Shadow’s Impression
Compared to all of the other episodes pertaining confidants thus far, this one was done a lot better. Not to mention the pacing was actually pretty good as well. I’m shocked. Though I was disappointed that they skimmed over a lot of the moments in Yusuke’s confidant that made it hilarious. Can’t have everything I guess. I honestly forgot what was supposed to be in this episode until Yusuke mentioned he was in a slump and I was like: OH RIGHT. IT’S MY BOI’S CONFIDANT EPISODE. Considering how poorly Ryuji’s confidant was handled in the anime, I was kind of worried how it would handle the rest of them. Thankfully, they did a decent job with it this time.
I do have to admit that it was a tad strange for them to add a random Akechi bonding time in with this episode while the Yusuke stuff was happening. As I’ve stated in previous posts, I don’t like Akechi. However, the bonding time with Akechi was… decent? It didn’t feel too weird I suppose or that out of place. Though I remember yelling at one point: “CAN YOU BE ANY MORE OBVIOUS THAT YOU’RE A PHANTOM THIEF?!” at Ren because he was super adamant about supporting them and placed down certain ideals that were against Akechi’s. But enough about that. Back to best boy.
Poor Yusuke is in a slump and asks Ren to accompany him to Mementos to try so he can hopefully find some inspiration for his next piece. Since if he doesn’t regularly enter exhibitions, his scholarship could be revoked and leave him with nothing again. I feel so bad for him. He wants to make a name for himself outside of money and branding, but he also needs money for his livelihood. The poor boy… Though I did get super annoyed when Ren stated “You seem stressed.” NO DUR.
I love how animated he got sketching in Mementos, especially since the boy tends to get Slasher Smiles at times when he’s really excited lol. He finishes a piece, calling it “Desire” and enters it in an exhibition. Unfortunately, it seems like no one is coming over to look at it. Even a well known critic called it empty and lacking any true meanings. And I am DISAPPOINTED they didn’t have the scene where Yusuke falls onto his hands and knees in defeat after the critique hit him hard. I miss overly dramatic Yusuke. He’s the best.
But I completely understand how hard it is to receive criticism for something you worked really hard on. Though it’s good to see that Yusuke, despite being knocked down, understand constructive criticism and reflects on it. He realizes that his piece really did portray emptiness and it only reflected his conception of what “desire” was. Yusuke’s way of thinking is very different from the norm and the fact that he’s trying to grasp “people’s emotions” and how others think is very emotional. He doesn’t understand, but he WANTS to. UGH MY FEELS.
Yusuke then is approached by the same gentleman who critiqued his work who is the Director of Japanese Art Support Foundation. He invites Yusuke out to talk over sushi. He wants to provide financial aid to help Yusuke in his art career. However, the talk turns a little shady when he mentions that the story of a former student of Madarame trying to make it in the art world would sell well, which only sets Yusuke off. Kawanabe hits Yusuke with some hard truths about finances and the art world. However, the issue with money and art hits a little too close to home for Yusuke, especially since that’s what lead Madarame to his downfall. Yusuke is desperate to not become like Madarame. Unfortunately, money and art come hand-in-hand if you want to be a successful artist.
On his way back, Ren runs into Akechi and they both end up talking at the batting cages. On a side note, those batting cages are HARD. I tried it in my second playthrough and I ended up missing all five pitches. It was embarrassing… ANYWAYS, Akechi is suspecting Kawanabe of some shady business that is eerily similar to Madarame’s methods of taking advantage of aspiring artists (though definitely not as terrible but terrible nonetheless). The part I really liked from this scene was when Akechi states how as a detective, his job is to uncover hidden crimes and bring them to justice, which causes Ren to think back to being wrongly accused and his arrest. That moment felt so powerful, especially when it felt like Ren was silently saying “where were you when I got unjustly arrested then?” While they seem to be getting along on a surface level, there is definitely some underlying animosity from Ren’s side. Which makes sense since Akechi does view the Phantom Thieves as enemies.
Kawanabe challenged Yusuke to prove his convictions in the upcoming art exhibit and Yusuke is desperate to win. This is almost a complete 180 from the usual Yusuke. Especially since, he was initially shown to do art to capture beauty from his perspective and was just an all around free spirit when it came to art. However, here, he’s desperate to win and prove Kawanabe wrong. His initial joy for art is seemingly lost and is focused on being first. Especially when it shows how frustrated and almost aggressive he is. Yusuke no! Don’t cross over to the dark side! In the game, I don’t think it was THAT dramatic. Sure he was frustrated, but not to this extent. Probably because this little challenge didn’t happen until maybe halfway through his confidant and the first half was very light hearted ways of Yusuke trying to find inspiration.
I like how we get another cameo with Hifumi and she is made aware of Ren’s presence. Though I wish she and Yusuke could have interacted, especially since they attend the same school. I also love how we get more characterization of Yusuke in this episode. But I’m also sad we didn’t get to see more of his silly and quirky nature shine more in some of the moments in his confidant in the game. They glossed over the moments I laughed the hardest at, namely Yusuke personally demonstrating how Ren should pose at the church and saying farewell with the same pose. Also when he was drawing his perceived couple, only to find out they were siblings rather than lovers. Oh well…
What I am glad they kept was how Yusuke is helped by the entire group (mostly Ann, Ryuji and Ren). This moment in his confidant was definitely one of my favorites because it shows the others helping him out and giving him advice rather than just Ren. They tell him that passion comes in all sorts of forms. Whether it’s for personal gain or to do it for the sake of others around them. Now, throughout my playthrough, I was pretty much convinced that not much else would happen between Yusuke and Ann to fuel my otp feels. HOWEVER, this moment in his confidant just made me love the two as a ship even more. While Ann doesn’t fully understand Yusuke’s way of thinking, she is always so emotionally supportive of him, giving her thoughts on the matter that is actually very meaningful to him, helping him reach a conclusion. “I will wield the brush again to give hope to all who see my paintings.” UGH I LOVE THIS BOY SO MUCH. He gives me so much feels, especially since he wants to express all these different emotions just as his mother did in her painting “Sayuri.”
No longer seeking victory just to prove himself, Yusuke is able to create a piece called “Desire and Hope” and actually wins first place. Unlike his first piece, he was able to put meaning and emotion into it, allowing others to actually see what he is trying to portray. Kawanabe reveals that he only challenged Yusuke to try and inspire him and he and Madarame were actually good friends at one point. What got me in this scene was how despite how twisted and distorted Madarame was, there was still some genuine good in him when he called Kawanabe in a panic over little Yusuke having a fever. Morality isn’t just black and white. There are gray areas as well, even in the most twisted of hearts.
Yusuke turns down Kawanabe’s offer as he is convinced he can make it on his own with the support of his friends. I admire Yusuke’s conviction, but a part of me screams “YOU NEED MONEY TO EAT BOY. YOU NEED TO EAT.” Oh and Akechi caught the guy that was actually behind the shady business, Kawanabe’s assistant. Cool.
It does seem like they’re strangely slowing things down to fit in more confidants before we start the new arc. Guess they want Ren to bond with the two newest members before the next palace rears its head, since it seems like we’re getting a Makoto confidant centered episode next week? Overall, this episode wasn’t bad. While there was some characterization in Yusuke lost, he is still one of the only party members that still feels generally the same as he did in the game. I feel like they’re handling Yusuke’s character with a lot more care than the others. Probably because he’s one of the more popular characters lol. But hey, I’m not complaining~
