"Abound with So Much Information" - Yukiko's Castle Analysis Finale

Returning to Yukiko's Castle, there are 8 Floors, during which you face one major Shadow before the final boss. In this case, Yukiko's Shadow continues the theme of the Locked Away Princess, as someone who needs to be rescued. Many of the Shadows at this point are harder to really analyze - some appear in many other locations or in different forms, but some are more in-tune with the Castle's theme. This is also the first dungeon in which you face a sub-boss, the Avenging Knight, who works to protect the "Princess" and test her "Princes".

Reaching the top of the Castle, the group finds Yukiko and her "Princess"/Shadow self. The Shadow calls Chie and the others her "Princes", and is quick to push for one of them to 'take her away' from the Inn and Inaba itself, feeling herself trapped but needing someone else to let her free, to 'save' her.

[I am a Shadow, the true self...]

Yukiko Amagi: The High Priestess Konohana Sakura

Met on the first day of school but not really spoken to by the Protagonist or others due to a high demand at the Inn, Yukiko is soft-spoken and is asked out by a male student from another school (more on him later). The gossip overheard is about the "Amagi Challenge", possibly on asking her out and Yukiko failing to understand or simply outright rejecting people. She is often seen with Chie, who seems to dominate the conversation or try to bring Yukiko out a bit by talking about the Inn her family runs or by praising her looks, which Yukiko isn't always comfortable with.
Yukiko starts to open up after this, and show off a side of her that before, only Chie had seen, especially when it comes to her odd sense of humor and overall ability to help and support others. She still remains shy but also begins to realize and do things she wants, over what has been expected of her. Though soft-spoken, she works her best to help out, both as support but also as a counter to Chie. Like the Protagonist and Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko are strong in their attacks against each other, but also most vulnerable. Yukiko also begins to stop trying to hold in all of her emotions, especially towards her perceived 'destiny' of running the Amagi Inn. It's her old attempt to hold in her feelings, of being 'trapped' in a situation she cannot (or will not) get out of herself that results in her attempting to get the idea of being 'saved' by a 'prince'. Her calling Chie her 'prince' means she views Chie in a status as someone who 'saves' her and that, perhaps, she feels obliged to return a 'favor' towards for that.
One noted thing about the Shadows after this is how they begin to appear after this. Yosuke and Chie's Shadows looked like themselves, save with the yellow eyes. Princess Yukiko, the Shadow, ends up dressed up and powerful enough to control at least two sub-bosses during a battle. It's also interesting to notice the motif of Yukiko's ideal and how it manifests. Her clothing and the castle itself is Western in design, very different from the traditional Eastern that Yukiko possibly views as more of her own trappings. The dress, as opposed to the kimono that Yukiko is wearing when kidnapped, is also Western in design, and though revealing in some cases (showing shoulders), it's not too revealing either. A Princess to be rescued from the place that trapped her, though, fits well into Yukiko's wish to escape her life, but her fear of how to do it without help.

TAROT ANALYSIS

The High Priestess (II), Reversed

Also called the Popess, the High Priestess, or Priestess, often holds wisdom or is in a place where wisdom, especially about the feminine side, can be found. She has and shows knowledge as well as intuition, and will often sit before the entrance to a sacred temple. The Priestess is often dressed in Pagan or Christian symbols of a high authority - the Popess has the Papal Crown, the Priestess has a curved moon or horns that often represent the Goddess or the Moon. She is often seated and waits with esoteric knowledge in the area. The card is often representing the person asking for information, a person they will meet, or a secret or mystery of the feminine, including intuition, wisdom, or even sexuality.

Reversed, the High Priestess becomes associated with an inability to hear or listen to your own intuition or power. The message is not getting across, or something is missing from the information given to you, and while others might even find you appealing, either you cannot hear them, or don't understand what they want{Source: Psychic Revelation}. In the Fool's Journey, the High Priestess represents the mysterious unconscious and unrealized potential, and paired with the Magician, represents the unconscious, inactive power while the Magician represents the more active drawing of energy {Source: Learn Tarot}.

Yukiko's inability to see herself as powerful in her own right, as well as able to do what she wants, over what is told to her, has resulted in her being uncertain of her own power and beauty. She feels the need for someone else to pull her out of the situation, and doesn't realize how powerful she can be on her own, or how much she can do to start on her own before she might need that help. 

THEME: Escape and Inner Strength

Yukiko's Shadow tends to point out the lack of strength Yukiko feels towards escaping what she believes as her 'trap' on her own, and her inability to ask for help. Yukiko's focus on her own problems and Chie's own focus on her own problems as well also tie them together. They both lack the inner strength to really move forward and understand themselves, but after the two hard lessons in who they might really be, and how important the other is to them, it's obvious the two have become closer and wish to continue growing. The two connected cards of the dungeon - the Chariot and the Priestess - show their growth and what they will both focus on. Chie's movement-driven card and one that focuses on controlling the elements within yourself, as well as being able to know when and how to move forward, compliments Yukiko's intuition-driven card. The two need to focus on who they are and how they can grow, as well as realize what they need to move forward. Instinctively, both knew that something had to change and that they needed to be the ones to do so on their own, as well as be the ones who initiated their own transformations. In Chie's case, she had to admit that she did have the darker feelings about Yukiko as a friend, and for Yukiko, she had to admit that she hated working at the Inn and having her life dictated, but also that she can't just wait for someone to swoop in and save her. Both needed to escape their darker self and realize their own power, as well as realize how they worked off each other and how they could better improve their friendship. 

