Edens Zero

Edens Zero (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese science fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine since June 2018, with its chapters collected into twenty-eight tankōbon volumes as of September 2023. The manga is published digitally in six other languages as they are released in Japan, with Kodansha USA licensing the series for English publication in North America on Crunchyroll, Comixology, and Amazon Kindle. An anime television series adaptation produced by J.C.Staff aired from April to October 2021. A second season premiered from April to October 2023. A video game adaptation by Konami was also released.

Edens Zero
First volume of Edens Zero, released by Kodansha on September 14, 2018, in Japan
Genre
Manga
Written byHiro Mashima
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintShōnen Magazine Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runJune 27, 2018 – present
Volumes28
Anime television series
Directed by
Written byMitsutaka Hirota
Music byYoshihisa Hirano
StudioJ.C.Staff
Licensed by
Original networkNippon TV
Original run April 11, 2021 – October 1, 2023
Episodes50
Game
Edens Zero Pocket Galaxy
DeveloperKonami
GenreAction role-playing game
PlatformiOS, Android
ReleasedFebruary 24, 2022

Plot
Main article: List of Edens Zero characters

Shiki Granbell, a human boy who manipulates gravity with a superhuman power called Ether Gear, lives among robots on the deserted theme park planet Granbell in the Sakura Cosmos. The park is visited by spacefaring content creators Rebecca Bluegarden and her robotic cat companion, Happy, whom Shiki befriends. After the park's robots force Shiki off the planet to save him from being stranded before expending their vital Ether energy, the three set out to explore the universe by searching for Mother, the goddess of the cosmos.

Early in Shiki's journey, the space pirate Elsie Crimson gifts him with the Edens Zero, an interstellar warship left by his deceased grandfather figure, the mechanical Demon King Ziggy. To prepare for the voyage, Shiki assembles Ziggy's original android crewmates, the Four Shining Stars, along with other friends he encounters: Weisz Steiner, a criminal from an alternate history created by a time-eating monster called a chronophage; E.M. Pino, an EMP android built by Ziggy who suffers from memory damage; and Homura Kôgetsu, a young swordswoman and pupil of one of the Shining Stars. Meanwhile, Rebecca discovers her own Ether Gear ability to reverse time and travel between parallel universes.

Before disembarking for Mother, Shiki revisits Granbell and encounters a reactivated Ziggy, who suddenly attacks him and desires to eradicate all human life. Avoiding destruction by Ziggy's enhanced Edens One warship, the Edens Zero crew travels to the neighboring Aoi Cosmos, where they are drawn into a war between its reigning empire and Ziggy's forces. Shiki leads the crew to escape when Ziggy detonates the empire's arsenal of 20,000 antimatter bombs to kill the crew, although their crewmate Witch Regret sacrifices herself to protect them, leading the crew to postpone their adventure until they defeat Ziggy.

Three years later, during their final battle on the Kaede Cosmos planet Lendard, Shiki discovers Ziggy's true identity as a mechanized version of himself from a universe where the antimatter bombs triggered a spacetime distortion that sent him and Rebecca 20,000 years into the future. Ziggy reveals the Edens Zero was built to enable his return to the present, and that his original intent was to prevent Mother's imminent death and humankind's resulting extinction by traveling to Universe Zero, the convergence point of all parallel universes. Pino regains her memories and realizes that Ziggy is being controlled by the Edens One's rogue artificial intelligence, which seeks to ensure Mother's death. After Pino uses an advanced EMP to free Ziggy, Shiki destroys him at Ziggy's request to keep the Edens One from reasserting control.

To complete Ziggy's mission, the crew travels to Universe Zero by activating Etherion, the Edens Zero's secret time travel function made from the alternate Rebecca's Ether. This merges all parallel universes into a single, idyllic reality where further time travel is impossible, and imparts the crew's memories and knowledge onto their past selves, allowing them to reunite and prepare for their final battle with the Edens One.

