Zenless Zone Zero Seed: Where Does the Mech Girl's Charm Lie?

With the arrival of Zenless Zone Zero Version 2.2, Waifei Peninsula is once again stirring up waves. But I suppose everyone doesn't really care about that-what's more important is bringing Seed and Orphie Magnusson & Magus home! Without further ado, let's quickly dive into today's appreciation of Seed and boost our affection for her!

1. Zenless Zone Zero Seed - Minimalist Outfit

At first glance, Seed's outfit seems almost too simple to discuss-arguably the most minimalist design in all of Zenless Zone Zero. But if we look closer through a magnifying lens, considering her identity as a mecha pilot, there's one aspect worth exploring. Despite its simplicity, the fabrics on Seed's body incorporate multiple textures. A milky-white polymer film forms the base, interwoven with metallic-thread patterns and accessorized with metal-style ornaments, beautifully blending my two keywords for Seed: "flower" and "mecha".

The most eye-catching details are undoubtedly the four-leaf clovers on her hair clip and skirt hem. As a genetic mutation of the common three-leaf clover, with odds of one in thousands, the four-leaf clover is internationally recognized as a symbol of luck. Legend says Eve brought it from the Garden of Eden to earth, and its floral meaning is happiness. It also hints at Seed's mysterious origins: deemed a high-risk unit, surviving half a month in the Hollow without Ether Corruption is no simple feat.

Upon closer inspection of the clothing, we can observe honeycomb patterns, metallic accents adorning various parts of the body, and faint cyan glowing dots-elements that strongly embody futuristic technology. Her blue hair and the characterization as an electromagnetic wave-inspired girl inevitably draw associations when compared with Orphie.

Although Seed's outfit retains some flowing elements, its thin fabric inevitably raises the question: why are mecha pilots in anime so often depicted wearing such scant clothing? This design choice stems from multiple factors, with the primary reason being to accentuate physique-a undeniable fact. Thin materials excel at highlighting body curves while maintaining a degree of modesty. Delving further, it relates to the practicality of comic illustration. Garments like latex suits, which can be rendered by applying a base layer and adding reflections, are far simpler to draw than elaborate fabrics. This approach offers significant convenience for depicting intense combat and dynamic action sequences in comics.

Looking deeper, this trend connects to the historical development of sci-fi. During the Golden Age of Science Fiction from the 1940s to 1960s, imaginations ran wild about future technological exploration. In contrast to the ornate and burdensome clothing of reality, creators envisioned that attire for exploring the future would turn to basic functions like warmth and modesty, even integrating high-tech features in minimalist forms. Sci-fi clothing thus gradually embraced an aesthetic of simplicity, devoid of excessive decoration. The styles emerging from such illustrations undoubtedly inspired subsequent works.

2. Zenless Zone Zero Seed - Flower and Mecha

Both "Flower" and "Mecha" are integral parts of Seed-one is an iron-clad old partner, the other an electromagnetic wave-inspired girl waiting to bloom. The first impression of "Seed" paired with a mecha naturally stems from the famous Gundam work Seed, but this name later takes on a deeper meaning in Zenless Zone Zero. The touching contrast between seed and flower originates from the bond between Seed and Seed Sr.

Seed's animated short moved many players to tears. Its title, "Love, Death & Constructs", is clearly inspired by Netflix's anthology "Love, Death & Robots", both being collections of stylistically diverse animations with philosophical themes.

The name of Seed's character showcase, "White Scooter Demon", references the meme from the Gundam series about Amuro Ray's dazzling performance in the One Year War-"The White Devil of the Federation".

Regarding "seed" and "flower," it represents a multi-directional symbolism. The young girl Seed was truly given the name Flora. Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers and plants, symbolizing the rebirth of all things and the arrival of spring, carrying strong connotations of "rebirth" and "youth." From this perspective, Seed is the seed that will eventually be nurtured into the flower that is Flora. Seed Sr. also planted the seed of "perceiving life" within Flora's heart, which will one day blossom into the beautiful flower of life.

The Hollow square where Seed Sr. found Flora is now filled with blooming flowers because seeds were planted there, reflecting a beautiful yearning for saving lives. Beyond flowers and seeds, the "heart" is what closely connects them. Seed Sr. is a mech, lacking a physical "heart," while Flora lacks a social "heart" for experiencing life. Yet they redeem and support each other. With Seed's companionship, Flora no longer "consumes" weak beings but gradually develops emotional awareness. Although Seed Sr. removed its self-inspection system, it made a human choice.

Flora fights alongside him in the cockpit, giving him a practical "heart." They are both "regressing" into humans, yet they exhibit the most beautiful form of human life-this, I believe, is the most captivating aspect.

Finally, the most eye-catching element is the version name-"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night". This poem, created by the British poet Dylan Thomas in the mid-20th century, resonated like a mantra across the world in 2014. It repeatedly appeared in the film "Interstellar", imbuing it with profound expressive depth. Originally written as a tribute to his father, the term "that good night" carries both Christian connotations and serves as a euphemism for "death".

The entire poem speaks of not accepting death peacefully. Although death is inevitable, the elderly should passionately struggle against it, resisting the impending darkness. "The night will come, but do not gently await its arrival"-instead, one must resist, burn, and tear through this night. Regardless of the possibility of success, one must strive to fight back. The poem presents four types of people's attitudes toward the approaching darkness: the wise who understand the rationality of darkness; the good who shout about their good deeds; the wild who catch and sing of the sun; and the grave who, though blind, blaze like meteors. What they share is their rage against the dying of the light. It makes one wonder if the characters in this storyline will correspond to these archetypes.

Seed Sr. might be one of those old men who raged against the fading light. Facing the crisis, what kind of humanity's light will the Agents bloom to strike the heavy darkness? It's really something to look forward to! This concludes all the content of this article. We wonder if you've grown fonder of Seed. Don't forget to keep following us for more articles and in-site merchandises. See you next time!