Definitely not gonna reply to this entire wall of text, so I'll just pick a select few, anyway!
And of course the characters. Yeah, just as I pointed out earlier, haven't been this in love with a cast since DA:O. There isn't anyone that I dislike, and I would have a hard time ranking them since I like what each of them bring forward to the table. I much preferred the addition of having the actual companions to directly embody the Social Links, which not only served as a way to further portray them as characters over what the story offered, but also helped create a genuine relationship with each individual, which was something that P3 lacked.
Ehh, don't entirely agree, but I do feel you on the "loving the cast" part.
However, while I enjoyed the more frequent interactions and approaches to respective character, I found that P3 managed to covey its cast and themes a tad bit more effectively within its narrative.
Yes, this, we can definitely agree on.
This is mostly due to the characters not coming in terms with themselves simply due to the aid of Minato, but each other. The main narrative in P4 brings forward that they can move forward together but unfortunately that isn't made clear that well since most of their developments are excluded to Narukami, which aren't brought forward in the main plot. More focus could have been put to the casts interaction with each other outside of Narukami, since during a lot of scenarios I found that the main reason the cast is together is mainly due to them being in the same mess. That is not to say that they dislike each other or aren't friends, but with the P3 cast I found it easier to identify it as a genuine group of friends, rather than a team that is fighting against an oppressive power.
This relates to the problem of there not being much of a "sense of progression" in that department, at least from my point of view -- The cast of Persona 4 becomes friends almost immediately, as soon as the protagonist shakes Yosuke's hands, they are best friends, there isn't much more to it. They evidently grow closer as you do the social links, and as the plot progresses, but there's no real start or ending to it. It was already established as soon as it began. Here lies the difference with Persona 3, where the characters are at best mutual acquiantences, trying to achieve a common goal which makes them grow close together, something which I can relate to very strongly when reflecing on my Folk High-School years, where you actually live alongside your fellow students.
Of course, this has to mainly due with the role that the game wants to establish with Narukami, which it largely succeeds in. Yu Narukami is a compelling protagonist, and is someone I enjoyed playing as in the story. While I have already earlier expressed why I prefer Narukami over Minato--due to the former not being as passive as the latter--there are other aspects that made me enjoy role playing him as after I had finished the game. One aspect in particular that I personally enjoyed was that the games establishes him as an actual person in the world. While they both are blank slates on their own right, to give as many avenues for the player to express the character as possible, Narukami fortunately has more ground work that make him stand out. Every little detail, from him being a city boy, moving away after a year, having relatives and such are traits that manages to distinguish him in the story and make him an active member. Characters in the game reflect upon his past, bring forward references; about the daily routines of society which you often have the option to express your views on different matters. This help create more avenues for you to express the character and better build him, which in Minato's case is mostly left to imagination. It also helps that Yu has the ability to play a more active role in the murder case, wherein you can put forward your own theories and come up with your own conclusions to the crime. While he isn't able to fully address certain conclusions (outside of certain events) he acts as the instigator of the group, the one who listens to his surroundings, the deductions his friends bring forward, and ultimately points the group forward into the right direction. It is an appreciated quality, since you have the ability to actually come across as someone level-headed. Though in the end, what helps Narukami stand out is that he is surrounded by great characters who complements him in various ways. Just as much as Yu is the enabler of the group, the supporter who actively listens and aids the characters in different ways to have them come to terms with themselves, it is his friends that makes Yu who he is. He is nothing without his friends, and how the game establishes this is a much, much better take than what Minato offered, wherein the plot generally centered on him but did a poor job in establishing this mainly due to the fact that his friends were largely secondary.
Narukami is more compelling, largely because he's more expressive, which makes it easier to roleplay as whatever you want him to be in your head. He range from a smarmy joker, to a calm and understanding friend etc. The P3 protagonist also has a backstory, which also heavily influences the plot, and at the same time, it functions as the bond that draws Yukari towards him/or her. I suggest playing the game again as the female protagonist, it'll give you a whole new outlook on P3. Like I said a while back -- His background, though little there may be, serves to frame his somewhat aloof disposition he has towards his peers. The female protagonist and the P4 hero are completely different from him -- The female protagonist juxtaposes his mysterious and quiet nature with that of a more outgoing and upbeat personality, despite the shared tragic background. But it also works because it grants her a different layer of depth. It's also implied in her social links with the SEES members, that perhaps the upbeat self that she's showing to the world, functions as a shield to hide the despair of a grim past. Already by the start is it the established that the protagonist has no parents to speak off -- It sets things into a very fascinating psychological perspective, but the game isn't too forthright about it entirely, because I feel it's up to the player to connect some of the last dots but it works as a way to still grant her a nice frame to work with. The male protagonist has his own layers though -- He's usually very quiet for a reason, but what makes him unique, and what makes him stand out from say his female counterpart or even the P4 hero: It's the fact that he's character and talents are shaped by the people he befriends and meets, whereas the P4 hero uses his talents to uplift those around him. It also works with that particular sense of loneliness one could derive from him.. or at least from what one could piece together with the info that has been granted.
