Persona 4 – 23
Bros in the Snow Without Hoes: Tender Moments Edition
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I am not Overcooled today, but OverCOLD because I am sick and my nose won’t stop running. It’s not stopping me from doing much but it’s annoying to have to reach for tissues every 5 minutes. Maybe I should use my current energy to finish my essay but meh, I’d rather be writing about anime right now :3 |
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…I should probably be finishing my essay as well, but here I am instead writing about animu. …Yeah. I REGRET NOTHING. Anyways, I should probably get on to Persona here since a main character just kind of… died. |
HOLY CRAP, THERE WAS NO VELVET ROOM. Oh yeah, and Nanako is dead now so it’s one big BAWWWWfest. Dojima goes to Namatame’s room to get revenge, but the police stop him. So instead, the team goes to see Namatame and man are they pissed. It gets even worse when Shadow Namatame appears on the Midnight Channel (even though the real Namatame is outside the TV) saying that he’ll keep saving people. The team then divides between those who want to push him into the TV and those who don’t want to murder anyone. There’s a huge moral struggle that goes on (apparently none of the hospital staff care about angry yelling coming from the room) and Yu almost kills him, but a flashback of Nanako ends that thought quickly. Yu decides that he doesn’t want to become like Namatame. Also, there’s something about this whole thing that’s bugging him so the team decides that they’re going to find out the truth. …The real one this time.
Instead of asking Namatame the facts though, the team goes off to speculate. They remember that Namatame actually had an alibi for Mayumi’s murder, but they’re still puzzled by the fact that her name was written in Namatame’s diary notebook. They also notice that Kuma is missing, but the team decides to just go home. …Everyone except for Yosuke that is. The two share a bromance moment, but it’s kind of ruined by the fact that Yu is busy crying over Nanako.
The team gets together to speculate and they realise that a.) the threat notes Yu received don’t add up with Namatame’s theory of saving people and b.) Namatame considered Nanako’s death a failure on his part. They actually go ask Namatame directly and he never sent them any threats. Also, he finally tells his part of the story. He noticed Mayumi on the Midnight Channel and then the next day she died. The same thing happened with Saki as well and so when Yukiko’s turn came around, he decided to hide her somewhere where he though was safe- the TV. So he really was trying to save them and didn’t notice until he went inside himself that the TV world wasn’t so friendly.
The TV told me to do it! That’s a totally legitimate reason!
Meanwhile, Kuma decides that he doesn’t belong anywhere. However, this in unimportant for now because Nanako is still alive… somehow. Suddenly, it’s VR time and Igor and Margaret tell Yu that his collection of Arcana is complete. Next on the list of random things accomplished, Yu finally completes the rainy day challenge at Aiya. After that, Yu finally realises that there’s someone else who fits all of the criteria of the murderer…
MORE MANHUGS
Rainy Day Special, On The House!:
“You can call me the Beef Bowl God, if you want. I won’t mind u_u”
Sad girls in the snow…a staple in anime everywhere.
Teddie’s depressed side. I guess you could say he’s a….BI-POLAR BEAR…! *STUDIO RECORDED LAUGH TRACK*
*casually drags a struggling, fully-grown man across the room with ease*
End Thoughts:
Yet another emotionally-charged episode of Persona this week. Everyone was either sobbing, pounding a wall, or going haywire at the news of Nanako’s death. Seeing the whole investigation team in shambles was really something. You could really feel the toll that her death took on everyone all throughout the episode. Everyone was on edge and snapping at each other, and that’s rare for such a tight-knit group. They almost made a really bad decisions because they got caught up in their emotions. For a moment I thought he might actually throw Namatame in! Even after that scene ended, everyone still seemed uneasy. I still see Yu as a very reserved person, so seeing him break down sobbing was yet another sharp kick to the gut. Yu crying on Yosuke’s shoulder may be one of my favourite scenes in the series so far. This guy has spent his entire year in Inaba helping people get over their complexes and troubles – I think it’s time for him to lean on someone for a change. I know all of the cards Yu has symbolize that his friends are there for him, but it’s nice to actually see it. Yosuke is a true friend…My heart has been moved.
