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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