The Truth About Ann Takamaki (Character Analysis in Japanese Context)

Ann Takamaki from Persona 5 highlights many sociocultural issues in Japan, especially when it comes to immigration and diversity. This is due to Persona 5 and P5 Royal's unique premise, which deals particularly with Japanese cultural issues. This video analyzes Ann's character under the appropriate sociocultural context.

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:44 Ann- Setting the Stage
3:21 Part 1: Ann & Her Foreign Features
6:25 Part 2: Necessary Sociocultural Context: "Hafus" in Japan
14:14 Part 3: Necessary Sociocultural Context: Sexual Offenses in Schools
18:34 Part 4: Tackling Adversity -Modeling is NOT Simple!-
30:04 *P5R SPOILERS*
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GENSHIN LORE CHANNEL~
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Links to Sources:
Intro Song = Colors Flying High Instrumental Vers. by Anthony Seeha

Japanese Married Couples must register under one surname

U.S. Population (2019)
Japan's Demographics
Japan's Interracial Marriage & Mixed-Heritage Births Rates
"Yamato Race" Myth / Japanese Exceptionalism
Ijime (Bullying) of Hafu & Foreign Adolescents Statistics
Mioko Takahashi's Story
Ariana Miyamoto's Story
Discrimination of Asian Hafus

Record Number of Teachers Punished for Sexual Offenses (2018)
Crackdown on Sexual Harassment in Japanese Schools
Chiba Prefecture Students' Report Sexual Harassment
Underaged Female's Harrowing Experience
Filial Piety & Confucianism
Shizuoka Prefecture Teacher Punished (2018)

#Persona5Analysis #AnnAnalysis #Persona5RoyalAnalysis

[LadyVirgilia]

Shiho’s mental strength and physical recovery *really* hits home for me as someone who has also had to learn to walk again. I experienced full-body paralysis and was diagnosed with transverse myelitis in late 2015. I relearned how to do daily tasks like dressing myself, eating with utensils, and of course, how to stand and walk again over the following year. I still experience mobility issues and chronic nerve dysfunction/pain, but I’m beyond grateful for my personal Christian faith and, like Shiho, the support of family and friends to help me through it!~

It took me a while to get this video out, so thanks for your patience! 😊


GENSHIN LORE CHANNEL~

[pinkanimositygaming]

She’s stated to be part Finnish. I’m a quarter Finnish and my great grandmother’s sides original last name was Ohramaki. Finnish last names can sound Japanese sometimes which I think is a fun fact.

[BigKlingy]

I know this is a sensitive issue so please tell me if I'm being insensitive here, but I have a personal speculation as to another reason why a lot of sexual offenses don't get reported in Japan. The "shikata nai" or "it can't be helped" attitude, which is something P5 focuses on in its final dungeon (or penultimate in the case of Royal)

Basically it's the prevailing idea that bad things happen and it's inappropriate to make a fuss about them, you should just accept that they happened and you can't do anything about it, and move on. In general getting emotional is frowned on in Japan and it's seen as a sign of resilience to stay stoic in the face of hardship.
There also seems to be a general attitude that other people's or families' problems are their own and it's wrong to get involved in them, which leads to friends of abuse victims being hesitant to speak out. And the shame culture that was mentioned in a previous video in this series, victims might feel like they and their families will be be associated with this forever if they speak out.

A lot of domestic abuse in Japan apparently goes unreported for a combination of these reasons.

[SurAuvers]

The situation with Ann during Yusukes story could easily be revolved if Ann had been more in control in the scenario. It doesnt even need to be less comedic to work! Have Ann be the first one to mention the modeling stuff to get Yusuke to calm down. Have the others protest and be worried but Ann remains adamant and even hatches the plan to search the house with Mona while Yusuke is distracted. She says shes got some master scheme and it turns out to be dressing in layers. If you want to add to it: maybe Ann can use her model experience to start askong Yusuke for silly request about the set up and lightning of the room. At first Yusuke complies because he wants her to be comfortable but then the request get more ridiculous in Anns attemps to stall. BUT instead of getting annoyed Yusuke is actually really enthusastic about Anns ideas and starts getting really into making the room more Feng Shui or whatever while explaining his vision to Ann, she might even get swept up in his enthusiasm and actually WANT to start modeling totally forgetting why she even came here in the first place only for Mona to interupt and things go by back to how they did in the game from there. Just an idea.

[dragonrider]

The animators and art designers of this show deserve an award just for their work on Ann's hair. It looks so fluffy!

[sadgurlvibez]

I love Ann so much, she’s such a sweetheart as well as captivating. I legit got butterflies when romancing her in game because she’s so genuinely kind, passionate, and strong. I love her social link and watching her become more confident and self-assured despite everything she’s gone through.

[alberthcuayla]

Ann is an underrated Confidant. Ann is my role model at overcoming people that trick you.

[tatsuyaukyo]

Wasn't Kamoshida also inspired by a Judo gold medalist, Masato Uchishiba, that was convicted of the same thing against his female pupils and got his medal revoked?

And the bit about Ryuji getting called out would have worked better had it been in regards to his plan with Shido's VIP. Not when he tried to sacrifice himself to save his allies.

