Hamuko and her interactions with Miki's influence
Hamuko's fear of Minato
She's justified to be afraid of him, even before the Shirakawa Boulevard thing. Her fear might not come from that or the fact they've tried to kill each other on different occasions, or even Minato is the longest she's ever been with a guy, but the fact that Minato HAS KILLED HER before. She had been having cryptic dreams about it, so who's to say that Miki's memories has influenced the way she acts around Minato, at least, when she's scared of him.Hamuko and her infatuation with Shinjiro
It might not be Hamuko who likes Shinjiro as much as she thinks, but Miki's influence. Hamuko seemed pretty indifferent when she first met him at the hospital. It wasn't until she saw him fight, that Miki's memories of him fighting/protecting might have been subconsciously triggered.Hamuko's relationship as a shadow
In Psychology
Freudian: "Because one tends to reject or remain ignorant of the least desirable aspects of one's personality, the shadow is largely negative.
There are, however, positive aspects which may also remain hidden in one's shadow (especially in people with low self-esteem)."Jung:"It may be (in part) one's link to more primitive animal instincts,which are superseded during early childhood by the conscious mind. In being instinctive and irrational, is prone to projection: turning a personal inferiority into a perceived moral deficiency in someone else. " "Jung also believed that "in spite of its function as a reservoir for human darkness—or perhaps because of this—the shadow is the seat of creativity.";[7] so that for some, it may be, 'the dark side of his being, his sinister shadow...represents the true spirit of life as against the arid scholar'".
"The shadow is an archetype that consists of the sex and life instincts. The shadow exists as part of the unconscious mind and is composed of repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts and shortcomings. This archetype is often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing wildness, chaos and the unknown. These latent dispositions are present in all of us, Jung believed, although people sometimes deny this element of their own psyche and instead project it onto others. Jung suggested that the shadow can appear in dreams or visions and may take a variety of forms. It might appear as a snake, a monster, a demon, a dragon or some other dark, wild or exotic figure.
Persona 4 mechanics and such
(taken from the Fridge Brilliance) Hamuko's nature as Minato's Shadow. It's confirmed that she works on Video Persona 4 Persona 4 mechanics. How was she first introduced? As someone very different from what Minato was initially like but also similar to how he eventually turned out.- Continuing from this, she is show to be everything he is not. Good and bad.
- Starting with compare and contrast. Contrast: She is the outgoing person he is not. She hates loneliness, whilst he revels and prefers his loneliness. She's a "bad girl" while he is always referred to as a "good boy". She doesn't think before she thinks/talks, he chooses his words carefully. He can lie, she can't. She treats her Social Links and non-Social Links as friends, he treats them as tools. Compare: Both are "bad" people that try to be good. Both suck with people, Hamuko says the wrong things, Minato has a hard time connecting and such. They desire each other's companionship.
Comparison to P4 cast and Shadow Selves: Yosuke:
Similar to Shadow!Yosuke, Hamuko is motivated by boredom.Chie:
Chie shadow, "the reversed Chariot symbolizes envy, addiction, low self-confidence, and abusive control." Hamuko, like Chie, are both jealous of someone. Chie of Yukiko, Hamuko of Yosuke, ironically both are living in Yukiko's and Minato's "shadows". Also, the author did a shout out to Chie's shadow when Hamuko said she would be "Master of Tartarus", but instead she is actually "Mistress of Tartarus" and they describe that'd she be dress in a dominatrix garb like Shadow!Chie. This seems to also foreshadow/symbolize that, like Chie, she is in charge of her relationship with Minato (at least initially), as she was usually the one it initiate most things, and to an extent is sort of controlling.Yukiko:
Kanji:
Rise:
Teddie:
Mitsuo:
Naoto:
Similar to Metis
Both have red eyes. Both are the embodiment of their respective "real them's" emotions. Metis is the physical apparition of Aigis's emotions. Hamuko plays a similar roll to Minato's.Symbolically like Metis
As of the final chapter, and Wordof God, in the original world, Aigis doesn't have a shadow, because there was no Answernote . In this case, Hamuko sort of plays the role of Aigis's shadow instead. Aigis doesn't like Hamuko at first, see below Hamuko and Aigis relationshipnote , reasons being is that, like up above, Hamuko is the embodiment of (Minato's) emotions, Aigis who doesn't have emotions (or at least much) in the beginning is also affected by her. Aigis has a similar relationship with Hamuko as Minato does, both want to be near each other (Hamuko wants to mother her, Aigis wants to protect her), but at the same time..in a smaller sense...fight/reject. Smaller sense that it's played mostly off as humor, and not actual/physical fighting like Minato and Hamuko do. While the rejection is mostly on Aigis's sidenote , it's only on a minor scale, at least compared to Minato's or the way the cast of P4 reject their shadows. All Aigis does is reject Hamuko's advances of any kindnote , though, like stated above, it's played for laughs, and while its on a smaller scale than other characters rejecting shadows, it's still there.Similarities to Persona 2 Shadows
