Zenshuu.

After graduating from high school, Natsuko Hirose starts her career as an animator. Her talent quickly flourishes, and she makes her debut as a director in no time. Her first anime becomes a massive hit, sparking a social phenomenon and earning her recognition as an up-and-coming genius director. Her next project is set to be a romantic comedy movie themed around first love! However, having never been in love herself, Natsuko struggles to understand the concept of first love, and as a result, she's unable to create the storyboard, causing the movie production to come to a standstill. One day, she passes out while working on her storyboard and wakes up in the world of her favorite childhood anime movie "A Tale of Perishing."

(Source: Crunchyroll)

Hirose, Natsuko Main

Nagase, Anna Japanese

Braveheart, Luke Main

Ura, Kazuki Japanese

Memmeln Main

Suzuki, Minori Japanese

QJ Main

Suyama, Akio Japanese

Unio Main

Kugimiya, Rie Japanese

Justice Supporting

Park, Romi Japanese

Mayor Supporting

Inada, Tetsu Japanese

Ultimate Exister Supporting

Miyano, Mamoru Japanese

Heartwarming, Destiny Supporting

Iwami, Manaka Japanese

Fukushima, Naomi Supporting

Takano, Urara Japanese

Ogawa, Takahiro Producer

Hagiwara, Mika Producer

Oda, Kenta Producer

Ikeda, Tomokazu Producer

Reviews

Jan 24, 2025

TakoTaco1

Recommended

Preliminary (3/12 eps)

Tragically underrated considering the love and care put into this one. Nothing like the typical isekai fare, very obviously written from the perspective of a creative. More in the tradition of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Bakuman, Look Back, etc. As someone who isn't huge on self-reference in media, I find it's pretty tastefully done here, actually using the isekai format to its advantage when illustrating the creative process (who knew being an isekai could actually make something MORE tasteful). The two leads are well done and enjoyable to watch. The voice acting is competently done, and the storyboarding is ... gorgeous. As someone else mentioned, the directing is a little uneven, with some flow, tone and pacing issues, but it does work overall. Clearly a celebration of animation and the creative process. Just watch this one. You might not love it, but you'll have a decent time and it's gorgeous to look at. If the themes resonate with you then it might just be one of your new favorites.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by TakoTaco1 (11)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Jan 24, 2025

Bonny2132

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (3/12 eps)

This is a very good-looking show, but to be honest, it's pretty bare bones as it gets...It's vibrant, but shallow.

The main cast feel as flat as Natsuko's peg bar and their dynamics don't strike me as particularly interesting either.

You can expect there to be great animation sequences at least once an episode that pay homage to iconic animators and art styles, but it all feels a bit to formulaic and predictable.

There are hints that the plot may take a more dramatic turn later down the road, but judging based on the 3 episodes currently available I wouldn't strongly recommend it.

Throughout these 3 episodes I ... was waiting for ''the hook'' to appear, but nothing grabbed me. I don't think this anime has a firm grip on what it really wants to be, it's a fun concept, but it needed a bit more time in the oven to flesh out those ideas further.

Comparatively something like Re:Creators captures your attention within it's first couple minutes, your time would likely be better spent watching or re-watching that series.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Bonny2132 (5)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Feb 19, 2025

Ursaw

Not Recommended

Preliminary (5/12 eps)

Perhaps I'd enjoy it more if I didn't so desperately wish to love it. Because it sounds perfect on paper, doesn't it? An original production from MAPPA. About an animator who gets transported to a retro fantasy world from way back when getting isekaid was for girls (and consequently uncool). With countless homages to the classical pieces of sakuga from all over anime industry...

...It's bland, superficial and boring. I didn't expect a new Juuni Kokuki or anything, but if I didn't see the rating, I'd guess that it's specifically made for children under 10 who would have to watch it together with their parents.

It's ... a simple "monster of the week" based story where children get to enjoy flashy colors and heavy handed moral arguments (repeated several times throughout the episode to make sure each of you little viewers understand what the author was trying to teach you uwu). Parents get to sit back, turn their brain off and once in a while say: "awww, this place has the vibe of that old weird anime from my childhood that I barely remember, and oooooh look, I know that reference, that's the famed Itano Circus! Wowie, they sure referenced it!"

The world of Tale of Perishing feels soulless and disjointed, as if each separate piece of the set was based on a different hastily googled "old anime screenshot". At the same time everything is aggressively bright and colorful — and this may be a weird gripe to have, sure, but for me personally it highlights the disconnect between author's vision (or lack thereof) and the nostalgic aesthetic they're trying to milk.

Character designs are bland and forgettable, and things somehow get even worse when they open their mouths and interact with one another. The anime tells you there's more to them than "wacky 90's anime characters" surface, but it doesn't show you any of that. They do not feel like real people with reasonable struggles and deep interpersonal relationships.

The only people who are getting at least somewhat fleshed out are the heroine and her love interest, but their pending romance feels extremely forced. Luke doesn't understand the heroine, finds her behavior weird and annoying, but every time he pulls her hair away and reveals the pretty face below he slowly but surely falls in love, one doki doki at a time. Which might as well be a meta narrative, now that I think back on it, but I personally find it cringeworthy.

The animation is cool, sure, but there's a limit to what it can carry alone.

The heroine's magical girl transformation looks super cool the first time you see it! But it becomes more of an annoyance each next time you have to watch it again.

The references are fun and exciting! But at the end of the day, if the best you have to offer is 30 seconds of Giant Warrior action — I'd rather go rewatch Nausicaa and marvel at the creativity behind the original. And for Itano Circus I could just go watch Macross. And so on and so forth. If your title's whole shtick is "look, this episode we're referencing this cool thing that someone made before!", it just becomes an anime industry's analogue of derivative Marvel slop.

Yeah, that's about it for me, I guess. Expensive yet lackluster and soulless slop. A shame, really.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Ursaw (4)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Latin Spanish Dubbings Available on Crunchyroll (09/¿?)

by bolakabuto666

39 Entries · 16 Restacks

Possible bangers (no sequels)

by Keiken

48 Entries · 371 Restacks

The Best Anime Key Visual Designs of All Time - Part 3

by Bonny2132

14 Entries · 1 Restacks

Winter 2025 Simulcast List [Update 1/9]

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of television anime acquired for simulcast release during the Winter 2025 season. Anime series licensed for hom...read more

Jan 1, 1:41 PM by Snow | Discuss (13 comments)

Winter 2025 Preview

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of Winter 2025 titles with an accompanying promotional video, commercial, teaser, or trailer. This post will be...read more

Dec 19, 2024 5:31 AM by Snow | Discuss (0 comments)

	Poll: Zenshuu. Episode 9 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Mar 2	80 replies	by cooldogmom »» 9 hours ago
	Poll: Zenshuu. Episode 8 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Feb 23	77 replies	by cooldogmom »» 10 hours ago
	Zenshu if it was peak Imoogi26 - Mar 7	14 replies	by TheUpstairsOne »» Yesterday, 4:26 PM
	Poll: Zenshuu. Episode 3 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Jan 19	91 replies	by L1on777 »» Yesterday, 1:00 PM
	Poll: Zenshuu. Episode 2 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) Stark700 - Jan 12	124 replies	by L1on777 »» Yesterday, 12:18 PM