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WhileZenshuis a story about an anime prodigy, it’s also about the world of a cult fantasy film. This film,A Tale of Perishing, was directed by one of Natsuko Hirose’s idols, Kamataro Tsuruyama. Unfortunately, the film was unsuccessful during its theatrical release, in large part due to its terrifying villains called “Voids.” Fortunately,Zenshu’splot places Natsuko inside the world ofA Tale of Perishing, allowing her to stop the Voids once and for all.
Voids are a significant part ofA Tale of Perishing. These monsters serve as the film’s main antagonists. Furthermore, they represent a prophetic apocalypse. However, there are still many unknown facts about these creatures. As Natsuko’s journey continues, she discovers new Voids never seen inAToPand unveils connections between central characters and the Voids that one wouldn’t find in a reference book.
Voids are the Antagonists ofA Tale of Perishing
The Voids areA Tale of Perishing’smain antagonists. But what are they, exactly? These mysterious monsters take various forms, all with unique abilities. However, all Voids seek the same thing: to consume Soul Futures and facilitate a mass extermination event.
The Voids Seek to Destroy Soul Futures
One must know what Soul Futures are to truly understand Voids.A Tale of Perishing’sworld has nine countries. Each country houses a crystal life force called a Soul Future. Soul Futures bring prosperity to their surrounding area and positively affect each country’s people.
Voids are monsters that feed on Soul Futures. Their ultimate goal is to eat all nine Soul Futures, thus awakening the Ultimate Void. The Ultimate Void will incite thearmageddon that destroys the universeand all its life.
To prevent this apocalyptic event from occuring, a team a soldiers from each country come together to defend the Soul Futures. These soldiers are called the Nine Warriors and include several ofA Tale of Perishing’scentral characters, including the film’s protagonist, Luke Braveheart.
They Succeed in Ending the Universe inAToP
One reasonA Tale of Perishingflopped in movie theaters is its tragic ending. First, a series of character deaths occur, including Unio, the unicorn, the Elven warrior Memrun, andLuke Braveheart’s true love, Destiny Heartwarming. Lastly, the Voids succeed in ending the universe after destroying the last remaining Soul Future.
When Natsuko arrives inA Tale of Perishing, she prioritizes stopping the Voids. Her knowledge of the film’s plot helps her perturb many of the Void’s efforts. Plus, she uncovers secrets regarding the Voids that give the Nine Warriors a significant advantage. Still, one mysterious figure, a hawk resemblingA Tale of Perishing’sdirector, is not happy with Natsuko’s actions. Perhaps the young prodigy is a threat to the director’s artistic vision.
There are Many Types of Voids
What do Voids look like? That’s no easy question to answer. There are some traits all Voids share, most notably a black and magenta color pallet. Otherwise, Voids take on various forms inspired by all types of creatures. Here are some examples from Zenshu season 1:
There is a Cult that Worships the Voids
One would assume that the species dedicated to ending all life forms has no collaborators. However, that is not the case. Zenshu season 1, episode 4, “Eternity,” reveals an organization dedicated to summoning the Ultimate Void. Furthermore, one of the Nine Warriors leads this group of malevolent actors.
In the originalA Tale of Perishing, Luke kills the Ultimate Void only to discover that he murdered his best friend, Memerun. But how did Memerun become a void? This transformation is one of the film’s several loose ends. However, while investigating the matter with Luke, Natsuko discovers Memerun holding a ceremony dedicated to the Voids' arrival.
The cult that follows the Voids meets beneath the Last Town’s cemetery in an underground cavern. Surrounded by flames, the Void devotees sing hymns worshipping the Ultimate Void and praising the day it extinguishes all forms of life. But what would lead to this kind of devotion? Memerun’s backstory suggests that many of the cultists suffer from deep depression and grief, an ailment most predominant in the Last Town’s oldest species, such asthe elves Memerun descends from.
At episode 4’s climax, Memerun offers herself as a vessel to the Ultimate Void, explaining the transformation from the original film. Fortunately, Natsuko creates a character called the Ultimate Exister. This hero, whoresembles an otome J-Pop idol, inspires the Void cult to continue living. The cult’s newfound hope leads to its dissolution. Still, some unconvinced holdouts may revive the Void cult in the future.
