[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Tokumonkey

We've now established that experienced older players can just show up out of nowhere, but plot points in the previous couple of episodes make no sense if the DGP staff could've called back stronger players rather than Neon and Keiwa.

This DGP is the first one seen in the series that consisted entirely of veterans.... including Keiwa and Neon. They too technically have served as Ace's rivals that reached finals before like Sae and Daichi.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

People like to see tall buildings get knocked down, so I imagine there'll be a lot of viewers bored with Ace's constant wins and they'll vote tactically to make him more likely to lose.

Speaking of this, now I'd like to see the reverse in the bad consequences of being famous the other contestants had, while probably also showing an advantage an ordinary person (at best) like Keiwa has, this episode only displayed Keiwa's average guy status being extremely detrimental for him in the game. This wasn't touched upon for Ace too before of his attempt to use his The Star of the Stars of the Stars wish to make Mistume notice him, like the risk that can happen when the wish failed, even if Ace's the type who would bask in the spotlight. Neon's disadvantage was also family affair, not her celebrity life.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

That's a good analysis of the reasons for and against each player being the Desire Star. I'd like to add that since the DGP want Ace to lose, they probably wouldn't give him an easy way to win. Keiwa's the only one who's not a popular celebrity, so they might give it to him, even though he'd be against betraying others for personal gain and might deny that option. Alternatively, I think this could be very likely: Nobody is the Desire Star and the DGP only told everybody that to break their trust.

Well actually these are the collective reasons in the episode debates, but perhaps this episode deserves credit to actually create a suspense that keeps the audience on their toes shown in these Desire Star debates. Previously it was only Girori though who wanted Ace to lose, not the entire DGP (not certain yet), or at least the one who acted on it (they don't seem to care about Ace's results to be oppose/fire him on the spot).

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Originally Posted by StardustWhip

- I'm throwing my prediction into the ring that the Desire Star is either one of our two newly-introduced Riders, or entirely made up just to mess with the Riders. I can't see Neon or especially Keiwa being the type to act as an impostor, and even if Girori isn't the GM anymore, I have my doubts that the new management would be too keen to give another opportunity for victory to the Rider with an unprecedented winning streak.

Gotta remind you that Emu (a character similar to Keiwa in storytelling too at least in first arc) acted as impostor in Ex-Aid. Keiwa and Neon's animal motif are also trickster animals, it's not only Ace. But otherwise, it may not be (only) about impostor but this plays a part in reality show thing of assigning the players in certain role, as to show the 'fakeness' in what's supposed to be a 'reality'.