The Winter 2025 anime season is finally here, and after the hype around Solo Leveling Season 2, the next big hyped-up anime is Zenshu.
It is one of the most talked-about shows this season, mostly because of its unique story and the studio behind it. Unlike most anime, Zenshu is not based on a manga or light novel, it’s an original story.
The anime is directed by Mitsue Yamazaki, written by Kimiko Ueno, and produced by none other than MAPPA, the studio behind hits like Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Attack on Titan: The Final Movie.
But Zenshu brings something different to the table. It is an isekai anime (it was supposed to be fantasy and comedy), which makes it stand out from MAPPA’s usual style.
Mappa going straight from Ranma to Zenshu is so brilliant pic.twitter.com/zyEAvy2FEp
— ☽ (@EternityofLum) January 5, 2025
Zenshu’s first episode premiered on the 5th of January and did not disappoint at all. It will follow a weekly schedule.
In this article, I will be discussing the release date of Zenshu Episode 2 and give you a brief recap of what has happened so far!
Zenshu Episode 2 Release Date
According to the schedule shared by Crunchyroll, Zenshu Episode 2 will be released on 12th January 2025 at 6:45 AM PT.
While in Japan, due to the timezone difference, it will be released the next day on 13th January at 2:15 AM JST. The complete schedule of Zenshu Episode 2 Release Date is listed below:
Region | Release Date & Time | Platform/Station |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (GMT) | January 12, 2025, at 2:45 PM | Crunchyroll |
Eastern Time (ET, USA) | January 12, 2025, at 9:45 AM | Crunchyroll |
Central Time (CT, USA) | January 12, 2025, at 8:45 AM | Crunchyroll |
Pacific Time (PT, USA) | January 12, 2025, at 6:45 AM | Crunchyroll |
Central Europe (CET) | January 12, 2025, at 3:45 PM | Crunchyroll |
India (IST) | January 12, 2025, at 8:15 PM | Crunchyroll |
Australia (AWST) | January 13, 2025, at 1:15 AM | Crunchyroll |
Australia (AEST) | January 13, 2025, at 3:15 AM | Crunchyroll |
Japan (JST) | January 13, 2025, at 2:15 AM | Crunchyroll |
Since Crunchyroll has exclusive streaming rights to Zenshu, the episode will be available on Crunchyroll to watch. So make sure to get a subscription!
What To Expect From Zenshu Episode 2
As I mentioned earlier, Zenshu by MAPPA is pretty unique since it doesn’t have a manga or light novel to follow. That means no one really knows what Kimiko Ueno has planned for Zenshu Episode 2, titled ‘Defend’.
The first episode ended on a cliffhanger. Natsuko Hirose, the main character, ends up getting teleported into an anime movie called A Tale of Perishing after she dies.
This movie was actually made by her favorite animator who also died, which makes things even more interesting.

She realizes she has the power to change the story in this new world. Plus, since she has already watched the movie, she knows what is supposed to happen next in this anime-like world.
There is also this weird glowing thing she is holding that keeps telling her to “draw.” Eventually, her office desk appears out of nowhere, and she draws a golem.
That golem comes to life and defeats the enemies that were attacking. But using this power is not easy, it puts a huge strain on her body, and she ends up passing out. Right before the episode ends, we also get a glimpse of the animator’s face for the first time.
From what we have seen so far, it looks like Natsuko is going to be stuck in this world for a while. Even though the anime is not fully marketed as an isekai, it is giving off those vibes. It seems like another story about a main character trapped in a medieval-style world where magic exists.
Based on the title shown at the end of the episode, Defend, it looks like there’s going to be another attack in the next episode. Natsuko Hirose will probably have to use her powers again to stop the invaders.
Since she can draw anything, and it literally comes to life, she’s basically a GOD in this anime.
Recap
Zenshu Episode 1, called First Stroke, starts with Natsuko Hirose introducing herself. After finishing high school, she became an animator.
Over time, she climbed up the ladder, becoming an animation director and then the director of her own anime series, which turned out to be a massive hit.
But her next project, an original rom-com movie called HATSUKOI: First Love isn’t going so smoothly. According to the synopsis, Natsuko has never been in love herself, so she doesn’t know how first love feels. This makes it hard for her to continue the project.
We see her at work, but her storyboards are empty, and the entire studio is worried. One of the workers tells the team not to disturb Natsuko because she’s “working” and even asks them to throw out the expired lunches.
Another worker gives Natsuko some announcement PV keyframes to review, but she tells them to fix everything.
The worker is shocked because Natsuko didn’t give any real feedback. Then she tells them to just leave the PV keyframes, and she will do it herself.
The episode shows Natsuko as someone who likes to do everything on her own, even though she has a whole team and studio to help her.
Meanwhile, the other workers are stressing out because not even half of the HATSUKOI: First Love storyboards are finished, and the release date is coming up fast.
Maybe MAPPA is trying to show us what really happens in the studio and why their employees end up overworked while making anime.
Natsuko is scrolling through a Twitter-like app when she sees the news that her favorite anime movie, A Tale of Perishing,’s director, Tsuruyama, has died from food poisoning.
One of her coworkers shows up again and asks if she’d let someone else help with the storyboards since the premiere date is getting close. But Natsuko flat-out refuses and says she will handle everything herself.
Later, she sits down to watch A Tale of Perishing while eating seafood. She’s a huge fan of the movie, even though it was not a hit, actually, most people hated it. Natsuko admits she has watched it many times and still does not fully get it.
Turns out, the seafood she is eating is the expired food her coworker had said to throw out. She dies from food poisoning and gets teleported straight into the world of A Tale of Perishing, right in the middle of a battle.

She is saved by Luke Braveheart, the main character of the movie. At first, Natsuko does not realize she is actually inside the anime.
But after some time, it finally clicks, and she tries to warn Luke about an incoming invasion. Luke does not believe her and just thinks she is weird. But the invasion happens anyway.
During the fight, Natsuko remembers that a character was supposed to die protecting everyone. She acts quickly and saves the unicorn character who was about to sacrifice himself.

That is when Natsuko realizes she has a special ability. A glowing thing in her pocket tells her to “draw.” She pulls out her tools and sketches a golem, which comes to life and wipes out thousands of enemies.

But using her ability takes a toll on her. She passes out while telling Luke that she is from “reality” and that she’s an animator. Luke, not knowing what that means, assumes “reality” is some far-off kingdom and that she is an “aneeemator.”




What is A Tale of Perishing in Zenshu?
A Tale of Perishing is an anime movie that got Natsuko, the main character of Zenshu, interested in anime.
Even though the movie was a total flop, Natsuko absolutely loved it and has watched it over and over. She’s also a big fan of the movie’s director. After Natsuko dies, she finds herself teleported into the world of A Tale of Perishing.
Is Natsuko Really Dead in Zenshu?
Zenshu Episode 1 did not really confirm if Natsuko is fully dead or not. For now, it looks like the story is going with the idea that she died and got transported into her favorite anime movie.
In most isekai stories, the main character usually gets stuck in another world or game for a while but eventually finds a way back to their real life. So, maybe Natsuko is in some kind of life-and-death state right now.
Zenshu Episode 1 is now available on Crunchyroll