AI is gay and I'm going to show you how through the conducive evidence and the various depictions of him obviously there are going to be spoilers for the third semester of Persona 5 Royal any additional content for instance Q2 will be marked as such with time stamps additionally while I would love to show the entirety of AI and Joker's complex relationship I will be focusing on ai's perspective consequently I will not be arguing for the ship's existence meaning reciprocal feelings even though it is real nor will I prescribe any feeling or belief on how good they are together throughout the video even though they are made for each other I am simply declaring that aatchi is gay now that we have that out of the way let us begin do not take bro at his word before we tackle ai's Complicated Love for Joker we must dispel this idea of AI hating him though we very much will cover his Complicated Love in This section through scenes like AI saying I'm going to be truly honest with you I hate you there's clear reason for why people believe this to be true however we have to dig deeper the boulder that is A's quote hatred end quote of Joker is not more than a small rock to kick a deeper analysis of A's relationship with Joker reveals that it is not made out of hatred it is the shackles of his situation his life that led him to lash out I'm not going to absolve a catchi of his crimes but we have to look at how his connections to the world and his prior relationships with others sheerly [ __ ] him up it is the shackles of his situation that led him down this path where he so desperately wanted someone to have him around it is these shackles that led him to the other side of an interrogation room table with a gun in his hand while one look into the Persona 5 Mancus tells you that he doesn't deny liking the MC Joker I will make three cases for why AI does not hate Joker Persona 5 Royal Persona 5 Royal especially compared to the base game is littered with nods that ai's relationship with Joker is not hatred I mean take a look at the music opening to the game where AI has a soft Pleasant expression while with him in this game and especially throughout his Confidant one may come to understand that aatchi has fun around Joker he is happy and these feelings are genuine I mean even Morana gets it saying that you don't really hate Joker do you consequently the boiler room and A's dilemma over the fate of Joker make it abundantly clear that ai's feelings move past simple vile hatred he is frustrated distressed he hides his feelings but so desperately does he want a human connection whether you code this as platonic or romantic feelings it doesn't matter here because it is clear that he doesn't hate Joker adeptly put in thought bubbles psychological analysis of aatchi aatchi does not want to kill Joker Injustice 7 a catchy and Joker are playing a game of Billiards here thought thought bubble points to this idea that the game is an analogy for him coming to terms with the fact that in order to realize his plans of revenge against his father he will have to kill Joker Joker is collateral damage despite the enjoyment that AI feels went around him despite a shared Bond the relationship must come to an end AI is adamant on realizing his goals of taking down his father that abandoned him and his mother like trash Beyond this point aatchi tried his hardest to sever his connection with Joker pushing him away in fear of losing him too or perhaps fear of understanding himself more returning to the boiler room scene and the final Confidant rank of AI Joker is able to say that he will hold on to A's glove solidifying the bond between the two mere moments before tragedy Persona 5 proof of Justice the OVA does much in terms of defining the relationship that AI has with Joker additionally many of the events in the OVA were actually ported to Royal while P5 the animation isn't too good I definitely recommend giving this one a watch in the OVA Joker is recalling his time spent with a catchi after his death from playing Billiards to sharing a drink simply chatting to playing together at the arcade Joker parses through his memories with a catchi and thinks about the unique Bond they shared the color grading of each shot adds to this depiction of their relationship A1 makes scenes with Ai and Joker and Joker reminded of his bond with AI much warmer in color whereas scenes with Joker alone ruminating are a lot cooler in color even though the entire OVA could and should receive a critical breakdown style analysis there was one scene I want to pay attention to in particular the latter half of the episode where AI says he technically does have friends now he is lying and he does not believe that to be true and he also mentions that it's essentially a part of their deal however when Joker says you have a rival too AI pauses and his eyes quiver immediately after we see a mix of ai's real emotions and his front afterwards he mutters under his breath if only we'd met a few years earlier remember this from The Boiler Room cut scene is this the hatred everyone is talking about no it is obviously more complex than the word hate and deserves its fair share of scrutiny persona Q2 Persona Q2 hands us a lot of characterizing moments of all of the Phantom thieves in the rest of the cast of P4 and P3 though mostly just the Phantom thieves if I'm being for real skip to this time on screen now if you don't want to see spoilers of persona Q2 at the end of persona Q2 AI is reluctant to exit the cinema with the rest of the Phantom thieves AI does not want to leave because he had fun and he has realized things about himself that he doesn't want to forget here aatchi enjoyed the time he has spent with Joker Unshackled from his perceived duties and responsibilities towards revenge in the real world he does not want to reenter the real world pausing [Music] stuttering you might be thinking that this contast with his opinions towards mari's ideal reality however that is missing the picture it is not the same because Destiny wasn't crafted for them nor are their Fates almost predetermined rather it is a pocket space where catchi can stop thinking about his goals of Revenge and is able to live independently of the hatred of his father it is also where him and Joker are not opposed instead working together towards the same goal in the cinema Labyrinth he cherishes his time in the theater