Zenshu (TV series)

Zenshu
Key visual
全修。
Genre	Isekai
Created by	Mitsue Yamazaki Kimiko Ueno MAPPA
Anime television series
Directed by	Mitsue Yamazaki
Written by	Kimiko Ueno
Music by	Yukari Hashimoto
Studio	MAPPA
Licensed by	Crunchyroll
Original network	TXN (TV Tokyo) BS TV Tokyo, AT-X
Original run	January 5, 2025 – present
Episodes	3

Zenshu (全修。) is an original Japanese anime television series produced by MAPPA. It is directed by Mitsue Yamazaki and written by Kimiko Ueno, with Sumie Noro serving as assistant director and Yukari Hashimoto composing the music. Original character designs are provided by Yoshiteru Tsujino, while Kayoko Ishikawa adapts the designs for animation. The series premiered on January 5, 2025, on TV Tokyo and its affiliates. The opening theme song is "Zen", performed by Band-Maid, while the ending theme song is "Tada, Kimi no Mama de", performed by Sou. Crunchyroll streams the series.

Premise

The series centers on Natsuko Hirose, a prodigy animator, who quickly rose to become a director. Her debut TV series became a social phenomenon, making her famous in the process. Following up with her new original work, she finds herself struggling with the project's storyboard. During a lunch break, she reads the news that another animator had recently died of food poisoning, only for her to suffer from a similar fate moments later. However, Natsuko finds herself waking up in the world of A Tale of Perishing, her childhood anime series that led her to becoming an animator. Disillusioned with experiencing the sheer hopelessness of the anime's storyline in person, she later discovers that she has the power to re-animate scenes in order to alter the storyline to survive the cruelness of being in her childhood anime's world.

Characters

Natsuko Hirose (広瀬ナツ子, Hirose Natsuko)

Voiced by: Anna Nagase (Japanese); Madeleine Morris (English)

An animator who got food poisoning and awakens in a world based on her favorite childhood anime A Tale of Perishing. She discovers that her animator tool came along with her, which has also gained a will of its own, though only she can hear its voice. Using the tool, she can summon a magic work desk and use it to quickly draw something that she can temporarily bring to life, or alter her surroundings. She also has control over her creations. However, there are limits: her powers only work in dire situations, she cannot draw the same thing twice, she is vulnerable while drawing, and she passes out for three days after using her powers. On most occasions, her face is covered by her long hair, which led the Nine Soldiers to believe that she's a gremlin when they first met her. She soon becomes a member of the Nine Soldiers and is good friends with Destiny.

Luke Braveheart (ルーク・ブレイブハート, Rūku Bureibuhāto)

Voiced by: Kazuki Ura (Japanese); Ryan Negrón (English)

The main protagonist of A Tale of Perishing and the leader of the Nine Soldiers. He isn't all the caring as he at first mistreats Natsuko after thinking that she is a gremlin, but his views towards her changes upon seeing her unbelievable powers and that she's really a human being. However, he continues to be a rude and arrogant jerk towards Natsuko, which she understands and refuses to give him what he wants and he ends up insulting Memmeln when trying to make an excuse of not letting Natsuko join them. He may secretly have feelings for Natsuko after seeing her face. He also has feelings for Destiny.

Unio (ユニオ, Yunio)

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (Japanese); Luci Christian (English)

A small unicorn-like creature and a member of the Nine Soldiers. He can transform into a flying unicorn. Like Luke, he at first treats Natsuko like an outcast until learning of her true characteristics. He was originally meant to be the first to die in the storyline by sacrificing himself to destroy a Void army, but was saved by Natsuko after she creates a monster to destroy them instead. Nevertheless, he still doesn’t click well with Natsuko, who usually swings him around and throws him whenever she’s mad at him.

