In a sudden twist, Zenshu's season finale is raising the stakes for the isekai anime. The original story of A Tale of Perishing is reasserting itself over many of the changes Natsuko Hirose has made. The tone of this series has always flirted with darker elements, but it's usually been a lighthearted anime. Zenshu is divorcing itself from the more common tropes in classic isekai and magical girl anime to embrace a more subversive take. This does work with the fact that A Tale of Perishing appears to be a subversive movie in and of itself. However, while Luke Braveheart's transformation into the Ultimate Void answers some questions and highlights the tragedy of A Tale of Perishing, his fall to the dark side would be a bad decision for the anime at this point.
Zenshu Episode 10, "Chaos" railroads the Nine Soldiers into their original roles. Shots from A Tale of Perishing are recreated with Natsuko at the center to emphasize her abrupt lack of control over the narrative. This sequence of events has haunted Natsuko for as long as she's been isekai'd, and they lead to Luke falling into his grief and becoming the Ultimate Void. It's reasonable for viewers to assume that Luke's story is heading the same way. If Zenshu is saying that Natsuko was never actually capable of saving these people she loves, then Luke's transformation will send that message home. However, he isn't the only person Natsuko has left an impact on. Between how Memmeln and Justice have changed their lives because of Natsuko's interference, there's hope that Luke won't follow the same path. Plus, if he becomes the Ultimate Void, then QJ's sacrifice was for nothing.
Luke Braveheart Has No Reason to Destroy the Soul Future in Zenshu
In A Tale of Perishing, after losing several members of the Nine Soldiers, seeing Unio sacrifice himself, killing a disguised Memmeln, having the citizens turn against him and watching Destiny Heartwarming die, Luke gives up any faith in humanity. Destiny's death by saving the people who wanted her dead from a Void is the final straw for him. Luke destroys the Soul Future, dooming all the survivors in Last Town. In doing so, Luke transforms into the Ultimate Void and ends the world.
A Tale of Perishing isn't the story of a group of heroes from different kingdoms banding together to face an overwhelming evil. It's the story of Luke slowly being crushed by the weight of being a legendary hero. However, Natsuko gives him new experiences that should mitigate this fate. Through Natsuko, Luke has reunited with old friends and discovered a life outside his duties. Falling in love with Natsuko gave Luke something to live for and look forward to. He loses Natsuko and Unio in one fell swoop, but that shouldn't mitigate his previous experiences.
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Luke has changed dramatically and been allowed to develop into a person outside the character he started as. Despite the similarities in the circumstances around Natsuko and Unio's disappearance, the events aren't the same in the movie and shouldn't have the same conclusion. If Luke transforms into the Ultimate Void, Natsuko's story will turn to her having to save him instead of the two of them fighting together. This is contradictory to the conclusions they came to during Zenshu's hot springs episode.
Memmeln May Be the Most Important Character in Zenshu Right Now
Memmeln Has Already Left the Ultimate Void Cult
Memmeln and Natsuko became very close after Natsuko drew the idols for Memmeln. One of Natsuko's first goals after being isekai'd was to deal with Memmeln. She didn't know the details of Memmeln's betrayal, but that didn't change her desire to fix things. Through choosing to save Memmeln, Memmeln has also chosen to look after Natsuko. As she's alive when she would have already died in A Tale of Perishing, she may act independently.
More than that, Luke has already worked through his feelings over Memmeln's betrayal, so that's one less thing to push him over the edge. Memmeln isn't the only one of the Nine Soldiers to gain unique development. Justice is also active when he wouldn't have been. They have the best chance of acting of their own free will. There is still a risk, however, that both of them will revert to their character arcs from A Tale of Perishing.
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Destiny is the prime example of reverted character development. She has fallen back to her fate from the beginning of A Tale of Perishing. With that in mind, Memmeln may have rejoined the cult and been aiming to bring about the Ultimate Void. She's been shown acting suspiciously again. Her actions follow the same scenes as before. Justice seems to have disappeared. He wasn't at the orphanage, but that doesn't mean he's just gone from the anime. As Luke's most helpful confidant, Justice is a great deterrent to prevent Luke's downfall.
The Changes in the Voids is Crucial to Zenshu's Endgame
The Director is the Likliest Source of Change in A Tale of Perishing
The Voids are still one of the biggest mysteries in Zenshu. On the one hand, they seem to have some connection to Natsuko's peg bar and the drawings she makes. They don't have an origin and the only person who benefits from their growing strength is Kametaro Tsuruya, the director of A Tale of Perishing.
The Voids don't seem to have a choice in how they evolve. Even when it didn't benefit it, the Void swallowed Natsuko and Unio and took on the features of the scribble Natsuko made in the previous battle. Whatever empowers the Voids doesn’t directly shape their strength, further implying that the Voids have a greater connection to Natsuko's magical girl powers than anything else.
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Should Luke actually become the Ultimate Void, that should finally answer many of the questions that surround the Voids. That isn't a good enough trade off for the hefty demands on the story that the transformation brings. The greatest sign of Kametaro's story fully taking over is the Ultimate Void. Luke doesn't become the Ultimate Void until he destroys the Soul Future in A Tale of Perishing.
As he has fewer reasons to destroy the Soul Future, that path should be less straightforward. However, it's possible that there's a different catalyst that will trigger Luke's downfall despite all of Natsuko's changes. The Voids are too much of an unknown entity to say otherwise. Natsuko's powers are also an unknown factor, but their source is incredibly suspicious considering the result.
Natsuko and Unio Are Gone, But They Are Not Dead
Natsuko May Have Returned to the Real World
Ultimately, Natsuko and Unio haven't been confirmed to be dead — they simply stepped through a portal. The most likely place for them to go to is the real world. Natsuko may finally learn more about A Tale of Perishing from her studio and eventually use that knowledge to save Luke. There's also the subplot of her romantic comedy movie that Zenshu has yet to wrap up. If Natsuko and Unio are in the real world, Unio will stick out like a sore thumb without some sort of transformation.
Still, being with Natsuko may give him a better chance of survival than before. Plus, the two of them need to work out their issues as Luke's favorite people. If the story decides they need to save Luke, then they'll need to do it together. Natsuko, however, doesn't have her peg bar with her. Kametaro mentioned it wasn't special because it came from the real world. It's the item that connects the two directors, though.
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By losing the peg bar, symbolically, Natsuko has lost a connection to Kametaro and possibly A Tale of Perishing. That being said, the mysteries of the peg bar have caused Natsuko problems, and it isn't like she's been using it recently. Luke can pick it up, and that may help prevent him from becoming the Ultimate Void. He doesn't have much skill at drawing, which could add an interesting layer to his potential use of it. The peg bar could be Unio and Natsuko's only way to return.
Throughout Zenshu, Natsuko has learned to see the other characters as real people. She's also been forced to understand that she can't act alone and needs to rely on others. No matter how talented or powerful she is, there will be times when she needs help. Should Luke turn into the Ultimate Void, Natsuko will need to save him. She won't be able to rely on him for help, and that would undermine several of the messages in this anime. The episode has left on a cliffhanger, so there's no guarantee if events will follow A Tale of Perishing fully. If they do, then Natsuko has done nothing to save the world she cares for so deeply, an Zenshu will have made its biggest mistake yet.
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