"Gonna Short-Circuit My Identity" - Repressed Selves and Sexual Identity

It takes a good few days before you get the next hint of who might be on the Midnight Channel. Shortly before another long night with rain, there is a special report on biker gangs, and on one particular guy - Kanji Tatsumi.

According to Dojima, the younger student broke up some biker gangs while in middle school, due to them keeping his mother up with their noise. His family runs a textile store, meaning that Yukiko knows of him and his family, but most know him as a delinquent and a dangerous person due to his joining/breaking up motorcycle gangs.

Unlike the other four in the team, Kanji is the first outside of the team that requires the others to try to figure him out. While Yukiko and her family knows his family, that doesn't make her or Kanji 'friends' in any real sense. Most of the times when Kanji meets up with the group for the next few days, the result is a lot of arguments or yelling, as well as the four racing off in the face of possible attack after saying something that is misunderstood by Kanji. Along with Kanji, a strange, slender young man appears as well, asking or observing things that the others don't, and causing Kanji to question some things.

[...he's interested in me...?]

Sexual Orientation, Identity, and Repressed Selves

As everyone has dealt with various repressed identities, but a lot of them revolve around a variety of things with focuses on one particular issue or thing. That ends up being central to what their Shadows go after and feed on.
In this case, just a few mutterings overheard from Kanji gives us a hint of the type of person he is - for all his bluster and anger, he's obviously insecure and lashes out at either misunderstandings or when confronted by the implication that he's 'odd' or 'different'. He goes after the four at least twice over misunderstandings, After Kanji's disappearance and his Shadow's appearance on the Midnight Channel, you once again run into the slender detective, who admits that Kanji seems to have issues with being called 'odd'.

A lot of this has to do with Kanji's gender and sexual identity, though most of it is focused on his sexual identity. Kanji is a tough guy - you don't beat up bikers while in middle school without having been a tough guy. However, there are certain things you see in the anime and game that give him away as having some non-masculine gender focuses - his family, and thus Kanji himself, work in a textile shop. Mostly, his mother sells the textiles, but Kanji has a lot of love for her and probably has done his best to learn the trade as well, despite his new ways of dealing with noise and the like (which is to say "beat it until it leaves"). In the anime, Kanji first meets the Protagonist when he drops a small, cute keychain that he created himself, and the group quickly learns that while Kanji presents an outwardly tough exterior, a lot of that is a defense against how he feels towards some others, and that he's not always sure how to approach girls or guys because of his outside-of-gender interests.

The main point, though, is that gender-wise, Kanji identifies as a male. Sexuality-wise, Kanji is very confused and dislikes talking about it. The 'guy' he is meeting with who's 'interested' in him is a slender, young man who appears to be have a very androgynous look to him. Around him, Kanji is very flustered and obviously has no idea what to say. He's hardly any better around Yosuke and Chie, despite being told they were in a relationship.

Based on what we see of Kanji, even before his Shadow appears, it's heavily implied he's not sure what he likes and seems concerned about how to deal with a guy being 'interested' in him. While it seems like Kanji could be gay, I'm going to say it's also possible he could be bisexual or from a possible combination of various romantic/sexual groupings. He might also be mostly romantic towards guys but bisexual in general - while he is very awkward with the slender man he talks to, he's quick to fall back on his normal annoyance and anger with Chie asking possibly similar questions.

Sexuality in Japan is complex, just from what I managed to look up briefly. LGBT+ culture is around in Japan, not only through yaoi and yuri, but also with many celebrities who have come out as homosexual. The overall thought with the military is "it's allowed, so long as it doesn't start fights", so a slightly more relaxed version of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" that the US had, and while in some cases it's accepted, homosexual couples are not completely given the same rights as heterosexual couples. However, it's only recently that areas of Japan have started to consider allowing same-sex marriage and giving equal rights, but it is not yet a country-wide thing.

