The battle on the moon continues; shocking discoveries are abound!

——

Previously on Soul Eater: Upon hearing the news that Chrona is going to be hunted down, Maka searches with her soul resonance and ends up discovering the location of the Kishin: the series’ trademark moon. The members of Shibusen’s newly created Spartoi, Noah, Chrona, and the Kishin’s forces are now locked in a four-way battle on the moon, and Death the Kid has been given the task of attempting to forge an alliance with the witches.

In this chapter, Kid leaves the witch council without a verdict, but decides to keep faith in them and sets off for the moon. Meanwhile, the unlikely tag team of Noah and Gopher with Sid and Akane discover the Kishin’s hiding spot in the moon’s nose and Chrona dives in after them.

The middle of the chapter really dragged on, almost to the point where I had to force myself to read it, but the discoveries made in this chapter are really ground breaking for the series. I think one of this series’ most gaping plot holes has been why can people turn into weapons, and to see it resolved here is very satisfying. We already knew that they had to obtain a witch’s soul to become a Death Scythe; that much has never really been questioned. But the fact that these kids were born with genes created by Arachne and are incomplete without a witch’s soul is really fascinating and it all gives a deeper understanding to the crazy world of Soul Eater.

Though heavy with serious issues, this chapter was not without its trademark Soul Eater comedy. Noah is definitely one of the more interesting villains of the series in that he has moments where he doesn’t feel like a villain at all. The fact that he and Gopher are forced to cooperate with Sid and Akane is comedic gold, but their having to work together despite their conflicting natures serves as a reflection of the tense relationship and burgeoning alliance for Shibusen and the witches. I also really enjoyed Exclalibur’s mini cameo; the author somehow manages to make him obnoxious even while only being mentioned in passing.

Probably what stood out the most about this chapter was Kid’s decision to wear his armband on one arm, and, in doing so, completely undermining his symmetry obsession. Kid’s OCD is one of the major defining point of his character; it’s usually utilized for comedic purposes, but has also been a huge detriment for Kid. The biggest theme of this chapter, and probably the whole arc, is definitely Kid overcoming his personal obstacles and standing up to lead this new generation of Shibusen students.

A little slow on action, but rich in development and probably one of the most illuminating chapters of Soul Eater in a while.

GO Rating: 4/5

[KissManga]