[Leafsnail]

Originally Posted by Renall

[*]Someone else would have to be involved with the chain lock trick in ep1, but Genji is there and there's more than enough time for almost anyone to have done something.

Woah, so you're saying Kanon isn't necessary if you completely change the culprit in episode one? Surely you could strike out any literary character if you're allowed to rewrite the story.

The closed room trick requires that the culprit is an insider (ie they haven't already faked their death). If Shannon had just faked her death in the rose shed the second twilight trick would be impossible without just getting an accomplice to do it. I guess maybe you could change it around so Shannon doesn't die in the rose garden and instead dies like Kanon in the boiler room, but a) Who would be the substitute? and b) I think the 5th twilight trick required Shkannon to be in Kanon mode.

Incidentally, I don't think it would be possible without heavy modification to have the ep1 scene where Battler first meets Kanon (in which he's almost certainly taking the corpse of Kinzo back to the mansion) and the scene where Battler first meets Shannon (crucial hint about the method of destroying Beatrice which you must "grasp with your own hands").

Originally Posted by Renall

[*]Kanon's death in ep1 wouldn't have happened, but his death was also not particularly necessary. Narratively, it can be skipped.

Now I disagree here. I think it's a hint at the hole in Yasu's chest (ie Kanon stuck the stake into his old wound). Removing his death would be removing a hint at the "heart" of the story (I guess the hint's repeated in episode 2, but without Kanon you wouldn't get that either).

I'd say Kanon does a lot of important stuff in episode 2. Y'know, like die, come back to life, turn into Shannon to threaten Gohda etc.

Originally Posted by Renall

[*]Kanon's position in the ep3 chain of closed rooms. Not necessary because as long as Shannon is the first found, she can do the exact same trick. Kanon's slot can easily be filled by Nanjo or anyone really.

Actually, no. While the original trick can be performed with Shannon alone, she wouldn't be able to lead Jessica to safety by pretending to be the ghost of Kanon in the way she does towards the end of ep3 (that scene wouldn't be the same if it were ghost Shannon).

Originally Posted by Renall

[*]Kanon basically doesn't even need to exist in ep4. Nothing he does is important to the story. The red about him being the ninth victim is apparently completely irrelevant if ep7 and ep8 are to be believed, so that wound up appearing to be a critical reasoning hint that went absolutely nowhere.

If some version of the love question is actually being asked, Shannon would need the ability to become Kanon in order to put it to Jessica.