RPG. I knew going into P5 that the theme was thievery, but my mind was blown by the main characters’ personas themselves. The moment Arsene Lupin was revealed, I felt shivers down my spine. Being familiar with Maurice LeBanc’s character, there couldn’t have been a better thief selected for the main character... except Robin Hood, which is a discussion for another day.

One of my biggest gripes with the previous Persona entries are how awful the characters are. Most of the women of P3 were unpleasant and as the P4 universe grew, I began to dislike everyone since fan service was pushed further than actual character development. To be honest, the cast of P5 didn’t annoy me beyond Morgana telling me to sleep.

Going out on a "date" with Yusuke.

Characters

My favorite characters are Yusuke, Makoto and Akechi. This is going to sound corny, but I spent my entire in-game summer going on “dates” with Yusuke than I did with any girls. Of all the confidants, he felt the most dedicated to the main character, not to mention he's quite poetic. His messages remind me of my sweet, real boyfriend who I saw a lot of in Yusuke. I relate to Makoto through similar struggles and share a similar relationship with my older brother. And Akechi. lol. I don't have a good reason.

The various messages of P5 strongly resonate, especially rebellion. Through my senior year of college, teachers asked for introductions each quarter and I consistently described myself as a “low-key rebel.” I love how this theme grew with confidants as they rebelled against an oppressive, controlling figure.

LATER DWEEBS!

I don't feel the need to go into detail about the gameplay, but battles are exciting for a turn-based game. My first playthrough was set to hard and a few boss battles made me sweat!

Did you like Persona 5? Are you a fan of MegaTen? Which are your favorite titles?! I dig the Devil Survivor games on DS and 3DS. It's basically Fire Emblem--but better.

Loverly Liz

"Uzumaki": A Tale of Throwing Up in My Mouth a Little

'SUP, NERDS?!

My love for manga and horror never wanes. For those who don't know me, I collect new books and it takes me forever to actually get around to reading it. I recently embarked on a journey to Kurouzu-cho... a place I've been wanting to visit for years. Since turning the first page, it took me a couple months to finish Uzumaki because the spiral infiltrated my own world.

tldr; Junji Ito's Uzumaki

Uzumaki is a tale of sickness and obsession about spirals. Residents of Kurouzu-cho slowly become entranced with the motivation to create more and more spirals. The protagonists, Kirie and Shuichi, are the only people to resist the power of the spiral as their town deteriorates. If this sounds cool to you, you can purchase a fancy hardcover copy published by VIZ Media.

One of my favorite chapters is about
blood sucking pregnant women...
Trust me, it's amazing.

How Spoopy?

What makes Uzumaki creepy is not necessarily the visuals. I don't want to discredit the artwork, but Ito doesn't waste space. He makes fantastic use of screen tones to create more to look at than your average manga. Hell, sometimes I got a little dizzy after admiring his beautiful lines! Repulsive imagery.



Each chapter is carefully paced. making me cautious to turn the page, knowing there will be an abomination. I was disgusted by the behavior of victims as they descend into madness, feeling dirty as a witness to their crimes. As townies become hideous creatures, I feel the protagonists are the most (no pun intended) twisted.

Kirie & Shuichi

Kirie unsettles me. She narrates the story and casually accepts the strange events. Her boyfriend, Shuichi, is the first victim of the spiral when father dies from collecting spiral paraphernalia. After his father's death, his poor mother suffers from spiral paranoia. Identifying the curse, Shuichi urges Kirie to escape with him early, but neither take action.

Kirie  (left), not giving a shit about her spiral hair.

Why do they stay in Kurouzu-cho? That's what really freaks me out. Neither of them have motivation to stay but aren't seemingly cursed by the spiral. Kirie wants to stay with her family but doesn't bother trying to get them to leave town. Poor Shuichi is clearly mentally disturbed, so I can dismiss his lack of response just a tiny bit. Kirie is so... nonchalant. That's where I draw the line.

I often think about how I would react to a situation out of a horror movie and know I would miserably die... probably give up once I'm too tired to move. Either way, I cannot grasp Kirie and Shuichi. They choose to resist, but don't escape?

LATER, DWEEBS!

For those who've read Uzumaki, do you like Kirie and Shuichi? Do you think they are mentally unstable for staying?

What do you think your reaction would be in a horror scenario?

Loverly Liz