From studio MAPPA comes an original anime about an animator who gets reincarnated into her favorite anime movie. ZENSHU is a welcome addition to the isekai genre, putting a twist on the formula not often seen. Featuring likable characters, stunning animation, and a story rich with possibility, it’s shaping up to be a standout anime this season. Here is our ZENSHU review of the first two episodes.
Recap of Episode 1: "First Stroke"
Natsuko Hirose got a job as an animator right out of high school, and her talent was instantly recognized. Her first anime became a social sensation. Also, she quickly became known as a genius director. However, her next project, an anime movie themed around first love, faces constant delays. Having never been in love, Natsuko struggles to convey emotion in animation. Before she can finish the storyboards, she dies of food poisoning. Natsuko wakes up in the world of her favorite anime movie, “A Tale of Perishing.” She’s found by the story’s hero, Luke Braveheart, and his party escorts her to a nearby city, the Last Town.
During a celebration for the heroes, Natsuko remembers from the movie that a Void army attack is imminent and that one of the heroes, Unio, sacrifices himself. To her dismay, events unfold exactly so. But before Unio can finish his spell, Natsuko’s peg bar starts glowing, which tells her to draw a new fate. Natsuko summons her animator’s desk and draws to life a huge monster that blasts away the Void army in an instant. With the town safe and Unio still alive, Natsuko faints in Luke’s arms.
Recap of Episode 2: "Defend"
The episode opens on a flashback to Natsuko’s childhood. There, she explains the setting and plot of “A Tale of Perishing.” The Nine Soldiers, warriors representing the nine continents, band together to defend sacred crystals called the Soul Futures from the Void, lest the Great Void be unleashed and bring destruction upon the world. In the present, Natsuko wakes up after three days of sleep. Then, Luke treats her to his fantastic cooking. Natsuko, Luke, and his party are summoned to meet with the mayor and the town’s prophet, Baobab.
Natsuko tries to explain that she came from the real world and was an animator, but no one understands. Regardless, Baobab recognizes her power and suggests she join the Nine Soldiers to defend the last remaining Soul Future. Luke and Unio strongly object because women can’t fight on the front lines, despite one of their party members, Memein, being a female elf.
Fed up with his attitude, Natsuko returns to where she first woke up and pleads with god to send her home. Nothing happens, though. Later, she returns to Luke and the others. She decides to join the Nine Soldiers while she looks for a way to get back to the real world. Her insight proves useful, as, once again, she predicts another Void army attack. In combat, her peg bar glows once more and informs her she can’t draw the same thing more than once. Natsuko once again summons her drawing desk and summons a barrage of missiles to wipe out the airborne assault. After the battle is won, Natuko faints and Luke sees her with newfound admiration.
ZENSHU Review: Overall Thoughts
The animation absolutely carries this show. It is crisp, consistent, vibrant, and a treat for the senses. The stand-out moment by far is Natsuko’s animation sequence. With visuals and motion rivaling any magical girl transformation, it’s clear MAPPA wants to flex that animation as often as they can. Part of what makes that sequence so striking is the way Natsuko’s creations are animated. Instead of a finished animation, her drawings are rendered as if they’re still storyboards with rough sketches for in-between frames and no color. Eagle-eyed viewers will also notice the notations and shorthand writing often seen on keyframes. It’s a unique spin that makes the spectacle that much more spectacular. Not to be outdone, the backgrounds are animated with just as much care to evoke the atmosphere and tone of a dark fantasy anime.
From a storytelling perspective, ZENSHU doesn’t offer a lot of new material, but it makes clever use of the characters and premise to draw in viewers. Firstly, the world of “A Tale of Perishing” is very much inspired by franchises like Dragon Quest and the Studio Ghibli movies. It helps viewers relate to Natsuko’s nostalgia while establishing a setting that doesn’t take long to acclimate to. Excluding Natsuko, the characters embody rigid tropes like the self-righteous hero, the womanizing mascot character, the quiet mysterious beauty, and the fast-talking analyst.
It’ll be interesting to see how these tropes are challenged now that Natsuko, with her above-board knowledge of this world, has joined their ranks. Natsuko herself comes across as a typical anime fan, fawning over characters and food and constantly making references to the real world. Ultimately, that is what makes her so entertaining to watch. Her connection to the real world stands in stark contrast to the other relatively simple characters. She is still of the mind that this is a fictional world. That allows her to comment and make decisions from an objective point of view. Maybe that will change later on as she grows more attached to this world and faces events that didn’t happen in the movie.
Questions Left Unanswered
The biggest sticking point so far is what Natsuko’s presence in “A Tale of Perishing” actually changes things. Episode 1 already made it clear that events can deviate from the pre-established script of the movie, but Episode 2 seems to continue that script without much alteration. Did Natsuko become part of the movie, and do her actions affect the greater perception? Can her animation powers change more than the outcomes of fights? Can she create entirely new plot threads? Much like the studded earrings hiding behind her overgrown hair, there’s sure to be new revelations hidden just out of reach.
Watch ZENSHU on Crunchyroll.
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