RJ Writing Ink

Edens Zero Chapter 224 Review/Recap

Well, that went completely off the rails. After the first two events in this grand reunion tour went well for the Crew of Edens, things are getting complicated. This week, the story finally diverges from the original timelines to give us something new and interesting. Worse, it also means the return of Shiki’s first big enemy, Drakken Joe. And Homura’s in his clutches!

This is getting good.

Recap

Having reunited with Pino and Weisz with no effort, the two happily rejoin the Crew of Edens, and are even happier to see Witch once more. In addition, due to Weisz being on better terms with Sibir in Universe 0, the two don’t leave on a sour note, and Pino still has all her memories intact. That means that she remembers why Ziggy built her, and she’s got major info on the Edens One. However, she withholds it until the entire crew’s reunited.

Following another scene in the bath of Edens, Pino deduces that only those aboard the ship when it jumped to Universe 0 will remember previous events. In the meantime, they all head to Planet Guilst to find Sister and, hopefully, Homura. However, when they get there, they discover that things aren’t the same as before. Instead of the imposter, the real Sister’s now leading Rogue Out, and seems to be in a gang war with…Drakken Joe?!?

Worse, it looks like in this Universe, Homura’s currently saddled with debt to Drakken Joe.

This could be a problem.

Review

Well, it looks like things are finally starting to deviate from the history that we know. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, though, is depends on how you look at it. 

Firstly, this means we don’t have to deal with the whole B-Cuber kidnapping thing, that perverted frog, or that fake Sister. That’s a good thing. However, in Universe 0, it seems like Sister and Drakken Joe are locked in some kind of gang war for control of the planet. Assuming that the Chronophage shows up like the first time, that would leave everyone on a tight timetable.

I’m not that worried, though. Shiki defeated Drakken Joe in a past timeline, and the Crew of Edens has prior knowledge and years of experience to help them deal with Joe. We shouldn’t underestimate him, though. The last time they did that…that’s not something I have fond memories of experiencing.

In any event, I’m more curious to learn how Sister and Homura turned out the way they did in Universe 0, but if my theory’s right, then Shiki’s the key to restoring their memories. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait long before Homura and Sister are back to the way we know them. Let the war on Guilst begin!

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Edens Zero Chapter 223 Review/Recap

They’ve been reunited; they got the ship; they even got Witch back. Now it’s time Shiki, Rebecca, and Happy to reunite the rest of the Crew of Edens and find Mother before its too late. Let the Edens Zero speedrun begin!!!

Recap

Having reunited with Witch, the trio proceeds to tell her the abridged version of events: they’re from three years in the future, and they’re trying to save Mother. That doesn’t matter much to Witch, though, as she still pledges loyalty to Shiki. Shiki, though, makes her promise to not die in this universe. As the ship heads for Norma, Rebecca and Shiki acclimate to their situation. They both discover that they possess their Ether Gear from previous universes, but they lack the level of control they need. This leads to an…embarrassing situation. 

On Norma, they find the planet was still Chronophage’d, meaning that they can still find Weisz and Pino. They simply go to Weisz’s house and there he is with Pino, just like before. Once they cross paths again, their memories come right back. However, there’s a big difference this time. In Universe Zero, Weisz’s mother, who lost her life thanks to Drakken Joe, is still alive, giving Weisz the chance to have a tearful reunion.

Review

This review’s going to be brief, as there’s not a lot for me to say about this chapter. Everything happened pretty much exactly how I thought it would play out. It seems to confirm some fan theories that only those aboard the Edens Zero will remember their past experiences, though. 

I had a feeling that Weisz’s mother would be alive in Universe 0, as it fits with the trend of it giving people the lives they want the most. Happy never became a robot, and Weisz still has his Mom. Seeing him reunite with her was very heartwarming, but if he wants to keep her, then they’re going to have to take her with them when they leave Norma. 

That aside, it’s good to know that Shiki and Rebecca still have access to their advanced Ether Gear. It may take a while for them to reach the level of control they possessed in the previous Universe, but I also expected that.

Now comes the potentially hard part: Guilst. If they play this right, they can get Homura, Sister, Mosco, and even Jinn and Labilia in one fell swoop. Oh, and Couchpo, too. The amount of variables, though, is too much for me to predict what might happen. I just hope that they don’t have to outrun a Chronophage or deal with that perverted frog man again.

Not a lot to say about this chapter besides that.

I Give “Memories and Abilities” a 2.5/5

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Edens Zero Chapter 222 Review/Recap

The original trio of Edens Zero did it; despite being separated upon arriving in Universe Zero, Shiki, Rebecca, and Happy reunited on Granbell. They remembered their experiences in the other Universes and their mission: find Mother, save Mother, and save all of reality. However, their journey will be a high-risk, high-reward venture. They won’t have the luxury of anymore do-overs, but they can avoid the losses they endured. In other words, they can make everyone happy this time.

I know that this whole thing seems cliche and Mashima is treading on old ground, but lets at least see this through.

Recap

Having reunited in Granbell Park, Shiki, Rebecca, and Happy happily start comparing notes on the differences between their lives in Universe Zero and the previous realities. For example, in this reality, Happy never died and, thus, never got turned into a cyborg.

In addition, when Shiki goes to the Castellan and tells him to drop the act, it turns out, there’s no need for them to do so. In Universe Zero, before Ziggy died, he found a way to recycle Ether, giving them an abundance of it. By their estimates, they have another to last the next thousand years. Despite this, the Castellan says Ziggy told them he would leave one day, and so he left something for him behind.

In the center of Granbell Park, hidden underground, is the Edens Zero, all prepped and ready to fly. Happy to see their ship again, Shiki and his friends give the machines of Granbell Park a heartfelt goodbye, happy that things turned out this way.

