Persona 4/Fridge

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Fridge Brilliance

  • Unlike Yukari and Aigis, fellow long range fighters Yukiko and Naoto sometimes stumble after missing an attack. This seems stupid at first until you realize that also unlike their Persona 3 counterparts, both Yukiko and Naoto get up close for their Critical Hit attacks and thus can stumble after missing said attacks - Yukiko makes several melee strikes with her fan at the start of her critical hit, and although Naoto doesn't kick at the enemy until the end of hers, she does walk towards the enemy while firing, making it possible for her to trip.
  • Another piece, courtesy of the Giant Bomb Endurance Run, concerning a baseball bat weapon for the main character: it deals good damage for the point that you can get it, but it's hit rating is 30, a third of normal weapons. The two guys playing note that one out of three is a good hit ratio for a baseball player.
  • How did Yukiko know about the King's Game? She learned it at the inn.
    • In fact, when the team goes to Shadow Rise's dungeon, she's quick to say that nobody at the Amagi Inn knows anything about such sleazy places.
    • This is Truth in Television, some of the tourists who come here often ask about places where they could get drunk/laid. And the Amagi Inn's influx of entertainers will require her family to have unofficially a good deal of knowledge about such places to stay in business. Or at least keep the amount of sordid affairs to a minimum
  • In Persona 3, the MC seals Nyx to prevent human nihilism, AKA Erebus from contacting Nyx, causing Nyx to grant our wish and kill us all (or something like that). Aigis decides to try change human nature, so that this is not necessary. in Persona 4 killing Izanami causes humans to stop wishing for false things. this HAD to help Aigis.
  • Teddie's Rank 1 Social Link seems rather out of place - it's before he joins the party, and that's when you get the whole "You are now friends! (Name) WILL NOW DIE FOR YOU." However, this is a case of story and gameplay coinciding - before he joins the party, he takes a massive hit from knocking out Shadow Rise and saving the Protagonist from death.
    • I always thought that it was because you were now friends with Teddie. You became friends with Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, the rest of the party, and they took hits for you. I always just thought that Teddie was that much of a good friend.
  • Chie is somehow able to go around in winter in those tiny shorts without complaint. Why? Her persona is resistant/immune to ice.
  • The anime has already done this. The very day the anime's website opened was on April 11th. What day did the protagonist move to Inaba...?
    • Even the PV s are put on the website the day the person gets kidnapped.
  • This one hit me while I was reading the Protagonist's entry on the character page. I was wondering why Kanji initially trusts and admires the protagonist more then the other party members, but when you think about it the Protagonist is the only other party member who knows Real Men Wear Pink.
  • The reason Rise's breasts appeared too large when she appeared on the Midnight Channel was because her agency added several centimetres to her measurements when they released them, and the public who read this them was the source of the image.
    • Equally likely is that pictures of Rise were photoshopped to make her look sexier, considering this goes on in real life & it ties into the motivation for Rise quitting - It's another aspect of her life that's being faked for the cameras.
  • Yosuke learns only a handful of healing spells and Chie learns only three ice spells plus Ice Boost. Teddie learns both healing spells and Ice spells. In another words, Teddie takes the skill types Chie and Yosuke give up - and he joins around the time Yosuke learns Diarama and Chie learns Bufula.
  • The party only move from the Fool arcana to the Judgement if you avoid the false answers of the bad ending, becoming Seekers of Truth rather than foolish Investigators.
  • Saki's name is rather punny, when you consider her parents own a liquor store.
    • ...The liquor is sake. They're pronounced differently.
      • Still funny.
  • The background music for Yomotsu Hirasaka is spelt as 回廊 in Japanese; the doors in that dungeon are square shaped, and resemble the first kanji.
  • A rather obvious one if you're a die-hard Persona 4 fan. but the anime was announced on the same day the in-game story starts, and the character trailers show up the same day said character gets tossed into the Midnight Channel. Here's something interesting I've looked into: the anime (which started around the first week of October) runs for around 25-26 episodes. Now, following the trend of one episode per week, I've calculated that the anime ends around the same time the in-game story ends. Granted, the anime's going to probably be off around 3-5 days at best, but damn... talk about your Book Ends.
