Zenshu (Japanese: 全修。; lit. 'Fix All') 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 aired from January 5 to March 23, 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" (ただ、君のままで), performed by Sou. Crunchyroll streams the series.
Contents
Premise
The series centers on Natsuko Hirose, a prodigious director and animator. While struggling with the storyboard of her latest project, she reads a newspaper article that says the director of A Tale of Perishing, a critical flop, but her favorite anime movie nonetheless, died of food poisoning, only to suffer the same fate moments later.
Waking up in the world of A Tale of Perishing, she discovers that she has the power to bring her animations to life, in order to alter the tragic storyline and bring hope to the world of the anime that inspired her to pursue animation as a child.
Characters
Natsuko Hirose (広瀬ナツ子, Hirose Natsuko)
Voiced by: Anna Nagase (Japanese); Madeleine Morris (English)
A lone-wolf animator who got food poisoning and awakens in a world based on her favorite childhood anime film A Tale of Perishing. She discovers that her pegboard came along with her, which allows her to summon drawings to aid the Nine Soldiers in battle. Natsuko often has her face covered with her hair, leading the team to call her a "gremlin". She initially tries to take things on herself, which was her major flaw in reality. She slowly learns the importance of trusting others and opening herself up to love. This leads her to becoming friends with the Nine Soldiers (and other characters in the world), and ultimately realizing she is in love with Luke Braveheart.
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 initially cold and skeptical towards 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 soon begins to warm up to her; this leads to him cooking for her, trying different hairstyles while she's sleeping, and ultimately falling in love with her. Luke often has a heavy burden of being the hero, which is emphasized towards the end of the show as everything is collapsing. Luke begins to fall into despair when he thought all his friends had been lost in the final battle, which leads him to fulfill the original movie plot of becoming the Ultimate Void.
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, but loses this ability when he temporarily loses his horn. Unio is often at odds with Natsuko, frequently calling her a gremlin and being exasperated as her relationship with Luke progresses. They often get into heated arguments, and Unio almost always sees Natsuko as a threat to himself and his friends; however, it may be because he is jealous of Natsuko's relationship with Luke. Unio is able to use support magic, often providing shields during combat or healing people outside of combat. He knows a self-destruct spell, which he uses in the original movie; however this opportunity is interrupted twice during the show by Natsuko.
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 can shoot multiple shots. She also can use magic to temporarily hold an enemy. She is often more stoic in nature, but this is revealed that she is hiding the pain she has from seeing centuries of loss. In the movie Memmeln is part of a Voidist cult that seeks to summon the Ultimate Void. This process is stopped by Natsuko and Luke; during this Natsuko drew Sir Exister, an idol from an anime her studio produced. Memmeln quickly becomes a "stan" of Sir Exister, and becomes more hopeful throughout the remainder of the show.
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. In the ninth episode, he sacrifices himself to destroy a powerful Void after learning the original movie plot from Natsuko. However later he is revived by two of Memmeln's friends. QJ was the only member of the Nine Soldiers to avoid death in the movie.
Justice
Voiced by: Romi Park (Japanese); Corey Wilder (English)
A dragon who was once a member of the Nine Soldiers, having quit due to being injured in battle and cannot fly for long due to their damaged wing. They hid their injuries from Luke for fear of adding more burden. They turned to drinking to help cover up their despair. However after meeting Natsuko and Destiny, Justice's attitude changes and he becomes a more engaged fighter again. He helps Natsuko by having her desk on his back and flying. Justice tends to flirt with individuals, but it is implied that there is a connection between him and Destiny by the end of the show. He got the nickname "Justy Bunch" from Destiny, which he is initially annoyed with but comes to term with.
Destiny Heartwarming
Voiced by: Manaka Iwami (Japanese); Dani Chambers (English)
The mayor's daughter and Luke's love interest in the movie. Her original character is the stereotypical damsel-in-distress. She was engaged to a rich chairman to help fund an orphanage, but falls in love with Luke at Unio's funeral. She ultimately dies after being impaled by a Void which causes Luke to spiral into despair. In the alternate story she originally has a connection with Luke. However after seeing an animation that Natsuko summoned, Serval Cat Mask, she becomes inspired to be more independent and starts the Serval Cat House orphanage on her own. She also forms a friendship with Natsuko, but does not become a rival in love for Luke. Later Justice also helps as a teacher at the orphanage.
Chingosman
Voiced by: Kentaro Tone
A tree-like former member of the Nine Soldiers who was killed prior to the events of the series, but was revived at the end.
Ganger
Voiced by: Masashi Yamane
A golem-like character who was originally a member of the Nine Soldiers. He was killed prior to the events of the series, but was revived at the end.
Capitan
Voiced by: Katsuhisa Hōki
A former member of the Nine Soldiers who was killed prior to the events of the series, but was revived at the end.
Admiral Merfolk
Voiced by: Sayaka Ohara
A former member of the Nine Soldiers who was killed prior to the events of the series, but was revived at the end.
Elder Baobab
A tree-folk elder who guides the people of the Last Town. She often talks about destiny and hope.
Naomi
A bar matron who was based on president of the studio that Natsuko and Director Tsuruyama worked at.
Serval Cat Mask
A wrestler character who wears a tiger mask. Natsuko created him to fight a Void. Destiny idolizes him. He is a reference of the series Tiger Mask.
Sir Exister
A handsome man from an anime called Uta-Men. He was created by Natsuko to stop Memmeln from transforming into the Ultimate Void and put an end to her ulterior motives. Memmeln idolizes him.
Meg and Sally
Two elves who aid Memmeln with her plans to unleash the Ultimate Void and end their immortality. Like Memmeln, they may have abandoned their plans as a result of Sir Exister influencing them.
Midori Ichihashi
A girl who fell in love with Natsuko, but their relationship ended when she moved away.
Shu Ninomiya
A boy who fell in love with Natsuko during middle school, but could not win her over.
Saburo Aoi
A director who serves as a rival to Natsuko, but also had feelings for her. Like Midori and Shu, he also failed to win her heart.
Naomi Fukushima
The president of the studio that Natsuko works at.
Kametaro Tsuruyama
The director of A Tale of Perishing, who died by food poisoning but is reincarnated into the alternate world as a bird. She chastizes Natsuko for trying to change her "masterpiece", often stating "It's no use". She tells Natsuko that the plot is inevitable and set in stone. At the end she remarks "A happy ending does not a good story make" after Natsuko successfully changes Luke's fate. Natsuko idolizes her, but she is often annoyed with her.
Reception
The show's entry in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction called it "a fond look at the Anime industry and the Clichés of the fantasy anime of past decades," with elements of satire, tackling darker and serious themes such as feminism. The entry concludes that "though the ending is tied up a little too quickly, Zenshu was a good series".
