#but this one counts as both maybe
Why we need Shinya back
Seriously. Not only because he’s an incredible likeable character and hot but because he has and still is essential for Guren’s inner conflict and therefore has an impact on the story itself.
What kind of role Shinya plays for the story?
Apart from being Guren’s friend and lover in Catastrophe Shinya’s role was to remind Guren how important bonds and friendship is to him. Shinya was supposed to become his friend and finally ended up being his best friend and most trusted person. Shinya even became the synonym for Guren’s friends.
Even when Guren got attached to his friends during the light novels on his own, it was Shinya that reminded him that Guren can actually count on his friends in book 6. Shinya set up the idea that there was no need for power if there was nothing to protect. Shinya pushed Guren into actually believing in friendship and chosing not to strive for power. Guren always had that tendency but he never allowed himself to make that decision. Though we all know, Guren sadly failed on that way. He wasn’t able to prevent the Catastrophe.
Shinya vs Mahiru
The topic isn’t new but isn’t it odd that Shinya is written with the characters for deep night and Mahiru as pure midday? Both characters play a different role for Guren’s decision in the end.
Shinya represents Guren’s need for people around him, people he wants to protect. In a more general way, shinya represents gaining power for the sake of others.
Mahiru on the other hand wants Guren to abandon all bonds, to become reckless and thereby powerful like she did. Her way is to leave everything behind for power and happiness. In general, she thereby represents gaining power for the sake of oneself.
This difference in views was what caused Guren’s inner conflict. Should he abandon everything to achieve his Goal or should he rely on his friends? Mahiru as the “easy” option, she offered him or Shinya that would offer him a more difficult but morally seemingly better option.
What does that mean for the current situation?
So… On which of both paths is Guren now?
In my opinion, Guren now chose Mahiru’s way. Even though he says he’s doing it for the sake of others, he doesn’t seem to mind anymore what they will get out of that apart from making them an offer they can’t deny.
Guren got reckless mile Mahiru, and most of all, he betrayed his friends that he swore to protect. Maybe he’s doing it for their sake as well but again, he doesn’t seem to care for their well-being anymore.
Though Guren might be still thinking he’s on Shinya’s path. In his mind he’s doing it for others, but in the end, he probably knows he’s doing it most of all for his own redemption. So that je can live with the guilt
Why we need Shinya now?
So Guren is still in an inner conflict with himself. Wanting to protect his friends and thereby chosing methods that are questionable to gain more power. And the only person he talks to about this is Mahiru.
Of course he would start making decisions her way. She is the only person that is currently able to influence him in that. There’s no other person giving a second opinion or doubting the decisions Guren is making. There’s just Mahiru “supporting” him to do the “right” thing.
And the person always be the counterpart to Mahiru was always Shinya. Like I explained before. Shinya was the other way, the different idea, a different moral. And Shinya is in the end Guren’s most trusted person.
So we really need Shinya back to also bring back Guren’s inner conflict. To reintroduce a different idea, a different option and new path. I can’t think of a different character to be able to fulfill that role again.
Guren as the one holding part of the strings together has a big impact on the story. And as Shinya can heavily influence him, Shinya is really important for the outcome of the story itself.
So… In order to get the conflict back running, we need Shinya back.