Rescuing Yukiko, sadly, only gives us little to nothing to go on for finding the culprit. She doesn't know who attacked her or how she got into the Midnight Channel. However, upon returning to school after her ordeal, Yukiko shows herself willing to become part of the investigation team and to help find whoever it is that wanted to kill her.

Information about the Killer - April to May 2011

- The Killer is targeting people in Inaba
   - Up to this point, the Killer has only targeted women
   - Each female was connected to the first victim, Mayumi Yamano
     - Saki Konishi found Yamano's body after her death
     - Yukiko Amagi possibly had interactions with Yamano at the Amagi Inn
       - Yukiko's mother collapsed due to stress, possibly while dealing with Yamano
- Yukiko remembers a doorbell and someone calling to her
- Each victim appeared on TV and on the Midnight Channel shortly afterwards
   - Mayumi Yamano reported her affair with a council member and was later suspended due to the attention the story had gotten, as well as pressure from the council member's wife, a famous enki ballad singer
      - A classmate was overheard saying that his 'soulmate' was Yamano shortly before her death, meaning she appeared on the Midnight Channel
   - Saki Konishi was interviewed due to her finding the body, though her face was obscured and her voice changed, the Protagonist vaguely recognizes her after meeting her once
      - The Protagonist first sees Konishi when he watches the Midnight Channel and his ability to go into TVs, showing his ability to call on a Persona. She is confirmed by Yosuke and Chie as having been on the Channel, then again by Yosuke as on a second time before her death
    - Yukiko was interviewed after the news learns that Yamano stayed at their Inn, but the interview changed quickly from about Yamano to about Yukiko
       - The day before, Yukiko is shown in her kimono on the Midnight Channel. The next day, her Shadow begins the 'show', changing the way the Midnight Channel operates

Questions:
    - Why change the format?
    - Why focus on women?
       - Why Yamano?
    - Who else has the ability to enter the TV and do they enter with their victims?


Next Up: More on the Persona - Konohana Sakura

More on the Persona (Elements, Folklore, and Transformation) - Tomoe the Chariot

PERSONAS: The Dungeon

The second floor of the dungeon in Yukiko's Castle is an open area with room for seating. The middle is huge, and no matter how often you go through that part of the castle, you never encounter anything besides Shadows - Chie's or Yukiko's. The two advance the plot in some way, or pause it before things can move forward.

Yukiko's Castle - Floor 2

This is the second dungeon in which two people who are connected in some way end up within the same dungeon and facing their Shadows. In this case, both are girls who are unhappy with an aspect of their life, and feel the need to either 'escape' or to be 'freed' in some other way. Chie's focus is on her external looks and her envy of Yukiko, while missing Yukiko's needs. What prompts Chie's Shadow to arrive is Chie hearing Yukiko's voice, talking about how she hated her name, but how Chie's compliments end up giving her courage, or at least more confidence while wearing a certain color.
As explained in the last blog, Chie and Yukiko both are two people 'trapped' in the castle that Yukiko's repressed side created. In some ways, both want a way 'out' and are looking for the easiest way, but Chie's issue is a lack of movement, or movement in a dangerous way that can result in self-destruction. Chie's views on her feminine side, or a lack of one based on her 'prettier' friend, has lead to a great deal of envy and self-hate over that. The result is her being overly protective of Yukiko, to the point of feeling like she needs to control every aspect or have Yukiko feel bad about herself in order for Chie to feel better by acting as the "protector".
Going with the Prince theme and the theme of being 'rescued', Chie being the 'prince' with the Protagonist and Yosuke, Chie is facing down a great evil before dealing with the main antagonist/evil that is guarding and holding the 'Princess' hostage. Most of the myths dealing with a princess in a castle leaves the Prince having to overcome multiple obstacles, especially personal ones, in order to save or even regain the ultimate goal. Chie, as the 'prince', must overcome her personal demon and darkness in order to move forward and help Yukiko with hers.

The Chariot: Tomoe

The second massive Shadow you have to defeat, Chie's Persona transforms first into the massive and starts to show off more of how the repressed feelings, especially deep ones, can change the original Shadow into something showing more of issues or darker beliefs that they have. After it's defeat and Chie's acceptance, the Shadow transforms into the Persona called Tomoe.

The Persona is based off the female samurai Tomoe Gozen, a tough and beautiful warrior who is known for going into battle with an over-sized sword and is spoken about in The Tale of Heike and was said to have fought during the Genpai War (1180-1185). A woman who took multiple heads of her opponents and was proclaimed both beautiful and deadly, and who is one of the well-known female warriors in Japan. 

Shadow Chie has long, dark hair, with pale skin and a lot of yellow on it, as well as the smiling face over the pointed, full-head cover it wears (like the pin Chie wears). She wears mostly a a BDSM outfit and carries a whip, held up by struggling girls in outfits who look like Yukiko. She holds chains attached to the Yukiko's, and will use her hair and whip against anyone she turns her gaze to, especially against Yosuke (who has a strong element against her Shadow). Afterwards, while the long black hair stays, the outfit becomes more like a female version of the Bruce Lee tracksuit, with armor and a double-edged spear she uses to attack her enemies.

