Zatsu Tabi Episode 1 — Adventure Awaits

Zatsu Tabi Episode 1 is out, and that’s to be celebrated. It’s the fourth month of 2025, and things are bleak! We’re placing tariffs on penguins. HIDIVE is airing the censored version of Yandere Dark Elf. And if all that wasn’t bad enough, now we have to worry about dire wolves. That’s too much to deal with this early in the year.

Humanity needs some comfort. We need an anime that will pat our heads and say “yush, yush” as we cry about life. Luckily, Zatsu Tabi: -That’s Journey– heard our laments and crashed into our homes like a witch named Nico, and it brought the comfort we all need. Now all we can do is wait and see how many weebs will follow this show’s advice.

I’m confident the well-off and financially irresponsible among us will end up with some serious wanderlust because of Zatsu Tabi. Halfway through the show, I screamed ‘Omae wa shindeiru!’ at my wallet, picked up my phone, and told my friends we were adventuring this weekend.

Zatsu Tabi Episode 1 in a Nutshell

Chika Suzugamori seemed to have a bright future ahead of her. Having recently won Kadokawa’s newcomer award and received the ¥1,000,000 (~ $6,700) prize that comes with it, she is poised to launch her career as a mangaka.

But, after three back-to-back rejections, Chika began to believe that her success was a fluke. As the negativity of her rejections set in, prompted by a TV show, she decided to take a spontaneous trip. But, that trip comes with the caveat that her social media followers will determine the general direction of her destination.

And once her followers chose Chika’s destination, she ventured into the unknown. From there, Zatsu Tabi Episode 1 focuses on her inner thoughts as she explores the area around Aizuwakamatsu in Fukushima (try saying that five times fast).

Personal Thoughts

Like other shows in this genre, the visuals are the draw. And Zatsu Tabi Episode 1 artfully captured the laid-back environment the show wanted to capture. That is quite impressive, as Studio Makaria has only worked on a handful of shows. That’s about all I have to say about that.

Reviews tend to focus on animation, voice acting, and production — but here’s the thing: 98% of reviewers don’t have a background in those things. I’m one of those 98%. I can’t objectively say what’s good or not. I can only talk about what interests/disinterests me. And what interests me is how a show conveys the story it wants to tell. And honestly, that’s what most people care about. Flashy animation and laudable voice acting attract viewers, however, if the core story and its portrayal are lacking, the show is doomed.

However, judging by Zatsu Tabi Episode 1, fans of the series can relax about the story’s presentation. The joys of traveling and the healing it brings are portrayed eloquently.

Go and See the World & Take Uncertainty With You

There’s only one thing I wish I would have learned sooner — just because a place is mapped doesn’t mean it’s explored. All over this floating rock, there are places we haven’t been to. The vistas that cover travel or science blogs are still sights unseen if you haven’t personally been there. We weren’t born too late to explore the world; we think of exploration and travel the wrong way. Whether it’s the end of the world or a few cities away, there’s something new to see and gain, and Zatsu Tabi Episode 1 nailed that feeling.

We’re commercializing exploration, and that’s detestable. If a neatly presented website sells you your ‘grand adventure,’ you receive a sterilized version of the real thing. Adventure comes with risk, and it delights in uncertainty. Overcoming/accepting those things is what heals you, or at the very least puts things into perspective.

And the best way to describe Zatsu Tabi Episode 1 is the embrace of uncertainty. After all her planning didn’t work, Chika left things to chance. She didn’t even bother to book a room or properly figure out her travel plans. It was this act of leaving things to chance that hooked her. Realizing that you can still enjoy parts of your life that you can’t control is the most liberating feeling you can have. Yet, we gleefully give that up for the convenience and the chase of perfection.

Zatsu Tabi: -That’s Journey-is streaming on Crunchyroll.