Line #39 HoYay/Persona3


1	!HoYay involving Male MC
2	The PlayerCharacter (Makoto Yuki) is pretty much the game's LauncherOfAThousandShips.
3	* [[CreepyChild Pharos]] is [[{{PrecociousCrush}} so obviously crushing]] on Makoto, it gets vaguely squicky. Think about it: the only times they talk are when Makoto is in bed, and Pharos is sitting on the end of the bed in what looks like pajamas...which is visibly reminiscent of [[OptionalSexualEncounter the other times the Social Link is sitting on the bed.]]
4	* [[DepravedBisexual Tanaka]] and TheHero, played for {{Squick}}.
5	** His threat to [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments post a picture of you on a dating site for convicts]] also suggests ''they'd'' find Makoto pretty cute.
6	** During his encounter with the Protagonist in the movie adaptation, Tanaka calls the Protagonist handsome and offers him a job as a model.
7	* The Main Character and Akinari, the Dying Young Man. One of the fanbooks has relationship charts for each social link, and Akinari's depicts his and the MC's relationship with a heart around the bench they sit on.
8	* And don't forget Makoto and Ryoji, which is the most popular HoYay ship in P3 for Japan.
9	** [[http://community.livejournal.com/gekkoukanhigh/83618.html#cutid1 Episode Luck]] [[ShipTease Seems to be hinting Makoto/Ryoji]]
10	** In the female path of the game, Ryoji reveals that he would like you even if you were a boy.
11	** The New/Full Moon drama CD series spells it out that the main reason [[spoiler:Pharos became Ryoji, instead of going to fulfill his duty as Death]], was because he wanted to continue spending more time staying by the MC's side.
12	** The manga includes some intimate moments between the two of them, like when they [[http://i.imgur.com/Q8dmudq.png go shopping for headphones together]]. And when TheReveal of [[spoiler: Ryoji being Death]] occurs, Ryoji collapses and Makoto [[http://i.imgur.com/5VZZBy4.jpg catches him]] in what looks like an embrace.
13	** Ryoji's Linked Episodes in Reload are effectively a slightly alerted, shortened version of his FEMC Social Link, and truly go the extra mile to make good on his claim that he would like the protagonist [[AmbiguouslyBi no matter if they were a boy or a girl]]. The episodes feature numerous instances of Ryoji flirting, including playing the piano for Makoto in order to impress him, promising he will ask girls if they have a boyfriend before inviting them for dinner only to ask Makoto if he has a significant other and offer to buy him food right after, ordering a "smile" from him during his work experience at Wilduck, and joking about how it sounds like he's confessing his love for Makoto in Kyoto. Their relationship also retains the sense of DejaVu from his Social Link, with Ryoji noting it feels like they've known each other for a long time during their first meeting. The Linked Episodes in general [[spoiler: including the scene on December 31st]] imply that while his flirtatiousness towards girls was simply an attempt to form connections, he develops genuine romantic feelings for Makoto, similarly to how he did with Kotone, and give him what is heavily implied to be an InterruptedDeclarationOfLove on December 1st which is cut off by Fuuka's arrival.
14	---> '''Ryoji''': I know I said I wanted us to be friends but... I actually want to be something more.
15	** Reload's addition of Ryoji playing the piano is clearly a homage to [[Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion Kaworu Nagisa in the Rebuild films]], who Ryoji himself is [[{{Expy}} heavily inspired by]]. To drive the Shinji/Kaworu and Makoto/Ryoji parallels further, his fourth episode gives Makoto the option to ask if he can join him.
16	** During his visit to Wilduck, Ryoji begins to talk about how he doesn't like seeing Makoto in pain, before quickly cutting himself off and changing it to "seeing my friends in pain."
17	** [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GF9AdpSWgAATkSW?format=png&name=900x900 "I'm actually in front of your room."]]
18	** Reload's [[spoiler: December 31st scene]] is made much more meaningful by the focus on Ryoji and Makoto's relationship, and leaves pretty much no ambiguity about the nature of Ryoji's feelings. The most blatant example of this is one of his lines after he [[spoiler: transforms into Thanatos, where he begs Makoto to kill him and states that he doesn't want to see him suffer]], which only happens if you complete his Linked Episodes. Not only are those lines taken from his Social Link and not present in FES, but they are exclusive to the ''romantic'' version of his link; he does not say them if he and Kotone are not in a relationship. This implies that his Linked Episodes are the equivalent of a romance route.