The Chariot, which works on movement and belief in one's self, is exemplified in Tomoe as she is often the one who attacks with a strong physical attack, and has to level up before she gains her element attack. While not the leader, she is one of the strongest members of the team, especially against many of the earlier Shadows that you face off against.

ELEMENT

Element: Bufu (Ice)

              Weakness: Agi (Fire)

Ice is often an element used to distinguish a variety of water elements in fiction. Ice is a transformation of water, created in extreme temperatures (as opposed to steam, created at the other extreme). Water is considered a powerful element in many cultures, and often it is in or near water that something is created or destroyed. Perhaps the most famous quote about water that works for Chie and that exemplifies her and her card is one by Bruce Lee:

         [Don't get set in one form, adapt it and build your own, let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; you put water in a bottle it becomes the bottle; you put water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.] {Source: Wikiquote}

Chie has to build herself up and adapt to the situations she's in. The Chariot is about movement and continuing forward with confidence. To move and be 'like water', Chie has to change and adapt to her new role and to her new opinion about herself. Through this and with the Protagonist's help, she begins to see that she does have a feminine side and admirers in her own right. She becomes who she needs to be, and adapts to what she needs to be.

Ice, though frozen, can sometimes have water flowing underneath. Huge pieces of ice, such as glaciers, often are much larger underneath the surface and are used to show the difference between what people see versus who you really are. Ice can, if thick enough, be safe to cross and create new landscapes, but if weak in any point, it can become extremely dangerous. Not only that, but depending on how well you're able to deal with such a cold element, you can create beautiful things like ice sculptures, castles, or even huge icicles that capture the light amazingly. But because of the way it's formed - with such cold - ice is also a dangerous element as well, just as water can be. 

Chie shows herself to be more than simply a girl who enjoys fighting movies and who practices what she sees on the shows. She proves to have feminine qualities, but also manages to show herself as more than just the tomboy she attempts to be, and shows all that she can be and how good she is.

Next Time: Yukiko's Castle - Finale

"So Much Information" - Yukiko's Castle Analysis Part 1

I have broken up Yukiko's Castle dungeon into parts due to it being the first 'long' dungeon encountered in the game. Unlike the Twisted Shopping District, with only one room and minimal monsters, Yukiko's Castle serves more as a place for the player to learn how to best utilize their abilities and partners, though they are stopped short on the first trip through due to the events that first happen for the castle.

After Yukiko's 'show' begins, Chie demands coming with the group, and introduces them to a place to buy weapons and armor, as well as the Shopping District. This gives the Protagonist access to places to buy food and items to recharge their points (SP and HP) as well as access to the Velvet Room, the mysterious place where Igor and Margaret reside and where they can register Personas or even fuse them into stronger or newer Personas.

Welcome to the Velvet Room

Identified in the first few parts as the location of Igor and Margaret, who tell fortunes and look at the tarot cards, the two doors to the Velvet Room (in the Shopping District and the entrance to the TV World) allow the Protagonist to enter and do one of two things - Register or Buy Persona from the Compendium held by Margaret, or ask Igor to Fuse Persona in his possession together to create stronger or different Persona. If the Protagonist has a S.Link in the given Persona's Tarot, they gain special powers, often leveling up and gaining more power as a result. This is why S.Links are so important and why they become so important as the game progresses, to where even having a small link will allow for more power or a stronger Persona. At this point in the game, Two and Three-Card spreads are allowed to create Fusion Personas, with Three-Card spreads often resulting in more-powerful creations, depending on the level of the Persona. Also note that the level of the Protagonist determines the level allowed for fusing and creating new Personas.

Yukiko's Castle - Entrance to Floor 2

The entrance and appearance to Yukiko's Castle is that of a traditional Western Castle, with the group walking up to where a large gate is open to the swirling doorway inside. Outside, rearing horses appear as statues lining the entrance. Horses rearing in such a way tend to mean fright, aggression, excitement, disobedience, or even in pain {Source: Wikipedia}. Stallions rearing are often signs of a fight (stallions are also considered 'studs'). Horses are also viewed as 'free spirits', so it's possible that the statues out front show some of Yukiko's concern over her inability to break 'free', and her wish to do so no matter what the cost (note that rearing can cause harm to the animal and the rider in some cases). The horses might also indicate Chie's Shadow Self having a hand in the creation - Chie is a 'free spirit' also reigned in, but she is more prone to 'rearing' and attacking others, especially to protect Yukiko. 

Because of Yukiko's disappearance, Chie has joined and rushes into the castle, hoping to find Yukiko and save her despite the warning from both the Protagonist and Yosuke. Thus, the first objective while searching Yukiko's castle is to find Chie and save her from whatever is in the castle, as she does not have the glasses to see clearly, nor a Persona to fight off Shadows with. The lack of a Persona also means she's just as likely to run into her Shadow Self and be attacked.