Memmeln (メメルン, Memerun)

Voiced by: Minori Suzuki (Japanese); Alexis Tipton (English)

A female elf who is a member of the Nine Soldiers. She is skilled with a bow and arrow, which have magical capabilities. When Luke tries to make an excuse about not letting Natsuko join them by saying an issue about women, Memmeln gives him a cold shoulder for that as she too is a woman. She and QJ are the only members who do not have any personal issues towards Natsuko. However, Memmeln is shown to be hiding something from the group, but Natsuko is aware of this.

QJ

Voiced by: Akio Suyama (Japanese); Derick Snow (English)

A flying robot who is a member of the Nine Soldiers. He can analyze situations and give advice, and can also fire lasers at enemies. He and Memmeln are the only members who do not have any personal issues towards Natsuko.

Justice

Voiced by: Romi Park

Destiny Heartwarming

Voiced by: Manaka Iwami

The mayor’s daughter and Luke's love interest, who wears a skimpy outfit. She was originally engaged with a rich chairman so she can start an orphanage. After being saved from a Void by Natsuko (she was originally meant to die at this point), who creates a wrestler to defeat it, she becomes fascinated by her creation and begins wearing a wrestling outfit of her own, which is even more revealing than her previous outfit and also comes with a cat mask, wanting to be a fighter too. She also plans to start an orphanage on her own after declining the chairman’s proposal and is now good friends with Natsuko.

Chingosman

Voiced by: Kentaro Tone

Ganger

Voiced by: Masashi Yamane

Capitan

Voiced by: Katsuhisa Hōki

Admiral

Voiced by: Sayaka Ohara

Baobab

A goblin prophet who can predict the future.

