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Edens Zero Chapter 275 Review/Recap

So, at this point, we know how Mother came to be and what Shiki has to do with her. He was the only human who managed to survive the destruction of Earth thanks to Ziggy. However, what didn’t make sense was how Ziggy wound up going back far enough to see Mother’s birth in the first place. As it turns out, he didn’t. That’s due to even more timey-wimey nonsense going on. It’s only thanks to me be so well-versed in time travel stories that I’m able to make sense of all this! 

Buckle up. This is going to be confusing.

Recap

Ziggy is at a loss for words; how could Mother, a being said to have existed for eons, have been born in front of him. As Mother explains, that is due to outside interference. A Chronophage had eaten the last 20,000 years of her time, returning her to when she was simply Earth. Everyone on it was supposed to have died, but thanks to Ziggy, Shiki lived.

Intrigued by this, Mother makes Ziggy an offer to entrust the future of the cosmoses to Shiki. When he returns to her, he can choose to revive the Earth and let Mother become the source of all Ether in the Cosmoses. Or, he can choose to enjoy the universe he has at the cost of her Ether running dry and disappearing forever. Before Ziggy can argue about anything, Mother teleports him away.

Now tasked with raising Shiki, Ziggy has no clue what to do. So, to help him, he uses the data he recorded from the room to make Android copies to help raise him. Dubbing them the four Shining Stars, he implants false memories of a journey to find Mother that was cut short due to finding Shiki.

Watching the memories, Rebecca and Happy are shocked that Ziggy lied to the Shining Stars. However, Pino explains through the data Ziggy left her his reasoning. They needed the memories to stabilize them, or else they wouldn’t work. None of that matters to Shiki, though. All he cares about is whether or not Witch is his mom.

Review

It took me a little bit to figure out what was going on, but I think I have an idea about what happened. So, let me explain.

Making Sense of it All

All of the events that led to Mother’s birth happened 20,000 years before the start of the series. That led to the birth of the four Cosmoses and the life that populated it. But her birth also led to all life on Earth dying. That’s how it originally went.

However, about twenty years ago, a Chronophage reverted her back to her original state as a planet, restarting the whole thing. Except this time, Ziggy showed up after going on his quest to find another, and his meddling led to Shiki surviving. From there, Ziggy would take Shiki back to Granbell and raise him, and events proceed as they do in the story. 

So, to clarify, it’s not that Shiki is thousands of years old or was sent into the future as a baby. He’s like Weiss, a person from a planet hit by a Chronophage. And if any of this is still confusing, don’t forget, time travel has been a big part of Edens Zero since the beginning. It’s why all this timey-wimey stuff works without changing too much.

Well, it does change a few things. I was not expecting the reveal that the Shining Stars’ memories were made up. Mashima fooled so many of us in that regard. In addition, the fact that Witch is, technically, his mom makes her death in the last universe all the more heartbreaking in hindsight. And I say technically because Shiki’s birth mother, the human Regret, is already dead.

This Just Changed the Endgame

While some people might be upset at the fact that the men and women in the flashbacks weren’t the last lives of the Shining and Dark Stars, I don’t see it as a bad thing. While they are Android clones of the group of eight, that doesn’t make them any less than their own people. In hindsight, it also makes the fighting between the Shining and Dark Stars a little less heartbreaking. They’re not friends turned enemies because they were never friends to begin with.

It all sounds confusing, I know. I’m barely able to put everything together. The important thing is that everything that we’ve learned about in the story still matters. It all still happens.

Now that Shiki knows the full story, though, he’s going to have to either make the choice or find another option. Saving Mother will not just save the universe, but bring back the Earth and everyone on it who died (hopefully.) However, it would also mean that many of his friends would eventually die. What a terrible choice to make, and I don’t know what the right one to make might be. Here’s hoping Shiki can find a way out of this. Also, we still need to know what the heck led to the Edens One go nuts.

Good job at misleading us, though, Mashima. You had the wool pulled over my eyes! 

I Give “The Four Shining Stars are Born” a 4/5

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Edens Zero Chapter 268 Review/Recap

I’m not sure if I’ve said this enough, but the sight of the Shining and Dark Stars fighting each other is really hard to watch. If the flashback’s the manga’s been giving us are of the eight androids in a past life, then they were all friend with each other. Witch and Wizard were happily married, to boot! Seeing them tearing each other apart in the present day is a cruel tragedy. That tragedy’s only compounded by the fact that Void is Ziggy/Shiki’s son from a possible future. Mashima seems determined to mess with the fans like this!

Recap

While Void confirms that Rebecca and Shiki are his parents, he also says that Rebecca isn’t his mom. At the same time, Shiki also says he doesn’t accept Void as his son. He thinks it’s not good for him to have a galaxy-class deliquent for a son. Resolving himself to the fact that neither belongs in this new world, Ziggy declares that he’s going to defeat his son. As the two titans of Ether gear clash, Void gains the upper hand with his time Ether. However, Ziggy’s experience allows him to remain equal to Void. Before long, Ziggy’s shattered Void’s mask, revealing the man who looks a lot like Shiki within.

Meanwhile, everyone aboard the Edens Zero is surprised to learn that Ziggy’s still alive. Despite this, and despite the fact that Ziggy created them all, Wizard refuses to give up the fight. Using the full extent of their powers, Wizard and Witch clash one last time, and despite Wizard’s best efforts, he’s no match for the Shield of Edens. 

As Witch mentally questions if there’s a world where they didn’t have to fight, the scene changes to 20,000 years in the past. There, on a starlit balcony at night, Leonard proposes to Regret, who happily accepts.

