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Warning: Contains spoilers for Zenshu episode #1.Zenshuis the latest anime from MAPPA, the studio behindJujutsu Kaisenand other major hits from the past decade. After dying from food poisoning, antisocial animator Natsuko Hirose is transported toA Tale of Perishing, the anime that inspired her to become an animator, and while the story is supposed to end in tragedy, Natsuko decides to do what she can to give it a happy ending.
Isekaianime have gotten increasingly contentious over the past decade, but that’s no reason to ignoreZenshu. In addition to how well it plays with the typical conventions of the genre, between the strong writing for the cast and story and the even stronger visuals accompanying it all,Zenshuisalready looking to be one of the most entertaining takes on theisekaigenre to date after just a single episode. MAPPA doesn’t have a long history withisekai, butZenshulooks to be one of the best to watch for thewinter 2025 anime seasonand beyond, by far.
Zenshu Is A Visual Masterpiece In Every Regard
One Of MAPPA’s Best-Looking Anime, By Far
The first thing to stand out aboutZenshu, of course, is its stellar visuals and animation. MAPPA is famous for the high visual quality of their productions, and sure enough,every scene inZenshuepisode #1, whether it’s an intense action scene or just the characters doing something mundane, has an incredible amount of fluidity and visual craft to it from start to finish. Naturally, that shines the most when Natsuko is sent toA Tale of Perishing, but overall, it’s been great to see something like that so early in 2025.
A big part of whyZenshulooks so good can be attributed to its director, Mitsue Yamazaki. In addition to having experience with previous MAPPA projects likeAttack on TitanandTakt Op. Destiny, Yamazaki previously directedMonthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun,How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, andSleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, all of which are known for their consistent animation and vibrant visual presentation.Zenshu’s visual aesthetic is the culmination of Mitsue Yamazaki’s years of experience in the industry, and so far, the results more than speak for themselves.
Zenshu Is Great To Watch Because Of How Much Fun It Has With The Isekai Genre
How Zenshu Makes Isekai Anime Fun
Another great part ofZenshuis how much fun it appears to be having with theisekaigenre. Usually, there’s some sort of major tragedy involved in the protagonist of anisekaianime getting sent to another world, but as previously mentioned, Natsuko dies when she gets food poisoning from eating expired clams, soZenshuis having fun with the typical conventions of theisekaigenre as early as the inciting incident that gets Natsuko involved in the plot. Granted, that kind of humor isn’t uncommon inisekaianime, but it’s great to see it at play here, regardless.
Something that also shows off how much funZenshuis having with theisekaigenre is the world ofA Tale of Perishing, itself. In addition to how vibrant and well-developed the setting is just from a single episode, the cast ofA Tale of Perishingall have very unique personalities and designs, and there’s far more life to everyone than what’s seen in the averageisekaianime.The makeup ofZenshu’s world shows that there’s far more thought and love put into it than the averageisekaianime, and that’s sure to only get better with every episode.
Zenshu’s Meta Narrative Is Where The Anime Truly Shines
Why Zenshu’s Writing Is So Great
With Natsuko being both an animator and a fan ofA Tale of Perishing, for example, when she enters the story, her interactions with the cast are a mixture of confusion and pointing out all the writing cliches, with one standout moment being her lamenting how the character who’s supposed to warn everyone of danger is always conveniently unable to perform when it would have mattered. Add in how exaggerated many of the characters’ personalities are, andZenshu’s meta writing works wonders when lampooning the typical tropes ofisekaianime and anime, as a whole.
That style of writing also shows itself in the central plot of the series. Even thoughA Tale of Perishingis meant to be a tragic story, Natsuko can’t bring herself to watch the characters who inspired her suffer again, and even before spontaneously gaining her powers, she feels compelled to try and do something to help make the story better.A core element ofZenshu’s meta writing is how it rejects the notion that certain stories have to end in tragedy, and that’s something that could lend itself to plenty of great material in future episodes.
Zenshu’s style of meta writing can even be seen in Natsuko’s powers. Natsuko was given the power to bring her drawings to life, and in the first showing of that, Natsuko made a clear homage to the Giant Warrior fromNausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, with the creature even being depicted with scribbles to emphasize how Natsuko only just drew it.Zenshu’s Studio Ghibli referenceimplies that much of the writing will center around referencing some of the most iconic moments in anime, and hopefully, any future references will be just as great to watch play out.
Natsuko’s story starts with her being overworked to the point that she can’t even remember what she liked aboutA Tale of Perishing, but when she’s sent to its world, she’s quick to remember her love for the anime and animation, as a whole, culminating in the triumphant scene of her work literally changing the world. Overall,Zenshu, at its core, is an anime about how much there is to love about animation, no matter how hard your life may be at the moment, and that sort of writing is as unique as it is heartwarming.
Zenshu Has All The Makings To Be MAPPA’s Next Big Hit
Will Zenshu Be The Next Big Thing From MAPPA?
Overall,Zenshuhas an incredible list of things going in its favor. Between the gorgeous visuals and direction, the clever handling of theisekaigenre, and the incredible job it does with its meta writing,Zenshu, just from its premiere, is on its way to becoming the next big hit from MAPPA on both a visual and narrative level. Whether it lives up to the likes ofJujutsu Kaisenand otherMAPPA animeis still up in the air, but regardless,Zenshuis an anime that any fan would be remiss to ignore.
ZENSHU
Cast
After graduating from high school, Natsuko Hirose quickly rises in the animation industry and is celebrated for her directorial debut. However, her next project, a romantic comedy, hits a roadblock when she struggles to understand first love, something she’s never experienced. This internal conflict threatens the entire production.
