So with Retrace C to be released in 3 days in Japan (full spoilers likely out by the 4th day) I want to know what everyone is expecting. Furthermore I want to know what everyone's favorite moments in Pandora Hearts were. Characters, story arcs, development, twists, the works.
Now, the running theory is that Retrace C could very well be the final chapter to Pandora Hearts because it fits with the ongoing significance of the number 100 in the series. However, I'm personally unsure if I buy that completely. There's still just so much to cover, so unless Jun plans on making Retrace C 100 pages long, I think that it won't be the end yet. I'm also rather unsure because of the omake that came with Retrace XCIX: Shade, where the characters were talking about how much of a milestone it was for Pandora Hearts to reach 100 chapters. Just the way it was set up didn't seem like it was meant to foreshadow the end just yet.
As I've said though, there's still quite a bit left that still needs to be covered:
- The Alice, Alyss, Core, and potentially Lacie storyline
- The story line back in the present (though I have a theory about how that will play out which I will speak about below)
- The Oswald, Leo Levi storyline
- The Oz, Jack storyline (remember their deal?)
- Closure for Sharon, Reim and Lily - mostly regarding a likely send off for Break's dead body
- Rufus' storyline - it was strongly hinted by Jun that Rufus was still alive, as a few chapters ago she released an omake that summarized everyone's current situations, and rather than stating that Rufus was dead, she posed the question: "Just where is he?", so it seems likely to me that he's still alive. I'm of firm belief that when he jumped off of that cliff in Sablier, he knew he was just about to regain use of Dodo with the reformation of the Barma Key, and so he saved himself using Dodo. In the end I'm sure he'll reappear and help Sheryl fight back the Chain invasion now that all hope seems to be lost.
- The revelation of what Lacie told Oswald right before being dropped into the Abyss.
- The Finale - which may or may not turn out just like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, where everything proved to be only a dream (maybe Oz hit his head when he fell into that hole -Lacie's Tomb in the potential dream- in Retrace I: Innocent Calm, making him dream up the entire thing.
No matter how its set up it seems very iffy to me whether Pandora Hearts could have all this going on and still end in a single chapter, but I guess only time will tell. All I know is that I'm rooting for Dug's Chain to appear, because I'm so curious to see what he has (Borogove?)... Make it happen Jun!
Whatever lies a head, be sure to expect an array of insanity, and hold on tight because its going to be a bumpy ride for all of our emotions, guarenteed :S