Red eyes, again. Though, it is to be noted for both the Metis's and P2's analysis that she as a human had red eyes to begin with. But it appears to be a recurring theme in the games that most characters with red/yellow eyes are not usually human, so it counts. She also fills a roll of the whole "negative" aspects to the "original"(will call the Shadow's human self this from now on). Her "negative" aspects of Minato include, so blunt it hurts, his "sexual desires"(play in such a non-innocent way, since she really gets around), her brash nature, and the fact that she doesn't think(which is why she can be very blunt). The most unique thing that connects her to P2 shadows is that she, as a shadow, wields a Persona, and not just any Persona, a reverse version of Minato's. The exact opposite(in color and gender). (Future prediction that they'll do a fusion spell and they summon Orpheus Telos together, considering they NEED each other to do a Thanatos fusion, I don't think I'm that far off, anyways, putting the prediction here because Orpheus Telos's color is Hamuko's while it has Minato's Orpheus's male body, so it just drives home the point more on reverse personas.)Hamuko and her relation with Aigis keeping her status as a shadow in mind
It's interesting to note Hamuko's relationship with Aigis is very unique. Aigis knows that Hamuko is a shadow, but inside a human body, giving Aigis a contradiction. Aigis can't attack humans, but does this mean Hamuko is a human? Or is it the fact that her body is human, which would keep her from attacking. Another note is that Hamuko isn't just a normal shadow, she's Minato's. The boy Aigis has sworn to protect, whether Aigis can sense this or not is another story, but I believe she does. Now, as for protecting Hamuko, she protects her because she has Death sealed inside her, like Minato, though, unlike Minato, she is apprehensive towards Hamuko.Hamuko is a massive contradiction in Aigis's mind, do I attack because she's a shadow, or do I not? Because she's also human. She is also probably very confused as to why Hamuko does the things she does (has even voiced it). Hamuko is very caring towards Aigis, and loves her deeply, Aigis, though at the time can't understand emotions that well, can tell that Hamuko is not showing any hostility or anything negative, which contradicts how shadows act in Aigis's mind. Aigis must think that all that a shadow does is attack people, and are very hostile creatures. Again, this contradicts Hamuko's actions. Though, it can be noted that when Hamuko does something, that usually ends up arousing Minato, Aigis tends to chastise her. It is because when Hamuko arouses Minato, she causes his heart to increase, Aigis takes this as a sign of him possibly going to go into cardiac arrest, so she thinks Hamuko is doing something that hurts Minato, how is a human, in which Hamuko is doing what Aigis knows shadows do, hurt humans.(On a funny note, Aigis chastises Ryoji the same way, albeit more hostile, when she finds both Hamuko and Minato aroused by him.)
Another interesting thing that's very interesting, though could possibly be a coincidence . Hamuko, like Ryoji, and even Teddie (if you keep Arena in mind), are very flirty people/shadows/beings, and they all seem attracted to Aigis. They all "hit on her"(yes, the beach scene counts Hamuko, plus her small hints that she's attracted to Aigis count as well). It makes this Troper wonder, do anti-shadow weapons have something about them that attracts shadows? Especially ones with a (human) conscious/"self"?
The author's choice of Minato and Hamuko being the arcana Emperor and Moon respectively
The author has stated that if Hamuko and Minato weren't wild cards, they'd be the Moon and Emperor. So here's an analysis why this could be true.Minato as the Emperor
Reading taken from the megami tensei wiki "the Emperor symbolizes the desire to control one's surroundings, and its appearance could suggest that one is trying too hard to achieve this, possibly causing trouble for others; some elements in life are just not controllable." Minato is shown to be trying to get his life in order since the beginning of the fic. He's easily frustrated around Hamuko, whom he attempts to control but cannot. He is shown to be able to lie and easily manipulate other people though, aka control them. Though, as he attempts to control Hamuko ( suh as when he thought she was trying to play hard to get/and who could forget Tatabana) and later when he tries to steal Hamuko's Social Links, most notably when he tried to hit on Yukari he just ends up causing trouble for other's ( causing friction between his relationship with Hamuko and the SEES boys for the former, and making it an awkward situation with Yukari after he failed to hit on her). "Characters of the Emperor Arcana are often male leaders or father figures (or both)", Minato is the leader of SEES (along with Hamuko), so he fulfills the "male leader part", he is also shown to be a good "father figure" to Maiko ( Hamuko even says he'd make a great dad)Reversed Emperor
Now, parralles he has with the full moon boss Emperor, taken from the megami tensei wiki " The Reverse version however is represented as weak willed, corrupt and Rigid. It gloats of its power and superiority, yet it cannot fight without help. The small sword it uses also represents the weak will of someone irresponsible or one who doesn't make the right decisions as a leader." During Tatabana, he shows his weak willedness when he agrees and gives into the shadow's temptations. Later, Hamuko realizes how much Minato has changed, and her as well. She wonders if she was the one who has changed him, underlying that she thinks she has "corrupted him". Also, his reasoning to have sex with Hamuko was pretty corrupted. He also doesn't have a problem showing off in front of Hamuko on how much more of a "people person" he is (he is usually described to be smirking/gloating around her), fulfilling the "gloat your power" (in his case to control people). As for the sword thing above, it's funny because his weapon is a sword, but what's even more interesting is at the end of the full moon Hermit boss, he feels that he did a poor job at being a leader. Continuing with the reverse arcana, now parallels between Minato and Shadow Kanji, quoting from megami tensei wiki again. "The reversed Emperor is one whose will is weak, misleading, and based on corrupted intentions. While Kanji may seem strong-willed, Shadow Kanji represents his fear of being shunned and desperation for acceptance; his social ineptitude. It is also misleading, as while it seems to symbolize Kanji's repressed desires for other men, it is actually his repressed softer side; his sewing and crafting skills, for example. The corrupted intentions arise from his meeting with Naoto Shirogane; he intends to be closer to Naoto, but this is twisted by his Shadow into outright lust." Similar to Kanji, Minato plays off being strong willed, but his fear is loosing himself and Hamuko. It is misleading and corrupt intentions(will be expanded upon).Past, Present, and Future readings
