"Locked up in your Mind" - The Media and False Perceptions

As Kanji becomes part of the group, he manages to "get" a list from a student, and there are hints that the Midnight Channel rumor has turned into something that people tune in for, in the hopes of seeing the action. If they see the fights against the others or if they simply see the Shadow version of the ones thrown in before the fog lifts is unclear, though, as thus far the Protagonist and Investigation Team have managed to save everyone after the first two victims who are thrown into the TVs. As Yosuke said when discussing Saki Konishi's death, he saw her 'in pain' on the Midnight Channel the night before her body was found. If this is what happens when the victims end up remaining until the fog lifts, that means failure would result in basically a snuff film on midnight television, with everyone watching as the Shadows destroyed the 'host' of the series.

This seems to show a changing view of the Midnight Channel and how it operates. As more and more people watch the 'rumored' show, the more it becomes focused on the ones who are on television, and that results in them becoming the ones on the upcoming 'show'. With little known about the Show or it's effects, we can only figure things out from what we see, as well as the new information we get after the arrival of idol Risette.

The Midnight Channel: Analysis and Speculation Thus Far

The Midnight Channel appears to be something that exists no matter what the Protagonists or others do, as it is a link to the "Shadow" filled world inhabited by Teddie and the other Shadows. As Teddie explains, Shadows are born from Humans and sometimes will gain a great deal of power if they are repressed, ignored, or denied for a long time. Many of the Shadows that lurk in various areas are similar to each other, with the special Shadows and Minions falling into a specific stereotype that works in the setting given - Yukiko's Avenging Knight who 'tests' the 'princes' coming for Yukiko, Kanji's 'Fighting Gigas' who offers up a bouncer-like persona for those who are trying to gain Kanji's 'affections', and the two larger monsters, based on others, that later take up living in the highest level where the Shadows had once been.

• Shadows as the Repressed Selves/Jungian Archetypes
• Each Shadow is created and shows off what one of the characters wants/desires out of their lives or their current situations.They all speak or focus on the extreme of a harsh truth that the character sees or attempts to hide about themselves.
• Mayumi Yamano - Hatred of Other, Desire to Destroy Other
• Saki Konishi - Hatred of Perceptions, Dislike of Gossip, Dislike of Position
• Without anyone to save them or help them face their other self, both Yamano and Konishi were destroyed by their Shadow self and the Shadows in the area. However, as neither Shadow is encountered in that area, it is possible Shadows are linked to their Host, and thus died with the death of their original self
• Yosuke - Hatred of Loneliness, Unwanted Desire for Thrills vs. Heroic Actions, Misuse of Powers (Magician Reversed)
• Chie - Hatred of Self, Desire to Be Someone Else/Change Self, Desire for Control over Other (Chariot Reversed)
• Yukiko - Hatred of Obligations, Inability to Ask for Help, Inability to See/Use Power (High Priestess Reversed)
• Kanji - Hatred of Perceived Self, Self-Loathing/Self-Stereotyping, Misunderstanding of Self (Emperor Reversed)
• The Midnight Channel as a Conduit for Media
• With more and more attention brought to the Midnight Channel, there gradually creates a pattern and method to what occurs before/during someone's time in the other world and with the creation of their Shadow's "dungeon"
• It is unknown if the Midnight Channel shows the events in the dungeon, but it does show the beginning of the dungeon
• Grainy Video of Victim - Often the first one or two images shown during the rainy night are hard to tell, though there can be some hints of who the intended victim are. The first image often puts someone to mind, though they are not always sure. The second one usually cements the idea of  it being one person in particular.
• The "Show" - After the victim is kidnapped and put into the TV, a show appears on the Midnight Channel
• Originally, the show seemed to have been of just the victim in the setting, though neither is witnessed by the Protagonist. Yosuke, who witnessed the final 'show' before Saki Konishi's death, only states that Konishi appeared to be 'in pain'.
• After the initial two deaths, the shows change when Yukiko is put in, so that she and Kanji appear in a type of television show
• Princess Yukiko's Search for Her Prince Charming
• Similar ideas to "The Bachelor/The Bachelorette" or a dating series, where someone is trying to find "love". 
• MEN ONLY! Kanji Tatsumi in Rosy Steam Paradise
• A late night Skinamax production with a homosexual tone - though it's stated they are trying to find 'love', this is implied to be physical-only, not romantic.
• The rescue ends the show, and it's implied by two classmates that others can watch what happens, though how much they see, including if they see the rescue or acceptance of the Shadow, is not stated. 
• The fact that the two seem to only know that it's a 'show' and as few/no one really talks about the two 'shows' or gossip isn't overheard, the first part might be all that's shown
• Conclusions: With more people watching the Midnight Show, the channel's focus has changed.
• The shows were never about soulmates, but others who were in the media predominantly due to interviews, scandals, or exclusives
• If the person appears in the 'other world', their Shadow may put on a 'show'
• This so far is only confirmed by those who appear on TV and then are put in the Midnight Channel after their appearance.
• Due to more people watching, as well as more being thrown in, the 'shows' are appearing with each main person tossed in
• The 'dungeon' can double as a trap for another person as well, especially if they are close to the person who was shown on the Midnight Channel or has heavy negative emotions towards themselves.

The Midnight Channel is changing, and it only gets weirder when Risette comes to town and a new change occurs.

Next Time: False Perceptions 2 - Celebrity and Media

"Loading...Loading...Loading" - Another Lull (May-June)

After saving Kanji, there is another long time period occurs in which you can build more of the Social Links, gain more Links, or simply continue to study and gain information. You have all of May to save him, though doing so earlier will at least allow you the opening of learning and doing more things, instead of worrying over what will happen to Kanji.

