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Edens Zero Chapter 290 Review/Recap

Edens Zero is nearing the end of its run, but there’s one last battle left to fight. Even though Shiki managed to defeat the Chronophage and restore Mother to Planet Earth, he seemingly went missing. In addition, everyone reading figured out that the heart of the Chronophage was a future version of Rebecca. Now that version of her is trying to finish what she started: destroying the universe. And she’s using her alternate self to do so.

Recap

In the alternate timeline Ziggy came from, Shiki and Rebecca were blasted 20,000 years into the future thanks to Shura’s bombs. Shiki survived and became the android Ziggy, while Rebecca. The machines of that era thought that Rebecca had died, and thus kept her body for research. However, they were wrong; somehow, Rebecca was alive, but unable to move or respond. And when Ziggy left on his mission, she could only mentally beg him not to go.

Then, her Ether went crazy. She became the Chronophage, attacking the Zero and sending them both back to the past without their memories. After that, Rebecca started devouring the time of worlds for eons, looking for her lost time and something else she’d forgotten about.

In the present day, Chronobecca’s Ether(?) possesses Rebecca’s body, seeking to use it to destroy all existence! As Happy, Pino, and Ziggy can only look on in horror, though, something amazing happens. Out of nowhere, Shiki reappears, apologizing for not realizing it was her sooner and begging Rebecca(s) not to talk like that.

Review

I know that most of us readers had likely figured out that Rebecca, or a future version of her, was behind the Chronophage. However, after re-reading this chapter, I must admit that the story behind it is incredibly dark. Not only did the alternate version of Rebecca somehow survive being sent to the future, but she was trapped inside her body and mind for likely decades, unable to move or even die. To make matters worse, she had to listen as her closest friend forgot the time they spent together, and then one day, save altogether. No wonder she turned into the Chronophage! After what she endured, I doubt many people could stay sane!

And I’m not just talking about getting sent into the future. Abandoned by her parents, watching her best friend get hit by Truck-Kun, her other best friend starting to bully her, and that’s just before the series even started. What future Rebecca went through was just the straw that broke the camel’s back! And she’s been stuck like this for more than 20,000 years now!

No, really. Mother and Chronobecca both confirmed that the latter had returned the former to her original state as the Earth multiple times. Since the Earth first became Mother 20,000 years ago, that means the Chronophage has been around for that long. That’s horrific to think about.

Shiki Needs to Save Rebecca

Nightmare fuel aside, this revelation (that some readers already figured out) means that a good part of the events of Edens Zero really are a stable time-loop. At the earliest, the loop starts at the end of the Aoi War; at the latest, when everyone made the journey to Universe Zero. That’s the best way I can explain to myself all this timey-wimey stuff, at least.

As for how Shiki is still here, I dont really need some grand explanation. I’m just happy to know that he is still around and that it was another fake-out. Judging by what he says in this chapter, he must have figured out that the heart of the Chronophage was Rebecca. He’s a lot smarter than some people give him credit for. Now he just needs to make sure that Future Rebecca can find peace before she destroys everything.

It may not feel like the best final battle, but I do think that it’s pretty appropriate for the series. Shiki and Rebecca were the ones who started Edens Zero (literally), and they should be the ones to end it.

As a side note, I would like to point out that while Edens Zero might be ending, Fairy Tail is returning with a new anime this July.

I Give “The Girl Who Ate Through Time” a 4/5

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