To be honest with you, I personally thought that once someone was fully puppetfied they couldn't be turned back. I felt like it worked that way just because the NRC group never lost their faces. Now I know twst isn't that deep, but I felt like visually it was implied that if a puppet doesn't have a face, it doesn't have a soul/free will. Since the NRC group never lost their faces they could still express themselves, and have a soul/free will even though it was hard for them because they were loosing it. However the puppets without faces have no thoughts of their own because they've lost themselves. (You could also think of the puppets like the donkeys from Pinocchio because it seems that's what they were going for).
I also feel like the puppets are repairing the ship to be honest because that's their whole job, and it showed the group destroying property not puppets.
Sorry for jumping around with my thoughts on your post, but honestly Gino and Ernesto are terribly written. I mean, it was literally said by Jack that there are schools for non magic people, and there are non-magic jobs mentioned in book 5 (I think). Somewhere in the main story Trey does tell MC the different jobs that don't require magic. And Ernesto is 26, so these definitely aren't new options in the world of twst to Ernesto.
Also while I do agree that Ernesto and Gino's riding into a sunset was underwhelming, but I do think it fits them because it seems like a lot of people are out to get them, for their shady reputation.
[twst Playful Land spoilers]
so like, what the fuck happened to all the other park guests??? did they stay as puppets??? are they still on the sinking ship???
can't say ive been too satisfied with this halloween event story, i was hoping the english localization would explain some things that i thought were lost in the fan translations. but no it just really does have nothing to explain the other guests.
also, i wasn't sure why there was such a focus of Gino having the interest in the NRC boys talking about school, if it wasn't even him that convinced Ernesto to start a school. idk that was just like a character plot that didn't seem to have much of a conclusion.
and also like, it feels weird having this human trafficker get off scott free of what he's done to, not just the NRC boys, but like presumably a lot of people. like, weren't the puppets working at the park previous guests that were turned?? and then the guest that were there on that day being turned into puppets?? and all the puppets from before that were sold off to high bidding people?? did THOSE rich people know the puppets they were getting used to be people???
like i appreciate that Ernesto's whole deal opens the discussion about the magic discrimination/classism that the world of Twisted Wonderland seems to have in its systems, but like this human trafficking thing is also opening up a lot of questions about the worldbuilding that i feel like is more important/weighty. so him just....running off into the sunset just feels....dissatisfying? i guess?
idk, maybe my appreciation for glomas is making it hard to not compare the two halloween events and what they bring to the table in terms of The World Outside of NRC i guess. if that makes any sense.