#I just don’t think it was the most fruitful option narratively and I’m mourning all the lost potential he had

[designernishiki]

I think one of the things that bothers me the most about mine being killed off at the end of y3 is like… you get little tiny looks here and there into his mind and at who he is, but overall because his intentions are so mysterious most of the game, he seems like a relatively 2-dimensional villain pretty much up until the very end when he monologues and reveals his worldview, background, relationship with daigo, etc. and then right after they establish him as being complex and interesting by revealing all that info AND having him take kiryu’s hand and start changing his mindset for the better– they kill him off. so it kinda feels like truly introducing a character right at the end and then getting rid of him like thirty seconds later just Destroying all the potential they just gave him. like. he was just at the start of his development basically and it just sucks to not be able to see that through and see what he could’ve become.

as much as I do totally understand the dilemma brought on by daigo waking up and the crushing guilt that’d immediately bring mine, and I totally agree that he’d absolutely TRY to dramatically kill himself in an act of self-sacrifice over it, I don’t think they particularly should’ve let him– for the sake of his potential as a recurring character, but moreover because we’ve already been through this before with nishiki and ending this incident with the same result despite kiryu actually doing things right this time and daigo showing immediate care and concern for mine upon waking up (unlike kiryu with nishiki, who got ignored and basically forgotten). I think it would’ve been more powerful and interesting and applicable to kiryu’s development in the long run to have had mine saved, both literally/physically and emotionally in the sense that he actually accepts, even if he doesn’t believe he’s worthy of it, that people truly care about him and there isn’t only evil in the world and that if he can’t live for himself he can live for the sake of those he loves. he’s been self-centered for so long and kiryu calls him out on it, so he considers that maybe, for once, he should put his fate and trust into the hands of others rather than believing himself to have the clearest judgement on what he deserves or how he should repent. and that’d mean something to kiryu, who’s at that point already grappling with a similar dilemma when it comes to stubbornly sacrificing himself for others despite those who love him telling him it’s not always necessary and that he can accept help. it’so mean something to have kiryu see that self sacrifice isn’t the only option, and even in the worst of situations a person’s life can be saved through compassion.