Extremely major Persona 3 spoilers are contained in this article. Please back out now if you have not yet played the game and don’t want to be spoiled.
Years ago when I played Persona 3 for the first time, I overlooked Shinjiro Aragaki. You see, in P3 FES on PS2, you really don’t get to know your male party members very well. There are only social links for your female party members and other male characters from school and around town. It’s only in Persona 3 Portable that you really get to know Shinji. His social link opened my eyes to how wonderful of a guy he really is. He cares so much for everyone on the team and wants to make sure you’re all doing well. Not only that, but he’s a great cook too. Shinji is the type of guy who seems tough on the outside, but even in the FES version you’ll notice it’s more of a wall he puts up.
There were moments that show off how in actuality, he’s truly nice and caring. I saw subtle hints at his real personality when I played FES again, years after beating P3P. At one point I remember finding out how he makes Koromaru homemade dog food. He gives off a cold air about him but if you date him as the FeMC, you’re shown how much he worries about Akihiko, the rest of the team, and eventually you as well. Unlocking his social link makes the events of that dreaded October 4th hurt even more. His dark past in which he unintentionally caused the death of Ken’s mother unfortunately catches up to him. With Shinjiro’s death (or coma for the remainder of the game in the case of P3P), the story truly takes a dark turn and becomes depressing. Especially later on when the music and overall town atmosphere changes leading up to The Fall. Shinjiro Aragaki is a great friend, cook, and all around caring guy who we celebrate today, on August 11th. Let us know what your own memories and thoughts about Shinji are in the comments down below.
