Interesting thing about me: there is only so much sadness that I can handle. That’s true for everyone, but I have a harder time than others handling sad moments due to how my brain works. So, when faced with a story that veers into the realm of overwhelmingly depressing, my mind reacts in the only way it can: it waits. It waits for things to get better before it lets me go back to something. In the case of Zenshu, the ending to the last episode, coupled with the spoilers for this one, made me do just that. Otherwise, I would’ve plunged into despair like Natsuko does as the story goes from correcting itself to over-correcting.
Rock. Bottom
QJ is dead, to begin with, and the entire Last Town is nearing rock bottom. People have been forced to flee from their homes as refugees, and Luke is pushing himself to his breaking point once more. Except, unlike before, he does not have Natsuko to save him, because she’s handling QJ’s death even worse.
In a nutshell, this entire episode can be summed as Natsuko being pushed further and further into despair. She blames her hesitation for making QJ sacrifice himself. She blames her drawings for being used as fuel for the Voids. And to make matters worse, Elder Baobab drops a big bombshell about the prophecy of the Nine Soldiers: it’s a lie. It was something someone made up to give people hope that they could survive the end of the world. Whoever came up with that prophecy wanted to give people hope against impossible odds, but they didn’t believe it would come true.
This is Barbaric Overkill
There was probably some big, Game of Thrones-type lesson that Kametaro wanted to teach people when she created this story. However, it’s beyond me. Prophecies can wind up being hit or miss in fiction, so that doesn’t help things. What makes things worse, though, is how the world of the story begins to overstep its bounds trying to correct itself. Firstly, Destiny tells Natsuko that she’s going to marry the Chairman after all. Then, out of nowhere, the townsfolk start believing that Natsuko is a traitor because her drawings turn into Voids. The craziest part, though, is the fact that the Void Cult returns and starts saying Natsuko is their antichrist.
No matter how you slice it, whatever the world is doing to make things turn out like this is overkill! Natsuko herself recognizes this as an angry mob tries to kill her right as more Voids attack. However, I think the fact that things start turning out this way is the whole point. The story is trying so hard to get “back on track” that it’s made things far worse. The most sinister aspect of this railroading, though, is what it does for Natsuko. It effectively has her take Destiny’s place in the story as the one whose death will send Luke over the edge.
This is Why I Waited
This is why I had to wait until the next episode to review this. If I hadn’t done that, I would’ve spent the entire week driving myself crazy over what happens next! It’s chaos, plain and simple!
Firstly, I would like to apologize for how long this review took to get out. I got so busy that I wasn’t able to keep up with watching Zenshu until there were already multiple episodes out. Thus, I wrote the reviews for the next four episodes at the same time so I could be caught up in time for the finale. Which will likely already be on Crunchyroll by the time this goes out. I am sorry for that.
That being said, my belief that things would begin to pick up in the second half of Zenshu was valid. Natsuko has gotten to the point where she’s content with her life in World of Perishing. More importantly, though, she’s starting to understand the importance of teamwork and opening yourself up to others. Unfortunately, she still has no idea how to deal with things like love and romance, which is about to become a big problem for her. In addition, she also learns that the mystery bird that’s been stalking her doesn’t have good intentions for this world.
That Dumb Bird!
Over several episodes, Natsuko’s been harassed by this mysterious, talking bird that keeps saying her efforts are “no use.” At the end of my review of the last episode, I speculated that the bird was an in-universe avatar for the creator of A Tale of Perishing, Kametaro Tsuruyama. It turns out that I was close: the bird is the late director herself.
Public speakers were right: you should never meet your heroes or those you admire from the same industry you're in. They turn out to be the opposite of what you think they are.
Like Natsuko, Kametaro Tsuruyama died back in Japan (from eating bad clams, no less) only to find herself in the world of her creation. Whereas Natsuko gained the power to alter the original story, though, it’s unclear what powers Kametaro got, if she got any. Nor is it made clear what force allowed both women to reincarnate in the World of Perishing. However, once Natsuko manages to corner her (and finish gushing over meeting her hero), one thing is made clear: Kametaro isn’t happy about Natsuko’s meddling.
Unlike Natsuko, who actively changed the story, Kametaro wants to see events play out in the way that she wrote them. Instead of being flattered by Natsuko’s adoration for her, she derides her, saying her “fan edits” are pointless and ruining “her masterpiece.”
The Bird=The Worst Kind of Creator
I’ve repeatedly said that part of the appeal behind Zenshu is how it feels like a commentary on the relationship between stories, storytellers, and fans of said stories. In this case, Kametaro serves as a rather brilliant foil to Natsuko. Both are talented storytellers who put everything into their creations, which is something every great storyteller should strive to achieve. What makes them different, though, is how they view their own creations. Despite loving A Tale of Perishing, Natsuko hasn’t been afraid to point out its flaws and plotholes. She’s open and willing to change things to suit the story better. In contrast, Kametaro sees A Tale of Perishing as her perfect masterpiece and refuses to accept any other opinion. She wants her story to be this angsty, depressing downer which ends with the entire world being destroyed, regardless of what will happen to her or the people in it.
Okay, real talk. Kametaro Tsuruyama is, in my opinion, the worst kind of creator that we can get. She refuses to let the world she created grow and develop on its own. She may or may not be actively trying to course correct it, despite knowing that the original ending will kill her too. And worst of all, she’s critical of Natsuko for changing the story. It’s OK to take pride in your own creation, but if the majority of people can’t even watch it because it’s so depressing, you might want to rethink things. In addition, despite the stance some authors and creators have against fan-created content, you’d be surprised at how good some of it can get. I.E. Allen Blaster’s Shield Hero series is so good, it’s been called better than the canon story!
Natsuko is Like, “DOES NOT COMPUTE”
However, everything that Kametaro says to Natsuko takes a backseat for most of the episode. The real focus is on something that most people saw coming, but could still enjoy: Luke is in love with Natsuko.