But then again, Kanji is just starting high school, and with a reputation already. No matter what he does, he's bound to not get into areas that will make him less socially awkward, but actually more. Coupled with his confusion as to what he likes and possibly people making fun of him for his ability to sew and such, he has a few things to work through. When his Shadow does manifest after Kanji is thrown in, we have it becoming very stereotypical of homosexual men (in the English version, he has a lisp and talks in a way that most men who are coded homosexual talk like) and he's going into a "steamy bathhouse". Bathhouses have been associated with homosexual romances, especially homosexual males. Basically...he's one big bara stereotype (bara = muscular gay man...not quite a bear but some are close)

(No, he is not naked, but he's close. Yes, roses are a thing for him. Yes, I found every part in the anime where the Protagonist and Yosuke was nervous or overly "do not want" to be freakin' hilarious because of later stuff they pull. And despite his look, Shadow Kanji is one of the first major fights you have that ends up being hard no matter what.)

Personal Head Canon: Kanji

If I have to pin down a full label on Kanji, it would go like this - cis male, bisexual, possibly homo or biromantic. Again, I used the "Chasing Amy" reference because Kanji shows that he finds girls attractive, but he seems more inclined (due to how his Shadow acts) towards possibly going out with a guy and that is a main focus of his confusion. He is attracted (sexually) towards both sexes but he is probably more drawn towards guys as far as if he thinks about a long-term relationships. This doesn't mean he won't be able to find a girl attractive in both a sexual and a romantic way. I do think that is his main source of confusion.

In relation to Kanji doing 'girly' things, a lot of this seems to come from him working around people who sew and do such things all the time, meaning that until he got into school, he probably thought that was 'normal'. It's only upon interactions with others of his age that he finds it abnormal, and tries to do his best to hide it. I don't know why sewing is a 'girly' task, though...I've tried to sew, it's time-consuming and hard, depending on what you do. And textiles (i.e weaving and the like) were often masculine tasks until the early 19th centuries - the original Luddites were protesting their jobs being taken over by machines and women.

So now it's time to run in and save Kanji from the Shadows, and to see if he might give us any new information about the kidnapper and killer.

Next up: Steamy Bathhouse Analysis

"Trapped In A Maze of Relationships" - Social Links In Inaba (April-May)

CLOSER TO THE TRUTH

During your time at Yasoinaba High School and in Inaba, the Protagonist gets a chance to create various new Social Links, mostly by becoming more involved in the school and in groups within the school. A majority of these are created during 'down time' or between major events. In this case, between the time the Protagonist arrives in April, and the beginning of May, after saving Yukiko. Each new link allows for a great potential in the creation of new Personas for the Protagonist - as the Zero Card, the Protagonist's special power allows him to hold multiple Personas. If he has a Rank or multiple ranks in that specific Link, the card's power and potential grows beyond what there already is, allowing for very powerful cards, or for the Protagonist to take any role in the group as-needed, from support to defensive to power-hitter. It also allows for access to some elements that the others don't have - for example, Zio (Lightning), Hama (Light), or Mudo (Darkness) that some Shadows are weak against. It also means that, if a character is not in the group, that the Protagonist can use their element just in case it's needed. Between the time you start getting S.Links and you rescue Yukiko, three new S.Links appear.

The Fool Card (0): The Investigation Team

Shortly after saving Chie and Yosuke, this bond is formed. The Investigation Team covers anyone who is saved or joins the team to help figure out who murdered Yamano and Saki. At the end of May, the team consists of Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, and the Protagonist.
The Fool Card is known as the Zero Card, and technically this represents the Protagonist. Based off the anime and the game itself, my personal headcannon for the Protagonist is that he dislikes being alone because of his family's continual moving and leaving for their jobs. Because of this, he makes friends easily, and interacts with people easily as well. This allows him to make multiple friends and connections, and no matter how you play him (arrogant to shy), he manages to win people over simply by being himself and by showing his ability to help others out. However, when he does make a connection or befriend someone, his main focus is that he's strongly dependent on them, and thus will do all he can to defend them. In both the anime and game, his Persona only shows up when his friend or friends are in danger.
The Fool Card is a card that is very much up for interpretation in some cases, but often represents someone going forward on a journey or someone starting something, though they are walking in a bit blind. Often, the Fool is shown so amazed by the world that he doesn't realize the dangers ahead, and is often warned by at least one traveling companion. The Investigation Team being part of the Fool Rank seems to indicate this of everyone, but I believe it mostly indicates this of the Protagonist and his role as their leader. The Protagonist is new to the area, doesn't know everyone or everything going on, and has to walk through and lead the team while 'blind' - not knowing everything that goes on and having to rely on others to stop him from dangerous situations. Right now, the team as a whole don't trust the police, mostly because of the supernatural nature of the crimes, and while not always knowing the danger ahead, will still work to find out what is going on and to fight whatever they come across.

