[KleenexGhost]

Originally Posted by miketyson

Vena: I see it and I don't. I share your feeling for why (1) Zessica even exists and (2) why go to such lengths to show she's unhappy even in the finale...but even if you cut her out it just makes the lack of thematic coherency less obvious, and not really any less present.

It's getting back to the same issues you've raised a bunch of times: Amata and Kagura being the same person really weakens any fate-related distinction between the two of them, regardless of what the characters themselves have to say about their own reasons for doing things.

Sure, having Zessica out there working hard the way she did really pulls it into focus, but it's not like excising her from the plot would do anything much to fix the underlying lack-of-fate-related-distinction between Amata and Kagura vis-a-vis Mikono. (It would be possible to patch that up with better writing and so on, but I'm sticking to ceteris-paribus, no-more-Zessica...).

Some speculation in light of the ending:

Spoiler for Zessica a bad girl?:

Remember way back when when we were arguing about whether or not Zessica Mikono down the stairs that one time?...At this point, I'm wondering if her arc was conceived as that of making the painful journey from borderline-hurtful jealousy to mature, enlightened "I just want what's best for the person I love" love, except for whatever reason she became far too sympathetic and far too enlightened far too soon in the story...and then here we are, there she is, and everyone is

Not saying that's a *good* concept for her or her arc, but wondering if that might be the story arc she started out on before getting struck by bad writing and bad ideas?

That is a good point. Like you said, wasn't executed well.