Funny / Queen's Checkmate

Warning: Spoilers Off applies to Moments pages.

In general

• Ren cracking up jokes every five seconds never gets old, especially if they are directed at Makoto or Morgana.
• Makoto's Adorkable tendencies, especially her fondness for plushies and cartoons.

Chapter 3

• In what is a case of Mood Whiplash, Makoto tells Ren to get on Johanna in order for them to escape from Shadow Kamoshida's guards. After getting on, Ren asks Makoto if she knows how to drive a bike, with her response being that she doesn't think it can't be much different from a car. Ren is very pleased to hear this
  • This conversation after they lose the guards.
    Makoto: "I think we lost them."
    Ren: "Yeah, and I think I lost ten years off of my life."
• Just like in the game, Makoto thinks that hiding her face behind a book and pretending to read while peeking every so often is stealthy. Morgana understandably is worried about her but Ren just laughs his ass off.
  • After this Morgana offers to get them to safety and brags about being a master of stealth, but Ren is quick to point that he got caught. Morgana tells him to shut up.
• This conversation after Makoto and Ren return to the real world and Ren asks Makoto if she wants anything from the vending machine.
  Makoto: "Is there anything with low sugar, low carbs, and no artificial flavors?"
  Ren: "...Water."

Chapter 4

• Eiko's introduction scene features her being a Shipper on Deck for Makoto and Ren. There's also this:
  Eiko: "I didn't think you'd go for someone like that. You're like, a total badass! My opinion of you has done a total 360!"
  She considered telling her that that was a full circle, but ultimately decided against it.
• Ryuji gives Ren the Affectionate Nickname of RenRen. Ren doesn't like it.

Chapter 5

• Not only does Ann find Ryuji's way of greeting her lame, but Shiho, who is with her at the time, also reminds her about Ryuji owing her money. However, Mood Whiplash kicks in after Ryuji notices an injury on Shiho's leg, done by none other than Kamoshida.
• Makoto tells Ren how other students view her as an unapproachable robot, only to immediately regret doing so because Ren lets out his famous "Beep Boop".
  Makoto: "D-Don't tease me!"
• Eiko and Makoto's chat via phone, especially when Eiko starts sending her emojis:
  Makoto: "Eiko, what's with those strange faces?"
  Eiko: "What, you haven't seen that emoji before?"
  Makoto: "Emoji? Eiko, did you make a typo?"
  Eiko: "lol good one Miss Prez."
  [Beat]
  Eiko: "Um..."
  [Beat]
  Eiko: "OMG, you're serious."
• After the chat with Eiko, Makoto has a shorter one with Ren, in which he thanks her for tutoring him... and calls her Ms. Beep Boop at the end. Makoto then proceeds to drop her phone and bury her face into her pillow out of embarrassment.
• Ren doesn't even think about dropping the nickname for Makoto, and she threatens to find an embarrasing nickname for him one day.
• Morgana shows up in front of Makoto and Ren in his cat form, Makoto, wondering if she's going crazy, asks Ren if he can hear Morgana too. His answer? "Meow?"
  Makoto: "Honestly, I’d be worried if you didn't make a joke."

Chapter 6

• Ryuji's reaction to seeing Kamoshida's Palace for the first time? "WHERE THE EFF AM I?!"
• When Makoto asks how Ryuji followed Ren and her without being seen, Ren jokingly says that he may have hidden behind a book for obvious reasons.
• The negotiation with a Pixie. Pixie says she can help the team and tries to give a story about a cousin of hers and how she helped someone she met at a hospital as an example. Makoto is having none of it and tells her to cut to the chase.

