in my previous analysis (which you can read here) I was discussing a scene and mentioned how I personally wished Mikumo had acted differently in it. however I said that the actions I wanted Mikumo to take “…wouldn’t be very Mikumo of him.” but, upon reflection, I actually think the action I wanted him to take is distinctly Mikumo-esque. and yet…he doesn’t take that path. which is interesting.
so this is a scene analysis with discussion of Mikumos worldview. which is immensely interesting, at least to me. I love complex worldviews and Mikumos is especially convoluted.
i. as previously stated, I read translations. I do my best to cross-reference information. i’m trying to use less images so my references are formatted as in-text citations
ii. discussion or clarification of images is kept in the alt text as per usual
iii. discussing this scene is a segway to discuss Mikumo on a broader scale.
iv. general Mikumo content warnings
v. this is a lot more speculative due to the nature of morals. apologies. my biases likely bleed through, unfortunately.
if there is a single scene that I think about the most, it might just be this one. this scene is great, it not only displays Mikumos brazen nature, but also presents us with Jin being ashamed. it is easy to confuse their personalities here, because as much as Jin tries to seem like he has it all under control, and that he is an unstoppable force, he is ultimately a nineteen year old trying to prove his worth as an individual and perform perfection for his juniors. and on the other hand, Mikumo, who presents himself as a stickler for the rules, somebody quiet but good natured, is, in actuality, a brazen, self-sacrificing circumventer with little regard for authority.
this scene presents them as they are, in their truest forms. thats likely why it is one of my favorites.
but the first time I read it, and the second time, I do not think I understood the impact that Mikumos prior characterizations had on this scene. every single aspect of Mikumos mindset and perspective affected how this scene went. admittedly, that sounds like exaggeration, but every fundamental piece of Mikumos worldview is presented in this scene, and he proves just how loyally he follows his morals.
before I can analyze how his worldview affects this scene, I will first present my interpretation of his mindset.
what matters to Mikumo?
in my time writing analysis, there are few characters with a worldview as difficult to discuss as Mikumo. the main reason for that is due to the double-standard his mindset is built on. Mikumo is steadfast in following his morals, and believes in them wholeheartedly—but he does not intend to push them onto other people. despite his interpretation of his actions as “what [he] deems right” (Ch85, P7), he does not hold others to the same standard. that is the double-standard, the fundamental hypocrisy to all of Mikumos thoughts and actions. therefore, when making any statements about Mikumos mindset, there is an inherent need for an addendum. because if I say, for example, “Mikumo believes in the importance of rules,” I can back that up with evidence from the manga (Ch2, P20). but, at the same time, that statement is wrong—immediately wrong to every reader, because no matter what Mikumo has said to Kuga about rules, Mikumo has actually broken and/or warped almost every rule he himself has come across. however, as with most moral systems, there is a hierarchy to his goals and beliefs. but because it is also Mikumo, this moral compass is divided between himself and literally everyone else.
I have made a table, which will hopefully help with comprehension. the order in which beliefs are listed goes from “foundational” to “fundamental.”*
*note: the content described in a box overpowers the one above it. for example, Mikumos perspective on Justice overrides anything he believes about Authority. it is set up this way due to the confusing nature of morals. I apologize for any confusion in advance.
**everything included in this section is very difficult to discuss, due to the nature of morals and Mikumo himself. if anyone has ideas for how to better express these concepts, please, do tell me! Mikumo's perspective on the world is fascinating to me, and I love to hear others thoughts on his worldview.
and so the order of his worldview, when it comes to himself, iis as follows:
i. the safety of my own body and mind is secondary to the safety of those around me; the lives of others matter more than my own. the lives of those i care for and must protect matter most.
ii. if i do not always help when i am able to, i will never help others again: that moral failing must never occur. letting down others is not an option, i must succeed at all costs
iii. the punishments i receive are just, but that is not the case for what others may receive, their punishments must be deemed right before they are accepted.
iv. the authority of others is only important so long as it does not threaten the success of ii. or iii. ultimately authority is a construct. rules can guide but may be rejected for the sake of ii. and iii.
side note, these read much like the laws of robotics. i am delighted at that fact.
the ordering of these items is intentional. Mikumo is only able to achieve ii. because of his complete lack of preservational instincts. if Mikumo cared even a little bit more about his own safety than others, he would deem himself selfish. to be ready to die for others, Mikumo forfeits any care for his own safety and life. only once he has done that can he maintain and truly believe in his morals.
selfishness, and its opposite, selflessness, are often brought up in regards to Mikumo. no doubt due to his own use of the term when referring to himself. it raises many questions, naturally: because are his actions selfish? the results of them may not be, but is the end result what matters, or are the reasons for his actions what matters? its part of why he is so interesting.
what, to Mikumo, is failure?
at what point, if any, would Mikumo fall into his worst impulses? what would have to occur for him to stop following his moral code? when does it end, how small does it have to get?