The Strength Card (VIII): Fellow Athletes

During the Protagonist's time in working to save Yukiko, the school Sports Teams begin to meet. In this case, because it's a small town, the two teams you can join are the Soccer or Basketball teams. Both are captained by two secondary characters who are lifelong friends - Kou Ichijo and Daisuke Nagase. Both have their own issues and both are happy to help out the other with cleaning up or with their respective teams.
The Strength Card is one that refers to both physical strength, but also mental and spiritual. It often shows a woman taming a snarling lion. The idea being that, despite her meek appearance, the woman is strong in every way - mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually - that she can overcome any anger or fears that present themselves. While some have her closing the lion's mouth, it's never shown in her forcing the lion's mouth closed, but rather slowly holding it and easing it shut. This does show for the Athletes - while both are physically strong in the beginning, as captains of their respective teams, both have to grow into the other aspects, and are helped by one another, as well as by the Protagonist.

The Sun Card (XIX): Ayane Matsunaga/Yumi Ozawa

A week or so after the start of the sports club, two different cultural clubs - Music and Drama. In both, you meet a young woman who becomes the focus of the Sun card. In both cases, the girls want to help something or someone out, but are not quite sure how to do so. The Sun tends to denote clarity and success, while in reverse position it means a lack of success or a temporary depression. Of the two girls, Ayane most personifies the Sun reversed - she wants to help out the band however she can, but cannot help out in the capacity she would like to (that is, playing trombone). Very shy and prone to apologizing, Ayane still does her best and manages to get a lot done, even if she might slip up a few times.
Yumi, in contrast, is one of the best actresses in the Drama club but is quick to say that she enjoys pretending to be 'someone else'. Her home life is not the best, and a serious incident results in her trying to figure out her feelings for someone she normally would try to not think about. Both slowly work through to figure out what they need, and with the help of the Protagonist, reach the conclusion that helps them not only grow, but gain more maturity as well.

After rescuing Yukiko, there is a lull, both in the actions as well as in the weather. As the rain doesn't fall for some time, this allows for the Protagonist to quickly make other S.Links, or to work on the ones he has before break, and after the midterms (yes, you have to take a test. Most is stuff you'll know if you paid attention to the questions asked or the lectures). However, these S.Links are also important, and not only add to your ability to create Personas, but get you closer to two others around you.

Justice (XI): Nanako Dojima

Nanako is a precious ball of cuteness and the personification of the cinnamon bun that is too pure for this world. She is also your six-year-old niece who is far too grown up for her own good, and she enjoys singing the Junes jingle.

Now that I have that out there...the reason for most of Nanako's way of acting and her ability to take care of herself is because of her father's job, which demands long or unusual hours, and her mother's tragic death. Her tarot card is interesting as well - Nanako represents what her father strives for (as a police officer) and also is a major reason for the characters to push forward in saving anyone they can. Nanako represents an innocent, but she is also one who vaguely understands that something is going on and how important it is. Justice in tarot is just that - balance, fairness, truth, and law. While Nanako doesn't quite have it reversed for herself - she is very truthful- she does have it on the side, leaning more towards that, because she is told things she believes to be the truth but that are shown to be lies. Her S.Link opens up after her father is forced to work during the week off, and as such she spends most of her time with the Protagonist and his friends, who all take a shine to her and proceed to spoil her as much as possible. This will never change, and will be for all of your friends you get.

