Why does Erzi have amnesia?
Reasons against:
- The story is about Erzi coming to terms that he cannot write himself a perfect ending as a human (and he does not want to control every decision that his friends make). If he spends more time figuring out the time loop than trying to save his friends, then it distracts from the central conflict.
- Just make the figuring out the time loop a part of saving his friends.
- But the point is futility. In his mind, he’s only done it once.
- So he knows from the get go that he’s in a time loop. He doesn’t know he’s causing it, but he’s going to use the opportunity to save the people he loves - then figure out how to end the time loop.
- But the point is futility. In his mind, he’s only done it once.
- Just make the figuring out the time loop a part of saving his friends.
- Why doesn’t Erzi just control what everyone does?
- In one of the time loops, he did create the “perfect ending” by controlling everyone, but they were lifeless husks. My argument is that every person is the sum of their experiences and decisions. Even making a slightly different decision at any point in your life can change to drastically. So, if you had no freedom to make choices, you would be a totally different person. Of course, Erzi tried to make his friends like how he remembers them, but it can never actually be the real person, without their lived experiences. These puppets still roam the dream as Soul Echoes, attacking all those perceived as imperfect (everyone outside of that loop).
Reasons for:
- Introducing the new world through the eyes of someone who is unfamiliar. Instead of exposition dumping, Erzi can ask questions or explore the environment naturally.
- Plot twist that Erzi is actually Gehrman.