if you don't ship goro and Akira that is totally fine but the way people try to undermine the depth of their relationship throughout the game is infuriating. here is a list of every way I can think of that goro and akira's relationship is entirely different from everything else

disclaimer: obviously atlus is terrible at writing BUT THEY STILL DELIBERATELY DID ALL OF OF THIS like I don't want to praise them but credit where credit is due

1) they are literally intertwined by fate. like a god was actually dictating their meeting and the progress of their relationship. yes it was bc yaldabaoth is a freak who wanted to see what would happen but they were literally fated to meet

2) the way Goro's confidant was automatic in p5v. no other teammates were like that. goro and akira having a deep relationship is literally integral to the story. and if you CHOOSE not to max his confidant in p5r you literally cannot progress in the game. obviously this is

the same w maruki and kasumi but goro is not a new character. this was a deliberate change

3) goro is the only other character to be able to switch btwn personas. now whether this was bc he was experimented on or bc yaldabaoth thought it would be more interesting idk but it's certainly interesting that he and Akira and the only ones who can do that

4) goro has different sprites for when he is talking to Akira in the 3rd semester. I first noticed this when he's with Akira and kasumi the first time. his facial expressions are similar to p5v for kasumi whereas he's just real, bitchy goro when he's talking to just Akira.

5) everyone is always talking about how they're fated to be great rivals and they're put in this competition bc they have these different views of justice. fellas is it homosexual to be destined to be a foil for your homie/only friend

6) the way this is the only alt akira has that's one of his teammates anyway

7) HEAVY P5R SPOILERS
Akira wanted goro to be alive and okay so bad HE LITERALLY BROUGHT HIM BACK INTO EXISTENCE like I know maruki did it but he did it bc it was the thing Akira wanted more than anything.

i mean can we talk about "are you really so spineless that you'd fold over some bullshit, trivial threat on my life?"
"it's not that simple" (the way I have that quote memorized goro akechi you cause me pain)

8) THEY MADE AN ENTIRE. OVA. ABOUT. THEIR. RELATIONSHIP. honestly probably bc some of you clowns do goro so dirty I'm ill

thats all that comes to mind rn BUT LIKE idc if you don't like goro he's am integral character and his and akira's relationship, romantic or not, is so important