History Fridge / ShinMegamiTenseiIV

* Canned food does last a long time, but it still has a limited shelf life. All of the canned food's been lying around for at least ''25 years''. It's probably rotten by now. No wonder the food in Tokyo's so terrible...

[[AC:FridgeLogic]]
* During the Kagome Tower quest to rescue the other three Archangels, you discover that they are outfitted with masks that repress their memories. The boss of the dungeon, Asmodeus, explicitly states "...if I speak the prisoner's name, he will come to himself again". This works, for the most part, [[HelloInsertNameHere but you can name Flynn anything you like at the beginning of the game]], the true names of the prisoners are not exactly uncommon Anglophone names, and Mikado does use them regularly. If a player sharing his name with one of the prisoners named Flynn after himself, it could very easily lead to the situation described below...
-->'''Asmodeus:''' Then I shall crush the man betwixt my hands and take the woman for a bride!\\
'''Isabeau:''' Alright, [[PlayerCharacter Michael]], let's beat this guy already!\\
'''Archangel Michael:''' Hey, I remember everything now!\\
'''Asmodeus:''' Son of a bitch...
** Maybe it's because no one can actually say the PlayerCharacter 's name due to voice acting? Or it's because Asmodeus only says if ''I'' say the prisoner's name. The mask can only be removed by a 'fellow', and maybe the mask is removed by a 'fellow' saying the prisoner's name? Asmodeus is a 'fellow' while the samurai aren't?
** Perhaps it's in the sense of 'fellow demon' paired with the sense of 'fellow servant of God' since "demon" is a catch-all term despite many of the demons you encounter not being... well, demons, as well as Flynn and co. technically being devout servants of God, as they came under Gabby's (a.k.a. Gabriel's) order. Asmodeus must be aware of the "uttered by a fellow" loophole and how vague that stipulation is. Really makes you wonder why Mastema bothered putting on those masks in the first place.

* Here's a twofer, both regarding the Tennozu Shelter area. Tennozu Shelter has a cult that has turned to cannibalism in a desperate attempt to avoid starvation. So which two demons are most heavily involved with Tennozu Shelter? The first one is Beelzebub, demon lord of gluttony, a powerful BonusBoss who also happens to be the patron god of the cult. The second one is the Black Rider, the Horseman representing Famine, the thing that turned the cult to cannibalism in the first place.

* It's all but stated that the manga Isabeau reads is '42'Rose of Versailles''. Her love of that manga isn't just her being an AudienceSurrogate; it's most likely the reason why she's the neutral path partner at all. The manga is about the French Revolution, and it reflects the conflict between Law (Mikado or the monarchy) and Chaos (Tokyo and the revolutionaries). Isabeau learns from the manga that both sides have legitimate grievances and are sympathetic, and that's why when Flynn must choose between Walter and Jonathan, she's indecisive. She can't dismiss one side in favor of the other.

** Maybe it's because no one can actually say the PlayerCharacter 's name due to voice acting? Or it's because Asmodeus only says if ''I'' say the prisoner's name. The mask can only be removed by a 'fellow', and maybe the mask is removed by a 'fellow' saying the prisoner's name? Asmodeus is a 'fellow' while the samurai aren't?

* Humans in Tokyo thrive on demon meat. This creates two points of Fridge Horror:
** Most likely, the meat they eat comes from demons who have ingested other humans, thereby making demon meat consumption an act of [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]] by proxy, or ingested Red Pills, which are made from human neurotransmitters.
** Chances are those demons are former humans turned demons, possibly due to having ingested a Red Pill to make the transformation.

