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, I don't think Natsuko was ever the type who knows about romance. Or rather, her lack of experience is evident. Episode is alright imo. I kinda like the more change of vibe in the real world setting. And Natsuko got the chance to make a new friend, or sort of. |
 |
| Aw man, for a second there I was actually enjoying an episode of this show for once. But alas, the ending ruined it, with us being back in this shitty fantasy world that I could care less of a fuck about. Seriously, this episode showed me that what's holding back me from liking this series is the shitty fantasy world. Story aside as well, this is easily the best looking episode as well. So, I'm struggling to see what the point of the fantasy aspect is anymore if an episode with no action looked better than episodes WITH action. |
 |
| Mappa decided to show off in this episode. I'm genuinely pleased on what I'm seeing. The nicest visuals I've seeing in a while (yeah, there might be better out there. Still, I'm enjoying these). I also don't understand squee sounds 🤷🏻♂️ |
| ©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). |
| There was some serious animation in this episode even in scenes that usually are tame. So she's probably going to fall in love in ToP before she can return to her world and finish her task. Although it didn't have an animation sequence from her this time, there was plenty of her drawing. And since there's a poster of a Dokaben knock-off, there's a high chance of that samurai also being the case. |
 |
| Really nice episode It was interesting to see how popular she was with other people during her school days but am not surprised that she wasn't interested in romance and more focused on her work. |
| We got to see the entire Natsuko life through her dream and it was so weird and fun. She's such a lovable weirdo. No wonder everybody kept falling in love with her. And, how she became obsessed with animation while everyone around her kept loving everything she put out and now for the final challenge, "First Love" The next episode is called 'Confession'. Can't wait to see it. Will Luke finally express his feelings? Also, Natsuko is questioning whether this story should be this happy. And, the bird director is back again with a "No" answer. The episode was a directional and SB genius and an incredible episode from start to finish. Tokio Igarashi. What a guy. Can't wait to see your debut, my good sir. |
 |
| Hold the phone! I think they might be cooking... Edit: My theory seems to be correct. |
gorkthe134thFeb 16, 10:52 AM
| Natsuko backstory finally! MAPPA didn’t hold anything back wow, I had a feeling this episode was gonna go crazy because of the key visuals they kept posting on Twitter and it def lived up to the hype!! We’ve had Natsuko tell her story, but letting others tell how you’ve made them feel gives a different perspective. We are just the sum total of our interactions with people, after-all. Enjoyed seeing 3 distinct stages of her life and the impact she had on people. Midori and the track star were my faves. MAPPA going all out and it’s just a lesbian awakening 😂 that Midori first love scene was so good!! Natsuko really had all these people head over heels for her and other than Midori, she really ain’t gaf about any of them. That habit of not seeing people as people has been an issue she’s had since childhood. Not even remembering the trackstar’s name after she pushed him to break the 100m record was craaaazy. That Adam’s Apple scene also went incredibly hard. I like how the animation studio president saw that as Natsuko’s biggest weakness and gave her that romcom assignment to help her grow, technically it did, by having Natsuko go into the A tale of perishing world, but not in the way she expected lol. Notice how the camera focuses on Luke when Natsuko wakes up after the president says she hasn’t found her first love yet… crumbs.. we will sail 🙏🏾 Nah that ending is too ominous please tell me this won’t have a tragic ending 😭 who tf is this bird |
Marinate1016Feb 16, 12:18 PM
 |
| "I need violence, carnage, and rage!" Whereas I prefer fan service, romance and humor. Adam's apple ecchi. "I'm fine. This is fine." "Natsuko Hirose is crazy." Yep. "Justa-Bunch" "Of course it's wrong." You are so screwed as well as screwed up now, Natsuko. |
| Lord Cruelty V "But my Dreams they're not as empty, as my conscience seems to be" |
| i m not sure if i needed this backstory, i ve almost forgotten i was tricked to watch isekai |
   |
