January 10
You go to school, with Yosuke, who informs you that the ski trip has been rescheduled for Febrruary, after exams.
Lovers Rank 10
Rise overlooks the town, taking in the sights. She's made up her mind on going back to showbiz once you leave in the spring, and knows that it won't be easy to re-establish herself, but is determined to face the odds for those who believe in her. She gives you a photo of herself at school, signed "Risette," and says that's her with a real smile. Rise is fully content with herself, and her decision, as well as determined to find the various sides of herself. Some people on this wiki view her decision as somehow a betrayal of her character arc, but it's quite the opposite. For all the game criticizes the Idol Singer industry, it also points out that artists like Rise can inspire those who listen to them, and Rise, by remembering that, chose to become an inspiration to others, which is Kanamin Kitchen's source of strength in the climax of Dancing All Night.
You then get the ability for Rise to help you up after you're hit with a mortal blow- again, I probably should have gotten hers done earlier. Here's the priority of "life-saving" skills.
- Party members shielding you from single-target attack/Rise shielding the party from party-wide attacks
- Enduring Soul
- Revival accessories.
- Rise reviving you.
- You get the chance to try again if you're playing Very Easy or have it turned on- otherwise, it's Game Over.
You also get Ishtar, which isn't all that special as far as top personas for each arcana go.
Rise then decides to eat out while she can, evidently while she still has the luxury of not being concerned about her weight.
Evening
Teddie helps you dig up bugs in the garden, albeit worried that your cold might come back. This is your alternative to catching bugs now that it's winter, but thankfully, I don't need to fish, so I also don't need bait.
I spent some time with Ai to make sure that I could max out her Social Link. She briefly mentioned the fox.
January 11
I decided to finish off Ai's Social Link today.
Moon Rank 10
Ai takes you back up to the roof, and asks why someone like you is hanging out with a girl like her then gives an actual Love Confession to you this time(albeit in passing), giving you the chance to accept or reject her. If you reject her, as I did, she says that she should have known that would happen when you asked if she was sure four ranks ago, and says that she'll do her best to come to terms with your decision.
Evening
I got back to the models, and resumed with the fourth robot.
January 12
The EX Rank social link events begin, each of which brings a party member's persona to the third tier, further enhancing its resistances and giving it a new move (most of which are Awesome, but Impractical). They're a must-have for the party members you use, but unless you're interested in everyone else's Character Development, you don't have to see them.
Priestess Rank EX
Yukiko apologizes for bringing you out today, but says she's glad you could come, since it's Customer's Day- a chance for the inn staff to roleplay as customers. Interestingly enough, while she's interested in seeing whether the inn is appealing to customers, she also finds it awkward to have the staff, her mother included, greet her as a guest (which I suspect also involves a much greater degree of formality than they usually show her).
Yukiko says that she confessed that she didn't want to inherit the inn, but found out that Everyone Knew Already. This only makes her more sure of her decision, and she regrets even thinking about leaving, knowing that until now, she'd closed her eyes and her mind to the choices ahead of her. She says that her eyes opened with the help of her friends, like you and Chie, and Amaterasu evolves into Sumeo-Okami. Yukiko finds pleasure in finding new sides of herself, and hopes you will accompany her while you can.
Yukiko's EX Skill, Burning Petals, is arguably the only consistently useful one, albeit mainly because it's more powerful than Maragidyne and doesn't cost an exorbitant amount of SP.
Evening I completed the fourth robot model.
January 13
At long last, I finished Eri's link.
Temperance Rank 10
At the end of the day, Eri and Yuuta announce that they'll no longer be coming to the day care, so they can spend time as a family. Eri gives you a four-leaf clover that she made into a bookmark, as well as her hopes that you find "someone that you value enough to protect," even if it's not necessarily a lover. Eri expresses how she's glad to have learned not to run away, and hopes to meet you again as a better mother.
You unlock Vishnu. I was able to get some powerful skills when I fused him, but I also had more useful Personas.
Like with the Devil Social Link, you can return to the job if you want, but the Minamis won't be there.
Evening
I started the fifth robot model, and maxed out my Diligence stat in the process.
January 14
I ended the Strength Social Link, one of those other early-game Social Links that takes me a long time to finish.
