Talk:Ken Kaneki/@comment-103.230.104.30-20160307224719/@comment-10733658-20160308105347

I definitely think it's a mistake to expect the relationship between Kaneki and Arima to be simple or easily defined. It is one of the central relationships in the series, with a strong focus on them being parallels for each other. Ishida gave them the same birthday, a similar appearance, a similar nature as someone that is "Special" and unfairly skilled, a love of books, and given them both literary references that points towards things being very complicated between them.

Ishida has kept a lot about Arima mysterious, really only dropping hints about his background and who he is as an actual person, in private. What little we know is that people are either jealous or in awe of him, and he is kept at arms' length from most people. We know that he has never had control over his own life, and is used to simply doing as he is instructed. There's also a strong focus on him as someone that is lonely, best illustrated by him always leaving his Will blank.

Kaneki is someone that grew up without any sort of father figure. His father died before he could really form any memories of him, and his uncle neglected and ignored him. Yoshimura was the first male authority figure in his life, but Arima has probably been the closest thing he has ever had to a father. Which makes everything that is going on now incredibly messy for him, since he's having to reconcile the Kind Father that brought him back from self-destructive insanity and taught him everything he knows with the person that prevented him from saving his friends, nearly killed him, and has been involved in the manipulation he has endured over the last several years. That's seriously some messy business to sort out.

In terms of Arima's feelings, I think there's sufficient evidence he cares. I don't.....honestly think those feelings are enough for him to turn against his superiors. But Kaneki seems to be one of the few people to treat him like a /person/ as opposed to a God-like figure, and someone he shares numerous interests with. And the series makes a point of how Kaneki has a talent for winning people over.

Plus, as I've always said....if Arima doesn't care at all, then it's a lot less emotionally messy. It makes him a lot less interesting, if he is simply a machine incapable of human emotions.