A Genuine Bombshell

Edens Zero Chapter 57 Review/Recap

Every now and then, something will happen in a story that leaves me genuinely surprised. Mashima’s done a few things that could be called a big reveal in the past, but I pick up on his hints a lot, so it ruins the surprise. The chapter of Edens Zero that came out this week, though, felt like a genuine bombshell.

Recap

As stated before, that cube had a message from Valkyrie telling Homura why she left her and can’t come back. We don’t see it, but we learn through flashbacks what happened.

After Valkyrie took Homura in as her student, she did everything she could to take care of her. Despite her efforts, she and the young Homura faced prejudice from the town they lived in because Valkyrie’s a machine. It didn’t help that Homura said she was waiting on her mother, who left before the village was destroyed to earn money.

Despite trying her best, Valkyrie became convinced that she could never raise Homura like a real mom, so she leaves her behind to find the girl’s birth mother. After seeking out Xiao Mei, she learns that the note she left for Homura got stolen by a cat. Even so, she’s determined to find Homura’s mother. Xiao Mei then reveals she’ll find Homura’s mom on Sun Jewel, and that her name is…Kurenai Kotetsu

Review

Dang, folks. I’m almost at a loss for words; I wasn’t expecting this. So Homura’s mother is the sadistic despot that rules Sun Jewel, and Valkyrie’s leading a rebellion against her. What a bombshell.

My mind’s been racing with ideas about Kurenai, but so far I’ve come up with two theories about why she left Homura. The first is that she did intend to come back, but once she got wealthy enough, she got drunk on it and turned into the monster we see today. The second, and more likely, is that she ditched Homura like a deadbeat mom. Either way, this is not the kind of person Homura should associate with.

After getting over the bombshell that Homura is the daughter of the Scarlet Woman, though, my mind came to one conclusion. They may not be related by blood, but Valkyrie raised Homura, protected her, and taught her everything she knows. That sounds like a mom to me.

It doesn’t matter to me if Kurenai’s is Homura’s mom: she’s still a sadistic monster that’s about kill hundreds of people. She needs to be stopped, and now she’s on the Edens Zero’s radar.

I liked this chapter as a whole, as it gives us an unexpected connection to the villain of this arc. That personal connection between Homura, her mother, and her mentor are going to make for some emotional scenes. I think the Sun Jewel Arc’s going to get really crazy from here on out, and I can’t wait.

I Give “My Mother’s A Machine” a 4/5

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