Many researchers on gishi (loyal retainer) think it is unlikely for Kira to do such things because Kira was responsible for Naganori's failure and there are many questionable point considering that it was Asano's second time as a person in charge of the entertaining Imperial envoy.
浅野はこれで二度目の勅使饗応役であったことを考えれば不自然なものが多く、また長矩が失敗すれば上役である吉良も責任を問われるため、吉良がこのようなことをするとは思えないと考える義士研究家が多い。