Once in space, Shiki says they’re first going to find Weisz, then the rest of their friends before finding Rebecca’s mom and a way to get to Mother. However, one last surprise lies in store. Stepping out from inside the ship itself in the form of Witch, prompting the three to embrace her tearfully, with Shiki ordering her never to die again. 

Review

So, what Rachel said about Universe Zero was right on several levels. It’s the universe where everything could or could not turn out the way people want. On top of this, it’s the universe where everyone we’ve seen die could come back to life. Or rather, they never died in this universe. More on that in a moment, though.

Let’s go over the changes to the timeline. Firstly, the fact that Happy never got hit by that vehicle means he never became a machine. Rebecca and Happy still know Weisz, though, so not everything’s changed in this new universe. Secondly, the machines of Granbell Park don’t need to pull their “we’re secretly evil” act since Ziggy solved their energy problem in this universe. On top of that, he left the Edens Zero on Granbell Park itself, meaning they don’t have to retrieve it. How Ziggy still exists here, though, is anyone’s guess. This is what Rachel meant about Universe Zero. It’s gotten rid of the darker moments in the trio’s lives up to this point. 

Now, regarding the return of Witch. I knew she’d return, but this isn’t the same as a full-on resurrection. Rather, the Witch in Universe Zero hasn’t died yet, and if Shiki can make the right choices, she might not die in this universe. In fact, Universe Zero could ensure that most of the characters we’ve seen die are still alive here, living happier lives. Jinn and Kleene could still have their parents; Elsie and James’ homes wouldn’t have gotten destroyed. Homura could be living a happy life with Valkyrie. Or everything bad that happened to them still happens. Regardless, Shiki has a chance to ensure everyone he’s met gets the happy life they want, and I hope he makes that chance count.

I don’t know how long it will take us to track down the other members of the Crew of Edens, but I’m hoping Mashima doesn’t spend too long doing it. They have to beat whatever form the Edens One takes to Mother, or the whole Multiverse will end. Here’s hoping. 

I Give “A Happy World” a 3.5/5

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Edens Zero Chapter 221 Review/Recap

I knew going into Universe Zero that we were nearing the end of Edens Zero. I knew that we would end up revisiting the events of the story from the very beginning. I thought I’d be prepared for it. After all, I’ve followed the story since the very first chapter. However, I was not prepared for how much I would cry. Well played, Mashima.

Recap

In the Sakura Cosmos, a girl named Rebecca and her car companion, Happy, fly through space. As they near a planet with an abandoned theme park, their ship heads to it of its own accord. 

On the planet below, a boy named Shiki is hard at work on the robot inhabitants of the park. Right as he works on the robotic cat monster, his Ether Gear goes wild, leading him to have an encounter with the visiting Rebecca and Happy.

It’s then that they remember. Everything

All of their memories from the previous Universes come flooding back to them. They remember everything they’ve been through together across space and time. Left in tears, the three friends reunite, with Shiki asking them once more if they’ll be his friends. Rebecca doesn’t hesitate to say yes.

Review

I followed Edens Zero from day one, and I’ve seen everything its characters have gone through. From the heights of victory to dealing with crushing pain and loss, I saw it all. But seeing the events of the first chapter play out up to the moment when they remember everything? I may not have done it physically, but mentally, I could feel the tears in my eyes. The original trio had found each other again.

Firstly, though, I want to say that I appreciate the different way the chapter played out as opposed to the original. It was a clever way of treading new ground from a different perspective. And while things don’t play out the exact same way (Rebecca didn’t plan to go to Granbell), something ensured that they still met. Some might call it fate, and it might be, but I’d call it something else: gravity.

I believe that Shiki, without even realizing it, was using his Gravity Ether to bring him, Rebecca, and Happy back together. Beyond calling it fate, that’s the only explanation I’ve got. Once they reunited, that same Gravity Ether allowed them to remember everything they’ve been through. Or rather, everything their alternate selves went through as their memories got overwritten. We shouldn’t think too hard on it!

Regardless of how it happened, I believe that Shiki is the key to all of this. If his Ether Gear can draw in and restore memories of their alternate selves, then all Shiki has to do is find the Crew of Edens and their memories will return. However, something tells me that it won’t be that simple.

A Crossroads for Edens Zero Before the End

The way I see it, Hiro Mashima has two ways he can go from this point forward. One would be safer and would catch people up in time for the final battle, but risk re-treading an old path. The other is riskier and doesn’t guarantee everyone’s safety, but would be interesting to watch.

First option: Mashima can have Edens Zero speed run through an abridged retelling of the entire story thus far. Find the Edens Zero and all their crewmates, friends, and allies again and restore their memories. The added bonus would be that by restoring the memories of what happened, they could prevent the deaths of several characters. Characters like Witch, Elsie, Justice, Creed, even Valkyrie. However, readers would get bored of this pretty quickly, even if it meant getting to see deceased characters return.

The second option is riskier but could have a bigger payoff. Mashima could have everything differently from what Shiki and Rebecca know. Make it harder for them to locate some of the members like Weisz, Pino, Jinn, Kleene, and Laguna. Having Valkyrie never leave Homura, or Kurenai raised Homura on Sun Jewel as her enforcer. Anything could happen. However, that may take too long, and readers become impatient to see the final battle.

Regardless, I’m eager to see how Mashima plays this out. If he plays his cards right, this could be entertaining or a letdown. Sadly, though, we will have to wait until the New Year to see where Edens Zero goes from here. I’m still looking forward to it, though. 

Happy New Year, everyone!

I Give “Back in the Sky Where the Cherry Blossoms Dance” a 4.5/5

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