Strength Rank 10
Kou reveals that he told his adoptive family about his concerns, and they apparently got angry with him for even thinking such things, resulting in a fight, and resulting in some ribbing from Daisuke about his lack of intelligence.
Kou offers you and Daisuke copies of the letter, and while Daisuke (as well as you, if you so choose) are hesistant to accept it, he insists that you hang onto them.
You then complete the social link and unlock Zaou-Gongen. Unfortunately, since his level requirement is the third highest in the game, I hardly ever use him.
Evening
I finished the fifth robot model.
January 15
I advanced Hisano's link to the penultimate rank.
Death Rank 9
Hisano says that she's not Death, and reveals that it was all born out of her hope that her husband had died on her request, because he loved her, rather than alone, having forgotten her love. The truth, she concludes, is that she's just another person, hoping for a miracle that never happened. Complicated? Yes. Depressing? Of course.
That said, it isn't entirely bad, as Hisano remembers that her husband did love her- a fact proven by her letters, even if the man himself forgot. She wonders if it's too late, but decides to accept the truth.
Evening
I started the last robot model.
January 16
I completed Naoki's Social Link.
Hanged Man Rank 10
Naoki takes you to the river, and recalls how when they were little, she went to the opposite side long enough for him to get scared and cry, before coming up to him and surprising him. He keeps thinking of this, but knows that she's not coming back, and is grateful to you for helping him face this reality. He gives you a receipt from Junes, and says that he'll be busy from here on out- helping his family at the store, trying to get them to come to terms with Saki's death and staying in school.
You get Attis, one of those Ultimate Personas I never really used. I suspect that most people who aren't following a guide will likely have very different Persona progression from one another.
Evening
I finished the last of the robot models.
'January 17
Chariot Rank EX
Chie's EX Skill, Dragon Hustle, is essentially a party-wide Heat Riser, or perhaps a combination of Masukukaja, Matarukaja and Marakukaja, giving all thee buffs to all four members of the party. That would be an extremely useful ability... if it didn't take 150 SP from the character least able to afford it.
Evening
I started work on the scooter series of models. You get the scooters for the party members in this order- Yu, Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Rise, Naoto. Since Kanji uses a bicycle and Teddie uses roller skates, they're obviously not represented.
January 18
I completed Kanji's Social Link, the last one besides Death I had yet to max out.
Emperor Rank 10
Kanji comes to your room, like Yosuke and any girls you romance. He remarks how Rise complimented the dolls, but said they were "creepy" when he admitted to making them, much to his annoyance, before giving a slightly backhanded compliment about how Kanji's "an amazing guy after all." This is one of the few times another party member is openly referenced in a social link, and I suspect this is because it's presumably impossible to get this far in Kanji' social link before Rise joins.
Kanji changes the subject, and says that after so long, he finally understands what his father believed to be strength, and now is going to be true to himself. To that end, he gives you a cute phone strap that he's proud to have made, as well as one of the best lines from a top-ranked Social Link- "You're my hero, dude... And my best bud!" He then offers to give you a class on making oven mitt puppets, right there, right then.
With this, Take-Mikazuchi becomes Rokuten Maoh, and I got the ability to fuse Odin.
Evening
I finished work on Yu's bike.
January 19
I did the extra event for Yosuke today.
Magician Rank EX
Yosuke says he's been busy at work, and hasn't had time to talk one-on-one. He regrets "that mess at Junes," (I'm not sure whether he's talking about the weapons incident or his outburst at Rank 7), and also mentions your brief stint as a part timer. Yosuke notes that while he was annoyed at the idea that no one thought about him, he realizes that it's nice to be relied on, like during Nanako's kidnapping. Of course, Yosuke admits that he got so angry he stopped thinking when the time came to decide what to do with Namatame, but in spite of that, he wants to support his friends.
Susano-o evolves into... Takehaya Susano-o. It's fairly clear that the designers were running out of ideas for third-tier Personas at this point.
Yosuke's ultimate skill, Youthful Wind, is a not particularly impressive healing and buff skill.
Evening
I started work on Yosuke's bike.
January 20
Since Nanako came home, I couldn't do anything- you're shown at school, but you're forced to go straight home.
Teddie's waiting for you, and is naturally exuberant that the day has finally come. You can either show him or tell him how to do a "honey, I'm home," kiss (I prefer the latter), resulting in Dojima coming in at the worst possible moment. Dojima then serves up a fancy dinner for himself, Nanako, Teddie and you.