Chapter 7

• Remember how in chapter 5 Makoto told Ren that she would find an embarrassing nickname for him one day? Well, turns out that day finally came as Ryuji lets Makoto know about the RenRen nickname. Ren is absolutely delighted about this.
  Morgana: "Heh... for someone who cracks a lot of jokes, you sure get flustered really easily".
• After Makoto convinces Sae to let her keep Morgana, the latter prepares a bowl of milk for him and is quick to state that she only did it because he won't stop meowing. The scene can only be described as Makoto's Tsundere senses tingling.
  • Sae seems surprised to learn that Makoto has apparently named Morgana already. Makoto asks her if she wanted to name him herself, only for Sae to quickly deny it and saying that she was only curious. Word of God has stated that, yes, Sae did indeed want to name Morgana.
• Morgana mocking Makoto for her "stealth abilities". Poor girl can't catch a break.
• "Alright! Ren'll get the drugs, and we’ll get the guns!"
• Makoto and Ryuji getting model guns from Iwai's shop, more specifically, Ryuji having no idea about guns at all (As in, Iwai asks him what type of gun he wants, among which he includes an automatic while listing some models, and Ryuji asks why is he talking about cars so suddenly).
• Makoto gets back at Ren for all the times he's called her "Ms. Beep Boop" by calling him "RenRen" in a phone chat. He goes silent for a while and then this happens:
  Makoto: "Isn't this the part where you say something witty?"
  Ren: "Um... Something witty?"

Chapter 8

• The first Persona Makoto obtains by fusion (by fusing Pixie and Jack-o'-Lantern) is Incubus. She then asks if she can try again to get a different Persona, only for Caroline to yell a Blunt "No" at her.
• In Kamoshida's Palace, after coming across a locked door covered in vines, Joker tells the team that he'll use his dagger to cut the vines... only for Queen to immediately send the door flying off its hinges with a simple punch.
  Ren: "...Oooor that works too."
• When finding the will seed, and taken into account that it is shaped like a skull, Joker picks it up and in a rather dramatic tone says "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him well!". The reference is lost on Skull, who is called out by Mona for not knowing anything about Shakespeare, to which Skull says confused that "[he doesn't] have a spear to shake!"
• When dealing with Slime Mara, Queen lets slip several innocent innuendos, to the disgust/amusement of Mona, Skull, and Joker.
  Ren: ...If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were talking like this on purpose.
  Makoto: Talking like what?
  Ren: Never mind…
• When Makoto obtains a Cait Sith persona, this exchange occurs.
  Ren: "That’s a cool looking cat. Probably the coolest cat I’ve ever seen."
  Morgana: "Hey! What about me?!"
  Ren: (smirks)
  Morgana: O-Oh, I mean, um… y-yeah, Cait Sith is totally the coolest cat! Not me, because I am definitely not a cat!

Chapter 10

• Makoto finds Ren looking rather sad. When she asks him what is wrong, he reveals the cause of his despair: The school's shop has run out of yakisoba pan.

Chapter 11

• During a student council meeting, Makoto reads an anonymous request asking them to add manga to the school's library. Not so much for the anonymous part, however, since it is blatantly obvious to Makoto that Ryuji wrote it.

Chapter 12

• While the scene is supposed to be rather serious, there is just something about Ren trying to lie to Sae about his name, especially considering he uses the name he was given in the Manga adaptation of Persona 5, Akira Kurusu. Sae is not fooled by this.
• The boys noticing that Makoto has a rather Sweet Tooth given that she has grabbed a lot of desserts, especially chocolate donuts. Ren even says the name of the trope when teasing Makoto about it.
  • In turn Makoto calls out Ryuji for grabbing only meat, and Ren for his obsession with Big Bang Burger and Sojiro's curry.

Chapter 13

• Morgana calling Kobayakawa a giant egg, which is really not that far from the truth actually. Even Makoto finds it funny. It eventually leads to fans giving the principal nicknames like "Humpty Dumpty" or "Robotnik".
• How does Tachibana confirm her suspicion that Makoto is part of the Phantom Thieves? Ryuji calls Makoto on the phone and asks her rather loudly about their next Phantom Thieves meeting. Yes, like in the game, except that Makoto is now on the receiving end.
  • It looks like Tachibana is going to screw up Makoto and the boys now that she knows their secret... only for her to reveal that she is a huge supporter of the Phantom Thieves and that she wants to help them as much as she can. They are lucky that she is a Phangirl.
• Makoto finds Morgana transforming into the Morganamobile to be cute, although not as cute as Buchimaru.
• Apparently Joker has been making puns throughout the whole trip in Mementos.
• Meeting Jose for the first time:
  • He calls Mona "Mr. Cat", Mona denies this and Joker says that he is actually a van.
    • He later starts calls him "Kitty" instead after hearing it from Skull (as Mona had called him "Bonehead").
  • He calls Queen "Scary Lady". She immediately turns to Mona and Skull and asks them with a fierce glare if she is scary. Both of them say, completely terrified may we add, that she isn't.
    • As of Joker's suggestion, Jose calls Queen "Ms. Beep Boop" instead. That doesn't mean he's off the hook though since Jose calls him "Clown Shoes", like most of the demons call him.