even though he is forced to forget it because here time itself loses meaning AI hesitates because he does not want to go back to the world that hurt him so deeply a world that blinded him with anger earlier in the game in the movie iess Aki and shinjuro aragaki Converse Shinji sharply deducts that there is more to Ai and that him and AI are more similar than they are different he says to AI that he wishes to undo a lot of the stuff he has done but moves forward and tries not to live with regret a catchy not understanding still lingers on the regrets he has and does not believe he can Stray From the Path he has already chosen if this is still not enough for you actually play the third semester I'm not joking it is the entire third semester just play it before I continue I would like to say that if you enjoy videos like this and would like to see more of them in the future I would consider subscribing it really goes a long way in supporting the Channel all right now back to the video a catchy being gay is quite evident through multiple points of the game from his calls texts Confidant rank UPS the third semester of the game and the bad ending there is piles and piles of subtext that need unpacking in Royal aachi is one of the few confidants that initiates based on him approaching Joker rather than the inverse throughout The Confidant in the follow-up calls AI continuously makes reference to how interesting enjoying fun relaxing it is when they hang out aachi seems to always end up talking more than usual when it is with Joker here I want to discuss two follow-up calls in rank six AI reflects on spending the day as himself as Goro AI rather than as the detective Prince he makes mention of how others see him as the prince as the brilliant Prodigy he also makes mention that people misunderstand him but according to AI Joker is the only one who needs to see the side of him saying but I suppose you are the only one who sees the side of me nobody else particularly needs to anyway as we will cover later there are many sides to AI that are shown to Joker in rank seven AI calls Joker concerning his competitive Spirit asking why do you get so competitive against me the response we're Rivals aren't we bewilders aachi to stun him to silence this speaks volumes in expressing the bond that AI beli him and Joker share he is surprised by Joker's reinforcement of them being Rivals because at that moment is how he feels their bond is rather than what he believes it ought to be AI is quick to reaffirm himself and of Joker his original convictions of seeing joker as an obstacle and not a rival saying that we fight in service of our own principles after he states that he cannot allow Joker to change when in reality he himself is wavering he is projecting his feelings toward himself onto Joker because he does not want to change or rather he is afraid of it afraid of their bond and how it is affecting him which is why the next rank ups turn dower and why AI is adamant on stating to Joker that he hates him regarding texts this one is going to be really short this might not be evidence per se but I found it funny enough to include Achi really be sending Joker stuff like I am alone right now also suddenly inviting Joker to the aquarium right before going to sleep is kind of interesting I'm not going to lie after accepting ai's text invitation you get a unique Confidant session with him during this Confidant session his reactions tell us a lot about what he is thinking when he invited Joker along for example in response to a catchi saying sorry for dragging you along Joker has three options it's a nice place why me and could bring a girl here choosing the third option AI states that it is a good place for dates garnering no notes I repeat no notes if you choose the first option it's a nice place he will comment saying that it suits Joker garnering three notes AI wanted to take Joker specifically of all people to the aquarium this seems not a mere coincidence especially given that the spot later becomes accessible for other confidants as well for a date location though only aatchi is the one to bring you here the only one to initiate a first visit to the spot after a conversation with Oya AI reiterates to Joker that he is interesting additionally for someone who supposedly turned down a girl because he has no time he does seem to make a lot of time for Joker with dates like this in the Jazz gen AI introduces Joker to this place special to him being the first person he's ever brought there after mentioning that AI alludes to having this strange connection with Joker to bring him to a place so intrinsically special has to mean something given that aatchi is typically closed off and parades with a mask or Persona AI is not being fake here there is virtually no reason to be he is relaxed and he brought Joker chatting with him and feeling refreshed after having done so conversation is Meaningful after meeting aatchi here for the first time in his rank four Confidant you were able to hang out with him additional times with unique dialogue I'm going to reference three of these conversations for the sake of time but definitely watch a compilation and you'll definitely get what I mean by saying piles of sub text first I already brought it up but the mention of a catchy turning down a girl as soon as she confessed because of time warrant some attention is he not showing Joker that he is available I kid but it's really interesting how the sentiment is immediate it is also intriguing how he mentions his lack of time yet is willing to hang out with someone who realistically stands as an obstacle to his revenge plot well I guess his revenge can wait as as long as he gets his alone time with Joker second it is evident that AI is not lying when it comes to his enjoyment of this space of the Jazz gen nor has he fibbed about enjoying Joker's company there hanging out with him here in the third semester reveals as much saying that he understands how Joker feels about the local he finds the singing pleasing like he did before the massive reveal I bring this up to mention that just because AI does lie in the beginning of the story and throughout it does not mean he always lies there's a layer of genuiness in his conversations with Joker here before and after the Boiler Room the last thing I want to bring up is ai's conversation with Joker about being normal in the