"In the past position, The Emperor represents a father or other authority figure who laid down the law and set a firm definition of acceptable behavior for you. Perhaps you rebelled against him or his teachings, or maybe they helped to keep you out of harm's way. If you are in a secure position now, you have The Emperor in this position to thank. But some people do abuse their authority and if you are alone and alienated after being witness to the abuse of authority, this card confirms that the blame is there. Often we are given rule over our world and mess things up ourselves. Other times, the trust that put us in the care of another is at fault when this person goes overboard and so The Emperor represents a tyrant.""When The Emperor is in the present position, you have the rule of law before you to guide you on your journey. This card is especially strong in the present position as it gives you an absolute confidence to move toward a goal. This can also represent the influence of another person in your life right now. Are you so enamored of a new friend or lover that you have started following the advice and lifestyle habits of him or her? Have you discovered a new hero in the arts whose work has expanded your consciousness to the point that it is hard to relate to people who have not had a similar reaction to this person's artistic output? Is there a new teacher in your life who has changed the way you think? Perhaps a new person at work is transforming the way you approach your on-the-job goals. The theme running through all of these possibilities is that one way of seeing the world is coming to dominate the way you experience life."
"he future position is an uncomfortable position for The Emperor. The days and weeks ahead are vague and quite affected by the smallest decisions of the here and now. The Emperor card demands to assert itself. When The Emperor card is here, anticipate a change to come into your life in a bold manner; expectations to conform in the way you carry yourself may be part of this picture. Regardless of the situation, understand that new demands to follow a specific behavioral prescription will be coming your way and coming in the near future. Prepare now to submit, evade or resist."
Hamuko as the Moon
Starting with the definition taken from the megami tensei wiki "Creativity, inspiration, dreams, madness, illusions, fear, fantasy, the subconscious and trickery. In tarot readings, it can also represent being attuned subconsciously to the world around, gaining the ability to sense things without being told about them or without anyone else knowing (which means that some identify this Arcana with psychic energy)." Starting with creativity, Hamuko is shown to be a very creative person, ranging from unique "comments" she makes, to being able to cook, to the puns that she makes. She is also shown to have many moments of inspiration, put both these things together and think of her battle plans. She's said herself that her battle plans (or even regular plans altogether) are never thought out thoroughly, but instead she always "wings it" and thinks on her feet instead (which takes some creativity to do). As for dreams, she seems to be plagued by the "cryptic dreams" the most (will be expanded upon). As for fantasies, she is shown to daydream quite a lot and seems to have rather.....explicit fantasies/daydreams that involve Minato (will be expand upon). For subconscious, it's interesting to note that later in the fanfic, she realizes that she's not as mad at Minato as she was before, and claims that maybe her subconscious did it. For madness and illusions she is hit the hardest. Harder than when Minato was "taken control". Unlike him, she can't stop herself from "wanting" him every Dark Hour. As for fear, she is afraid of being alone, even more so of Minato leaving her. As for trickery, she is always claiming boredom for most of the things she does, saying that she wants to be entertained. She was able to trick Minato into calling her by her first name with no honorific (will be expanded upon more). Now to look at illusion just by itself, we find out that Hamuko is a shadow, "what is a better illusion that everyone, including her, believe that she is human? She always puts up a facade for everyone, pretending to be a hero."(quote from author) And this is true. Another interesting note, if she's not bringing up her....past excursions with men to make the situation awkward, then she's silent about it. Whenever Minato/(another character?) asks about her past/past with men, she clams up. She puts up the illusion that she's always fine, but really, she's not. She even thinks about suicide at one point or more.An interesting side fact about the Moon, is that Succubus and Lilm used to belong to the Moon arcana in P1/2, but were later changed to Devil. This is still very fitting, considering when Minato saw Hamuko summon Lilm for the first time, he thought it fit her. Despite them also belonging to the Devil arcana, this connects her more to the Moon still."When it appears, you are likely welcoming a time in your life where you are reconnecting to your subconscious mind, through dreams, symbols and strange coincidences." This fits very well with Hamuko because through cryptic dreams, she is beginning to remember her past (like how she died and became a shadow and such). Along with other subconscious things, such as her infatuation with Shinjiro, her subconscious is acting on Miki's memories, those of which she does not fully remember.
