Zenshuu.

An absolute love letter to the cheesiest corniest most beloved beautiful story telling tropes and beats in all of anime. One of the best anime original anime I've ever seen and one of the best anime I've seen in a good while. Solid 9/10. It would have been a 10/10 Masterpiece it played the story too safe. It was predictable a lot of the time and very by the book. You could follow the three arc structure it had going episode by episode which while could be intentional seeing how the show was based on a movie within the story. If that was the case then bravo for such meta storytelling. An absolute love letter to the cheesiest corniest most beloved beautiful story telling tropes and beats in all of anime. The characters were phenomenal. Some more than others. Memmeln felt very under utilized despite having her own personal tragedy and character growth but it was so short and felt like too easy of a change for someone with such deep seated anxiety and issues. The Bird Director was probably the biggest disappointment. She was neither an ally or an enemy. Just a random inclusion despite being such a significant figure when it came to "A Tale of Perishing". Her inclusion had a lot of potential as an antagonist but it never went anywhere and frankly if was removed all together nothing would change. Luke, Unio, Justice, and of course our heroine Natsuko win the gold star for not only being just great characters but each having their own well rounded character arcs and development. This show was not carried by the plot or the references to other anime, but these characters. Shifting to the plot, it was very by the book. A character like Natsuko struggling with pressure that came with success and her own shortcomings sent to a world where she is given god like powers and omnipotence as she struggles to use said powers and knowledge to change a fate written in stone. She did everything she was supposed to do for a character. She struggled, grew, evolved, and in the end over came her short comings established in the first episodes. It was well executed, handled, and animated with incredible skill and grace. It was also safe. Nothing really stood out about her character or the story as a whole. The anime reference and easter eggs were a nice touch for any anime fans but overall the plot was standard, safe, and predictable. Everything from beginning to the last scene was exactly what one would expect from a series like this. It was amazing, beautiful, and exciting to watch as well. In a lot of ways, Zenshu's predictability is part of its charm. It truly is a love letter to the 3 arc structure of story telling and all those movies, shows, and stories that follow it. It was not trying to rewrite the rules because it was celebrating them. This series is a celebration of anime and animation.

Oh boy what a mess. Zenshuu is a textbook example of the importance of a thesis. When your show doesn’t understand what it wants to achieve than the entire runtime is naturally going to lack direction and the viewer is left to suffer. So what does Zenshuu set out to achieve exactly? Technically it presents the key idea, your first love, right from the jump but instead of pursuing this idea it spends the remainder of it’s runtime dedicated to filler and references. Desperate attempts are made to mask this with colorful poppy animation but it’s ultimately fruitless as the overwhelming bulk of Zenshuu’s content is so lacking that it only exemplifies how annoying the remainder of the show is. Don’t be fooled by the incorporation of references to the anime industry, this is not a love letter to animation nor is it some kind of passion project. Zenshuu is fundamentally a half baked isekai generic monster of the week show which follows a set formula for the first 4/5 of it’s runtime. Natsuko is thrust into the world of her favorite childhood anime and her presence brings inevitable changes to the script. Every episode then follows as 18 minutes of her frolicking about followed by a 2 minute action sequence at the end of the episode. Rinse and repeat for 10 episodes and rush in a dramatic (used loosely) finale and you have your show. The issues show themselves early. First, none of the characters are likeable. None of them. Natsuko’s progression follows her going from an extremely entitled egotistical prick to a generic shounen protagonist, is this supposed to be likeable? She lacks chemistry with the remainder of the cast as well which obviously doesn’t bode well. She sort of bumbles her way from plot point to plot point without establishing any likeable or fun personality traits. It’s possible to write characters which have massive egos that are likeable but her arrogance comes across as a normal person LARPing as someone with talent. The fantasy characters are about as generic as it gets and feature no personality traits at all. So your main characters are an annoying brat and a bunch of people that fail to leave any impression at all. So the plot fails and the characters fail, what about everything else? Well MAPPA is an industry leader and so they have more than enough resources to throw at this to make it look good. And to that degree they manage to succeed, in a very typical way. The art looks good but uninspired. Even in the scenes where Natsuko uses her drawing powers to unleash anime references against the copy pasted mob wave of the week they look… normal. Everything looks normal. The colors manage to pop out and movement looks clean and good, but it’s severely lacking in wow factor. It’s very difficult to illustrate over text but the visuals just look good in a very standard way. Zenshuu fails because it simply doesn’t know what it wants. Does it want romance? Then why doesn’t it create more chemistry between the characters. Does it want action? Then why does it not measure up to par with other industry leaders? Does it want to be a passion project about the animation industry akin to Bakuman or Imouto Sae but with action focus? Then why does the passion stop at mere references. Zenshuu is a show that dips it’s toes in many genres but doesn’t have the guts to fully submerge itself in any one of them. As an anime original they have the luxury of tailor making the script and show nearly simultaneously but instead it feels as though they had to push it out with only a rough scatter plot of ideas. Simply a mess.

The show started as an average dumb isekai for the first 7 episodes, and then it kinda got interesting and had a better image of what it wanted to be, until that final. That goddamn final that doesn't make sense in any way, not a single thing about it follows the plot or clears up any of the plotholes. It feels like they started drawing nd randomly chose plot points as they went, and "fixed" everything in the final episode randomly. The only reason I give it a 5 is out of the respect for the good animation & music. Next time hire a writing team.

