Overview (Spoilers Below): Unable to bear anyone getting hurt because of her, Shizuka attempts to run to Shuhei Suzuri, the leader of GRAVEL, while ignoring the calls from Nirei and the others. However, she is stopped by Tsubakino, Seiryu, and Uryu. Tsubakino asks what she wants to do, to which Shizuka responds, “I want to stay with everyone!” This prompts Tsubakino to finally show the seriousness of the Four Kings. Tsubakino asks what Suzuri likes, and gradually, their fists become part of a conversation as the battle between Tsubakino and Suzuri continues.
Our Take: The confrontation between Furin and GRAVEL is heating up now that Tsubakino has entered the battlefield to confront the opposing team’s leader. I must admit that Tsubakino has been one of my favorite highlights of the show’s second season, mainly due to its handling of LGBTQ representation. Tsubakino’s character arc offers plenty of authenticity and heart, making his existence meaningful rather than being phoned in for the sake of diversity, elevated beautifully by Kiba Walker’s charismatic vocal performance. More importantly, the previous episode demonstrated that he’s also no stranger to getting his hands dirty, emphasizing his role as a member of the Four Kings and the series’ portrayal of appreciating one’s inner self. This week’s episode continues to showcase Tsubakino’s worth on the battlefield as he continues his fight against Suzuri. However, the battle concluded with a different type of knockout that surprisingly hit me in the feels more than I had previously intended. “SALVATION” continues the show’s ability to humanize the antagonistic teams through their tragic backstories that led them down their dark paths. In this case, the episode’s flashback showcased the young Suzuri forming a team to partake in nefarious businesses as a means of escaping poverty. But what he doesn’t realize is that his pursuit causes him just as much pain as he inflicts on others. Both Tsubakino and Suzuri share the same pain of being neglected, which resulted in Tsubakino doing the honorable thing by giving him and his GRAVEL team jobs at Keisei Street. “SALVATION” further emphasizes the show’s approach of “battles formed as conversations” yet retains the heart and emotional core of the characters that partake in them. With the season being twelve episodes long, it’s understandable that the Keisei Street arc could’ve used a few more episodes to expand its scenario further. Fortunately, the episode made the most of the arc’s duration by evoking the genuine emotion that’s powered by Kiba Walker and Eduardo Vildasol’s performances as Tsubakino and Suzuri. However, despite Furin’s success in calming the storm, the battle on the streets has yet to reach its conclusion, thanks to the arrival of GRAVEL’s boss.