moonside inn

12-06-2023 I love the characters and writing so much! i look forward to each hang out and learning more about everyone. also really like the structure of the gameplay - really natural flow of energy/intensity

12-23-2023 - he betrayed us ToT akechi = light yagami fr. he really shot us like huh?? i still want him to be my friend tho LMAO

12-24-2023 - i still haven't processed the betrayal ToT he was so charming and cute!!! i felt the rivalry but i was sure it was cute sports anime vibes not literal murder vibes. is it still possible to be besties? or has that ship sailed lol. we had so much in common!! we took a bath and talked about our trauma ToT how could it have meant nothing??

12-26-2023 - wowow ok so last night I beat Shido, but before that we had to fight Akechi!? in th eend he sacrificed himself for us and was killed by his own shadow ToT. it took me two in game days of grieving before i felt ready to finish preparing and send the calling card. the last thing we said to him was that we'd save his glove ToT. despite everything he was one of my favorite characters, i'll miss him sm

12-28-2023 - o h man so I finished the game yesterday! the final scenes really had me bawling! I wanted to say goodbye to Akechi, so I went to kichijoci/the jazz club and the owner outside remembered us coming with akechi and we had a lil moment (uglysobs)

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01-16-2024 Oh boy I’m really feeling the post-game sads right now. Last night I finished third semester, watched both endings, and I’m just feeling so empty. It was a really beautiful and thought provoking story, and what I want is to apply what I felt and learned to my life, so that I can live a full, free, connected life. This game has made me think and feel so much over the past months, and I'm so grateful for that!

There’s something about the nature of a social sim that really brings into focus how straightforward it can be to show up for those I care about. It can be as simple as investing time, listening and validating their experiences, and making memories together. It can be easy for me to overcomplicate things, to feel like I need to be doing more for the people in my life - but in reality just making time and space for people can be enough.

I couldn’t talk about this game without talking about Akechi (best boy). He was instantly one of my favorite characters. It was just nice to hear someone with a different opinion at first, up until that point it felt like we were in a bit of a Phantom Thieves echo chamber. I believe that it’s important to have people around you who support you, but there is also value in having people who challenge the way you think.

i loved having him around throughout third semester - it was nice to see him being authentic to his darker/chaotic side. his lil evil laugh brought me so much joy 🤣.

when we meet with Maruki and we find out that Akechi actually did die in Shido’s palace, and that he was brought back by Maruki because we essentially wished it to be, I lost my marbles. Akechi’s willingness to die in order to be the master of his own fate was equally heartbreaking - I wanted to accept Maruki’s deal in that moment just to have a happy life with Akechi, but I wanted even more to respect his wishes.

When I think about what drew me to Akechi’s character, I definitely related to his experience of feeling like he always had to present a pleasant mask to the world, otherwise risking rejection. I related to his desire to feel needed, something I still struggle with now. I think that believing what I do now - that everyone deserves to be loved in their wholeness, their dark along with their light - I felt compelled to offer that same love and forgiveness both as Joker and as myself.

Seeing Akechi’s struggles to find acceptance, and hopefully giving him at least a small sense of that in the time we spent with him was one of the biggest emotional payoffs of the game for me.

Persona 5 Royal

resources

journal

1st playthrough

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