Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey

Chika Suzugamori, an 18-year-old newcomer manga artist, has just had three of her drafts rejected in a single day. Her editor suggests incorporating her interests into her work, but Chika is an indoor person who only thinks about manga day and night. At a loss, she feels a sudden desire to get away from everything and go on a journey somewhere.

Due to the results of an online poll that she posted on a whim, Chika hops on a train and heads north from Tokyo on an impromptu solo trip. When she ends up at the top of Mount Haguro in Aizu-Wakamatsu, she realizes she feels refreshed and more motivated than before. Even if her projects get turned down again in the future, Chika plans to journey around Japan with friends old and new.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Suzugamori, Chika Main

Tsukishiro, Hika Japanese

Hasunuma, Koyomi Supporting

Suzushiro, Sayumi Japanese

Narrator Supporting

Kubota, Hitoshi Japanese

Yoshimoto-san Supporting

Kobayashi, Yuu Japanese

Tenkuubashi, Riri Supporting

Hikasa, Youko Japanese

Unoki, Yui Supporting

Hiratsuka, Sae Japanese

Koujiya, Fuyune Supporting

Satou, Satomi Japanese

Iizuka, Aya Producer

Nemoto, Yuuka Producer

Sawahata, Kouji Producer

Shimaoka, Ryousuke Producer

Reviews

Apr 21, 2025

Ellenwitch

Recommended

Preliminary (3/12 eps)

The definition of a comfort anime.

There are animes that have high case action, or drama, keeping a viewer hooked to their seats. Then there are those shows, that are more for the kick back and relax kind. The sort of show you make a whole dinner, crack open a can, sit back and enjoy. This is where we find ourselves with Zatsu Tabi. So you can't really knock it for what it is. It's a perfect pallet cleanser, for more intense and epic kind of shows.

Story and characters: 7
While the point is the troubles of a new Rookie Manga artist. But the plot could've ... really been a number of things, as the core premise will be about the journey itself, and good vibes and experiences that come with it. It's almost as if we're watching a Youtube video, of someone going out in the world, flogging their holiday, or one of those respectable Japan content creators, showcasing the best, and most wonderful things about such. Not only having a good time, bringing others along, but also making the viewer want to join in ro boor.
While course, it does go back to the Manga plot point, but it can really signal how if we're struggling in life. Where we want to go on and escape. Travel and experience. To basically LIVE. That's what this show is like. While we want to reach our dreams. But we have to keep to ourselves too. To re-energize ourselves, for our own mental health and sanity.

Art and Sound: 7
The art can be best described as comforting. It's simple, and well detailed to a point that it does it's job that it sets out to do. While in parts being animated real well, in how things flow, look, and how everything blends together, and expresses itself. Followed up by a good sound team, which make for a good watching experience.

Zatsu is a nice and relaxing experience. A cool anime for your tastespuds that is for sure.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Apr 21, 2025

Kimurah

Not Recommended

Preliminary (3/12 eps)

Remember the time when streaming services promised that ads would be a thing of the past? Looks like ads are now becoming a whole show. This is what Zatsu Tabi stands for, as a tourist ad for otaku pilgrimage across Japan.

Normally slice of life shows and more specifically the iyashikei subgenre is focused on creating a relaxing mood at the cost of an overarching plot. These kinds of shows tend to have more colorful characters that compensate for the lack of a plot. The problem lies when even the characters are just flat cardboard cutouts that serve as hosts to "sell" the touristic locations, making ... the spots the main focus of the show.

There's nothing wrong when either the characters or a narrator providing trivia info about the locations where the story is being unfold. But there needs to be more to it with character interactions and strong character traits that link these group of characters together and nothing remarkable happens between this cast so far.

Visual wise, this show looks ok, the studio did their homework recreating famous locations around Japan and making them look like anime versions. The problem comes with the compositing of characters and backgrounds on certain locations that look too photorealistic, but the characters pop out like a Hanna Barbera cartoon.

The music feels like it was purchased from a site that provides license free music. Nothing pops out neither in the dinning scenes nor the outdoor locations. Remember the scene in Yuru Camp where Nadeshiko & Shimarin shared a cup of noodles? It had the most enjoyable banjo and percussions background music along with some fun slurping sound effects. There's nothing remarkable in sound design in Zatsu Tabi so far.

If you're okay by watching an ad for an otaku meca, this might be the thing for you. If you want to watch an iyashikei that has colorful characters and really soothing mood, watch something else like Yuru Camp or Flying Witch.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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	Poll: Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey Episode 4 Discussion Stark700 - Apr 28	31 replies	by tywhoppity »» 28 minutes ago
	Poll: Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey Episode 3 Discussion Stark700 - Apr 21	44 replies	by Kimurah »» Yesterday, 6:31 AM
	Poll: Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Apr 7	96 replies	by ravenlynne »» Apr 25, 3:56 PM
	Poll: Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey Episode 2 Discussion Stark700 - Apr 14	46 replies	by Pitto_ »» Apr 25, 6:45 AM
	OP ARK-13 - Apr 7	2 replies	by MewsicMagic »» Apr 20, 3:47 PM