Production

Following the conclusion of his series Fairy Tail on July 26, 2017, Hiro Mashima posted a Tweet on December 31, 2017, promising to start a new series sometime in 2018.[3] After his visit to the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France, Mashima revealed that the new series would be "a new form of fantasy", and that the character Plue from his earlier series Rave Master would appear in the manga.[4] On May 14, 2018, Mashima commented on Twitter that he was becoming "a little confused" due to working simultaneously on this series, a Fairy Tail continuation, and another "secret" project. He also stated that he was coming up with new ideas for the series "one after another".[5] On May 30, 2018, Weekly Shōnen Magazine revealed that the series was tentatively titled Eden's Zero.[6] Although the title is the name of the main characters' spaceship, Mashima revealed that he thought of a deeper meaning for it, but that its usage would depend on future developments of the story.[7]

When developing the idea for his next series, Mashima originally anticipated using another sword and sorcery setting similar to the manga he had drawn for the last 20 years, but decided on creating a "space fantasy" adventure due to a lack of such contemporary shōnen manga; he coined the term "space fantasy" from his own misinterpretation of "SF", the abbreviation of science fiction in Japan, as a child.[8] He also cited the genre's unpopularity in shōnen manga as an influence, viewing it as a challenge he wanted to overcome.[9] Mashima has described his approach to writing Edens Zero as being in between those of Rave Master and Fairy Tail, combining predetermined story elements with ideas that he draws "just from momentum" while writing on a weekly basis to give the manga a "real time" feeling.[7] He has also expressed an intention to end Edens Zero when its number of collected volumes is in between those of the two previous series.[9] In 2021, Mashima stated that Edens Zero would continue the themes of friendship, family, and battles from Fairy Tail, but that it may change slightly by the end when the mystery of the character Mother is revealed.[10]

Publication
Main article: List of Edens Zero chapters

Edens Zero is written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. The series began in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine on June 27, 2018.[11][12] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on September 14, 2018.[13] As of September 14, 2023, twenty-eight volumes have been released.[14]

The series is published simultaneously in seven languages: English, French, Chinese, Korean, Thai, German and Brazilian Portuguese.[6][15] North American publisher Kodansha USA has released chapters of the series on digital platforms such as Crunchyroll Manga and Amazon Kindle.[6] which ended on January 16, 2023.

This was replaced with a new app service that was released May 10, 2023, known as "K Manga" which will include the new simulpub chapters of the series.[16] This new platform is available for Android, with a full website planned for a later date.[17]

Media

Anime
See also: List of Edens Zero episodes

On June 12, 2020, Mashima announced on Twitter that the manga would be adapted into an anime television series.[18] At the Tokyo Game Show livestream on September 26, 2020, it was revealed that the anime would be produced by J.C.Staff and directed by Yūji Suzuki, with Shinji Ishihira serving as chief director, Mitsutaka Hirota overseeing scripts, Yurika Sako designing the characters, and Yoshihisa Hirano composing the music.[19] The series aired on Nippon TV and other channels from April 11 to October 3, 2021.[20][21][lower-alpha 1] Netflix acquired streaming rights to the series, which was released globally on August 26, 2021.[22] The opening theme is "Eden Through the Rough" by Takanori Nishikawa, and the ending theme is "Bōken no Vlog"[Jp. 1] by CHiCO with HoneyWorks.[23] The second opening theme is "Forever" by L'Arc-en-Ciel, and the second ending theme is "Sekai no Himitsu"[Jp. 2] by Sayuri.[24]

Director Yūji Suzuki died on September 9, 2021, before the series' broadcast was completed.[25] Although he had worked in the industry as a key animator and episode director since the mid-2000s, Edens Zero was the first and only full series Suzuki directed.[26]

On February 9, 2022, it was announced that the series would receive a second season,[27] which aired from April 2 to October 1, 2023,[lower-alpha 2] with Toshinori Watanabe replacing Suzuki as the director.[29][30] The opening theme is "Never say Never" by Takanori Nishikawa, and the ending theme is "Rinne"[Jp. 3] by Asca.[28][31] The second season was licensed internationally by Mediatoon Distribution and streamed by Crunchyroll in various regions and also Bilibili in Asia-Pacific.[32][33] A 72-minute recap original net animation of the first season aired in Japan on the same day as the second season premiere, and was streamed by Crunchyroll from April 29, 2023.[34]

