When Persona Made Me Cry Again. || P4G Analysis - Naoki Konishi

I actually never realized just how significant the cream puff story was until this video. This made me realize that I actually had a similar experience to Naoki in that, when my grandma died years ago, I didn't cry for months. I thought it was just that I was never really all that close to her before, but when I visited her grave the second or third time, my mom had me say something we always used to say when we left her house. That's when I realized, "Oh, I'm never going to see her again, huh?" Thanks for this video. I've definitely found a new appreciation for Naoki's character due to this.

Naoki is probably the character I relate to the most in Persona. The idea of grief not hitting you until some mundane thing happens is so real, and I experienced that firsthand. I've always loved acting and theater, and my dad was really supportive when I started doing plays at a local community theater. He came to every show and would help me memorize my lines. After he died, I didn't cry for months after the initial day. It wasn't until opening night of a play I was doing the summer after he died that I looked out into the audience, realized he wasn't there, and started bawling my eyes out. After that I would go home and see little things left of him and cry, like finding sunflower seeds in the couch while cleaning or seeing unopen cans of drinks that he had put in the freezer before his death. Naoki's link kind of opened the floodgates again and playing through it almost made me feel like I was looking at a younger version of myself. Great analysis, I was really looking forward to this one.

I remember my mum saying that after my father died that all our neighbours and family friends made big gestures of support to 'be there if there was anything she needed' or the like, but after only a few weeks it had all quietly dried up. The hypocrisy of the obligated kindness in Naoki's social link really spoke to me. I remember being told that I was the man of the house at my dad's funeral, to take care of my mother and sister. I was barely five years old. It's ok to feel sympathy for someone when they lose someone, but this social link really drives home the fact that the common perception of grief is coloured too much by people inferring actions from dramas. I don't know if that's because modern society is so inculcated from death or because it's become so taboo to speak about in general. Either way, it was quite validating to see my feelings represented in P4

I quite like this social link. Cream puffs will never be the same again…

You don't actually have to let Naoki go home when he asks during the early clean-up event, if you insist twice he helps you clean up he will do so. Although it seems harsh out of context this is usually what I do, because although he is pushing you away in that instance he shows a clear desire every other time you meet him to be treated normal and have the same responsibilities as everyone else. I've always interpreted letting him go home as proving to him you're treating him with the exact same pity as everyone else, while making him stay shows an attempt to see him as an individual and not as his circumstance.

Not only Naoki, but every single Hanged man character on the series actually crushes me in one way or another. Being suspended is difficult. Even if the face of the character in the Arcana seems normal about it. It can also means that one is getting used to their own situation. And they are on risk of just living like that forever. Naoki, Not knowing how to grief like a novel or actor, Believeing he was a cold person, getting special tratment where his actions have no consecuences. Having people telling him how to live his life with contradictory believes (some telling him to keep his chin up, and others critizicing him because he is not sad, or helping ont the store) and him saying over and over again how he is used to it... it destroys me. I get how it feels and it´s not cute. I was actually waiting for your video on Naoki, and you didn´t dissapoint. amazing video!!

Yes! I can realty to him so much I hate being treated spacial because of my disability, and resncty it been 3 years since my mom passed away, It hurts and almost every little thing reminded me. but I need to get pass it

I always thought the 'people just suddenly always opening up to you' thing made the most sense in P4 bcs it's a small town, your laidback, calm, nonjudgmental attitude actually stands out there, and it is easier to confide in someone like that and someone who isn't connected to the town like everyone else (that's also why I struggle the most with Yu's recharacterization from the anime bcs not looking stoic and being mostly silent for me ruins that believability)

Naoki's creampuff story reminded me of something that happened to myself. My grandfather passed away a couple months ago and he lived with us. I would buy these large bags of peanut butter cups and stick them in the fridge and I would often get on his case for taking some without asking me first. One week i forgot about them and when I found the bag still closed untouched I remember having that "Oh....they really aren't here." reaction.