The show hasn’t been subtle about the fact that Luke has fallen for Natsuko. Nor, hilariously, is Luke subtle when he decides to confess his love to her.
“A very weird switch has definitely been flipped.” – which pretty much sums up Luke for this entire episode of #Zenshu.😆 But this clueless couple’s (Couple??) hot spring date (Date???) is rudely interrupted. Another gem by @MaddieMorrisVA, @RyanNegronVO, and the whole dub team! pic.twitter.com/ga55jEmZbF
Seeing Luke tell Natsuko that he loves her over and over is the right kind of cringe. The kind where you want to look away because it’s so awkward, but you can’t help but keep watching. However, it’s the reactions of Natsuko, who’s just as inept at romance, that makes the entire sequence enjoyable. The shock of the confession is so great that she has to go into denial over the fact that the world she’s in is as real as hers!
Thankfully, the show doesn’t linger on the cringeworthy moments for long. Thanks to good advice from ultimate wing-man Justice (thank you, Justice), Luke takes Natsuko on a genuinely romantic date to a hot spring! They do bathe out of site on opposite sides, but that’s besides the point.
Hot Spring Time
In many anime, hot springs are often used for one of two things: fanservice and letting characters discuss their thoughts and feelings. In this regard, the writers of Zenshu nailed both. The setting itself is incredibly detailed and well drawn, with good use of various cool colors to give it an otherworldly feel. The fanservice isn’t over-the-top, with Luke ending up showing more while Natsuko winds up averting any big money shots. And hearing the two bond over their mutual love of their comrades is very sweet. It’s these kinds of moments that the strongest forms of love are built on.
“A very weird switch has definitely been flipped.” – which pretty much sums up Luke for this entire episode of #Zenshu.😆 But this clueless couple’s (Couple??) hot spring date (Date???) is rudely interrupted. Another gem by @MaddieMorrisVA, @RyanNegronVO, and the whole dub team! pic.twitter.com/ga55jEmZbF
Too bad a wandering Void shows up. To make matters worse, this isn’t just a Void Natsuko’s never seen before: it has the powers of her drawings back during the first episode. AKA her expy of the God Warrior from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Thankfully, with Luke’s swordsmanship, and Natsuko drawing a freaking Gundam, the two manage to vanquish the monster! And at the very end, as Natsuko experiences the same thing the people who fell for her did around her.
the final scene with the ending playing >>>>>>>>>>>>
the way luke looked at natsuko and the way natsuko looked at him 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 the “ squee” too omg she’s so cutee she got her first love 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 “ ITS PEAK ITS PEAK “ we all screamed in unison #zenshupic.twitter.com/S0D3xbr63k
Just like I predicted, Natsuko and Luke have fallen for each other…and I wholeheartedly ship them! They make for a very sweet couple! However, any excitement one may feel over the fact that Natsuko is finally experiencing love is overshadowed by the stinger. Each episode only reveals an image over the title for the next episode, but the appearance of this next one is very bleak. Combined with Kametaro’s warnings about Natsuko’s efforts being pointless and how the story seems to be trying to course correct, it paints a very grim picture.
And we were right to think like that. This episode basically marks the last time we can experience something lighthearted in Zenshu. The next episode, things start to hit the fan.
By this point in the story, it’s evident that Natsuko Hirose was brought to the World of Perishing for a reason. She’s not just there to turn the tragic ending into a potentially happy one. She’s also been sent to that world so she can learn to overcome her negative character traits. I.E., to teach her the values of friendship and love. While the last two episodes have seen success on getting her to work with others, when it comes to love, she remains clueless. As this episode dives into Natusko’s past through the eyes of others, it’s revealed that her inability to understand love is something she’s dealt with her entire life. And, for extra irony, she’s made more than just Luke fall for her without even trying!
Also, this episode likely gave us the identity of the overall antagonist, AKA that mysterious bird that keeps appearing.
Natsuko is Winning Over Everyone…
Through a series of flashbacks, this episode gives us a look at Natsuko’s life from the perspective of four people. Each of them ranges from a childhood friend of hers all the way up to her boss at her animation studio, but they all have one thing in common. That thing being that Natsuko manages to evoke strong, often romantic, feelings from each of them. Granted, one of them, a senpai from a college, uses those feelings to fuel his (failed) attempts to surpass her, but that’s beside the point. The point is that Natsuko has been capable of making people fall for her, and never realized it.
As the main protagonist, Zenshu has given viewers a pretty good grasp of Natsuko’s personality by now. She can come off as rude and abrasive at times, but, as it should be evident by now, it’s less out of malice and more out of not understanding social cues or personal space. Yet despite these shortcomings, her upfront nature, dedication to her craft, and overall passion also make her very charismatic without even trying. Enough to make multiple people fall in love with her.
Which makes her own inability to understand what it’s like being in love all the more ironic.
…But Has 0 ROMANTIC XP!
As the final flashback of the episode demonstrates, Natsuko is utterly clueless on what it’s like to be in love. So what does she do? She turns to romance manga, harasses people on their own first loves, and attempts to play out romcom tropes in real life. Including “the running into someone while carrying breakfast in your mouth” routine! But if finding love could be forced to happen like that, then nobody would be single in this world. Sadly, it doesn’t work like that, and all she does is annoy her coworkers.
The funny part to all of this is that Natsuko doesn’t even need to force romance. If she had paid more attention to the people around her, she would see how many people of both genders are attracted to her. Though truth be told, it seems like the events of Zenshu are setting her up for her own first love: Luke. In fact, given her obsession with A Tale of Perishing, it seems like she was always in love with Luke but didn’t realize it. But as the episode ends in the present day, with Natsuko celebrating with the Nine Soldiers, there might still be hope for her.
Assuming that the mysterious bird that’s been appearing doesn’t have anything to say about it.
Who is that Weird Bird?
