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Episode Name
English Title

Medusa's Revival! A Spider and Snake's Fateful Reunion?

Kanji Title

剣復活のメデューサ!~蜘蛛と蛇、因縁の再会?~

Rōmaji Title

Fukkatsu no Medyūsa! 〜Kumo to Hebi, Innen no Saikai?

Episode Guide
Episode 28 Episode 30
List of Episodes |Image Gallery

Medusa's Revival! A Spider and Snake's Fateful Reunion? is the twenty-ninth episode of the anime. It is adapted from portions of Chapter 30 and Chapter 31 of the Soul Eater manga.

Dr. Stein's trying to whip the Meisters and Weapons into shape for their eventual fight against Arachne. They'll definitely need to toughen up - Arachne isn't the only witch who's back on the scene.

Featured Appearances[]

Characters[]

DWMA Students

DWMA Staff

Medusa's Army

Arachnophobia

Boyd Family

  • Rachel Boyd (first appearance)
  • Rachel's Mother (first appearance)
  • Rachel's Father (first appearance)

Locations[]

Techniques[]

Objects[]

Plot[]

Death City[]

At sunset, a dog pants heavily in a dark alley, pawing at something hidden among garbage bags. This creature with red eyes is revealed to be a snake, decorated with arrows. The dog growls then is heard yelping. When the scene returns to the dog, its abdomen undulates, as if that snake crawled through the dog's mouth and into its stomach.

Meanwhile, a five-year-old girl, Rachel Boyd, looks at the Sun, which does not wear its customary cackling smile, or even its usual lethargic frown at sunset, but seems to look with terror as clouds around it are forming into serpentine shapes. Rachel is called by her mother, who is carrying groceries and says that Rachel's father is waiting at home for her. On their walk home, Rachel asks whether her mother saw the clouds in the shape of a snake, but her mother simply replies that it looks like it is going to rain.

As they walk along the street, Rachel comes upon the alley where the dog faced the snake. This dog now sits underneath a poster of Death that is posted in this alley. Rachel grins and runs towards the dog, who darts into the dark alley. Rachel's mother calls to her daughter to come back, worried the dog is filthy. Rachel enters the alley, to find the dog facing away from her, its irises narrow like a serpent's. The dog faces Rachel as she approaches the dog. Rachel assumes the dog is lonely, while what sounds like the rattling of a snake's tail seems to emanate from the dog. Rachel looks in shock as the snake slithers from the dog's mouth. The snake returns into the dog, while its arrow-shaped tongue continues to slither—eventually forming into a Vector Arrow that shoots from the dog's mouth, into Rachel's mouth, and down her throat, as Medusa Gorgon begins to exert control over this five-year-old's body.

Rachel's mother walks to the alley, finding her daughter standing in front of the dog. While the mother approaches and orders her child not to play with strays, the Vector Arrow hangs from Rachel's mouth like a tongue. Hearing the mother approach, Medusa has the Vector Arrow slide up into Rachel's mouth. When the mother expresses concern over her child's silence, "Rachel" turns to face her mother with an impish grin, apologizing for running off.

Death Room[]

One night, Sid Barrett and Mira Naigus provide Death with a summary of their mission to the Far East Asian Nation and their destruction of Arachnophobia's Magic Tool facility. Sid confirms that Arachnophobia was developing the Morality Manipulation Machine from a blueprint that Sid stole before destroying the facility with explosives. After some research, Sid can confirm the blueprint comes from The Book of Eibon, as written by the eponymous sorcerer.

While Mira holds onto the blueprint, she asks Death whether she should destroy Eibon's plans. Death orders her not to and to instead deposit the blueprint in the Secret Vault underneath the Death Weapon Meister Academy. Mira is quick to protest the danger of the blueprints, but Sid intervenes, promising to carry out Death's orders. Before the meister and weapon leave, Death orders the two to keep this blueprint and its presence at the Academy a secret from everyone else.

Boyd Residence[]

One night, Rachel is curled in the sofa of her parents' living room, watching a television program that repeats one phrase: "An apple." The image shows a girl leaning a ladder against a tree to climb to its branches to grab an apple. Rachel seems not to blink as her eyes see on the television screen a snake, decorated in arrows and curled around one tree branch, as again the girl on screen leans a ladder against the tree. But this girl climbing the ladder no longer looks as she did before: she now resembles Rachel. As the girl on screen plucks an apple, the snake crawls towards her; although her back is to the viewer, the girl seems to be attacked by the snake, its body disappearing as it slithers along the left side of the girl and seemingly down her throat. Watching this hallucination, Rachel begins to bend her toes wildly.