Past, Present, and Future readings.
"If The Moon card shows up in the past position, look for a recent period of confusion to be to blame for your current strife. If you had a great inspiration and manifested it into art or expression that helped you cope, The Moon inspired you to find order amidst the chaos. You made the best of your past as you could, considering the circumstances, and can look back on those days as having been fruitful rather than a cause of anything negative.""When drawn in the present position, you may be getting so many mixed signals from the outside world that your turning to a Tarot reading is a seeking of some clarity, some answer to all the confusion. The world around you may be different and the structures that have long comforted you are suddenly absent. The temptations of alcohol, drugs, meaningless pleasure seeking, gambling and other escapes from reality are all too real. The Moon represents falling out of touch with reality. However, it also represents a chance to better yourself by not believing in the false assumptions that we all agree to within societal norms. Instead of following the path that you are told will get you somewhere (the path that has at present left you lost), The Moon signals your opportunity to create your own structures; a life from your own imagination and design."
"In the future position, The Moon can be a harbinger that you will meander away from what is important in your life and follow a hobby or vocation that is a different path altogether. This could signal a coming spiritual awakening, or your joining of a small religious group. Be on guard for the vulnerability that all new converts feel as their path toward spiritual enlightenment meets with manipulative individuals. The Future position is great if you are in a creative field; this reveals that afflictions of boredom such as writer's block or attention deficits will soon be forgotten as a rush of inspiration fills you and you have a new muse to follow."
Fun Card design things
Sometimes shown with 2 dogs or a dog and a wolf. The dog on the card could represent Koromaru, the Wolf, possibly Minato (since Hamuko did call him a puppy that turned wolf).Comparing to other moon arcana characters
Starting with Maya Amano. They have so many parallels! Both Female Protagonists, both have brooding male counterparts, both had a toy rabbit (Aki stole one for Miki) from a loved one, and both survived fires 10 years prior to their respective game/story. Both also have very childish and goofy demeanors/façades. They both have.....God awful messy rooms! God forbid Hamuko can't drive either(was confirmed as of chapter 97)! They both aren't able to accept their Shadow Selves. Well, Maya who has one isn't able to, Hamuko instead can't accept the fact that she IS a shadow. Both wanting to continue the illusion that Maya isn't mad at the kids from 10 years ago, and that Hamuko is still human. Both seem to have been influenced by Phoenix Ranger Featherman R, Maya with the maske circle, and Hamuko seems to just have been a fan of it since she was a kid.Nozomi Suemitsu, interestingly enough, they both have a lot in common as well. They both love to eat...and eat...and eat, Hamuko remarks how she doesn't mind being called a Gourmet Queen. They both have an inferiority complex as well, Nozomi to his brother (and later a bit to Minato as well) and Hamuko to Minato. "Despite his anger at the protagonist, he wants him to stay, since he cherishes their friendship." This is VERY VERY similar to Hamuko's relationship with Minato, not matter how many fights they get into or rape attempts that happen she doesn't want him to leave her. He is also the one Social Link Hamuko was able to "mess up" for Minato, possibly because of their very similar connection.
Shinjiro Aragaki (Moon arcana way): One could say that like Shinjiro, the readers think that Hamuko doesn't care about her Social Links, only as a means of power, but as we get to know her, we find out she views them as friends (even Minato states this), and cares for them like Shinjiro cares for SEES.
Ai Ebihara: Like Ai, Hamuko is selfish (as stated by Shinjiro), in different ways, but selfish nonetheless. They both also fear rejection, and both don't handle it well. Ai wanting to jump off the roof, Hamuko.... wanting to jump off the bridge?. Both have had a hard time with love in the past, Hamuko can't keep a guy, Ai couldn't get a guy. Also "By the end of the Social Link, Ai realizes that she only chose to skip classes and wear fashionable accessories was because she wanted the attention and admiration that she had longed for.", very similar to Hamuko, who acts like a slut/is a slut/or is just acting/being an outragous human being to get attention.
Reverse Moon
Shadow Maya: Surprisingly enough, Shadow Maya states that Maya wishes for death, this is very similar to Hamuko, who has had thoughts of suicide. Though, Maya denies such thoughts, while in one of the earlier chapters Hamuko questions/denies such a thought when it crosses her mind. Another note, Maya never accepts her own shadow, Hamuko, when she first finds out she's a shadow in the Bad End, she denies it, hard!Minato's and Hamuko's interactions with each other with Emperor and Moon arcanas, in mind.