Over the past few episodes, Natsuko has been repeatedly visited by this mysterious-looking bird with big eyes. It keeps saying that all her attempts to give the story a happier ending won’t work, and it seems to be the one actively changing the story to ensure it returns to its “correct” path. And this episode might have revealed who this being might be.
We don’t get a good enough look at her, but based on the drawings of the creator of A Tale of Perishing that Natsuko looks at, this bird might be the avatar for the film’s own creator. And for whatever reason, she seems to be bent on ensuring things play out as she envisioned them. Which in and of itself could be seen as meta-commentary on creators who actively shut down any and all attempts by fans to improve their story. Or it could all just be a coincidence. Either way, with Zenshu now in the back half of its episodes, things are going to start ramping up. Will Natsuko find a way home? Will she understand the meaning of love? Is all of this a dream as she’s recovering in a hospital bed? Here’s hoping we find out!
It was going to happen sooner or later, but that doesn’t make it any less painful: Natsuko has screwed up. Big time. Because she insisted on handling the Voids by herself, she failed to stop them during their last fight. As a result, she came dangerously close to dying, possibly for good! With the Void now poised to get the last Soul Future (the crystal MacGuffin preventing the end of the world), Natsuko needs to get her act together. It’s long overdue for her to learn…how to work in a team.
If this is all a dream or she gets sent back to Japan when this is all over, this will be an important life lesson.
Given how the last episode ended right as the Void were about to attack Natsuko, one would expect its follow-up to pick up immediately from there. However, for some reason, Zenshu never actually shows us exactly how Natsuko escaped certain death. All that is known is that Luke and the others saved her, and then spent days trying to heal her injuries with their magic.
What the show does do, though, is start the episode by revealing the other members of the Nine Soldiers. Save for Justice, the missing members are deceased, a sobering reminder of how bleak A Tale of Perishing was before Natsuko arrived.
Regardless of what happened, the liquid Void embedded itself next to the tower containing the last Soul Future and placed itself into a chrysalis. When it emerges, it will attempt to consume the one thing keeping the world from ending.
And worst of all? Natsuko didn’t seem to learn anything from her failure.
Reality Check, Natsuko!
This episode’s name is particularly meaningful, as it marks a big change in Natsuko. At first, she says she will handle the Void like she always does, but the Nine Soldiers aren’t having any of it. Everyone (except Unio) does everything from yell at her for being reckless (Luke) to patiently reassuring her she’s not alone. However, it’s QJ, the robot and character who’s had the least impact on the story, that manages to get through to her. In a very sobering moment, QJ plays back footage revealing how hard the others worked to save her life.
The anime has yet to explain why Natsuko developed this mindset of doing everything herself, but it has shown how detrimental it is. Back in Japan, her stubbornness put the entire studio in jeopardy, which is bad enough. But in A World of Perishing? It almost got her killed. It has to stop, and thankfully, the message sticks with Natsuko. She finally learns the importance of working with a team.
When the Nine Soldiers next fight the Void near the Soul Future itself, this time, it’s not just Natsuko who saves the day. The entire group uses a plan that Luke comes up with that requires all of them. And it works! They manage to stop the Void and save the Soul Future, thus preventing the end of the world once more!
Another Crisis Solved
The best part, though, is that the fight prompts Justice to get back into the fray. And after helping Natsuko pull things off, Luke sees for himself how Justice’s wings were mangled, preventing them from flying to their full extent. And that makes Luke realize that he was so caught up in his own problems that he never realized how Justice was feeling. So, it looks like Justice is going to end up rejoining the Nine Soldiers.
#ZENSHU Ep 06, "Maybe I can't fly, but you can."😂 The whole flying sequence of Justice with Natsuko was great. The final strike was heroic.🔥🔥Justice & Luke finally get along. Natsuko accepted that she doesn’t have to do everything alone, she can rely on others. #全修#MAPPApic.twitter.com/bRZVIBuNrX
The timing couldn’t be better. With the Voids now taking on forms that Natsuko doesn’t know about, they need to up their game. They need to change how they work.
And with that, Zenshu has reached its halfway point. Sorry for the delay, but more reviews will be out soon!
If you read this blog over the over the past two years, you’ll notice that we’re fans of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. It was one of the stories that led to the Isekai genre’s explosion in popularity. It’s about imperfect and flawed characters who are trying to better themselves. And it’s filled with plenty of rich lore and world-building. However, there are two things about the story that I take issue with. The first is with the way that Eris left the main character, Rudeus, and broke his heart in the process. Secondly, the trauma she unintentionally inflicted on him was so bad that he was left depressed and impotent for the next three years. Whatever faults Rudeus Greyrat may have (and he’s well aware of them), he didn’t deserve what he went through!
So, what if Rudeus didn’t have to spend three years in his own mental hell? What if he managed to get the help he needed earlier than in the canon? How would this affect the story’s pacing and the decisions its characters make? That is the main premise behind this interesting fanfic, Early Arrival. AKA, what happens if Rudy reunites with Sylphie sooner than planned?
Name: Early Arrival
Type of Fanfic: AU
Written By: GameGladiator46
Started: April 2024
Status: Ongoing
What if Rudeus Reunited With Sylphie Sooner?
Like many canon-divergent AUs, Early Arrival is an example of either the Butterfly or Snowball effects in action. Starting right after Rudy discovered he was impotent, the story sees him make a different decision. Instead of events leading him to burn his bridges with Sara and leave with Soldat, here he impulsively decides to leave town altogether. That puts him on the road to Sharia right as Ariel’s party is making their own way there, leading him to save them from assassins and for the Princess to ask him to join them to their mutual destination.
