ZENSHU follows star animator Natsuko Hirose. Before she could finish the storyboards of her latest project, she died from bad shellfish. Then, she is reincarnated into the world of her favorite anime movie “A Tale of Perishing.” Here. she wields the power to bring her animations to life. With the help of Luke Braveheart and the other Nine Soldiers, she’ll protect the world from the Void. A new fate must be drawn. Here is our recap and review of ZENSHU episode 3 as the series celebrates Japanese animation.
Episode 3 Recap
As the citizens of the Last Town celebrate the harvest festival, Natsuko remarks how off-script the story has gotten in ZENSHU episode 3. In the movie “A Tale of Perishing,” the town would have succumbed to a Void swarm and be holding funerals for the deceased. Instead, everyone is making merry, except for Luke, who insists they prepare for the next Void attack. With her knowledge of the movie, Natsuko assures him that won’t happen for a while. They might as well enjoy themselves.
The heroes split up to enjoy the festivities. Natsuko finds herself trying to explain her powers to the prophet Baobab. Afterward, she sees Luke and realizes the next story beat from the movie is about to happen. Enter Destiny Heartwarming, daughter of the mayor, Luke’s love interest, and insufferable damsel in distress.
From Natsuko’s tone, it’s clear she does not have a high opinion of Destiny, and it’s not hard to see why. Blatant fanservice, one-dimensional character writing, and a contrived marriage plotline paint Destiny in a particular, outdated light. And yet, given the premise of the series, her inclusion feels right at home in “A Tale of Perishing,” even if it ends in tragedy.
The night continues with celebratory fireworks. Natsuko continues to stuff her face when Destiny appears looking for Luke. After Unio grills Natsuko and calls her a friendless gremlin, Destiny tries befriending her, much to Natsuko’s chagrin. They’re interrupted by the chairman, Destiny’s groom-to-be. Destiny is only marrying the chairman because he promised he’ll build an orphanage for her. Fed up with the chairman’s and Destiny’s behavior, Natsuko encourages Destiny to achieve her dreams and live her life according to her own will. Just then, QJ, the resident robot analyst of the party, bursts in with alarming news.
Natsuko Provides a Hero
The priest appeared with a doppelganger. What’s worse, one of them is a Void. Natsuko recalls this event isn’t supposed to happen until later in the movie. However, with some funky dance moves, she quickly exposes the Void.
Panic erupts as it charges for the Soul Future. Destiny just so happens to be in its line of fire. Luke is too inebriated to fight, and the others are tossed aside, so it’s up to Natsuko to draw to life a real hero, the one and only Serval Cat Mask!
This scene is such a fun departure from anything else the show has presented thus far. The fight turns into a wrestling match with Natsuko and the others providing ringside commentary. The energy is so infectious, that even the always-serious Luke gets caught up in cheering. Serval Cat Mask unleashes blow after blow, until finally the Void is defeated. Once again, Natsuko collapses.
As per usual, three days pass before Natsuko wakes up. She comments on how long it would have taken her to animate the fight scene. Destiny comes to visit, sporting a new look inspired by Serval Cat Mask. She took Natsuko’s words to heart and rejected the chairman’s proposal to open the orphanage on her own, and with Serval Cat Mask as her new inspiration, she’s well on her way to achieving that dream. The others drop by as well, including Memmeln who was mysteriously absent from the battle.
Overall Thoughts on "ZENSHU" Episode 3
ZENSHU is shaping up to be a celebration of Japanese animation. The inclusion of Destiny not only fleshes out the story behind “A Tale of Perishing,” but it also feels like one big meta-joke, commenting on the myriad of female characters whose only purpose is fan service and to be the hero’s driving motivation. Natsuko’s initial distaste mirrors how many fans would react to such a one-dimensional damsel in distress. The show knows this and leans hard into the clichés and tropes one would expect from this kind of character. It then ends up subverting those expectations with her infatuation with Serval Cat Mask.
Speaking of which, what a great addition to the show’s homages to animation legends. So far, each one of Natsuko’s animations referenced a style or character from a real-world source. In episode one, the giant she drew was inspired by Studio Ghibli’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. In episode two, the missile barrage was animated using the iconic “Itano Circus” technique and even had the namesake of said technique, Ichiro Itano, on storyboards.
Then in episode 3, Serval Cat Mask is a clear reference to the beloved Japanese wrestling icon, Tiger Mask. Even Destiny’s dream of opening an orphanage is something right out of a lucha libre story, which is where the idea of masked wrestlers originated. All in all, this episode was a nice bit of levity that demonstrates a clear love for animation.
Leave a Reply