So there you have it – this series can nail comedy and tragedy. Except for one thing. Oh yes, there’s always one thing. “WHAT IS IT THIS TIME, OVERCOOLED?” you say with a dramatic eyeroll. It’s Teddie. I never liked him in the first place, so I’m pretty happy that he’s gone. Do you really expect anyone to take a depressing scene seriously if the character is a brightly-coloured bear? Or if he talks like a 5 year old on helium? Or if he’s only done incredibly annoying things in the show thus far? Teddie can bite it and I’ll be just fine, dude. Don’t ruin the episode with that monstrosity. The dash of humour at the end fit in a lot more than Teddie did. Now that Yu has his stats maxed, he can wolf down the Rainy Day Special in no time! Awesome! It was kind of satisfying to see him finally able to finish it. This is a bit of a tangent, but I actually made the Rainy Day Special myself following this recipe and it turned out FANTASTIC. If you like to cook and like being a bit dorky – TRY IT.
Alright, back on track before I get too hungry. For the people that haven’t played the games, Namatame’s story revealed a ton of new stuff that probably has you going crazy right now. The episode had the balls to end with Yu about to utter the name of the second person involved with the murders too. That is one beast of a cliffhanger. At least now I can ask you guys who you think the second person is. It took a lot more explanation from Naoto before I finally clued in on who the killer was in the game. Anyways, it’s safe to say things are CRAZZZYYYY right now. Even rewatching the reveal, I still felt that “oh snap” aura take me over. Next week’s episode needs to come faster…
So next on the list of emotions we never knew that Yu had, his grieving over Nanako was really something. …I actually felt his pain. Once again, something that would have never happened, say, 22 episodes ago when he was still a soulless cyborg. I don’t know if it’s because of his stats being maxed or what (props to him for finishing the Rainy Day Special, but it’s kind of useless now that his stats are already maxed), but his character has really come a long way. What the anime did with the team was pretty awesome as well here. That scene with Namatame was actually really, really tense and like OC, I thought he was actually going to push him in there. While him stopping because he wants to know the real truth seemed kind of shallow (hell, I know what’s going on and even I thought Namatame sounded more like the true culprit), it’s probably the best reason they could give. Case closed? Not just yet.
Well at least Namatame’s explanation kind of makes up for all of the crap he did before. I think the anime handled his flashback well, though why the team didn’t just ask him right away is still a mystery. I don’t care if there was a time lapse in the game, if you want the truth, go ask the guy directly. Anyways, back on topic, you could really tell from his flashback about how desperate he was to save the people he saw on TV. There was just something there that you don’t quite get from 3D game models and a voiceover like the game had. Same with the part with Yu and his friends in the snow, there was just a ton of great things there… So yeah, long story short, this was a great emotional episode.
Ahahaha so how many of you feel trolled beyond belief now that you know that Nanako is still alive? Especially after the great tearfest that was the beginning of the episode? Yeah. You didn’t really think that they’d really kill off the most moe character in the game, did you? Well Persona isn’t quite done with trolling yet by a looong shot, believe me. What do I mean by that…? Pfft I’m not going to tell you. Have fun wildly guessing who the real culprit is while waiting for the next episode. ヽ(´ー`)ﾉ
Preview: Time to figure out who the culprit is… Part 3.
About Tag Team
We live, laugh, enjoy and strictly believe on "more the merrier". When together, we usually come up with very chatty, conversation-based episodics and interesting posts.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 144 comments
Nanako dying last episode didn’t get me, probably because I saw it coming. The first half of this episode, on the other hand, did. It did everything right, even when it came to Teddy.
Namatame was misled by the television. He accepted what he saw at face value without digging any deeper into the matter, just like Narukami almost did by throwing the guy into the TV. Seems like a not-so-subtle dig at how people are quick to accept what they’re told.
Hmm… wouldn’t it be wild if Narukami himself were the murderer?
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 192 comments
Well, rumours and people’s willingness to accept them unquestioningly is a side theme in Persona 4, they just didn’t focus on it much in the anime. Nice observation btw. But if Narukami was the murderer, why would he save his victims? XD
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 144 comments
Multiple personality disorder. He does have the Wild Card, after all. 😛
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 192 comments
*gasp* That actually makes sense. XD Would make for a really weird ending though…
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Yeah, I think they did Kuma right as well. Everything in the beginning of this episode just… worked.
Ahaha it’s painfully true though that people are quick to assume things. Hell, I might have even done the same thing in his place (for both guys).
…I’ve never heard someone guess that one before. You’ll have to watch and find out xD.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 192 comments
@Overcold: Aw…don’t be so harsh on Teddy, he’s kind of the comic relief character after all, sad scenes aren’t his specialty. The other characters already provide enough laughs as it is though, so his role is overshadowed. However, I do agree that it’s hard to take him seriously.. P.S. Get well soon! If you need a quick home remedy, just try mixing some honey with lemon in a glass of water, it works wonders if combined with rest.