Because of that one decision, events that take place in Rudeus’ life begin to take place years ahead of the canon. As a result, the relationships he establishes with key people at Ranoa University have extra time to develop and mature, allowing him to become closer to many lifelong acquaintances far sooner. Take Ariel, for example. While he’s grateful for her help in reuniting him with Sylphie, they’re still not that close by the end of the anime’s second season. Here, they become close friends, especially after he gets her interested in going out drinking together. Hilariously, this does become a problem when she sometimes gets too into it.
That’s only one example, though. Those two extra years allow Rudy the chance to form stronger bonds with many of the people he comes to know at Ranoa University. He reunites with Zanoba in time to see Linia and Pursena smash his Roxy Figurine. Unfortunately, seeing it happen makes his reaction more extreme than it was in the canon story. However, it should be noted that he feels incredibly guilty about it afterward, and eventually apologizes and tells Sylphie and Ariel everything. As for a silver lining, Luke being there to help him manage his negative emotions means the two form a genuine bond as family. Luke even helps explain how sorry Rudy is to Sylphie and Ariel, preventing a potential fallout.
Say what you want about Luke Notos Greyrat, but he respects the bro code.
Rudy and Sylphie grow even closer before marrying
The main draw to Early Arrival, though, is how it allows Rudeus and Sylphiette to develop their relationship sooner than in the actual Mushoku Tensei. Like in canon, Rudeus doesn’t realize that Fitz is Sylphie when they first reunite. Unlike in canon, though, it doesn’t take Rudy a whole year to figure out who she is. Instead, it happens near the end of their trip to Sharia. However, once he knows who she is, the two quickly capitalize on their feelings and become a happy couple. It doesn’t cure Rudeus of his ED right away, but he doesn’t keep it a secret from her.
In hindsight, one drawback to Rudy and Sylphie marrying almost as soon as they become a couple is that we never get to see them date. They had already spent a year growing closer, but having to maintain her Fitz guise meant Sylphie could never go as far as she wanted. With that guise no longer a factor, though, Early Arrival has them spend that first year at Ranoa U enjoying dating each other. And because Rudy is more open about his problems, Sylphie is in a better position to help him work through them.
Perhaps most important, though, is how the story further explores the opinion Sylphie develops of Eris before ever meeting her. While it’s touched upon in the light novels, the anime doesn’t go into as much detail about her thoughts on Eris. Early Arrival, though, fully explores her complicated feelings towards Rudeus’ former traveling companion. On the one hand, she manages to help Rudy figure out why Eris left, something that he has yet to fully do in the anime. Understanding, though, isn’t the same as accepting something, and Sylphie makes it known that she resents Eris for hurting the man they loved so badly.
The bottom line is that the two will have to work out some issues should Eris return (which we know she will). Talking about it further, though, veers into spoiler territory from the light novels.
An Interesting Read for Mushoku Tensei Fans
For those expecting for Early Arrival to be as detailed a story as Mushoku Tensei itself, they might end up being disappointed. At 142,000+ words and counting, it’s a decent read for a fanfic. A dedicated reader could likely binge the entire thing in the span of a day or two. However, it’s not trying to re-tell the entire story from scratch. It’s only trying to cut out what could be considered unnecessary waste of time. Which, truthfully, isn’t the wrong way to look at the two-year gap between Rudy leaving with Soldat and then heading to Ranoa University. Those two years were likely some of the most miserable of his life, and Rudy didn’t deserve to suffer for that long for all his faults.
It should also be noted that it’s only now that the story is beginning to re-align with several of the events of the canon, meaning it’s technically only halfway through the series second season. There’s still plenty of time for it to develop more ideas. And it is making the most out of its premise, which is always appealing. So, if you didn’t want Rudy to suffer as long as he did, then you should find this fanfic pretty cathartic to read.
Natsuko has been on an absolute tear ever since she came to the world of A Tale of Perishing. Every time a Void has shown up, whether she’s seen them before or not, Natsuko has managed to win. At the rate Zenshu is going, she can change the downer ending into a happy one. However, it would make for a boring anime if things continued along this same pathfr the rest of the series. With Zenshu nearing its halfway point, it has to mix things up to keep the viewers interested. In this case, that, sadly, involves teaching Natsuko an important lesson: just because she knows the original story, doesn’t mean she can solve all its problems.
It was established in the first episode that Natsuko wasn’t someone who worked well with others. Because she has such high standards for herself, she would get repeatedly frustrated when others couldn’t be on her level. Thus, instead of admitting she had no clue what she was doing with her romance flick and asking for help, she tried to do everything alone. While Zenshu already indicated that things were getting bad for the studio she worked at, the opening to this episode showed us just how bad they were getting. If that upcoming film didn’t do well, the entire studio would go under, and it would all be Natusko’s fault.
Here’s the thing, though: Natsuko never figured this out. Nor have her experiences in a world of Perishing helped to curb her lone wolf mentality. Instead, her string of victories over the Void has caused her ego to swell to the size of a planet. She’s openly basking in the people’s adulation and saying that she’s handling everything. Even when she acknowledges how the story has gone way off the rails, she thinks she’s got it covered. Even the cocky Unio believes she’s got too big a head on her shoulders!
Natsuko needs to get her act together
There are two significant issues with how Natsuko is acting in this episode. Firstly, there’s the story itself. If Natsuko is dreaming all this on a hospital bed, then when she wakes up, she wont have learned any important life lessons. Nothing will change, and thus she’ll doom her job due to her ego. Secondly, thinking you know how a story in an isekai will end can be a recipe for disaster. Case in point, the other heroes in Shield Hero thought the same thing. Look up how that turned out for them!
Bottom line, Natsuko needs to start learning how to work with a team, especially now that she’s begun to make an impact on the Nine Soldiers.
Luke is getting jealous of Justice
By now, it should be evident that Luke is falling for Natsuko. Luke may try to deny those feelings, and Natsuko might be oblivious to them (for now), but Unio is fully aware and hates it! Those feelings only continue to grow in this episode when Destiny asks the group to help out the orphans in the District of Despair. Not only is Luke impressed with how easily Natsuko wins over the kids, but he grows jealous when they reunite with an old friend of there’s who starts hitting on Natsuko.