In the games/manga/anime, it is shown that the ones who are of the Emperor arcana, always have one weakness. Akihiko's is Mitsuru's, it further drives home the point that he's weak against ice, Mitsuru's native power. Kanji is shown to turn into a babbling mess when he sees Naoto. It is safe to assume that Hamuko is Minato's weakness. (to be expanded upon)."The Moon indicates that things may seem somewhat confusing to you now. You may find it hard to understand where you are coming from, much less what others are thinking and feeling! You need to try to sit with the uncertainty, don't try to force things or people to do things before they are ready." For Minato, Hamuko fathoms him. He does not understand the things she does, he has a hard time trying to control her (his emperor is showing) and force her to act a certain way.
Love: Emperor: "You may find yourself falling for someone who is older than you now. This person is likely to be attracted to order, logic, and organization. The attraction may not be mutual from the very beginning, but if you are patient and persistent, it is likely to grow." Funny thing is, we don't know Hamuko's birthday, so we don't know if she's older than Minato (who seems fine with the idea anyways). As for being attracted to order and such, she does seem fascinated or interested when Odagiri or Minato show these traits. It plays straight with their attraction, going on in off in a mutual and non-mutual way. But Minato is the most persistent in this relationship, and indeed it does grow.Moon: "This card points to a highly emotional time in love relationships. Things can quickly become heated and/or uncomfortable. Take a break if you need to. Don't make assumptions, and fight fairly, if you're going to fight. Pick your battles and be sure to treat your lover like a friend. Don't be in a hurry to end or to begin a relationship. This is probably not the best time for either course of action." Hamuko is the most emotional in their relationship. When they first begin dating, things flip-flop between her and him in heated....activities, to her being uncomfortable when he takes the lead. The couple does tend to take "breaks", before they reconcile and continue on again.
Minato's interactions with others with The Emperor in mind
AkinariAkihiko (as emperor)
Odagiri
Shinjiro (as moon)
Shinjiro (as heirophant)
Maya (Hermit SL)
Hamuko's interactions with others with The Moon in mind
Maya (Minato's Hermit Social Link)Saori
Bebe
Akinari
Akihiko (as emperor)
(mindless notes....will make sense later: Magician (high comp), Priestess (comp), Empress (comp), Emperor (ave), Hierophant (ave), Lovers (poor), Chariot (ave), Strength (can't use), Hermit (high), Fortune (comp), Justice (ave), Hangedman (ave), Death (ave), Temperance (high), Devil (ave), Tower (poor), Star (comp), Moon (high), Sun (comp), Judgement (comp), World (comp), Fool (high). Rod (high), Cup (comp), Sword (comp), Pentacle (high))
Stages of Monster Grief
Hamuko
Minato
Hamuko and Minato connections with their personality and colors
Minato and blue
- This color is attributed to Strong, Important, Peaceful & Intelligent. It symbolizes Indicates injury, also denotes sad or melancholy state and symbolizes honesty & trustworthiness. Concerning Minato, he is strong mentally, an important person to many people (such as SEES, Social Links, Hamuko), he enjoys and wants peace and to live a peaceful life. He is very intelligent, often going into detective like monologues and getting good grades when he actually studies. As for the "indicates injury", he apparently was sickly as a young boy. He is usually feeling sad or melancholic, or as he puts it "despair", possibly a "wound" he received when his parents died. Ironically, he is not very honest, he tends to lie and he's very good at it, despite this people still trust him. "Energy: Cool color, gives a feeling of distance, will encourage feelings of communication and peace", Minato is a very distant person, he is usually the one who tries to mediate the conversations, especially when Hamuko is looking for a fight or is just mad. "Effects attributed with: Calming & sedate, cooling and aids intuition", Minato is usually the calm one and is the one to calm the people around him. "'Introduction: Blue is the overwhelming "favorite color." Blue is seen as trustworthy, dependable and committed. The color of ocean and sky, blue is perceived as a constant in our lives. As the collective color of the spirit, it invokes rest and can cause the body to produce chemicals that are calming. Indigo, a deeper blue symbolizes a mystical borderland of wisdom, self-mastery and spiritual realization. While blue is the color of communication with others, indigo turns the blue inward, to increase personal thought, profound insights, and instant understandings." Coincidentally enough, considering the actions of other characters and Hamuko's inferiority complex, Minato seems to be the favorite. Minato is picked as the SEES leader (until Hamuko declared that unfair and made them both co-leaders), and the way Hamuko dialogue (when they are fighting) and talking about about how he's "Mr. Perfect".
- Symbolism extended: "Blue often denotes injury, since it is the colour of a bruise. It also denotes a sad or melancholy state, as in depression. Symbolically, blue is associated with that state, such as the term blue period to describe Pablo Picasso's work from 1901 to 1904." Funny enough, Minato causes a lot of "bruising" towards Hamuko...uhhh.. This tropes is hinting towards the hickies he gives her. But the important one is where he was actually tries to bite her jugular and ends up giving her a bruise....on the neck He is also prone to hitting her injuries during fights, like the during the fight on the train. Minato also seems to cause most of Hamuko's injuries other than the one(s) stated above. " Blue traditionally is associated with the Christian virtue faith. In Japanese the word "aoi," meaning "blue," also indicates innocence & inexperience. The German word for blue is used for "drunk" eg. "Ich bin blau" - "I'm drunk"." Interestingly enough, Minato is the "innocent/inexperienced" one when compared to Hamuko. As she is more "experienced" in.....love and other things. As for "I'm drunk", it seems to be a running gag for Minato to get drunk or have Naoto comment on his alcoholism.
