Zenshu [Season 1 Episodes 1-3]

Zenshu Season 1 Episodes 1-3: MAPPA’s Isekai Twist Divides Fans

When MAPPA first announced Zenshu (lit. “Fix All”), anime fans thought they knew what to expect: a gritty, behind-the-scenes look at the anime industry, maybe even a commentary on the studio’s own reputation for overworking its animators. But after three episodes, it’s clear Zenshu has something else in mind—and fans are split on whether that’s a good thing.

The series centers on Natsuko Hirose, a reclusive, arrogant animator with a genius for her craft but zero experience with love. In Episode 1, she’s hit with a bout of food poisoning (a cheeky nod to avoiding the “overworked animator” trope, as one fan noted) and wakes up in a fantasy world—a classic isekai twist that caught everyone off guard. Suddenly, Natsuko isn’t just drawing anime; she’s living it, using her animation skills to summon weapons and fight monsters.

Visually, Zenshu is pure MAPPA magic. The animation is “gorgeous and colorful,” especially Natsuko’s “magical girl transformation” into her workstation, which one fan called “beautiful.” But the real drama is in the premise. Half the fanbase is thrilled by the genre blend: “Anime about animating mixed with isekai? That’s a perfect irony,” wrote one viewer. Others, though, feel betrayed. “MAPPA sold this as an anime industry story, but 16 minutes of Episode 1 were generic isekai,” complained another. “What a huge disappointment.”

Natsuko herself is a polarizing protagonist. Some love her “peculiar personality” and closed-off nature—“She’s arrogant and has shut herself off completely,” observed a fan, “but that makes her interesting.” Others find her annoying, especially her high-pitched voice (“I hate the MC’s CD,” griped one commenter). Still, her lack of romantic experience is a clever hook: the fantasy world forces her to confront emotions she’s never felt before, which ties back to her work as an animator. “She needs to understand what she animates,” noted a viewer, hinting at a deeper theme about art imitating life.

The supporting cast adds to the chaos. The fantasy world’s characters—including a blonde knight and a talking creature—are fun, but some fans find them “generic.” “The rest of the cast didn’t captivate me at all,” admitted one reviewer. The isekai elements, too, are a double-edged sword. While some see potential in Natsuko changing the course of a story she already knows (“Like time traveling,” said a fan), others worry it’ll become “predictable and boring.”

By Episode 3, the debate rages on. Is Zenshu a fresh take on isekai, or a wasted opportunity to critique the anime industry? MAPPA’s reputation hangs over it all—“The studio known for overworking making a show about animators… then turning it into isekai? The irony is real,” joked a viewer. But even the haters are sticking around: “I’ll give it the 3-episode rule,” said one, “but I hope it’s not just another cookie-cutter isekai.”

At its core, Zenshu is a gamble. It’s not the industry exposé fans wanted, but it’s a bold experiment in blending genres. Whether it pays off depends on where the story goes next. Will Natsuko wake up from her food poisoning coma, having learned about love through her fantasy adventure? Or is she stuck in the isekai world forever? One thing’s for sure: MAPPA has everyone talking.

As for the 20-somethings watching? They’re either obsessed with the animation or rolling their eyes at the isekai clichés. But hey—isn’t that what makes anime fun? You never know what you’re gonna get… even if it’s not what you asked for.

Zenshu: It’s messy, it’s divisive, but it’s definitely not boring.

Final Verdict: If you love MAPPA’s style and don’t mind a genre twist, give it a shot. Just don’t go in expecting Shirobako. This is isekai with a drawing tablet—and that’s either a masterpiece or a disaster, depending on who you ask.

— A fan still debating whether to drop it or binge the next episode.