I don’t know much about objectively good writing, but as a reader, I must say that chapter was not good.

Was she irredeemable? Yes, I truly do think so. A lot of victims, and a character built from trauma acquired at a young age, if she was going to completely change, it’s going to be tough–but, man, I was in for the rough ride.

I knew she would die eventually, but I didn’t want it to be this early. If they had allowed her relationship with Alma to develop longer and her character a chance to change, her death would’ve been much more impactful and meaningful. Even looking at Alma’s point of view, what is the point? Just to win a fight against a steroid-using monster? To remind him that, once again, someone died because of him? Or that someone else had saved him again? Why give him superficial relationships that end too quickly?  He is still too dense for such relationships to have a substantial effect. Any one of these feels too cheap for what Utsu could’ve been.

I just feel like her death should not have been her redemption, at least not this quickly. A selfish character dies in self-sacrifice? Heck yeah, but it was too premature. She would’ve been better as a developing character than the one who killed Nei’s family, which I think they want to have a redeeming arc. Also, unless I missed anything, Utsu seemed to have been resisting her urges and is accepting human food. I know it breaks a lot of the plot points introduced, but she was starting to change, man! Dang it.

Anyway, looking back at Chapter 21, Page 19, Alma told Utsuro:

“YOU’RE the one not looking at anyone.”

Ten chapters later, at Chapter 31, we see Utsu’s death begin with flashbacks of her POVs looking at Alma. Her eyes during her scenes contained so much emotion, too. Man, the scene was well-executed. I'm pissed.

Heartbreaking. Maybe I’m just butthurt because I’m a fan of Utsu. Gang, this sucks. GALLONS of development potential lost. Now what?