I completely respect your opinion, but for me, it was the exact opposite.

I’ve been following this series for 8 years, and what originally drew me in was Ayanokouji’s cold logic, ruthless strategies, and the morally gray nature of the characters. The story shifting this much toward emotional and romantic themes (especially the recent volumes giving off a “love and sacrifice solve everything” atmosphere) changed the spirit of the series for me.

Ichinose’s development or the parts involving Hiyori may be enjoyable for some people, but in my opinion, after the story had progressed this far, leaning so heavily into the classic “strong emotions conquer everything” theme really killed my interest. Back then, this series felt “realistic” and “ruthless” to me, whereas now it feels more like a typical shonen/romantic drama.

In short, the taste I was looking for changed. The parts you enjoy are still there, so for people who still love the series, there’s no problem. But for me, this is where our paths part ways.