This episode introduces the audience to Justice, a Dragon-man and former member of the Nine Soldiers before he quit. On the surface, it looks like did it to indulge In a life of debauchery. In truth, though, it was because in an earlier battle where a teammate died, his wings got crippled. As a result, he can’t fly. To a dragon, that’s the same as being paralyzed. The worst part, though, is that Luke didn’t even notice it because he was so worried about their other dying comrade.
Natsuko is able to bond with Justice because she understands his pain genuinely. Unfortunately, she doesn’t learn from his mistakes of not asking for help from others. In addition, her spending time around Justice starts giving Luke the wrong idea.
Natsuko might have bit off more than she can chew
Eventually, though, Natusko’s hubris catches up with her when the next group of Voids appear. For the first time since she got isekai’d, Natsuko’s drawings fail to defeat the good. The last moment of the episode is of her sitting vulnerable on the ground as the Void looks ready to end her life!
What a cliffhanger! For the first time, things are about to take a turn for the serious! Even if Natsuko makes it out in one piece, the consequences will still be significant. Hopefully, this experience will be the wake-up call she needs. Otherwise, this whole isekai experience will have been for nothing.
Some people think that living for centuries would be awesome. However, what good is getting to live for hundreds, even thousands of years, if everyone you know grows old and dies without you? In fantasy novels, it is the curse of many elves to outlast their fellow mortals, like Memmeln from Zenshu. Even with everything Natsuko knows about the film she’s stuck in, she doesn’t know what drives Memmeln. And that not knowing almost costs them the Nine Soldiers everything in the new episode of Zenshu.
Memmeln is a Void Stan
As Natsuko is working on her drawings, Luke asks a question out of the blue regarding the Void that snuck into the festival last episode. None of them know how that happened in the first place, but Natsuko knows…sort of.
Spoiler alert: Memmeln is part of a group that cast a spell to disguise the Void as the priest. Their plan was to summon the Ultimate Void, but when they do, and Luke killed it, it was revealed to be Memmeln. The problem is that the film never explained why this happened, so Natsuko’s left fumbling for answers, just like Luke.
Which leads to the big “wtf” reveal of the episode: Memmeln is part of a group of elves that are fed up with living. They’ve seen death and destruction too many times over the course of their lives, so they just want the pain to end. In short, they’re trying to create a mass extinction event to embrace death.
While there’s no denying that getting to stave off aging for a century or two would be nice, not everyone thinks of the downsides of such a long life. Live long enough, and everything starts to become a blur. People you know and love die, and you’re left alone. Living that long can be a curse unto itself, something Memmeln is acutely aware of. However, instead of cherishing the time she has all the more, Natsuko points out how self-serving her plans are. And she’s not wrong. It is rather selfish to unilaterally decide to end the world.
So, the big issue is how do Natsuko and Luke convince Memmeln and her group not to go through their plans? Something Natsuko knows well: the immortality of a creator.
Unless you create something really cool!
It can be argued that, besides the existence of the soul, the only true form of immortality is having the world remember your name. And in this regard, great storytellers can wind up being remembered long after they’ve left this world. Homer, Shakespeare, Tolkien, all of them have been dead from anywhere from several decades to thousands of years, but people still remember them. Centuries from now, people might still remember Toriyama, Tezuka, Oda, and the other great mangaka of 20th and 21st centuries. The bottom line is that all these people created characters that, even after they’re dead and gone, are going to be remembered.
So, Natsuko plays into that with her latest drawing. It’s to remind Memmeln and her choir that, for all the suffering and loss that comes with the fullness of time, there are still beautiful things worth cherishing. Granted, she used a boy band heartthrob from an anime she worked on, but that doesn’t take away any of the poignancy. No matter how much destruction and loss the world is filled with, there’s still beauty to be found!
ZENSHU IS SO REAL FOR THIS.
So it had a depressed elf character who was tired of living for too long and watching her friends die. She wanted to kill everyone and to change her opinion Natsuko made her an anime idol boy voiced by Mamochan LMAO
Natsuko and Luke’s plan works. They manage to convince Memmeln and her followers to not give up on life when they can still stan anime husbando’s. The bad news is that seeing them go off together briefly gave Unio the impression that Natsuko and Luke were dating. And Luke’s denial at the end only makes him even more suspicious.
It’s official: Zenshu is shipping Natsuko and Luke, which could be both good and bad. Good, because if it goes through and she gets some character development before waking up back in Japan, Natsuko would have the experience to finish that romance anime she was stuck on. Bad, because it could lead to the story ending far worse if something bad happens. That, and she and Luke would be separated if she went back home. It could go either way.
Clearly, Zenshu is playing the long game and trying to make us invested in how things will turn out, and it could go either way.
Zenshu has now hit its third episode (fourth by the time this is out), and that marks an important milestone. The anime’s reaching the point where viewers will decide whether it’s worth watching or they decide to move onto something else. Thankfully, after a few rough patches, the third episode manages to be its strongest thus far. In addition to further expanding on the world that Natsuko finds herself in by introducing Luke’s designated love interest, the episode hints that what she knows should happen and what will happen might not always add up.
Which is a fancy way of saying that the story might be mixing things up in an attempt to course-correct.
I Respect Natsuko’s Aversions to Fancy Clothes
Thanks to the efforts of Natsuko, two of the tragic events that originally occurred in A Tale of Perishing have been averted. As a result, rather than the joint funeral for Unio and the townsfolk that Natsuko notes would’ve happened, the Last Town’s harvest festival takes place as planned. To her dismay, being the guest of honor also means she has to wear a fancy dress, which she despises, much to Unio’s amusement.
