Eden no Ori 95: Just Another Disaster

One thing that can be said about Eden no Ori is that the pacing never slows down. Every chapter Sengoku and his group are hit with more and more hardships leading to some exciting (yet sometimes depressing) entertainment. This week another tragedy struck, and it was made all the more emotional by the impact on the group. Though it was sad, there's also now a bit of fear because clearly nobody is safe from the fangs and claws of the island. (spoilers after the jump)

I think it's safe to say that Mina (the REAL Mina) is definitely involved somehow in this island. I get the feeling that the "drawings" in her book aren't drawings, but pictures like Sengoku and Eiken theorized. However, until that annoying amnesia wears off we're going to be in the dark about the truth.

Hikime dying is terrible for the group for two reasons: they've lost another strong fighter from the already small group of capable people and Kirino might crack under all the stress. I was surprised really that it all happened, though as soon as Takahashi and he left I knew one of them were not coming back. Hikime was the "rival" of the group and I was expecting him to stick around to provide more conflict for Sengoku. I hate to say it, but Takahashi dying instead of Hikime would have been more beneficial for the group, but I think it would have been even more sad since she seems to have close relationships with a lot of the students.

I'm glad they're taking some time to put a little focus on the minor characters though. Takahashi up until now was always in the background, but I've noticed that she, and more of the supporting cast, have been getting larger roles. It's both a good thing and a bad thing however, because our main cast is also getting less dialogue, for instance, I don't even remember seeing Oomori in this chapter.

The next chapter will be very interesting now that the group is basically trapped in their location and are slowly running out of food. I can sense more deaths in the future, and Hikime was just the start of it. If he can die, anyone can. So, what did you think of the chapter? Any thoughts on Mina?