Anime is often boring, though occasionally entertaining. Despite MAPPA's efforts to add artistic value to its works, the writing team repeatedly fails to deliver a cohesive story or an experience worthy of being remembered by future generations—or even something I'd recommend to my friends. Despite a massive budget and talented animators, the story remains weak, lacking logical consistency and relying on laughably dumb solutions to its conflicts. That said, I can’t deny that the final episode was highly enjoyable. However, I would have preferred if we had gotten the director’s original vision, where character development felt more natural and the world-building and kingdoms were far more intriguing. As for the character designs, while technically well-executed, the color choices feel dull and inconsistent, making the characters look like a washed-out version of *Dragon Quest* designs—but worse. Even the protagonist seems like a recycled character from a previous installment, just with more garish colors. I truly hope that one day, MAPPA creates an original work that can rival the quality of *Gainax* and *Trigger*, rather than continuing to churn out projects that lack creativity and solid storytelling.

Natsuko Hirose is an extraordinarily-talented artist with a workaholic attitude going over budget and over deadline on her next big project: a romantic comedy. The only issue is, she has no clue what "first love" is, or how to contextualize the experience in a paletteable form. An unfortunate incident with some rotten food causes her to die during work and wake up in the world of her favorite movie: A Tale of Perishing. She meets the remaining members of the Nine Warriors, that being an elf named Memmelm, a spell-slinging unicorn named Unio, the alarm clock named QJ, and the hero, Luke Braveheart. Also, there's a dragon who shows up midway through, and the impression you get is he's become so hopeless that he's now basically a lecherous drunk. That doesn't last. Anyways, the main hero party fights a seemingly endless army of ant-shaped monsters called Void. What are the Void? Where did they come from? What do they want? Only the third question is ever answered, although the plot tends to imply a lot about them. The problem is that, by the end of Zenshu, what you anticipate would be a kind of resolution to everything where all the questions are answered, it would much rather have its happy ending while presenting more questions. I do like the OP, and the show itself feels like such a love letter to animation in itself. The problem is that none of what happens in terms of character development or motivations really feels earned. The major story beats for A Tale of Perishing are effectively Luke Braveheart sinking further into despair until the end. Natsuko shows up, spends about 45 seconds drawing some character or thing from a show she watched, and the Void are defeated. The animation and art are good, don't get me wrong. What hurts the show is that it takes way too many of the worst tropes from modern isekai and shamelessly parades them around as if to say "look! I'm totally different from that other show!" Everyone loves Natsuko because she can draw really well. No, you don't get it. I mean REALLY WELL. Oh, and Luke is in love with her because she... uh... she eats a lot! Yeah! And, she defeats all the big mean monsters! Oh, and she can change anyone's mind by using her power to show them how cool she is and how awesome the world is. Yeah, Natsuko is definitely the greatest. /s The ending itself is a letdown. Despite the tonal whiplash in some scenes, the ending is where I would have loved for the series to stick to the main theme of the in-universe movie. A Tale of Perishing isn't a hopeful film by any stretch, and despite its few moments of "fun" near the beginning, it slowly creeps towards a darker finale. Without spoiling anything, it cheapens Zenshu as a whole to undermine the main theming of AToP [i]and[/i] try to have its Disney moment. None of the resolution was earned, and none of the cast are helped by making it so that none of the stakes mattered. Ultimately, it's 4hrs that you're better spent on anything else.

The reason I don’t recommend this anime is that whether you’re new to isekai or a seasoned watcher, there’s a high chance you’ll find it boring. For newcomers, it’s not a good introduction to the genre, as it doesn’t showcase what makes a great isekai anime. The character designs leave a lot to be desired, but I get that the genre is overexploited—when an isekai follows a working formula, it’s criticized for being unoriginal, yet when it tries something new, it often gets backlash. I know I’m falling into that same trap, but as someone who has watched a lot of isekai, I can confidently say this is not a good starting point. Even after watching the whole thing, my opinion remains the same. It’s quite boring, and while effort was made to bring something fresh, it ultimately failed in its attempt.