Chapter 14

• After a certain small accident, Ren and Makoto end up in a rather... compromising position. The elderly woman that accidentally set the chain reaction in motion apologizes and says that they make a good couple, only for them to deny it out of embarrassment. She simply lets out a laugh as an answer.
• Speaking of Shippers on Deck, Makoto and Ren encounter Eiko in the library later on. You don't need to know much else.

Chapter 15

• Makoto promises Eiko that she won't laugh when she hears her brother's name. Guess what happens when Eiko reveals that her brother's name is Aiko.
• Ren's puns have apparently started to rub off on Makoto since she says that she is going to take a catnap when Morgana tells her to get plenty of sleep.
• Ryuji trying to avoid Makoto's study session. He tries to get Ren to bail him out of it, only for Ren to state that it's "Queen's orders".
  Ryuji: "Traitorrrrrrrrr!"

Chapter 16

• The whole train ride. Just the whole train ride: Makoto and Ren have to be very pressed to one another due to the number of people in the train car. When Makoto tries to turn around to get some space, and so she is not directly facing him, someone else bumps into Ren, causing him to press into her back. Makoto then complains that something in Ren's front pocket is poking her. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what this means. Ren tries to defuse the situation by trying to think of old people. But doing so makes the situation even worse when he thinks about Sojiro's "Hoo Boy!". Quickly shaking that thought from his head, he tries to focus on the hot dog Ryuji, who had been able to get a seat, was eating.
• Caroline telling Queen that Igor wants to speak to her. She is about to enter the Velvet Room... but then Caroline kicks her inside, with her excuse being that Makoto was taking too long to enter.
• The twins discovering that Jack Frost, the demon they have told Makoto to bring with her next time, is a popular mascot character in the real world and that he has a lot of merchandise. After discussing with each other for a bit, Caroline and Justine demand to be taken to a place that sells the merchandise after Makoto brings them the Jack Frost, with Caroline quickly denying that she wants to get his merchandise.
• The room with the laser trap in Madarame's palace. Joker tries to do a fancy flip in order to evade the trap... but trips on his own trench coat.
• The fight against a Jack Frost. Not only are Joker and Skull surprised to see that there is a demon based on Jack Frost, but the whole negotiation itself is pure gold: the Shadow gives Queen a stone and tells her to crush it with her own hand if she is so tough, only for Queen to do exactly as he says, without even letting him finish his sentence. Jack Frost decides to become a Persona for her to use almost immediately after that.
  Ryuji: "...Remind me to never piss her off."

Chapter 17

• Ann's internal thoughts about the principal after he asks her to keep an eye on Makoto, Ren, and Ryuji are pure gold:
  Truth be told, she didn’t trust the tub of lard as far as she could throw him... which, considering that he was, again, a tub of lard, wasn’t very far.
• In what is a reference to a meme from the game, Morgana cheers "Oooh, we can do this!" whenever Makoto answers a question in her tests. Makoto tells him to keep quiet or else they'll discover him.
• Caroline and Justine in the toy shop. It is a special mix of hilarity and adorableness.
  • What is Caroline's reaction to seeing a plushie of Jack Frost? She believes that Jack Frost has been turned into a toy!
  • Caroline jumping on top of Justine's shoulders in order to reach the shelf with the Jack Frost plushie. Makoto just effortlessly grabs it.
    Caroline: "We didn't need any help, inmate!"
  • The twins learning that they have to pay for the plushie. Caroline says that she doesn't care about toys, all while stuttering, while Justine says that they need it for research purposes after Makoto offers to buy it for them.
• Maruki trying to get Makoto, Ryuji, and Ren to go into his therapy sessions (although not that they have a choice since the school is forcing them to anyways). When he makes mention of snacks he manages to get Ren to accept.

