Episode 3: We Are Friends, Aren't We?
-rubs hands together- This is going to be glorious.
“Welcome to the Velvet Room.” Igor and Margaret explain that Yu will get stronger with every new friendship he makes. His bond with Yosuke is the start of this journey. And they mention something about bonds getting stronger but ahahahahahahahahahaha. No. No. It's more of a Gotta Catch Them All than anything else. You'll see~
Opening. Addicted to it, minds craving, more and more~
Flashback. A rainy day at the Samegawa river bank. A younger Yukiko is holding a small puppy. She is approached by younger Chie, asking about the dog. Yukiko tells her that she can't keep the dog she found. She being to cry at the dog being all alone again but Chie pulls a funny face and cheers her up. The introduce each other and become friends. Awww, how adorable.
Saturday the 16th. Chie is in a flurry because she can't find Yukiko. Not helped because the Midnight Channel showed Yukiko, it seems. Yu suggests that she might be working at the inn and before Chie could go to the inn to check on her, Yukiko calls and tells Chie she's busy at the inn.
A bit later. Yosuke gets a kick in the gut for saying Chie's handwriting sucks. And we get a cameo of Ayane. And Kou and Disakue appear as Yu walks by some posters saying that the Basketball team and the Soccer team are recruiting. Kou, sounding very very much like Edward Elric, tries to get Yu to join the team but Chie calls them on. Well, that certainly won't indicate anything.
It turns out that the trio were headed to Junes to get Teddie's to the TV World. Wait, did he introduce himself? I guess so. Anyway, lots of costumers so they can't get in. Yosuke tells Yu to try sticking his hand in to get his attention and...it does. One bite for Yu with very red marks. Chie asks Yu if he's alright.
“No you're not.”
Teddie tells the group that he's alone over there. And gives us lotsa bear-puns. Which I won't inflict on you. So the group checks out the TV again.
Rainy night. And...we see Yukiko make kissy faces and...yello over the top Princess! I'll just give you the dialogue and let you guys imagine it for yourself.
“Hello there! My name is Yukiko Amagi and today, Iiiii'm gonna hunt me down a stud muffin!” -gunshot sound as she finger shoots- “Are you ready? Come on, saddle up! And rein in your stud! It's Princess Yukiko's Hunt for Her Prince Charming! And I came prepared! My lacy unmentionables...they're ready to go! And so is my...heart. See I'm out to tame me a whole pack of the best studs there are. Well, time to go!”
Yu is stunned and speechless. And gets a call from Yosuke. And admits Yu wished he tapped it.
We see Chie run off to the family inn...and get stunned from the news she hears.
Sunday, 17. Sunny. Yu goes downstairs that morning to find Nanako awake and alone. She notes that Yu is dressed to go outside and tells him to go ahead and go. She can hold things down here.
Junes. Yu is seen folding origami cranes out of napkins, a feat I believe is not that easy to do. Yosuke comes up to him, showing off a katana and a nata to Yu, waving them around. Headless of the police that's nearby. And both get arrested. Yu's reaction to this is pretty much the same as mine. Chie actually spots them as they head off, confused and worried about Yukiko.
Commercial break! Courage is up to mild, Understanding is basic, Knowledge is average and Expression and Diligence are still rough and callow.
Adachi scolds the group. And now you can really compare Yu's voice to Adachi's as Johnny Yong Bosch voices both. Adachi kinda has this weaselly and raspy voice now while Yu's is more normal. Chie then informs the group that Yukiko is missing, with Adachi tells them that the police are looking for her. He then asks if something was bothering her, telling them that Yamado was at the inn last before she was murdered. And then lets it slip that Yukiko might have been the one to murder her, angering Chie. She has to be restrained by both Yu and Yosuke to prevent her from attacking Adachi. They gain the attention of the nearby police and have to leave. Chie's in tears about Yukiko. Chie tells the group that they have to save her.
INTO THE TV!
