When Crunchyroll unleashed the beast of new trailers, there was one that a friend sent my way, fellow BNP writer and anime fan Mikkel, that spoke to me–that reaaaallly spoke to me. The first trailer that I saw was flashy, brilliant, and followed an anime fan…achieving her dream and the fantastical events that followed. The story follows an up-and-coming genius young anime director and the fantasy world she gets sucked into.
What Do We Know So Far:
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.
The Trailer Reveals so Much:
This third trailer for ZENSHU reveals Natsuko in her element–in her chair doing the storyboards and working on this major project…albeit rather slowly. She’s passionate about anime and being in a position to help create it even if the rest of her team would rather have some leadership and guidance from someone else as the project is at a standstill.
I love a good Isekai and/or transmigrated or reincarnated character into a fantasy world and that’s what we’re getting here with MAPPA’s new original anime series coming soon–with a twist! ZENSHU features all of that with a main character with a passionate heart for anime, who finds herself perhaps reborn into her favorite anime, still following me?
ZENSHU looks marvelous: this trailer showing glimpses of a fully realized world in a fantasy setting with Natsuko being familiar with the heroes, baddies, and the kingdom that is set to fall. She’s thrust into a world that captivated her as a child and is destined for doom and death, yet she wonders if she can make a difference and change the storyline for good. We MAY be getting the hero story for another perceptive with a fresh coat of paint with incredible visuals we only know to expect from such a studio.
MAPPA putting out an original anime about a character experiencing and perhaps even participating in emphasizing working long hours, feeling that burnout, etc feels kinda on the NOSE for meeeeee–But I am intrigued, and I am placing it on my to watch list. I’m looking forward to a series that looks to possibly be a love letter to animators everywhere, but especially Japan. ZENSHU looks to be a series for those to look forward to who adore fantasy, the touch of childhood nostalgia and unlikely heroes possibly finding ways to help create happier endings as they go.
Come January 2025, we’ll all settle in to watch this new era of MAPPA, until then, I’m re-watching the trailers!
The cast includes:
- Natsuko Hirose voiced by Anna Nagase (Yoki in ‘Tis Time for “Torture,” Princess)
- Luke Braveheart voiced by Kazuki Ura (Yoichi Isagi in BLUE LOCK)
- Unio voiced by Rie Kugimiya (Happy in Fairy Tail)
- Memmeln voiced by Minori Suzuki (Rosina in Ascendance of a Bookworm)
- QJ voiced by Akio Suyama (Ichiro Ogami in Sakura Wars)
The full main staff list includes:
- Original Creators: Mitsue Yamasaki / Kimiko Ueno / MAPPA
- Director: Mitsue Yamasaki
- Screenplay: Kimiko Ueno
- Character & Environment Concept Art: Yoshiteru Tsujino
- Character Design & Chief Animation Director: Kayoko Ishikawa
- Chief Animation Director: Shuji Takahara / Kazuko Hayakawa / Etsuko Sumimoto
- Assistant Director: Sumie Noro
- Background Art Director: Akio Shimada
- Color Design: Junko Suenaga
- Composite Director: Kenta Fujita
- Editing: Mutsumi Takemiya
- Music: Yukari Hashimoto
- Sound Production: dugout
- Casting Manager: Makoto Tanimura(SOUND WING)
- Animation Producer: Takahiro Ogawa
- Animation Production: MAPPA
As previewed in the trailer, the Japanese rock band BAND-MAID will perform the opening theme “Zen,” with Sou performing the ending theme “Tada, Kimo no Mama de.”
ZENSHU is coming to Crunchyroll January 2025!
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