- In China, the colour blue is commonly associated with torment, ghosts, and death. One of the workers at the hostpital in one of the flashbacks said that Minato's eyes were shining like hitodamas, human soul in japanese(''"The spirits of the newly dead are said to take the form of great floating balls of fire, glowing in amber, pale blue or ruddy-white like the moon, sometimes dragging long blue flickering tails behind them. A hito-dama is often seen shortly before a sick person dies, leaving the weakening body and heading off for the next stage of existence. They often fall to earth or fade away shortly after they are seen, leaving a foamy or slimy residue on whatever they touch"). Along with the description of being cold as death when he was strangling Hamuko on the bridge.
- "It is sincere, reserved and quiet, and doesn't like to make a fuss or draw attention. Blue hates confrontation, and likes to do things in its own way." Minato is reserved and quiet, and he doesn't like to draw attention shown when he yells at Hamuko who kept spreading rumors about them despite him hating it. "Blue is the color of the spirit, devotion and religious study. It enhances contemplation and prayer. On the other hand, blue's devotion can be to any cause or concept it believes in, including devotion to family or work." When Minato is at the Shirogane residents, he realizes that he can't leave his friends behind, showing he's very devoted to them. Also, when Akinari is dying, he turns to praying in hopes he gets better. "Change is difficult for blue. It is inflexible and when faced with a new or different idea, it considers it, analyzes it, thinks it over slowly and then tries to make it fit its own acceptable version of reality." Minato is prone to analyzing things. Especially when things change, mostly concerning Hamuko, he tries to figure out how and when it changed.
Hamuko and red
- This color is attributed to Love, Passion, Heat, Joy & Power. It symbolizes Catches people’s attention, indicates danger or emergency and symbolizes heat & fire. Hamuko is the more sexual between the two protagonists, she loves everyone and is very passionate about many things. Hamuko is also an Attention Whore and loves to get people's attention. Heat and fire, part of her name means "fire" so self-explanatory, and also that she was involved in the fire as a child. She seems to be prone to getting into dangerous situations such as the muggers and Yukari and she's very reckless/acts before she thinks. "Energy: Color of blood, brings focus to the essence of life and living with emphasis on survival, color of passion & lust", Part of Hamuko's name means "life/essence of life", while she's reckless, she is the better fighter/most bloodthirsty when it comes to battles, survival of the fittest and whatnot.
- Description: " It is the color chosen by extroverts and one of the top picks of males. On the negative side red can mean temper or anger. In China, it is the color of prosperity and joy." Hamuko is an extrovert, she's apparently very popular with males (and hinted by her even females). She is easily angered if you push the right buttons. She is a very joyful person as well. "How it affects us: Increases enthusiasm, Stimulates energy and can increase the blood pressure, respiration, heartbeat and pulse rate, Encourages action and confidence", Hamuko is shown to be very enthusiastic, very energetic and tends to be the cause of Minato's high blood pressure which lead to his *cough*nosebleeds*cough*. She is one to take action and is very confident.
- "Red is commonly associated with danger, sacrifice, passion, fire, beauty, blood, anger, socialism and communism, and in China and many other cultures, with happiness." "Seduction, sexuality and sin ", well...it is Hamuko....
- '"Associated with our most physical needs and our will to survive." The (physical) "needs" that Hamuko and Minato go through during the tournament, like...*cough*sex*cough*...well...Hamuko mainly with that need well, this and Hamuko really, really likes to eat. "It signifies a pioneering spirit and leadership qualities, promoting ambition and determination." Hamuko is'' the other leader of SEES. "It is also strong-willed and can give confidence to those who are shy or lacking in will power." Well...she is technically Minato's other half....so yeah, that statement is mostly aimed at Minato, but also aimed at her other friends and Social Links. "The color red can stimulate the appetite, often being used in restaurants for this purpose. It also increases craving for food and other stimuli." ....Ok this is the PERFECT color for Hamuko....or should I say...this explains a lot....Probably looks in the mirror, sees her eyes, and is instantly hungry.
Hamuko's red vs Mitsuru's red
Same site as the third bullet above.Mitsuru's red is either a Maroon or Burgundy,
- Maroon: a dark bluish red, it denotes controlled and more thoughtful action. It is slightly softer than burgundy and not as dramatic as true red.
- Burgundy: a dark purplish red, it is more sophisticated and serious and less energetic than true red. It indicates controlled power, determined ambition and dignified action and is often favored by the wealthy.
Hamuko's red is a more Crimson or Scarlet.
- Crimson:has a little blue in it. It indicates a determination to succeed but without upsetting anyone else. It emits sensuality rather than sexuality.