  • In episode 12 of the anime, Shadow Mitsuo's Lotus Eater Machine seems to come out of absolutely nowhere and hijack the episode until The Reveal at the end. But think about it: Shadow Mitsuo has Evil Touch, an attack capable of causing the Fear status.
  • Yukiko has dark hair and pale skin, and is usually associated with the colour red. Her shadow takes the form of a princess because she's constantly waiting for a prince to come. Her name translates as "snow child". She's Snow White.
  • Drunk Adachi in episode 17 of the anime is hilarious. And then, if you know the plot of the game, it occurs to you that he's the one responsible for Naoto ending up in the TV in the first place, in part after the two apparently were in an argument about the case. He's so drunk because he's probably depressed that he didn't succeed in killing her.
  • How is it that Yu is able to defeat so many foes in the anime all by himself? Because his levels are through the roof: at the end of the show, he's able to summon a level 93 Persona, Lucifer, and use a level 96 skill, Repel Light. He must be going into the TV World to grind when no one's looking...
    • Hell, he already summoned freakin' Pyro Jack against Shadow Chie and Shadow Yukiko. That's level 32 against level 6 and 13.
    • Perhaps he's on a New Game+...?
  • It may be pure coincidence but Yu summoning Lucifer against Ameno Sagiri turns quite meaningful when you remember that Lucifer means "light bringer".
  • Yosuke means 'helps' in japanese!!!
  • In the anime, Yu serves omelets to everyone, and then later reveals that he put wasabi in one of them. When someone asks who got the spicy one and nobody says anything, Yu says "Maybe they didn't notice." Who got the wasabi? Rise, who has a habit of cooking food that is spicy enough to knock out someone.

Fridge Horror

  • Once you discover the identity of the killer, you can't help but think of all the times they just stood there, smiling with you, laughing with you, maintaining the facade of humanity. Think back on all the times they were helpful and friendly. Think of how they had dinner with you, and sat directly across from you the entire time. This person casually engineered the murders almost a dozen people, including a seven year old girl and the son of a bitch just stood there smiling! The second playthrough is all the more chilling because you know what's happening but can't do anything to stop it...
    • Perhaps even worse? In the bad ending, Nanako dies, and Adachi was probably at her funeral putting on act of a grieving family friend, whilst smugly thinking about how he's got away with everything.
    • The sexually-charged Midnight Channel debuts of Shadow Yukiko and Shadow Rise become a lot more disturbing when you remember that Adachi tried to force himself on one of their classmates.
  • Besides it being implied in the ending, there might be another clue that the Midnight Channel has been around for a LONG time. Remember the paintings of those people on the spiral at the entrance of the Midnight Channel? It could be people who were murdered before. And this painting is there even when you first enter the Midnight Channel. This reinforces the idea that the events of the game has happened before. And by the looks of the numbers of people, it was A LOT.
    • Actually, from what Mr Kondo the PE/English Teacher says, the town gets covered in fog every 50 years. Which is rather disturbing...
    • While meeting your maxed S-Links one elderly character will mention that they remember there being a similar incident several years ago.
  • At first, Yosuke's Shadow seems to be exaggerating how bored and lonely Yosuke feels deep down. Progressing his Social Link seems support this idea as well. Then you realize that the Shadow is the side we DON'T want people to see and that part of Yosuke really did just see everything as a tool to block out his pain. What makes it worse is that his Shadow tried to kill you, not because you opposed it or invaded its territory, BUT BECAUSE YOU BORED IT! Makes you wonder how badly Yosuke would've ended up if the Protagonist wasn't there.
  • The glasses that let you see through the TV-world fog are made by Teddie, but he claims he doesn't need any because has that ability naturally. Are the glasses made of Shadow eyes?!
    • How would he have gotten the eyes from other Shadows at the start of the game? He couldn't fight at all.
