Zenshu Premiere presents Meta Isekai Adventure

Summary

• MAPPA's Zenshu anime has a meta take on Isekai.

• Hirose's creative crisis leads to fantastic adventures.

• Episode 1 creates the potential for exciting stories.

WARNING: The following review contains spoilers from Zenshu season 1 episode 1 “First Stroke” is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

New Anime MAPPA, Zenshutells the story of an up-and-coming cartoonist whose script block is the impetus for a fantasy adventure. Directed by Mitsue Yamazaki (Attack on Titan) and written by Kimiko Ueno (Delicious in Dungeon), the premiere episode of the anime provides a very meta take on the Isekai genre. And so far Zenshu the pilot takes time to cook, the payoff in act 3 makes the wait worth it.

Season 1, Episode 1, “First Strike” begins in an ordinary office. Animator Natsuko Hirose's biggest obstacles are deadlines and high expectations. Then a food poisoning incident transports her to the world of one of her favorite anime. However, in order to save the characters she loves so much, Hirose must find the passion that ignited her love of drawing. Unlocking that potential lays the groundwork for a season of opportunity.

Millennial Burnout Kills Anime Star

Season 1, Episode 1, “The First Strike,” introduces viewers to Natsuko Hirase (JP: Anna Nagase, EN: Madeleine Morris), an enigmatic anime prodigy whose career took off after graduating from high school. A rising star who just directed a series about magical girls is trying to make a romantic movie. Unfortunately, the film is way behind schedule.

The dull office atmosphere enlivens the writer's quarter

The first act of Zenshu captures Hirose's creative crisis well. The image of a young animator, hunched over a table, with disheveled hair from neglect, is all too familiar to any creator. Hirose struggles with the burden of his perfectionism. Once inside a shoebox-sized cubicle, she tears off sheets of paper from her incomplete storyboard. A pushy supervisor inspects Hirose's work, their upbeat mood masking the money on their mind. Rumors suggest that the fate of the film is difficult.

Surprisingly, this workplace scene creates the most tension, despite the epic battle scene later in the episode. Viewers see a close-up of Hirose spiraling into procrastination. As Hirosa stares at her phone, every comment on social media lessens the pressure of releasing a successful product, from fans who swear her work saved their lives to trolls who want her gone already.

Hirose's demanding nature causes resentment among her colleagues. A subordinate hands over key footage for the film's teaser, only to have Hirose outright request a complete overhaul. As an eavesdropping co-worker berates Hirose for her stubborn self-confidence, she gyrates menacingly in her office chair, glaring at him like Sadaka Yamamura (she refuses to cut her hair until she finishes her storyboard, which adds to the chilling effect).

Ambiguous food poisoning leaves questions

Hirose's composure quickly changes when he learns of the death of industry titan Kamataro Tsuruyama from food poisoning (a rough foreshadowing of things to come). Recovering from her shock, she eats her bento lunch while re-watching Tsuruyama's cult classic A story about death. Unfortunately, she does not know that she thoughtlessly swallowed dead shellfish.

The tension caused by the workplace malaise is suddenly cut short as Hirose falls to the floor. A small crowd surrounds her, including the manager in a panic as the burnt artist passes out. In the final shot of Act 1, Hirose's strained eyes roll eerily into the back of her head.

Hirose's death is not confirmed for sure, so it is hard to believe that the clams caused it. Whatever her fate, she watches her life flash before her eyes like cells on a beam. Another sequence shows Hirose as a child holding popcorn while watching The story about They dietragic events are unfolding in Russia. Suddenly she wakes up in a desert of ruins.

We've seen this before, and so has Natsuko Hirose

In the second act of episode 1, Hirose is reincarnated into the world of one of his favorite movies, A story about death. However, when she meets some of her favorite characters, her instincts remind her of the film's upcoming danger. She warns the heroes of “The Last City” about this danger. In the end, it's up to Hirose to become the hero of his own story.

Waiting for the inevitable is boring

Succumbing to the poison of expired Bento clams, Hirose wakes up in a desert littered with ruined ancient buildings. However, her initial confusion was interrupted by a vicious, giant insect-like monster called the Void. Fortunately, the brave and handsome knight Luke Braveheart (JP: Kazuki Ura, EN: Ryan Negron) comes to her rescue and kills the beast.

The subsequent beats of the story are very predictable. Hirose goes through the typical stages of Isekai disbelief. First, she suspects that she is involved in an anime scam with expert cosplayers. Hirose then enters the Last City, the last refuge of civilization not destroyed by the Void. After the witness of one of the A story about the dead scene by frame, Hirose realizes that she is literally inside the world of the film. Then the other shoe drops.

Hirose remembers a tragic scene from A story about death in which an army of void monsters attack the Last City. While the town wins the battle, it comes at the expense of the annoyingly cute unicorn mascot character Uniyo (JP: Rie Kugimiya, EN: Luci Christian). Junio's death sends Lord Braveheart into a spiral of depression, setting the stage for tragic consequences.

Hirose cannot let Uniyo die. A devoted fan pleads with Braveheart, Unio and others to heed her warning, but her concern falls on disinterested ears. (Thanks to Nagase and Morris for their dynamic portrayals of Hirose. They capture the animator's stoic cynicism and nerdy excitement in equal parts. Their performances help convey a character whose face remains hidden for most of the episode.)

It's sad to see Hirose being ignored despite her anime acumen. However, it is also quite boring. We've seen the kind of dark fantasy show that Hirose got into Groundhog day the formula has been played out before. However, we have yet to see the it factor of Zenshu.”

The newly empowered artist brings the third act to life

Everything is happening as expected. The Void Army arrives, the heroes enter the battlefield, and Yunio orders Braveheart to retreat so he can sacrifice himself. Hirose watches the tragedy unfold with frustration and horror, powerless to change anything. Suddenly, a rod spoke to her from the pocket of the hoodie:

Natsuko! We need to draw new destinies.

The call to action spurs Natsuko Hirose into action, and then the real fun begins. She runs out onto the battlefield, pulls out her wand, and enters a bright magical girl. She mythically flies into a makeshift desk through a projectile office chair. Sitting down, the brilliant animator sketches with lightning speed, and the viewer sees the creator's face for the first time. A sizable pencil-drawn monster appears, destroying a wave of voids with a paper explosion. The day and Unio are saved!

The final act of the first episode of Zenshu shows what makes the anime so intriguing. Iron clad knights, buff mares, magical unicorns and anthropomorphic animals are fine, but the real hero is the artist's imagination. Now that Hirose's power has awakened, viewers can eagerly anticipate what she will do next in Episode 2.