Design

Shinjiro has messy, light brown hair that is almost always shoved under a gray knit cap. His eyes are a gray-brown color that rarely look straight ahead with confidence (most of his design artwork and facial expressions in the game have him looking to the side). Especially in the manga, Shinjiro's glances look even more piercing because of the shadow around the eyes from his hat. His long, red pea coat is accented by dark brown and has studs around the collar and pockets. Under his coat is a long-sleeved, dark brown turtle neck. Dark, bellbottom jeans cover light brown boots that point slightly upward and have a decently sized heel.

"Aragaki’s design originates from an image of a band in a photo I happened to see somewhere. Rather than the attire itself, the languid atmosphere really suits Aragaki’s image. A character with aesthetics from their way of life is cool, after all. It’s a shame that he has few scene appearances because he is my favorite male character to draw." - Designer's comment, P3: Official Design Works

In case you are unsure of what "languid" means (I had no idea), it's basically a mannerism in which someone is slow moving, putting forth minimal effort or is weak from illness or fatigue. I would agree that Shinjiro hardly ever standing up straight and frequently putting his hands in his pockets could give off this kind of atmosphere. His hat kind of makes him look like a "punk," but the rest of his outfit is rather stylish, I think. Since he doesn't appear shady, he really stands out from the other people who hang around Port Island Station. Therefore, I'm not completely sure what the designer meant by Shinjiro's "way of life," but I really do think his design fits his personality. He certainly does look "rough around the edges," at least. I also think it's neat that the designer likes drawing Shinjiro the most out of the male characters. I enjoy drawing him, too (which is saying something because normally I hate drawing male characters)!

Compared to the other playable characters in the game, Shinjiro has the least amount of facial expressions. In the original games, he only has the three faces depicted above. All are relatively serious (though I suppose the last one looks more stressed). In Persona 3 Portable, however, he is given a few additional expressions that are more representative of his softer side: looking straight ahead rather than to the side, experiencing slight irritation, blushing and even a sad smile! Though he has two alternative costume choices on screen while in Tartarus, he is always wearing his default outfit in drawn images.

In regards to his CG render's body posture, he is most frequently seen slightly hunched over with his hands in his pockets. In the dorm, he is either leaning against the wall or bar, sitting at the table eating ramen or sitting in a chair at the bar. He crosses his legs whenever he sits and always has his hands in his pockets while not using them. When exploring Tartarus, however, his posture becomes more upright. He still has one hand in his pocket, though, even while fighting!

b a c k   .   c l e a r   .   f o r w a r d    Paint it Black is © Samantha, however Shinjiro and Persona 3 are © Atlus and other rightful owners. Paint it Black is a part of AFTER-DEATH.ORG.