Chapter 18

• This finishing blow Queen does to a Nue when fighting it alongside Skull. Doubles as a Shout-Out to Fist of the North Star.
  Makoto: [delivering a flurry of punches] ATATATATATA!
  Nue: Is that all? Your fists couldn't hurt a fly!
  Makoto: [calmly] You're already dead.
  Nue: WHAT?! [explotes and bursts into black ooze]
  • Skull gives Queen a can of soda after this. She crushes it in her hand and demands something healthier. Skull immediately bows before her and gives her some water.
• Yusuke, Joker, and Mona falling from the sky and into Madarame's Palace, more specifically, Yusuke falling on top of Mona.
• Yusuke recognizes both Makoto and Ren in their metaverse outfits, but not Ryuji. While Skull is upset about this, Mona tells him that is actually a good thing that he doesn't know his identity. Skull then says, out loud, that he would be a bad Phantom Thief if someone were to find out his identity.

Chapter 19

• Trying to convince a Nue to become Persona: Skull suggests to Queen that she tries to do a motorcycle impression to convince the demon. While Mona dismisses it as an absurd idea, Queen tries it, and guess what? The Nue IS actually interested in that. Queen tells Nue to close its eyes and then she summons Johanna, who produces the motorcycle noises. Nue eventually becomes a Persona for Makoto.
  • Even better when you realize that this is all a reference to the "Motorcycle noises" meme from Persona 2.
• This Who's on First? conversation between Joker and Queen after obtaining the Persona.
  Ren: "So, what’s this one called?"
  Makoto: Oh, he’s Nue."
  Ren: "Um, yeah, I know he’s new, but what’s its name?"
  Makoto: "No, Joker, I mean it’s a Nue mask."
  Ren: "I know it’s a new mask, Queen, but what-"
  Makoto: "Moving on!" "Come on, there are probably plenty of other new shadows to recruit."
  Ren: "But Queen, didn’t you just recruit a Nue shadow?"

Chapter 20

• Makoto's checking out the scores her friends had obtained during exams. Her reaction to Ryuji's? She is convinced he at least had tried his best.

Chapter 21

• Yusuke asking Makoto to be a model for him again, more specifically, to pose nude for him. Ren and Makoto both go red after hearing this. Makoto obviously refuses. This is what Yusuke answers when Makoto first hears about it:
  Yusuke: "Yes! Exactly! A sight like that will be truly stimulating"
  Ryuji: "I know you mean that in an artsy way, but dude, phrasing."
• The scene is supposed to be serious, but it is impossible to not laugh at what is an Inversion of the Insult to Rocks trope when Makoto compares Sae to their father while in the interrogation room.
  Sae: [angrily] "Don’t you dare compare me to that man!"
  Makoto: "You’re right. That would be an insult to him."

Chapter 22

• If you were one of the people that didn't like how Morgana never got called out for his treatment of Ryuji in the original game, you'd be pleased to know that in this chapter Makoto tells Morgana to drop it or else he'll get no sushi.
  Morgana: "I-I’ll be good!"
• The whole scene when the thieves discover that Ann is following them around Kichijoji:
  • How do they realize? Not only does Makoto feel like someone is following them, but Morgana mentions a "gorgeous girl walking behind [them]", prompting Ren to call him delusional.
  • When Ann is caught she completely denies the fact that she was following them. Keep in mind that Ann's acting is shit.
  • Yusuke showing up behind Ann and saying that he wants her to be her next muse.
    Ryuji: "Wha- Yusuke, what the hell are you doing here?! Why are you following Ann around, who’s following Makoto around, who’s following me around?"
    • Even funnier, Yusuke explains that he used Makoto's "stealth technique" to approach Ann so he wouldn't stand out (and also mentions picking up a flyer from a trash can because he couldn't afford a manga). Makoto, irritated may we add, immediately knows who told Yusuke about her "stealth technique".
      Ren: "H-Hey now, let’s not change the subject."
  • Makoto, Ryuji, and Ren run away from Ann while she is distracted connecting the dots between the Kamoshida and Madarame incidents. She is left alone with Yusuke, who asks her to model nude for him. Ann runs away as fast as she can.

