English Dub Review: Zenshu “Defend”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The prophet of the Last Town, Elder Baobab, decides that Natsuko should join the Nine Soldiers, but she and Luke are at odds.  Natsuko tries to figure out a way back home but then remembers what happens next in “A Tale of Perishing” and realizes everyone’s in danger again.

Our Take:      

The series started out like many other isekai shows, with Natsuko reincarnating into her favorite childhood movie.  However, things got a bit more interesting when she gained the ability to write her own story, hence rescuing one of the film’s characters, Unio, from her doomed fate.  Usually, we see the protagonists gain OP skills related to RPG elements when they get isekai’d.  However, Zenshu takes a rather refreshing approach to this aspect by having Natsuko gain the ultimate ability: storyboarding.  Of course, it isn’t without her knowledge of animation, isekai anime, and “A Tale of Perishing” that coincide with her snarky and fangirl-ish persona.  As a result, it provided plenty of meta humor that’s as delightful as MAPPA’s animation, especially ones involving the show’s fish-out-of-water approach and Luke’s sexist remark toward Natsuko.

The episode also quickly showcased the limitations of Natsuko’s magical pegbar.  One of them is that her powers only function during dire situations, including a void mothership threatening to destroy the world’s harvest festival.  She also can’t draw the same drawings twice, leading her to create a barrage of missiles instead, and she passes out for three days after using them.  So, despite having the power to change the story, these limitations could pose a problem in Natsuko’s quest to provide a happy ending, especially since she’s now a member of the Nine Soldiers.

With only two episodes now in the books, I could see the potential of Zenshu being another original anime hit regarding its superb presentation and refreshing plot.  However, my only concern heading into the series is Unio, who still doesn’t trust Natsuko after being saved by her.  No disrespect toward Luci Christian, who voices the character in the English dub, but he was a tad annoying sometimes in terms of his voice and personality.  It makes me wonder if saving Unio was worth it.  Besides that, “Defend” draws us a strong start for a series that’s as promising as its concept.