I'm not an Eichi-P so I cannot comment extensively. I've read the recent fine events (Atlantis and Fairy Tale) and Stella Maris. I've heard some say this is a natural progression given his ambitions with Ensemble Square and worldview. So to my understanding, he has stagnated as a character. The writers are in this fucked up state where Eichi is acknowledged as antagonistic in his colonization schemes but also benevolent for offering "opportunity" to the impoverished people of Hoshijima by taking their land and making their island a tourist destination which is really gross to say the least. What upsets me even more is that no characters have meaningfully opposed Eichi. Rinne did to protect his village, and he criticizes Eichi's actions, but he's done nothing to help Hoshijima. Instead this colonization is depicted as necessary to progress. Even Ibuki's grandfather's strongest complaint is that, while he likes Atlantis, it encourages gentrification in Okinawa. So hey, what's actually inevitable is that drawing tourists to a region leads to gentrification. Instead, why not help the residents of Hoshijima become self sufficient in a way that's not exploitative? Better yet, let them actually be independent. Because working under Eichi and having to sway to his demands to be granted resources and not have him turn the island into "hell" isn't independence. Whatever the writers are trying to do here is incredibly misguided at best. Anyway, I don't have any hopes for the Okinawa Arc at this point. It's been made very clear that the writers don't want to confront that colonization is an inherent evil in all of its forms, no matter how much Eichi "sweetens the deal" by offering the islanders jobs working at his business and doing physical labor for him. Which again, exploitation! So Eichi cannot be salvaged. He's demonstrated self-awareness. He's threatened to harm the residents of Hoshijima if they don't comply with him, and he's called his own project colonization. Whether that's character assassination or in-character for the ruthless and cruel businessman Eichi is, I don't know. It's a very realistic evil, but the writers don't seem willing to treat it seriously or respectfully. That's all I have to say on it.