19	*** During the above scene, Ryoji calls Makoto his ''taisetsu na hito'' in Japanese, translated as "someone very special to me", and literally meaning "important/precious person." In Kotone's route, he calls her his ''daiji na hito'' on [[spoiler: New Year's Eve]], which not only carries the same meaning, but gets translated as "My dearest" in English, since both phrases are almost exclusively used to convey romantic interest when referring to another person. Aigis, who is often viewed as Makoto's most prominent ImpliedLoveInterest, also refers to him as her ''taisetsu na hito'' in the [[VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax Arena games]].
20	*** His confession that while he asked to be friends with Makoto, he actually wants to be something more is a call back to his Rank 9 Social Link that also takes place on 12/1, where he tells Kotone he came there to be friends with her, but thinks what they have is different than just being friends. Like the above example, this is exclusive to his romance route, and a completely different scene happens in his platonic one.
21	** On [[spoiler: New Year's Eve]], after Makoto [[spoiler: refuses to kill him]], Ryoji confirms the reason [[spoiler: he became a human is because he wanted to see Makoto again]]. He then gives him the music box he bought in Kyoto, talking about how he never thought he'd feel this way, and asks Makoto to remember him every time he plays it. On its own, it's already a heartfelt gift that symbolizes their time together and shared connection through music, but it's also notable that a music box was given as a gift in Kotone's route too, by Akihiko on Christmas... if the two were ''dating''.
22	** Reload also adds elements on Makoto's end that highlight how much Ryoji means to him. Their first meeting ends with Makoto noting there's something about Ryoji that lingers in his mind. When [[spoiler: Ryoji collapses after TheReveal on the Moonlight Bridge]], it's now Makoto and not Fuuka who immediately rushes to his side. While Ryoji tells them about [[spoiler: the upcoming Fall and how killing him would erase their memories]], Makoto now has the option to say [[spoiler: "I could never kill you..."]] just like Kotone did. If the player chooses to have Makoto [[spoiler: kill Ryoji on 12/31]], he will hesitate and turn away as if unable to look at him, before eventually pulling out his Evoker. And while Makoto seems to not understand what Ryoji was implying during his confession, and Ryoji disappears before he can explain further, after the player [[spoiler: chooses not to kill Ryoji]] and Ryoji gives him the music box, Makoto will place it at the top of his bed without player input. This stands out as he usually places all his keepsakes on a shelf, and does not display any other item given to him from Social Links or Linked Episodes, showcasing how special Ryoji is to him and, combined with the romance route-exclusive lines, implying Makoto may have returned his feelings.
23	*** During the [[spoiler: Nyx Avatar fight]], Makoto now has the option to respond to newly added lines [[spoiler: after Nyx Avatar switches to the Death Arcana with "Let's go, Ryoji."]]
24	*** On 3/4, if you check the music room, a message will be displayed which has Makoto remember hearing a piano piece played once, stating that the melody will stay with him forever. Given that [[spoiler: everyone's memories of the Dark Hour, and consequently Ryoji, have been erased by this point, this can be seen as Makoto's determination to hold onto Ryoji's memory, like Ryoji himself wanted]]. Later on, before going to bed, Makoto will turn to look at Ryoji's music box, showing that he kept it through everything and seems to be aware of the significance it holds. Just as he does this, he receives a message from an unknown sender, [[spoiler: implied to be Ryoji given the context and color of the text box]], which simply says "Thank you."
25	** The official account for Sea Paradise posted [[https://x.com/seaparadise_ag/status/1757685414138405041 a tweet]] on Valentine's Day, showing Ryoji and Makoto's collab cutouts together at the aquarium.
26	* Speaking of social links, French exchange student Bebe (Temperance) is quite affectionate toward the main character, to the point of waiting outside his classroom in the higher levels of the link. Not to mention that his plot, which revolves around [[spoiler:him trying to find a way to convince his uncle that he belongs in Japan]], can be read as a metaphor for coming out.
