ANIME REVIEW | "Zenshu" Rewrites Its Own Ending with Style
Let’s say you’ve watched a movie, one that you absolutely loved. But something about it bugged you: your favorite character died. After watching, you’re probably thinking of ways you could’ve saved that character, had you been in the situation with them. Alas, the movie is a finished product, making any situation where you rescue that character useless and futile.
It’s that feeling and mindset that makes me root for a character like Natsuko Hirose (Anna Nagase), our heroine in Zenshu. The latest original series from MAPPA (Chainsaw Man, Sarazanmai), the story has Natsuko transported to the world of her favorite movie, A Tale of Perishing. Although it was a flop, the movie inspired Natsuko to become an animator herself. But while working on her next project, Natsuko dies in the exact way the director of her favorite film perishes: food poisoning.
At first, Natsuko has no idea where she is. But then, she comes across all of the characters from A Tale of Perishing. Luke Braveheart (Kazuki Ura), Unio (Rie Kugimiya), Memmeln (Minori Suzuki), and QJ (Akio Suyama) are the survivors of the Nine Soldiers. The problem: in the movie, everyone — including the world itself — dies or is destroyed. Fortunately, in this world, Natsuko has the power to create, and it’s through this magic that she can change the outcome of A Tale of Perishing.
This is the ultimate fantasy: getting the chance to go into your favorite film and change the course of its events. The closest any one of us has had to this is if a really good film has been adapted into a video game. (Sadly, we know 90% of those games are absolute crap!) Here, Natsuko can use the magic pegboard, draw any sort of creature or object, and use it to defeat the invading Void army, which wants to destroy the final Soul Future and kill all of humanity.
When I was starting to watch Zenshu, I was slightly disappointed that it was another isekai series. After keeping it hush-hush over the plot, I thought that MAPPA was going to tell a tale similar to Shirobako, albeit more grounded in reality. But when I saw Natsuko die and be reincarnated, I’ll admit that I was rolling my eyes and uttering, “Not again.” Thankfully, I stuck around, as the series gifted me with beauty for the eyes, mind, and soul.
For the mind, it’s how Natsuko keeps the rest of the Nine Soldiers from perishing. Giant robots, homing missiles, pro wrestlers, and even an idol singer are examples of the sorts of things Natsuko creates to help save the day. Sometimes they’re badass; other times, they reach peak ridiculousness. However, whenever Natsuko needs to draw, and that music hits while the pegboard appears, it brings about goosebumps I haven’t felt since I first gazed at a Hayao Miyazaki film over 25 years ago.
Soul-wise, it’s the way Natsuko connects with the new world around her. Luke becomes prime romantic interest material, as he and Natsuko grow to like one another. Unio is a brat, but in many ways, he transforms into Natsuko’s ultimate buddy when times are dire. QJ goes from being the annoying robot sidekick to someone that Natsuko can confide just about anything in. Even the world’s princess — Destiny Heartwarming (Manaka Iwami) — becomes a better character thanks to Natsuko’s actions…albeit she’s now a bit too muscular for my tastes! Because of Natsuko, every person in the Last Town finds a reason to keep on going in life.
Which leads me to the beauty for the eyes. Zenshu is simply a gorgeous anime to watch. From the classic vibe of the A Tale of Perishing characters and the way Natsuko’s hair flows when she goes into action to the way the Last Town is portrayed, every aspect of this anime is a marvel to watch be brought to life. Although the action is both impressive and awe-inspiring, the animation saves its best moments for when things quiet down, such as when Luke and Natsuko embark on a hot springs trip at the dead of night. Not only does it give these characters a moment of that peace they’ve been fighting for, but the way it’s framed is genuinely stunning.
As for its narrative, it goes a pretty smart route with how Natsuko changes the world of A Tale of Perishing. At first, things are hunky-dory, until a strange bird that’s supposed to be the film’s original character appears to put a cork in Natsuko’s progress. From there, the tragedy and terror take hold of everyone, leading to the townsfolk blaming Natsuko for the Voids’s recent triumphs. And then, the moment Luke mentally breaks occurs, sending the whole story up, down, and around a spiral that plunges before it dramatically surges.
What Zenshu does is take a story built on tragedy and transforms it into hope. At times, we need a sad film in order to feel something. But other times, we look at that visual heartbreaker, and wonder how we could’ve fixed the situation those characters were put in. Sometimes it’s as simple as having a straight-and-narrow chat; other times, one has to imagine being the hero that comes around and vanquishes the darkness of that fictional world.
In an odd way, Natsuko basically lives out a fan fiction of her favorite movie, as she fixes its errors, saves everyone, and falls in love with the heart-throbbing hero. (But man, is it a good fan fiction or what?!) Perhaps this is why Zenshu is a delight for any fan of the medium. We can’t enter the worlds of Marvel or DC, and we can’t even plop ourselves into a biopic that ends with mountains of grief. We can only imagine, which is the best we can do for the time being.
Nevertheless, Zenshu is a terrific what-if scenario, even if the isekai genre has been done to death in the anime medium. It takes a simple premise and executes it in a way that makes it relatable and endearing. Although it may not be the best anime of the Winter 2025 season, it certainly is the best at what it does: taking sadness and transforming it into moments of triumph! To me, that act is the most beautiful of all that Zenshu has to showcase.
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Zenshu can be viewed on Crunchyroll, and has been licensed by Crunchyroll. Episodes 1-12 were observed for review. Promotional consideration provided by Crunchyroll.
