Okay.... {spoilers}

[Cilia]

This is going to be a bit lengthy and skew off-topic, so hide boxed for fair warning.

The problem with Akame ga Kill!'s portrayal of death is that, while it has impact and strikes named and unnamed characters alike, the characters are never really allowed proper time to grieve. While this is a bit of a weakness in its storytelling, it's important to remember they're at war - guerrilla or otherwise - and thus don't really have a whole lot of time to do so. There's also the fact that their skills aren't really missed - people die on both sides but their deaths ultimately change nothing.

That's in stark contrast to VII: Aerith's death has a permanent, lasting impact on the game and even into Advent Children. Though they continue their mission because it must be done, the party never stops grieving for her, and Cloud continues to be haunted by guilt over her death years afterward. It's just a bit overwrought, but that's the kind of impact death actually has on people.

The same holds true in Digimon Tamers: Leomon's murder at Beelzemon's hand influences the entire rest of the story. Jeri/Juri despairs over it until the last (or next to last, I can't remember exactly) episode, allowing an artificial Eldritch Abomination to start erasing the world. Takato feels guilty about his inaction allowing it to happen. And after realizing how wrong it was of him to do so, Impmon/Beelzemon is nearly driven insane by guilt and the need to atone to the point he nearly dies in the attempt. (Remember, Digimon is a childrens' series!)

... so honestly, the most realistic portrayal of death we've gotten is Haurchefant's. Senseless and unnecessary, and others continued to grieve for him until... what, arguably the end of 3.3? Does Francel still visit his grave? Sometimes I just loiter in the Waking Sands' Solar...

Anyway, the problem with Gaius was that he didn't really make a move until the last act of 2.0. Except for the raid on the Waking Sands, which was brutal and unnecessary, there was no action from the Garleans until Gaius showed up with the Ultima Weapon, handed the primals their asses, and then issued his ultimatum to the city-states. He was competent and capable and would have won were it not for a direct divine intervention.

[Morningstar1337]

snip

I just want to take the time to appreciate how the topic shifted into something related to one of Pokemon's competitors into a topic that necessitate referencing the other as an example :P

On topic regarding Gaius, I feel that might be becuase the dev team wanted to use the ARR storyline to develop their new villians (since 1.0 already fleshed out the Garleans) similar because the focus was on the Dragonsong War the Garleans had been regula(van hydrus :P)ted to a side story an being marooned on Albathea's Spine

I suspect that once 4.0 rolls around and we try to sever the foot they already put on Eorzea's door, that the focus will shift back to Garlemald and restablishing why theya re a credible threat for those who were introduced via 2.0 like myself and Legacy players who felt that the Galeans are relatively the Jessie, James and Meowth compared to the Ascians' Giovanni, or more accurately the Team Rocket to the Ascians' Cipher (and yes, I had to make those comparisons :P)