“I just think…if I ran away from what I think I ought to do even once, then surely, I’d end up running away when it matters most” (Ch21, P12).
there is only one type of failure to Mikumo, only one place where he feels he can wriggle out of his mindset. the only way that he can fail is to run away. and this is in every single thing he does. it is easy to see only how this applies in dangerous situations, where lives are at risk, but Mikumo does this with everything. he doesn’t need to help Kuga keep his ring, but he does, because that’s what he believes is right (Ch1, P17). for him to second-guess his deductions is to abandon his foundational beliefs. there is no leeway for him, there is no margin for error. there is a single condition for success.
and he will die for it.
Mikumo does not see death as a failure, because he does not value his life. should he give his own life to save the lives of others, he has done good. the cost of his own death is nothing compared to the reward of his friends, his family, everyone, continuing to live.
and that is why he does not blame Jin.
why doesnt Mikumo argue with Jin?
in any other story, this scene should’ve ended with an argument. this scene features Mikumos core principle, that even if the future held more danger, that is no reason to ignore the people of the present, being directly ignored and violated by another protagonist. this is, in any other story, a method to analyze that principle, to see its flaws, its benefits, and Jin’s own nature as a character. but because this is world trigger, we do not see an argument.
when Mikumo's sense of justice is violated, he has no qualms about arguing against it, or holding grudges. of course, this only applies when it is his allies being treated unfairly–it does not matter to Mikumo when he is being targeted (Ch86, P7). and that is precisely why Mikumo does not argue about morals with Jin in this scene.
because Mikumo was, to his knowledge, the only one in mortal peril. and so it doesnt matter to him that Jin took a path that could lead to his death, precisely because it is Mikumo's life at stake.
and when it comes to Replica and Amatori, he perceives himself as having full responsibility when it comes to them. Mikumo does not have future sight, and likely doesn’t completely understand just how much control Jin does (or doesn’t) have over the future. once Amatori was in danger, Mikumo took the responsibility for her safety and life. because that’s the kind of person he is: someone who doesn’t ignore people in need, someone who follows through on his promises.
he does not blame Jin for Replicas disappearance because Mikumo takes responsibility for that “failing.” he can’t see it as Jin’s responsibility.
and so, to Mikumo, there is nothing to argue about. Amatori survived, he was willing to give his life to make that happen, and of those he couldn’t save—he intends to get them back too. Mikumo doesn’t focus on the future much: but he will keep moving forward, if only for the sake of others.
this is probably something to talk about later, but it’s really interesting how little Mikumo cares about the future, especially because of how anxiety ridden he is as a character. subversions, i suppose.
the death of Mikumo
this has no correlation to the previous scene beyond a different mindset. Reiji Kizaki and Mikumo have differing views on sacrifice, and by extension, saving people via sacrifice. it is especially interesting that Kizaki is one of the two people who told Mikumo to save Amatori “by any means necessary” (Ch55, P6). Based on this scene, Reiji was telling Mikumo that Mikumo may have to fail, to fail to come back, to continue saving people, whereas Mikumo understood it as a demand for success, a confirmation that Mikumos life means less than Amatoris. and so Mikumo “does the right thing.”
I don’t have much else to say, but this scene is great, especially with the context of the large scale invasion. I love miscommunication like this, where the meaning is understood but the fundamentals behind it is misinterpreted. Kizaki is great and his mindset is opposed to Mikumos in a really interesting way.
unfortunately I don’t have a clean way to end this. Mikumo is very interesting to think about. his mindset is so perfectly complex and every scene proves his dedication to his beliefs. contributions from others is greatly appreciated! please let me know if i’ve got anything wrong.
not so much a prediction as a hope, but I really want Mikumo to use his wire strategies during phase two. i feel the spiders web is specifically designed so that the opponent must come to you, and enter your turf (which tamakoma-2 couldn’t previously afford to wait on, seeing as they needed points). the A-Rank team seems to intend to do precisely that…attack the 11 Squads turrets quickly. many of the terminals are in close-quartered space as well, perfect for the wires.
also, I feel bad that Mikumo got to use them once really effectively and then barely got to do so again. it’s funny how bad he wants to use them. it’s clear he sees it as one of his main strengths. I hope he gets the chance to use them here, as he deserves it. he’s been so patient