Evening
I finished Yosuke's bike.
January 21
I decided to do Rise's EX event, having saved it for a time for when I wouldn't have any other Social Links to finish up.
Lovers Rank EX
Rise's EX event begins on a surprisingly sad note, as her fan announced that she'll continue to watch Risette, but won't send letters anymore, essentially because one of her friends threatened to stop being her friend if the girl continued to support Risette. One would think that the girl would need to find a better, less judgmental friend, but to each her own. Rise understands, but notes how complex interpersonal relationships can be. It's worth noting that for all their shortcomings and disagreements, the Investigation Team are better friends than most people can hope for.
Of course, Rise thinks of herself as more than a doll or a sex object, but someone who endures and inspires fans, and likes to think that the girl continues to watch. She feels strong enough to face the future, even if you're not in it with her.
Kanzeon evolves into Kouzeon.
You get Complete Analysis, meaning that every time you Analyze an enemy, you get all its elemental affinities and abilities, even if you haven't attacked it yet. It's very useful if you don't want to look at a guide.
Evening
I started on Chie's bike.
January 22
Since it's a Sunday, you have to spend it at the party for Nanako. This is unfortunate, since there are only three Sundays with which you can do the Death Social link, but thankfully, I only need one more.
Once again, you're all back at Junes' food court. Nanako's quite happy to go back to her daily routines, from school to housework. Yosuke expresses relief, particularly given what everyone went through when Nanako went missing, but Nanako doesn't remember, prompting Chie to scold Yosuke. Naoto remarks that the same went for all the kidnapping victims, but while none of them remember what happened when they were kidnapped, all of them seem to remember their Shadows, and are uncomfortable about going back into their dungeons. Chie, however, is simply happy that Nanako's better.
Chie then asks whether Dojima-san is coming by. Nanako's confused for a moment, possibly because some people call her "Dojima-san," but says her father's at work. Rise wonders if Nanako's bored, and they propose hide and seek, at which point Nanako admits that she vaguely remembers her "Big Bro" and his friends coming for her.
Evening
I finished work on Chie's bike.
January 23
Since I'd finished all the EX events for the party members I intended to use, I went to do everyone else.
Fortune Rank EX
Naoto muses about how Inaba is changing for the better, such as bringing back traditional festivals. Of course, Naoto realizes that people often forget things, and while this allows them to be free of their pain, it also results in them forgetting the lessons they learned. On another, opposing contradiction, Naoto also notes that people can get used to difficulties, but also persist in making mistakes for the same reason. The solution for both, in Naoto's opinion, is to know what- and who- is precious to you.
Yamato Sumeragi gets Shield of Justice, which negates one attack on everyone, at the prohibitive cost of 150 SP.
Evening
I started work on Rise's bike.
January 24
Teddie was my only option today, so I decided to spend time with him.
Star Rank EX
You go all the way to Shichiri Beach, even though winter is hardly ideal beach weather. After a bit of playing around, Teddie asks you about why the ocean is so large, and talks about how he's broadening his horizons and trying to learn about new things. He knows that you're leaving and is sad about it, but is doing his best to become independent
Kamui upgrades to Kamui-Moshiri and gets the least useful EX skill (which is saying something) - a move with random effects.
Evening
I finished Yukiko's bike.
January 25
As a way to kill time, I did Kanji's extra event.
Emperor Rank EX
Kanji comes over to your room once again, asking for your help in getting a present for "a woman." After some stammering and vagueness, he admits that the woman is his mother, and she recently had to go to the hospital for some tests. He says he wants to give her something as a "hospitality award," something he believes Yukiko would have laughed at.
Kanji mentions that he went to see his mom in the hospital (quite a gesture from him, given that he's afraid of hospitals), and while he was there, his mother said that he'd changed, which is why she and his father were proud of him. He says that the opposite true, and he's proud of her for raising a "punk" like him. He reflects on his struggles, and decides to become someone who can be true to himself and fight for others' sake. His Persona then upgrades to Rokuten Maoh, which has the highly useful resistance to Physical attacks. You also get The Man's Way, a relatively useless move that can inflict knockdown on enemies.
With all that out of the way, Kanji decides to make something warm for his mother, and has you help him out.
Evening
I started work on Rise's bike.
