The Yggdrasil/Helheim arcs were the peak of the series. After Kiwami is attained, a clanger is dropped somewhere, and despite the massive elevation of the stakes, the show peters out a bit as the thirties roll in. Despite the supposed arma-friggin-geddon occurring, it's all peripheral and in the background, while the show meanders into the closest it's ever been to MOTW territory. Were lesser Overlords necessary, when they essentially diluted the label of Overlord? Did that peacock Overlord have to exist only to drag out an episode long Zangetsu Shin Punch & Judy episode? While Mitsuzane's arc never took up as much screen time as say, Mutsuki's, it still dragged, and it took too long for the guy to get to the point and deliver the betrayal to Kouta.
I can't remember who was it on this board that used the drama play analogy, and it's quite appropriate for the Forbidden Fruit arc. The stakes have grown so high - almost outlandishly - and yet we're only confined to what we can see on the stage itself, which at first was some MOTW cleanup work, because Overlord Bandai issued a diktat that Kiwami must be ubiquitous from hereon forth. Has America been hit? Oh, I barely realised. Everyone just seemed somewhat apathetic back at base.
I share the disappointment that certain plot points end with weak resolutions. Redyue conspires with Rosyuo to drain human energy to revive the Overlord Queen. That sounds mighty significant. Instead, characters spin their heels as the draining process mysteriously occurs for a full few episodes up until Kaito smashes the machine without any of the victims dying. The Overlord Queen subplot resolution can be simply summed up as "huh?" and the disposal of the Overlords themselves felt abrupt and predictable, albeit very well directed. Crazy Redyue has indeed been one of the standout moments of the series. Meanwhile, the show makes the point that the world has abandoned Zawame, enough to warrant dropping missiles on it, but wait! suddenly the SDF show up after all! And the moment Yggdrasil as an organisation collapses, every Kurokage soldier decides to GTFO. Not one stopped for a moment to say "wait a fucking moment. I LIVE here! This is my HOME! I'm staying to fight!", and what command chain is left to order them to leave? Are there no soldiers with belts left but the main characters by the time Redyue cements her authority over the city?
Then there are a few plot points that mysteriously fizzle out of relevance, because reasons. Those Helheim fruits are damn alluring, aren't they? Anyone recall what happened to Hase, when some psychological battering left him to forage a fruit? With the Overlord invasion, isn't Zawame now covered with the deadly fruits? Oh, never mind. I'm sure they're now harmless. What about Minato? She's the walking wasted potential of the entire show. I don't know if there was an alternative subplot brewing beneath there that was ultimately aborted, but it's strange to now look back in retrospect Ryouma hinting of her hidden potential.
Now. It's still a great show. It makes up massively for last year's tepid Wizard. It could supplant W as the best of what Neo-Heisei has had to offer us thus far, but I've currently yet to make up my mind. But on my rankings list, Agito and Kuuga are still comfortably above. Gaim's a show that left me wanting for more episode after episode. I recall finishing episode 14, and replaying the preview for the 15th episode over and over again. I was bloody excited. It's been sooooo long since a Rider series has done that to me at its 14th episode, because usually I expect the resolution or the start of another banal, consequence-free two-parter.
It's not a show I'm going to forget anytime too soon, and I suspect we'll still be talking about it for a little while to come.