People generally find her less attractive compared to the other main girls. I believe this is largely because MC is able to get close to her too easily, which makes her affection undervalue. In terms of appearance, she’s just as stunning as the other girls. One key difference is that she already has a deep emotional foundation with MC, which means MC doesn’t need to make much effort to win Mia over.
On the other hand, for the other girls, players must go through the process of getting to know them alongside MC. This process gives players a sense of having truly invested effort, which makes them cherish the emotional connections with these other girls more. This is also where MC and the player diverge—when it comes to Mia’s relationship, the player and MC are not aligned. MC already knows Mia, and their bond wasn’t built through the player’s efforts. In this sense, Mia can be seen as the “easy mode” of the game, while the other girls represent the more challenging modes. Of course, this is just an imperfect analogy.
This perspective is something I rarely see discussed as a reason why Mia is less popular. Personally, I really like Mia, but I also understand the common criticisms people have of her—such as her insecurity, jealousy, and possessiveness. I did feel the pressure from her during my playthrough. So, I don’t think these criticisms are unreasonable. On the contrary, I feel the same with them.
If I recall correctly, during her introduction, we can sense her repressing her desires when she writes about her hopes for the future. I think she’s someone who deeply yearns to fly free but is weighed down by worries about reality. At the same time, she’s incredibly kind, always striving to suppress her anxieties. For example, her interactions with Sophie evolve from guardedness to friendliness. And when she realizes her unintentional mistakes, she immediately wants to apologize to Sophie. To me, this shows she is truly a kind-hearted girl—just someone who finds it hard to let her guard down. She’s far from the exaggerated “yandere” stereotype that some people portray her as.
I believe that as the story progresses, we’ll get to know her even better. I hope everyone can be kinder to her. It’s fine to favor other main girls more, but please don’t overly criticize this kind angel.