__Animation/Visual style__ As expected since MAPPA is working on Zenshuu the animation is extremely fluid and several creative shots make good use of the team’s skills. The combat animation is very cool and even the sketches and paper creatures look great. There's not much to say here besides top-class work. However a caveat here is that I didn’t find the visual style to be very unique, and the design of the world was largely generic. I guess that fits with the “forgotten XO’s movie” idea but I still didn't like it. __Plot and themes:__ I found the overarching themes of Zenshuu interesting but I didn’t find them handled particularly well. The monster of the week format for the first half doesn’t work for me and many of the themes go very underexplored. Finally, the world-building is extremely shallow to the point where it goes beyond the point of being nothing and becomes actively distracting. The aforementioned Monster of the Week episodes lack interesting monsters or solutions for most of them. They resolve with Natsuko drawing something from pop media and then the credits roll for the vast majority. They don’t bring anything to the table besides allowing the romance to progress a bit in the background. As such this time could’ve been spent on a more interesting plot device or exploring the many characters that lacked proper development in the show. I’m aware that for many people seeing references to animation history was cool and fun but I think this could’ve been integrated in a more interesting way than simply pointing at previous things. I would give a pass if this tied into a larger theme or arc around Natsuko being unable to create original media and overcoming that but it does not. They begin to improve on these towards the end of these episodes but the damage is already done in making me sit through the previous uninteresting fights. In my opinion, the main themes of Zenshuu are First love, Oblivion/Depression, and feelings of inadequacy. Of these, the first is given the most screen time and is handled the best with a consistent and satisfying slow buildup and great integration through the vignette episode midway through the series. As for the last two they are certainly touched upon but I felt their integration to be weak despite the sudden heavy focus given to Natsuko's feeling of inadequacy. It’s a shame because I think both could’ve been the basis for an interesting show but ended up cluttering things and serving to push things out. Zenshuu’s world-building generally occurs when characters have to pass through something for plot reasons or an offhand comment. As such things feel very empty and as a viewer, it’s sometimes hard to take the stakes seriously because of it. There’s no significant explanation for what’s going on or why people believe the things they do with one notable well-done exception over the course of an episode. __Character Design:__ Character designs were at first annoying and then transitioned into being mostly nothing to me with the exception of Justice and Natsuko. While I’m aware it’s partially the “point” to have the 9 soldiers designs be scattered it still feels really bizarre at the start. As the series progresses they manage to work around this better and scenes feel a lot less weird but it was extremely distracting for me until I got used to them. Even after that, I found them to be pretty nothing with them being simple pastiches of other media. Justice’s design and VA are really cool and his swoon-worthy persona is accentuated by how he moves when he’s interacting with Natsuko. Natsuko is by far the standout with her hair covering her eyes serving as a unique design element and a great way to display her mental state. __Character:__ As far as the characters themselves I find all of them besides the main duo to be extremely shallow even though many change throughout the story. Those that change feel less like a dynamic change taking course through the story and more like a switch being flipped to change them between modes. The prime example of this is probably a period late in the show where a character reverts their personality changes before immediately switching back again. However, the character who becomes convinced to give up their firmly held beliefs by kinda nothing and sticks with it is also not great. Unio is the closest to having a fully developed arc and I became a focal point for my attention, especially towards the end but things still feel shallow there. Natsuko and Luke’s relationship on the other hand is handled really well. Watching the slow-burn romance is really fun and the way both Luke and Natsuko change as he realizes his feelings and she becomes more connected to the world is very cute. This dynamic was what kept me watching week-week and without it, I would probably have dropped the show. __Treatment of women:__ Despite having a female protagonist Zenshuu has close to nothing to say about women’s role in society or their treatment. Destiny’s arc is kinda saying something about the way belief in powerlessness can reinforce it but it’s extremely shallow. A more critical observer may even find some distaste for the way the show seems to imply that situations like being trapped in an arranged marriage are easy to leave. __Sound: :__ The sound design in the dark scenes stood out to me as a good way to show the change in tone.  There’s some good foley and other effects mixed in as well which I enjoyed. The sound is generally effective throughout the series but never massively stood out to me besides in the last episode. Besides that I found the OP to be a cool song and I added the artist to my music rotation so I would consider that a win. I can’t comment on the lyrics or how appropriate they are because I don’t speak Japanese so I’ll leave that to other people. __Conclusion:__ Zenshuu is a very pretty show that often feels like it has the same issues as the poorly received old anime films it parodies at times. Worldbuilding and character development are shallow with the exception of the main cast and I found much of the early show to be quite a drag. Nevertheless, it manages to rally towards the end and create enough emotional impact through its main duo to push itself up to something interesting. As such my final rating is a 7/10,  If you really like isekai, are dying for a female lead slow-burn romance, or really want to see some references to old animation check out Zenshuu.