third semester this is important to mention given that Aki hesitates when considering if Joker had lost it too to mari's Ideal reality he then continues saying he would have slapped Joker awake outlining how important Joker has become to him in Confidant rank six after entering the bath with Joker Aki confides in him Aki gives Joker a window into much of his early childhood regarding his mother and though left unnamed relationship with masayoshi Shido while he does mention his early childhood in an event in August in leblan here he does it in more detail with far more Vivid emotions his anger it is one of the first times we see him angry yelling about his father a worthless degenerate excuse for a man who abandoned his mother before switching back to his routine smile after leaving he mentions to Joker that he has never told anyone else about his family situation and questions it saying I wonder why I told you curious indeed and Perhaps it is because they are similar but similarity often doesn't net such grave retellings why share such an intimate story in such an intimate place this is only one reading of the rank event a simple reading which is why I encourage you to search for other interpretations in Confidant rank 8 a catchy challenges Joker and momentos pointing his gun toward him with a derisive tamber this is the the same voice he uses in the Boiler Room in the head-to-head fight AI loses saying you've caught up to me on this front already too not many words are exchanged in momentos but what is said Is Telling of ai's frustration slipping by saying that joker exceeds him here too where he is supposed to keep up the sherat of gaining his Persona a month prior after returning AI admits that he is becoming reliant on Joker and following that is the infamous line I'm going to be entirely honest with you I hate you in a way he does hate Joker but not in such simple terms nor is it just this unadulterated hate like he would want Joker to believe Joker has everything AI does not family friends a sense of belonging recognition winning Aki hates how he has become attached to Joker he hates how he is grown to rely on him and finally he hates how Joker brings to light much of his insecurities and internal strife and his desperation for a human connection and this comes to head as we realize that aachi at this moment knows he will have to kill Joker for his revenge but is struggling to assume the strength to do so he does not want to kill the one person he has been able to form an authentic connection with Beyond lies and deceit someone he has truly connected with so he lies to himself aikun this involves you [Music] too what do these two you have to do with the relationship you two share is very unusual a detective and a phantom Thief despite being enemies your relationship isn't based on hatred or ill will you two came to a deep understanding of one another yet you had no choice but to leave a ketun to his fate that's why I created a reality where you two could have a fresh start together Mar speaks to the unique bond that aatchi and Joker share it's not out of ill will or hatred it is something else that brings them together and it is not that they are mere friends or Rivals either aachi and Joker have a long conversation of the implications of maroo's Ideal reality while the scene does a better job of depicting Joker's love for AI which is not imperative to this video ai's love for Joker is bound in the scene as it is with the rest of A's dialogue his confidant and his interactions with Joker it is a battle of ideals and feelings AI would hate here to see Joker change someone who crumbles to his feelings instead of venerating his ideals this is why AI faces this confrontation this threat earnestly using us to signify his decision as well as Jokers he wants Joker to make this decision and continue to be the person he has affection for the person he respects and the person he wants to be with in the final battle maroi pleads to AI to not throw his life away he declares that by Joker side and his friends he can begin to atone as aptly put by this Reddit comment this is ai's true wish it is not a fanciful carrot on a stick to him but rather his actual desire and he rejects it just like the rest of the Phantom thieves but as pointed out he does not deny it he is frustrated because he does want to be with Joker but he does not want to be ever controlled again he sounds afraid because he wants to live by his ideals to be free his ideals and his feelings don't align which brings me back to the quote mentioned at the very beginning if only we' met a few years earlier it is abundantly clear that ai's wishes to be with Joker despite his sharp rejection of maroo's reality or perhaps because of it it is why when you receive the bad ending of the game we get the art dubbed One conclusion where catchy and Joker are in a different time playing chess one conclusion was A's desire as the light beams from the Windows onto their board they both seemed content with this simple match evading the backdrop of sorrow and torment both characters had muddled through compared to the rest of the Phantom thieves ideal realities AI is the only one to feature Joker as a part of his wish no one else but them is there challenging each other once more in much less Dire Straits no more wh ifs is a song about choosing Freedom above all though it is also a song about doubt it is about people coming into your life leaving or staying the lion that seems most poignant in the story of AI is the lion what matters most is how you bring joy to life so in many ways this is the song of AI it is the song of his feelings towards Joker saying in a spot intrinsically linked to his character the Jazz gen on the last day of Joker's stay in Tokio he is able to visit the club a catchy nowhere to be found the owner worried about him asks Joker of his whereabouts rare to see him with another person he says even if this video fails to conin Vince you of AI sexuality I hope I have brought a good case study of AI and Joker's relationship From ai's perspective it is clear that they are more than Rivals and more than friends they're something more as I mentioned earlier if you like videos like these and would like to see more in the future please consider subscribing and dropping a like on the video it goes a long way in terms of supporting the Channel all right see you later