| Easily the best episode so far. Seeing all the different kinds of first love that was around Natsuko but she never realized it was amazing. We also got to see Natsuko retreating into her animation shell with each time jump, giving us the context around her character. And Mappa went above and beyond making the real world more beautiful and exciting than any scene in the fantasy world. The ending got me really hype since I feel the anime might touch on the difference between fan and creator intent. With how Natsuko has been changing the story of ToP, the current thing cannot be called anything other than a fanfiction. While she has helped all the characters she liked like a fan would want to, that has completely stripped the story of the director's original intentions. As happy as the story is now, it is nothing like the story Natsuko fell in love with when she was young and if the original story was what we are watching right now, there is a big possibility she would never have in the first place. ToP was always meant to be a bleak tragedy, and with messing with the story and characters like she has, can it even be called ToP anymore? It really reminds me of those god-awful fanfictions people create whenever a big anime ends. Think of all the dogshit 'alternate endings' people create for AoT and JJK. All fans want is for their favorite characters to have a happy ever after at the end, and when that does not happen, they create their own endings and claim it to be better, not realizing that a happy ending for all the characters and the world spits in the face of the themes and messages the original creator wanted to express. Natsuko's condition is a bit different than these, but I still wonder if the anime will harken to these themes of original vs fan intent. Also, the closer we get to the end, the more I feel like Natsuko isn't really dead and is just in a coma, dreaming about ToP. Maybe she already had an inkling that she needed to change and is speaking to her own subconscious self in the coma in this way to help her fully realize that. Its a long shot, but for some reason, I feel like the anime could go down this or a similar route. Anyway, I'm so much more excited for the ending after this episode than I was before it. With the passion the team put in this episode, I feel like there is a high chance the anime lands the ending. |
| hear me out, this was for me the best ep of the season not only the animation was good but I really didn't see the time fly, we really learned a lot about her and it change or brings a lot of things to the story even the end of the ep, so something bad will happen at the end, hummm |
| if you hated this episode/chapter, just watch/read something else... IG (https://www.instagram.com/otakuweek?igsh=em5kY3Q4NTVtNXlh) Discord (https://discord.gg/vbZrk64uH7) |
| Pretty cool that we got to see the POV of 4 people whose first love was Natsuko, although I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that it wasn't centered on Natsuko and Luke, like I thought it would. Next episode maybe? Maybe we'll be able to see Natsuko having a "squeee" moment of her own. But anyways, quite an entertaining episode overall. My favorite segment was probably the 2nd POV with the running dude. The animation sequences in this episode was crazy good. The ending was very ominous. I'm still praying for this story to take a dark turn. |
  "As promised, all that you seek, all that we desire, is prepared up there. On top of the Tower." |
| lol at the very end |
     |
Xiao said: The ending was very ominous. I'm still praying for this story to take a dark turn. Like maybe Natsuko recognizing first love as Luke dies? |
| Lord Cruelty V "But my Dreams they're not as empty, as my conscience seems to be" |
| Natsuko was so busy following her passion that she missed all the first loves around her. Ironic how that ended up being the last thing she was looking for. I appreciate this story having a real world flashback. It's pretty uncommon in the genre to focus much outside of the new land. |
 |
| It's great that they show us the background of Natsuko, well at least we have a glimpse of her real life~ Natsuko's motivations transcends bros physical limit to 11 lmao... Uhmm, those happy moments are always "The calm before the storm" vibes IINM... Well, I hope they go pass through it with the power of their teamwork (friendship) |
 |
Reply to LordCrueltyV
Xiao said:
The ending was very ominous. I'm still praying for this story to take a dark turn.
The ending was very ominous. I'm still praying for this story to take a dark turn.
