[Kiwami]

You know, I like this show, but it would be 1000% (heh) better with a more unique villain. Like, Gai is just evil. That's it. I feel like everything interesting and great in this show happens when he's not in frame. That doesn’t mean that he's forgettable, it’s his actions that set things up and the hate he accumulated will forever make him the "guy" everyone loves to hate.

Case in point: Him appearing in this episode and being "I'm evil and you’re my tools" was the usual boring shtick. The resulting catwalk with Izu and Aruto and Naki's struggle for a dream were excellent. They only came to be because Gai was a douchebag, but Gai himself plays no role in these scenes.

I really wish Gai was handled better. More cracks in his facade, more insanity showing through, maybe set up a motive that gives him at least some redeeming factor the audiences can identify with. Because as people pointed out in other episode discussion posts, he's not wrong. HumaGear as they are now are terribly deadly and dangerous. Yes, because humanity pushes them to, but the best course of action, realistically, would be to shut them all down. Did he set this shit up by letting the Ark browse 4chan? Absolutely. Did he push everything to the extreme to get people to hate the HumaGear? Positive. Was he wrong with them being dangerous to humanity? Debatable.

I in no shape or form dislike this show. It makes me happy every single weak. I never was disappointed with a single episode. But sometimes I wonder if this couldn't have been handled in a better way, Gai as a character specifically.