Welcome to the weekly episode review of ZENSHU! Follow Natsuko Hirose’s journey, as she’s reincarnated into her favorite childhood movie. Her skills as an animator come in handy when she gains the power to bring to life whatever she draws in this world. In this week’s episode, an unexpected savior reverses a certain elf’s bleak outlook on life.
Episode 4 Recap
It’s another peaceful day in The Last Town, but Natsuko’s mind is preoccupied with Memmeln. She tails the elf while on her way to the Choir, a group of healers who comfort dead souls through song. Luke joins the stake out and Natsuko spills the beans about Memmeln. She reveals that the Choir was behind the priest doppelganger from episode 3. In the movie, “A Tale of Perishing,” the doppelganger destroys the last Soul Future and unleashes the Ultimate Void. Luke defeats it, but in doing so, kills Memmeln who transformed into the Ultimate Void. Natsuko, also explains that none of her real-world knowledge helps her understand why Memmeln did this.
Luke and Natsuko, follow Memmeln to a graveyard, and then they go down a secret passage. Within, they discover a ritual chamber with a demonic looking throne. At the head of the proceedings, is Memmeln. With their suspicions confirmed, they return to town and figure out how to confront her. The next day, Luke attempts to question Memmeln over cake and gets nowhere. Fed up with his indecision, Natsuko just straight up asks her why she wants to summon the Ultimate Void. Memmeln explains that throughout her long life, she has seen countless cycles of suffering, and witnessed the deaths of many friends. She became disillusioned with the idea of ever obtaining peace and decided the only way to end her pain is by destroying everything. Her intent is not malicious, though, as she believes mutual destruction, while she still has beloved companions, will bring her solace.
Preventing World Destruction
Luke and Natsuko devise a plan to prevent the Choir from summoning the Ultimate Void. Luke will infiltrate the Choir, while Natsuko uses her powers to draw a fake Ultimate Void, and tell the Choir to give up on world destruction. As usual, complications arise. First, Natsuko gets artist’s block, and is unsatisfied with her drawings. Second, the ritual to summon the Ultimate Void was also meant to eliminate Luke who is now front and center. Desperate to avert tragedy, Natsuko uses her powers to draw to life a truly unexpected guest.
Instead of the Ultimate Void, sitting on the throne is the epitome of pretty boy archetypes, the singing, dancing, rose gifting, princely, idol character, the ultimate Exister. With an over-the-top insert song and dance sequence, Natsuko shows Memmeln there is still beauty in the world and things worth living for. By the end of the episode, Memmeln and the whole Choir have become super fans of “Sir Exister” as they call him. And with that, it seems like the climax of “A Tale of Perishing” has come and gone. Perhaps there’s more to come, especially with that strange bird staring right at the camera.
Episode 4 Review
When ZENSHU aired its first couple of episodes, it seemed like the focus would be more on action and big set pieces. Natsuko’s animations were bombastic and combat driven. Recently, it has pivoted more to character drama. In doing so, Natsuko has had to draw things that embody more than just destructive energy. Hence, the ultimate Exister. He is a clear reference to the “otome” and “bishounen” genre of anime and is even voiced by the legendary Mamoru Miyano (Ouran HighSchool Host Club, Vampire Knight, Uta no Prince Sama). There was no predicting that development, and it was glorious .
Limiting Natsuko’s above-world knowledge was a very effective decision as well. She had to go out of her way to learn about Memmeln in a way she couldn’t by just watching the movie. In her words, she could now resolve a major plot hole and discover the reason behind Memmeln’s betrayal. It’s a very clever development that connects Natsuko’s ignorance with the audience’s. It made each revelation all the more impactful.
Memmeln herself was set up as the aloof maiden soldier and the audience knew next to nothing about her, just like Natsuko. Her motivation to destroy the world could have easily dipped into cliché martyrdom. Giving her a more nihilistic attitude was a nice wrinkle that set her apart from other elf characters in anime. It was also the perfect setup to inject a sense of optimism and hope thanks to Natsuko’s intervention. Memmeln’s switch from harbinger of destruction to die-hard fangirl was so unexpected, but so enjoyable. Idols and fangirls save the day once again!
Final Message
Lastly, the biggest message of ZENSHU seems to be that no matter how bleak the script may be, there are always opportunities to flip it. Natsuko recognizes the faults and criticisms of “A Tale of Perishing,” but she loved it all the same. She connected with the characters and they were a source of joy. Now that she’s in their world, she’s given a chance to return that joy. How does she do this? By introducing them to other characters from other genres. For as much as this show is immersed in its own original narrative, it is also very much steeped in the meta of anime culture. There’s even some subtle commentary about the nature of art and its everlasting influence on people. It’s been a heartfelt production wrapped in layers of fan service goodness.
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