Like maybe Natsuko recognizing first love as Luke dies?
| @LordCrueltyV Oh lol sure, I wouldn't be opposed to that happening, although this show doesn't strike me as the kind that's willing to kill off the deuteragonist (a fakeout, at best)...unless this all turns out to be a fever dream. I was thinking more along the lines of at least one of the other warriors dying and Luke going into despair, like what happened in the original movie script. |
"As promised, all that you seek, all that we desire, is prepared up there. On top of the Tower." |
| great episode. can't wait for more |
| ヘルソン |
|
kuroneko99 said:
oh god lol that's not something you wanna see behind you |
Reply to JulieTogepi
@RodIshiCi LMAO The screenshot you attached has two anime from Spring 2020 XD. I just find that funny. Love Kakushigoto!
| @JulieTogepi It's just that those type of signature used to update automatically and stopped working and was stuck on that. But, yeah, Kakushigoto is great. |
|
| Finally an episode about animation... A Tale of Perishing was originally a very depressing story, with all of Luke's friends dying and he being unable to save the last town, so I wonder where the story goes now that she has basically changed everything. |
 |
| best episode of the season so far like how others have expressed, I also believe the fantasy setting is what is holding this series back |
| I'm liking this 7 episode rule that's becoming a modern trend (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i0wg7OdWls) With more time they could have potentially turned an ok show into an amazing one. Like how time loop stories, such as Until Then and Astlibra, use their first go-around to establish the groundwork. Then they'll follow it up with real stakes and true character development. However there's only 5 episodes left, and I don't see them turning things around by that much. |
 |
| This Natsuko Hirose is really a beautiful individual, both inside and out. Was already harboring that impression but this episode solidified it for me. Such an enigma of a person. Seeing how all-consuming the life and mindset of an auteur is or can be, and how they're like a vortex to everyone and everything in their path, has been a huge part of this series' appeal. It could even have worked as not an actual fantasy and just have all the fantastical content - the scenes inside the world of the movie - be in her head, as daydreams, dream dreams, or even hallucinations. But having that exist as its own actual separate universe somewhere and having episodes set in both worlds is also an interesting decision. I don't dislike and am not against that decision either as this series does in some ways feel a little different than anything else I've seen, even just down to the way it is structured and that in and of itself is always interesting. Like, for one, in most modern isekai the original world/our world/Earth - whatever you want to call it - doesn't have any importance at all anymore for the main character after they are isekai'd, outside of sometimes as a source of information or other resources to aid their new life in the new universe. Whereas you don't really get that impression here. It feels tangible that she actually could go back at some point. But it also feels like not doing so (whether physically not being able to do so or actively choosing not to) would make sense too. Neither would be the wrong decision (either for the character to make, or for the series' writer to have the character make). |
WatchTillTandavaFeb 17, 12:46 AM
| This is the first time I love a Zenshu episode. We get Natsuko's backstory, and she looked way lovely when she was younger and wore glasses. Her hairstyle using the horn seems to imply some character growth. The message to her at the end seems ominous. |
| 'I am the world's most selfish man.' (俺のわがまま世界１だ) — Ten'ouji Haru |
| I had a feeling that this anime is just someone from MAPPA self inserting herself, and now it makes sense... Script, Original Creator, Series Composition  So this anime is just some greenlit of personal project as reward. |
More topics from this board
Poll: » Zenshuu. Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 )Stark700 - Mar 23 |
244 |
by tr25a3
»»
Dec 8, 11:29 AM |
|
Poll: » Zenshuu. Episode 4 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )Stark700 - Jan 26 |
132 |
by KageKujo
»»
Nov 24, 10:11 PM |
|
» I hope there will be an OVA at least!deea9595 - Nov 16 |
3 |
by Rayane-47
»»
Nov 19, 6:03 AM |
|
Poll: » Zenshuu. Episode 3 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )Stark700 - Jan 19 |
106 |
by minusthebear
»»
Nov 16, 12:49 AM |
|
Poll: » Zenshuu. Episode 11 Discussion ( 1 2 )Stark700 - Mar 16 |
91 |
by bushman66
»»
Oct 26, 4:24 PM |