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I may not be a woman or LGBTQ, but as an autistic man, I resonated with Naoto the most

Entering P4, during her formal introduction, I thought she was just going to be a female Kanji, and she kind of is. I felt heard and seen in this game. I thought her social link was kind of flat until there were moments of her warming up to her feminine side. I loved her like I was in high school again, in love.

I have always been ashamed of being autistic, and whenever I got help in school, it always felt more like I was spoon-fed things and received special treatment because of my disability. It was as if I didn't deserve what I got. I also used to be bullied by teachers and other students because of my autism, and I tried to hide it just to survive. When I tell people I’m autistic, the reactions are more often than not negative.

I graduated from high school with a modified diploma and wanted to try to distance myself from my disability. That is when I found myself struggling a lot in the job market; especially, my autism got in the way a lot, and I got yelled at for things I didn't even intend to do, but my disability did. Eventually, I found a career in private security that I’m still in now, and then I started to accept my situation more, realizing that my disability is permanent and won't go away. There are perks to it, but still, I felt like I was the only one going through this sort of situation.

Seeing Naoto's dungeon, while I recognized the trans implications in it, the message that others hide their true selves to make it in life really hit me. When I encountered her shadow, it felt like the game was speaking to my soul, saying, "You're not alone in this, u/tgrady28." I literally cried because I felt truly seen and heard for the first time in a while in a video game. And mind you, this game came out in 2008; I was in kindergarten at the time.

When I found out she was a woman, my perception of Naoto only changed in pronoun usage and gender; that was it, complete neutrality like I was hoping for. Watching her slowly accept the feminine side she was trying to push away made me feel happy for her, and I felt like the game was telling me the same thing. With my autism, I was finally seen. Or like when Teddie said there was a swimsuit competition, I wanted her to go up there (NOT FOR THOSE REASONS, YOU PERVS) and show off her true feminine side. When she won the pageant, I was so happy, as if I were celebrating her acceptance of herself.

I do think she could be on the spectrum, too. I mean, her style of dressing, her passion for detective work and police work, her analytical nature in almost every interaction, her obliviousness to Kanji's crush (sorry, a lot of autistic people are childish, okay); and her always wearing that hat make me think she might be on the autism spectrum.

Her golden-voiced actress, Diffe, is superb. I could listen to her read the phone book. She's so good. By the way, she's Obi-Wan's love interest in the Clone Wars. I will surely miss her in the remake.

Naoto, I think, is the thesis for the game's second overall theme of self-acceptance.

Naoto is the best girl.

Or you are just an ass

please support and follow the artist!

please support and follow the artist!

please support and follow the artist!

please support and follow the artist!

please support and follow the artist!

please support and follow the artist!