27	** Not to mention him and the protagonist having a "delectable time" when they went to the candy shop after their first Fashion Club meeting together.
28	** The [[Fanfic/MyLifeIsAGoddamnMess Lets Play]] plays this for laughs, with the Main Character having a very blatant guy-crush on Bebe.
29	* Kenji Tomochika (the Magician/Classmate Social Link) giving the protagonist a ''handmade'' choker at the end of his Social Link because 'he doesn't look fashionable enough'.
30	* Surprisingly, there's some between Shinjiro and the Main Character. The former often expresses his concern for the latter's health, especially after the MC recovers from his cold in September. In one of the Drama [=CDs=], Shinji even makes food for him while the MC's sick.
31	* Talk to Junpei on 4/29 and answer "No, we're going.":
32	-->'''Junpei''': Listen to me, man. We shouldn't go tonight. Besides, it would be just you and me there. You know, like, [[Film/BrokebackMountain Brokeback Tartarus]].
33
34	!LesYay involving Female MC
35	* Mitsuru asks the female protagonist to hold her hand while watching a scary movie.
36	** She even asks the [=FeMC=] to ''live with her'' during her Rank 9 event, after asking her to ''run away with her'' during rank 8.
37	** During the encounter with her fiancé, she also starts referring to you by your first name, like she does with a romanced male MC, or Yukari (who also has a great deal of LesYay with her).
38	* Way back, in the beginning of the game, right after you fight the first Shadow, you'll meet with Yukari again before going to school. If you've acted nice to her up until that point, she'll ''blush'' as she says your given name for the first time. It's worth noting that while she uses ''-kun'' on the male protagonist, she uses yobisute on the female protagonist, which, combined with her overall friendlier attitude[[note]]Her Social Link becomes available earlier, lacks the Charm requirement and there is no option that will result in you reversing it[[/note]], suggests that she has a closer relationship with the female protagonist.
39	** When Yukari has to wear a maid outfit for her club's school festival cafe the [=FeMC=] can tell her "I'm looking forward to it!"
40	** Like with the male MC, Yukari admits that "going out with" the female MC helped her understand how her mother felt after [[DisappearedDad Eiichiro Takeba died]], a possible hint that Yukari sees the female MC in a similar light as the male one.
41	* That doesn't even begin to cover it. A lot of the links for the [=FeMC=] are subtext-riffic. Her Hermit Link, Saori, could easily be read as having a crush on her, and there is a lot of hand-holding involved in the last few ranks.
42	* A lot of the holdover 'romantic' links have... ''interesting'' vibes too, like with [=FeMC=]/Fuuka- the Max event has the two of you baking a cake, taking it to Fuuka's room, talking about how you're going to be bonded forever (or in Fuuka's case, wanting the [=FeMC=] ALL TO HERSELF), and then you get the fadeout screen with the 'You spent a long time with Fuuka'- the exact same message you get when you max out romantically with a guy. For a game without an explicit lesbian option, they sure do cram in as many non-explicit ones as humanly possible. Also, the player can tell Fuuka to be glad to have met ''her specifically'' - to which Fuuka gets a LuminescentBlush like never before.
43	* There's even a moment of LampshadeHanging when Aigis meets the Female Main Character for the first time. Since it features the same hug and declaration as her one with the male MC, Junpei and Akihiko will comment that [[IncompatibleOrientation it's no wonder Aigis wasn't interested in them.]]
44
45	!HoYay involving other characters
46	* Yukari and Mitsuru have ''a lot'' of Les Yay.
47	** For starters, in the Male MC route during the fight in the LoveHotel, the team gets separated, and when you meet Mitsuru and Akihiko or Junpei again, Mitsuru will frantically insist that nothing happened. When you play the Female MC route, you can potentially meet up with Mitsuru and Yukari, and she'll insist the exact same thing.
48	** Mitsuru's resolution.
49	** Something of note about Mitsuru's resolution: from that point on, Mitsuru decides to start calling Yukari by her first name. The only other people worthy of this privilege? Akihiko (a close friend from years back) and the MC... at rank nine, long after the S-link has gone romantic. If that doesn't say something about how Mitsuru views Yukari after her resolution scene, nothing does.