We all know the success MAPPA have had with adapting beloved shonen jump titles in recent years. From CSM, to JJK and even Vinland Saga on the seinen side of things, they’ve been on an insane run. Their anime originals on the other hand have been a bit.. well bad. Zenshu breaks the mould and is in my opinion, not just one of their best originals, but one of their best ever projects in general. They might have misled us initially into thinking this was going to be a show about making anime, but I fell in love with this fantasy world, the characters, the romance, the production values, it was all perfect and Luke and Natsuko quickly became one of the best parts of this season to me. Their haters to lovers relationship was so satisfying to watch play out, they felt like soulmates and completed each other so much. I think for many of us, their relationship and Natsuko’s personal development were the best parts of the show and just made this an incredible watch. If you like girl bosses, romance and self improvement stories, Zenshu’s a must watch. One of the best shows of winter 2025. The funny thing about it is that Zenshu was very much one of those shows that everything came down to the finale for me. It was either going to be a 10 or a 7 depending on how MAPPA wrapped things up with Luke and Natsuko and the big battle and I am very glad to report they did an excellent job. There’s a few minor things I’d have tweaked in the finale, but other than that this was an extremely solid anime original story that was consistent in its messages and themes, stayed on track, had great character development, awesome fights, a unique fighting mechanic and a loveable main character. Total contrast to some of their other anime original works, especially the disaster that was Bucchigiri. I loved this series though, we all expected this to be a shirobako style anime where we followed an anime director throughout the process of creating an anime, but instead we followed an anime director INSIDE an anime and got to see her grow and open up to others and the world. Natsuko’s character development is very satisfying. She starts off as a really aloof and frankly rude and disrespectful person who looks down on others. Thanks to being in her favourite anime and going on adventures to save the world she realizes the importance of teamwork and relying on others, something she really lacked back on earth. She’s someone who never viewed others as actual people, just tools to get the job done. The near death experiences she has in the anime’s world really help shape her into a better person and it’s so satisfying . It doesn’t happen overnight, but each episode we see bits and pieces coming together and that’s all you can ask for! The cast were amazing in this. They’re the main reason the show is as good as it is. MAPPA, in 12 short episodes, manage to create this family dynamic that makes this such a cozy watch. Every single member of the cast is lovable and you just want to see them succeed. It almost feels like this was a long running adventure shonen series with how attached to the cast I got. The banter, the disagreements and the makeups were all so endearing. Natsuko and the nine soldiers might have bickered a lot, but they always made up and pushed forward at the end of the day like a family. Further to that, the relationship between Natsuko and Luke was my favourite part of the show and it was so well done. I’m a massive haters to lovers romance trope fan and this was one of the best ones. The two of them slowly realizing how they feel culminating in those last few episodes was amazing. They both ended up being exactly what the other was missing in their life. Natsuko couldn’t take her work to the next level because she’d never known a first love and Luke couldn’t move forward because he was caught up on the pain of his fallen comrades and didn’t really have anyone who he could truly share that burden with. The term soulmates gets thrown around a lot, but Luke and Natsuko truly were soulmates! Now it’s MAPPA so you know we have to discuss the production quality. The show looked amazing. Designs, the fights, Natsuko’s drawing animation(even if it was reused) were all amazing. It seems like MAPPA made it a point of emphasis to put their A-team on this and it worked out very well. The final few episodes had some gorgeous animation and combined with the simple, but well written story made for an amazing experience. I had Zenshu as one of the best anime of the season ever since the first episode and it not only stayed that way, but only got better as I learned more about Natsuko and the other characters and as the romance developed. Things ended up being a little predictable in terms of the ending, but that’s not a bad thing because it’s exactly the sort of story I hoped for. If you like boss girlies, romance and some really unique action, Zenshu is a no brainer. One of the best shows of the year so far and I’m going to miss it so much. Luke and Natsuko, we will never forget you. Zenshu gets 10 drawing pencils out of 10.

Zenshuu is a anime that one can tell is a love project and that the team poured a lot of feelings into it. The theme of a anime director unable to direct a show about a first love novel and who ultimately chokes on a piece of food only to be transported to the world of her favorite anime - a movie "A Tale of Perishing" that was known for being corny and a flop. Natsuko enters into this strange world where she joins the crew of heros with her amazing power to bring to life any animations she conjures up. The show has great animation, track, voice acting. However suffers from a episodic drawing of the week (for you of the episode) format with no real tangible plot movement. Yes, Natsuko interacts with each of the characters but the overall feeling is that you are following the story of a mediocre kids movie which she struggles to correct throughout the entire series. There is a artistic message that, if you care to follow, might speak to you... If not it makes it feel like you are not the target audience for this show. While the plot severely is lacking - the characters do feel like they develop, the little unicorn voice acted by Kugimiya, Rie fits her typical niche and feels like he matures as he sees the changes in his best friend, the hero Luke whom Natsuko has been obsessed with drawing her whole life. Natsuko matures as well as she learns to rely on her new friends in this weird world. Overall, this show is animated with a lot of sakuga moments, characters are corny but likeable, and a mediocre plot. I kept thinking this is why the movie "A Tale of Perishing" in the anime itself probably flopped. Unless you are like Natsuko and become a huge fan you may end up like the viewers in the show - disappointed.

Zenshu - one of the best original anime i've seen especially for a one shot. The animation is gorgeous and seamless as expected for mappa. i was thrown for a loop originally when it turned into an isekai, however this show reminded me of how fun an isekai can be when done correctly with interesting characters and world building. each character is unique and gets their own time to shine, each scene brings to life "a tale of perishing" and makes it feel like the breathing and living world it became for natsuko, and each attack brings growth for everyone. it's a love letter to all things anime. i highly recommend zenshu and encourage you to remember why you fell in love with this art form in the first place as you watch it.

This could have been the best anime of the season, if it wasn’t for the finale. It’s an extremely underrated anime, from the start to the last two episodes, it’s almost perfect, very fluid animation, vibrant colours, map settings, music, character development, etc. Personally, the first episode is the one that hit me, and the second one followed it like magic, it’s easy to see the quality that Studio MAPPA put into their anime. It’s a new way to look into isekay, the amount of creativity put into this anime is amazing, surely an original anime for this year. Trama was predictable, like a written tale, but very easy to follow and enjoy. Very nice and enjoyable the fact the protagonist doesn’t use some type of magic to combat but just the love for its job and the animation. But guys, character development here is amazing, done precisely and very slow through all episodes; take our protagonist, Natsuko: we see everything from her, thrown away in a new word, even if was one very close to her, given a new power to understand and use, try to understand what to do with the narrative of a movie she already knows and how to change it from a finale she likes but don’t want to happen, so struggling, at the same time growing into a different person, evolving, discovering new thing about other and herself, like how to love, and in the end, success from her struggling. It was a solid 9, until the end. It feels strange, like forced or do in short time. With some thinking it could be a better finale. And I don’t think there are hidden messages here, about the finale or how you should see it. Like, we want this anime to finish differently to the finale of "A Tale of Perishing”, and in reality, we have, two finales, both good and bad, and this feel pretty strange and rush too. There is no much to describe, I suggest trying looking into this anime, seeing from other comment, it’s a hit or miss, the first episode is enough to understand if you like it or not. The end is open, yes, but we don’t need a season 2. Thanks.

