Things are looking up in Astro Baby chapter 20 as Billy and Abby finally dismount the train with Makoto and Serafin in tow following their encounter with Chips. Yet just as it seems like they’re safe, a new, terrifying enemy forces them out of the frying pan and into the fire - as well as introduces some new allies along the way.
Shiro Moriya’s latest series has been stuck in a rut for the past couple of weeks. Despite starting off with an interesting premise and plenty of emotional character beats to boot, the battle with Chips on the train dragged on a little too long as the static environment didn’t allow for much in the way of movement and creativity. As a result, the simple act of getting off the train would be enough to make Astro Baby chapter 20 exciting, but that’s not all it does.
Just as Billy and co. are being escorted from the train by a group of soldiers, another couper with an entirely unique set of abilities known as Agnesium attacks them to great effect. Unlike all of the others introduced so far, Agnesium doesn’t just appear to simply take over the bodies of humans and give them enhanced abilities, but instead warps them into grotesque shapes and boasts incredible versatility as it sticks to a variety of surfaces. This effectively injects a fair amount of body horror into the series on a level that hasn’t been seen thus far.
Aside from just agility, Agnesium is doubly frightening as it has the ability to melt objects seemingly with its mind. Within moments of arriving on the scene, all of the other soldiers are disintegrated along with the train itself, immediately establishing the new couper as a force to be reckoned with. Chips did also prove to be a fearsome opponent thanks to his army of minions, but it must be said that he didn’t represent as much of an immediate physical threat as Agnesium does here.
Finally, Astro Baby chapter 20 leaves off with the introduction of several new characters. Under attack from Agnesium, Makoto is just about to be eaten when a mysterious gunman in an animal mask shoots the couper away. This figure is then joined by two others: one in a fairly normal suit and tie, while the other dons the head from a giant mascot character. Talk about making a strong first impression!
Expanding the cast of allies and enemies alike at this stage seems like a very smart move for Astro Baby. While there wasn’t anything wrong with the cast we had before, introducing more elements ultimately allows for more variety following an arc that felt increasingly hemmed in by its own concept. Agnesium also shows that there’s plenty of sides to the coupers we haven’t seen yet, which should only prove to pique readers’ interest for more.
Stay tuned, because this series is only going to keep evolving.
You can read Astro Baby chapter 20 for free via VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump.