The first floor is littered mostly with the Shadows from before, a few other ones as well, but overall the rush to ensure Chie's safety is what comes first. For whatever reason, Yukiko's Shadow Self does not appear in this first encounter outside of appearing on the TV to announce her goal of finding a Prince. It could be that Yukiko's Shadow wishes to test Chie, or that Chie's repressed self has scared off Yukiko's. It's only after Chie reappears with her Persona that Yukiko considers Chie one of her 'Princes'.

[I am a Shadow, the true self...]

Chie Satonaka: The Chariot Tomoe

Another classmate encountered in the first day, Chie Satonaka is a tomboy who enjoys fighting films and who often hangs out with Yukiko. Chie has lived in Inaba her whole life, though she doesn't always know all of the people there as well as Yukiko. The two have been friends for a very long time, and Chie shows a great deal of concern for Yukiko, especially when she starts working more and more at the Inn, as well as when she's kidnapped. Chie's fear for her is what drives her into the castle ahead of everyone, ignoring Yosuke and the Protagonist's calls for her to wait for them.

Chie is often upbeat and optimistic, and though she is a tomboy in general and will use incidents with the boys (Yosuke in particular) to get steak lunches out of him, or even demand discounts, she is still feminine in her own ways. She and Yosuke often play off each other as comic relief of the group, with Chie being more like a male version of him in some cases. She is often approached by boys who want to ask her about Yukiko, which has lead to a lot of her insecurities. It's on this, and Yukiko's seeming dependence of her, that her Shadow preys on, pointing out Chie's own insecurities and her need for Yukiko to need her. Chie does need friends - she very obviously enjoys her time with all the others, and accepts everyone pretty quickly when the group begins to grow. Though she is quick to attack, especially when her friends are in danger, or suggest violence against the perpetrator of the crimes, Chie also will sometimes pull back from attacking others she knows, or will defend them no matter what the circumstance. She, like Yosuke, is a huge asset to you during the game, and while others can fill her role as a very heavy fighter (especially later on), she still does her best to help out and works with the group to learn more about herself and to be happy with both her feminine and masculine side.

Chie's Shadow self appearing as Chie works to free Yukiko means that this is the second dungeon where the trials are meant for at least two people, though this time there is a chance you can save both instead of arriving too late for one. Despite this, the Shadow isn't going to pull any punches either - she's quick to point out Chie's need for Yukiko and her dislike of herself compared to Yukiko's own beauty and femininity quickly come out, and the presence of others only makes Chie more agitated by what the Shadow is saying, as well as more willing to not accept the Shadow as what is really inside of her and what she really feels about Yukiko. Like Yosuke's need for people to pay attention to him and stay with him, no matter what, Chie's need for friends that need her as well manifests in a dangerous way.

TAROT ANALYSIS

The Chariot (VII), Reversed

The Chariot in general means movement, a control over said movement, self-assertion, and going into victory or war. The card itself shows a man or person of high rank in a chariot or similar vehicle, holding the reigns of two animals or mythical figures, one black and one white. The ability to control those animals while drawing a chariot is a very dangerous thing, and the results means years of experience and dedication, as well as being able to have animals that are just as well-trained and controlled. In some cases, the Chariot can also represent other modes of travel, like a car or similar.

Thus, the Chariot reversed is someone who has lost control, who has low self-esteem, and who lashes out or abuses those around them. If we continue with the car reference, the Chariot upright is a car that has someone who knows what they're doing, who is able to do whatever they need the car to do. The Chariot Reversed is an upside-down car, one that's crashed, and all the issues that comes with it. In the Fool's Journey, the Chariot is the Fool, having grown up and managed to gain control and an assertiveness over his powers and his abilities, gaining control of his environment.

Chie has to gain control of herself, of her darker self and of her unwanted emotions, in order to move forward and change, to regain that assertiveness and to have it be genuine instead of fake. 

THEME: Friendships and Loyalty

Chie's push to find Yukiko is due to how close they are as friends, as well as how much Yukiko means to Chie and vice-versa. Even if it was Chie in the Shadow World instead of Yukiko, I don't doubt that Yukiko would go through everything to save her as well and make sure she was alright. Their loyalty to each other is a major theme in the Castle dungeon - from Chie's attempts to save Yukiko that ends in her facing her own Shadow, to Chie helping Yukiko after they face off against Yukiko's Shadow. Chie even being called one of Yukiko's 'Princes' shows Yukiko's belief that Chie could act in the role the Prince was assigned, taking her away from Inaba and her ties to the Amagi Inn. While Yosuke and the Protagonist hold some connection due to the S.Link they created, as well as their shared 'newness' to the Inaba area, Chie and Yukiko have known each other for far longer, and know each other well enough to understand the dangers that come with such a close friendship. As Shadow Chie showed, sometimes even close friendship and such deep loyalty can be toxic, However, it also gives Chie something to work on as she realizes that she cannot always act as she had, and that she must find herself, as well as be a better friend to Yukiko, if she is to move forward. By doing this, and by admitting to the guys as well that this is something that is within her, Chie not only gains more friends outside of Yukiko, but shows her ability to grow and become a better person.

Next time: More on the Persona - Tomoe

"A Maze of Relationships" - Social Links and Changing Midnight Channel

After facing Yosuke's Shadow and gaining a Social Link, the two are determined to figure out the reason for the murders and what is going on. This creates a new scene as the Protagonist agrees to aid in figuring out the murders.

