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| Side Note: I need this figure stat. |
Persona 2 is actually two games, Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment, released in 1999 and 2000 respectively. Eternal Punishment is not actually a sequel but a sort of "soft rewind" of the first game - based on the choices made at the ending of Innocent Sin. Innocent Sin never made it over here until four years ago, mainly because your main nemesis is a time-and-space traveling Adolf Hitler, summoned by ancient Mayan prophecy and an all too perfect astronomical line up called the "Grand Cross." Another fascinating aspect of the game is that in addition to dealing with crazy occult happenings (rumors become reality and you can use this to your advantage), at some point along the journey, your characters have to deal with their inner doubts and secrets. They have to face them head on in the form of "shadow" selves, or doppelgängers. If you have any interest in the work of Freud or Jung, you'll have a field day with this game.
The series takes place in modern day Japan (well, 1999-era Japan). In most Japanese RPGs or anime, even though the characters are Asian, they have different hair colors to differentiate the characters. Even blondes, as is the case with say characters like Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus. Not so in Persona - everyone you meet has black hair or a varying shade of brown. Chances are if someone has an odd hair color? It's dyed and very noticeably pointed out by others.
Then there's Lisa. She, like the rest of the cast, IS Japanese as she was born and raised there. However, her parents are American and she is the sole blonde you meet in the game. She can't speak English and dabbles in learning Cantonese as she loves Bruce Lee and Kung fu flicks.
But she is an exotic oddity, being blonde haired, blue eyed and white and is often stereotyped by her classmates and others. Many expect her to be able to speak English fluently and most of her popularity is chalked up by others to be because she is perceived as a "foreigner." Again, even though she is a natural born citizen.
Learning Cantonese is a rebellious streak as her father is basically a super fan ("weaboo" or "otaku") American who loves Japan so much that he and his wife moved there and decided to raise a family, hoping to raise a daughter that embodies all of the classic ladylike Japanese characteristics. He even laments that she is abandoning her "beautiful native tongue" to learn Cantonese.
As Lisa points out, she IS being what her father wants, just not in the traditional sense. When you come across Lisa's shadow self, it is revealed that she has been going on "compensated dates" with older salarymen to pay for expensive shopping trips, as well as doing drugs. Compensated dating was quite the scandal in Japan at the time the game was made so Lisa is really a commentary on this phenomenon. If you're interested in reading about the history or cultural significance of that, google "enjokousai."
Lisa is constantly stereotyped. One of your other party members, Eikichi, who oddly goes by "Michel," an English name (for his visual kei band - think the rock bands of the 80s/ with the crazy hair and makeup), gets pissed off at her about her lack of ability to speak English and her Caucasian features. He decides to mockingly nickname her "Ginko" - "gin" is for silver and "ko" is a common suffix for female names, literally meaning "girl." So it's a play on her last name "Silverman" but could pass for an authentic Japanese name. I also wonder if it's not a good play on calling her "white girl."
Lisa is not happy about it, but she's referred to as Ginko for the rest of the game.
Along the journey, Lisa or Ginko, gets roped into being in an idol group with two of her classmates because of the whole "rumors become reality" thing. Think a girl pop band like the Spice Girls. She is expected to sing in English which she is utterly not comfortable with or interested in but does it for the good of the party so they can get closer to the mystery/villain in the game.
So for this polish, I wanted to capture the very thing that makes Ginko stand out at first glance - her blonde hair. Yellow/gold also has to do with the deep hatred she has for herself with the compensated dating, exchanging her time and companionship for money. Another reason I didn't go with straight gold instead is because of how hidden she keeps this part of herself.
The silver glitter is again a money reference as well as a literal reference to her last name and nickname. I also wanted some sort of sparkle for sure because even though she is a tough gal with her fighting style (fists, gauntlets) she is still very materialistic, girly, vain about her popularity at school (thinking if she dates Tatsuya, she'll be even more popular) and debuts as an idol.
Over playing the game, Lisa really became one of my favorite characters. She's tough and constantly puts up a front because she is constantly being judged - she's not Japanese enough for her father or her classmates. She's never really appreciated for just being herself and doesn't really know where she fits in. Happily though she does learn to accept herself, flaws and all by the end of the game.
Onto pics!
Pics taken with iPhone 4S and macro band lens from photojojo. Swatch is two coats Foreign Gold with one coat of Seche Vite topcoat.
I don't usually like yellows but I find this one very flattering on my skin tone and really interesting with the glitter. Since it is a little bit of a jelly polish, once you do the second layer, the silver glitter on the first coat will shine through and appear gold!
Thanks for reading about my creative process for this polish! I hope it wasn't TOO nerdy and that you enjoyed the swatches !