Well, what can i say... This Anime has good direction and it's well animated, but it's meaningless. No sigle episode got me surprised, the story flows well even if it's empty, i can give that. The characters are too much stereotypical and generic even for a fantasy world with Unio being the most boring and annoying character, even the protagonist Natsuko has no characterization. At some point i was even wondering "Why we didn't get the movie as in the original script according to the fictional director ideas, it could have been so much better". Basically Zenshuu doesn't entertain at all, which it's even worse considering how much potential it could have, but sadly it goes nowhere.

This anime is really good! I think it's one of the most unique ones out there. The way they get transported to the isekai world is totally different from other anime! The characters are so distinct that there's no way I could forget them easily. I really like Luke, Unio, Memelin, Natsuko, QJ, and Justice. They're strong and have different power that get me excited! Characters react to situations and events is good. The art is amazing, and the story never gets boring. And the ending... I NEED a season 2! I want to see Luke go to Japan! I think others will enjoy this anime, this anime is little bit underrated but is good.

Zenshu. — Is it worth being a stan for a work, only to have it interpreted in another way that ultimately goes back to the very creation that it stems from? In the ever-evolving landscape of the AniManga industry, I've said it before and I'll say it again: anime originals have been waning, not because there's absolute creativity going off the rails to deliver unique shows, but because people have been staying too much in the comfort zone to ever warrant trying and then having to bail out because those concepts can't work. Sure, we all get that it's a huge risk with varying results, but it's certainly far better than the cesspool of Isekai and fantasy hodgepodge we're getting these days. ...Oh wait, I've made a mistake. Because, courtesy of scriptwriter Kimiko Ueno, who mainly does scripts for Crayon Shin-chan's ONAs and movies, alongside the once prolific former Doga Kobo director Mitsue Yamazaki (whom you'll know from directing shows like Summer 2019's Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru? a.k.a How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? and Fall 2020's Maoujou de Oyasumi a.k.a Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle), comes Zenshuu, MAPPA's answer to shooting themselves in the foot to assess the life of an animator, only for the audience to be sideswiped that the content is basically the same hodgepodge we got with many others. Yes, let the reality sink in that Zenshuu is not just an animator's showpiece; it's also an Isekai fantasy as well. But it's at least better than you might assume otherwise. If there was a TL;DR for the anime, it would be the famous artist Pablo Picasso's quote of "Every act of creation is first an act of destruction." Because this sets the stage for the prodigy of Natsuko Hirose, a young woman who has dreamed of being a prolific animator since the day that the one work would change her life tremendously: A Tale of Perishing. The fascination of its world, and most importantly, the characters of the anime movie/film that resonated with her in her childlikeness, becomes the anchor that would propel someone like her into the world of animation. The stares of the people who have the "closest" affiliation with Natsuko, even from a distance, to see her being so happy and upbeat about her drawings to working with her on indie films that are passable for school standards, it's that love that propels Natsuko to reach new heights as her life progresses, culminating to the point of the young woman earning the recognition of being an ambitious prodigy for her directorship and animation prowess. That is, until Natsuko hits a roadblock with one film that caught her off guard: creating a movie about first loves. Obviously, with the overworked one-woman show that Natsuko has unfortunately garnered a reputation for, the concept of the film, from ideas down to animation, is all wholly hers and draws the line between her and the studio that hired her to do the work, much less ceremoniously understanding what it looks like to be in love. But the twist of fate with a case of food poisoning mysteriously sends Natsuko into the world of the anime movie that she loved as a child, and she thought that she could expand upon it and give everyone the second chance that they deserved from the previous director's decision to oust them with a tragic ending. Hoo boy...does fate intertwine in both ways of blessings and curses. From an audience's standpoint, we as human beings are given a sense of freedom to do whatever we desire, and that stems from creativity that otherwise normal human beings might not realize that these alternate branch lines a.k.a Abridged series are worth experimenting with. And yet, that's Natsuko's purpose as her reincarnation as herself into the world of A Tale of Perishing, where there exist heroes dubbed the Nine Soldiers, protecting gems called Soul Futures from the monster Voids that attempt to destroy any hope of the world's existence. By the time that Natsuko got roped into its world, only a few of them existed in the forms of protagonist-cum-leader Luke Braveheart, unicorn Unio, elf Memmeln, and robot QJ, still wandering the world to protect the last bastion of the Soul Future that's left in The Last Town. More than just fascination alone, it's clear that the previous director, Kametaro Tsuruyama (whom Natsuko idolized), had intended a future where hope is all but crushed, and the young woman herself wanted to breathe fresh life by offering an alternate version of the film where happy endings last forever; that's the goal she set out for herself while partnering with Luke and the others using her pegboard, which summons a magical work desk to draw whatever she wants, with the obvious caveats attached to it to deal with the Voids. But go back to Pablo Picasso's quote, where destruction equates to creation. This is where Zenshu strikes its message the strongest: no matter what you do, you can't stop the intended outcome of the original vision of creation...but maybe, just maybe, the abridged series has at least a hope to shine in the darkest light. You know, just like every Studio Ghibli film. Natsuko's relation with the Nine Soldiers, while comical, is at least subtle as she gets along in varying degrees with Luke and the others, though as much control as she can (as she should with her works back in real life) to assert the motive that the film has a bright future, she'll do just about anything to tweak fiction's reality just so to reach that one good future. In essence, like yin and yang, too much of a good thing is NEVER a good thing at all. For every creation for the motive of good, it bears evil destruction that ultimately comes back to haunt Natsuko and the Nine Soldiers trying to correct their world, so much that it spawns corruption in the hearts of many. Contradictory, yes, but it's chaotic good and evil. MAPPA being yet again the center of infamy for the studio's 2nd Isekai show after Winter 2023's Tondemo Skill de Isekai Hourou Meshi a.k.a Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill, it shouldn't be a surprise that even with a supposed B-team, MAPPA can still create some good to great productions, and it's once again a showcase of why shows from the prolific studio just works best visually. With veteran music composer Yukari Hashimoto, Zenshu really has one of the coolest OSTs of the Winter season, being unparalleled yet different in its execution. Though I could care less for Band-Maid's OP and Sou's ED, which were OK to decent, music definitely is yet another good aspect of the show. To take the road down the trodden path, I've got to give director Mitsue Yamazaki and scriptwriter Kimiko Ueno props for creating a work that, while it may or may not have received the fanfare that it deserves, is still noteworthy for being a good show in the sense that "your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one." For certain, MAPPA's efforts for Zenshu, while creating a celebration of animation and creativity, have themes that are far more intentionally profound than what you might think. This may not be Troyca's fashion of Spring 2017's Re:Creators in any regard, but for what it is, MAPPA's Zenshu still holds up rather strong and is enough for a good (maybe even satisfying) watch.

