I don't necessarily disagree with any of this. Though I would still point out that just because the series follows the original Male MC from P3, it doesn't mean the FemMC is actually non-canon (unless PQ establishes something I am unaware of)
Nothing unexpected. Just that the their is no female MC, in this timeline.


as the set-up of the franchise makes it possible for her to return in a future installment if Atlus really felt like it, hence why I say she is canon, just not in the main continuity. If she were truly non-canon, they could never re-use her outside of maybe shout out or maybe some non-canon DLC. It's not like the Naoto Manga or Trinity Soul where the main continuity has made all those scenarios impossible to happen or the Persona Team has outright stated it is non-canon.
It's actually exactly like the Naoto Manga or Trinity Soul. Those could have possibly existed in alternate universes as well(had Atlus not confirmed them as non canon). Female MC is in the same boat. She clearly does not exist in the main story: the only way we could ever see her again is in some sort of alternate reality. This is highly unlikely though. Persona Q is all about bringing characters together through space and time, and she still doesn't exist. It would have been all too easy to add her into the continuity, but she was scrapped. Since she simply doesn't exist in the official canon. She's basically one confirmation away from being 100% non canon.

I wish we could get Atlus to comment on this directly. Much like Matsuno did on Ramza's fate in FFT(where he was confirmed to be alive at the end).


Course we're also talking about a series where every new retelling of P4 becomes the established canon. I wouldn't be surprised if P3 follows suit with the P3 movies.
The P4 Anime was never the established canon. The current timeline consists of P3:FES and P4olden. Those are the ones that the sequels follow.