Video games

On September 16, 2020, Konami announced that they are developing an Edens Zero video game.[35] It was later revealed at the Tokyo Game Show 2020 livestream that two separate action role-playing games were being developed, one being a 3D game for consoles, and the other being a top-down game for mobile devices.[36] In February 2022, the latter was revealed as Edens Zero Pocket Galaxy and was released on February 24 for iOS and Android.[37][38][39]

On December 17, 2021, Mashima announced that he was developing an Edens Zero video game by himself using RPG Maker. Describing it as a "hobby project" that he worked on in his free time, he released the game, Rebecca to Kikai no Yōkan (レベッカと機械ノ洋館), for free on PC on March 16, 2022.[40][41][42][43]

Reception

Sales

In Japan, the first volume of Edens Zero reached 13th place on the weekly Oricon chart with 30,178 copies sold.[44] The second volume ranked 16th with 41,506 copies sold,[45] and the third volume at 18th place with 31,316 copies.[46]

Critical response

The first volume received a mixed response from critics on Anime News Network, where it was rated on a 1 to 5 scale. Amy McNulty gave the volume a 3.5 rating, calling it a "solid start" and praising the story's pacing, characters, and art, while adding that it "may not blow anyone away". McNulty also commented on Mashima's similar visual and design choices to Fairy Tail – which she noted could be taken negatively – but opined that the manga could benefit from readers' familiarity with Fairy Tail, and found it accessible to new readers of Mashima's work. Rebecca Silverman, who also rated it 3.5, considered the manga to be Mashima's darkest work, and praised him for using themes that "helped make his previous series Fairy Tail work so well", citing Shiki and Rebecca's complementary backgrounds as orphans as an example. However, she expressed slight concerns over the story potentially becoming confusing for readers with the volume's implications of time travel and flash-forward cliffhanger. Faye Hopper, who gave the volume a 3 rating, found that the shift from "high fantasy pastiche to Star Wars reminiscent sci-fi" helped enrich the story, but criticized Mashima's humor and adherence to shōnen manga conventions. Teresa Navarro gave it a 2 rating, finding the characters and art style to be nearly identical to those in Fairy Tail, but considering its potential to gain a cult following from fans of the shōnen genre.[2]

Notes
General
  1. The series premiered on April 10, 2021, at 24:55 (effectively, April 11 at 12:55 a.m. JST).
  2. The series premiered on April 1, 2023, at 24:55 (effectively, April 2 at 12:55 a.m. JST).[28]
Translations
  1. 冒険のVLOG, lit. "A Vlog of the Journey"
  2. 世界の秘密, lit. "Secret of the World"
  3. リンネ, lit. "Reincarnation Cycle"

