Meet Natsuko Hirose: The Animator Turned Hero in Zenshu’s Wild Meta-Isekai Adventure!

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Summary

  • Zenshu is a meta-isekai anime following the protagonist, Natsuko, who uses her imagination to change her favorite film’s fate.
  • Natsuko’s appearance reflects her workaholic tendencies & passion for anime.
  • Due to food poisoning, Natsuko gets transported to a fantasy world. There, she befriends its characters and uses her artistic talents to save the universe.

If you’re new to the anime series called Zenshu or curious about it, you might be unsure about its concept. Essentially, the story revolves around a rising animator named Natsuko Hirose who finds herself inexplicably transported into a fantasy world. To put it simply, Zenshu is a meta-isekai anime where the protagonist, Natsuko, gets pulled into one of her favorite movies, “A Tale of Perishing”.

Discussing Zenshu is incomplete without mentioning Natsuko Hirose. She isn’t just the main character of the anime, but also the creator of her own journey. Incredibly gifted, Natsuko has the ability to sketch sentient animations that shape the world within A Tale of Perishing. Dive deeper into the life of this exceptional animator and discover how she ended up in a renowned cult classic anime film.

Natsuko Hirose’s Stats and Appearance

Zenshu presents Natsuko Hirose, a worker trapped in a cubicle at an animation studio, diligently working on her upcoming romantic drama. However, following a disastrous lunch consisting of expired clams from a bento box, the animator tragically passes away and finds herself reborn within her cherished film, “A Tale of Perishing”. It isn’t long before she uncovers the ability to manipulate the outcomes of her treasured fictional characters using the power of her imagination.

Age 22
Species Human
Gender Female
Eye Color Blue
Hair Color Black
Birthday March 2, 2003
Voice Actor
  • Anna Nagase (Japanese)
  • Madeleine Morris (English)

Natsuko Hirose’s Appearance

Natsuko’s beloved ensemble showcases practicality over style. This energetic animator dons a purple hoodie, black leggings, and easy-to-wear red and white slip-on shoes. Her hoodie boasts roomy pockets, ideal for stashing her peg bar and other essential drawing tools.

In my perspective, a glimpse at Natsuko’s distinctive features mirrors her relentless work ethic. Her striking slimness is a testament to her diet primarily consisting of low-nourishing snacks such as instant noodles. Furthermore, her unusually long hair often falls across her face, untamed and unkempt. Natsuko has vowed to keep her locks uncut until she completes the storyboard for her newest movie project. Yet, this discipline seems more like a form of self-imposed hardship. Despite this, Natsuko remains unfazed by her lengthy hairdo.

Natsuko Hirose’s Personality

Natsuko possesses a vibrant character, displaying both independence and dedication to perfection, sometimes even sacrificing her own wellbeing for the realization of her artistic aspirations. Yet, she also exudes warmth, silliness, and joyfulness, often immersing herself wholeheartedly in her love for anime, which becomes evident when she gets excited about shows like “A Tale of Perishing“.

It’s not hidden that Natsuko possesses extraordinary creativity. With an imagination that spans the cosmos, she can conjure up diverse characters inspired by various anime stereotypes. It’s her boundless imagination that makes her a natural with children. Yet, her artistic prowess also fuels a touch of narcissism within Natsuko, something she often finds hard to manage.

Natsuko’s most admirable quality is her honesty. She never sugarcoats things or keeps quiet about what she thinks; instead, her straightforwardness has a beneficial impact on Last Town. For example, Natsuko encourages Destiny Heartwarming (a character from the story A Tale of Perishing) by challenging the chauvinistic Chairman who seeks to marry the damsel in distress. This confrontation motivates Destiny to assert her independence and pursue her dream of aiding orphaned children.

Natsuko’s Journey in A Tale of Perishing

In the thrilling journey of my animation career, I found myself unexpectedly stepping into the enchanting world of a cult classic animated fantasy film. It all began at the zenith of my burgeoning animation career, having successfully directed a beloved magical girl TV series. With a new deal in hand from my studio to create a heartwarming romance film, I was brimming with excitement.

However, life had a twist in store for me – I had never experienced love myself, and this lack of personal connection led to an artist’s block so severe it threatened to halt my progress. Little did I know that this creative stalemate would be the key to unlocking a magical portal… or so I later discovered!

In her cubicle, working diligently on her storyboards, an executive occasionally treats the office with shared bento boxes. During her midday break, Natsuko, unaware of its danger, casually consumes one of these bentos. Unfortunately, this lunch, containing expired clams, led to a serious case of food poisoning for Natsuko.

Upon waking up, Natsuko discovers herself in a barren landscape, questioning her own life. By mere fortune, she encounters Luke Braveheart – a quintessential knight from fantasy tales, Memerun – an Elven combatant, QJ – a diminutive robot reminiscent of C-3PO, and Unio – a chirpy, large-mouthed unicorn. Remarkably, these characters are among Natsuko’s most beloved from the movie “A Tale of Perishing,” which she was viewing while possibly consuming spoiled clams that could have caused her demise.

In the story, Natsuko trails after the heroes towards the final settlement known as The Last Town, which remains the last trace of civilization that hasn’t been corrupted by a malicious group called Voids. These Voids target and destroy crystalline life energies referred to as Soul Futures. If every Soul Future across the universe is obliterated by the Voids, then the entire world portrayed in “A Tale of Perishing” will come to an end. Despite her attempts to alert Luke and his allies about the impending Void attack, they label her as being delusional and ignore her warnings.

In the movie, it turns out that Natsuko was right when an army of Voids attacked the Last Town, causing Unio’s death and setting off a series of unfortunate events. Yet, after this battle, Natsuko’s peg bar magically gains consciousness and talks to her, urging her to create a new future through her drawings. Inspired by these words, Natsuko realizes that whatever she draws will become real. She then uses this ability to vanquish the Voids without causing any harm to anyone else.

In the upcoming episodes, Natsuko employs her magical animations to combat Voids and safeguard The Last Town. She also develops friendships with characters from “A Tale of Perishing”, uncovering secrets about them that were never disclosed in the movie. Although her skills have generally kept the Voids at a distance, these fresh revelations introduce complex issues that cannot be addressed by simple drawings alone.

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2025-02-06 21:35