Naoto has received overall widespread positive reception, having been named as one of the best
Persona characters. Andrew Clouther of
GameZone expressed skepticism with how Naoto was being designed for
Persona 4: Dancing All Night, feeling that Naoto depicted in a sexual light felt unlike her and expressed concern that it would be used to justify "
fan-service." Mike Cosimano regarded her as a great character due to her pragmatism and quality detective work. Izzatul Razali of
IGN has claimed that Naoto is one of best female character in
Persona, stating that "as the story develops, she definitely defies expectations and evolves into an impactful character and one of the best romantic options." Janine Hawkins of
Paste Magazine has also praised her for her outfit, feeling that few could pull it off as well. Naoto's gender identity has been subject to discussion by much of the audience as well as critics, and has been a source of controversy for
Persona 4. She is canonically a woman, but her shadow makes reference to a body-modifying surgical procedure and crossing the barriers between sexes, seemingly as a reference to
transgender surgery. Naoto struggles throughout the game, feeling repressed in her femininity as her interests in detective novels and science fiction were not typical for a young girl, picking up certain attitudes and making her feel as though being seen as a woman is not 'ideal' for her image as a detective. Notably, she does not react negatively when initially called a woman after her secret is revealed, and her voice grows more feminine when faced against her shadow. Her social link portrays her as curious and willing to embrace her womanhood and seeking out the encouragement of the protagonist, though shy. Vrai Kaiser of
The Mary Sue was initially hoping to find a "kindred spirit" with Naoto, but grew upset when they discovered that this was not the case. Michael Higham of
GameSpot felt that certain choices players could make regarding her gender identity were insensitive. Carolyn Petit of
GameSpot considered Naoto to be a trans man, but expressed disappointment that
Persona 4 seemed to reject this idea. She criticized the reasoning for Naoto presenting male, feeling it "rang false" due to finding it unbelievable for someone to live as a different gender due to an attachment to fictional characters. She also took issue with characters changing their behavior towards Naoto, citing Yosuke flirting with her and characters explaining certain behaviors as being due to her gender as examples. Carol Grant of
Vice criticized Naoto, suggesting that the romance scenes were demeaning to Naoto's identity and expressing disappointment in how Naoto's gender identity is handled. Authors of the book
Queerness in Play discuss how Naoto's gender expression and struggles with gender is used to teach players about the transgender experience.
Comic Book Resource author Noelle Corbett noted that Naoto has been interpreted by players as a trans man or non-binary, and in that case
Persona 4 "falls short of actual queer representation." However, she felt that the controversy overshadowed the "fairly progressive message" in
Persona 4 over gender. She stated that, despite the interpretation, Naoto never indicates a desire to be anything other than a woman. She drew a comparison between her and women who have disguised themselves as men, including
Hua Mulan and
Deborah Sampson. She noted that while it was likely not meant to be a trans story, it "does invoke some problematic tropes that often surround such stories." She elaborated that this was due to Naoto's wish that she was a man so she could succeed as a detective contrasted real-world beliefs that that trans people transition to "benefit from the different expectations of the opposite sex." ==References==