- Scarlet:: has a little orange mixed with it, giving it a richness and brightness. It indicates enthusiasm and a love of life. It is a little less intense and more fun-loving than true red, tempered with a degree of defiance.
This is just to show the difference between the two despite both have red color schemes.
Hamuko and orange
This is a color that Hamuko tends to wear. "The female protagonist wears orange in majority of her casual clothing, since orange is the complementary color of blue (the color the male protagonist usually wears) in the color wheel."- "Orange is commonly associated with amusement, the unconventional, extroverts, fire, activity, danger, taste and aroma, and the autumn season." Very similar to red above.
- "The color orange radiates warmth and happiness, combining the physical energy and stimulation of red with the cheerfulness of yellow." Hamuko has a "warm" personality, and is generally very happy, again similarities with red. "Orange relates to 'gut reaction' or our gut instincts, as opposed to the physical reaction of red or the mental reaction of yellow." Hamuko is one to follow both her gut and physical reactions. "Orange offers emotional strength in difficult times. It helps us to bounce back from disappointments and despair, assisting in recovery from grief." Despite being very blunt and "not being able to say the right things", she still tries to help people and be their emotional support. "With its enthusiasm for life, the color orange relates to adventure and risk-taking, inspiring physical confidence, competition and independence. Those inspired by orange are always on the go!" Again, part of her name means "life", that and she's a very "lively" person. She likes adventure, and is very risk-taking. She very confident, whether be it physical or not. Competition, using Minato's words, she will go into "competitive bitch mode" when they are fighting while focusing on the Tournament. And is fairly independent, though she is very dependent on Minato, but I digress. "In relation to the meaning of colors, orange is extroverted and uninhibited, often encouraging exhibitionism or, at the very least, showing-off!" Two words, battle panties. "A warm and inviting color, it is both physically and mentally stimulating, so it gets people thinking and talking!" She does open Minato up and get him to talk. "At the same time, orange is also stimulating to the appetite. If you love having people around the kitchen table, orange will keep them talking and eating for a long time." Hamuko and food.....Hamuko and food.
Hamuko's relationship with rodents
Rats
- "Rats also highly social, enjoying play and cuddling with other rats." Hamuko is very outgoing and enjoys ''playing'' with others. "They develop deep bonds with their rat pack, and if a member of the group becomes sick they will care for it. A lonely rat is an unhealthy rat – it will quickly develop anxiety and depression." Deep bonds....Social Links anyone? Hamuko ''hates'' being alone, [[spoiler: becomes slightly depressed when Minato leaves her to live with the Shiroganes. "Rats will “date” a mate and get it on before you even know what’s happening; from meetup to hookup to breakup lasts two seconds." Considering how long her past relationships have lasted.....yup..."Females are typically smaller in size and more active and playful." Hamuko is small than Minato....and more playful''.
Hamsters
Getting the obvious over with, Hamuko sounds a lot like Hamtaro.Symbolism with the Personas Minato and Hamuko use
Hamuko
Ardha
Seen in chapter 99. "Derived from the androgynous God of Hinduism, Ardha is a deity composed of Shiva and his consort Parvati, the divine Shakti, representing the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies. Hamuko summoning Ardha represents her being as a shadow, Minato's who is male, and Miki/Miki's body/Miki's being/Miki's memories, who is female, merging together to become one being. Sati
Seen in chapter 54.Parvati
Seen in chapter 66.Minato
Hamuko is like the Philemon to Minato
Taken from the review by Mayu 123, In psycology Philemon is the other you. So Hamuko in a way IS Minato's Philemon, and in that line of thought, Igor's master. Here are some lines that Jung wrote about Philemon." Philemon and other figures of my fantasies brought home to me the crucial insight that there are things in the psyche which I do not produce, but which produce themselves and have their own life. Philemon represented a force which was not myself. In my fantasies I held conversations with him, and he said things which I had not consciously thought. For I observed clearly that it was he who spoke, not I. . . . Psychologically, Philemon represented superior insight. He was a mysterious figure to me. At times he seemed to me quite real, as if he were a living personality. I went walking up and down the garden with him, and to me he was what the Indians call a guru" That is why on previous Persona games when the protagonist at last encounters Philemon without his mask, he ended up looking at himself.- Mayu 123 also added: Also if you are interested, Philemon represent the "older you". For Jung we are all made of Persona, each persona is different depending on the people you relate to, you might be someone to your mom and be a totally different you with your friends, but that doesn't mean that you have a personality disorder, is just the way that we socialize. Another example, if you are a girl, there is a Persona in the sea of your soul that is a guy, and he represents all the features that you admire of guys, is weird I know. Anyway, Philemon is kind of the persona that represents the wise of the older you, the experience of life and all that.