* The Black Samurai sends a Horde of Lilim at the player on a few occasions. This is an early hint to her identity: [[spoiler: Lilim are known as the daughters of Lilith, after all]].
* Why is King Kenji [[ThatOneBoss considered one of the hardest bosses in the game]], and why does he pull some cheap attacks on you, such as the status-inflicting Ancient Curse and [[spoiler:the near-defeat SchmuckBait]]? Because he [[spoiler:rules over a Tokyo in which MightMakesRight]], of course he's going to be a tough fight!
* Here's a twofer, both regarding the Tennozu Shelter area. Tennozu Shelter has a cult that has [[spoiler:turned to cannibalism in a desperate attempt to avoid starvation]]. So which two demons are most heavily involved with Tennozu Shelter? [[spoiler:The first one is Beelzebub, demon lord of gluttony, a powerful BonusBoss who also happens to be the patron god of the cult. The second one is the Black Rider, the Horseman representing Famine, the thing that turned the cult to cannibalism in the first place.]]
* Seems pretty hardcore that Kaga would risk her life, tooth and nail, to tame and kill demons like [[spoiler:Xi Wangmu]], right? Because there was no other choice - even since her birth, she was almost kidnapped by the Ashura Kai from her parents until she was rescued and adopted by the Ring of Gaea. Now think about how [[spoiler:Reds are made]] - she has live with the reminder that there is ''always'' AFateWorseThanDeath.
* Lilith assigning you to [[spoiler:kill Tayama and destroy the Ashura Kai]]? Seems like a reasonable sacrifice. Assigning you to [[spoiler: unleash the demons upon Tokyo via the Yamato Perpetual Reactor]]? Seems like a plot hole because of the threat demons make. But consider the fact that the Ring of Gaea would see it as a good thing - since they formed, the Ring of Gaea have been training themselves to become as strong as demons thanks to Lilith's help, and have been coddled to believe that humans can be even stronger than demons, even though its clear they're outmatched [[spoiler:as you see with Kaga and Xi Wangmu]]. They've been cultivated to see demons akin to how people see Franchise/{{Pokemon}} - just pets that can be yours as long you work hard enough to catch them. [[spoiler: Remember that speech she makes on the stake in Mikado?]] Yeah, she knows how to dangle that fruit. [[spoiler:Infernal Tokyo isn't just an outcome for Tokyo - it's Lilith's goal.]]
* Dovetailing with the FridgeHorror category, how is the Yamato Reactor even ''supposed'' to [[spoiler: create a black hole? Black holes are, by definition, extra-dense foci of lots of matter--as much matter as a ''star''. The whole of Earth doesn't even come ''close'' to enough to create one. So where's the matter coming from? Well, how about the place it can open a gate to--''the Expanse?'' No wonder the White were so certain they'd be rid of the curse of existence, despite being denizens of the Expanse--the Reactor is ''squishing that whole dimension into that black hole in the first place!'']]
** [[spoiler: Anything made of matter can become a black hole when compressed beyond a certain radius relative to the size of the object in question. (known as the Schwarzchild Radius). It doesn't decredit the idea The White wanting The Expanse to be squished into the black hole; after all they want ALL of existence to be destroyed.]]
* [[spoiler:Blasted Tokyo and Infernal Tokyo both appeal to Jonathan and Walter due to the OrderVsChaos theme to the game. However after visiting both words the groups in both begin to make changes. In Blasted Tokyo the people begin to move towards a more free and uncontrolled world while in Infernal Tokyo Akira moves to make a more established order. The FridgeBrilliance? This foreshadows the existence of a neutral path by showing you need some chaos and some order to make a ideal society. Something Jonathan and Walter fail to see.]]
* It's all but stated that the manga Isabeau reads is '42'Rose of Versailles''. Her love of that manga isn't just her being an AudienceSurrogate; it's most likely the reason why she's the neutral path partner at all. The manga is about the French Revolution, and it reflects the conflict between Law (Mikado or the monarchy) and Chaos (Tokyo and the revolutionaries). Isabeau learns from the manga that both sides have legitimate grievances and are sympathetic, and that's why [[spoiler: when Flynn must choose between Walter and Jonathan, she's indecisive.]] She can't dismiss one side in favor of the other.

* Aquila is an idol to the Samurai, in the sense of [[spoiler:thou shalt no worship false idols]]. The Samurai protest the trek to Tokyo because it's a direct violation of Aquila's wishes and the Samurai Code he passed down, and oppose the Monastery. [[spoiler:No wonder the Archangels destroyed his statue.]]

* Why did it take so long for [[spoiler:Flynn's past life, and by extension Akira]] to reincarnate? Just look how much paperwork Charon has.
* Why are the relics in Blasted and Infernal Tokyo of such high quality? [[spoiler:The residents of Blasted Tokyo are suffering from illness, and cannot go outside. The Demonoids of Infernal Tokyo are too bloodthirsty for anything but fighting, and the Neurishers can't fight.]]
* Why is Charon so backed up in his work? [[spoiler:Except for God's chosen and those in Tokyo before the Firmament formed, all humanity was killed either by the nukes or the demons; since that occurred in 2013 according to a terminal in Kasumigaseki, around ''7 BILLION'' died. Factor in nearly 25 years passing in Tokyo, and nearly 1500 years passing in Mikado, it's no wonder why you would have to wait for millennia if not for bribing Charon.]]

