[Matrixbeast]

Me literally an hour ago: Harping on Gai and his poor handling
Me watching the finale: Giggling like an idiot with Gai and his Thouser patrol

As a whole, I feel like Gai was just handled poorly. He was the new toy on the shelves, so they shill him. I get that. After that grace period though, I felt they didn't know what to do.
A perfectionist who basically had control of every piece on the board, it would've been better to show him as more fallible and vulnerable when his plans fail. But no, they opted to literally power creep him. He lost not because of his arrogance or hubris, but rather because other characters around him got stronger. Zero-One's Metal Cluster, Vulcan's Rampage Bullet, the various powers Ark granted other characters. It was only after the string of loses via power level did he lose emotionally, which is backwards of how it's supposed to work.

Gai was written sloppily and it honestly felt like they handled him from episode to episode, rather than as a full arc.

Anyway, just finished Zero-One. It was an okay show. Decent start, adequate middle, a slog that was the job arc, and a strong ending. Don't like the cliffhanger ending, nor do I like As and her sudden importance, either.