January 26
Since at this point, I only had the final Death event remaining, I decided to fool around a bit. Today, I chose to invite Yukiko to my room (something you can do with anyone you're romancing), and after a bit of embarrassed awkwardness, she told me she loved me again.
Evening
I finished working on Rise's scooter model.
January 27
With nothing to do today, I played with the cat outside the Dojima residence, getting a boost to Expression in the process.
Evening
I drew a fortune for Hisano, just to make absolutely sure I was going to max out her social link.
January 28
I ate at Aiya again, getting an unnecessary boost to Understanding.
Evening
The game asks you if you want to help Nanako with her homework. I said yes, given that I didn't have anything else to do. Dojima then shared his insights on "to hide a tree, place it in a forest."
January 29
I finished my last Social Link today, at the last possible opportunity.
Death Rank 10
Like most other Social Links outside of school, Hisano announces that she's leaving town- to move in with her children, since she's come to realize that her husband will be sad if she doesn't move on. She gives you her fountain pen, saying that the past is still connected to the present, and even if she doesn't have long left, she'll live that time happily. She asks if you love someone, and regardless of your answer, tells you that the best thing you can do for that person is to live a long and full life, perhaps the most uplifting message possible from a social link about loss.
I got the ability to fuse Mahakala, a decent Fire- and Dark-type persona, but not quite as good as in Q, when he has Danse Macabre, a physical skill comparable to Hassou Tobi in power.
With this, all the Social Links are maxed out.
Evening
I spent some more time with Nanako tonight, helping her with arithmetic.
January 30
I started level grinding, and got up to Level 79, so that I could unlock Rise's final abity, which gives you 10 percent of your SP back after each battle, up from 5 percent. I also created some more personas, including Kaguya, Mada and Yoshitsune- the first two have Spell Master, which halves MP usage, and the latter has Hassou Tobi, the strongest physical attack in the game.
January 31
I went to the hot springs with Rise today. They give you the chance to either learn a new skill (one in a series of five) or relearn forgotten skills. In Rise's case, however, each visit powers up her ability to cheer you on during an All-Out Attack, increasing the damage you do. This is a small bonus, and isn't worth spending time on if you have anything better to do... which isn't the case for me.
Evening
I started work on Naoto's bike.
February 1
I went to Chagall Cafe and had a drink of coffee with Alice equipped, getting the Mind Charge card.
Evening
I spent some time with Yukiko, in which she reveals that she's nervous about making Valentine's day chocolate.
February 2
I went to see a movie with Yukiko- Orso Rosso (which is actually the one that benefits Teddie most, but I never use him). Since she had no special benefit, she complained that no one else laughed at the parts she found funny, before getting a level and extra stats
Evening
I finished the final model. With all six scooters, robot models and Persona dolls, my collection is complete.
February 3
I went to the hot springs with Yukiko. Her first unlockable skill is Valiant Dance, which, unfortunately, only enrages all enemies. She gets Mind Charge if you go five times, but while that's tempting, it's too much of a time investment to be worthwhile for someone who's my primary healer.
Evening
I went out to spend some time with people. Since Yukiko remarked that we kept running into each other, which means she has nothing to say, I went to talk to Naoki, who mentioned the time when a girl he knew made a disgusting chocolate, and how he prefers to play it safe.
Februrary 4
I decided to go straight home today.
Evening
I had one final homework session with Nanako, in which Dojima was impressed by Nanako's optimistic spirit. I got some more points with the Dojimas, which, unfortunately, don't do anything, since there aren't any more chances that I know of to spend time with them.
February 5
This is essentially your last free day in Golden. The most warning you get is that the mailbox stops accepting letters on the 5th (which sounds like it would present a problem for people who have bills to pay), so if you have any stickers from Tanaka's show, use them now.
Without anything else to do, I spent some time with the cat.
Evening
I spent time with Kanji, who mentioned that one of the girls asked him about giving chocolate, and got angry when he suggested that she ask Naoto herself. He's also confused by why the girl wants to give Naoto chocolate despite presumably knowing of her gender by now.
February 6-10
You have your final exams. Doing well doesn't have any impact on the gameplay, but you can get the achievement for ranking 1st if you haven't already
Since the ski trip is coming up, you go home immediately, and can't do anything that takes time. If you made any orders with Tanaka, they'll arrive in the evening.
