[Mesnick]

Well, happiness has always been one of the main themes of the show, so it's no surprise that it comes up especially brightly towards the end. Nyelv offers Shouma a deal: to lead Stomatch Inc., and eventually the entire Granute society, and thus keep people safe. Shouma hesitates, but still decides to sacrifice his happiness for te sake of humanity's happiness. But is it justified? Sachika also learns the full story of Lakia and is confronted with conflicts in both his own beliefs and his relationship with Vram. Fortunately, actions speak louder than words and Lakia saving people convinces Sachika to continue supporting him. It is also funny that Hanto acts as Granute's protector here. Overall, I'd say this subplot works well thematically and emotionally, shading Shouma's situation. But I still wish it had happened sooner. Because it means that even after learning about the riders and Granute, Sachika is still left out in the cold. Shouma is also convinced by the action when it turns out that Granute is still kidnapping people in the middle of a happy summer day. To be honest, that red tent looked very suspicious and Liesel's appearance was unnecessary. However, her participation makes a simple fight much more destructive and convinces Shouma to accept his brother's offer. Liesel should also be commended for not taking the Hito-Press when she had the chance. However, this is more a consequence of her frivolous attitude than any kind of fair play. And avoiding unpleasant conversations is a flaw of Shouma's that he has never overcome. In the case of Nyelv, he is clearly not trustworthy. Yes, he returned the kidnapped people, but he did it as discreetly as possible so as not to attract the attention of either Bocca or the other riders. It is also obvious that Nyelv is planning to separate Shouma from his friends. Right now, it seems to me that his plan is as simple as possible: to pit Bocca and Gavv against each other, and then become the winner's right hand. But he doesn't know that Lango is still alive and is also going to interfere.
The next episode will feature a lot of Granute and Shouma in black. I'm catching Kiva's vibe. Let's see where this leads, but I feel like our main character is in for some tough times.
P.S. Also used here is a yellow repaint of the Granute Crab costume. Apparently, the costume designers are already hard at work on the kaijin for Zeztz.