Hiiii, Eden! I wanted to ask your opinion on something if that's okay?
So, is it hypocritical that I enjoy/like Niragi more than Heiya and Shibuki? I don't like Shibuki for what she did for Chota (tv show) and I hate Heiya for what she tried to do to Arisu (also because I think she is annoying, but that's off topic). But I feel like a hypocrite for like Niragi.
I don't support his actions, but I like this character and think it was well written. But I somewhat feel the same way towards the others as well, but I don't like them as much. He's not one of my favorite characters, but I like him a lot.
Should I feel bad for liking Niragi more than them?
No. You shouldn't feel bad for a single second, and I'm going to tell you exactly why.
Liking a character has never been the same thing as endorsing what they do. If it were, every person who's ever been fascinated by Hannibal Lecter or found Walter White compelling would need to hand themselves in at the nearest police station. That's absurd. You already know this instinctively, you said it yourself. You don't support his actions. You recognise the craft.
And here's the thing that separates Niragi from the other two in a way that has nothing to do with hypocrisy. He's written with purpose. His depravity isn't just there to shock or to create a quick plot complication, it's the thesis statement of an entire philosophical argument the story is making. He exists to say "humanity is rotten at its core," and the entire narrative bends itself around proving him wrong. That's compelling. That's a character serving his story on every level. His arc has weight. It has resolution. People risking their lives for someone who doesn't deserve it, specifically to disprove everything he stands for? That's satisfying writing.
Shibuki is a plot device who exits early. Heiya's scene is tonally messy and narratively undercooked. You're not a hypocrite for responding to the character who was given more to work with. You're responding to craftsmanship.
Also, and this is just me being honest with you, finding a character annoying is a perfectly legitimate reason to not like them. You don't owe every fictional personal equal emotional investment. That's not how stories work. That's not how people work.
So stop punishing yourself over this. Your taste is your own, and it's sharper than you're giving yourself credit for.
