The Spring 2023 Anime Preview Guide

Edens Zero Season 2

At Granbell Kingdom, an abandoned amusement park, Shiki has lived his entire life among machines. But one day, Rebecca and her cat companion Happy appear at the park's front gates. Little do these newcomers know that this is the first human contact Granbell has had in a hundred years! As Shiki stumbles his way into making new friends, his former neighbors stir at an opportunity for a robo-rebellion…And when his old homeland becomes too dangerous, Shiki must join Rebecca and Happy on their spaceship and escape into the boundless cosmos.

Edens Zero is based on Hiro Mashima's manga and streams on Crunchyroll on Saturday.

Well, this is a nice surprise! Considering that the first season of Edens Zero was locked in Netflix jail, I wasn't expecting to talk about the series so soon. As a fan of the source material who enjoyed how the first few arcs were adapted, I am quite happy with where we are so far. Edens Zero, developed by the creator of Fairy Tail, offers a darker and more intricate storyline compared to its predecessor, with unique powers and fascinating world-building ideas. After a quick recap of previous events, season two picks up where season one left off, with the show's protagonists confronting the series' next villain, Drakken Joe.

Drakken Joe, an alchemist and loan shark capable of indebting anyone, commands a strong presence. It's good because the villains so far had felt like the weaker aspects of the show, with forgettable characters overshadowed by quirky henchmen. As episode two introduces more of Drakken's elite guard, the jury is still out on whether or not that issue will be a problem. However, based on glimpses shown in the opening, I'm looking forward to seeing how quickly the threat level will escalate.

However, what I'm really looking forward to is more foreshadowing of the trippy elements of the series, such as the dream sequence in episode one where Rebecca sees a different-looking Shiki. The framing not only leaves things ambiguous as to what exactly she saw, but I love the stylistic choice of using heavy shadows to make it feel like another world. This is a show I'm going to keep my ion moving forward, and I'm glad I don't have to wait months for new episodes like before.