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from a narrative standpoint, i feel really grateful that royal exists. with persona 5, the ending can feel a bit too "tropey" and "cliché," you know, the typical JRPG plot of k!ll god. but i love the moral ambiguity and existential question that the third semester poses.
it's not to say that everything is perfect, of course! but to me, maruki being integrated into the plot did a huge favor in making persona 5 more complex. it opens up a realm of possibilities to discuss the prospect of this "utopia" and "happy reality."
and while i think we do agree that maruki didn't choose the best method to carry out his intentions (due to the lack of consent to the new reality), i love the grey area that exists. to me, the themes and messages feel a lot more stronger than the note vanilla p5 ended on.
persona 5 royal really just enriches the experience of vanilla in levels that i couldn't fathom to describe. it's phenomenal in several ways, and i think it goes to show that modifying an ending, while still keeping the plot threads cohesive can really go a long way in affecting
the lasting impact a media has on someone. the surge of fan content in relation to the third semester, in my eyes, feels like proof of that. and from a meta analysis standpoint, it's definitely fascinating to examine the themes featured in maruki's palace and the like.
like him or not, i feel that there's just something very appealing to maruki's character, and how he creates a conflict that draws your interest. seeing how the PTs are affected by his new reality, as well as maruki's motives... i just love how grey it is and i live for that.
