Video Game Review: Persona Retrospective: Persona (PSP) Part 6: Trees of Green

Our heroes start to wander the school looking to see what the situation is and to catch up with Maki, however they run across some familiar people behaving in a rather unfamiliar way. Like for example when they encounter Ms Saeko she doesn't talk and is a perpetual sadness golem.

Or at least this is my head cannon as to why. But you can guess for yourselves.

 From that bit of what the hell the gang heads to the principal's office to find that Hanya, is actually being nice, is concerned for the safety and well-being of his students and wants to protect them from Aki and her Demons!

Now we know what the Deva system does!

Thinking that they've probably gone nuts, the gang tries to leave but run into Yukino in the entrance hall. She seems confused when Nanjo brings up playing the Persona game and going to the hospital, which further cements the theory that they may not be in their world. More evidence of that is presented when they run into Yuko on the 2nd floor who is acting far more stuck-up and snooty then when the gang last saw her.

She went from Hinata to Asuka in nothing flat, going so far as to asking why Nanjo is hanging around "That sort".

After that, the gang finds Maki and Yosuke in room 2-5. And yes this is in fact the Yosuke from their world that disappeared two months back.

Remember dude, a man wears a scar as a medal.

 Yosuke explains that he and Chisato are from their world confirming to the group that this in fact an alternate universe and not the past despite everything looking exactly like it was one year ago. However there are two notable differences, the Police station is now a forest and there is a castle where the hospital used to be. Yosuke also confirms that the Maki that has been in the group to this point isn't their Maki, but the Maki from this universe. Maki wasn't trying to trick them or anything, she just didn't know for herself until she got back since she never thought that she might have just traveled to another world, mostly because she's sane. She says that she dosed off and them BAM she's in their world. Mark of course asked why she didn't at least mention any of those details, but then again, would they have believed her if she did? Because, again that just sounds crazy on top of everything else that's going on. Maki just figured that everything would be fixed if they just beat Kandori. Yosuke tells them that Chisato is with Aki but before the group can take action, an earthquake occurs and the school transforms just like the hospital, the architecture changes and the place is infested with demons. The one responsible is Aki, she's caught on to the group and is trying to kill them and destroy the school in one swoop; and to make sure that nobody escapes, she removes all the exits. So now the only course of action is to find Aki and stop her. So once the gang finds the Nurse's office, heal up, saves and head to the Velvet Room to create more Personas, they fight their way through the school.Along the way the gang reassures the students they find that they'll save the school from the demons. They also hear from a student that there's a girl that looks just like Aki hiding out in the forest and that it was a flower garden before Aki and the demons showed up. In the art room the gang catches up with Reiji who is protecting a girl from a demon that is attacking her. Reiji then summons his Persona, Bres of the Devil Arcana and kills the demon with one attack.

Bres was a king of the Tuatha De Danann in Irish mythology. He ruled with his wife Brigid before being slain by his predecessor Nuadha for his tyrannical rule and his favor toward his kinsmen, the Fomorians.

 The gang clues Reiji in on how they currently aren't in their world and that they were sent there by Kandori and that Reiji must be the kid that Dr Nikolai mentioned being sent trough the rift. Reiji explains that he was pulled into this world by a girl in a white dress. As soon as Mark mentions that Kandori is in the world with them Reiji joins up, no questions asked; that is if you've completed the required steps mentioned in the previous parts of this retrospective and only if you didn't pick any of the others to join the group. With our fifth man on the team the group continues the trek across the school. Near the end there is a save point and a Velvet Room, so if you have any spell cards, now would be a good time to make new Personas and give at least two of them to each team member if their levels are high enough to equip them. Once all the prep is taken care of you encounter Aki in the school courtyard. Maki threatens to spank Aki unless she fixes the school, but Aki only listens to Kandori so that's a big no-go. In response she calls Maki flat-chested,  Mark a monkey-boy and  generally acts like a petulant brat. Finally deciding to kill them she chants "Erusaer Tsymmom" and summons a monster.

A mechanical Rat with a machine gun on its back named Tesso.

 Despite it's stupid looking design Tesso can cause some rather big problems for your party, especially with its Magry and Megido attacks which can attack all members of your party at once and unless you have a lot of revival beads and recovery items, well good luck. It is vulnerable to Electric and rush attacks so that helps. Once the rat is scrap Aki teleports away, however Yosuke comes in to tell the gang that the school is back to normal and all the demons are gone, he also says that he wants to introduce them to someone who is investigating the two worlds and could be of some help. So the gang heads up to the library to meet their new ally.

This is Tsutomu Kurouri, an alleged expert on the occult but mostly gives wrong info and is socially awkward.

 

 However in this universe Tsutomu is not only eloquent and well-spoken; but he actually knows what the hell he's talking about. Tsutomu theorizes that the events that are happening in the world, thought at first seemingly unrelated are in fact the machinations of someone or something and that the black door that appeared in the library is also connected. However only those that are tied by the same bonds as the events can access the door, this however does not include him. Nanjo concludes that it's up to Naorin, himself, Mark, Maki and Reiji to uncover the truth. Tsutomu asks who holds the tread, Maki replies with Kandori's name and Tsutomu was expecting that very name, in fact he was foretold of these events by a certain man at the Shrine. So off to the shrine they go. There they find Philemon who says that they world that they're in is indeed a replica of their world, and that this world is where Kandori's ambitions lie. If they pursue him they will eventually discover what the nature of this world really is and how to get back to their world.

Hopefully it won't involve this butt-plug,

 this Jackass,

 or anything like this, because things are crazy enough as it is.

He then says that Kandori has set up shop on the east side of town and if he finds what he is looking for, both worlds are screwed. Philemon also says that the only way to access the east side is through the subway terminal, however the place is guarded by a monster and it can only be stopped by the Expel Mirror. The gang however don't know where the Mirror is. However I do, till next time kiddies!

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Shin Megami Tensai Persona is owned by Atlus and Sega.
Soul Eater is owned by Square Enix, Studio Bones, Funimation and Atsushi Ōkubo.
Bizzaro World is owned by DC Comics and Otto Binder.
Chappelle's Show is owned by Dave Chappelle, Comedy Central, MGM Television and Comedy Partners.
Kamen Rider is owned by Ishinomori Productions, Toei Productions, and Bandai.
Exiles is owned by Marvel Comics, The Walt Disney Company and Judd Winick.
Kingdom Hearts is owned by Square Enix, Disney Interactive Studios, Tetsuya Nomura, and Shinji Hashimoto.