      • He is a Shadow, he can already see clearly. Then again, if he hasn't fought yet and a reliable way of forging things is to fight Shadows and collect the materials they drop . . .
      • Who says materials can only be gathered from Shadows? For all we know Teddie could have just went to a glasses shop counterpart in his world.
    • They probably would have shown the shop if it were that significant. Plus he mentions that he made them himself, so it's highly unlikely there's a glasses shop.
      • Judging by screenshots of P 4 G, there seem to be more options for glasses, so perhaps this will be explored?
  • When Nanako is kidnapped, the Investigation Team realizes that the kidnapper is able to snatch up his victims using his deliveryman job as a cover. Naoto specifically notes that Nanako must have opened the door to him because he had often delivered to the house before, and so wasn't a stranger. And what do you think he was delivering all those times? Why, all the things that you ordered from Tanaka's Commodities. Nice Job Getting Your Surrogate Sister Kidnapped, Hero.
  • The reason Adachi is reassigned from the city to Inaba is, according to him, some minor screw-up. However, considering his apparent psychosis at that point, just what would he consider a "minor screw-up"?
    • Considering how quickly he became violent towards Mayumi and Saki for "turning him down", this draws a disturbing parallel to the real-life epidemic of organizations transferring sexual abusers to rural locations...
  • Daidara is a man unfazed by and perfectly willing to accept requests he create bladed weapons that schoolchildren can conceal under their uniforms...
  • Souji's parents travel around a lot, and the manga seems to confirm that there were times when he was younger and all alone in his house. How much déjà vu do you think he feels looking at Nanako?
  • "Personae", in psychology, are masks used by people to hide your inner personality. Meanwhile, "Shadows" in the game are "manifestations of the true self". Remember what causes the Shadows to go berserk? That's right, by denying your own self, you become a Persona. That's why people faint when they do so and Shadows get a huge power boost. Also remember how messed up Mitsuo ended up when you destroyed the Shadow...
    • Related to that, if a "Shadow" is a manifestation of the true self, that means that every one of the lesser Shadows you've been casually killing in the dungeons (i.e. the various Mooks) was a manifestation of somebody's inner thoughts. That's right, you have been destroying pieces of peoples' minds. Overlaps with Fridge Brilliance: Why does the population of Inaba start going crazy and panicking about the fog near the end of the game? Because they're unstable without the parts of themselves you destroyed. Nice going, hero!
  • One of the WMGs of Persona 4's Good Ending hints at this. Now that the fog of deceit has been dissipated by the heroes and humanity can now witness the truth, that should be good, right? Well, Adachi and Mitsuo are proof that Be Yourself means accepting your inherent evil and depravity. Now there might be a new generation of Complete Monsters accepting their shadows and gaining the power of Persona...
    • However, a lot of people suspect this is deliberate, when combined with the fact that the TV portals are explicitly stated to still function in both Good endings. It's essentially a perfect Sequel Hook, and, well, given how well Persona has been doing...
    • Uhh... except the idea is you accept your Shadow...as a metaphorical way of acknowledging your flaws, and then working to FIX them. The idea isn't "Just accept you're a monster" The idea is. "acknowledge you have a problem so you can fix it>"
    • On a much lesser scale, there's the Amorous Snake miniboss. It's a wiggly white blob that fights by giving you lots of status ailments. You find it in a strip club dungeon. Gross gross GROSS.
    • Let's not forget that the Shadows are Anthropomorphic Personifications of real mental issues that the characters are suffering. When battling any one of those bosses, just think about what it takes to create that.
    • Since it doesn't come up in his Motive Rant, of course most fans wouldn't notice it, but Adachi wrote the warning notes and then arranged for Nanako to be shown on the Midnight Channel. Which means he was willing to kill a seven-year-old and the daughter of his BOSS! to break your morale. Even if you adore him for his hidden Ax Crazy tendencies, that practically straps him to a rocket going over the Moral Event Horizon.
