I read an article the other day elaborating on P4's main villain and thought it was an awesome read.

What it brought to my attention is that P4 is riddled with critical ponderances that enrich the story. There are some in particular I would like to discuss with everyone.

1. Kanji's Sexuality: Its hard to say where they meant to place him once you conclude his story arc. Is he or isn't he gay? If you take into account his "Shadow Self" then it seems pretty obvious. He reacts to certain topics identical to how most guys would when put into sexually derived situations. Whenever someone question's his sexuality he gets highly definsive, and feels a deep need to defend it at all costs. This feels pretty real to me. I would expect someone who is still not even "out" to themselves to react in that way. It doesn't help that Yosuke is a total dick to him about it. On the other hand, Kanji frequently injects that he has some level of interest in girls. Though one can argue he almost seems.....forced in it's execution. When guys are in a group together, sexual conversations frequently come up. One is always expected to respond in a certain way and you become a target if you don't. One of my frequent annoyances in real life is when talking to a typical hetero guy, he finds this need to comment on EVERY SINGLE woman that walks by. Not even singling out the hot ones, like he is going for a record for who is more masculine and hetero by noticing the most women. This sense of overcompensation I feel comes from sexual conflict within a person, whatever that might be.

2. The Personas and Shadows: We know they are reflextions of one's "true self". I frequently stair at their designs and attempt at interpretting what it really means for that character. I did the same with Persona 3, Mitsuo and Akihiko's comes to mind. Mitsuo's obviously signified her need to control every situation like the dominatrix she is, yet hiding behind certain false hoods to retain her power which is signified by the masquarade mask. Akihiko's is a Ceasar looking guy holding a globe, demonstrating his outlook on the world that anything is possible and his desire to take hold of what it has to offer.

Lets take Yukiko's for instance. Her shadow was personified by a giant red bird with her face, pirched in a cage hanging from the cieling. Yukiko's signifies the Caged Canary affect. She is beautiful and desired(IE most popular girl in school), yet cannot truly exist amongst those who adore her. A Canary for instance is frequently covetted as one of the most pretty birds one can have, it stands as a status symbol of sorts. We take them and lock them in cages to preserve that symbol. Their world becomes that enclosed space, just like in Yukiko's situation, the fear of not being able to escape a predetermined fate set by others comes in.

Kanji, probably the most comical looking shadow of them all, I honestly fell on the floor laughing with my roommate the first time I saw it. Yet I think it also holds a deeper meaning. The head of the shadow is actually Kanji's upper torso, bereathed in a bouquet of flowers. The lower body is a huge hulking monstrosity of a man holding two heavy "Male" symbols. The head signifies how Kanji truely feels of course, his soft and elogant demeanor. The lower is the facade he uses to protect the other part of him from the cruel nature of the world. The giant Male symbols are actually Weights, demonstrating that the need to be "manly" is the burdon Kanji bears. If you take a look at Kanji's Persona designs you might notice something else. His Persona, at least to me looks like an Action Figure. Action Figures are a signiture fixture in a boy's life, paving the way for him to learn what it is to be a "man", yet it also hides behind the false hood that it is somehow more different than.....a doll. Let that sink in when thinking what is the true nature of Kanji's sexuality....

Yosuke's is a bit perplexing for me as it kind of shows he is the most "Two Faced" of the entire group, maybe tied with Chie. It is literally a comeleon, meaning he knows how to blend and infiltrate so he can better be accepted, or at least that is/was his goal. On it's back is a comical looking guy wearing a cape, leaning towards his superhero complex and desire to be at the center of attention. Also take note of his chesire cat smile on the lower half, it looks like a paper cut out, meaning he hides behind false sense of kindness and or smiles.

Chie probably had the hardest time admitting to herself what her true feelings were. Her Shadow revealed a very nasty part of her which is totally contradictory to her outward personality. Just like Yosuke, she wants to be the Alpha within her circle (which is really only  Yosuke and Yukiko). her Shadow has the "Master" Dominatrix looking female sitting atop what looks like Yukikos 0_o..... Also she wields a whip and a executioner's mask. Her sitting on top of others while they struggle signifies her need for others to NEED her. It makes her feel powerful and she needs her friends at their worst to be at her best. Both Yuki and Yo admit that Chie was the glue that made them friends, what they don't realize that in Chie's mind she is only as good as those who depend on her, so she needed them far more.

3.The others I am still deliberating on. One in particular keeps me pondering, Teddie. Do you think Teddie is the manifestation of human desire to stay willingly ignorant from "The Truth"? I just find it strange that he always existed in the TV world, yet knows so little. Whenever he was asked about the inner workings of the other side he would respond by saying "Its just the way it is" or some similar bilge. Almost like he doesn't want to know these things as it would force him to face it's certain reality.