I saw it was an isekai. I read the synopsis, and said "nah." But to call Zenshu an isekai totally misses the point. This is a PARODY of everything anime from the last 40 years. It's Gintama levels of parody. But where Gintama used sarcasm and poked the industry with a stick, Zenshu wraps its arms around it, and whispers "You might be silly as hell, but we love you anyway." There is truly a wamrth and love of the medium that pervades the production, from the first minute to the very last. I'm glad I waited until almost the last week to give this a try. It was one of the best binges I ever had. The art work runs the gamut from 80s era simplicity to some really fine work indeed. It's a jumbled up mess that is going to look like a cluster, until you realize the animators are paying homage to all the best work that came before. Same with the animation itself. There might seem to be no cohesiveness to it all, but it works, considering they are lovingly paying tribute to decades of the industry. It's all in fun, and Natsuko's episodal magical girl transformation is awesome in that regard. The characters are another great big pile of every cliche ever dropped in anime, but they are so lovingly portrayed, they'll worm their ways into your heart. Natsuko is the self-insert for everyone that's ever worked in the business. Every other character is cliche as hell too, but so much so, it's a loving poke in the ribs. They may be deliberately mid, but they are treated with respect, even if they are gently made fun of. Same with the narrative. It's supposed to be hokey as fuck, but it's a hokey that is fun and amusing. Decades worth of tropes are woven into this tale, and that was one fine piece of writing. There's lots of comic moments, but they aren't mean or condescending like you'd find in satire. The writers treat the story, and all the characters, with love and respect, even as they poke gentle fun at them. Are you catching a theme here? You can tell the VAs had a ball with this, and the performances are special in a sometimes silly way. The direction has done a magnificient job with the cast, and spinning all the wayward parts of this into such a beautiful yarn. The direction is nothing short of masterful. There's no reason to redo anything about this series. If seen in the right light, it is very close to perfect in every way. If I was grading this I'd give it 95/100. It absolutely teeters on the edge of a masterwork. If you blew on it really hard, it might just tip over into that territory. So recommended, as long as you go into it with the right mindset.

It's been so long since an anime utterly perplexed me. The show is in a superposition of good and bad, and even upon viewing I can't decide which one it is (and not in the its-so-bad-its-good way). It's like someone had a solid idea, completely lost the sauce almost immediately, but randomly finds the sauce throughout the series and throws it back away. I am confused on what the writer was thinking while writing it, as the plot has some brilliant moments in a sea of mediocre. If you've read any of the other reviews, you would think that the trailer is a lie. And for the most part, it is. The majority of the show takes place in A Tale of Perishing, which is a mid show both in universe and in the anime itself. The writing for all of the characters, the setting, the in-universe plot is so generic that I can't tell if it's intentional and genius or just bad writing. Unlike the Tale of Perishing characters, Natsuko has interesting characterization, but again, I can't tell if the fact she has characterization is intentional or mostly meant as a joke. The time spent in a Tale of Perishing is just a generic isekai - there are better isekai out there, watch those if you want one of those. I was starting to think that it was just a bad isekai. But then the show throws in things like Episode 1/Episode 7 that involve interacting with people from the real world - and those bits are actually interesting. They show how dedicated Natsuko is to animation and how others around her perceive her dedication. For the theme of first love that the trailer yaps on about, these episodes make it seem like Natsuko's answer to what first love is should be animation. But the show doesn't take that route, which is an absolutely bonkers choice because that's the best part of the series.