CLOSER TO THE TRUTH

Before the next big boss is faced, the Protagonist forms his first Social Link, a bond between people that allows him to slowly get them to open up and, if they are part of the team, to give them a special ability as more of the bond is unlocked. The more information the Protagonist has about the person, the closer they are and the stronger the bond.

This is important for the Protagonist and his power, as well as for the game in general. Each bond is treated to the "Thou art I" part, but added with it is not only the name of the card, but also that the bond will bring you 'closer to the truth'.

In some cases, such as with bonds between those who create Personas like Yosuke, the 'truth' is two things - their truth (i.e. why they have such a powerful suppressed self and what their 'true' self is) as well as the truth of the murders and who is throwing people into the TV World. Other bonds allow for one to learn more of the 'truth' behind a specific person, normally allowing for more of the Protagonist's abilities to be trained, but also allowing for some time away from the murder and instead to invest in the community and to help whoever the Protagonist is able to help. Social Links (S.Links) are often created either by saving the person and them later joining the group to solve the crime, or by meeting them or talking with them in everyday life. Some S.Links require a high enough Social Qualities to start or move forward. 

Social Qualities

There are five main Social Qualities that you can advance in order to help with tests, get a part-time job, or even to start or advance certain S.Links. Each of the five are tied with choices you make or what you do in your spare time. In the first play through of the game, they all start at the bare basics, but the second play through should allow you to bring over all the qualities that you once had (as this is my first playthrough, I started with the basics...this is a long game and I have put it aside for other games before, sadly). 

The Five Qualities are:

- Understanding - 

     This will allow you to show your awareness of others around you. It allows you to empathize towards others and their pain. Higher Understanding allows for more solidarity with others.

- Knowledge - 

     This comes mostly from classes and studying, so this particular set applies mostly to book-knowledge and the ability to understand said knowledge. Higher Knowledge means you will get rewarded for test scores. 

- Courage - 

      Courage comes from being able to either be upfront with someone about something, call someone out, or otherwise show your ability to stand your ground, no matter what. In the game, you can often gain Courage by eating some of the food you find in the fridge that is...questionable. (In many cases very questionable)

- Expression -

      Like Understanding, Expression has to do with empathy, but this focuses more on being able to show your empathy over empathizing with them. Higher Expression allows you to speak with people who might otherwise be closed off.

- Diligence - 

      Diligence deals mostly with being able to keep dates or follow through with something that you might not always want to do. Higher Diligence allows you to do certain things more often.

The Continued Mystery

Not long after going into the world and encountering Shadows and Personas for the first time, someone new appears on the Midnight Channel. Chie is very sure that person is Yukiko Amagi, who had appeared that night in an interview about the whereabouts of Yamano before her death. However, despite appearing on the TV, Yukiko is fine and simply had to work at the family-run Amagi Inn. That night, the Midnight Channel comes in clear, but it's not quite Yukiko who we see on the TV...

Revised Analysis 1: The Midnight Channel

During the last few days, Yukiko appeared on the television in some way three times - the main broadcast in which she is asked rather inappropriate questions by an interviewer about being so young and pretty in her kimono (he was there to interview her about Yamano's time there and instead went into talking about Yukiko's look and her youth), with her back turned and wearing the kimono but appearing to look 'out' at something in the Midnight Channel, and finally, in her 'princess' dress, in what Yosuke describes as like 'bad television', entering a castle to find herself a Prince (or 'score a hot stud', depending on the translation) in the new Midnight Channel.

In the beginning of the story, the Protagonist passes by a television playing the news about Yamano's affair and her being let go of at the station. When we see her being attacked, there's a hint of it being like turning to a tv that isn't quite in focus, with static sounding and the picture grainy, enough to see that it's possibly Yamano, but not enough to see any other details. When seeing Saki Konishi on the TV, the picture is far more grainy and out of focus, but it shows her enough to know she's in pain. The Protagonist learns from Yosuke, the day Saki's body is found, that she appeared again on the Midnight Channel, appearing to be in agony.

This seems to be an escalation of what is going on, or it could simply be the Midnight Channel warping, now that there is a chance of 'saving' those within it. Yukiko's disappearance after appearing on the Channel may hint at the first part being a 'teaser' for who is to come, with the next part being the 'show' itself. With Yamano and Saki Konishi, we didn't see any 'shows', but rather them being hurt or put into the TV, and we see the results of the 'dungeon' they were put in later on. With Yukiko, you get an idea of what her repressed self is feeling, and there seems to be a hint that this a deeper and possibly darker 'repressed' self than the others, or that her placement within the TV has allowed for the Shadows to more easily move around her than with the others. The time between a dense fog and Yukiko disappearing into the TV World seems to indicate that the Shadows are not as angry or easily riled up, as they were with Saki and Yamano's appearance in the TV. It would also explain the changed format, allowing for a look into the psyche and what the group will be facing over no hints at all of what happens and instead only showing them being attacked.
If this is the case, then the ones on TV who are focused on by the media have a high chance of being next on the Midnight Channel. As Chie mentions before Saki Konishi's death, the reason for her being on the Channel might be that the media was showing her interview so often, so people had 'Saki on the brain'. That seems to result in showing who appears next as the 'preview', and then the one who appears on the Midnight Channel 'program' that their Shadow uses to hint at the issues set deep within the person's mind, and which created them in the first place.