      • There's some Fridge Logic here though: How could he arrange for her to be shown on the Midnight Channel? According to Izanami, people appear on the Midnight Channel because the world wants to know more about them. That's why all of the people who became famous on television in Inaba appeared there. Following that logic, Nanako must have appeared because she was interviewed by that politician who came to her school. Adachi would have no way of guaranteeing that would happen, so he couldn't have arranged for her to be on the Midnight Channel. It's more likely that he just knew she would appear because he understood how the Channel worked. The threatening note was just to make you think he had the power to control who appeared and force your hand.
        • Nanako wasn't shown on the television, but Naoto mentions that someone went to the paper and named her, resulting in an article being written about the interview. That was most likely Adachi.
    • Mitsuo's Shadow is meant to symbolize his immaturity and that he's always hiding behind his video games. However, it also says things like, "I'll end your emptiness. It'll be quick." and, "I need to know I exist. That is why I must kill you." This dialogue makes you wonder just what Mitsuo went through in his life to feel like that.
  • The school campout. Kanji, having his manliness and sexuality questioned by Yosuke, ends up in the girls tent area to prove his manliness. While it was not a smart move, he was not threatening anyone. Then, he got knocked out by Chie and Yukiko, no questions asked. Now, remember this is the guy who took out an entire biker gang by himself. The more you think about the amount of strength used on him, and considered it would have easily killed your average man, the more the scene reads like an attempted murder. Made even worse by the fact they are actually discussing about commiting a murder because the hypothetical victim is snoring. Made more explicit in the anime.
  • Not really scary or anything, but Rise remarks that she was supposed to have a gig before in the Port Island Club, but was cancelled due to a power outage. Think about that situation, and replay the Hermit boss fight from the third game.
  • Once you know that Adachi is the culprit, it becomes evident that certain things like drawing attention to Rise's stalker and trying to prevent Dojima or the team from chasing Namatame were just to ensure that the kidnappings were completed.

Fridge Logic

  • Rise's cooking is so spicy, it KO's Yukiko with one spoonful. Yukiko's Persona is resistant/immune to fire.
  • So you've been taken to the police station and your uncle refuses to believe your story about Personas and your ability to enter television sets. If only there was a television set in the interrogation room that you could use to prove your ability... All he'd have to do is stick his hand in...
    • Or, y'know, one in the living room where you first told him this story.
      • I don't think Dojima was about to let him go on that demonstration. In fact, he probably might have thought he was a bit crazy with the whole story.
  • Why does Rise's Persona have stats?
  • If you rescue your party members as soon as possible, they've spent only about 1 day in the hostile environment of the TV world, but need approximately 2 weeks to "recover". If you rescue them on the last possible day, they've spent said 2 weeks in the hostile environment of the TV world, but are perfectly fine and fully recovered the next day.
    • Gameplay and Story Segregation. The plot is designed to move forward on certain days, hence, if you've rescued the character in a timely manner, the game gives you the opportunity to work on Social Links, work, etc in the meantime to make sure you don't fall behind. Alternatively, if you waited until the last few days to rescue the character, the developers assumed that you procrastinated in order to strengthen your S. Links beforehand. Either way, it balances out perfectly.
  • Why is Adachi the most significant player in Izanami's game when Namatame was the one behind most of the kidnappings and the player was off actually leveling up and using his persona.
    • Easy. Because without him, Namatame wouldn't kidnap people (he was tricked into doing it, IIRC) and throw them into the TV. And if there are no people in the TV, the player wouldn't need to save anyone from the shadows. Basically, Adachi starts the game.
  • Why do the Persona3 mooks (and most enemy map-avatars) look like a bunch of pitch-black hands holding a mask, while the Persona4 mooks look like acid-trip balls with giant tounges? Answer: It's all based on how the people in each city LIE. At school where the battles take place, people talk and yap and push and bully and insult to create an outward appearance; a focused group effort at looking like total Jocks or Libbies. Meanwhile, in the rural television town, most of the lies come from rumors and myths; the shadows take the form of the obnoxious, big headed rumor-spreaders. Oh, and 99% of what you hear from the television is made of two things; smoke and mirrors. And the smoke comes from the wrecked sets.