As Nanako realizes she has someone she can confide in and begins to view the Protagonist as her 'big brother', she begins to open up more about her fears and wishes. Though she's shy early on, Nanako's ability to open up to the Protagonist, as well as his friends, makes it so that they seek out justice in order to live up to what Nanako represents.

Also her meaning this card will not end well, I just know it.

The Hierophant/Pope (V): Ryotaro Dojima

Ryotaro Dojima, Nanako's father and the Protagonist's uncle, is a police officer who is charged with solving a murder in a small, sleepy town. He is not Andy Griffith by a long shot, but he is close enough (widower with bumbling deputy/sidekick and small child? Small town? That's close enough). Dojima trusts his gut about the case, but the oddness of the deaths he has to deal with means that he's also at a loss on who caused the deaths or how they died.

As Nanako represents Justice in the sense of her prompting others to seek it out, Dojima's role as the Hierophant seems to focus on his status and the fact that he is a detective, thus granting him power and the ability to lead. The secondary name for the card, as Pope (the High Priestess as it's feminine equal, the Popess) seems to denote his power to bless or curse what he sees fit. Dojima spends much of the game trying to figure out the odd deaths that occurred in his town. Just as much, he's unable to stop himself from noticing the odd way the Protagonist or his friends act in certain ways (to be fair, you're hanging out at Junes a lot, in the electronics department with the manager's son, who has changed a bit, not to mention a girl who disappeared for days on end but has no idea where she was, and you were nearly arrested because your dumbass friend was playing with imitation weapons in a public area). Dojima being Nanako's father, and therefore the father-figure for the Protagonist while he's in Inaba, also plays into that card being given to him. Dojima is older and is charged with helping others grow, and acts as a very strict parent, but one who understands that most of it comes from tragedy as well as his inability to really talk to children or teenagers outside of an investigation. He seeks the same thing as the Protagonist and his friends, but his inability to realize what is really going on, due to his lack of knowledge about the 'other world', means he can act as a guide to the group on what's going on, helping or hindering their investigation.

The Hermit (IX): Fox

There is not a lot to say about this S.Link, other than yes, you read right, you befriend a fox. The fox lives in the shrine within Inaba's Central Shopping District, and appears to you during your break. With the shrine in disrepair due to a lack of funds, the Fox mostly asks you to help make wishes come true, as written on 'ema'. This leads to more money for the shrine, and the fox helping out by charging you to heal your SP during the time in the other world.

Considering the Fox is annoyed in the Other World, I think that's why it charges you for the healing.

The Hermit tends to denote a state of being alone or introspective, but close enough to watch over or see others. The Fox is isolated and spends most of it's time alone, but will come out to help others and aid them in their needs as well. It seems to do this so it can gain from it, but also so that it can help out those it's watched for so long to finally have their wishes fulfilled.

The days between the end of April and the middle of May are fairly quiet and with little going on beyond school and waiting for some sign of whoever will be taken next. The lack of rain means that the Midnight Channel is not operating, and thus no strange disappearances or deaths are given.

Revised Analysis 2: The Midnight Channel and Weather

Periods of calm and chances to relax or review what happened occurs a lot after Saki Konishi's death and as you stagger out the time it takes to rescue Yukiko Amagi. While the weather does have some instances of clouds or rain, it doesn't always occur for a long time or suddenly, instead slowly creeping up. But during these calms, no one is attacked or mentioned a great deal, though the news might bring up one or two people. As all of the victims thus far have been on TV in some case, or connected to the first killing, the next may still be connected to Yamano in that capacity, or might simply appear on TV.

Weather, for a long time, has effected TV reception before the invention of HD. As the TVs in the area are mostly from 2011, most are analog in some cases, meaning weather can still effect them in some cases. Antennas in general can be effected, but that has gone down as technology grew. The fact that the opposite weather appears in the TV World (foggy when it's clear, clear when it's foggy) means that figuring out the best way to deal with fog and to protect whoever is next shown is key to discovering the killer, as well as stopping the attacks.

Next: Repressed Selves and Sexual Identity