Reload Removes an Infamously Transphobic Line of Dialogue

Warning: The under story accommodates a possible spoiler for Persona 3 and Persona 3: Reload.

The Persona sequence has lengthy had points with homosexual and trans panic, however Persona 3: Reload a minimum of removes the transphobia from one scene particularly.

The Persona 3 scene in query had the social gathering making an attempt to hit on ladies on the seashore, with Akihiko, Junpei, and the protagonist approaching a personality known as “Lovely Girl.” After some back-and-forth, Akihiko factors out a little bit of facial hair on her chin, to which Lovely Girl responds, “I-I missed a spot?!” Junpei then exclaims “she’s a he?!”

The dialogue is very barely modified in Persona 3 Transportable (the character is called “Fairly Girl” as a substitute of “Lovely Girl”), however nonetheless contains the identical trans panic.

As first reported by Kotaku and verified by IGN, nevertheless, Persona 3: Reload adjustments the dialogue fairly a bit. The tip outcome is identical – the social gathering operating away from the girl – however as a substitute of it being attributable to her being trans, it is as a result of she’s really a conspiracy theorist making an attempt to promote them sunscreen.

Within the new scene, the dialog begins to go awry after “Fairly Girl” tells them, “You realize that solar within the sky is not actual, proper? That is a synthetic solar that obtained despatched into area again into the Eighties.”

Her character identify then adjustments to “Delusional Girl” as she tells them that “regular sunscreen does not” work” towards that pretend solar, and tries to promote them “particular” sunscreen for 300,000 yen. The gang figures out this character is a little bit off, and scurry. The scene’s nonetheless a little bit odd, however the transphobic facet, a minimum of, is gone on this new model.

This is not the primary time Altus has made a change based mostly on homophobic or transphobic content material within the Persona sequence. In 2020, Altus modified sure scenes in Persona 5 that had been thought of offensive and homophobic by followers for the Western launch of Persona 5 Royal.

For extra on Persona 3: Reload, try our evaluate, the place Michael Higham gave the remake a 9/10. With a stellar visible overhaul and numerous small however impactful adjustments, Persona 3 Reload tells a timeless story of tragedy and hope with sharp emotional sincerity,” Higham wrote.

Alex Stedman is a Senior Information Editor with IGN, overseeing leisure reporting. When she’s not writing or modifying, you’ll find her studying fantasy novels or enjoying Dungeons & Dragons.