Joker Just Wants to Have Fun
Edens Zero Chapter 254 Review/Recap
I don’t know who first said it, but it sounds appropriate to quote this: “The more things change, the more things stay the same.” There are characteristics to people that are so fundamental that no matter how much time passes, they remain a part of them. Even machines that claim to have evolved beyond their programming can still follow it, even when they don’t mean to. In the case of Edens Zero, Rebecca managed to prove that Joker Helix isn’t evil. Deep down, they just everyone to have fun.
Color me surprised. This is a big win for gamers.
Recap
With time running out to save Shiki and the Professor, Rebecca races to solve the escape room. Unfortunately, the door won’t open; it has a sign that says that she needs to find the right door, and a symbol of the five elements. Putting the clues together, Rebecca realizes that the real door’s underneath the earth floor, and goes through.
After that, she has to deal with a hallway of endless doors, only to get stumped at every turn. That’s when she remembers that in the old game she played, the correct door would glow. Thanks to that hint, she chooses the right one and frees Shiki and the Professor. Unfortunately, Joker Helix wants to keep playing deadly games with Rebecca.
However, Rebecca tells the two to stand down; she’s figured out Joker Helix. Despite evolving, Joker Helix remains the same: they want to help people have fun. They like to help them when they’re stumped in a game. At the end of the day, they’re kind, and that’s what Rebecca wants them to be.
Somehow, this works. Joker Helix stands down, and their army of bots disappears!
Review
Well, that was not how I imagined how things would end.
In keeping with the references to video games over the last few chapters, I appreciated what Mashima did. I never cared for puzzle-based video games when I was young, and that dislike seems to have continued well into my adulthood. That said, I understand how they mentally stimulate the mind and force players to think to succeed. And the best games always give hints when players get frustrated. In that regard, Joker Helix is a good AI.
As for the resolution, I suspected that that might be how things would end. Given Joker’s obsession with playing with Rebecca, it would make sense that their motive was mainly to just play games. It only
I Give “Stage 2” a 3.5/5
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That’s 2 Galactica down! We’ll be seeing Cure and Acnoella next, aren’t we? I think Mashima would save Law and Freya as the BIG Big Threats as far as the Galactica is concerned. And then we’ll be up against the Dark Stars and Void himself- probably an initial encounter and then the FINAL Battle.
I wonder what’ll become of Joker Helix here. I fully expect for Void to have her killed, but the matter of when and where is where things become interesting. Killing Joker in front of the crew will add another person they need to avenge.