Studio MAPPA’s ZENSHU didn’t have the best anime pilot episode when it comes to isekai anime. The first episode’s pacing was rough, and the character introductions fell flat. While the episode’s second half delivered a great animation sequence with Zenshu’s protagonist getting her own magical girl transformation sequence, the episode as a whole didn’t really deliver what fans have come to expect from Studio MAPPA.

The second episode, however, titled “Defending to the Death,” took all the first episode’s concerns and drew over them. One could say that the first episode was in fact the isekai anime’s first draft. ZENSHU Episode 2 built on the not-so stable foundation set in the previous episode but did so in a way that proved Studio MAPPA knows exactly what it’s doing with this anime.

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Studio MAPPA is Speaking Directly to the Fandom

Every anime fan at this point has heard of Studio MAPPA’s controversies, and it seems so too has the studio itself. ZENSHU could potentially be to Studio MAPPA what Deadpool is to the MCU. In a great and chuckle-inducing scene early on in the second episode, Natsuko trips and falls on Luke just as soon as Unio walks into the kitchen and catches them on top of each other. Unio has a meltdown and attacks Natsuko. In return, she grabs Unio by the horn and criticizes the lack of respect the fluffy unicorn has towards her, especially after she’d spent so much money buying merch based off of his character.

Studio MAPPA here is criticizing itself and perhaps what has come off as lack of respect for its fanbase and, more specifically, its animators, who have, in more ways than one, ‘saved the studio’ with their work. ZENSHU did have minor moments like this in the first episode, but not as explicitly as this scene. Whether this will work in their favor or not remains to be seen, but hey, at least the studio is trying.

One of the compelling aspects of ZENSHU is how much information it drops about animation as a whole. Natsuko, at one point, explains what an anime is, stating that one second is 24 FPS (frames-per-second) and that if they animate in threes, it’s eight drawings per second. These trivia mini-appetizers about the process of animation add more to the theory that Studio MAPPA is, in fact, speaking to its audience. While some might already know all this, ZENSHU could easily become a gateway anime for many who are new to the medium because of it.

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ZENSHU Merges Two Beloved Anime Genres and it Works

ZENSHU is an Isekai Anime With Magical Girl Tropes Sprinkled Throughout

One of the fascinating things about ZENSHU is how well the anime mixes two genres beloved by anime fans. Yes, at its core, the anime is an isekai. The recipe is right there: an animator chokes on her lunch and ends up in the world of her favorite anime film growing up. Everything about ZENSHU screams isekai anime, even Natsuko says it in the anime’s second episode.

Yet, buried even deeper, are tropes that may not be that obvious at first glance. Natsuko is, in more ways than one, her own version of a Magical Girl. Think about it, in the eyes of Luke and all those around her, Natsuko almost feels like a prophet, one who holds the key to saving their world. Not only that, but she has a powerful magical ability that allows her to animate whatever she needs to after calling forth a white animator’s desk and drawing said resource (be it a giant in the first episode, or thousands of homing missiles in the second) in order to save the day.

The cherry on top of the isekai ice-cream, is that ZENSHU gives Natsuko her own version of a Magical Girl transformation sequence that easily rivals the iconic Sailor Moon transformations. The sequence is lush with color and iconography that is unique to Natsuko’s story; a heart that blooms into paper, the desk, swirls of paint, pencils and rulers. This was the promise that ZENSHU attempted to make in its first episode and failed, while hitting a home-run the second time around. As mentioned in the first episode’s review, this isekai anime definitely needs the three-episode-rule.

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ZENSHU is the Anime Version of The Wizard of Oz

Episode 2 Expanded the World and Delivered a Fascinating Twist

L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz is really the OG isekai. A young girl seeking to escape her reality is taken up by a tornado and lands in a magical world named Oz. Similarly, Natsuko who was frustrated in her world, ends up in her favorite anime film. While Natsuko expresses her frustration with being in this alternate world and begs Kami-sama to take her back to reality, by the end of the episode, she ponders whether she actually does want to go back.

While visiting a tavern, Natsuko meets the tavern keeper, who gifts Natsuko with a beer and some delicious food. At first, Naomi, the tavern keeper, seems like another NPC until Natsuko really observes her and realizes that there is a deeper connection here. Naomi, is in fact, this world’s version of the president of the animation studio where Natsuko works. If the anime is going to go down this path, it’s going to be fascinating to see how else this world connects to Natsuko’s reality.

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The decision to keep most of the world building for the second episode, may not have been the logical step at first, but somehow works better for ZENSHU. In this case, the anime is progressively improving with every episode and slowly pulling its audience in. The characters get more layers in this episode as they start showing their personalities a bit more. The stakes get higher in this episode as well, as Natsuko is on a path to becoming one of the Nine Warriors. This was her moment to answer the call to adventure.

The highlight of the episode, however, is the growing connection between Natsuko and Luke, who seemingly is the key to unlocking Natsuko’s animation abilities. ZENSHU is cleverly weaving the threads of the core themes of the isekai anime in a nuanced way that feels very organic to the pace and the characters themselves. Not to sound like a broken record, but there is no doubt that ZENSHU is going to be a much-talked about isekai anime, and make its way to becoming a 2025 fan-favorite.

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ZENSHU Episode 2 is a much stronger entry in in the isekai anime’s first season. As Natsuko and Luke continue to butt heads, the prophet of the Last Town, Elder Baobab, decides that Natsuko should join the Nine Soldiers. Despite wanting nothing but to go back home, Natsuko once again saves the day and proves her worth to Luke and his warriors.

Release Date

January 5, 2025

Creator(s)

Kimiko Ueno
, Mitsue Yamazaki

Cast

Anna Nagase
, Kazuki Ura
, Rie Kugimiya
, Minori Suzuki
, Akio Suyama

Studio

MAPPA

Japanese Title

Zenshuu.

Character(s)

Natsuko Hirose
, Luke Braveheart
, Unio
, Memmeln
, QJ

Pros

• Rich world-building and character development
• Fun meta moments
• Vibrant animation
• Epic final action sequence

Cons

• Weird pacing
• Minor cliche moments

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