Next up: Analysis of Yukiko's Castle Part 1

More On The Persona (Elements, Folklore, and Transformation) - Jiraiya The Magician

PERSONAS: The Dungeon

First encountered in the Twisted Shopping District, Personas are created after a character accepts their inner darkness. As such, all Personas begin as Shadows of their characters, showing off repressed or misunderstood desires and feelings about what they are doing or their feelings towards someone or towards their perceived stereotype outside of the TV World. As such, their 'dungeon' often acts as a location that can reflect or enhance their issues.

The Twisted Shopping District Analysis

As stated earlier, the Twisted Shopping District is the dungeon for both Saki and Yosuke. This is one of the first official dungeons you run into, and is a replica of the shopping district where Saki's family lives and works, and the place that many say is going under due to the arrival of Junes. The area doubles as Yosuke's dungeon due to his wish to be close to Saki, and the fact that he is part of what represents Saki's inner hatred and self-loathing. Junes' arrival meant more people went there then the local shopping district, and as a result, it started to fail. Saki's decision to work at Junes meant that her family and neighbors viewed her as a traitor to her family and their store, which we're told has gone under since her disappearance and death. Yosuke's nature meant that he wanted to make sure everyone felt they could approach him, and speak to him if they needed anything. This leaves him and Saki in the predicament of having attention drawn to them, but in a negative way for something they attempt to create out of a positive. Saki is attempted to get money for her family, yet despite that, her father angrily demands for her to not work 'there' (Junes) and the photos in the Twisted Shopping District, specifically in the family store, show most of the photos cut out save for those of herself and Yosuke. It could mean that, unlike the others that work at Junes, Saki feels like she's also "trapped" in that situation with Yosuke. However, her words about Yosuke being a 'pain' also shows her dislike of him and the way he handled things. Saki seemed to really view him as a child or someone who didn't understand the issues he was creating, or at least the issues that his family's presence, and thus the presence of Junes, were causing her and others in her situation.
The Twisted Shopping District represents the decay the town is going through because of Junes, but also Yosuke's repressed guilt and anger at how he's viewed, along with how he views the town. The Twisted Shopping District is in decay, with no lights and hardly any sign of stores beyond the one that held Saki, and where Yosuke had to face his other self. It's been abandoned completely, and is the main area where, after every save, you see a mysterious shadowed suspect appearing, though the outline is never clear enough and the voice is never identified as a male or female.
Saki and Yamano's Shadows are never shown, though they have to be dangerous enough to kill the person they come from. As before, the Jungian Shadow is the repressed feelings, and Teddie explains that Shadows are 'born' from humans, and become violent when the fog lifts, or when they are rejected by the one they are the Shadow of, resulting in their potentially mutual deaths.
The Fog in the TV World is possibly a barrier between the subconscious and the conscious - Yosuke and the Protagonist were 'safe' from the Shadows until they approached the place Saki died, and before Yosuke's own guilt and anger over what happened created, or summoned, a powerful Shadow for the Protagonist to fight. That they don't find the Shadows of Saki or Yamano, though that 'dungeon' remains after the host's death, seems to send contradictory signals - Yamano's Shadow and Saki's Shadow don't appear or seem to be able to give them any hint of the true culprit when they investigate, and that leaves Yosuke and the Protagonist, for now, having to work to save whoever they can.

The Magician: Jiraiya

Appearing originally as the Shadow Yosuke, it transforms into the monstrous form (left photo) to fight the Protagonist. After Yosuke's acceptance of what his Shadow Self had said, it becomes his Persona, Jiraiya (right)

Jiraiya is a ninja from Japanese folklore, an heir to a great clan who masters frog/toad magic and who is known for being part of the Tsunade-Jiraiya-Orochimaru grouping. Before you go further - this is actual folk-stories, written down by various people over a great deal of time...meaning Naruto didn't do this first. The collection of tales, "The Tales of Gallant Jiraiya", were first published in the 19th century, and has appeared in various animes, mangas, and movies.

Shadow Jiraiya appears as a shadow riding a massive frog or toad, swaying as the frog does and without a care. He wears a red scarf and the main coloring is a camouflage color, darker colors, red and yellow. He often calls the Protagonist someone that 'bores' him and who 'pisses him off' before attacking. When he transforms, the dark colors move to the head and toes, replaced with a lighter coloration and with a more human-like appearance, though his head still maintains a somewhat frog-like appearance.

Jiraiya, like the Magician, is one over control of his elements in the story, and one that masters transformation powers. He is a guide and center for those around him in the story, though he might not be the main character in some of the different places he appears, he is often a beloved and important character.

ELEMENT

Element: Garu (Wind)

                Weakness: Zio (Electricity/Lightning)

Personas and Shadows have specific weaknesses and elements they are strong in, often renamed and added to as they gain more power and ability. Yosuke's power is over Wind (Garu) and he is weak to Lightning (Zio). As an element, Wind is often associated with voice or matters concerning the mind. Yosuke, though not intelligent when it comes to tests, is one to put a great deal about the place together, and is always the one who talks or says the right or wrong thing. Words impact Yosuke far more than most of the other characters, and as such, his words to coworkers, or to others, will impact how he views them and how angry he gets. His ability with Wind makes him a good counter to those with Electricity/Lightning as their main source, but also makes him vulnerable to it as well. 