Chapter 23

• Caroline and Justine demand to be taken to an aquarium.
  • The twins argue over which is more creepy; a jellyfish or a killer whale. When they tell Makoto to settle this for them, she answers by saying that there's nothing wrong with liking one more than the other, only for Caroline to say that that wasn't an option available for her to choose.
  • "Even the adorabl- I-I mean aquatic sea otters?!"
  • "How deprived! If humans admire nature so much, they should go move to a rainforest."
  • After all of this, a voice coming out of a speaker announces that a penguin show is about to begin. Caroline and Justine want to go there because, according to them, Makoto wants to see the penguins.
• When the Phantom Thieves discuss about Ann potentially becoming their ally, Morgana immediately approves of the idea because of how head-over-heels he is for her after seeing her in Kichijoji
  Ryuji: "Is this like… the cat version of puppy love?"
  Morgana: "Bah! You just don’t understand"
• Yusuke approaching Makoto after they leave Leblanc:
  Yusuke: "Makoto, I need your help with something!"
  Makoto: "If this is about the nude modeling, I’m afraid the answer is still no."
  [Beat]
  Makoto: "I’ll see you tomorrow, Yu-"
  Yusuke: "Makoto, there’s a second thing I need your help with!"

Chapter 24

• Maruki explains that he is at the park to help the cooking crew and that there'll be snacks after the students finish cleaning up. Guess how Ren reacts.
  Ryuji: "Enough with the snacks!"
• While Makoto is instructing students to pick up trash at the park with a megaphone, Ryuji approaches her and tells her that he found a wallet and asks where can he put it. Makoto answers by saying that it should be put in a police box... without realizing that she is still using the megaphone and has yelled in Ryuji's face as a result.
• Eiko and Ryuji exchanging information about the many Embarrassing Nicknames for Makoto and Ren, especially the ones for Ren. They both tell Ryuji to drop it, at the same time, while he and Eiko laugh their butts off.
• Makoto and Morgana waiting for Ann:
  Makoto: [while disguised and reading a manga] "Alright, I'm in position"
  Morgana: "Makoto, that manga is still not stealt-"
  Makoto: "Just get into position, Morgana!
  Morgana: "Y-Yes, Queen!"
  (Not too long after)
  Morgana: [spoting Ann] "She’s coming!"
  Makoto: "Keep an eye on her"
  Morgana: "Soooo cuuuute..."
  Makoto: "Focus, Mona!"
  Morgana: "R-Right!"

Chapter 25

• Mona "simping" for Ann when she asks what's "the cat's" purpose.
  Makoto: "Well… First of all, Mona’s not really a cat. He claims to be human."
  Morgana: "B-But you can call me a cat if you want, Lady Ann!"
  Ryuji: "Maybe she should call him desperate instead..."
• Ann's trying to convince some guards to let her enter the principal's palace with her... "acting". Somehow the guards (and Fox) find it convincing.
• When Shadow Kobayakawa kidnaps Ann, and more guards come to stop the Phantom Thieves, Skull throws Mona into the air, which causes him to transform into the Morganamobile and crush the guards beneath him. What's better, Skull yells "YEET" when throwing Mona.

Chapter 26

• Ann officially joins the Phantom Thieves, and Ryuji comments that is nice to have another girl on the team given that there were too many boys. Yusuke tells him that, if they wanted, he could've had crossdressed instead. Ryuji reacts to this with confusion.
• Makoto failing to notice what the emojis Eiko sends her are. Special mention goes to this one:
  Eiko: "OMG, congrats! The dates on the 6th! Txt u the deats l8r! Good luck wit your Renren ;)"
  She let out an embarrassed groan, not wanting to know what the semicolon and parenthesis meant.
• Ann didn't notice it before, but her outfit changed when she entered the metaverse. Ryuji definitely has noticed it, though.
  • Shortly after, when coming up with a codename for Ann...
    Ryuji: "How about Sexy Cat?"
    Ann: "How about Hell No!"
• The team finds the path blocked by a stone door. Skull has an idea, which consists of Queen punching the door to break it. When that does not work, Skull states that he is out of ideas.

Chapter 27

• Clotho makes Queen forget how to use her Persona's power and laughs at her. Cue to Queen punching her in the face while she is laughing.
• The team comes across a building where they hear voices coming from. One of the Shadows inside comments on how "the cat girl" is scary. This causes Panther to blow up the door and reveal several gladiators with terrified expressions.
  Shadow: "H-Haven't you heard of knocking?!"
• The Phantom Thieves come across a shrine with large offerings of grapes. Queen immediately gives Joker a side-eye, to which he then states that he's not going to make a pun about grapes as otherwise everyone would wine.
  Makoto: "Thank you- Wait a minute..."
• Shortly after, a drunk gladiator approaches them, insisting that he is not drunk and offering them drinks. What demon does he morph into? Dionysus.
  • Given that the Dionysus is drunk off his ass, the fight is absolutely hilarious.
    Dionysus: "Oooh... this is one nasty hangover..."
  • After the fight ends, Queen says that it looks like Dionysus ran out of juice, only to realize seconds later what she just said.
    Ren: "I knew you secretly liked puns!"

