Contents:
- IS PERSONA 4‘S KANJI GAY OR NOT?
- PERSONA 4: GOLN MOD RTOR GAY ROMANCE OPTN
- IS PERSONA 4'S KANJI GAY OR NOT?
IS PERSONA 4‘S KANJI GAY OR NOT?
One of the most pellg parts of Atl’ Persona 4 is the qutn of one of s characters’ possible homosexualy. Persona 4 ma great stris the portrayal of homosexualy gam wh the character of Kanji, a rough-and-tumble lquent who may or may not be gay. In Kanji’s alternate world, his other self appears as a near-nu, “gay” soundg versn of himself who habs a men’s bathhoe, strongly suggtg that the character ho homosexual sir.
The game, however, never really mak ncrete whether or not Kanji’s gay or jt sexually nfed, which has trated some gamers. “The Japane are more fortable wh the ncept of beg gay and not beg gay at the same time.
PERSONA 4: GOLN MOD RTOR GAY ROMANCE OPTN
In this se, mak sense that, the end, the game is not tellg you what to thk about Kanji or even if he is gay. “That flamboyance was also what the viewers of the Midnight Channel [a TV channel that shows what’s happeng the alternate world] wanted to see: a typil gay person on TV that people would lgh at.
He lerally says he's not gay and the whole pot of his character is that he's not gay, he jt has a feme personaly. Why do everyone onle say he's gay. However, the game has long been ntroversial for the way handled two characters who are implied or perceived to be queer: Kanji Tastumi, who the game impli to be gay or bisexual, and Naoto Shirogane, who many fans view as eher a transgenr man or nonbary.
The game strongly dit that he may be gay (or bisexual), and Kanji's Shadow -- signed as an credibly mpy gay stereotype -- outright says he prefers men. His Shadow tentnally plays to stereotyp and homophobic trop by makg unwanted advanc toward male party members and ditg his sexualy stems om hatg girls.
IS PERSONA 4'S KANJI GAY OR NOT?
On top of that, there are stanc where other characters make homophobic ments toward him, most egregly when Yose asks if he'll be "safe" stayg a tent wh Kanji. Many crics at the time noted the flaws his portrayal and wished to see him fively nfirmed as gay, but were nohels thrilled to have a character like Kanji exist.
The extreme and disturbg parts of his Shadow uld have arisen bee the are the only reprentatns of gay people Kanji has seen.
Regardls of whether Kanji is gay, straight, or bisexual, his storyle has a clear msage about genr rol and expectatns that fs wh Persona 4's general theme of acceptance. Inially, Kanji appears gay and Naoto seems to be transgenr. By clearly raisg the ia the player's md that Kanji is gay and then rejectg that ia, Persona 4 sends the msage that homosexualy is shameful and should not be 's start wh Kanji.