Rachel's mother calls to the child, saying she has been watching that show so long and should turn it off. Rachel, her voice monotone, reflects on the need to follow a mother's orders or be punished. Rachel approaches the television, turns it off, and walks to a door. As she opens it, Rachel says good night to her mother, without turning to face her.

That night, before bed, Rachel's mother asks her husband whether she thinks their daughter has been acting odd. Rachel's father assures his wife that children change with age.

But at around 12:25 in the morning, the door to the parents' bedroom opens. When Rachel's mother opens her eye, she thinks she sees a snake slithering out of her daughter's mouth, as this child stares wide-eyed at her. The mother's scream awakens the father as well, as the parents find Rachel tugging at their bedsheets, crying over a nightmare about a snake. While the mother is surprised the story is about a snake, the father assures that they will protect their daughter by letting her sleep in their bed. Before falling back to sleep, Rachel's mother notices her daughter's distinctive slippers, which have cartoonish dotted eyes on them, resembling a rabbit.

Class Crescent Moon, Death Weapon Meister Academy[]

As the bell rings, Franken Stein struggles to silence his class to begin today's lesson. But Liz Thompson is more interested in Maka Albarn's return to class, as the meister demonstrates she has recovered from the paralysis brought on by Arachne Gorgon's spider threads. When Maka says she is raring for a fight, Patty Thompson suggests a brawl, earning her disapproval from Death the Kid. The Thompsons then suggest hosting a party in honor of Maka's recovery, and to invite Crona as well. When Liz notices Black Star's absence, she complains about the meister running off to get into brawls around campus without bringing his weapon Tsubaki Nakatsukasa. Tsubaki blushes and says she accepts Black Star's behavior—then is scared as a scalpel flies by her face and lands in the wall behind her. The talkative students turn to see Stein was serious about his demand that they stop chattering and prepare for today's class.

Black Star then enters, announcing Marie Mjolnir supervised his most recent duel, which he won. Stein therefore leaves Black Star in the hallway as punishment for tardiness. But the ninja simply continues to exercise, balancing himself on just two fingers of one hand so to strengthen himself after losing his battle against Mifune at Arachnophobia's Magic Tool facility. Inside the classroom, Maka and Soul Eater reflect on how Black Star has gotten into so many fights since Maka's paralysis—ten in total—all without Tsubaki.

Stein explains that today's class introduces Duel Arts, a new approach to fight Arachne, who was resurrected by Asura's Madness upon his escape from Death City. As Stein points out some students are hardly decent listeners, Liz and Patty are amused to think Stein was referring to them, while Kid is mortified. Stein thinks hands-on experience will be better than a lecture, so he will choose students to practice fighting against him: Ox Ford and Harvar D. Éclair, and Maka and Soul. Stein also calls Black Star back to class (his sweatiness from his workout surprising Maka) but without Tsubaki, for fear that a weapon-wielding ninja will destroy the class.

Stein explains that a single meister-weapon Soul Resonance will likely be insufficient against Arachnophobia; therefore, in today's lesson, they will practice resonating across all five students by fighting against Stein. And based on the last time they fought Stein, Maka and Soul hardly enthused at fighting their powerful teacher. Stein turns his screw and threatens to vivisect the students; all are creeped out by this prospective fight, except Black Star who greets this fight with a joyful "HELL YEAH!!"

Boyd Residence[]

That same morning in the dining room, Rachel, dressed in a sleeveless hoodie sweater, is kicking her feet in her chair, utensils in hand as she excitedly waits for her mother's breakfast. Upon receiving her meal, Rachel compliments it and eats happily, which reassures Rachel's mother that her daughter is fine. But once the mother's back is turn, the smile leaves Rachel's face and complains how tasteless is the meal.

Upon returning to the kitchen, Rachel's mother sees a spider descend from the top of the window. She opens the window to coax the spider to leave—but the small hand of Rachel reaches out, smashing the spider in her hand. Her mother is shocked, both by her action and her quick arrival into the kitchen, as well as how the spider seems to evaporate out of Rachel's hand. The mother is then surprised to hear Rachel complain about Arachne discovering her location so quickly.

