RJ Writing Ink

Edens Zero Chapter 260 Review/Recap

From the moment of his introduction, two things about Mosco have stood out to readers. Firstly, there’s his complete subservience to Sister Ivry of the Shining Stars. Secondly, the big, red button on his stomach that says “Don’t Push.” Sister’s told everyone never to push that button under any circumstances, but never explained why. I speculated that it might be some sort of deus ex machina last resort Mashima saved for the grand finale. It seems that that prediction proved to be accurate. What I don’t think anyone expected is the end result would be. Or the effect it would have on Sister Ivry.

Recap

After getting stumped by Happy not being a robot in Universe Zero, Clown opts to outright kill him. As he berates his apparent uselessness, Mosco says there’s one thing he can do: he needs Happy to press his button.

Sister freaks out when she hears Mosco say this and tries to order Happy not to press the button. However, Mosco insists that he do so. Left with little options, Happy puts his faith in Mosco, and pushes the button.

As everyone watches, Mosco undergoes an incredible transformation into an entirely new being, blowing away the poison in the process. This is Cosmo, the space butler. And as soon as Sister talks to him like she normally does, he disciplines her. And she likes it! 

As Happy and Clown watch, flabbergasted, Cosmo turns his attention to the latter. For trying to hurt Sister, he subjects Clown to an electric bondage treatment. 

In the past, Ivry laments on her inability to get better, with P! Clown offering her another solution: Ether Therapy.

Review

Of all the things that I expected would happen when someone pressed Mosco’s button, I didn’t expect this. Instead of some sort of super-powered, last resort form, we got a suave butler dom. 

At least this explains why Sister was so desperate to keep Mosco the way he was. The fact that Cosmo managed to dominate her so thoroughly, and have her enjoy it, must be the embarrassing thing in the universe for her. She’s always prided herself on being this sadistic dominatrix, and the fact that she ends up drooling like this thanks to Cosmo? 

It also happens to be something that I find incredibly hilarious. To think that super-dom Sister who always enjoys tormenting Rebecca could end up like this? I had to re-read the chapter just to make sure it wasn’t a joke. 

I don’t know if Cosmo will end up being a permanent addition or if he’ll turn back into Mosco, but I’m going to enjoy having him around. This is a new and interesting side to Sister!

Additionally, the flashback continues to reveal a little bit more about the Shining Stars past or past lives. Could Ether Therapy have a role to play in whatever happened in the past? I’m looking forward to finding out.

I Give “Cosmo” a 4/5. Bonus Points for the Look on Everyone’s Face at What Cosmo did to Sister

Click here to see more animanga stuff

Edens Zero Chapter 231 Review/Recap

All right, Mashima, you’re losing us again. I hoped that this grand reunion arc of Edens Zero would give the series back that spark it’s been missing for a while now. However, now it’s losing it again. Instead of the epic re-rematch between Shiki and his first great enemy, we see him use…the talk no jutsu. I get that this whole thing’s supposed to be an abridged version of the past, but the talk no jutsu? Really, Mashima?

Recap

Having encountered Drakken Joe once more, Shiki’s first step is to explain everything that happened between them in the previous Universe’s. All this does is anger Joe, though…until Shiki mentions he knows about why Joe started stealing people’s life force: to live longer and make more friends. However, Joe reveals that in this Universe, he only sucked the life out of animals. Moreover, he sees himself as a necessary evil to stop worse evils from hurting others. Fed up with everything, Joe decides to just bail and let Shiki do whatever he wants.

Pino does tell everyone present, though, that the Chronophage’s still coming for Guilst in about three days time. Shiki offers Joe some parting advice about being a good person while he still has time. After that, they both head their separate ways.

Back aboard the Edens Zero, the whole crew’s excited to have Sister, Mosco, Jinn and Kleene back, and they’re happy to see Witch again. However, there’s still one problem: Homura. She still can’t remember anything despite meeting everyone. As a result, the crew’s stumped…until they realize that in Universe 0, Valkyrie might still be alive. They get the idea of trying to find the Sword of Edens to help Homura, but Homura shocks everyone by telling them the truth: Valkyrie still died five years ago…

Review

Mashima, I’m shaking my head in disappointment at you. After all this build-up, the best way you can deal with Drakken Joe is the talk no jutsu? Really? That’s what Naruto does, and at least there, it makes sense. And the way you have Joe acting here is such a far-cry from the menace he was during the initial saga of Edens Zero. Now he’s acting as goofy as everyone else is! What a disappointment. I can’t believe I was worried about Shiki fighting Joe again!

Regardless, this does save some time by getting four of the Crew of Edens back in one fell swoop. However, there’s still the matter of getting Homura to remember everything. It would seem the warnings of Rebecca’s mother about Universe 0 are proving true. Whatever happened to Valkyrie in Universe 0 traumatized Homura to the point where it will be incredibly hard to jog her memories. Still, maybe going to Sun Jewel and finding out what happened to Valkyrie in this timeline might help her remember.

Overall, this chapter felt like a massive letdown. What was the point of bringing Joe back if Shiki doesn’t even fight him again? Get better, Mashima. You’re losing my interest.

I Give “Requirements of a Hero” a 1/5.

