It’s no secret that animators, and those in the creative field in general, do what they love in exchange for a little return. It takes such a long time to imagine, create, and perfect their creative work. Creative blocks also appear, which can lead to a downward spiral. But sometimes, as long as they are fulfilled in the end, all of it doesn’t matter at all.
Zenshu allows us to take a glimpse of this world, underpayment aside. It’s an original isekai anime produced by MAPPA, the studio behind the massive hit titles Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Chainsaw Man. MAPPA is mostly known for its high production values and gripping action choreography. Ironically, though, they’re also known for mistreating their animators. But that’s another story.
A Tale Within a Tale
Zenshu begins with Natsuko Hirose, an up-and-coming anime director, and her journey to a fictional world. Following her film debut success, Natsuko starts to work on a romantic comedy film, but struggles, because it’s centered around a theme she hasn’t experienced yet — first love. One day, she accidentally eats rotten clams while working, passes out, and wakes up in the world of her favorite childhood anime film, A Tale of Perishing.
A Tale of Perishing is a dark fantasy anime that follows hero Luke Braveheart and his party, Unio, Memmeln, and QJ, as they protect the Last Town from Voids who seek to destroy their world. Initially, there were nine countries with one Soul Future each, and the Nine Soldiers to protect them. But the story takes place where they’re already at the end of the line, hence the sorrowful title.
Even with its epic and somewhat nostalgic atmosphere, Zenshu adds romance and humor well. Natsuko alone makes it so grounded because of her realistic reactions and personality.
An Isekai with Flawed, Realistic Lead
Being a huge fan of A Tale of Perishing, Natsuko sees Luke and the rest as fictional characters, not as real people. She outright tells them that they’re part of a movie she loved as a child and that she’s from reality. She fangirls unashamedly in front of them and even questions their choices and story direction. She’s so honestly real for that, which sets her apart from other isekai leads who keep the secret to themselves or stay quiet to survive.
She can also zenshu, or fix everything, with the help of her glowing magical peg bar that allows her drawings to come to life, and help Luke’s party defeat the Voids. She actually spoils them on what happens next, which grants her a chance to be part of the Nine Soldiers and turn the gloomy storyline into a happy one. I liked that every time her magical peg bar glows, a transformation sequence happens as if she’s a maho shojo protagonist, so I respect MAPPA for that.
The plot takes a turn, however, when Natsuko’s previously drawn creations come back to them as villains outside of the original storyline. Everything she changed was forced to return to its original state, and her fear became a reality. Luke, her favorite character, suffers from loss and falls deeper into despair, which leads him to turn himself into the Ultimate Void, and their world perishes.
But of course, after the chaos, Natsuko saves the day by drawing her last creation, Luke, in a version she loved, to defeat Luke himself as the Ultimate Void. She gave Luke and everyone a happy ending, even if it meant going back to reality. With him, and the little time they spent together, she learned what she couldn’t back in her world — depending on others, humbling herself, and rediscovering her first love.
A Love Note to Anime and Creativity
Zenshu takes the concept of first love to another level by reminding Natsuko of the beauty of her favorite childhood anime film, which awakened her love for animation. Her love story with Luke symbolizes two things. First, her romantic love for Luke himself, and second, her admiration for A Tale of Perishing that changed everything for her. It’s so simple, but that’s what anime gives us — a sense of purpose, joy, and overflowing love in what it allows us to explore and pursue.
The anime ends abruptly, and I wish it had been longer, but I really appreciate the overall message. Our favorite childhood films, the media, or anime that sparked our passion and dreams, including our favorite fictional characters, stay with us forever. We may forget as time passes, but they will always be part of us. If we notice and cherish them enough, they will help us move forward with our creative pursuits. We may not be able to fix the original storyline according to our liking, but we can always create a better ending for them.
The surge of isekai anime over the years has not dwindled, resulting in an enduring competition over what’s best executed. While not entirely perfect, Zenshu, surprisingly, has been one of the isekai anime to stand out among the rest. I get the lack of hype due to it being an original project, but it’s certainly one of the great shows that ever came out in Winter 2025, and made it to my personal favorites list.
Zenshu is streaming on Crunchyroll.