Something I really like about Naoki’s link (as well as Hisano, Dojima, Nanako, Yumi and to a lesser extent Naoto and Kanji) is how P4 treats death despite the main theme being truth. It really contrasts the way P3 tackles death and transformation; I prefer it, if I’m honest, not to slight P3, of course. Honestly the way the entire of P4 feels when it comes to death and illness is so cool to me lmao. And Yosuke showing up for this social link with his typical blunt yet kind attitude… I wish stuff like this would happen more in other links. I love the MC but sometimes for stuff like this, I can believe the MC having his friends help him out (like in Shu’s link)

Naoki is my second favorite character in P4G(just behind Chie) and I really felt like he should’ve been a party member since he has a lot more plot relevance compared to Kanji and Rise. Cause if you really think about it, since he was never a party member, he doesn’t know how Saki truly died. And there’s easily a way for him to appear on tv as he could’ve been interviewed about his sister and his feelings

Its also very dark that the hangman card looks similar to the position the sister was left in the murder it gave a bit of a hint that she was tied to her brothers arcana

With my mother passing away two months ago I find myself in a similar situation and I find Naoki's social link more relatable than ever. I didn't cry right away when she died because I wanted to stay strong for my dad, nieces and nephews. She really liked Dr. Pepper but neither me or dad did. I bought a bottle of it out of habit a month ago and no one ever touched it for weeks. Eventually my dad did drink it because he wanted to honor her memory.

It's so wonderful that you had such a strong moment with Naoki.. Especially since it took you 4 playthroughs to give him a try.

My sister was a huge fan of South Korean pop culture, being something of a guerilla before it became so prevalent on Netflix or groups like BTS being played on local radios. She would constantly ring me up suggesting I watch one show or another and I always blew her off, chalking it up to a younger sibling being obnoxious. She lost to her struggle with depression three years ago and since then I've replayed this game, now understanding Naoki's story on a personal level. I watch a show on Netflix and grab my phone ready to suggest it to her. She must have missed this one since she never told me about it, I have to let her know...

it took me months to get to this video and... oh my gosh this made me CRY i lost my cat last year and the grieving process has been... complicated. he disappeared and we were never able to find him, so to start with we were hoping that he would come back. i remember crying about a week afterwards, and crying even more over the coming months as it started to settle in... and after a while of not really thinking about it, this video squeezed my heart in a vice once again funny enough, just a month before he went missing, i got this big cat plushie which i named Creampuff, which is probably why this video touched me so deeply. i've been hugging Creampuff almost every day since i lost my cat and it's been a real comfort to me now that there isn't a cat around anymore i've been lucky enough to see some cats every week since the start of the year, and it's got me thinking... as soon as i'm in a better position, i want to adopt a cat. i miss having one around, and though it'll never replace him, it'll be nice to have some fuzzy company to take care of 💗

Naoki's S link is so underrated. I genuinely cried thru his S link man.

The idea of people watching you to makes sure your sad and not a bad person after a family member dies is a really interesting dynamic. The lack of information of the spys could make him seem heartless because he laughed at a joke. Even though depression or grief is often masked because dwelling in it is pointless at some point also that stuff comes and goes. I mean I randomly started crying about my dog that died like 8 or 10 years ago, not even a month ago

Replaying Persona 4 and realizing you can interact with Saki and Naoki and see one of their confrontations over her eating his Cream Puffs broke me man. Fuck this social link was amazing

When my grandpa died to old age, i wasn't really affected, but everyone else was devasted. They sobbed through their funeral speeches. My eyes did water, but i felt more affected by everyone's pain than g-pa's death itself, which also made me feel bad. My tough-as-nails grandma was hit the hardest by her husband's passing, and I sat next to her during the service. I couldn't feel what she felt nor did i have words for her, but I could hold her hand. When her grieving adult children grasped at her for support, she had nothing left inside her to give. But in my weak, weak emotion, I didn't need support and i wordlessly held her hand while she sobbed. I don't know how often my grandma ever emotionally relied on anyone other than grandpa, but I gave her comfort in that moment, and she let me know it later in a text message. I never had a close relationship with my grandpa, and ashamedly i never did get hit with grief like Naoki did, but i realized from g-ma's text (plus talking to mom about this) that even an unemotional person like me can give a unique comfort because I'm unemotional and that has value