Air/Wind is connected to almost all elemental groupings (i.e groups that use elements to denote direction or are used in magical terms). In Classical (Greek/Roman) terms, there are two types of Air/Wind - aer (lesser air, atmospheric air) and aether (upper atmosphere, above/at cloud level). In Alchemist Symbols, Air/Wind is represented by an upright triangle with a line through it. In terms of the four Humors, it's connected with Blood, and considered both Hot and Wet. It's a major point in Magick, used as the East and with either a dagger/atheme or wand as the magical tool, and yellow associated with it. {Sources: Wikipedia; The White Goddess}

Jiraiya's link to Wind grows as he gains more power, and as the Protagonist and he grow closer, Yosuke's ability in battle, as well as his power, changes to the point that Jiraiya itself changes. Yosuke's link to the Protagonist, his ability to open up to him and his ability to finally air out his grievances as well as still focus on the problems they have. Yosuke, in this way, grows from simply wishing to find something to do while also avenging someone he likes, but to one who seriously wishes to fight the evil that awaits, and one who is willing to do all he can to protect and help the new town he lives in.

Next up: Social Links and the Changing Midnight Channel

"Warning...Warning...Warning..." - Shadows and Personas

As I stated before, the Shadows are based off the Jungian Archetype. A Shadow Self is the unconscious emotions and undesired feelings that person they represent, with various other Shadows appearing, often around them, to apparently represent or make up either normal upsets or regrets of other people, or the same feeling that comes from that person. They are the major threat in the persona series, and often bosses end up as being the Shadow Self of a major character.

We hear of the Shadows from Teddie, a strange bear-like creature that lives in the Midnight Channel and who is the one that throws the main trio (the Protagonist, Yosuke, and Chie) out the first time the end up in the world and see the first of where Shadows often appear - around those who have been thrown into the TV World, and with a great deal of their dark feelings turning into monsters (luckily, the first area is free of monsters, as it appears the Shadows leave or calm down after a violent death). When Yosuke and the Protagonist return, he asks them to promise to figure out what is going on, as the people being thrown into the world are changing things and making the Shadows agitated and, thus, are making things hard for him.

The Twisted Shopping District works as the 'dungeon' of both Yosuke and Saki due to their history, and serves as the first area you and your Persona appear and do battle against Shadows - specifically mouth-like weaker Shadows that appear early on and are very easy to deal with, Slipping Hablerie. The simple Shadows appear to only have mouths and start off as Shadows reminiscent of No Face from Spirited Away. As most of the 'dark' and Shadow aspects of Yosuke and Saki appear to be from gossip and what other people say, it's no surprise that the only Shadow in it is something that appears to be continually talking or only speaking.

Due to this area being the area of Saki's demise and the reason for Yosuke suggesting they investigate the murders, and thus re-enter the world, this is the area that Yosuke is confronted by his Shadow Self, and the first time you truly face off against the power of the TV World and the Jungian idea of Shadows.

[I am a Shadow, the true self...]

Yosuke Hanamura: The Magician Jiraya

Yosuke is one of first characters you meet during the game, and is often seen in comedic situations. Like you, he has moved to Inaba recently and, thus, does not know some of the people who have been there for a while. Yosuke's father manages Junes, a major chain store that has moved into Inaba recently and is blamed for the decline of stores in the Central Shopping District, including the liquor store that Saki's family owns. He is overall happy-go-lucky and tires to not make light of what his family's reputation has done to his own, or what he feels about moving from the city to the country.
Yosuke's initial look into the Midnight Channel is not a positive one, and after Saki's death, Yosuke becomes determined to figure out what is going on. He brings in Chie and the Protagonist due to his belief that the police cannot figure out the real killer, and he is the first to be confronted by Shadows, as well as to confront his Shadow Self. It is after this that the Protagonist and he can become closer, mostly through hanging out with Yosuke and seeing him interact with people at Junes, and you learn more and more about how he feels and what he does, as well as the pressure put on him by gossip and by what the other workers believe. Though the comic relief and often open to flirting with the girls or saying the wrong thing to everyone, overall Yosuke is an important member and one of the first who shows off investigative skills and an ability to figure out patterns in the mystery you have come into and, no matter what, will do all he can to help everyone out and will be there for people, in his own way.

As stated before, Shadows are the unconscious and 'undesired' emotions and feelings of the ones they confront. Denying those feelings result in the Shadow gaining power and transforming into a monstrous being that the Protagonist must defeat. In this case, the Shadow points out how unhappy Yosuke is with being alone and being 'bored' in the small town, even claiming that Yosuke used Saki's death as an excuse to come to the more 'exciting' world in the TV. Yosuke's denial of this results in the Shadow's transformation, and the acceptance is what allows the Shadow to transform into a Persona and aid Yosuke and the Protagonist in their quest.

TAROT ANALYSIS

The Magician (I), Reversed

Shadows represent the unconscious or unwanted, and thus are often the 'reverse' of what the character shows. Reversed cards can sometimes be used in readings (some simply use the card as-is) but often the reversed version of a card is not a 'bad' reading - it simply means a change of how things are. The Magician in general is represented by a man controlling the elements around him, and being able to channel power from Heaven and Earth, the infinity symbol or a symbol of power over his head.

