Taiga x MC and the timelines (analysis)
A continuation of my previous post with Taiga’s question to MC and also a reply to @themostlovelyandlonelyboy because I have a lot to say and I had the same thought!
If Taiga remembers previous loops/timelines, that would explain why he often acts like he knows more than he's willing (or able) to say. What I find interesting is that Taiga constantly asks MC questions instead of telling her things.
He asks if she wants to live, asks what she thinks, asks what he should do, and even asks if she has a man. If he really does remember previous loops/ timelines, those questions almost feel like he's checking whether this timeline is different from the last one. Is she making different choices? Does she remember anything? Has the future changed? That would also explain all of his pauses ("…"). It's like he's weighing how much he can say without changing something or because he already knows what happens if he says too much.
At the same time, I don't think Taiga is completely hopeless. He's cynical, yes, but he keeps trying. If he'd truly given up, I don't think he'd bother protecting MC over and over again or asking for her input. The fact that he continues to involve her tells me that, despite everything he's seen, some part of him still believes this timeline could be different. That's actually why his affinity 25 line stands out to me: "You're not getting away from me, kitten. You're here till death do us part."
If he has watched MC die countless times, that line becomes heartbreaking. It stops sounding like simple possessiveness and starts sounding like someone who's desperately clinging to the one person he keeps losing.
It would also make his earlier "It doesn't matter, everything's screwed anyway" make more sense. Maybe that's not him saying love is pointless, maybe it's someone who's seen tragedy happen so many times that he doesn't want to let himself hope. Yet despite saying that, he still grows attached to MC.
I also agree that the loop or timeline we play probably isn't the first one. There are too many moments where Taiga reacts as if he's expecting something before it happens, or already knows how certain events play out. Whether that's because of his foresight alone or because he remembers previous timelines is still a mystery, but both possibilities fit his behavior well. If the time-loop/different timelines is 100% confirmed, then MC is the one variable that finally changes the future.
It would fit Taiga's arc if, after countless failed timelines, this is the one where someone finally believes him and that's what breaks the cycle. If it turns out to be true... then his Affinity 25 line: "You're here till death do us part." becomes even more heartbreaking. It wouldn't just be a possessive line but it would be someone who's finally found a timeline where he refuses to let MC go.
I don’t really know what I’m saying and if I said it correctly so you can understand but let me be delusional until the end lmao 🥀