Star animator, Natsuko Hirose, gets reincarnated into her favorite childhood movie, “A Tale of Perishing.” She discovers she has the power to draw her animations to life and helps the Nine Soldiers fight the forces of the Void. As time goes on, events not included in the script occur and a mastermind lurks offscreen. Let’s see what episode 5 has in store!
Episode 5 Recap
The episode starts in the real world, where Natsuko struggles to complete the storyboards for her animated romance film “Hatsukoi: First Love.” She bullies her coworkers about their love lives, while trying to capture what a first love looks like. In the end, she insists on working alone.
In “A Tale of Perishing,” Natsuko’s animations have made short work of the Void. She’s drawn to life references to Sailor Moon, Gurren Lagann, and Dokaben, a baseball manga from the 70’s. In Natusko’s eyes, it’s easier to handle everything by herself. Also, the praise she receives starts to go to her head.
Taking Out the Voids
Later the party meets up with Destiny, whose physique has changed drastically. She asks them to go to the District of Despair, and encourage the children there to visit her orphanage. Natsuko takes to the job like a fish to water. The children are enamored with her drawings and eventually grow more trusting. In between trips, Natsuko encounters another member of the Nine Soldiers, Justice. In “A Tale of Perishing,” after the loss of the 8th Soul Future, Justice exchanged his duties for a life of debauchery. Luke couldn’t understand his decision and harbored bitter feelings for his former comrade. The movie never showed what happened to Justice after the falling out, so Natsuko takes this chance to get to know him. Then QJ appears, warning about a Void response outside the city.
The party finds a cluster of what look like Void eggs. Natsuko wastes no time and draws to life a wandering samurai, likely a reference to Samurai Champloo. However, the eggs morph into a slime-like monster and destroy Natsuko’s animation. Unable to keep up with the demand for more animation, Natsuko is helpless against the Void slime’s attack.
The shape of ZENSHU’s story is becoming more and more clear. The opening scene in the real world contextualizes everything Natsuko has to learn from being reincarnated in “A Tale of Perishing.” Her experiences in the movie reflect her situation in real life. Taking out Voids all by herself, is similar to how she became known as a genius animator. She’s never had a first love, so Luke developing a crush on her will give her the chance to experience it. When her animation fails to eliminate the Void at the end of the episode, it mirrors her helplessness in the face of her latest project. ZENSHU’s writing relies on tried and true formulas but stands out with a unique identity. It freshens up tropes where it’s needed and keeps the end goal in sight.
Final Thoughts
Justice was an interesting inclusion in episode 5. Aside from the opening credits, this is the first time the audience has seen him. On the one hand, he feels very shoehorned into the story. The majority of his development happened before the current situation, so his character feels a bit rushed. On the other hand, his history in the world and with Luke gives him interesting depth. His design, performance, and motivation were instantly engaging. Natsuko’s interactions with him felt very nuanced. Once again, her real world knowledge lets her peel back the walls Justice uses to mask his insecurities. The moment she revealed his burnt wing was especially powerful.
Finally, the story has taken an interesting turn. Natsuko is now witnessing aspects of “A Tale of Perishing” beyond the scope of the original movie. Here’s a quick rundown of things that didn’t happen thanks to Natsuko: Unio didn’t sacrifice himself, Destiny didn’t die, and Luke never killed Memmeln. These are the best possible outcomes for these characters, and Natsuko is basking in the glory of making it happen. However, pride cometh before the fall. Also, whoever this bird character is, doesn’t seem happy with Natsuko’s alterations.
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