Honestly, though, the pacing of P3 never bothered me. I think it's kind of fitting that you're spending your days just blissfully unaware of everything, making friends, taking part in school stuff, and then BAM everything hits you on the head and nothing is ever the same for anyone for different reasons.

I also really like the organic dynamic between the party members. In that, they're really all in this together not because they're all now such great friends that love each other no matter what (ahem, P4, take notes), so they have their conflicts with each other, trouble communicating, etc. I always felt the characters here were much more human than what we get in P4, or in most other games that focus on characters in general. Your character's relationship with Junpei may not be as pleasant and heartwarming as the one you have with your bro in P4, but it feels real and you can tell his issues don't really circle around you but are just part of something much greater that he's been struggling with for much longer than from the point you entered the story.

Also, I don't hate Ken. He may be a bit withdrawn and not able to act upon all the things he has in him regarding Shinji, but it really makes sense for a kid who's lost his mom, found out the whole Persona shebang and who kind of has to live with kids much older than him now. He's gonna keep to himself, what can you do?