smarter than i thought — P4 has some genuinely insightful commentary on social isolation and burnout culture if you’re willing to look past the iffy writing of the main cast and its weaker plot beats.

what is a peaceful and calm setting for the protagonist and the investigation team becomes a living hell for someone like adachi, a guy slowly going nuts from hitting a complete dead end in his life.

the irony of the quiet, colorful setting is that it’s really a distraction from the larger issues that often fester in smaller towns with less social interaction — young kids and teens struggle with making clear their own feelings and struggle to come to terms with who they are, in a living space where the most exposure to the outside world they get is heavily filtered through the fog of TV.

nanako clings to a literal wal-mart stand-in brand because she has nothing else to really get excited for. all she really knows is what shows on TV and with dad not always at home, it becomes her new reliable.

saki konishi opens the game by dying a tragic death, forced to work for the massive, sprawling supermarket choking out local businesses, and chooses to put on a happy mask to hide how fucked things are at home. because in a town like inaba, being vocal about your own issues and reaching out breaks the peace.

somehow, persona 4 manages to understand the relationship kids have with media when thrown into isolating situations. you could make the argument that the way the casts’ insecurity boils over really isn’t all that different from pandemic teens only a couple years ago: slowly spiraling down into a worsening mental state and having all of their insecurities projected through nothing but social media.

inaba is beautiful on the surface, but peeling past the cheery music highlights a more uncomfortable narrative.