New screenshots seem to confirm that Persona 4 Revival will change controversial storylines in the game. According to images released from Atlus, the Persona 4 remake will overhaul Shadow Kanji’s plotline.
Persona 4 Revival Reportedly Changes Controversial Kanji Storyline
This past week, Atlus hosted the official Persona 4 Revival broadcast stream, which revealed the game’s new features and changes. However, eagle-eyed fans noticed that the new trailer appears to confirm that major changes are being made to Kanji’s Persona 4 storyline, which deals with his sexuality.
The new changes were first reported on the Persona subreddit. According to fans, Kanji’s Shadow sequence has been altered in some pretty significant ways. “Shadow Kanji’s weapons have been changed from 
to and 
. Along with the banner in the back going from “mens only” (男子専用) to “unisex” (男女兼用). They seem to be trying to address the unfortunate reading from the original game that following less “traditionally male” norms meant you’re gay.”
In the original Persona 4, Kanji struggles with his sexuality due to his interest in hobbies that he believes society see as “feminine.” This is why Shadow Kanji initially has two male symbols, to represent his struggle with his sexuality. However, in Persona 4 Revival, the symbols have seemingly now been changed to represent both genders, and the bathhouse is made to be “unisex.”
Persona Fans Accuse Persona 4 Revival of “Censoring” the Story
Following news that Persona 4 Revival will make changes to key themes in the game, many fans took to social media to vent their frustrations. Some players accused Atlus of “censoring” the game’s original story. Others even argued that it was an “overcorrection” of a plotline that was “misunderstood.”
For example, on Reddit one user wrote, “The Shadow was never about Kanji being gay. It was about him internalizing what society projected onto him. So changing the symbols just muddies that whole point.” Another commenter agreed and replied, “This feels like it makes things less clear? I don’t know. The original version has him wielding masculinity as a weapon, which is basically what Kanji does.”
With it seemingly being confirmed that Persona 4 Revival will revise Kanji’s storyline, it’s also likely Atlus has made changes to Naoto’s themes as well. Although be clear, this has not been confirmed by Atlus. At the time of writing it’s unclear how much will actually be changed.
While many fans expected the Persona 4 remake would have alterations to make it more in line with modern audiences, up to this point it had just been speculation. However, if the latest Revival showcase is anything to go by, it appears that the remake might have more changes made to the story than some may have expected.
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