Review

Well, that was still a little unexpected. We still don’t know how Void came back in time, or what he hopes to gain from all of this. However, it’s clear that he doesn’t see Shiki or Rebecca as his actual parents. Which might be for the best, since it’s likely that Shiki or Ziggy will have to take him down. What was most surprising, though, was how Void looks like the spitting image of an older Shiki. His hair is slightly different, but he looks just like him.

This chapter did nothing to explain why Void’s so determined to destroy everything, but it did show us how tough an opponent he really is. Scientists believe that, at it’s strongest, the power of gravity can bend the laws of the universe around it. Combine that with Void’s time powers, and that’s a terrifying villain. 

The main draw of the chapter, though, was the conclusion of the fight between Witch and Wizard. I’ve said it several times by now, but seeing the Shining and Dark Stars fighting each like this is very tragic. If the flashbacks are of their lives before they became machines, then Witch just had to fight her husband. The worst part is, they don’t even know how they’re connected.

There are only five minutes left before the Edens Zero self-destructs. With the way things are going, the Shining Stars might be able to stop that. However, they may end up killing the people that they once called friends in the process. That’s a tragic outcome, and one I’m not looking forward to seeing. 

I Give “Ziggy vs. Void” a 3.5/5

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Edens Zero Chapter 256 Review/Recap

Hiro Mashima has a funny way of going about things with his stories. Right when you think that you’re losing interest in his manga, he hits you over the head with a plot twist. In this case, what Pino learned from her lost memories is bigger than many thought possible. It’s something that even calls into question the entire history of Edens Zero that’s been presented. 

Recap

As the Edens Zero travels into this mysterious new cosmos, they’re unsure if there’s any life there. The closest planet alone is larger and colder than anything they’ve encountered thus far. Regardless, Witch cautions everyone to be ready for anything as everyone prepares for what may come.

Homura and Valkyrie discuss her death in all previous universes, with the latter wondering if her death would be necessary to set the course of history right. However, a tearful Homura refutes this, saying that she’s seen enough death in any reality. She just wants to live in a world that won’t make her cry, to which Valkyrie complies.

Meanwhile, Homura looks over Weisz’s Arsenal armor, which leads to a surprisingly tender moment between the two of them.

In the Spa of Edens, as Pino grapples with the weight of what she witnessed, Shiki, Rebecca, and Happy arrive. Before she can tell them anything, though, Pino unexpectdly passes out! Shiki rushes her to Sister’s infirmary in a panic. As they do this, though, Pino’s mind (I think) focuses on what she had seen: memories of life 20,000 years ago with four women who look just like the Shining Stars.

Review

Okay, I’m just going to get the minor stuff out of the way first. I liked how Mashima’s acknowledged the existence of the ship between Weisz and Hermit. There’s been many hints of them having feelings for each other, but this confirmed it. That might end up being a death flag, though, as is Homura’s conversation with Valkyrie.

However, the real meat of the chapter comes in the final moments. In the Kaede Cosmos Saga, Shiki saw memories of the Shining Stars and Dark Stars from a past that they didn’t remember. At the time, I believe I speculated that they might be memories of them from their past, or an alternate reality. As it turns out, it might be the former, but on a time span greater than I realized. If what we’re looking at is correct, then the Shining Stars, or the women who became their templates, lived on…present day Earth.

No, I’m being serious. Look at the double-spread page. The streets signs say “Broadway.” They’re driving modern-day cars. The architecture matches up with New York. The signs are all there. Edens Zero could take place thousands of years into mankind’s future. The question is, how did things get this way?

Right now, all I know is that finding Mother will answer most of these questions. It’s not as epic or deep as the likes of One Piece, but this is the kind of plot twist I do like seeing. Good job, Mashima. You got my attention again with Edens Zero.

I Give “From Eternity Long Past” a 4/5

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Edens Zero Chapter 198 Review/Recap

When we first met her, I knew I’d like Sister Ivry. Despite dressing like a Nun, she’s loud, crass, and probably the best example of BDSM in Shonen. And, as she’s proven time and again, she’s an utter badass. She takes any pain someone hands her and returns it ten-fold. And as Clown soon realizes, she’s his worst nightmare.

Recap

As Hermit lies powerless as Clown prepares to seize Etherion, all hope seems lost. At that moment, a very angry Sister shows up. She used her healing powers to heal Clown’s dog to death, and once she heals Hermit, she’s ready to do the same to Clown. Before she can, though, Clown traps her in his nightmare dimension where he held Rebecca before.

Chained and helpless, Sister’s subjected to torture that I can’t show here. However, instead of breaking her, she laughs it off. She knows it’s not real, and her medical practice ensures her sanity remains intact. Sister then turns the tables on Clown and…just see for yourself.

Say your prayers, Clown.

Review

This right here. This is why Sister’s my favorite of the Shining Stars. She doesn’t shit from anyone, and her dominatrix personality let’s her turn her healing powers into a deadly weapon. She healed Clown’s Ether dog until it overloaded and exploded! And then she used Clown as her new plaything. She’s one girl you never wanna anger!

That, and I found her reaction to hearing how Rebecca had been in her place earlier hilarious. She’s a pervert, but she’s happy with who she is.

That said, this whole arc so far has been very disappointing. All the Dark Stars seem down for the count. Ziggy almost lost to Elsie. The whole thing seems too easy! What is Mashima playing at? This whole arc seems meant to be the final battle, but all evidence points to the contrary. It doesn’t make sense!

I’m really hoping that Mashima gets better with this. Because right now, he has a hard time keeping my attention. At least Sister validated my initial thoughts about her. She is awesome.

I Give “Nightmare” a 3.5/5

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