[DreadBringer]

Don't know regarding this, this is not an objectively bad episode, but this episode has something that I'm really opposed against. After Tatsuhiko (to Hiromi) before, now it's expanded to Vice (to Ikki), Aguilera (to Tamaki), and the MOTW stuff that is also related to this, Mayu (to Kuuki Kaidan, already expected to be her for the one behind the Deadmans) for doing the cruel to be kind thing, and they're quite glorified in their approach in this episode, other than Sakura being exasperated why everyone hides their feelings so much. And it's shown that sooner or later they'd reveal their actual intentions anyway when they're actually confronted.... it just shows that this cruel to be kind thing would just add up unnecessary fake drama and conflict (and it did happen to Tatsuhiko and Hiromi before too), or outright villainy in Mayu's part, and actually the best way of showing care to others is being plain straightforward. Those 3 people are expected to pull a cruel to be kind approach yeah, but to glorify those (except Mayu, still taken to Fenix rehab).... yeesh... what's next? Tamaki's (and Yosuke's) bullies are excused as only trying to "toughen him up"?

Aside from that, does this episode show that Sakura is no longer edgy (not completely as what she did to Genta) as in agreeing and supporting pragmatic and underhanded methods anymore? Previously she's onboard with people like Seiko robbing banks to cure her child. But now she tells Mayu to stop her schemes, and also sympathizing with her after Shark and Elephant Deadmen's defeat. That's actually the most diplomatic approach someone can do to people like that, and is actually similar to the approach most main Riders will do. And on her behalf, a new Evil (the Rider name too, y'know) vs evil scenario had happened in form of Kagerou fighting Olteca (as usual, Kagerou will appear when Daiji as Live is beaten), and the reason is both funny and in-line with his character, to save the person that can make him his favorite food, the ultra spicy curry. Demons vs Evil rematch in the opposite scenario to Hiromi's debut, Demons as the powerhouse here and Evil has to stop Demons while defending the Igarashis. Kagerou seems to be... better than both sibilings to be able to drive away Olteca despite being overwhelmed too. Still doesn't mean that Kagerou has become good or something, it's a specific person that pleases Kagerou that he saved.

So Weekend's a bigger organization than I expected, the apparent head of it is Prof. Karizaki, George's father who wasn't actually dead (or it's male Shroud). Now this actually does make me suspicious of Weekend, as Prof. Karizaki was an extremist that launched the idea of separating demons from humans (and turned them nuisance/threats like Vice at first or Kagerou). Unless Prof. Karizaki has changed his ways now, but dunno. George too has learned Weekend by spying on Hikaru (who now Genta asked instead of Sakura, and likely Hikaru wasn't kidding of it being nothing between them if he only wanted to get Sakura to join Weekend and... meaning their friendship would be fake), and previously before that, George orders Fenix soldiers to capture Vice and experiment on him. Now I guess it's the first time that the Fenix soldiers are used for morally questionable deeds by the authority of the higher ups. I thought before the bad thing regarding Fenix is the higher ups and that other members are actually usually good (including rehabilitating Mayu at the end).

Other than her reason of behaving that way to Tamaki, Aguilera now also seems to have trust in Sakura as well to rely on her for taking care of Tamaki like she did to Lovekov (without someone to protect her, she acts as a weakness to interfere in the fight while can't do anything...), and not finishing her off (and it's also in-line with her characterization to be really bossy and hates being ordered), while she goes to achieve her own goals. Still Aguilera only benefitted 2 people so far, Tamaki and Sakura, and her schemes to bring forth Giff can doom others while also working with Olteca (acting bossy as usual), she picked favorites (dunno if she'd sacrifice Sakura for Giff like before) to be spared and it's only 2 so far. Though her behavior is useful in this episode to advance the plot towards solving the Kukki Kaidan incident, with Daiji figuring out that Vice is also pretending to be an ass to defend Ikki while Ikki figures it out too from both to discover the perpetrator behind Shark and Elephant Deadmen, as usual with his deductive skills.

The preview did quite a good job to deceive that Vice is a traitor to Ikki as he's the one to gain control of the body now, and I did thought that Ikki and Vice's relationship would regress back due to Vice's behavior here (or his evil laugh at his body control previously), but cruel to be kind thing aside, this does actually show how Ikki and Vice has become much closer than the beginning. Ikki deals with Vice's hijinks more patiently compared to the beginning where Ikki would lash out at practically everything Vice does, despite that Vice caused Ikki disadvantage by spending Ikki's money for Vice's own behalf, learning it from watching Doraemon as per his voice actor (or probably it could be an idea for both of them to enjoy their time together later, releasing Vice to play arcade games together). He's also relatively patient when he calls out Vice for meddling in his affairs... hypocritically as Sakura and Daiji pointed out. Probably that should be a lesson for Ikki to not be a busybody... as in him receiving that himself (and hypocritically calls Vice out). And as the twist of the preview, Vice does care for Ikki that he'd want to return Ikki back (and likely it did as shown in the preview), giving up his freedom. Vice also likely has shown to be better demon as well that he didn't eat humans while being in control of his body, though Vice is still attention seeking with the new promotion in #IkkiInMyEar and #NiceVice. Still other than the cruel to be kind approach causing problems, it's not necessary either for Vice to waste Ikki's money either to keep him away from George.