I have a theory on why Kasafraz seemed to get so much criticism, and it’s actually because it’s rare for the Eddsworld fandom to get someone that works on (part of) the official content to positively and unironically interact with the fandom, making OCs, fanart, fanfictions, and shipping. Kasafraz is also much more progressive, be it in terms of lgbt+ inclusion, ethnic diversity and so on, and genuinely apologised for the crazy Edd fiasco that generated harmful ableism. This is more than we can say for a lot of people that worked on Eddsworld for a long time! Not saying Edd Gould or Tomska were bigots, but they were men of their time, they had much more of an ironic approach to stuff like jokes about mental illnesses or gay people, which is fine.
Kasafraz is not perfect, but she was the closest thing to a safe space creator than the fandom has seen in a long time. So when that peace gets ripped away, be it by learning that Kasafraz is friendly with someone who works on TBATF, or again, the Crazy Edd stuff, it can feel daunting and like a cold shower for some young or impressionable fans that still are trying to deal with balancing admiration and obsession. Parasocial relationships are a slippery slope, Kasafraz always reminded us that they weren’t perfect, made mistakes, and wouldn’t always appease everyone. I honestly think this is an L from the fandom, and Kasafraz made no mistakes; I mean yeah they did, but they apologised for most of it long ago, and what they didn’t apologise for, I can very reasonably explain to myself why they didn’t. It sucks to have to say “I’m sorry for having a friend”.
So yeah, Kasafraz deserves rest. I hope they’re getting paid well at least and don’t grow to hate the fandom. I myself respect them as an animator and a creative person who seems kind and made a good impact on the community. Whether they decide to rejoin the fandom in the future or just work on the official stuff, what matters is that they’re happy, safe and fulfilled.