References
  1. "Edens Zero". Kodansha. Kodansha USA. Retrieved June 12, 2020. It's here! The creator of Fairy Tail, manga superstar Hiro Mashima, is back with a high-flying space adventure!
  2. Bertschy, Zac (November 29, 2018). "Edens Zero - The Fall 2018 Manga Guide". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  3. Sherman, Jennifer (December 31, 2017). "Fairy Tail Creator Hiro Mashima: 'I'll Work Hard to Launch a New Manga Next Year'". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  4. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 28, 2018). "Hiro Mashima Teases More Details About Planned New Work". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  5. Sherman, Jennifer (May 14, 2018). "Fairy Tail Manga's Hiro Mashima Teases 'Secret' Project". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  6. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 29, 2018). "Hiro Mashima's New Manga Gets Tentative Title, Simultaneous Release in 5 Languages". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  7. Mashima, Hiro (June 4, 2019). "Afterword". Edens Zero, Volume 3. Kodansha. ISBN 978-1-63-236758-7.
  8. Mashima, Hiro (November 6, 2018). "Afterword". Edens Zero, Volume 1. Kodansha. ISBN 978-1-63-236756-3.
  9. 迷ったら読者を取れ――漫画家・真島ヒロを「仕事の鬼」に変えたクリエイティブの原点. Livedoor (in Japanese). February 28, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  10. 『EDENS ZERO』アニメ化記念 原作者・真島ヒロ先生インタビュー (in Japanese). Animate Times. January 14, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  11. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 5, 2018). "Hiro Mashima Launches New Manga on June 27, Also Plans Fairy Tail Sequel & Spinoff Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  12. 真島ヒロ最新作「EDENS ZERO」が週マガで始動、6カ国語で世界同時配信. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 27, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  13. EDENS ZERO (1). Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  14. EDENS ZERO (28). Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  15. "#NovidadeJBC: Edens Zero!!! - Henshin". Henshin (in Brazilian Portuguese). June 22, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  16. Kodansha's New 'K Manga' App Reveals Tickets, Points System for Accessing Manga Chapters -Anime News Network
  17. Kodansha to Launch New 'K Manga' Platform in U.S. (Updated) -Anime News Network
  18. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 12, 2020). "Hiro Mashima's Edens Zero Manga Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  19. Pineda, Rafael (January 12, 2021). "Edens Zero Anime's Teaser Video Reveals More Staff". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  20. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (September 26, 2020). "J.C. Staff Produces Edens Zero TV Anime for April 2021 Debut". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  21. Pineda, Rafael (January 12, 2021). "Edens Zero Anime Premieres on April 10". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  22. Mateo, Alex (June 10, 2021). "Netflix Streams Edens Zero Anime Outside Japan on August 26". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  23. Pineda, Rafael (March 11, 2021). "Edens Zero Anime's Video Reveals More Cast, T.M.Revolution Song, Netflix 2021 Streaming". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  24. Mateo, Alex (June 29, 2021). "Edens Zero Anime Reveals New Cast Member, 2nd Ending Theme Song". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  25. @EDENSZERO_PJ (October 2, 2021). 【大切なおしらせ】アニメ「EDENS ZERO」の鈴木勇士監督がお亡くなりになりました。謹んでご冥福をお祈り申し上げると共に、ご遺族の方には心よりお悔やみを申し上げます。 [[Important News] Director Yūji Suzuki of the anime "EDENS ZERO" has passed away. We sincerely pray for the souls and extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family.] (Tweet). Retrieved October 2, 2021 – via Twitter.
  26. Loo, Egan (October 2, 2021). "Edens Zero Anime Director Yūshi Suzuki Passes Away". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  27. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 8, 2022). "Edens Zero Anime Gets 2nd Season". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  28. 「EDENS ZERO」第2期追加キャストに八代拓・大久保瑠美ら、OPテーマは西川貴教. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  29. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 16, 2022). "Edens Zero Anime Season 2's Teaser Reveals April 2023 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  30. アニメ「EDENS ZERO」第2期のティザー映像到着、放送は来年4月から. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 16, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  31. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 13, 2023). "ASCA Performs Ending Song for Edens Zero Anime Season 2". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  32. Mateo, Alex (April 7, 2023). "Crunchyroll Streams Edens Zero Anime Season 2". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  33. Hazra, Adriana (April 1, 2023). "France's Mediatoon Acquires Edens Zero Anime Season 2's Global Rights". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  34. Mateo, Alex (April 28, 2023). "Crunchyroll Adds Edens Zero Anime's 1st Season Recap Movie". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  35. Romano, Sal (September 16, 2020). "Konami announces Edens Zero game". Gematsu. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  36. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (September 26, 2020). "Edens Zero Game Project Includes Both 3D Action RPG for Consoles, Mobile RPG". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  37. Mateo, Alex (February 10, 2022). "Edens Zero: Pocket Galaxy Smartphone Game's Trailer Reveals February 24 Launch". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  38. "Eden's Zero: Pocket Galaxy Promising Plenty of Action". February 12, 2022.
  39. "Edens Zero Pocket Galaxy First Impressions – Gearing up for an Adventure". February 24, 2022.
  40. "Second Season of Edens Zero Anime Announced". February 9, 2022.
  41. "Hiro Mashima Creates Simple Eden's Zero Game Starring Happy & Rebecca". December 22, 2021.
  42. "Edens Zero Manga Creator Hiro Mashima Reveals Rebecca & Happy RPG". DualShockers. December 21, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  43. "Free Edens Zero Game Created by Hiro Mashima Himself Released". twinfinite.net. March 16, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  44. Ressler, Karen (September 19, 2018). "Japanese Comic Ranking, September 10–16". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  45. Ressler, Karen (November 21, 2018). "Japanese Comic Ranking, November 12–18". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  46. Ressler, Karen (February 27, 2019). "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 11–17". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
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