Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey

Chika Suzugamori, an 18-year-old newcomer manga artist, has just had three of her drafts rejected in a single day. Her editor suggests incorporating her interests into her work, but Chika is an indoor person who only thinks about manga day and night. At a loss, she feels a sudden desire to get away from everything and go on a journey somewhere.

Due to the results of an online poll that she posted on a whim, Chika hops on a train and heads north from Tokyo on an impromptu solo trip. When she ends up at the top of Mount Haguro in Aizu-Wakamatsu, she realizes she feels refreshed and more motivated than before. Even if her projects get turned down again in the future, Chika plans to journey around Japan with friends old and new.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Suzugamori, Chika Main

Tsukishiro, Hika Japanese

Hasunuma, Koyomi Supporting

Suzushiro, Sayumi Japanese

Tenkuubashi, Riri Supporting

Hikasa, Youko Japanese

Koujiya, Fuyune Supporting

Satou, Satomi Japanese

Unoki, Yui Supporting

Hiratsuka, Sae Japanese

Yoshimoto-san Supporting

Kobayashi, Yuu Japanese

Takahashi Supporting

Kuramochi, Wakana Japanese

Narrator Supporting

Kubota, Hitoshi Japanese

Sakamoto Supporting

Youmiya, Hina Japanese

Iizuka, Aya Producer

Nemoto, Yuuka Producer

Sawahata, Kouji Producer

Miyagi, Taika Producer, Episode Director

Reviews

Jun 15, 2026

weirdy8

Recommended

The title Zatsu Tabi is actually a pun. While “That's Journey” makes it seem like half an English word spelled wrong, the word Zatsu really means “rough” or “sloppy.” Vtuber fans are probably familiar with this term already because of chatting streams being referred to as zatsudans (just chatting). The appeal of these streams is that they feel less scripted than the typical Japanese interview, straddling the line between small talk and an improv comedy session. The same applies to Zatsu Tabi. The title literally means “a sloppy journey,” because they're exploring on the fly. In fact, when this manga was coming out, the main ... character, Chika, had a real-life Twitter poll made to decide where they went next. Because if the journey truly is all that matters, anyone can decide the destination. Right?

Well, this leads to its best running gag: they ALWAYS MISS at least one thing on their itinerary. You know how there's often one member of the travel group who bugs everyone else to follow a strict schedule? Yeah, they make your holiday feel more like work, but they're often the reason you get to visit everywhere you want. Zatsu Tabi shows the trade-off of being TOO chill during vacation. Famous places might be closed or under construction. Events or items may be out of season. Sometimes a hyped hike isn't even worth the view. Imagine climbing 1225 steps up a mountain, only to see the same cluster of dead trees blocking the sun. All that hard work for nothing: you can't help but laugh.

I find that honestly quite relatable. It reminds me of the K-ON Movie where Houkago Tea Time hunkered in a hotel room with cup noodles they brought with them because they couldn't get food anywhere else in London. We've all had at least one moment where our travels didn't go according to plan, but they became funny stories you could tell your friends for years to come. In Chika's case, it gives an excuse to both meet up with old friends and get motivation to continue writing. So what if the crashing waves behind the Toei film logo were nowhere to be seen at the actual Kurobe dam? A peaceful view is nice in its own way, especially after having freshly caught sashimi on the way there.

Full Review on ANN:
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/zatsu-tabi-that-journey-anime-series/.237555

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jul 4, 2025

ATP_Synthase

Mixed Feelings

Funny

Informative

Zatsu Tabi is another travel/adventure anime this season alongside Mono, but honestly… it’s kind of lacking. I was really glad to see another university student as the main character (we need more of that!), but the show just didn’t click for me.

Most of the time, the main character is solo traveling and just talking to herself the whole way through. I usually love laid-back anime, but this one felt too slow and, honestly, kind of boring. The few times she actually travels with friends? Way more fun. The group dynamic adds a lot, and I wish there was more of that.

Don’t get me wrong—I like ... the idea of solo travel. It's spontaneous, and the anime does capture that aspect well. But turning solo wandering into a full anime… just doesn’t really work for me. It’s hard to stay engaged when most of the screen time is just one character narrating their own thoughts in empty spaces.

Another thing that didn’t sit right was how hard the show leans into being "informative." I get that it's trying to showcase real travel destinations, but it ends up feeling more like a tourism ad than a story. Mono and Yuru Camp also highlight real places, but they blend it into the narrative way more naturally. In Zatsu Tabi, it’s like, “Here’s this town, here’s a fun fact,” and then… that’s it.

Overall, I appreciate what it tries to do, but it just doesn’t land for me the way other travel-themed anime do.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jun 19, 2026

Salvatierra21

Not Recommended

The story of this anime is considered an iyashikei, and I can say that it does have some elements of the genre. However, this is also the typical anime about cute girls living their daily lives. If you find yourself relaxing while watching it, that is more due to your own enjoyment than anything the series actively offers, because there is very little of interest here. It feels more like blatant propaganda for Japanese tourism. I would not be surprised if the Ministry of Tourism had commissioned it.

The few characters that appear are very flat. They have no particularly interesting dialogue; they simply comment on ... the places they visit and occasionally appear in hot springs. That is essentially all they have to offer.

As for the main plot, it tries to take itself seriously, but it ends up being very boring. The story follows a beginner mangaka who enjoys traveling alone or with her friends to gather ideas, although, for the most part, she travels simply because she likes it. If this premise sounds familiar, it is probably because you have seen MONO, which handles the concept much better. This anime's tourism promotion is so heavy-handed that it actually turned me into a MONO defender.

If you decide to watch it, do not ask yourself how she has enough money and free time to travel so often, because the series never explains it. At no point does her publisher appear to cover her expenses; she simply enjoys traveling without any real concern about the logistics.

I hope Makaria Studio's next solo anime is more successful, as the studio clearly puts a lot of effort into its animation. They know how to use different techniques to manage the budget effectively, such as incorporating real-world locations and applying filters to adapt them to the animated style.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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	Poll: Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) Stark700 - Apr 7, 2025	107 replies	by Tsukasa_Rio »» Apr 14, 3:28 AM
	Poll: Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Jun 23, 2025	64 replies	by CaptainKenshiro »» Apr 10, 2:33 PM
	Poll: Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey Episode 10 Discussion Stark700 - Jun 9, 2025	33 replies	by Pitto_ »» Mar 8, 5:24 PM
	Poll: Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey Episode 11 Discussion Stark700 - Jun 16, 2025	32 replies	by Spast1c »» Dec 5, 2025 7:07 AM
	Poll: Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey Episode 9 Discussion Stark700 - Jun 2, 2025	33 replies	by Spast1c »» Dec 2, 2025 6:12 AM