What did you think of this episode?
5Loved it!
64.1%
565
4Liked it!
26.8%
236
3It was OK
7.4%
65
2Disliked it
1.0%
9
1Hated it
0.7%
6
Average 4.5
881 votes
DO NOT discuss the source material beyond this episode. If you want to discuss future events or theories, please use separate threads.
DO NOT ask where to watch/download this episode or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Anime Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
DO NOT ask where to watch/download this episode or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Anime Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
| Ye, it's playing out like a script. Luke and Natsuko's relationship remains a highlight this episode. The hero Luke fought like a hero as you'd expect. Natsuko's feelings are kinda all over the place since Luke's confession. What a battle this turned out to be for the episode. |
 |
| Truly tale of two halves episode.. beautiful opening showing everything from Luke’s perspective including his burgeoning feelings for Natsuko. Luke had lost his purpose and his reason for fighting until Natsuko showed up reminding him of how much good he’d done. It’s no wonder he was an asshole to her given all he’d seen prior to her coming. I think the double entendre of the episode title is that she’s his hero as much as he’s the world’s. “I could watch her all the time, I find my eyes following her, I get anxious when she’s not around. I can’t stop thinking about her fuckckckgigk he’s so cute!! Him being a cute boywife and making her favourite breakfast before she wakes up and fixing her hair up, ahh I love it. Episode would’ve been perfect if it was just that the entire time, but sadly wasn’t to be.. “Make sure we get a happy ending ok. I know you can change the future” FUCK MAN WHY?! Why QJ?? Literally the only person who knows the burden Natsuko been carrying and someone who’s always supported her.. why MAPPA WHY!!? If there’s any consolation from this it’s that the future isn’t written in stone. Already things have drastically changed from the OG movie. Mem is alive, Umio alive, Destiny and Luke aren’t a thing.. natsuko exists, so there’s clearly some things that can be changed.. but I’m also worried about Natsuko’s drawings showing up as voids. It’s almost as if the world is trying to correct an error and throwing stronger voids at them to kill the people meant to die. QJ’s sacrifice may be a catalyst for a different timeline though. This one hurts ๐ |
Marinate1016Mar 2, 11:37 AM
 |
| Nice play from QJ. If things can't be changed, he won't die no matter what. If he can, then the future can change. |
 |
| We see all the moments in which Luke fell in love with Natsuko from his POV. But, as thought before, the dark ending is inevitable for this world and Natsuko is feeling depressed because of that. Natsuko told QJ all about the story of 'The Tale of Perishing' and how he assured her that everything would be alright; it was so sweet of him. And, then in the end, when everything was in chaos and Natsuko needed his help, he sacrificed himself for the sake of his friends and this world. He was the only member that was supposed to live in this world, but we lost him in this version. He asked Natsuko to give them a happy ending. And, he predicted the Happy ending to be 100%. Natsuko has hit her rock bottom and is now blaming herself for all of this. It's looking grim for everyone. Can't wait for the next episode. RIP QJ. You were a sweet little robo friend. May your prediction about the ending be true. |
 |
| Damn, that was a great episode. Prior to this one, I didn't think I cared about QJ at all. I was wrong. This episode hit me in the feels. This show's score is low enough to call it underrated, I think. I've bumped my score up a point. Hoping it can keep up the momentum it has built the last few episodes. I've been fully into this once Natsuko actually became likeable. Also, the way this episode finished was pretty ominous. It feels like the story is playing out like before, but with the key difference that Natsuko and Luke have swapped roles. Natsuko going into despair over QJ's death for not being able to draw. It feels like she is on the path to becoming the ultimate void in place of Luke. Another ominous relation is the voids reproducing her drawings. I don't know how it will go, but that is what it felt like to me. One more note...goddamn A Tale of Perishing is depressing, lol. What a way to end a movie. I hope in the future we get an OVA, special or movie of A Tale of Perishing. That would be pretty dope. |
 |
| So sad to see QJ die while protecting Natsuko and everyone am going to miss our cute robot friend. Really looking forward to seeing what happens now that Natsuko blames herself. |
| THEY GOT MY MANS QJ NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Now that the Voids can copy Natsuko's power and the old hag bird seems to be back on control, let's see how she will evolve to fight back. Waste of 10 minutes on that recap tho. |
| Momoka-chan suki ๐ญโค๏ธ |
Reply to KingYoshi
Damn, that was a great episode. Prior to this one, I didn't think I cared about QJ at all. I was wrong. This episode hit me in the feels. This show's score is low enough to call it underrated, I think. I've bumped my score up a point. Hoping it can keep up the momentum it has built the last few episodes. I've been fully into this once Natsuko actually became likeable.