The harvest festival, as a whole, serves as an excellent means of further developing Natsuko and the Nine Soldiers. Natsuko’s disdain for her fancy dress highlights how she wants to live life on her own terms and doesn’t care what others think. Unio proves to be a casanova wannabe who tries and fails to flirt with multiple women, to Natsuko’s amusement. Memmeln refrains from the town’s religious practices because she’s lived so long, she sees them as a fad. And despite his good looks, Luke is shown to be very shy around large groups of women. Which may explain his earlier sexist remarks towards Natsuko.
This is unfortunate, as this episode marks the introduction of his love interest from the film Destiny Heartwarming (yes, that is her real name.) She’s the sweet, sheltered daughter of the town’s mayor, engaged to a wealthy businessman to be the next of his many wives…and that’s it. As Natsuko notes, she’s only there for her and Luke to fall in love…so that when she shows up at the worst possible time and dies, it will break him even further.
There’s a name for characters like this: dead. weight. Natsuko thinks that in her inner monologues, which is likely Zenshu providing commentary on how fans can come to hate certain characters for various reasons. In Natsuko’s case, not only is it because she’s a jinx, but because she’s only marrying that businessman because she thinks it’s the best way to start an orphanage for the town’s children. For someone who values her own freedom like Natsuko, Destiny’s way of thinking offends her to her very core.
In any case, Natsuko tells everyone that they have a month before the Void return, so they can take it easy. However, she’s soon proven wrong when a Void comes in disguised as a priest, something that shouldn’t have happened until later in the story. How this is happening is unclear, but it’s possible the story is attempting to right itself after Natsuko’s interference changed events. And with Destiny in danger and Luke drunk in vodka, she has to come up with another deus ex machina.
WRESTLING!!!
Another amazing Zenshu episode. Definitely one of my favourite anime airing. MAPPA been cooking with this anime original. Zenshu Sunday’s is real. Hyped for the next episode!!!!#全修#ZENSHUpic.twitter.com/CGroZBzgrs
This time, it’s a cat luchador. Which leads to an enjoyable moment where Natsuko provides commentary as her creation delivers a smack down like it’s an actual wrestling match. Say what you want, but someone at MAPPA has a sense of humor.
In the end, another crisis is averted thanks to Natsuko, and in more ways than one. After waking up three days later (which seems to be standard), she finds out her words left a positive impact on Destiny. Not only did she dump business guy and open the orphanage on her own, she decided to follow Natsuko’s example and live life on her terms. And those terms include emulating the cat wrestler, which is hilarious.
Natsuko Hirose. Making bad characters better since 2025.
It was touch and go for a while, but after this episode, Zenshu looks like it can handle itself with the big boys. This is one anime to watch for the winter season of 2025, as there’s no telling how things will turn out. We still don’t know how Natsuko got to this world or why she was brought there, but there are sure to be some theories at work already.
Since its inception almost fourteen years ago, Studio MAPPA has made quite a name for itself. It’s produced some of the biggest anime of the last few years, including Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and even the final season of Attack on Titan. However, one genre of anime that they have yet to touch is that of the Isekai genre. Much less an Isekai that’s wholly original and not based on any light novel, webcomic, or manga. Yet they decided to kick off 2025 doing exactly that with their new, original series, Zenshu. AKA a self-insert fanfiction being made into an anime.
Anyone who has ever loved a story but hated the ending should have a vested interest in this anime.
Oh, you thought this was a work-place comedy? Think again!
Zenshu starts off with a bait-and-switch as it introduces us to our main character, Natsuko Hirose. She’s a young, talented animator who got hired right out of high school and already made a name for herself making a hit anime. Now, she’s working on her next project, a rom-com about first love. Except she’s got writer’s block because she knows nothing about romance whatsoever and is already running behind schedule.
At first, Zenshu looked like it would be a work-place dramedy about working in the anime industry, and that alone has its appeal. The animation industry in Japan has become infamous for how stressful it can be, and having an anime focus on that would be interesting to watch. However, here’s where the bait-and-switch comes in: Natsuko eats bad clams for lunch and apparently dies. When she wakes up , shes in the desert outside a medieval city while a group of warriors are fighting monsters.
The One Anime Where Everyone Dies
It takes a while for Natsuko to realize it, but she’s somehow gotten isekaied into A Tale of Perishing, the anime film that inspired her to become an animator in the first place. Unfortunately for her, the film was panned by critics and audiences for a good reason: all the heroes die. Few people would ever want to watch a story where the protagonists all die. And she happened to show up right when the main hero’s best friend is about to pull a Chiatzou and sacrifice himself to stop the monsters, called the Void.
Natsuko’s response: “Nah…I’m gonna fix that.” And somehow, her animating tool lets her manifest her desk and start drawing a deus ex machina to prevent this tragedy from occurring. And while the anime can be a little cringy up to this point (it doesn’t help that I couldn’t decide if I liked dubbed or subbed better) you can tell MAPPA wanted to cook with this one scene in particular.
It boils down to Natsuko recreating the climax of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, minus the main character briefly dying!
The second episode picks up with Natsuko coming out of a three day slumber to be confronted by Luke Braveheart, the main protagonist of the film. From there, it essentially deals with Natsuko trying to understand how she got into this situation as well as how she managed to do whatever she did. Unfortunately, all she can learn is that she can’t use that magic whenever she wants; only when they’re fighting. In addition, she can only drawing a new ending once, so she has to get creative with her approach. Which is a nice handicap MAPPA came up with to make the story more interesting. Zenshu wants Natsuko to work for what she wants!
Only episode 2, and I'll never get tired of Natsuko & Unio banter😂
What does she have against the My little Pony🦄 lookalike?🤣 Shes gonna kill that thing🦄🚫🤣
The other main focus of the second episode, though, is on the growing dynamic between Natsuko and Luke. At first, Luke is very weary of Natsuko, not even knowing if she’s human or not. Then, in this episode, when the mayor of the city offers to have her join the hero’s party, he makes a sexist remark by saying women can’t fight. Right in front of his female teammate, no less. That alone would get him canceled on social media.