 For the time between saving Kanji and the arrival of the next "victim", most of the work done is on strengthening your already established S.Links. While others are available, you were given a year to complete the task given, and some of them need to have you meet or establish a relation with others for them to work. This lets you learn more about your various established S.Links and, as we find out after maxing out one of the S.Links, will allow you to gain access to the highest form of that Persona group, as well as allow other members of the Investigation Team to understand themselves.

CLOSER TO THE TRUTH

Being able to gain more S.Links shows that many of the links already established do need love so you can find more information about the town and people, as well as help your friends. By deepening these Links, you learn more about your friends and they begin to help out more and more - every other level or so added more to their abilities to fight with the others and Protagonist. Early on, they gain the power to take a mortal blow for the Protagonist, but as things continue, they gain more and more able to help others out, helping out others with standing when they're knocked back, or even breaking them out of some of the ailments you can get. In the meantime, more talks with others allow for learning more and more about the characters and why they are acting the way they are - Ayame does her best to get better, practicing an instrument that, at first, she was not very good at, and she gains more confidence over time. Kou and Daisuke both show off that there are more to them, with both having serious issues that effect their abilities and actions towards others. Nanako asks serious questions and, while able to deal with her life in a very serious and mature way, she still shows her age and remains the most precious of Cinnamon Rolls, up there with Castiel of Supernatural and Steven from Steven Universe.

(I have not seen Supernatural Season 11 yet, no, why do you ask? Huh? Oh, the Persona I summoned? No, it's not because I'm doing this, I'm just going to kill the writers who think that was ok)

Dojima's history only adds more to why he acts the way he does and the rather sad case about his wife and why he continues to search for information about what happened the night she died. Though the case is not a massive one, it's an example of how one small thing can really effect someone, and how that changes his interactions with Nanako. His job and the work to find more causes a lot of issues, as he can't think of a way to really talk to Nanako about this, and even has a hard time talking with the Protagonist. In other cases, he looks at the Protagonist with some confusion and even thinking that the Protagonist has something to do with the deaths and disappearances, especially with what happened early on (I still blame Yousuke for that) but also for his connection to Yukiko after her disappearance. Add in Kanji, who is a known trouble-maker, and Dojima will definitely have issues with the Protagonist's friends.

For now, we do have one or two new S.Links, and the maxing out the links, giving us an unbreakable bond and allowing for that character to admit to his own character flaws and work to fix them.

The Moon Card (XVIII): Ai Ebihara

Showing up as an uninteresting girl who has to 'help' the sport's team you joined when you started the Strength Card, Ai is there due to having skipped classes to go shop. Though she appears superficial, Ai also shows off times when it becomes obvious her attitude is actually from having been hurt or with few people paying attention to her, or those who do pay attention having ulterior motives. She seems fine with the Protagonist due to how he deals with her, and his courage of going out with her on the first trip, ditching class, but also that he does his best to understand her and won't always take her pushy nature. Despite that, Ai is still an interesting character and shows some more depth than expected.

The Empress Card (III): Margaret

The one who holds the book that involves all the Personas you create, Margaret mostly works with Igor and is his silent partner for the most part. This card comes up only if your Intelligence is high enough, and she mostly asks for the creation of Personas with certain advantages, most of them making them more balanced throughout their links. The link continues more and more as you create more and more of the Personas she wants, which can often demand you level up so you can create more and more Personas with various types of balance and abilities. This does mean she speaks up more and it makes things interesting as she gains more and more interest and a desire to help the Protagonist as she can.

ACCEPT AND OVERCOME YOUR WEAKNESS

Depending on how often you give different people attention, you will probably get Yousuke's S.Link of the Magician to max out first. "Max" is at level 10, and creates an unbreakable bond between the Protagonist and the one that the S.Link represents. In this case, we also discover that those who are part of the Investigation team, their Persona changes as well.

This does make sense that the Persona would change as well, as it's often created via the Investigation Team accepting a part of themselves that they don't like. With the continued growth of the various ones in the group, even allowing them to admit to issues they still have or deal with problems they'd had beforehand, or ones that even came up and remained despite everything.

Jiraiya to Susano-o

Allowing Yousuke to figure out for himself what it is that he has issues with, as well as how he feels towards the Protagonist (as a friend, despite what the fanfic and yaoi might think) before the two have a fight. This mostly works for Yousuke to realize he is an equal to the Protagonist and how he's allowed to still be upset and sad over the loss of Saki-sempai, as well as realize that he now enjoys the small town he once hated, not to mention that he realizes how much he really cares for those he sees as true friends. Yousuke learns more as he befriends the Protagonist, and admits a lot about himself and his motivations, not to mention gaining probably the first friendship where he's thought of as an equal to the other person.

In this case, a trickster-esque folk-hero becomes a far more violent but also redemptive god as his Persona reaches it's highest level and becomes Susano-o. A god of storm and sea, Susano-o is most famous for a rivalry with his sister, which resulted in him nearly causes eternal night and also got him banished down to Earth, only to kill a huge dragon, Yamata no Orochi. As the main Persona of the Magician-holding Yousuke, this does make sense in some cases, especially for the major tale of defeating a great monster who killed women. Though not a direct correlation, Yousuke realizing his equal status to the Protagonist, as well as finally coming to peace with himself, and is happy to have gotten to his full potential. Knowing his strengths and weaknesses allows Yousuke to move forward, and to know how far he can go and how much he can help.

Next time: The Media and False Perceptions

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)