I already shared a lot of times here how I dislike isekai and the usual tropes that come with it. There are just a few times that I tried watching some of them, but most of them just left a bad impression on me, and so since they're obviously not my cup of tea, I leave them alone. However, this anime series caught me off guard because initially, I thought this would be another failed attempt to appreciate this theme, but it turns out it’s actually a good anime. Honestly, it’s my first time liking an isekai anime this much because, based on my previous watching experience with them, usually it’s either an ok anime or a bad one, and mostly it’s the latter that I have seen most. So now, without further ado, I’ll share with you the gist and my review of the first isekai that I certainly love and enjoyed watching—Zenshu.
Zenshu is an isekai anime that was released last winter 2025, and it aired from January 5 up until March 23. This 12-episode-long action fantasy anime was an original animation created by MAPPA and it follows the life of Natsuko Hirose, a young and brilliant animator. Ever since she was a child, she devoted her time to becoming the ‘virtuoso’ she envisioned herself to be, and so when she finished high school, she wasted no time in attending an art school and proceeded to enter the demanding industry of animation. Her dedication and talent immediately propelled her to the higher position, and it wasn’t long before she debuted as an anime director.
Obviously, her first work was a hit, and so when the second one came, a lot expected that it would be as good as or even better than the first one. However, her second project was completely different from the first one because it would be about first love—and the thing is, Natsuko definitely has no idea about it! Struggling to find any inspiration for her storyboard, Natsuko finds herself falling into desperation and despair. Her co-workers already tried to help her, but she shut them all down—well, except for the food that caused her untimely demise. She thought she died after eating that rotten clam; however, the next thing she knew is that she was in the middle of the desert. The place looked unfamiliar to her until she saw a familiar creature coming towards her. And that’s when she realized she’s in her favorite anime movie!
I hadn’t really imagined even once that a day would come that I would like an isekai this much. I already mentioned how it became one of my turn-off themes in anime, so I wasn’t expecting much when I tried watching this anime. I had read good reviews about it, but still I did have a lot of doubts because it’s an isekai, plus I’m not sure if those reviewers’ preferences match mine. Maybe they liked it because they like isekai, so yeah, it did take time before I added this to my to-watch list this year. The reviews don’t have significant spoilers, so I really didn’t have an idea of how the story will go. I thought that would be the bane of mine, but it turns out this anime exceeded my expectations. Yes, there are still the familiar isekai tropes; however, there are concepts that I find quite unique and cool.
The fact that Natsuko knows the entire plot of the movie she’s in is really interesting because once she starts preventing tragedy after tragedy from happening, it genuinely made me wonder what will happen next. I know that every action that she made was bound to have a reaction, so that made me anticipate more about the later episodes. Also, I like how Natsuko changed some characters—especially Destiny. I really don’t like how she appeared the first time, like she’s definitely the typical fan service character, plus she has that damsel in distress vibe, which I’m not fond of, yet gratefully, Natsuko changed her for the better. Further, I like how diverse and entertaining the characters are—especially Unio! His reactions are always so hilarious because you can really see how transparent he is in expressing them, and also his banters with Natsuko—those were really precious, haha.
As for the visuals and animation, it’s MAPPA—so obviously I don’t have anything bad to say about them. From the background to character design, they’re really easy on the eye. Of course, some of the character design needs to be like the generic isekai because it’s supposed to be that way until Natsuko comes into the picture. The animation is so satisfying to watch, like you can really see the effort in making those because of how fluid and smooth the movements look. Even the small details, like the subtle movement of Natsuko’s hair or the crease that appears whenever Luke smiles, they may seem less significant, but I can see they’re intentionally added in order for those scenes to have more impact, and I realized this also because of an episode from this anime. There’s that certain episode where Natsuko’s life before was featured, and in it shared how she made the animation by hand. She ignored the original keyframes because maybe she finds them uninteresting—not because they’re badly drawn but because they probably lack details that make more impact on the audience. It is evident that she altered the shot composition, and also even the expression on the characters’ faces is a lot more defined. Those expressions may be overlooked most of the time, but certainly they were put there with the intention to make the animation more affecting.
So much for the good stuff; this anime also has a fair share of flaws, and one of them is its villains. I expected them to be terrifying, but once the action starts, it’s like over soon because they get slayed easily. They’re supposed to make the narrative intense, but the danger they emanate falls short and is most of the time bland. Also, the part where the emotions were running high, I know it’s supposed to last longer and have more impact, but it’s like they’re rushing it towards the falling action scene. I know it could have resonated more with me if it had been executed patiently. Anyway, I still enjoyed and loved it despite those flaws. I love that it showed how, not only the movie characters but also Natsuko, achieved the character development they needed as well as understood and experienced the first love she had been seeking. It’s truly a fulfilling watching experience, so would I recommend it? Definitely a strong yes! That’s why if you’re up for a fun isekai to watch, then maybe this review is definitely your sign to watch Zenshu.
Before I end this up, I'll share with you its trailer, so—
Have you seen this anime already? Or you still haven't even tried it yet? Well, if you have something to share, then feel free to write it down in the comments. And that's all for now, minna-san! I hope you enjoyed reading my review.
Arigatou and tanoshinde ne~
All of the pictures used without a source were screenshots I took while watching this anime.
