I am not a fan of the idea of stealing Akechi’s heart.
I see it occasionally as a theme throughout shuake works, and it never makes sense to me.
Akechi’s entire story is about agency, the ways he’s been stripped of it, and the ways he copes with that. To steal his heart is to reinforce the idea that his agency doesn’t matter.
Stealing hearts is a form of ego-death. The person before having their heart stolen and then afterwards are not the same. And so, in choosing to steal his heart, we deny him the chance to ever realize that he is good enough on his own, without having to be a different person. This isn’t to say he doesn’t have to change—he should certainly stop murdering people at the least—but we have to acknowledge that the capacity for good is inside him and wants to be brought to the forefront.
I think of the line, “why couldn’t we have met a few years earlier?” It’s a very honest line because it is a recognition of regret. As little as he allows himself to admit it, he does regret where things are. On top of this, though, he doesn’t bother posturing goodness. Shido portrays himself as a visionary, leading the country into the future. Okumura does a similar thing with leading humanity to space. Akechi doesn’t. He is able to acknowledge himself as an evildoer and doesn’t pretend otherwise. In my opinion, these show that he does have the capacity for good.
Akechi’s entire life has been a series of difficult choices, milestones he holds onto as proof of his agency. His choice to kill, his choice to team up with Shido, his choice to shoot Ren. But in reality, these are not markers of agency. He didn’t choose to kill, not really. He was manipulated, first by a system that wanted him dead and then by a man who wanted him as a weapon. He never had a quiet moment when things were safe and the world didn’t need him bearing his teeth. He never had a chance to reflect on his actions or to realize that he could change them. He never had agency.
To steal Akechi’s heart is to say “I don’t believe you have the ability to change, and I refuse to give you the agency to prove otherwise.” It is wrong, and it is a misreading of his character, in my opinion.
The true best option, therefore, is simply to give him stability and safety. A pleasant relationship with someone he loves, time to reflect on his deeds outside of the threat of the axe dropping, proof that he is worth loving no matter what. This, finally, returns him the agency he deserves.
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