50	** Plus during December [[spoiler: when everyone is deciding whether to kill Ryoji or not]], Mitsuru comes into Yukari's room and they discuss things. They come to the same conclusion pretty quickly and they both sit on Yukari's bed [[spoiler:... but nothing ever becomes of it]].
51	** Yukari crying into Misturu, and what looks like Mitsuru holding her to her chest during ''The Answer''.
52	** "Well, that's settled, let's go have a bath!"
53	** Volume 4 of the Drama CD series ends with Mitsuru ''offering Yukari to use her private shower'' and Yukari ''accepting her offer''.
54	** The New/Full Moon Drama CD series focuses more on their relationship and much of their dialogue can be interpreted as romantic.
55	** In the second movie, during the beach sequence, Yukari (along with Fuuka) gushes over how pretty Mitsuru is, prompting Mitsuru to [[LuminescentBlush visibly blush]].
56	* ''VideoGame/Persona3'' suggests such a connection between Fuuka Yamagishi and Natsuki Moriyama, in the way that Natsuki gets ''really'' stressed out when she thinks her bullying may have hurt Fuuka a little too much. SEES has to keep Natsuki under constant watch because they think she might have some... [[PsychoLesbian issues]].
57	* Mitsuru also has a particular fangirl that hangs around the main classroom and dreams up elaborate fantasies about her.
58	** Said fangirl is also {{Yandere}} and AxCrazy, to the point of blackmailing over people for pictures of Mitsuru and items related to her. The female MC can even click the option to sell her pictures of Mitsuru in a swimsuit for 1000 Yen each (no, that doesn't actually happen). The girl's reaction to THAT would fit right into ''Anime/HellGirl''. ''shudder''
59	* And then there's one of the 'bonus' videos added for FES. You know... the one where Yukari ''drags Fuuka into her bedroom'' and ''starts pulling her clothes off'' so they can ''pose in maid outfits together''? Sadly, the video cuts off there...
60	* Akihiko and Shinjiro's relationship in particular seems rather complex.
61	** Aki/Shinji is the most complex relationship, since while they're not on the best of terms, they still care a lot for each other. [[spoiler:All their scenes together, that Akihiko confronts Shinjiro about taking the Persona suppressants, and that Akihiko holds Shinjiro during his death. It's far more than just random shipping.]]
62	** More humorously, in the manga's rendition of the Lovers' full moon battle, Akihiko and Junpei end up in a similar situation as Makoto and Yukari, and it ends with Akihiko punching Junpei in the face.
63	** Not to mention that, in his MAX Rank on the lover's path, before he'll do anything, he asks [=FeMC=] to call him "Aki" - as in, the nickname only Shinjiro called him.
64	** And poor "Aki" feels quite awkward around girls, and even chatting them up.
65	* Jin and Takaya. They hold hands. They go everywhere together. They scheme to [[spoiler:kill all of humanity together.]] They run a [[spoiler:hitsite]] together. And Takaya's last line of the game is "Jin." HoYay? For sure.
66	** Not to mention Jin's bottomless devotion to Takaya is his main motivation for following the plan to [[spoiler:bring about the Fall, therefore "fulfill[ing] Takaya's wish".]] It just makes one wonder what ''else'' Takaya could convince Jin to do for him...
67	** Jin holds Takaya's hand twice, to stop him from "being reckless". If that's not enough to go on, [[spoiler: when they jump off the bridge, it looks a lot like lovers suicide]] and the second time, he's practically begging "Don't Go!" when he looks up at Takaya.
68	** This might be a stretch, but Takaya and Jin are always referred to as [[InsistentTerminology partners]], which doesn't go without a double meaning; Akihiko in particular sounds scathing when he asks "Where's your partner?"[[note]]"The other guy" in the localization of the manga[[/note]], but Jin doesn't care. Hmm...And while they're part of a trio, but they don't seem to care much for Chidori, since [[spoiler:she ultimately chooses Junpei over them, giving her life to save him]].
69	** Also, this is probably just a coincidence, but Takaya and Jin's names are similar to Tatsuya and Jun, the canon gay pairing from the former half of the ''VideoGame/Persona2'' duology.

Context HoYay / Persona3