There was a hell of a lot more symbolism in Strange Journey then just the sector names, you could probably do an entire video on just that game. Great video though. Hope to see more. Also it's pronounced NEE-Chuh.
Wouldn't mind something like the Kingdom Hearts Remixes for SMT and Persona. With the most plot-relevant games remastered and re-released for a newer console. I really want to play some of the older games to experience the stories myself, but going back to those old consoles or playing it on an emulator doesn't really sound all that enticing. Though, if that would ever happen, I doubt I'd be able to do my job properly due to being sleep deprived all the time ;)
great video! i just finished playing smt nocturne with true demon route and been searching for vids about the game cos its full of secrets and deep meanings.
I don't know if you noticed but Persona 3 actually uses the personas of each user to hint at their role within the story. Like how Akihiko's and Shinji's personas are Polydeuces and Castor, Polydeuces being an alternate reading for the name Pollux of Greek mythology. They were twins and sons of Zeus but only Pollux was immortal while Castor was doomed to die one day because of his mortality and when Castor did die Pollux requested for his immortality to be shared with his brother, both of them becoming one as the constellation gemini. Just like how Shinji dies and how Akihiko will always carry the memory of him as his inspiration to keep fighting, essentially becoming one with him. I dunno i thought that was an interesting narrative reference.
I love Nocturne's music. The first time you hear it, you probably won't care about it all that much and think it's decent, but with kinda bad audio quality. But as you play the game, when you beat it, and when you discover the lyrics, you kinda start to appreciate it more. I certainly did, at least.
LunarD3A7H I agree I've started nocturne and I thought the lyrics were just a bunch of shrill screams but now that I know this I actually like the songs more
I grew to love the low-quality of the battle music, it felt like Meguro was recording the songs Live on the spot since most of the battle themes have multiple variations not found on the OST
Wulfton I thought Messiah was a prettier Orpheus and his hair was made to resemble the protagonist's own. Maybe Messiah is an amalgamation of multiple influences and ideas, since it also has the chained coffins of Thanatos.
Noice video on Shin Megami Tensei symbolism throughout the series. c: Also cool that you used one of those really awesome and underappreciated orchestral remixes for the SMTII part. ;D
I have to disagree that hikawa's reason is Marxist, maybe stalinist, but it would be strange to consider it reminiscent of Marx as he was a heavy libertarian who desired to arm the working class, not silence them (a world of stillness). I believe that Hikawa's reason would be more accurately defined as every form of authoritarianism, as he forces all to join and serve a hegemony he dictates.
And themes of reincarnation can be seen in some way in Persona games, with Minato and Messiah and in some way, he died for us in the end of persona 3, or became the seal, don't know if equals death, but at least sacrifice and Yu being izanagi and the all story of Japan's lore and Akira of p5 being the Trickster facing Demons and Gods, his like the neutral road of the SMT games or Constantine, the anti-hero that fights for is own view of Justice.
I loved your ideas here. I wish you would make this a series because it seemed you had allot more to share on the subject. I love smt because its so rich in symbolism and you did an awesome job unpacking it. Please do more!
Coramelimane He just talking possibility besides within the canon of spinoffs and sequels the protagonists did everything available to them in fact the Persona 4 Arena games are partialy un canon because P4 charicters have their default Personas instead of ultimates this is due to Atlus wanting to keep the recently released P4 Golden's new ultimate Personas secret along with the fact that many on the team liked the original Persona's art more than the evolutions. Each Persona game canon is P1 protagonist, Maki, Mark, Kei, and Reiji do that SECBEC route while the other characters trapped in the school lead by Yukino agenst the Snow Queen, Persona 2 all side quests completed, Almost the day is saved until Maya is ambushed and killed resulting in the time reset where at the very end Tatsuya punches Philemon sees his face is his and leaved seting up innocent sin. At this point in both timelines If... With the female protagonist who would latter reappear in the first 2 persona games Tamaki Uchida a year before persona 1, in between IF and P1 Devil Summoner 1 happens, and between P1 and eather version of Persona 2 Soul Hackers happens, following the timeline reset the events of P2EP's EX new game plus version unfolds, Skip to 2006 and P3 the Journey happens with all social links completed by the ended the protagonists harnesses the power of all his bonds with others to stop Nyx from falling at the cost of his own life, this results in the journey his friends take in the Answer, a few more years pass and then we get to 2011 in which in almost back to back order Persona 4 Golden with all social links completed happens a month after it ends the arena games happen, then at the end of the summer of 2012 Dancing all Night. Persona Q is outside of time so take that as you will. And now we're at Persona 5 which takes place in 2016 so it's been 4 years since the events of Persona 4. And as per usual what is canon is social links and side quests what never is canon in any game and is left up to the player is who the protagonist dated but everything else did happen in their game
I always thought what they did with Yamato Takeru in SMT IV was really cool. Given his role in IV's narrative as an unofficial head of the national defense divinities he must also be a hero that the people of Tokyo can look up to, and the way they represent that in this more contemporary setting is by having him look like the sentai heroes that show up on television. Nothing super deep there, but it's one of my favorite little touches.
I felt bad for Yamato Takeru. It's very rare you come across legitimately heroic figures in SMT and he seemed like one. Though he was also designed by a monster designer _for_ Sentai so it may not have been thought like that at the time. Still, given the lore that demons are worship, ideas and personalities personified, it makes sense!