@Karakuri: Imo, I think Yu stopped at the last moment partly because of his flashback of Nanako. Wouldn’t want to be a killer onii-chan in the name of your dead, innocent cousin, would you? Moving on, how could wanting to find out the real truth be a shallow reason? I mean, the battle theme song is named ‘Reach Out to the Truth’ for a reason…And I think they didn’t interrogate Namatame immediately because the cops barged in at the right moment in the game. Asking an emotionally-unstable guy who almost got killed isn’t the best idea in my book, either. Namatame’s flashback, I agree, was quite thrilling as well, especially its soundtrack.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
True enough, but I’m just saying that if I didn’t know what was happening next, I would have seen Namatame as the killer for sure. The holes in the logic were really subtle and I’m not so sure that Yu would have realistically seen them in his fit of rage (then again, anime, realism, ahahaha). It’s not a shallow reason in general but seems like one there since they hadn’t even really stated that anything felt wrong about the whole thing until afterwards.
Yeah, I know that they were interrupted in the game, but there was no reason in the anime to stop imo. It seemed like they just threw it in there to extend the episode. But anyways, yeah. I enjoyed the flashback.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 192 comments
You have a point there, I would’ve snapped if I were in his shoes. Thank goodness Yu was strong-willed enough. As for the gang not noticing anything wrong, I think Nanako’s death is once again the culprit (it nearly made Yu a murderer as well).
Agreed, they could’ve squeezed in a policeman’s voice yelling at them, it would’ve made sense for them to leave.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Haha, I was kind of harsh in my description. Okay, I wasn’t THAT mad, but I still didn’t like his scene. I laughed at him quite thoroughly, and that was the exact opposite reaction that scene was trying to evoke. Not a good sign. That’s just me though. If I don’t like a character, I tend to go full-out heartless. :B
Thanks for the remedy solution! It’s nothing too serious, so it should be better soon. I’ve been drinking a lot of herbal tea to (hopefully) recover faster :3
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 192 comments
No harm meant or damage done, I was just joking a bit. Honestly, though, I find it hard to hate non-villainous characters (I sometimes find the villains misunderstood or even cool as well). Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
No problem. =)
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 29 comments
Awesome review! And Overcold’s (get better soon!) ranting had me rolling in laughter. I always thought Kuma was a pretty random character… Like he didn’t fit in. Anyway, seeing Nanko alive (or at least not flat-lining anymore) made me happy for the rest of the day. Funny how a fictional character could do that- I guess it shows how emotionally invested the show makes you… a good sign.
Also, when Yu was about to throw Nanatame in the TV, I’d argue not killin’ em just because “We’d be like him!” is a sissy argument. The real reason for not ending him is that more info can be attained from him. Once he’s been bled dry of intel, that’s when you cap him. Or maybe I’ve been reading to much Tom Clancy lately…
The near-execution scene was very interesting because it showed a clear difference in emotional character between the guys and the girls of the Persona Team. The girls seem like they couldn’t lift a finger in a bad situation (which seems slightly strange, since both Chie and Yukiko have shown savy and even strength earlier on), while the boys are more than ready to throw down. I guess when the life of a human being rests in the balance is when you learn about people.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
No kidding about the fictional characters affecting you day thing. Nanako put me in a good mood as well xD
…Yeah, that reasoning doesn’t really make sense to me either, but I guess it works for them. As for throwing him in after bleeding him of info, uh… (´・ω・`)
LOL I would probably do that tooI noticed that the girls were all anti-killing as well (minus Naoto). It was weird, but I guess they’re supposed to be the compassionate ones of the group.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Does the trolling know any bounds? I can’t believe Nanatame was actually helping people.
Never piss off a bunch of innocent people or they’ll turn into an angry mob and get revenge. Good thing Yu was the level-headed one.
I hope they explained what happened to Nanako. After seeing this, it was more like she was in a coma instead of really being dead.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Yep. …Which makes it kind of a good thing that Yu didn’t throw him in the TV when he had the chance. Ahaha a great life lesson right there.
Uhh… Wait and see? I honestly don’t remember if they explained it or not in the game. I think they did though.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
*chimes in* I don’t think they explained it in the game, but I’m…also not 100% sure. I think she just got better. There ARE cases of suddenly getting a pulse again happening to people, but it’s incredibly rare. It can’t be a coma though…you don’t flatline in a coma. :/