[Switchblade]

Man, I had forgotten how good these last two episodes are. I still think Wataru's motivations are silly, but I had forgotten the payoff that we're getting here: a version of Wataru that's confident and determined in his actions. I really wish it hadn't taken so long to get here, because this is a version of the character that I actually do quite like.

But yeah, this latest episode is all Otoya. Even during my most anti-Kiva moods, the one thing I will always give the show is that Otoya's arc is fantastic. This man who knowingly sacrificed his life for his family, who stopped to say goodbye to the woman whose heart he broke, who earned his rivals respect enough to get a vow from him... all of this started with '80s Japanese Jean-Ralphio. It wasn't a smooth ride to get here, but we got to see him grow from a lecherous creep whose self-centeredness ruined lives, to someone who changed people for the better. He could still be the worst, but god damn it, he was the best.