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.
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 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 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.
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
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