Reversed, the power can be misused or mishandled, or the power might go to the Magician's head. In the Fool's Journey, a similar makeup of a myth arc like the Hero's Journey, The Magician is the first person the Fool meets, and who shows him how to use the power of the Minor Arcana. 

Yosuke has to admit what he sees, as denying his 'other' self only serves to agitate it and create the 'reverse'. When it returns to Upright, it regains the power that it had - someone controlling the elements he has at his disposal, and channeling the power to allow him to do whatever he needs to do.

THEME: I am Thou, Thou Art I

Accepting yourself and what you feel is a major theme of Persona 4. Though the Protagonist never faces his 'Shadow', he views everyone facing theirs and has to help defeat them and learn from them. The Shadows are often accepted by the character saying "You're me, and I'm you", and any new Social Link has a screen showing the corresponding Tarot as well as the words "I am Thou, Thou art I". Yosuke and the Protagonist are the first two who face their 'Shadows' in a way and end up accepting something about themselves (mostly Yosuke does) that they don't want to face. Because of the event with Saki, as well as Yosuke accepting it, he gains a Persona called Jiraya. Accepting it, the screen often says that the 'strength to face one's true self' becomes manifest as the Persona itself, and allows them the power to fight and aid the Protagonist in the TV World, not to mention a better understanding of themselves that slowly manifests the more time the Protagonist spends time with them and builds their Social Link.

Next up: More On Personas (Elements, Folklore, and Transformation)

"Let Go of the Remote" - The Midnight Channel and the Mystery

[It is said that if one would stare into the screen of a closed (off) television, alone, at midnight during a heavy rain, one could see their soul mate.]


Within a day of arriving to Inaba, the news is full of a scandal - a local politician had an affair with a reporter of the main news studio, with both being suspended from their jobs and the politician's wife (a singer), seeking a divorce. Within the first few days of you arriving and getting into school, though, the reporter is found dead, suspended from an antenna. It's around this time you hear about the Midnight Channel from a classmate and soon-to-be friend, Chie Satonaka.

As the Player, we've seen snippets of the Midnight Channel already - the cutscene after being introduced to Igor and Margaret shows the Protagonist traveling to Yasoinaba, and having a vision of a woman (who we later see as the reporter, Mayumi Yamano) being attacked and 'forced' somewhere.

Two minor characters are found dead before the main gameplay and mystery begins - Mayumi Yamano (the reporter) and Saki Konishi (an older classmate and Yosuke's 'sempai'). It's Saki's death and what is seen on the Midnight Channel, as well as the Protagonist learning of his ability as the 'door' to the Channel itself, that begins the investigation and starts the year in which the Protagonist must solve the mystery.

Preliminary Analysis - The Midnight Channel

Entered only through a television, the Midnight Channel is initially presented similar to a television station or studio, with no visible ceiling and with a great deal of flood lights and pillars similar to those for open studios for filming. The main entrance contains a 'target' area, with multiple outlines of bodies that seem to have landed or fallen, and are marked out similar to chalk outlines of bodies or victims at crime scenes. When the group comes in first, it is too foggy for them to see anything clearly.

When the Protagonist watches the Midnight Channel for the first time, he sees Saki appearing to be in pain, and hears something very odd...

[I am thou, thou art I. Thou art the one who opens the door.]

The result of this is that the Protagonist is the first to go through a television, but also what's interesting are the colors of lights behind him when he looks at the television and hears the voice.

{source: GemaTheEntertainer Persona 4 Walkthrough}

Television normally uses one of two Three-Color Primary to create images and colors - either RGB (Red, Green, Blue) or CMY (Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow). In the background as the Protagonist watches the Midnight Channel, a variation of the RGB appears behind him. He is, by the end of this, able to enter into the television world.

Speculations and the Like

The main thrust of the mystery is who has caused the disappearances and deaths. The push to find them is important, as it will mean the stop of the kidnappings and deaths. 

The initial impression of the Midnight Channel is one that draws out Shadows. Shadows are considered to be part of the subconscious, items that are not acknowledged by the conscious mind {source: Wikipedia}. More on that in the next part.

Both Saki and Yamano are shown as having been brought to a place that is special to them alone - Yamano's room and Saki's home in the Twisted Shopping District - but those places are also uses to harm them as well, resulting in their deaths and the bodies arriving in the 'real' world in a specific way.

Both Yamano and Saki appear in hard to reach areas, either as if they were thrown there, or if they are in the 'Hanged Man' position. The Hanged Man, another Tarot Card, is often known for a man hanging upside down, though it is often seen as him being outside of the other world and less with him being killed in such a way.

The areas are also connected to the television and electronics in general - Yamano is found on a television antenna, and Saki on a power line pole. Both help connect people to each other, or to the electronic thing that also lends itself as a doorway to the Midnight Channel. The height and near-inaccessible nature of where they are means that whatever is taking them into the Midnight Channel and throwing their bodies out is something very dangerous, and that will spur on the need of the Protagonist and the others to try to figure out what has happened, and to stop the deaths of anyone else.

Next up - Shadows