Yet, for some reason, Zenshu drops subtle hints that it’s shipping Luke and Natsuko. So, there’s likely going to be some character development on both parts. Plus, it’s hinted that Luke acts like this because of something from his backstory, though it doesn’t say what.
I Hope this Show Develops the Characters More
It’s not just Luke that is a problem, though. It feels like the characters from A Tale of Perishing don’t have much depth to them. Since this is only the first two episodes, though, that will (hopefully) change. But it doesn’t help that Luke’s best friend, a talking unicorn named Unio, is a little irritating. Not even having him voiced by Luci Christian in the dub can help that!
Speaking of dub, it’s hard to tell which is going to be better, subbed or dubbed. On the one hand, the dub does have some good talent with Madeline Morris, the voice of Rudeus Greyrat, voicing Natsuko. On the other hand, the dub can feel a little cringy at times, though that might also be the story.
Despite some of the issues with Zenshu, I did put it as one of the anime to look forward to going into 2025. As such, it only feels right to try and stick it out until the end. At the very least, reviewing it every week might help others decide if it’s worth the watch or not.
RJ Writing Ink’s List of Anime to Look Out For in 2025
Anime fans, we are going to be eating like kings this year.
By the time you’re reading this, the year 2025 will likely be here, and it is promising to cook a feast for anime lovers around the world. From popular anime returning with new seasons to newcomers on the block, the year is going to be filled with so many potentially great anime. So much so that for the first time in recent memory, I actually had to stop looking to keep my brain from overloading. That’s how much we could end up eating this year!
I’m RJ Writing Ink for the D&A Anime Blog, and this is my baker’s dozen of all the anime I will be paying attention to in 2025.
Solo Leveling-Arise from the Shadows-January 4th, 2025
Only a few days into 2024, the world of anime got its first big hit in the form of Solo Leveling. Based on the Korean manwha of the same name, this megahit told the story of Sung Jin-Woo as he started going from being the weakest Hunter in the world to a contender for the title of That Guy. And he’s going to get even stronger.
At the end of the first season, Jin-Woo gained the ability to raise the dead as shadow warriors, giving him the means to build his own army. This upcoming season will see him grow his forces while continuing to level up his skills. And the stronger he gets, the more attention he will end up attracting. And, having read the entire manwha to the end, I can promise you when I say that we have seen nothing yet!
Zenshu-January 5th, 2025
This next anime is unique on this list, as it’s the only one that wholly original. Created by studio MAPPA, Zenshu takes the all-too-familiar concept of the Isekai and puts someone who works in the anime industry into the protagonist role. When the young animator Natsuko Hirose apparently dies from exhaustion at work, she wakes up in the world of her favorite anime. Unfortunately for her, said anime is one where anyone can die, like its Game of Thrones. The good news is that she learns that she has the power to re-animate scenes from the story, thereby changing it in the process. So, she does what any fan who doesn’t like how a story turns out: she gets to work fixing it.
These days, Isekai are a dime-a-dozen, and creators have to get creative to help themselves stand out in the crowd. That being said, the premise of someone rewriting the world of her favorite series because they hate what happens is something plenty of fans can relate to. Take, for example, the recent ending to the Oshi No Ko manga. Plenty of disillusioned fans would love to fix that controversial ending! Not to mention how the last two seasons of Game of Thrones need a complete overhaul! The bottom line is that Zenshu is the power fantasy for every fan disillusioned by a story gone wrong, and we should give it a shot.
Dr. Stone Science Future-January 9 2025
We’re ten billion percent ready to return to the world of Dr. Stone, the sci-fi manga with an emphasis on science. Following the events of the third season, Senku and the Kingdom of Science to acquire one of the mysterious devices that caused humanity to petrify. In addition, they also learned the device and its brethren were getting their orders somewhere on the Moon, meaning they would have to travel there to uncover the truth behind the Petrification Event. Doing that will require more resources, meaning Senku and the others will have to travel the globe and gain new allies…and new enemies.
While I never watched Dr. Stone past season one, the anime has caught up to the part of the manga where I started reading it every week. Since I know what happens, I know how interesting things are going to get. And while it might not be the most exciting Shonen series, Dr. Stone balances learning about science with goofy humor, making it interesting enough for me to watch. That, and the dub voice cast is pretty good.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2-January 10 2025
Everyone’s favorite apothecary detective returns with a new season! If you don’t know what The Apothecary Diaries is, it’s an anime that premiered back in 2023 before running into the following year. It tells the story of Maomao, a talented young apothecary forced to work as a lowly servant at the palace of an Emperor. Once she starts using her talents to solve mysteries, though, she starts taking on a much greater role. With the new season heralding the arrival of spring, there’s sure to be more mysteries to solve. And more importantly, more chances for Maomao and Jinshi to mess with each other!
Normally, The Apothecary Diaries wouldn’t be the kind of anime I would be interested in. However, the combination of good voice acting, mysteries, and the dynamic between Jinshi and Maomao is enough to pique my interest. With how many popular like to cosplay as characters from the series, it’s apparent that it’s got a pretty big fan base already, and will surely grow bigger with the new season.
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2-January 12th 2025
The ultimate sigma harem anime returns at last! For those who don’t know (or didn’t ready my review of the series), 100 Girlfriends is, as the name suggests, about a boy who’s destined to meet and have 100 girlfriends. As of the end of the first season, our protagonist/the ideal every boyfriend should aspire to, Rentaro Aijo, stands at six girlfriends. Given what the trailer revealed, he’s due to make it to the double digits before the end of the season.