Naomi

A bar matron who looks like and shares the same name as Natsuko's coworker from the real world.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Storyboarded by	Original release date
1	"First Stroke" Transliteration: "Shisen." (Japanese: 始線。)	Sumie Noro	Kimiko Ueno	Mitsue Yamazaki	January 5, 2025 (2025-01-05)
Natsuko Hirose is a young animator who became famous following the widespread success of her first series and is currently struggling with her new project. Natsuko learns on the news that another animator died of food poisoning. As she rewatches her childhood anime A Tale of Perishing while eating lunch, she gets poisoned as well. Natsuko wakes up in a desert-like place and is attacked by an insect-like creature, but is saved by Luke Braveheart, Memmeln, Unio and QJ, a group called the Nine Soldiers and the main characters from her childhood anime. They mistake her for a gremlin due to her hair covering her face and leave her to travel on foot to the Last Town. Natsuko realizes she is inside the anime and, knowing what happens in the storyline, tries to warn Luke about the imminent Void army attack on the Last Town, which he ignores. He also notices Natsuko is hungry but does not give her any food. The Void army soon appears and begin advancing towards the town. Natsuko knows that Unio is going to create a suicide bomb to defeat the Void army. She realizes she has her animator tool with her, which speaks to her, telling her to draw before transforming into a magical animation work desk. Natsuko draws at rapid speed and creates a giant being which blasts away the Void army and prevents Unio's death. Astounded by Natsuko’s unusual abilities, Luke asks Natsuko who she is and where she comes from. Natsuko says she is an animator and comes from reality before she faints and her hair parts, revealing to Luke and his allies that she is a human. Misunderstanding what she said, Luke believes that Natsuko comes from a kingdom called Reality and she is an "anneemator".
2	"Defending to the Death" Transliteration: "Shishu." (Japanese: 死守。)	Ai Kondō	Kimiko Ueno	Risako Yoshida	January 12, 2025 (2025-01-12)
A flashback from Natsuko's childhood reveals that in the setting of A Tale of Perishing, there are nine countries that have glowing crystals called Soul Futures, which are being targeted by the Voids. Should all nine be destroyed, it will allow a powerful monster called the Great Void to appear and destroy the world. In the present, Natsuko awakens after being passed out for three days. Luke provides Natsuko with food and questions her about her origins, becoming very surprised when she reveals her knowledge of his personal information. Natsuko then attempts to show off her powers, but her animation tool doesn't activate, indicating that her powers cannot be used all the time. Unio gets involved in the conversation when he assumes that they are fighting. Last Town's mayor calls the Nine Soldiers and Natsuko for a meeting. Natsuko is amazed by the mayor's appearance. Baobab, the town's prophet, arrives, and she and the mayor question Natsuko about the "Real World" that she came from, but her explanations make her appear crazy. Natsuko begins to question that she did not die and is instead teleported to the anime world. Baobab warns them that only one Soul Future remains and that its destruction will unleash the Great Void. She suggests to have Natsuko join the Nine Soldiers, but Luke and Unio are against this as they both continue to insult her and Luke makes an poor excuse against her about women when Memmeln is next to him. Seeing how a stuck-up jerk Luke is for not listening to her reasons, Natsuko leaves and returns to the place where she previously woke up, wanting to go back to the real world, but finds that she cannot leave this reality. She decides to go see Luke, who questions her further after remembering that she correctly predicted the earlier Void attack. After warning them of the upcoming aerial Void attack, Natsuko agrees to join the Nine Soldiers, hoping to eventually find a way back to the real world. While visiting a bar and talking to the bar matron Naomi, Natsuko realizes that Naomi appears to be a reference to an animator from the real world and ponders if other teleported humans may have entered this world too. The next day, the Void invasion happens and Natsuko's animator tool finally activates during the battle, though only she can hear its voice. Her tool restricts her from creating the same thing twice so Natsuko creates numerous homing missiles that take out all the flying Voids and destroy their mothership. She then passes out for three days again and after waking up, Luke provides her with a meal and part of Natsuko's hair is tied upwards so her face can be seen.
3	"Destiny" Transliteration: "Unmei." (Japanese: 運命。)	Yasufumi Soejima	Kimiko Ueno	Yasufumi Soejima	January 19, 2025 (2025-01-19)
Natsuko recalls the previous events that occurred as the townsfolk cheer for her. During the Harvest Festival, Memmeln gets Natsuko dressed in a gown, which she finds uncomfortable. Natsuko then gets into a fight with Unio. A ceremony for the Soul Future then takes place. While enjoying herself, Natsuko predicts that the next attack will occur on a rainy day, but Luke is still cautious as he is swarmed by admirers. Memmeln leaves to take part in a choir while Unio has difficulty getting attention. Luke meets Destiny Heartwarming, the mayor’s daughter and is going to be Luke's love interest of the story, who is hiding from a chairman and his wives. Natsuko recalls future events involving Destiny and that she will die at one point. Destiny later speaks with her father, who is concerned about her engagement to the chairman as she had hoped he would help her accomplish her dream of running an orphanage. Luke meets Destiny again and begins developing feelings for her as they begin dancing. That night, while mysterious robed figures confront a Void, Destiny interacts with Natsuko, who has changed out of her gown. When the chairman finds her, Natsuko convinces Destiny to start an orphanage without the chairman’s help. Voids begin entering the city and Natsuko discovers that one of the priests is a Void in disguise and does a fast dance to blow its cover; it is the same Void from earlier. The Void attacks Destiny, and Unio and a drunk Luke try to save her. Natsuko's powers activate and QJ protects her while she draws. She creates a tiger-like wrestler who fights the Void in a wrestling match with Natsuko as the host. The Void loses the fight and Natsuko falls unconscious again. While eating a meal with Luke, Destiny arrives in a revealing wrestler’s outfit that comes with a mask due to her admiring Natsuko's creation and wanting to be a fighter as well, having also decided to start an orphanage on her own after turning down the chairman’s proposal, and is now friends with Natsuko. Memmeln was absent from the Void attack; she is hiding something, which Natsuko notices.
4	"Eternity"	TBA	Kimiko Ueno	TBA	January 26, 2025 (2025-01-26)

External links

• Anime official website (in Japanese)
• Zenshu (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia