Studio MAPPA’s newest original anime, ZENSHU, follows Natsuko Hirose, an up-and-coming genius animator. One day, she’s reincarnated into her favorite childhood anime movie, “A Tale of Perishing.” She discovers she has the power to draw her animations to life. She joins Luke Braveheart and the other Nine Soldiers to battle the Void and defend the last remaining Soul Future. A new fate must be drawn. Here is our review and recap of ZENSHU episode 6.
ZENSHU Episode 6 Recap
The Void slime knocked out Natsuko at the end of episode 5, so the other characters get her up to speed. The Void broke through the town’s defenses and headed straight for the Soul Future tower, where it hardened into a chrysalis impervious to attack. Natsuko acts like it’s no big deal, but Luke scolds her for being so careless with her life.
Later that night, Luke visits the graves of four of the Nine Soldiers. Justice joins him, and the two debate over responsibility and valuing life. The conversation then turns to Natsuko. It’s clear Luke thinks about her a lot but has yet to truly acknowledge his feelings. Justice looks on in amusement.
Meanwhile, Natsuko struggles with her failure and feelings of helplessness. After talking with QJ and Memmeln, she realizes she needs to rely on others and not shoulder all the responsibility herself. Her animation director job reflects this lesson. To that end, the five of them enact a plan to defeat the Void, even though a certain mysterious bird tells Natsuko it’s pointless.
QJ lures the Void beast out with a fragment of the Soul Future. It takes the form of a giant centipede and swallows QJ and Memmeln. Luke’s sword can’t penetrate its armor and Unio’s horn breaks, rendering him flightless. Natsuko draws a winding staircase to life so Luke and Unio can chase the Void up the tower. They climb too high for her to see. Suddenly, Justice appears and flies Natsuko and her desk upward. His injured wing makes for a bumpy ride, but it’s enough for Luke to make it to the top. With a boost from Unio, a signal from QJ, and magic from Memmeln, Luke defeats the Void with a stellar sword strike. As the sun rises, Luke and Justice reconcile and Natsuko rests in Luke’s arms.
Review: Overall Entertaining but Hard to Follow
The first few minutes of ZENSHU episode 6 were pretty jumbled. It’s appropriate given how Natsuko would have no recollection of what happened, but it forces the viewer to piece together the order of events. It was confusing at first. That confusion extends to the story of “A Tale of Perishing.” One of the biggest sticking points about how the show is presented is that the events of “A Tale of Perishing” are very disjointed.
Case in point, other than QJ, Unio, Memmeln, and Luke, the whereabouts of the other Nine Soldiers weren’t known until episodes 5 and 6. Luke has to carry the weight of four deaths. The show doesn’t explore this until 6 episodes in. Natsuko feels like she entered the movie towards the final climax, so the viewer doesn’t have a full view of the story until the anime provides those details. This style of storytelling doesn’t detract from the show’s entertainment value, but it can be frustrating relying on drip-fed information.
Despite that slow trickle, ZENSHU manages to keep viewers engaged with strong character writing and impressive animation. The biggest development comes from Natsuko. Her insistence to do everything herself becomes self-destructive. She’s forced to confront that. Also, she must consider how her actions affect others. There is more at risk than just her life. For the first time, she draws animations to life that support her friends rather than dominate the battlefield. It was a very satisfying shift and gets you excited for what else she could create.
This episode was also a nice conclusion for Justice. The comical image of their head shoved through Natusko’s desk was nicely balanced with their perseverance to keep flying. Finally, Luke is given the much-needed spotlight. His finishing blow was beautifully animated, and his character is slowly evolving beyond the tragic hero. Still, that bird is a very unsettling presence. Makes one wonder if the show will take a darker turn in future episodes.
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