Like many, I've got an overflowing list of new anime I'm looking forward to, and I didn't think there would be any room for more series to go alongside the likes of Demon Slayer and Dan Da Dan. Until now, that is.
Enter Zenshu: a meta anime about creating anime from the studio behind Attack on Titan and Chainsaw Man. Part-sideways look at the artform we've fallen in love with, part-coming-of-age drama, the new trailer released by Crunchyroll (which you can see above) has captured my attention in just 75 seconds.
Zenshu (animated by Mappa) revolves around the fledgling career of Natsuko, a wonderkid animator who quickly finds success after being fast tracked to the position of anime director.
But there's a problem. As per the show's synopsis, "Her next project is set to be a romantic comedy movie themed around first love. However, having never been in love herself, Natsuko struggles to understand the concept of first love, and as a result, she’s unable to create the storyboard, causing the movie production to come to a standstill."
All told, it's just the sort of project that anime thrives at: a wistful exploration of the medium itself, all while trying to tell us a little more about the human condition. Maybe bring some tissues. Just in case.
Those looking for an early taste of Zenshu can look forward to Crunchyroll's panel at October's New York Comic Con in October. There, a new trailer will be shown – a small gift, considering how the anime's status is simply 'currently underway' with no release date in sight.
Speaking of October, we can't shout loudly enough about anime's incredible fall window: Dan Da Dan, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 3, and Dragon Ball Daima make up just a fraction of the exciting new releases coming your way soon.
For more, check out our 20 picks for the best anime to watch in 2024.
