Even though this story arc is hated due to how it was handled, the rushed pacing, and certain choices, I find it to be a very important part of the story—one that offers a great deal from a narrative standpoint. Despite the issues, it contains some of what I consider the best scenes in *Edens Zero*. What do you think?
I think true fans of *EZ* share this sentiment. On one hand, having a famous creator makes the series instantly recognizable; on the other, if that creator has a somewhat tarnished reputation, the series risks being dismissed or judged harshly after just a few chapters without being taken seriously. Furthermore, we have to admit that Mashima’s fanbase is deeply attached to works like *Rave* and *Fairy Tail*—with their medieval fantasy settings—and the shift to a sci-fi plot alienated many readers. Most *EZ* readers have a stronger emotional bond with *Rave Master* and *Fairy Tail*, and I don't blame them; even if Mashima creates a masterpiece in the future, I’ll likely always prefer *EZ* regardless—and perhaps my own perspective is colored by that bias. Unfortunately, even die-hard fans weren't entirely satisfied; the series' poor reputation and the author's desire to wrap things up quickly resulted in a rushed ending. I don't know if there are any surprises in store for the franchise or if it will eventually be re-evaluated, but in my opinion, the story and its narrative structure possess that special something that sets them apart.
*Edens Zero* ended two years ago with the final chapter, number 293; what is your relationship with this work, and how has it evolved over time?
am I the only one thinking badly?
The more I analyze my favorite series, the more I realize how well-crafted it is. I particularly focus on Shiki and note how his emotional growth has changed based on the traumas he endured throughout the series. Shiki is a character who begins with a very low emotional and social level, experiencing friendship and loss more as an ideal and a concept than as a lived experience. While characters around him like Weisz, Hermit, Homura, and Michael experience pain, he positions himself as an emotional pillar. The series emphasizes that a robot or a human can suffer equally, and precisely because of that suffering, it would be better not to have a heart. We see Shiki at the beginning of the series consoling the characters by drawing on his childhood traumas and how, thanks to his friends, he overcame them to support his friends. Hermit, using as an example the fact that he was abandoned by Granbell's robots and that thanks to Rebecca he had moved on, or with Homura, referring to her grandfather's death. But the real blow comes during the Aoi arc, where Witch dies. Shiki is devastated, hasn't eaten for two days, and this time Rebecca comes to him to remind him of the words he himself had said to Homura. Rebecca herself was consumed by the pain of seeing Shiki in that condition. After the time skip, Shiki's maturation is evident not only in his appearance but also in how he takes Ziggy's death. After killing him, he thanks him himself, cries but doesn't bow his head in front of Pino, and when Hermit tries to console Shiki, he smiles at her and acknowledges that she was suffering too (recalling the Rebecca scene). In Universe 0, Shiki, despite his various downfalls, has always remained at this level emotionally, and even seeing himself as evil in another universe has made him more mature towards some characters, despite serious pacing issues. Even the fight with Void, in my opinion, is one of the strongest parts of U0 because it puts Shiki in front of someone who espouses a totally different philosophy from his own, which echoes Michael's question from the first chapter: if you suffer, what's the point of having a heart? But this time Shiki responds like a captain, not like a kid.
Mother, Ziggy, Void and Shiki
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Vs
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Acnologia, Ignia, Viernes and Selene
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I personally think that edens zero team wins.
he was watching his mother caressing himself...
Is it because I know the content? Or is it just my impression?
It's a very interesting cameo because, as they say in the third episode, in Edens Zero, Fairy Tail is one story, unlike what many fans claim they are in the same universe. It's a very interesting detail, especially in a dramatic scene like the one shown.