Chapter 28

• Makoto tells Ren to copy what Tsukasa and Eiko do in order to not blow their cover but tells him to be subtle. Ren yawns and reaches his arm out to her.
  Makoto: "That wasn't subtle at all!"
• Makoto reading a message from Tsukasa to Ren:
  Makoto: "It’s meeee, Tsukasa. *heart emoji*" "I no we just met but I cudn’t wait 2 *phone emoji* u. I’m so haP to b friends with u MakoC. *clapping emoji* *clapping emoji* *hot springs emoji*." Did you understand any of that?
  Ren: It was barely a coherent sentence.
• After realizing that she feels weird whenever she is around Ren, Makoto looks like she is about to confess her feelings for him... only to tell him that she thinks she is ill.
• The culmination of Makoto getting light-headed and flustered whenever she's around Ren. She's convinced that she must have come down with something so Ren takes Makoto to Takemi's clinic to be safe. Takemi spends the majority of her evaluation playing dumb since she hones in on exactly what Makoto's problem is before flat out telling her it's because she has a crush on Ren. She then caps it off by saying the only thing she can prescribe to help are contraceptives.
  • Before any of that, Takemi calling Ren "Little Guinea Pig" in front of Makoto.
    Ren: "Does patient confidentiality mean nothing to you?!"

Chapter 29

• Makoto apparently never told Sae that she and Ren were dating due to the wall that had been built up between them, so when she mentions having a boyfriend offhand during her interrogation, Sae ends up having a shocked Double Take to the reveal.

Chapter 30

• When Makoto notices that something is bothering Morgana but he's too proud to say anything, she gets him to talk by hitting his weak spots:
  Makoto: "Tell me or no sushi for a month."
  Morgana: "..."
  Makoto: "...And I'll stay up an hour past my bedtime."
  Morgana: "ALRIGHT, I'LL TALK!"

Chapter 31

• Makoto is packing everything up for the trip to Hawaii, and Sae seems to be annoyed that she has to take care of Morgana, but Makoto knows that that isn't the case given that she has gotten him a new cat toy.
  Sae: "T-That... don't you need to get going?!"
• When taking a group selfie at the airport, Ann and Ryuji have Ren and Makoto stand next to each other. Both of them are red as a tomato and Ann knows what she did.
• Ann and Makoto meet up with Ryuji and Ren at the beach. While Ren and Makoto are busy staring at each other in their swimsuits, Ann tries to divert Ryuji's attention to her as he is staring at other girls in bikinis. His jaw drops the moment he sees Ann in her swimsuit.
  Ann: "Hah. Got a better opinion of me now?"
  Ryuji: "U-Umm..."
  Ann: "What's wrong? Morgana got your tongue?"
• Ann criticizes Ryuji for not doing any further research of Kamehameha the Great when taking them to see his statue. In turn, Ryuji makes an impression of Ann.
  Ryuji: [with a high-pitched voice] "There's even a song about Kamehameha the Great. I wanna see his special fighting move."
• Yusuke showing up behind the other Phantom Thieves and casually joining their conversation. Keep in mind, Yusuke was supposed to be in Los Angeles.
  • Even funnier, Ryuji thinking that Los Angeles is the capital of the United States. Makoto pinches the bridge of her nose.
• Makoto and Yusuke come across Naoya playing a game of shogi with Hifumi. Naoya is terrified of Hifumi's Large Ham tendencies.
  • Yusuke apologizes to Makoto for the scene, telling her that his classmates can be quite eccentric. Makoto simply gives him an "are you serious?" look.
• Haru has to spend the night with Makoto and Takayo because Ms. Kawakami, her roommate, got drunk and forgot to unlock the room for her to enter. Shortly afterward, Eiko comes in and states that she had the same problem as Haru with Ms. Chouno.
• After a heartwarming conversation regarding relationships, Takayo wonders if she could put Makoto's relationship with Ren in the school's newspaper. Makoto makes it clear to her that she is not doing that.