What an anime Zenshu turned out to be. In a season full of flashy titles and overhyped sequels, this anime quietly entered the scene and ended up leaving a deep impression on me. I went in with almost no expectations, just another new anime, I thought. But what I found was something beautiful, emotional, and, honestly, unforgettable. Zenshu has now earned a place among the best new anime I’ve seen recently. A Slow Start With a Powerful Payoff Let’s be honest: the first few episodes of Zenshu might not grab everyone instantly. The pacing is slow, and it takes its time establishing the world, the characters, and the emotional weight of its story. I remember feeling a bit underwhelmed in the beginning, wondering if this would be one of those shows that looked good but didn’t offer much. But I’m glad I stuck with it. Around episode 3 or 4, something changed. The story began to unfold in unexpected ways, the emotional layers started to reveal themselves, and the unique concept at the heart of the anime came into full view. That’s when I realized, Zenshu is not just another anime. It’s a work of depth and feeling. Screenplay and Direction: A Beautiful Flow The screenplay is standout element of this anime. It's written with care, and it knows exactly when to speak and when to stay quiet. There’s a certain rhythm to the storytelling that keeps pulling you in. Even when the plot slows down, the emotional undercurrents are so strong that you remain engaged. The screenplay doesn’t rely on typical anime tropes, it leans into its own style, and it works wonderfully. Direction-wise, the anime flows smoothly. Every episode feels intentional, with moments designed to build on each other. The character development is done with patience, and by the time you reach the later episodes, you realize just how attached you've become to the people on screen. MAPPA’s Animation: Consistently Impressive When it comes to animation, MAPPA once again proves why they are one of the most respected studios in the industry right now. Zenshu might not have the explosive action of something like Jujutsu Kaisen or Attack on Titan, but what it has is atmosphere, expression, and beauty in stillness. The color palette is soft but meaningful. Character expressions are detailed and genuine. Backgrounds are carefully crafted to reflect the emotional tone of each scene. And when the story calls for visual impact, especially in emotionally charged sequences MAPPA delivers with subtle animation flourishes that leave a lasting impression. The Emotional Climax: A Beautiful Finale Now let me talk about the last few episodes because this is where Zenshu goes from “good” to “special.” These episodes are filled with emotional weight, narrative closure, and moments that will likely stay with you long after the screen fades to black. It’s rare that an anime finishes so gracefully, with such emotional clarity and warmth. I found myself genuinely moved. The relationships, the regrets, the memories, everything that had been built up quietly in earlier episodes came together in a beautiful, heart-wrenching crescendo. If you’ve ever watched an anime that made you cry not just because it was sad, but because it was beautiful, that’s what Zenshu achieves in its finale. It reminded me why I love this medium so much. Anime, at its best, can transcend simple entertainment. It can speak to the human condition. And Zenshu does that, especially in its final stretch. Final Thoughts Zenshu might not be the loudest or most talked-about anime of the year, but it’s certainly one of the most heartfelt. It touched my heart in ways I didn’t expect, and that’s the highest praise I can give. The slow beginning might turn off some viewers, but if you stay with it, you’ll be rewarded with one of the most emotionally resonant stories in recent anime. From the unique concept of the protagonist’s power to the brilliant screenplay, from MAPPA’s delicate animation to the soul-stirring final episodes, everything comes together to form an experience that’s hard to forget. This is an anime that doesn’t scream for attention. It gently asks you to feel. And if you let it, Zenshu will make you laugh, reflect, maybe even cry, but most importantly, it will stay with you.

one day i randomly searching through a list of fantasy anime and here i found Zenshuu. when i look it up, i realized that the theme is isekai. i thought this would be just another random template isekai anime that been circulating lately but since the rating score was pretty good, i decided to give it a shot anyway. when i start watching, i don't have high expectation of this anime and i think as long as the story was good, it's fine for me but it turns out to be amazing. Hell i even start questioning why a seemingly underrated anime is so impressive be it from the animation or story's plot and then i found out that the studio that making this was the same studio who was in charge with jujutsu kaisen, chainsaw man, and dororo. let's look it up how good this anime is and why it makes you wonder why this show is so underated: First, the story. This isn't your typical random isekai anime that the mc was summoned to other world, given a second chance by the local "god", or just teleported into isekai without a reason at all. The mc's isekai'd has a deep meaning about facing herself, her personality, her weakness, and overcoming all that problem in her beloved story. You better look it up yourself because it seem to waste all the fun if you know that by reading this. Second, the plot. You might think that this is just another random isekai anime that have generic plot in which the mc got a superpower and saving everybody from the bad guy but this anime isn't about that. In fact, we were shown how powerless she is even though she got a powerful power already. Third, the animation. Most isekai anime has a distinct generic animation such as generic magic circle, generic english skill name, and a lot of other generic animation that you can even found their green screen version on youtube. This anime? nah, their animation are really unique and great that they mesmerize my eyes. You can even say that the animation is one of the top tier animation out there. Moreover their choice on sound effect, music, and background music are really what you think as "nailed it!" that a lot of recent anime failed to achieve that. At the end of the day, this anime was amazingly good that this anime should get more credit of it. This anime deserve at least 8 on overall rating.

