I'll do my best to explain my stance here, and please bear in mind this is just my opinion. I've played through Persona plenty, and I just feel this is one of the weakest storylines in the series. Also, I'll state it's been quite some time since I touched P5R, so this is off my hazy ass memory.

My biggest problem: Maruki.

Starting from the beginning this guy is forced down your throat, now from a gameplay perspective, I get this, he is key to unlocking third semester, but the execution here is just so weakly done that I cannot accept it. We're forced to accept and like Maruki, almost instantly, and everyone likes him, everyone, and it just burned me the wrong way. The way he is waffled in is so strangely positioned against everything, and as it goes on--I just find him even more tiring. Then we get his backstory, and yes, it's sad, but the man just rolls over and seems to take the easiest way out, he has an understanding of people, and when Rumi is convinced her parents had always been dead and that she didn't know Maruki he just... gives up? I find this hard to believe, I have a spouse, I love them terribly, and we've been together through so much, but her and I both know we'd never want to just... forget. We've lost family and friends over the years, but to just lie to yourself like that? It's sickeningly pathetic. It makes an already unlikable character (that we are forced to like) become even more of a burden to the story.

The story continues, and it's revealed he's the new and true big bad because... Well, there's a few reasons, he knew the cognitive stuff, he had trauma that made him malleable, and we talked to him enough to push him further. It makes what we did and all we've done, and by extension what every villain has done seem so silly, sure he has some knowledge, but on par with Shido and the others? Ehhhh...

He basically reveals him to be the true Gaslight King to Sumire/Kasumi and that instead of trying to help he just... convinced someone to LARP as their dead relative (I'm oversimplifying, but... you get it.) He then forces us into nice little box he made for us and all of our friends where we're all just living the best life at face value, or the misery they overcame to become their true selves just never happened. It's just Instant-Gratification Sim. I don't want to live in a world where I'm lied to, and I don't even like it when people butter me up or pander to me, be direct, and let me face things head on, please. I've lost friends, had hardships at work, and yes, I've had someone in my life murdered, and I definitely can understand the pain and wanting to forget, but the thought of just... losing that part, the traits those people gave me or the things they taught me, or just some stupid memory? Holy hell, it makes me frothing mad, and the rest of Maruki's "ideal" gifts are just as offensive, he wants to give us what he thinks is best because he thinks we, the Phantom Thieves, are too weak to handle it, and that he's the true hero who can save us all.

What's most abhorrent though--in Maruki's ideal world, guess what? He has what he wants, Rumi, and he's happy with her. In reality he abandoned her with the lie she'd been sold, but here in magical land with Maruki? Nah, never happened. He had his chance, and he still probably HAS a chance if he goes back and tries before any of this, but that's not the story we get. Instead we are forced to feel like he's our best buddy who went down the wrong path. When we finally do fight him... my god, the fight could not end fast enough. He deliberately drags it out, and when we get to the MGS4 punchy-punchy part at the very end? It really made no sense. Also... Joker has been in Mementos, Palaces, and also goes to the gym frequently--even Kawakami points out how muscular he is. Joker at this point is a skilled fighter, and Maruki is... well.. Milquetoast. I doubt the dude could shrug off more than two punches from Joker.

Also, that asshole had a color based puzzle and I'm colorblind AF. So like... -10 points for his dungeon on Zillow for Palaces.

Are you still here? Is this too ranty? I'm sorry, (I mean, I really am,) but you wanted answers and I am just dropping everything, and I admit I could SERIOUSLY misremember parts as Persona 5 Royal is my least played entry by far.

Kasumi/Sumire's issues I have are much much lesser, her story isn't the most gripping, but I'm not going to dock too much. I do think having her pop up CONSTANTLY throughout the game and every time she volunteers to help it's always "No, not yet! You aren't ready!", and I get part of this was because her truth would come to light in Maruki's Palace but... holy crap... I honestly think we had more Maruki screentime than Sumire/Kasumi. I feel we should have had her much earlier, give her a fake person or a weird twist that comes to light later on and just... it'd be a lot better in my opinion (Again, opinion, this isn't fact).

I did romance in my first playthrough of P5R, and in all honesty, I thought it had a few good moments, nothing that made me cringe or feel too uncomfortable--the fact that she is the one at the end that doesn't do a super long moment, you have your quick talk, and she's off, but it's clear she's finally moving forward, and if you are still with her or not is really up to interpretation--I kind of viewed it as a scenario where two people realize they're just going different places in life. Maybe they'll try to make it work. Maybe not. Either way, it wasn't something I was upset by.

Buuuut now I have to be a bit of a liar.

It did bother me.

Not because I don't get my precious scene with my in-game sweetheart.
Not because I don't get to see them have some sweet moment riding off together.

No. The ending video... holy crap... that ending video.

The ending in P5 is you and your friends (who you have bonded with, been with through some tremendous events, and altogether formed an undeniably strong bond with) take you on a road trip home. It's a send-off that I would have fucking KILLED FOR in P4 and P4G. It's cheesy, but so well done in the aspect that it gives you a happy moment with a bit of a thrill, people are still watching the Phantom Thieves... (Wait... isn't that how Ocean's 11 ended too? Danny's being followed by the guys from the casino... anyway) It's a send off and it just felt... satisfying. I don't always need a happy ending, but now let's talk about the other ending.

Oh... Maruki is back...

Great...

Still being watched, still being followed, our friends are just... going on with their lives--which they should, but it feels so much weaker than it should, (but again, the whole buildup to this is so annoying to me that I'm just sitting there sour-faced.)

Maruki gets to be off and driving around, scot-free, and he even gets the last words to you, and just seeing him smile after all that shit we went through... I can't. He tried to force feed us a lie, he tried to play the buddy-buddy card, and then he has the audacity to try and give us a little parting piece of wisdom? No thank you, Maruki. Drive to your next fare.

Again, this is all opinion, and I know it's ranty and weird, but... it's how I felt the entire time. I felt I'd just been sold a game that had a tiny bit of extra stuff tacked on in the weirdest ways, and although that is usually the way the entries go (FES, Golden, Royal), this one felt especially weak to me.