Multiplicity, Duality and Identity in Persona 3

an analysis of P3(P)

I have always been intrigued by the messages Persona 3 has presented us and while I hardly have sufficient knowledge on Freud, psychology or mythology, I do think that we are still able to grasp a few concepts the game portrays without referring back to them. This analysis covers the portrayal of human nature, relationships and the symbolism behind the game mechanics in Persona 3. There are already tons of sufficient and well–written articles on the mythology and tarot motifs in the series, so I hope that this will be a good change from the norm. It also makes reference to P3P (the only P3 game I’ve actually played) and will not be spoiler free.

If I don’t acknowledge it, it doesn’t exist: gender roles and obsession in Accel World

Accel World just finished airing with obvious sequel bait. As a series, I found it quite entertaining. Production values were high, the action was slick and fast paced and the soundtrack was pretty killer. But why was I unable to engage with a large portion of the core cast? The answer: Brain Burst.  And to top it all off, a nice serving of female disempowerment. So while Accel World did succeed on many fronts, it failed in what I consider the most important, its characters.

All Love Rivals are Evil (unless male): on blatant sexism and vilification in shoujo

Few shoujos avoid vilifying the love rival to a certain extent. Even Kimi Ni Todoke, a series that has garnered a large readership (for good reason), is guilty of this. Kurumi is introduced as a villain rather than a character in the story in my personal opinion (her later development is subversive and stunning but does not erase the fact that she was introduced as a villain). The only shoujos I have read that don’t vilify the female love rival off the bat are ‘Strobe Edge’ and ‘Heroine Shikkaku’. Most others portray the love rival in an antagonistic way because they oppose the heroine’s romance, and most readers end up dismissing the love rival because of the way she is presented. The upsetting trend in all of this is that the love rival is always evil, always female, and always disliked by the majority of the active/vocal fandom.

Rolo and Lelouch: was their final exchange a lie?

Ever since I finished Code Geass, I’ve wondered about the sincerity of the final exchange between the Lamperouge brothers. How genuine were Lelouch’s words? And so by asking that question, we ask what exactly was the nature of their relationship? Please be warned, spoilers for Code Geass ahead!