Chapter 36

• Makoto considers Maruki's acting to be on the same level as Ann's.
• Makoto enters the Velvet Room intending to fuse new Personas and comes across Jack Frost seated at a table for a tea party which Caroline and Justine hastily try to cover up.
• Caroline and Justine request that Makoto take them to a movie theater where they end up watching a horror movie. All three of them are scared out of their wits by the end of it.

Chapter 37

• Morgana looks back after checking the corner of a hallway and says that there’s a "fierce enemy ahead". Ren takes a look at this enemy and sees... a guard dog.
  Morgana: Dogs are menaces to society! Just a few days ago one of them chased me around the alley! He must have thought I was a cat or something...
  Ren: Gee, I can’t imagine how he’d make that mistake.
• This particular shadow is negotiated in the style of Persona's parent series Shin Megami Tensei, being given 1500 yen and a bead. Much like in mainline SMT, the shadow gives back the bead and tries to run away.

Chapter 40

• Before they realize that the money in Kaneshiro's briefcase Treasure is all fake bills, the Thieves take a moment to fantasize over what they'd spend their share of the thirty million yen on.
  Ren: Even splitting it six ways, that's five million each!
  Makoto: F-Five million each?!
  Ryuji: Holy shit... I can eat the deluxe pork soup combo all I want!
  Morgana: I can eat all the fatty tuna I want!
  Ann: I can eat all of the triple chocolate crepes I want!
  Yusuke: I can eat!

Chapter 43

• While Makato and Kasumi end up debating the methodologies of the Phantom Thieves, Akechi manages to pick up on the fact that Ren is in the center of a Love Triangle between the two and decides to make things awkward for him by trying to get him involved in the debate by asking which side he wants to take.
  Akechi: Not willing to commit to just one of the girls, huh?
  Ren: Y-You mean their viewpoints?
  Akechi: Of course? What else would I mean?

Chapter 46

• The Phantom Thieves' infiltration of Sojiro's house to try and Futaba is held up by their trying to sneak in while it's pitch dark inside. Just as Makoto asks if she can hold Ren's hand to calm her nerves, an unfamiliar voice rings out in their midst.
  Futaba: Lewd.
  Makoto: [shrieking] WHO SAID THAT?!
• Makoto attempts to persuade Futaba not to give up on the change of heart.
  Makoto: Boss… er, your father wants you to be happy, and so do we.
  Alibaba: I am happy.
  Makoto: What?
  Alibaba:I know of a place where you never get harmed… A magical place with magical charms. Indoors! Indoors! Indoooooooors!

Chapter 49

• During a fight with Mot, the Shadow inflicts the "Rattled" status onto Morgana.
  Ren: That coffin Shadow turned Mona into a mouse!
  Yusuke: Was it? Maybe he does that naturally, like how he becomes a car.
  Morgana: I’m not a mouse! I’m a ca- human! Human! And it's that Shadow’s fault that I changed!
  Ren: Better finish this quickly! Mona sounds pretty rattled.
  Ann: Not the time for jokes, Joker!

Chapter 51

• The Phantom Thieves trying to convince Futaba to go outside.
  Ren: Come on, Futaba-chan, think of all the great things you can do outside! Right, guys?
  Ryuji: Yeah! Like going to the arcade!
  Ann: Chocolate crepes!
  Ryuji: Goin’ to the movies!
  Ann: Double chocolate crepes!
  Yusuke: People watching.
  Ryuji: Yusuke, that ain't fun.
• How does Shadow Futaba convince Futaba she's telling the truth about who she says she is? By referencing the "sus" meme from Among Us.

Chapter 60

• The Phantom Thieves take a trip to Ren's hometown for a fireworks festival. Someone (by process of elimination, Sae) packed a cat-sized kimono for Morgana, which Makoto insisted on putting on him.
• Futaba climbing on Yusuke's shoulders to see the fireworks, followed by Morgana climbing both of them.
• Ryuji's reaction when Ann straight-up tells him she's trying to ask him out.
  Ryuji’s mouth hung agape for nearly a minute before he responded the only way he knew how.
  “FOR REAL?!”