[anthonypalumbo]

Then, somewhat ironically, they frame Joker hooking up with his teacher in a decidedly positive light. I get that Kamoshida was more of a villain, but the fact that she lets Joker skip class and stuff because they are hooking up is not a great look

[erikohman]

In Mementos Futaba has a line about wanting to fit in to an outfit like Panthers one day. Ann responds that its not like she wants to be dressed like this.

I find it deeply troubling. I cant understand how her inner rebell manifested would be uncomfortable for her. Worse yet her outfit is so pleasing to the male gaze, yet she finds her persona when standing up to Kamoshida. I cant make in-game sense of it. It feels like the people making the game wanted their abuse victim to be eye candy, and it feels so disonant.

[makminipixelz]

I think the whole femme fatale thing is more of about how she’s ok with her appearance and how others perceive her when it’s of her own will and not the will of people who are perverted in her regular life
Tl;dr: she’s ok with it when it’s what she wants to show off

[traviscue]

I always found that weird about Japan, if you're born in Japan but you're not "Japanese" racially, they still see you as a forigner. Where as in Australia, your race doesn't matter at all.. If you've got an Australian accent, you're "aussie" and there's no questions about it.

[MinamotoKensuke]

I sometimes worry about that "Foreign Barker" guy in Shibuya. If you talk to him a lot, you see he gets a lot of trouble from random passerby who feel bold enough to start fights with him for being a big black dude. Stateside, that guy'd be justified in shoving those salarymen into a trash can, but he has to know that the Japanese cops wouldn't take his side for it. I wish as players we could give that guy a hand.

[Ark]

Another excellent video Lady, great job!

While I'm still a bit iffy on Ann's confidant, I definitely appreciate it a bit more after hearing your breakdown of her struggles to improve herself.

I'm also in agreement over the two joke scenes. While I don't think there was too much of an issue with the Ann stripping joke, I do think it was a mistep to not have her take the initiative to do it herself rather than having Joker and Ryuji egg her on to do it.
I could see a reversal joke being better for that scene where Joker and Ryuji start thinking of other ways to infiltrate the cottage, then Ann remembers Yusuke's request and sparks the conversation with that. Ryuji would get flustered and remind her of what she just went through with Kamoshida and she brushes it off, saying something like "I don't think Yusuke is anything like Kamoshida, but if he does try anything funny then a swift kick is coming his way." Or perhaps she hints at her later shenanigans with the fifty something layers of clothes by saying she's got some backup supplies for such an occasion.

The Ryuji getting beat up after saving everyone joke was definitely a low point for the game. It gave me Persona 4 flashbacks with the girls constantly making assumptions and attacking the guys for no reason. Honestly, I'd just erase the joke entirely and have it be an actual moment for the Phantom Thieves to realize Ryuji's alive and hugging him with tears of joy.

[TheMetalBlade]

I saw those scenes as Ann "weaponising" her sex appeal rather than them making a joke out of her issues. For those moments, Ann is in control of the whole situation rather than being exploited and manipulated like with Kamoshida. She's essentially owning her beauty and using it to get what she needs, essentially a role reversal, which further demonstrates how she no longer has any grievances over her appearance and is more accepting of it thanks to Shiho and later the rest of the Phantom Thieves. It also ties into how her Phantom Thief attire is based on a dominatrix in addition to some her confidant skills like the "sexy technique" With the moments involving Yusuke and the noble, the comedy more came from Ann's terrible acting and that it somehow works but she is still ultimately able to trick them for her and the other's benefit. So I personally never thought of those scenes as being "insensitive" but rather trying to further showcase her character growth.

[PramkLuna]

Not P5 related, but it now makes sense to me why Haruhi in OHSHC got annoyed at the Lobellia girls for calling Tamaki a "halfer"

[LunaP]

Have you tried Strikers yet? Anne also shines in this when she finds a kindred spirit of her past problems.

[mikebliss]

In regards to the infamous "Ryuji Beat-Up" scene, speaking as someone who identifies himself as having a bit Ryuji-like streak in him a mile wide, Ryuji's kind of the group punching bag--and not in a bad way. Throughout out the entire game, they're always ragging on him and teasing him, and he does the sort of jock response of not letting it affect him *too much*. There are certain times when he subtly lets them know when they go too far (for example, when Ann was teasing him about how Ryuji borrowed money from her to buy a dolphin back in middle school, the MINUTE he mentions his mother, Ann immediately stops teasing him.) But for the most part, I think he accepts his role and enjoys the slightly competitive camaraderie playful teasing that goes with his friends.

And in a way, Ann's genuine outrage/hurt kinda shows the depth of her feelings she has for Ryuji as well.

[kagekun]

I just like the running gag that Ann is a bad actress when needling information out of targets but they fall for it anyway. But regarding Ryuji after Shido's palace, I 100% agree with you. The guy heroically risked his life for them and they repaid that by beating him to a pulp? That's not funny. If there ever was criticism for Atlus to take from the West, this should be it. The days of Love Hina girls beating up guys at the slightest excuse are over.

On the other hand... if you notice Ann's random follow-up attack, she might have a talent for playing over-the-top female villains.

[rynexamadour]

I have to whole-heartedly agree with you about the 'beat up Ryuji' scene. My reaction was like...Why are you beating him up? If someone came back from the dead like that, I'd be hugging them, just glad they were okay. So what if he made a joke, it's how he is! He was probably just trying to lighten the mood, and then they just LEFT HIM THERE, ugh. I really did not like that scene at all.