what exactly are you trying to justify? you needn't suffer anymore i know exactly how you feel. after all, i am you.

Can I just…

For a moment…

I know the P4 anime has its ups and downs, but I have to say, one of the things I really REALLY love about it is how shadows are handled.

I mean…

I really like that the anime takes advantage of the environments.  Yukiko in the bird cage, Rise and the multiple shadows, Naoto in the lab… just… 

But Naoto’s shadow in particular…

I really like, first of all, how none of the characters pass out during the battles.  I mean I get it from a gaming standpoint, because you know, BOSS BATTLE and all that, but I really love how they are conscious – even Nanako in Heaven.  It’s like they really, REALLY have to face this thing, you know?  

But anyhow, back to what I was saying about Naoto’s.

Besides the fact that she’s my favorite character, something about her shadow was a bit more sinister, to me.  Kind of on par with Yukiko being locked in a cage, she gets strapped to the table.  But it’s like, more dangerous, because of the impending operation, the chainsaws and all that other scary looking equipment.  A lot of shadows in the anime took it to a more dangerous level, but this one felt like, “I’m doing this, no matter what, just lay there for a moment then I’ll proceed with cutting you into pieces.”  

That and she felt really, really alone.  She was in that room by herself facing her shadow.  But at the same time, this was the first shadow where someone was like, “You know what?  She needs to face this.  Let her get it all out.”  It was the first shadow (and ironically, the last, because facing Namatame/Adachi don’t really count for this) where I feel like the theme of the game really came through.  Yes, everyone faced their shadows in the end, but you always had that moment of the team being like, “No don’t say it!”  This one it was like, “No let her say it, she needs to.”  You need to break down sometimes, you know, before you can finally understand how important something is.