Chapter 61

• Back in the interrogation room, Sae reacts with annoyance at Makoto going off on a tangent about her Relationship Upgrade with Ren, telling her that unless she's about to tell her she's going to be an aunt, she doesn't care. Embarrassed, Makoto insists they haven't gone that far yet.
  Sae: Is there anything else that you wanted to tell me before we move on?
  Makoto: [after thinking for a moment] Morgana really likes the kimono that you packed for him.
  Sae: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
• With a bit of prodding from Ann, Makoto and Ren get away from the others to grab food together. After talking for a bit, Makoto asks if the others will be alright without them. Immediately cut back to the beach:
  Futaba: Gimmie those lobsters, Yusuke!
  Yusuke: How dare you! These lobsters are my next art piece!
  Futaba: [trying to grab them] More like my next meal!
  Yusuke: Unhand me, you uncultured gremlin!
  • The scene then cuts again to Ann being annoyed at Ryuji for burying Morgana in the sand while he was napping. And then the not-cat gets surrounded by Yusuke's lobsters.
    Morgana: AHHHHHHHHH! These things are gonna clip my tail off!
    Yusuke: [holding back Futaba] No! Quickly my muses, you must flee!
  • Back at the food stalls, Ren reassures Makoto that the others are probably fine.
• When Makoto arrives back at home, the apartment smells like something burning and Makoto quickly reasons that Sae tried to cook while she was gone. The Irony of Sae being unable to cook for herself in spite of her posturing is chuckle-worthy.

Chapter 62

• Ren is shocked to see Okumura at the top of the Phansite's poll for the next target. Makoto wonders if he knows the name because he met Haru at some point, but it turns out it's just because Okumura owns Big Bang Burger.

Chapter 69

• The way Chapter 69 starts:
  Futaba: Nice.
  Makoto: What’s so nice about this?!

Chapter 70

• While trying to sneak around in Okumura's Palace, Haru is spotted by a worker who finds nothing wrong with that because she's the CEO's daughter. Makoto tells her to play along.
  Haru: H-Hey there! W-What's bonkin'?
  [everyone glares at Ryuji]
  Ryuji: She could've learned that from anyone!
• When Makoto acquires Belphegor:
  Futaba: So is no one going to ask why he's on the toilet?
  Ren: Maybe he took the Big Bang Challenge.

Chapter 78

• Yusuke, in a slump, again brings up the possibility of painting nude models.
  Makoto: [warningly] …Yusuke.
  Yusuke: ...Say, Makoto, do you think Futaba would-
  Makoto: Let me stop you right there. You know Boss would kill you, right?
  Yusuke: [blinks] Ah, yes, I suppose I hadn't consider-
  Makoto: And then I would bring you to Mementos to revive you. And then kill you again.
  Yusuke: ...And Ren would do the same, I presume?
  Makoto: Most likely.

Chapter 80

• Ren and Makoto finally decide to go public with their Relationship Upgrade. However:
  Makoto: You see… Ren and I…
  Ann: You're dating, right?
  Makoto: The two of us are… w-wait, how did you know?!
  Ann: [giggling] I mean… it was kinda obvious. With the way you two have been acting recently, it was easy to tell.
  Ren: R-Really? Did the rest of you guys know too?
  Yusuke: It was rather obvious when I took the time to observe the two of you, and the glances that you gave each other.
  Morgana: You didn’t think that I noticed all those times that you'd leave me behind to sneak off somewhere with him?
  Haru: Um… I did see the two of you on the rooftop.
  Ann: Oooooh, the rooftop. What were you two doing up there?
  Makoto: N-Nothing! Nothing at all!
  Futaba: I mean, I have cameras set up at Leblanc, soooo…
  Ren: You still have those up?!
  Makoto: Ugh… I can't believe that everyone…
  Ryuji: WAIT, FOR REAL?! SINCE WHEN?!
  Makoto: …Almost everyone already knew.

Chapter 88

• When the team enter Sae's Palace and meet the Cognitive Makoto:
  Cognitive Makoto: You're under arrest! [the Phantom Thieves turn around, expecting a Shadow only to see a child]

Chapter 89

• Cognitive Makoto greets the Phantom Thieves with "What's bonkin'?" Ryuji, once again, tries to feign ignorance on how she learned that phrase.

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