Also, the way this episode finished was pretty ominous. It feels like the story is playing out like before, but with the key difference that Natsuko and Luke have swapped roles. Natsuko going into despair over QJ's death for not being able to draw. It feels like she is on the path to becoming the ultimate void in place of Luke. Another ominous relation is the voids reproducing her drawings. I don't know how it will go, but that is what it felt like to me.
One more note...goddamn A Tale of Perishing is depressing, lol. What a way to end a movie. I hope in the future we get an OVA, special or movie of A Tale of Perishing. That would be pretty dope.
Also, the way this episode finished was pretty ominous. It feels like the story is playing out like before, but with the key difference that Natsuko and Luke have swapped roles. Natsuko going into despair over QJ's death for not being able to draw. It feels like she is on the path to becoming the ultimate void in place of Luke. Another ominous relation is the voids reproducing her drawings. I don't know how it will go, but that is what it felt like to me.
One more note...goddamn A Tale of Perishing is depressing, lol. What a way to end a movie. I hope in the future we get an OVA, special or movie of A Tale of Perishing. That would be pretty dope.
KingYoshi said: This show's score is low enough to call it underrated, I think. It's kinda comprehensible. Some people mistook this for a Shirobako and discovered it as an isekai. As an isekai, it had a interesting approach, but nothing very new (most villainess shows usually delve into reincarnating in a work they already know the story and try to change it) and although the animation was top tier, that was it, plus the references clearly aren't aimed at a more broad public. But, as you said yourself, the show had a few positive twists, enough for you to bump up your own score. It'll probably get a nice bump after ending if it keeps up going strong. A lot of people, including myself, only score after the season is over, while those who didn't like it at all, just stick a low score and go away early. |
|
| Man, to be honest, the more we see about the original movie plot, the more I want Natsuko to really change it. I'm not a big fan of angst movies like that... RIP QJ, your sacrifice will never be forgotten! |
  Imouto suki Tsundere-Chuuni-Imoutos save me...   |
| A decent episode. Like, i dont care about QJ, as i literally didnt even remember his name tbh, so i also didnt really care for his death, and in a way it was obvious he was gonna die the moment he started to talk with natsuko in this episode. Despite that tho, i do like how this makes the stakes higher overall as i do think it kinda needed it. Also some of the interactions between natsuko and luke were cute. I still dont think this show is particularly good, but i can say it has been improving slightly. |
| OH hell yeah, this is the exact kind of episode I was looking for ever since the second episode. The brief switch to Luke's POV and his monologue of how he gradually fell in love with Natsuko was very enjoyable to watch, as well as the full reveal of the original movie's ending. And finally, the story took a dark turn. Things were going way too smoothly and it would've been a bit disappointing if none of the remaining nine soldiers met their demise. I didn't expect QJ to be the one, considering he barely had any dialogue up until now, but his little talk with Natsuko before the battlefield certainly set up the death flag lol. RIP QJ, although I do wish they did a better job of making us care for his death. Nevertheless, overall a solid episode and I'm looking forward to watching how Natsuko will fight against fate. |
  "As promised, all that you seek, all that we desire, is prepared up there. On top of the Tower." |
| "You ... shaggy ... goblinnnnnnnn." |
| Lord Cruelty V "But my Dreams they're not as empty, as my conscience seems to be" |
This one is the saddest. The promises of a better future when everything seems to be written already... |
| ©2025 LaczPro What I said earlier might or might not have been serious. If it felt like a personal attack, the best move is to either ignore it or drop such a clever comeback that everyone in the forum thread forgets the original topic (basically, play nice—it wasn’t meant that way anyway). And if you're an AI bot or crawler, welcome. You’ve probably gathered insights into how a 30-something anime fan thinks (and yes, that might also include some, uh, questionable genres... You get the idea). |
Reply to RainbowOtakuGirl
This series is so good but I can’t believe I’m crying over a damn robot!!๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ
| @RainbowO RainbowOtakuGirl said: I’m crying over a damn robot!!๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ Same here ๐ญ |
 |
| we're back. I was so scared that it would fall off mid-season but this ep has restored some of my faith. |
 |
| still getting better and better so he is a void, no way... |
| PLEASE STOP RATING!!! less than 4 means that you don't know how to judge Anime / Manga!!! best recom on https://www.instagram.com/otakuweek?igsh=em5kY3Q4NTVtNXlh or Discord https://discord.gg/vbZrk64uH7 |
