In a new interview from Persona magazine, series chief director Katsura Hashino revealed some juicy details about different characters, discussed Persona 5’s content and talked Social Links. Via Siliconera and Game Jouhou:

Tidbits

• Persona 4 Golden added an immense amount of volume to Persona 4 without compromising any of it. While doing so was tough, the final result was quite gorgeous.

• Compared to previous works, the dungeon level design will be hugely different. While each dungeon’s content will be different from the next, they’ll all be packed with possibilities to enjoy.

• By utilizing a theme as cliched as “the phantom thief,” it’s possible to insert plot schemes so imaginative they’ll surprise the player beyond what they could even imagine. By cleverly fusing “the phantom thief” with a contemporary, Persona-style drama, we can present a truly interesting piece of entertainment.

• We set the game in Tokyo because we wanted to show that the story of the outrageous “phantom thief” can occur in the world you know.

• The lion’s share of characters are labeled or looked at it with prejudice and live every day feeling like no matter what, there is no place for them where they can enjoy their lives. Rousing themselves to tear down this status quo and really come alive is the starting point of their character development.

Characters

• Regarding Ryuji Sakamoto: He is the type of character to pull the protagonist along with him, saying, “Let’s change the world!” The protagonist begins as a “phantom thief” due to being dragged along by Ryuji. He sticks to his guns, but inside he’s a kind soul. That’s the kind of personality voice actor Mamoru Miyano is great at. His persona “Captain Kidd” is a good match for Ryuji’s setting and episode.

• Regarding Ann Takamaki: She’s a quarter-American girl who’s returned to Japan, who seems well-liked but has no real friends, who stands out but is completely cut off from her surroundings, who is filled with solitude. Once she joins the party, her bright personality makes her a real mood-maker who can liven up any situation. Her persona “Carmen” has a femme fatale side, and Ryuji and the protagonist throw down in the conflict of the other world due to her involvement in a certain incident. Due to that, she is the type of girl who influences the destiny of the party.

• Regarding Morgana : Similar to Persona 4 ’s bear-type Teddie, this character serves to navigate the other world in great detail. Morgana has worked in the phantom thief trade for some time for their own purposes, but also takes on the duty of training the party as a phantom thieves. In the real world, they take on the form of a normal cat, but we want you to look forward to the reason for that. Their Persona “Zorro” is their dream form. Since they’re usually small and always called “Hey, Cat,” their macho Persona is their wish fulfillment form.

• Regarding Yusuke Kitagawa : An eccentric character, one whose charm may differ from the impression you get from his artwork. A talented artist, he is a fine arts scholarship student.

Social Link, etc

• There will be a similar system to the Social Link. What can we change to make communication the driving force for these characters? Because this problem is still being energetically discussed, we’re thinking on how to make these human relations a step above the Social Link in Persona 3 or Persona 4.

• We’re still thinking on how to please the fans with our announcement for the Persona series 20th anniversary, so as you wait for Persona 5, we hope that you also await this as well.

Persona 5 should release in summer 2016 in Japan, with a later release in 2016 expected for North America. For more Persona 5 trailers and character profiles news as it happens, make sure to follow @idigitaltimes on Twitter.