They find themselves at a castle where Yukiko's shadow was at. Chie practically almost says LEEROY JENKINS and rushes in to save Yukiko, ignoring any and all Shadows. Cue the Bash Brothers of the show, Yu and Yosuke fighting them off. And...they don't have their school uniforms on, I just noticed. HECK YES. That weapons rule was kinda ridiculous anyway. Then again, I don't believe they are actually using any weapons here in this anime. Which works. Slashy goes the Shadows, and Garu and Zio as well.
Chie opens a door...to find herself within a greyscale flashback of Yukiko's room. Yukiko's voice says she looks good in red. She hates her name, snow-child, since snow is transient and worthless since inheriting the inn is all she can do. But yet, Chie told her that red looks good on her. And the grey room gets everything in red highlighted. Yukiko says how Chie was the one who gave her life meaning and how she can do anything she can't.
“Chie will always protect me. I may be worthless, but Chie's nice. Chie will look after me.”
Chie is unnevered by the revelation and a certain other voice rings out, finding the fact that Yukiko calls Chie nice funny. Chie turns to face her other self. She finds the fact that Chie relies on her so much hilarious. Everyone guy loves Yukiko because she's beautiful but she finds it funny that Yukiko relies on her. Because Yukiko can't do anything without Chie. She's the one who has the power in that relationship. Chie tells her other self that that's a lie, just as Yu, Yosuke and Teddie find her. The boys try to help her but they are surrounded by Shadows.
Chie shouts at her Shadow that she isn't her, despite Yu's encouragement. And so the Shadow transformed into the famed dominatrix banana-head. May I note that Yosuke makes a diving save for Chie when the Shadow attacks her. The Shadow attacks them both with her hair but Izanagi defends them. Yu and Yosuke defend each other, but Yosuke is hurt by the damage his Persona is substaning. Works! And kinda darkly putting all that punishment that Chie brings him on a daily basis to sharp relief.
Chie's Shadow continues to verbally assault Chie, saying that she will abuse Yukiko physically and that she only friends with Yukiko because she needs her so much. Yosuke tries to encourage Chie but just gets attacked by the Shadow directly. She finally directly whips Chie...
...and we get a look into Chie's inner insecurities. Masks of herself surround her with all of her jealous feelings for Yukiko. The Shadow explains this is all of the thoughts she keeps bottled up deep inside. She begins to drown in her own self despair and become one of her own masks...when Yosuke shouts out that does it really matter if it's true? Yu points out that she's still Yukiko's friend. And with these words, she remembers of how much she really does care for Yukiko. And begins to face her other self, admitting that's a part of her she didn't like but that it's still her. The Shadow, weakened, tries attacking Chie but Izangi defends her, knocking Yu off of his feet. The Shadow then beings to choke Yosuke....
...when Yu uses his new power guided by Margaret changing his Persona to one of the Magician arcana...P-Pyro Jack?
I mean sure, I'm all for the Frosts getting represented but seriously? Pyro Jack's at level 32 and the highest level Persona Yu would have would be Pixie. Maybe Orobas if he did some serious grinding. Anime, I call foul. And I tend to like to use my previous boss arcana against the next boss. FOUL!
Anyway, Yu and Yosuke call an all-out-attack and use fire and wind against Chie for the win! Chie accepts her Shadow and it becomes her Persona of the Chariot Arcana.
Yu and Chie have a chat that evening at Junes while Yosuke is busy. Chie is worried sick about Yukiko, fearing for her life. Yu reassures her that she's not useless, telling her they will need her help. She thanks her and shows him the dog she and Yukiko found to him. Large and fat and what brought the two girls together. She is now resolved to get Yukiko out.
Closing credits. Chariot Social Link get! Delightful days are with rich density of love~
Bonds Of People Are The True Power
Someone is seen observing the Midnight Channel. And I know who it is~
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Thoughts on the episode: Ah, Chie. How I love thee. (But not enough to date thee in game)
The focus on this episode is on Chie. It shows how much she does care for Yukiko despite her manipulation of the relationship. Quite a lot of people find Chie's Shadow creepy because they know that Chie and Yukiko's friendship is strong and is nice. But what of dependance? What of just secretly taking advantage of it? It's really frightening and imagry of this episode is not helping.
-scribbles down a WMG-
Nest episode, time to save Yukiko from herself! And so far, one of my favorite episodes of the series.
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