While watching Zenshuu for the first time, I've been trying to make sense of its title and how it would be brought up in the anime. It turns out that it was mentioned in the first episode, where the main character says to "redo" the script or storyboard (I'm not sure which it was, since it was handed to her to check). Anyway, when it was first released, I saw many negative impressions online discussing how the anime was bad because of its characters—particularly the main character’s personality and how obnoxious she seemed. She received hate not only from the in-universe cast but also within the community. However, I believe that was intentional—it’s part of the show, a setup for how her personality contrasts with her growth in the upcoming episodes. It may not be a prime example of peak character development, but it’s something that can be appreciated for what it is. We all know how MAPPA, as a big studio, has created multiple action-packed series like Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen with stunning fighting scenes—beautiful enough to make a young adult cry (Yes, I’m referring to myself). I’ve recently realized how their animation might have created a standard in modern anime, raising expectations to the point where audiences look for similar quality in everything they watch. Entertainment is evolving in terms of visuals and technical aspects, but when that becomes the norm, it creates a huge gap for other entries to prove themselves and be appreciated for what they truly offer. What I’m trying to say is that this anime had a bad start—not because it was animated by the “wrong” studio or lacked in effort—but because people were too quick to judge. Some may have dropped the anime early due to the points above, but I want to talk about the low attention spans of people nowadays, reflected not just in social media but in how entertainment is consumed in general. Of course, I won’t go deep into comparing anime and social media habits, but this is focused on how Zenshuu got negative traction at release. Back then, I was busy with college life and barely had time for anime or hobbies. But I gave myself small rewards after finishing important tasks. That’s when I came across this anime—during that period where I was trying to catch up with recent seasonal releases. I read posts saying the anime wasn’t appreciated and that MAPPA disappointed fans. It reminded me of a similar pattern I saw with Black Clover, where the main character was also labeled obnoxious early on. Now that I’ve finally had the time to watch shows I missed, I gave Zenshuu a shot. I noticed its lower-than-average MAPPA rating, which brought back the posts I read last year telling me what to expect. Still, I wanted to be fair, so I tried to ignore the hate and just enjoy it for what it was. And honestly? It wasn’t bad at all. In fact, I’d recommend it to the right audience. I didn’t structure this review with a rating system because I’ve grown from many events in life, and my perspective on media has evolved. Zenshuu is one of those shows that reminds me: don’t compare your experience with what the community says you should feel. I realized this especially after watching it—because I DEFINITELY ENJOYED its characters and ending. Basically, the term to take reviews with "a grain of salt" applies here and anywhere else. But still, hear me out. Remember when I mentioned the early reactions and MAPPA? I actually asked ChatGPT why people hated this show (Yes, I’m a lazy guy who doesn’t dig through Reddit threads or forum arguments just to understand a theme in anime), and it gave me some insight. A lot of it ties back to expectations—MAPPA being known for high-impact anime, and people being disappointed when Zenshuu didn’t match that mold. The worst part is how some influencers and reviewers went so far as to say “don’t waste your time on it”—as if their role was to write it off without understanding it. That’s where I started to feel strongly about this topic: don’t rely too heavily on others’ opinions, especially when it comes to personal enjoyment. Honestly, there are many reviewers out there and I know mine will only reach a few. But I don’t want this to sound like a rant or a complaint about the show’s reception. Yes, it’s disappointing—but to make it short: I recommend Zenshuu to anyone willing to give it a chance—for its aesthetic (especially if you appreciate beautiful animation like Ufotable or some entries from Bones), its slight comedic charm (yes, there are cute and funny moments), its build-up (if you enjoy slow but meaningful character development), and its story (which, at least for me, pulled me in around the middle and kept me curious until the end). I especially appreciated how the story ended—it didn’t drag, it left just enough for the imagination to take over. It was a satisfying close that didn’t overstay its welcome. Some viewers were disappointed because Zenshuu felt so different from what MAPPA is known for. It doesn’t carry the same energy or pacing as their biggest titles. Some even act like it doesn’t belong in the MAPPA catalog—as if it’s a failure among masterpieces. But Zenshuu treads lightly and asks for patience from those willing to enjoy. It doesn’t shout its message. It doesn’t hold your hand or throw meaning at you in every scene. It lets you feel it over time. And sometimes, that quiet journey is what makes it special. It’s not right to drop an anime just because others didn’t enjoy it. I want to end this review with a reminder: don’t let others’ opinions take away your opportunity to find meaning in a show. Your experience may be different—and that’s exactly why it matters. Yes, attention spans today may be shorter, but sometimes it’s the quiet, thoughtful art that deserves the most patience. This is my take on the anime Zenshuu.

I really liked it, it was an anime that exceeded my expectations. When I started watching it, I thought it was going to be one of those silly isekai animes, but it was the one that caught my attention the most in the season. The animations are incredibly beautiful, the songs are perfect. There's even romance, which is really cute. I think MAPPA wanted to bring everything in Zenshuu, I just think it was a bit rushed precisely because of that. I wanted a movie or a second season to explain what was left open, but in the end I maintain my rating of 9/10. Note: I used the translator, so I'm sorry if the English isn't so good.