Harem doesn’t have the best reputation in the anime community, but as I said in my review, 100 Girlfriends is the exception to the role. Not only does it have a protagonist who actively gives his partners reasons to like him, but each partner serves as a deconstruction of a different female archetype. I.E., Karane’s tsundere-ness is something she hates due to it making her too insecure to say what she’s really feeling. Or Shizuka’s muteness is not by choice, but due to her extreme shyness. The point is that each girlfriend has more depth than you would think. Not only that, but the series is pretty funny.
One Piece-April 2025
This fall, One Piece shocked fans everywhere when, for the first time in its 25-year history, it went on hiatus. Fans have had to be content with a retelling of the Fishman Island Saga over the course of the fall and winter months. However, all of that ends April, 2025 as One Piece returns to the actual story.
For those not caught up, the series went on hiatus in the middle of the Egghead Island Arc. That arc has the Straw Hats meet the genius scientist Dr. Vegapunk, who begs them to get him and his clones as far away from the World Government as possible. While the arc has already been filled with plenty of epic moments, I can promise you that you haven’t seen anything yet. Expect your mind to be blown into a million pieces, put back together, and then blown again before the Straw Hats leave Egghead. No spoilers, though!
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes-April 2025
My Hero Academia might be heading into its final season, but there are still stories left to be told in this world of superpowers and heroes. Case in point, we have the anime adaptation of the MHA spin-off/prequel, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. Set five years before the events of the series, Vigilantes follows Koichi Haimawari, an aspiring hero who opts not to become a Pro Hero in favor of becoming an illegal vigilante.
Anyone who has read an American superhero comic knows that vigilante heroes aren’t a new thing. Technically, most of the superheroes in Marvel and DC comics are vigilantes that have charges pressed against them. The only reason that doesn’t happen is because the heroes are all fairly competent at what they do. Having a spin-off that brings the concept of superheroes back to its vigilante roots should provide a new and interesting perspective on how heroism works in the world of My Hero Academia. That, and it will keep the fandom alive for a little bit longer.
Dan Da Dan Season 2-July 2025
If you read my reviews of Dan Da Dan, then you know I consider it to be the best anime of 2024 hands down. Unfortunately, the first season ended on a pretty awkward vote: Okarun and Jiji found a secret room in Jiji’s house, and Momo was under attack from a bunch of creeps. Thankfully, fans don’t have to wait years to find out what happens in anime form, with the next season due in just a few months.
Continuing the story where the last episode left off, Okarun, Jiji, and Momo will have to face both a deadly cult and an evil spirit known as the Evil Eye. Given everything that we see in the trailer, including Jiji being possessed by the spirit and the image of an erupting volcano, things are going to get wild. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!
My Hero Academia Final Season-Fall 2025
It’s been a long, long road, but My Hero Academia is finally nearing the end of its run. The last season ended as the final battle between the heroes and the villains was reaching its climax. As Deku continues his fight against Shigaraki, All Might fights to stall the evil All for One from reaching his apprentice so they can merge and become unstoppable. With all the other battles now out of the way, the series can focus on making this the finale that the fans deserve.
Once again, this is a series where I read the entire manga in advance. Thus, I know how things are going to turn out and care more about its executed. If Studio Bones does this right, then it will cement MHA in the Shonen hall of fame. If not…you remember what happened with Oshi No Ko, right?
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2-Unknown Release Date
Here’s another up-and-coming Shonen anime that’s getting another season, Kaiju No. 8. At the end of the last season, Kafka Hibino managed to prove his humanity despite being able to transform into a Kaiju. As a result, he’s getting another chance with the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force. With the threat of Kaiju No. 9 and other intelligent Kaiju still looming, the JAKDF will need all the help they can get.
Sadly, a concrete release date for the new season has yet to be announced. In fact, every entry beyond this point has no clear release date.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc-Unknown Release Date
Right when it looked like it may never continue, Chainsaw Man bursts back onto the scene in all of its bloody glory. Some time ago, it was announced that the next arc of the popular Shonen series, the Reze Arc, would be made into a movie. However, with no news after such a long time, it began to feel like we may never get to see the Reze Arc play out. Thankfully, our wait may not be for much longer.
While we still don’t have a concrete release date for the film, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s coming in 2025. Given how popular the anime is, fans will likely line up in droves to see this next chapter in this bloody, unhinged story.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba-Infinity Castle Movie Trilogy-Unknown Release Dates
Speaking of popular Shonen series getting the movie treatment, it seems that Demon Slayer is returning to the movies not once, not twice, but three times in 2025. With the fourth season covering the Hashira Training arc and the start of the final battle against Muzan, the studio behind the anime must have decided to give Demon Slayer the send-off it deserves. Thus, it looks like they’re adapting the Infinity Castle arc into a trilogy of films, giving Demon Slayer the stage it needs to play out its final act.
At the moment, it’s currently unclear if the Infinity Castle movies will premiere in theaters in the West. It’s not even clear if the movies will finish the series as a whole or just cover the Infinity Castle Arc. However, I’m hoping that they do both. With how cinematic Demon Slayer has proven to be over the years, it feels right to have it end on the big screen. Just like the series finale to Avatar: The Last Airbender should’ve aired in theaters.
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 (I Hope!)
JUJUTSU KAISEN "Culling Game Arc" Officially Announced!
This last one is less of a confirmed release and more like wishful thinking, but given how the JuJutsu Kaisen manga ended earlier this year, it would be appreciated. After all, the second season of JJK ended on a pretty bleak note.
To quickly recap what went down in the second season of JJK:
Gojo was sealed inside a cursed prison with his enemies in Jujutsu society forbidding his rescue.
Sukuna made Yuji level most of the Shibuya District, killing hundreds in the process.
Tons of new curse users have been awoken alongside many cursed spirits.
Yuji’s execution has been re-instated.
With the next season set to adapt the Culling Games Arc, this is JJK’s chance to regain much of the love that was lost due to how the manga ended. Hopefully, more news will come in the next few months!
What other anime are you looking forward to seeing in 2025? If you have any recommendations feel free to leave a comment about it! Happy New Year!
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