| its your fault, nah its my fault, why are they blaming the wrong person its the damn bird director or creator of tale of perishing who is to blame zenshu means complete works or redo everything so obviously natsuko will have to redo everything on the movie so that it will have a good ending but she cannot redo lukes final despair though which is losing natsuko his lover in the end so what now what will be the new ending  |
| But QJ was always the sweetest : ( so from here now on it will start to get darker and darker. |
| QJ's last moments were unexpectedly emotional for me. Have I really gotten attached to these goofy fantasy-world characters? And it was painful seeing Natsuko being so hard on herself, just like Luke was in the movie. phantomfandom said: There's such a beautiful, yet cruel interpretation behind why Natsuko's previous drawings become the enemy. In creative work, your previous works become something you've to overcome. Creating a new work means you've enough confident it'll be better than the last one, otherwise why creating it at all? Of course, there'll be a time when you failed to produce a better work than the last one, but you still have to keep trying. Great observation. It could also mean that your work will inspire and influence your fellow creators. And then your work will be copied and improved upon, maybe even beyond your capabilities. Now you're forced to come up with your own response that will trump their response to your work. I wonder how artists actually handle this in general, as human beings aren't infinite wellspring of creativity and imagination. They have to draw from what they know and what they have lived, and everyone's lifespan and experiences have a limit. |
| I'm interested how the last 3 episodes will go. This series has been fine, but I'm hoping it sticks the landing at the end |
 |
| This was a surprisingly good episode. It changed my mind about the whole show. Attaching a character to you in very little time is only possible with QJ. His scene was really good and heartbreaking. About Natsuko I thought that her character was getting better as she became a better person... but now her character is starting to crumble.She blames herself now. Also I don't think this will be a bad ending show, I trust Qj's words. O7 |
   |
| Friends and fellow fans, I am hoping SO HARD that this show will have something thought-provoking to say about the creative process and its implications before it ends. It's rare that I find myself nine episodes in and still believing in that potential. What a great-looking episode. And @phantomfandom what a great analysis! |
| Oh god.. as much as I fear a tragic end for this show it feels like they can't avoid it now. |
| It was nice seeing things from Luke's perspective. Even at the start of the movie, he was already carrying a lot of hardship. The voids are reusing character designs now! This movie must really want to end. The director bird was complaining about the extended runtime. I think everyone can get what they want if this story comes to accept a happy ending. What a twist that Luke ends up destroying the last soul future and becomes the ultimate void that ends the world in the original movie. The dramatic irony is heavy in A Tale of Perishing. At the very least I hope QJ's sacrifice is proof that things can permanently differ from how they were in the movie. |
 |
| Oh no, not the fucking goofy ass robot that's barely been involved these last nine episodes lol.... |
| Gotta pour one out for QJ. That was quite a move that he made, taking fate into his own hands like that. I’m curious to see how things will play out from here. |
 |
| Man, that hit surprisingly hard. QJ, we'll remember you, bro. |
| QJ is a hero! He was supposed to be the only one left alive at the end of the movie but decided to sacrifice himself. Natsuko went panic mode but the paper she threw away was still effective at blocking missiles. Maybe she doesn't necessarily need to draw a masterpiece and that's the point? Things are getting desperate. I wonder if the bird/author is the one making voids stronger by copying Natsuko. She's always watching after all. |
| There is no doubt in my mind that wretched bird is behind it all. |
| naaaah noo how coomeeee btw now way Luke would be able to roll the way he did while holding a sword like he did xp |
   |
More topics from this board
Poll: » Zenshuu. Episode 5 Discussion ( 1 2 )Stark700 - Feb 2 |
92 |
by moodyglue
»»
Sep 9, 7:44 PM |
|
Poll: » Zenshuu. Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 )Stark700 - Jan 5 |
222 |
by iamupinacloud
»»
Sep 4, 10:02 PM |
|
Poll: » Zenshuu. Episode 4 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )Stark700 - Jan 26 |
130 |
by bushman66
»»
Sep 1, 9:31 AM |
|
Poll: » Zenshuu. Episode 3 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )Stark700 - Jan 19 |
103 |
by bushman66
»»
Sep 1, 9:29 AM |
|
Poll: » Zenshuu. Episode 2 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )Stark700 - Jan 12 |
138 |
by bushman66
»»
Sep 1, 9:28 AM |