- This kind of explains why Hamuko has a hard time with Social Links. Minato, not only has done his Social Links more often than Hamuko has, but Hamuko being not only a Shadow, but a Persona (cause their same thing/opposites of the same coin. And like you said, a persona is just a mask), she inadvertently has only one mask. Ok let me explain. So you know how when Minato and Hamuko would fight over Social Links that they shared? And Minato would usually win? When you see these scenes, Minato seems to act slightly different than he does with other people. That's cause he's using his other "masks". When you look at Hamuko, she usually acting the same no matter who she's with (with slight differences, but nothing too drastic like Minato). Along with, when she says she has a hard time finding the right thing to say to people, it's because, unlike Minato(and again, ignoring that he's done this a thousand times) she doesn't seem to possess the ability to switch personalities.
- On a funnier note, this is more irony than psychology, you know how people kept making jokes about how she's a Shotacon? Well, if Hamuko is the "older you" of Minato, she's "technically older" right? And since she loves him/they're lovers/dating.....doesn't that mean that her being a Shotacon (or at least dating a "yonger" man) is true?
Comparing the ending to Persona 1, more specifically Naoya's and Maki's goodbye to Hamuko's and Minato's goodbye
This is something that just crossed the Tropers mind, so yeah....It's just for fun, cause everyone knows comparisons are fun!- Both the (Ideal) Maki and Hamuko are not allowed to return with Naoya and Minato to their original world, because they technically don't belong in that world. Both Maki and Hamuko kiss Naoya and Minato goodbye. To be continued....
Concering Minato's and Hamuko's past and the ability to control the Vision Quest world.
There WILL be spoilers (though they will be marked), and none of what you read below will make sense unless you read the WHOLE fic. You have been warned.Hamuko
Ok, so we all know Hamuko has a/references/brings up her "past" pretty often in the fic (which you can also say foreshadowed the big twist in the fic). The problem is, after The Reveal, we find out she's just Minato's Shadow, and she and him are stuck in a never ending loop. To top it off, she wasn't in the first thousand/hundred-thousand loops, at least, not as "Hamuko". So, she doesn't really have "past" as she didn't take physical form until later. Though, she clearly believed that she had a "past" at one point, so here this troper shall explain the reasons why.As Minato's shadow, she knows a lot about him, this includes most of his past (depending on when he developed a shadow in the real world), Minato's experiences in the Original World and the Vision Quest, and then her own experiences during the Vision Quest. So, her "past" is a mixture of all these things.
Starting with "her friends in Tokyo", this, is either a lie that she told to people when she first started the Vision Quest loops, but then ended up believing it herself. Or it's Minato's own experiences from Tokyo, which is also plausible since he moved around a lot.
Hamuko having been with a lot of guys. Has she really? Was that just a lie that she came up with in the first few loops? Possibly not, though, she might have said that to get attention, cause we all know she loves attention. Also, if she's only been in the loops, then the only people she could have done it with is Minato, Shinjiro, Akihiko, or Ryoji.....or if you want to go that far ....Ken....but let's just avoid Ken. As for her "not remembering her first boyfriend's name"...did that really happen? Unless it was an NCP character or it actually happened to Minato...Maybe it was Minato who told her that she was a slut? That is probably the most probable since he hasn't accepted his shadow yet....so why would he accept her in the first few loops?
A big one. Hamuko thinking that she's Mikinote . Hamuko states that she lost what her true goal was when she first entered the loops, started thinking about how she's Miki. But why did she start thinking this in the first place? The highest possibility is basically summed up in this saying, "if you hear/repeat something enough times, you start to believe it." Going from Shinjiro's, and most definitely Akihiko's, Hamuko has heard them talk about their dead sister probably a gazillion times, and even, the fact that she looks almost exactly like Miki! Also, a big part of Hamuko's character is that she wants a family, just like Minato's, so she made it sonote she thought she had one.
Minato
Covering Hamuko as Miki, like the above post, first. In the "final" chapter, Minato, at one point, wanted to create a world where everyone was happy. Who's to say that, not only did he want Shinjiro to live and be happy, but also Akihiko to be happy. But how could they be happy? All he might have over heard about how Shinjiro and Akihiko lived in an orphanage, that burnt down, and Akihiko's little sister was in there. And so, like Hamuko said, he tried again and again to somehow make the Vision World that only he was in, make everyone happy, but ultimately fail. Then, Hamuko enters the mix. Now, think of what Hamuko said in the "final" chapter, "You(Minato) wanted someone to understand you so badly, that even your own shadow started to believe it.",take this and let's think up a new theory. What if Minato still had that small shred of "wanting his friends to be happy too" in him? If he wanted that to happen so bad, who's to say that "even his own shadow would start to believe it." This, along with "if you hear/repeat it enough you think it's real"....to be continued.
Hamuko is the "shadow of life" theory (Tournament version, Turmoil version here)
(note this will be expanded on later) In the The Fools' Tournament we know her full name is Hamuko Seikatsu. Seikatsu in Japanese means life. And since she is, well, a shadow. I would be fitting to call her "The Shadow of life." Here are some reasons as to why life is a big deal/theme and is fitting for Hamuko.- She gives her life to save the world. Without her the world would be gone. Aka, she gives the world a "new life"
- Interestingly she is a shadow archetype of Ryoji, who is the "shadow of death."