Heck, that cardinal sense of solitude isn't necessarily exclusive to him alone, but rather it's shared amongst his fellow SEES members. Take the opening animation as an example. The characters displayed in the video are often shown left by themselves with the abstruse imagery surrounding them. However, though the fact that the characters are depicted as faceless silhouettes in the sequence only serves to further this theme,
one also cannot help but notice the gentle thought-provoking contradiction in the game's presentation: for a game where society plays such a major role, why are the characters so alone? The answer of course, relates to the common theme of Apathy. A larger discussion which we've covered before, anyway.
And lastly what I want to write about is Adachi. Well, he proved to be quite a compelling antagonist. He isn't much of a mastermind as he is an overgrown, nihilistic brat that showcases an extreme version of what humanity could dissolve into, but that is not to say that he isn't brilliantly portrayed in his own right. I enjoyed the fact how he embodied the part of a jester; with a joyous and innocent facade that ultimately proved to be an incarnation of chaos. The vivid display of eccentric behavior proved to not only be entertaining, but also help create a rather ambiguous exterior for him that made him prove to be quite complex, rather than simply a raving lunatic. For me, the game didn't try to make you sympathize or agree with his radical methods, but more about trying to portray an extreme version of a possibility that the game has already been establishing. Just as he is a facade in his initial introduction as a character, he brings forward a facade of the world and what is lying underneath. The workings of the internent, TV, society, etc, are all means that is always asking the question; what is truly the truth? What is a right identity to personify? What is an appropriate dress code? These, along with other aspects, have been conveyed both prominently and subtly in the game, and it is only when you reflect upon it that you can appreciate what Adachi embodies as a character. He certainly receives marks from me since he serves as a foil towards Narukami; who the latter is someone that inspires people, while Adachi is simply someone who does what he wants. Narukami and Adachi actually mirrors Batman and Joker in more ways than one, haha!
Glad we see it the same way here -- In fact, Adachi is one of my favorite characters in the game. In the past, he has caught a lot of flak for his supposed simplicity. That he did it "for the lulz," would be an accurate summarization of people's perception of him, which is hardly a fitting motivation at first glance. There's a reason for it. The term "Ressentiment" comes up during the game, and is defined as a philosophical construct wherein one assigns blame and directs hostility to those which he considers superior, creating a scapegoat and avoiding culpability for one's own actions. Essentially the perfect word to describe Adachi, especially given his boss-fight monologue about only "talent" mattering in the world he wanted to wipe away. It always made me wonder if that question was in the original Japanese version, or if it was added in as part of the localization process. If the latter, I applaud that move and respect Atlus' localization teams even more.
In a way, Adachi acted as the player's "shadow self," a void of a man that acts without conscience or reason. Where the player's talent uplifts those around him, Adachi uses his power to do whatever he likes, just as he became a policeman for want of a gun license and power trip. It's even implied that his assignment to Inaba was an act of punishment for some unrevealed sin, further emphasizing that he was a total dick.
Though he earns a shred of redemption via his "true ending" letter, he is pathetic beyond pity. Rather than some mastermind out for conquest or a destructive brute, Adachi's just a guy with a weapon and nothing else to do with it, making him a frightening and compelling villain, an example of what humanity can end up as when they've given up hoping.
It's also at this point where the game's connection to the myth of Izanagi and Izanami ties in. Rather than a simple naming convention, the myth lies at the core of the story. The only chance players get to know of it is displayed in a single five-minute cutscene, and without voice acting to boot. And while one of my favorite things about the games is how deeply they can be read into, leaving that much unsaid is a fault unforgivable. I suppose that it couldn't be helped, in a way. JRPGs have Japanese as their first audience, and that particular myth is as well-known as the story of Adam and Eve is to most westerners.
In any case, Izanami was only a producer, setting a stage on which humanity could express its "true" shadow nature. That Adachi and Namatame's cases went sour only proved Izanami's point. There was, however, the player. Where Adachi represented emptiness and Namatame despair, the protagonist represented hope, a wild card that would not settle for half-truths.
As told in the myth, Izanagi was horrified at seeing Izanami's "true" monstrous form after her death. He ran from the cave and blocked off the entrance. In Persona 4, the myth serves as a metaphor for the refusal to acknowledge complete truth. Izanagi refused to accept his wife's new form, and blocked himself off from seeing it. In turn Izanami was left stuck in the darkness, eventually assuming that the "truth" of the matter was that people suck and are jerks and were all shadows at heart. Two halves of creation refuse to acknowledge each other, acting as an Original Sin of sorts for the game to build upon.
Also, while at the topic of Izanagi & Izanami, the clever foreshadowing from everybody's favorite teach Mr Edogawa was great, along with a certain gas station attendant only showing up on rainy days.
Well that is what I have to say about the game. Love it to bits. I can see myself replaying the game in summer, since I honestly can't be apart from these guys too long.
Good, good, glad to hear it!