  • Why does Izanagi want to make sure that his crotch is well guarded?
  • Why is the forecast on Christmas eve still endless fog even if you already banished all fog and restored a blue skies days ago? It's not like they can't revise forecasts.
  • The stories told in Atlus games are usually very tight and coherent, so it was rather disappointing for this troper to realize that the murder mystery actually falls apart into nonsense towards the end. For almost the entire game you operate under the assumption that people who appear as silhouettes on the Midnight Channel are going to get thrown into a TV. Then you find out at the last minute that the Midnight Channel actually shows people that everyone in the town wants to know more about. And the fact that the first two people to appear on the Channel were also the two that were murdered is one hundred percent coincidence. Yet without that coincidence Namatame would never have gone on his kidnapping spree, and the vast majority of the game's plot would never have happened.
    • Maybe this will help: Adachi killed Mayumi and her body appeared hanging from a TV antenna. Who found Mayumi's body? Saki. That's what made her popular. Saki left school early and found Mayumi's corpse, thus sparking an interest in her. Adachi wanted to know if Saki had seen anything important. When he made romantic advances at her and she turned him down, Adachi pushed her into the TV too out of spite. So if Saki hadn't found Mayumi's body, it would have been someone else. Either way, Adachi would have pursued them to see what they knew. They would have shown up on the Midnight Channel because everyone would want to know more about the person. Besides, they both Mayumi and Saki were killed by the same person, so it's not really a coincidence like Morooka's murder was.
    • The problem is that the victims weren't chosen based on what the Midnight Channel showed. The part with Saki is somewhat justifiable. But Mayumi? Adachi didn't target her for murder. Her death was essentially an accident. Adachi just happened to be assigned to her detail. He became interested in her only because she was near him, for his own reasons, not for the reason that everyone else was interested in her. And that's what the Midnight Channel is all about, what everyone is interested in. The Midnight Channel showed the image of a scandal-embroiled newscaster, because that's what everyone was interested in knowing more about. Adachi was interested in nothing more than a hot piece of ass. And that's why it was a coincidence.
    • To be fair there was always going to be some coincidence involved, since you'd only work out you can stick a hand into TVs in a fairly unusual set of circumstances.
    • Plots, in any kind of medium, typically start, and are move forward, by coincidences. Isn't it a coincidence that the MC came to Inaba right as the murders started? Isn't it a coincidence that he went to Inaba at all instead of some other town? Isn't it a coincidence that his parents have jobs that necessitate moving around a lot in the first place? Hell, isn't it a coincidence that the parents of any of the in-game characters conceived children?! Random events that happen to line up in a way that happens make a story, is what makes it a story, and not just a list of events.
  • Why are Teddie and Rise not as good at analyzing the shadows as Mitsuru and Fuuka were in Persona3? There's a fog of deception covering the TV world.
  • Thought of this while replaying. In the opening scenes in the game, we see Protagonist having a flashback to when he was about to transfer. The entire classroom sounds disappointed so that would suggest that he's already popular. So how come he doesn't have any friends at the start (as in, what would stop him from talking to his old friends if he had any) and why are his social stats so low?
    • He could have been one of those super popular people no one really knows in the end. A bunch of acquaintances who surrounded him, said they were friends but really, if the manga is to be believe, he spends all his time travelling. Why would he try to get close to people? Plus, he does quickly make friends in the end.
    • Think of it like this; the stats are not permanent. Every time a person moves to a new environment with new people and new experiences, he/she must adapt to it entirely from the beginning - hence the reduction of the stats. Once a person gets to know and understand the people around him/her, the stats grow again (though this doesn't explain the knowledge stat, though one may handwave this by defining exactly what "knowledge" might entail - it might be more than just being school-smart). As for his old friends, it's suggested in the manga that because he's been moving so much from place to place due to his parents, he hasn't made any lasting friendships with anyone - take that how you will.
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