Deadpan, Rachel says she is going outside to play. The mother holds Rachel by the arm, but Rachel insists on meeting with her good friend who is waiting for her. The mother then realizes this child is not Rachel anymore. The façade destroyed, Rachel assumes the voice of Medusa Gorgon, chastising this person for her poor parenting and how easy it is to control Rachel's body. Rachel's mother steps back, allowing Rachel to depart—with Vector Arrows slithering behind but, as the mother has acquiesce, receding, as Medusa now has no need to kill this person to effect her escape.

Rachel resumes her usual voice as she dons her hood and tells her mother to lock the windows to prevent snakes and spiders from entering. Rachel says goodbye her arrow-shaped tongue slithers.

As soon as the door shuts, Rachel's mother runs to it and opens it, calling to her daughter. But Medusa has already escaped with her child, leaving behind only her slippers.

Class Crescent Moon[]

In the end, the students fail in their fight against Stein, hurting only each other.

Baba Yaga Castle[]

Meanwhile, Medusa, in her new child form, gets to Arachne's castle, but she is not well received. She leaves the castle with a disguised Eruka, swearing to take something she left over at Death City.

Manga and Anime Differences[]

  • In Chapter 30, Kid's party on behalf of Maka's recovery and Crona's friendship was planned in the previous chapter. In the anime, this post-recovery party is discussion in this episode and presumably took place off-screen, as in Episode 31 specifically says it is time for another party, this one to welcome Crona. Therefore, the manga has one party, and the anime has two: Kid is more party-hardy in the anime than in the manga.
  • The two-chapter arc (chapters 30 and 31) leads to three episodes in the anime, which divide the events. This episodes shows the conclusion to Arachne and Medusa's meeting. Episode 30 does not include the party for Crona, instead focusing on earlier events: Kid and the Thompsons go to the Sahara Desert to retrieve the Eternal Spring. That party for Crona does not happen until after Kid returns in Episode 31. Therefore, in the manga, the party occurs at the same time as Kid's Sahara mission, whereas in the anime the Sahara mission seems to have happened a few days before the party for Crona, and Kid and the Thompsons are present throughout the party, as well as to wave goodbye to Crona and Ragnarok as the characters returns to lodgings at the DWMA.
  • Rachel's television viewing differs between the anime and the manga. In Chapter 30, Rachel watches a slapstick and violent animated show. In Episode 29, Rachel watches a screen repeating the word "Apple." The apple may be a biblical allusion based on Medusa's serpentine symbolism as related to the snake's presence at the Tree of Knowledge. More allusions to the apple appear in Episode 41, and the manga refers to the Tree of Knowledge as well.
  • Chapter 30 shows Medusa's snake form entering Rachel's mouth. Episode 29 censors this possession, not showing Rachel's face as Medusa enters her mouth.
  • In Chapter 30, the process of Medusa possessing Rachel is shown before the story focuses on Stein's Duel Arts lesson. In Episode 29, Stein's Duel Arts lesson begins before Medusa takes Rachel away from her parents' house but concludes after Rachel's disappearance.
  • In Chapter 29, when Rachel destroys Arachne's surveillance spider, the result is a mess of the dead spider's remains in her hand. In Episode 29, however, the spider instead dissolves into black dust that then evaporates.
  • Chapter 30 shows Free and the Mizune sisters' introduction as moles within Arachnophobia. This scene is not included in Episode 29. Therefore, the fact that the fifth sister is in the Sahara Desert is foreshadowed in this chapter but not in the anime. It was not until Episode 40 confirmed that Free and the Mizune sisters are working as moles within Arachnophobia.

Trivia[]

  • Rachel's bedroom has toys in the shapes of Death and a Jack O'Lantern.
  • In addition to the Edenic imagery, Rachel's rabbit-looking slippers allude not only to the threat snakes pose to rabbits as one of their prey, but also to Medusa's torture of Crona to kill a rabbit in the manga.
  • Despite Kid's insistence on symmetry with his weapons, Liz is wearing her jacket that she has had since Episode 15 while Patty is without her jacket, appearing as she had from Episode 2 to Episode 14.

References[]


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