Persona 3 Reload: What’s the other, more casual name for ‘May sickness’?

It’s May 15 in Persona 3 Reload, midterm exams are fast approaching, and Mrs. Terauchi is somewhat cruelly asking you to name the sickness caused largely by those very same exams. “May sickness” is a specifically Japanese phenomenon, so this is a tough question if you’re not Japanese.

The tricky thing here is that “May sickness” only really exists in Japan, where it has a Japanese name. And, of course, its casual name also only exists in Japanese, so you’re essentially being asked to guess which of three very similar options is the most accurate translation of some Japanese slang. But fear not; it can be done.

What’s the other name for “May sickness”—the more casual one in Persona 3 Reload?

So, when Mrs. Terauchi taunts you, a presumably very stressed and depressed high school student at this time, by asking for the casual name for “May sickness,” you get three options to choose from:

• May Days
• May Blues
• Moody Blues

It was pretty easy to find articles about the “May sickness” phenomenon and how Japan is basically totally cool with piling so much pressure onto its young people during one month that they get sick. But most of those articles simply refer to it as “May sickness ”or use the Japanese “Gogatsubyou.”

I persisted and found a few articles that mentioned the alternative name “May Blues.” So the other, more casual name for “May sickness” is “May Blues” and the answer to Mrs Terauchi’s question is “May Blues.” Give that answer and you’ll earn a little bit of Charm.

What is the other common expression used to describe “May sickness” in Persona 3 Reload?

The topic of “May sickness” comes up again during the midterm exams, specifically in the English exam on May 19 (5/19). This is presumably a Japanese exam in the Japanese version of the game, which would make a lot more sense.

The exam question is almost identical to the in-class question, just worded differently: What is the other common expression used to describe “May sickness?” And there’s one extra possible answer in addition to the previous three:

• May Days
• May Blues
• Moody Blues
• Dropsy

Once again, the answer is “May Blues,” so give that as the answer and you’ll be well on your way to acing these exams. And in case you’re wondering, “dropsy” is the name of a real illness. It’s another name for fluid retention and has nothing to do with incontinence (which is what I guessed based on the name.)