In a series largely about duty and self-control, 'Persona 5' decides you can't have salvation without a little sin.
I’m still not sure if I agree with the reading that Naoto is trans. The “disguise yourself as a man to get respect” trope is well-worn, even in Japanese media. It needs to go a few steps further to justify that reading, or else conclude all crossdressing in fiction is closet trans. Ultimately, I think it’s more a statement about the male-dominated, patriarchal culture in Japan that Naoto felt the need to disguise herself to get the time of day when trying to do her job.
Yeah, A long side Kanji, both characters weren’t hiding from themselves after accepting themselves but are willing to face the world about who they really are and, despite having to struggle in it, be forward about it. At the end Kanji is happy with his image and idea of a man as well as Naoto being a women in a male-dominated work place (Her light novel talks about how she more forward about her female appearance).
Now to the article at hand it is very true that your fight in the game is very much fighting fire with fire. Even the characters themselves admit that they will have to face the law if they’re found out.
Is it bad that that explanation of Shadows in Persona 4 just made me want to scream out JUNG!? I feel like the article could’ve shaved a couple hundred words just by using the language that inspires Persona and say something along the lines of “the kids awaken their Persona’s after making a substantial step in their self-realization and reconciling with the shadow aspect of themselves.” Or did I just show the obtuseness that the author was trying to avoid?