Persona 3 Reload is a largely devoted recreation of the 2006 RPG. There are new social sim components, new skills, and a handful of quality-of-life adjustments, however by and huge, it’s the identical story about excessive schoolers killing monsters with the facility of friendship. Nevertheless, after enjoying by way of the remake, there’s one main change that appears like a correct modernizing of the story: the elimination of an notorious, transphobic trade between the sport’s boy group and a personality who seems to be a trans girl.
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Within the authentic Persona 3, there’s a scene the place the occasion goes on a seaside journey. Egged on by the category clown/horndog Junpei, the principle character will get pulled right into a scheme to choose up ladies on the seaside. After a number of unsuccessful makes an attempt, the boys meet a lady who propositions the group, and simply as she’s about to depart with certainly one of them, teammate Akihiko Sanada takes word of some stubble on her chin. The girl turns away and remarks that she “missed a spot,” and the sport’s textual content window then places a query mark on the finish of her title “Lovely girl?” within the English localization. Junpei then exclaims, “She’s a he,” and the boys run away in a trans panic.
You’ll be able to take a look at each the English variations of the scene from the unique sport and the PSP’s point-and-click port Persona 3 Moveable under. Whereas there are some slight variations between the 2, the shitty sentiment is identical. And do your self a favor and keep away from the feedback.
In distinction, Persona 3 Reload approaches the scene otherwise. Somewhat than the encounter devolving right into a transphobic joke, the girl is as an alternative portrayed as a conspiracy theorist. She makes claims concerning the solar being changed within the Eighties and tells the boys they’ll must fork over 300,000 yen for her particular sunscreen in the event that they wish to defend themselves from its dangerous rays. The boys are instantly skeeved and run away. Right here’s a clip of the trade:
In an unbiased translation obtained by Kotaku, we have now confirmed the Japanese audio presents the scene the identical manner. So this isn’t a Persona 5 Royal state of affairs during which the localization alters scenes for the English model whereas the Japanese model maintains a trope-ridden, homophobic scene—this seems to be a common change. So for those who had been contemplating replaying Persona 3 Reload however didn’t wish to encounter this scene once more, you’ll be able to relaxation assured that it didn’t survive the remake course of. We reached out to Atlus for remark and didn’t hear again in time for publication.
The Persona sequence has had a really fraught relationship with queer identification, from this explicit Persona 3 scene, or Persona 4’s remedy of queer self-discovery as a section to be grown out of, or Persona 5’s solely homosexual characters being older males who assault a minor. Nevertheless it looks as if the sequence is slowly making an attempt to pivot its perspective on these matters. Extra lately, Persona 5 Tactica lets the participant categorical romantic curiosity in males, and now Persona 3 Reload is retooling a transphobic scene completely. The query stays if a hypothetical Persona 6 will take the following step and let the participant have interaction in outright queer relationships or not. However that is at the very least a superb step in eradicating a mean-spirited, transphobic scene that added nothing of worth within the first place.
Purchase Persona 3 Reload: Amazon | Greatest Purchase | Goal
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