** Most likely, the meat they eat comes from demons who have ingested other humans, thereby making demon meat consumption an act of [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]] by proxy, or ingested [[spoiler:Red Pills, which are made from human neurotransmitters.]]
** Chances are those demons are former humans turned demons, [[spoiler:possibly due to having ingested a Red Pill to make the transformation.]]
* What happens to Jonathan and Walter [[spoiler:in the Nothingness ending? Do the White dump them back in your reality to experience the "blessing" of being sucked into a black hole? Or are they doomed to wander the Expanse for the rest of their natural lives?]]
* In the quest "Sunset for a Demonnapper", you're tasked with saving a demon child from a bunch of thugs who sound desperate for food. It's unclear why they kidnapped what appears to be a normal child, especially when they have a strong demon at their disposal. That is, until you reach [[spoiler:the Reverse Hills, where you discover that children are taken off the streets by Tayama's goons and farmed for their neurotransmitters. Those thugs wanted to get compensation for delivering another source of Red Pills, not knowing it's actually a demon child they've taken]].

* During the Kagome Tower quest to rescue [[spoiler:the other three Archangels]], you discover that they are outfitted with masks that repress their memories. The boss of the dungeon, Asmodeus, explicitly states "...if I speak the prisoner's name, he will come to himself again". This works, for the most part, [[HelloInsertNameHere but you can name Flynn anything you like at the beginning of the game]], the true names of the prisoners are not exactly uncommon Anglophone names, and Mikado does use them regularly. If a player sharing his name with one of the prisoners named Flynn after himself, it could very easily lead to the situation described below...
-->'''Asmodeus''': Then I shall crush the man betwixt my hands and take the woman for a bride!\\
'''Isabeau''': Alright, [[spoiler:[[PlayerCharacter Michael]]]], let's beat this guy already!\\
'''[[spoiler:ArchangelMichael]]''': Hey, I remember everything now!\\
'''Asmodeus''': Son of a bitch...

** Maybe it's because no one can actually say the PlayerCharacter 's name due to voice acting? Or it's because Asmodeus only says if ''I'' say the prisoner's name. The mask can only be removed by a 'fellow', and maybe the mask is removed by a 'fellow' saying the prisoner's name? Asmodeus is a 'fellow' while the samurai aren't?
* Why is Charon so backed up in his work? [[spoiler:Except for God's chosen and those in Tokyo before the Firmament formed, all humanity was killed either by the nukes or the demons; since that occurred in 2013 according to a terminal in Kasumigaseki, around ''7 BILLION'' died. Factor in nearly 25 years passing in Tokyo, and nearly 1500 years passing in Mikado, it's no wonder why you would have to wait for millennia if not for bribing Charon.]]

* Domains vanish when the demons who created them die. The only exception is Medusa's: the Sky Tower. It's actually a series of Domains on top of each other, which is why it has the same rootlike structure. Medusa made hers to store her 'artwork;' other demons use them to trap prey. There's no point in keeping a Domain if you're too dead to enjoy it, unless you're an artist like Medusa.

* You explore Mikado by using a menu interface, which allows navigation in an ''orderly'' fashion, and Tokyo by moving your icon around on a map and walking around areas to explore them, which allows you the ''freedom'' to look at and explore Tokyo in the way you want. Mikado and Tokyo later [[spoiler:become the home fields for the Law and Chaos factions]], respectively.

* You explore Mikado by using a menu interface, which allows navigation in an ''orderly'' fashion, and Tokyo by moving your icon around on a map and walking around areas to explore them, which allows you the ''freedom'' to look at and explore Tokyo in the way you want. Mikado and Tokyo later [[spoiler:become the launchpads for the Law and Chaos factions' plans]], respectively.

* You explore Mikado by using a menu interface, which allows navigation in an ''orderly'' fashion, and Tokyo by moving your icon around on a map and walking around areas to explore them, which allows you the ''freedom'' to look at and explore Tokyo in the way you want. Mikado and Tokyo later [[spoiler:become the launchpads for the Law and Chaos factions' plans]], respectively, with [[spoiler:one taking over the other's city or destroying it]].