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Edens Zero Chapter 292 Review/Recap

It seems surreal to think that we’re almost near the end of Edens Zero, but here we are. Void, OSG, the Dark Stars, and the Chronophage have all been defeated. The universe is safe, but the Crew of Edens has one last task to complete. They must ensure its future is secured to break the cycle of death and rebirth for Earth. Not just for Shiki and for Earth but for other familiar faces. One of whom, as soon as I saw them, left me crying.

I’m not joking. My mental self was shedding tears. I was crying on the inside.

Recap

Having restored Mother to her proper form as Earth, the Four Shining Stars descend to the planet to put the final part of Shiki’s plan in motion. That means contacting their human counterparts, all shocked to see android versions of themselves, much less from the future. Once they prove they’re telling the truth, though, they quickly bond. Once Sister cures Ivry, they tell Mio and Yuna they have tech to normalize Ether. However, Witch’s meeting with Regret turns somber when she sees Leonard, and she takes her leave. Though not before wishing their baby to be happy and healthy.

Thus, sixteen years pass, and thanks to the Shining Stars, the Earth’s destruction never comes to pass. Yuna and Mio have built an Ether Observation Center to help stabilize the planet; Ivry is a nurse, and Regret and Leonard’s child is about to enter high school.

As Shiki’s first day of high school begins, he ends up bumping into a certain girl as she’s in the process of livestreaming something. Just as important, though, Shiki winds up meeting that girl’s little sister and…I can’t keep writing this. Just look.

And aboard the Edens Zero, Shiki starts crying as he comes across Pino’s body. And so do I.

Review

You know how some people are said to be laughing on the outside but crying on the inside? That works differently for me. Since I read a lot on computers and my phone in public places, I let my mental self express all my emotions to avoid being disruptive. So when I say that the ending to this chapter left me crying, I’m normal on the outside, but on the inside?

I should have every reason to be crying, though. And since this is the penultimate chapter of the series, I want to get everything about this chapter off my chest.

How I’d React if I met an Android Version of Myself?

Firstly, I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the Shining Stars meeting the humans that served as their templates. I understand how shocking and unbelievable it would be if someone who looks like you but claims to be an android from the future showed up under normal circumstances. However, I can’t help but find it funny as the eight women bond and compare their lives. If that happened to me, I would start bonding with my counterpart quickly.

As a side note, the fact that the Stars mention being based on human women means that Shiki told them everything off-panel. Whether he told them everything needs to be made clear, but if he did, they’re taking finding out their history was fake rather well. Then again, they probably understand that Ziggy regretted not telling them and is sorry.

Another Version of Rebecca and Shiki Still Meet

At any rate, it’s happy to see that Shiki’s ultimate plan worked: Earth’s destruction is averted, and the cycle of reversion and rebirth for Mother is broken for good. It might be a little weird to see another version of Shiki living on Earth, but remember that that sort of thing happens thanks to the Chronophage. That’s how Weisz came into existence, so we shouldn’t be surprised.

What did surprise me, though, was his running into an Earth version of Rebecca. I don’t even know how that’s possible! Some people on Reddit theorize that this Rebecca might be the Future Rebecca reincarnated. I wouldn’t put it past Mashima. Considering the hell she went through, Future Rebecca deserves to be happy. That means the bond between Rebecca and Shiki transcends time and space.

Yes, I’m Crying Over Pino’s Fate

And…the same goes for Pino.

I can’t tell you how bittersweet it was to see Rebecca’s little sister look exactly like Pino; the tears started flowing inside my head. I saw someone on Reddit speculate that Pino might be reborn as Shiki and Rebecca’s daughter, but this? This was unexpected. The ending to the chapter does add a little ambiguity. I don’t know if everything we saw was a dream Pino had as she went offline for good or if it happened, but I’m willing to bet good money that it was the latter. If it is, then Pino got her wish after all. Like her namesake, she became a real girl.

However, at this point, being human or machine matters little. Edens Zero pretty much proves that machines can have souls. Thus, if this is what happened, then while I’m sad that Shiki and the Crew of Edens have to say goodbye to Pino, I’m also happy.

At this point, we only have one final chapter for Edens Zero. I’ve heard that it will include a full-color spread for the cover, showing the entire cast, and be extra long. It will serve as an epilogue sometime in the future, showing us what happened to the Crew of Edens, the Shiki Cosmos, and the friends they’ve made in that time. It’s going to be bittersweet, and there will end up being some more crying involved. However, for all the series’ faults and shortcomings, I’m still glad I got to come along for the ride from start to finish. If Void is born, I hope we get some explanation for why his alternate counterpart wanted to destroy everything. I won’t lose sleep over it if we don’t, though. Not everything needs an explanation!

I Give “Friendship Never Ends” a 5/5

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Edens Zero Chapter 288 Review/Recap

I don’t know the deal with Chronobecca or her backstory, but I’m not sure I care now. Shiki is so close to saving all of reality, and he won’t let some person upset at losing their time wipe all of it out. Edens Zero is nearing its endgame, and Shiki is not allowing the future his friends have fought so hard for to be in vain. 

Recap

Chronobecca continues to charge up an unfathomable amount of energy, on par with the universe’s birth. Disregarding their earlier statement of wanting their time back and Shiki’s pleas, Chronobecca says they’re not interested in being saved. They have devoured Mother numerous times and returned her to being Earth, only for Earth to become Mother once more. They no longer care; they simply want to end everything and start anew.

Shiki’s response? Screw that. This is the universe that has all his friends in it. 

Shiki pushes his Gravity Ether even further, further than he’s ever pushed himself before. Even the energy of a big bang begins to fall into him, threatening to rip his body apart in the process! Shiki, however, doesn’t care if he dies. All that matters is saving the universe that has all his friends.

Chronobecca tries to tear Shiki to pieces, but his gravity is too powerful now, even for them. As a result, Shiki sends them, and the Chronophage, hurtling through the cosmos towards Mother. As Rebecca, Pino, Happy, and Ziggy get out of the way, Shiki tells Chronobecca that he could be friends even with them. 

At last, the Chronophage returns Mother to her original form as that of Earth.

Review

…holy cow, the power of friendship is not one to be underestimated. Made fun of and milked for all its worth, at times, but never underestimated. 

Now, I know that not everyone is going to read this chapter, and I like how Shiki managed to pull this kind of moment out of nowhere. However, I would also like to remind people that Edens Zero is a shonen manga. Many shonen manga rely on the power of friendship and the heart to get the heroes out of impossible situations such as this. Some manga are just better at demonstrating it than others. In addition, Edens Zero is made by Hiro Mashima. The man doesn’t go out of his way to re-invent the wheel regarding tropes in the shonen series. 

That being said, I think this is a moment where the power of friendship makes for a pretty good spectacle. Shiki just sucked in enough energy to create an entire universe so that he could make Chronobecca do what he wanted. While it may have placed his life in danger, it’s worth it. Thanks to him, his insane plan to save Mother and the universe is working. Mother has returned to being Earth, and now the Edens Zero can ensure it doesn’t run out of Ether again. That will give the Shining Stars and Dark Stars human counterparts the chance to be happy truly. Here’s hoping that Mashima can wrap things up in less than five chapters.

Yes, you read that right. Recent posts on Twitter have confirmed that Edens Zero will end in five chapters. It’s a bittersweet feeling, especially since I’ve spent the last few years covering it on a near-weekly basis. However, I still need to see Edens Zero through to the end! I hope that Mashima can answer the questions that readers still have. What made Void go nuts, and where did Chronobecca come from? And most importantly, all the ships! 

I Give “If We Could Be Friends” a 3/5

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