Click here to see more animanga stuff

Edens Zero Chapter 230 Review/Recap

Remember how I said how this Edens Zero reunion arc would be like a speedrun? I wasn’t wrong. Not only is the story progressing faster, but now Shiki’s getting a new kind of Overdrive. I kind of miss the old one, though. 

Recap

As Sister stands exhausted from her fight with Jinn and Kleene, she berates them for not being able to remember her. However, they both reveal that their memory came back mid-fight. She was just too engrossed in beating them up, she didn’t even notice! Regardless, the three are happy to be reunited once more. At the same time, Sister gets a call from Mosco, who’s memories have also returned. For some reason, though, Homura’s have not.

Meanwhile, Nero realizes that Shiki is Ziggy’s grandson, having recognized his Ether Gear to be that of Ziggy’s. Rolling his Empire Dice, Nero decides to give him some advice as they continue battling: he wants him to enter Overdrive. Shiki insists that he still can’t do that, but Nero says that he can. Going into Overdrive changes his body to allow him to do so, and there’s more than one form of it. As a result, Shiki taps into his Ether, and gains an Overdrive that matches who he is now. It’s Overdrive Route: Ziggy! 

With Nero defeated, he explains why he helped Shiki: he wants him to stop his son, Shura. However, at that moment, Drakken Joe enters the scene, deciding that he has to take care of business himself. Remember what happened with Joe and Shura in the previous Universes, Shiki tells Pino he knows what he has to do: he’ll make them both his friends.

…What?

Review

Okay, first of all, RIP Shiki is Key Theory! That has now left the building, and I feel stupid! Second of all, I think it’s both funny and sad that the wind siblings got their memories back as they were getting beat up. Funny because this is classic Sister…and sad because it feels disrespectful to them from Mashima. 

Thirdly, I think we should be worried about Homura now. If she doesn’t get her memories back now, then either something’s wrong, or she needs stronger stimuli. I suspect Mosco got his back by seeing Homura’s Ether Gear, but that’s all I got. Perhaps meeting Shiki again will jog her memory. If not her, then is it possible Valkyrie’s still alive in this Universe? That could be the key.

As for Shiki, I wasn’t expecting him to get his Overdrive back so soon, but it makes sense. He was only able to beat Drakken Joe once he unlocked Overdrive. Now he has to beat him again and get him to listen to him. While it does seem a little forced to make Shiki try to befriend the man who killed him in an alternate Universe, this might be the best way to ensure everyone can live a better life. Fingers crossed!

Click here to see more animanga stuff

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

Click here to see more animanga stuff

Edens Zero Chapter 129 Review/Recap

After about four months of fighting, more fighting, and confronting emotional trauma, the Foresta Arc seems to be coming to an end. Ziggy’s mad plans for Foresta have been thwarted, the machines have come to their senses, and the whole planet can begin to heal. And mourn the ones they lost. In the long-term, this will lead to potential strife and discord in the Aoi Cosmos. However, in the short-term, the Edens Zero gained an important victory with the defeat of Muller. Now, for the first time, we get to see Kleene truly smile. And it is beautiful!!

Recap

With Muller’s defeat and the destruction of Foresta halted, the heroes regroup on their respective ships. Shiki and the others express their gratitude to Elsie for saving them from Justice, while she apologizes for getting them wrapped up in her problems. She warns them to steer clear of that group, and declares her intentions to continue hunting Ziggy. In the mess hall, Witch goes to speak with the little girl Rebecca and the others saved, Aruna. She knows that her friend Mimi died, and she’s left in absolute tears from this. Moved by this, and remembering how she felt when Valkyrie died, Witch tells the girl that she shouldn’t keep crying forever. Otherwise, those in Heaven won’t be happy for them.

In Sister’s ward, Jinn and Weisz have a talk about what the former and Kleene went through, and how they beat the snot out of Muller for them. More importantly, though, Weisz apologizes for being hard on them. Finally, Sister leaves the room and lets Jinn know that Kleene’s awake. And what he sees, I cannot put into words, so I’m just going to use the images.

Her smile is so beautiful!

Review

I’m sorry, but I need a minute here. My feels like it’s about to burst from all the emotion!!

After seeing all the pain and suffering that Muller put Jinn and Kleene through, to know that they’re getting their happy ending! It’s moments like this that give me faith in humanity’s capacity for good! And when Kleene smiles, she looks so cute!

Joy aside, I loved Witch’s heart to heart with Aruna. She knows what it’s like to lose someone you love, and so she knows how to help the poor girl. Mimi wouldn’t want her friend to be sad because she was gone, so I hope Aruna takes that to heart. And I’m sure that Edens Zero would happily take her in and be her new family.

At any rate, though, something else big happened this chapter: Xeno awoke. Apparently, he uploaded his personality data onto the cloud to keep the virus out, but now that the threat’s gone, he’s back up and running!

I don’t know what Xeno’s role is in the story so far, but he seems dead set on making sure Ziggy’s stopped, and that Shiki can be the one to do so. It would be nice to have him join the crew as Shiki’s mentor, and I’m already thinking of headcanon voices for him. Regardless the Foresta Arc’s wrapping up, but the Aoi Cosmos Saga’s just getting started.

I Give “So We Can Smile Brighter” A 4.5/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff