HOLY CRAP! What the fu*k was that ending???
So, first of all, let’s talk about Zel’s arc, the third story arc of Rose Gun Days (I call it Zel’s because she appears to be at the center of these events). I wasn’t very surprised when Rapunzel’s true identity was revealed since I speculated in the season 2 thread that she might very well be an assassin sent after Rose, though the reveal itself was handled splendidly. I really appreciated the impact of the reveal on the rest of the Wandering Dogs and how lost and confused everyone was about that revelation, and I loved how Oliver was the one who never gave up on her. Oliver, Charles and Nina all get splendid moments of glory in the third season, and it is a joy to watch them grow more independent and reliable.
And can we just take a moment to address the sheer brilliance of the moment when Rose was standing right behind Zel as Zel was pondering over whether or not to poison Rose?
Rose: "After all, that ring doesn’t suit you."
First of all, I was shocked that Rose was standing behind Zel, as if she had expected it. Second, that line, was such a brilliant callback to season 2 where Miguel noticed Rose’s conspicuous ring, and said the exact same thing. To make it even more amusing, Rose was also planning on using her special ring in order to poison someone. Such a neat parallel. So good.
Mad respect to Zel for deciding against poisoning Rose despite her father’s life being on the line. It sucks that she had to leave, but here’s hoping she somehow returns in the future.
Another new character that I should mention is Wang. Wang is, to put it simply, annoying. Probably one of the more unlikable I’ve encountered so far. I think what bothered me the most about him was this friendly facade he would put on and act all ridiculous and silly when in reality he’s just fucking with everyone. I didn’t like it one bit. Though I have to say that he definitely made for a challenging antagonist, and as annoying as he was, it was incredibly satisfying to observe his downfall.
Rose continues to undergo development and growth, and while it’s quite fascinating, it is also quite saddening. Rose is without a doubt an idealistic person, but even she is forced to realize that Japanese in the current era are poor, and they do not care as much about their culture, as much as they care about getting through a single day. It was refreshing to see Rose fail at an attempt to revive Japanese culture because it’s completely realistic. You can’t succeed at everything you set out to accomplish. Still, I am genuinely amazed by Rose’s transformation and everything she accomplished.
The second arc of the third season (and the fourth arc overall) marks the introduction of a devilish angel, Gabriel Kuburaya.
Gabriel truly seems like the ultimate antagonist of Rose Gun Days. And I’m not just saying that because he seems incredibly cunning and calculating, even more than some other characters, but because he’s inherently different from all the other antagonists we faced. Most of the obstacles that Rose and others faced were members of the underworld. Here, we are facing a man who is seemingly virtuous and clean, above the criminal underworld, truly like an angel.
In other words, Gabriel is f’ing insane. I can kind of understand his drive for revenge, and the sadness he felt for losing his family to some random criminals, but going as far as endangering innocent people (including little children) for the sake of fulfilling your objective is completely nuts. Hell, even Alfred seems like a more compassionate individual than him (I can’t believe I just wrote that).
It’s crazy how this novel pulled a complete 180 at the very end.
Rose was shot and badly injured.
Stella was murdered. (I felt so bad for Richard as well)
Yuuji was shot and injured.
Yuki was almost killed as well. (thank God she survived)
Like, everything is going well, you’re thinking “haha, Gabriel underestimated them, he will learn that he can’t kill them easily”, everyone is fighting back nicely, you’re cheering for them, and then bam! Everything turns to shit! Suddenly Rose is down, Richard is probably taking over as a leader thirsty for revenge, Primavera has a new leader, Butler is practically Gabriel’s pet and who even knows how GDS will respond to this massive shift. There is this huge change in tone, and I kinda like it.
To be honest, for the longest time I felt that Rose Gun Days lacked consequences for many of the characters’ actions. So many gun fights, so much conflict, and yet most of the characters escaped unharmed, triumphing over the antagonists (don’t even get me started on Leo’s “legendary” fight). This might sound cruel, but seeing these characters finally crumble and suffer from their involvement made me a little happy, because ultimately, it is realistic. Things cannot remain all peachy forever.
Lastly, I’ll talk a bit about some of the new characters introduced in the third season:
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Alan. Alan is a fun character. He has an amazing character design, a fun personality, and reminds me a lot of Leo, except he seems less overpowered. Lovable guy.
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Keith. Initially, I wasn’t very fond of Keith, who seemed like an obvious foil to Alan’s lighthearted personality, however, I did grow to appreciate him and his attitude towards children and the Japanese people. The fact that he was able to recognize that having a family and loving someone can’t be all that bad is very charming, though I did not expected a sudden romance between him and Stella, haha.
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Yuki. Another cool addition to the cast. She’s likable, has a nice design and having her as Meijiu’s sister was pretty cool because it allows the readers to witness a whole new side of Meijiu. I am definitely rooting for her and Alan to somehow end up together by the end of all of this.
I have no idea what to expect from the final season. Rose’s downfall is inevitable. Likewise, Primavera’s change is also inevitable. I’m curious to see what kind of character Jeanne turns out to be, and maybe we can finally learn who Wayne will end up with (my guess is Rose or Meryl, haha).
Bring on the Last Season! 
