Ough, Thinking About How P5 Somewhat Unintentionally Dips Into Queer/neurodiverse Themes.

Ough, thinking about how p5 somewhat unintentionally dips into queer/neurodiverse themes.

Like, you take the “outcasts” and like… most of the time, they’re only like that because they’re different.

(I would argue there isn’t a single phantom thief that doesn’t fall into the neurodiverse/queer club (and quite commonly both))

Like, yeah, head canons and all, and “these characters were never confirmed to be *blank*” well, yeah. But if I can look at Ryugi and feel better about my own adhd because he’s doing his best despite of it? Characters don’t have to actually have or be whatever to see yourself through them. I’ve been so frustrated with schoolwork and him being able to still somewhat try and do his own boring schoolwork, it’s helping me do my own. The staying up way too late doing something I enjoy rather than what I dislike. I can just feel the adhd coming from him.

Ryugi being quick to anger and frustration mirrors my own feelings. That urge to just… hit something when things go wrong, but you can’t because you don’t want to hurt anyone. The pure frustration when you can’t do anything. That strong desire to protect who we care about. I can just see so much of myself in him, and it makes me feel better, because he was able to be better.

(Can you tell I have a favourite phantom thief?/lh)

(Take some of these next ones with a grain of salt, because I do throw a fair bit of head canon in there)

Yusuke and Futaba dip into autism (or also adhd) representation. I can’t personally speak for this one, but I know it’s a very common hc. They help show that you can do different things with good supports.

Ann… well, let’s be real she is at LEAST bi if not lesbian.

Futaba shows cptsd symptoms and also shows that it can get better with the right supports!

And there’s so much more that my tired brain can’t think of right this moment. Feel free to add your own, dear reader.

While I can’t personally connect as deeply with every phantom thief, the fact that *someone* can is why representation matters to me. They feel like my friends because can I see so much of myself. I’m an artist like Yusuke, I’m a gamer like Futaba, I love taking care of plants like Haru, I have a strong sense of justice like Makoto, I see myself in Ann because I’m sapphic because I get judged by my appearance and it isn’t who I really am, I am proud like Morgana, and I am loyal and brave like Ryugi is.

Intentional or not, representation comes in all different shapes and sizes, and if we can see ourselves in those characters, it can help in so many different ways.

(And a side track, I know this isn’t the main point, about the queer or neurodiverse thing, but Haru and how she feels about her father’s passing is helping me deal with the divorce (I know it isn’t the same) (dad was kicked out, it was good, and I’m a whole adult so it’s not *that* bad) but the lens of “was he ever like I though he was? Or was he always this way” that I can shine my own experiences through has been helping me

Same with Ryugi really, my dad wasn’t physically abusive, but I cut contact for a reason)

Other media has this unintentional representation, but I mainly wanted to talk about p5 because I have free will and no one can stop me.