Welcome to the very first episode of The Ideal-ist, a new series of YouTube Shorts serving as a companion to The Autistic Mile.

In this series, Shane Gaffney explores the characters, games, shows, and stories that have resonated with him throughout his life—not simply because they’re entertaining, but because they can reflect the way he experiences the world as an autistic person. Each episode uses a piece of media as a starting point for discussing psychology, values, personal experiences, and the unique perspective autism can bring.

For the inaugural episode, Shane discusses Takuto Maruki from Persona 5 Royal—a character he deeply admires for reasons that can very well relate to the needs of the autistic community. Why does Maruki resonate so strongly? What does he represent to someone like Shane on the autism spectrum? And what can that tell us about how to better relate to those on the spectrum?

Whether you’re autistic yourself, know someone who is, or are simply curious about seeing familiar media through a different lens, The Ideal-ist invites you to step into another perspective.

#TheIdealist #TheAutisticMile #Autism #ActuallyAutistic #AutisticPerspective #Persona5Royal #TakutoMaruki #Persona5 #Gaming #CharacterAnalysis #Psychology #Neurodiversity #VideoGames #StoryAnalysis #YouTubeShorts

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

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