Akiko brought back the characters on track when they were forgetting their reasons for fighting. She didn't make them look like asses. She just made them realize how irrational they were sometimes.
It's funny how most wave around the "character development" card without knowing what it is. Akiko didn't develop much at all. Towards the end, she was more understanding, but she was still the same Akiko from the beginning of the series.
Back to OOO, anyone? No?