The long-awaited original anime, Zenshu, from the renowned MAPPA studio is finally here! This innovative production aims to offer a fresh perspective on the widely beloved Isekai genre.
Fans are enjoying a unique blend of storytelling where the struggles faced by animators, both on a professional and personal level, intertwine with the typical medieval fantasy setting often depicted in anime.
Zenshu excels at maintaining a light-hearted tone, all while delving into serious topics like mental health and bodily fatigue. If it manages to preserve this harmony throughout its initial season, this series could very well become the next sensational Isekai.
A day in the office
Natsuko Hirose, a budding and exceptionally gifted artist, achieves nationwide acclaim following the launch of her first anime. Subsequently, she steps into the director’s role but encounters significant challenges moving forward. Trapped in creating an animation within her least preferred genre – romantic comedy.
Following a series of tense episodes at the animation studio that took a heavy toll on her, Natsuko unexpectedly faints and succumbs to exhaustion, marking the beginning of our journey into the Isekai world.
Reincarnated
In the heart of vast sandy expanses, Natsuko finds herself awakening unexpectedly. Almost instantly, colossal bug-like beings (later recognized as Voids) surround her. However, to her astonishment, the primary characters from her cherished childhood anime series – A Tale of Perishing – appear and rescue her.
Consisting of a chameleonic Unicorn named Unio, an elf Memurun that embodies stereotypes, a floating totem known as QJ, and their knight leader Luke Braveheart, they present themselves in a humorous and satirical manner. They are quite antagonistic towards our heroine, addressing her with the derogatory term “black-haired gremlin.” This offers a fun and refreshing contrast to the usual stoic and sophisticated characters found in Isekai stories.
Instead of being reborn here, Natsuko ponders the reason behind her arrival in this Isekai world. She finds it peculiar because such a circumstance is typically reserved for individuals she describes as “shut-ins” or “NEETs,” those who are not engaged in employment, education, or training.
As she gradually comes to understand it, her intimate knowledge of the world she’s been reborn into allows her to foresee all that is to come. This includes a catastrophic attack by the Voids, leading inevitably to the demise of her cherished unicorn, Unio.
Rewriting the story
During the unfolding fight, Natsuko frantically searches for a solution to rescue Unio, understanding all too well that the escalating situation seems destined to claim the life of the unfortunate unicorn.
To her astonishment, her animation tool suddenly started speaking to her, instructing her to “draw.” Just before Unio’s last breath, she surged ahead and instinctively did what she was most skilled at.
Natsuko finds her office supplies mysteriously appearing around her, reminiscent of a character’s power from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. In a flurry, she hastily sketches to meet her project deadline, and when completed, calls forth an enormous drawing that swiftly destroys all the obstacles in its path.
What’s next?
The story reaches its conclusion, as the fantastical beings show newfound respect towards Natsuko. Luke Braveheart tenderly lifts her into his arms and announces her true name for the first time.
Moving forward, uncertainty lies ahead due to the absence of a source manga. Given this situation, it’s clear that the animation industry’s hurdles will undoubtedly be a central focus, as Natsuko embarks on a journey to discover innovative and effective strategies for overcoming the obstacles she encounters.
It’s uncertain if the series will stick within the fantasy world or if it will take our character to various anime universes. Regardless, this first episode was quite impressive with its exploration of deep and underdiscussed themes in the genre, while also adding a touch of humor through its quirky side characters. MAPPA seems to be on to an interesting concept.
Don’t forget to tune into Crunchyroll next week at 6:45 PT to follow the journey of Hirose Natsuko in her latest adventure!
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2025-01-06 04:25