Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (Episode 3) – Best Friend of the Dead

Surprisingly, Akira’s phone receives some messages. Then, he realises it’s because of the reduced impact on the lines. Basically, almost no one is using their phones… He calls his best friend and then goes to get him.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (Episode 3) – Best Friend of the Dead

What did you watch?

It’s been too long since I’ve had a good zombie series to get into so this has been a breath of fresh air… As fresh as things can get in a zombie apocalypse, I guess! Anyhow, I’ve recently picked up the next eight volumes of the manga and will be pushing on with those. This episode finishes off the events in the first volume so the next one will start on the second volume and there are some great moments in that one too. Basically, this series is great and I have no doubt it will continue to be so, which is why I’m reading the manga concurrently. Anyhow, let’s meet Akira’s best friend. He’ll leave a lasting impression, I’m sure.

What happened?

Akira’s phone started buzzing. He was stunned, although mostly because he’d barely used it in the last three years because of work. He quickly replied to all the messages telling anyone that would listen that he was doing great and had quit his job. Then, he waited for a response. None came. Then, the realisation struck him that he was getting messages again because the lines weren’t being clogged up because of the zombie outbreak. That meant that fewer and fewer people were using them. That obviously meant many of them were dead.

Akira stared at his phone hoping for someone to message him back. When it got too much, he decided to phone his best friend, Kencho, however, they had gotten into a fight a little while back. He told Akira that he should quit his job, but since Kencho was always bragging about his job as a realtor, it made Akira mad. Now, he knows that Kencho was right and he should have quit. Maybe there was a way to make it up to him. Kencho answered and was stunned to hear from Akira. He sent Akira his location and then waited in the S&M room at the Love Hotel where a zombie was strapped to the wall…

Akira arrived at the location and distracted the zombies with a car horn. Then, he slipped inside and found Kencho. He apologised profusely and maybe a little too loudly as the zombies came charging back in. They ran to the rooftop. Akira then leapt across a street and landed on a lower building. Kencho didn’t think he could make it and instead decided he should apologise to Akira. He hated his job and was sorry for bragging as it made him feel like it wasn’t as bad as it was. Kencho wanted to be a stand-up comic, but that dream was over. Or was it?

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What did you think?

I’m just loving this series. I love the approach to the apocalypse that this story has taken and how it’s about making up for lost time and fixing relationships that failed because of the pressures of society. It was amazing seeing Akira and then Kencho come clean about how they felt and how they had acted. There was one notable thing missing in this episode though. When Kencho told Akira that he wanted to be a stand-up comic, Akira challenged him to do something to make him laugh as he jumped between buildings in an attempt to take the pressure off. That was why Kencho stripped. I didn’t notice Akira say anything like that which probably made Kencho’s decision to strip mid-jump that much more surprising.

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What was your favourite moment?

There weren’t a lot of things to talk about really as the episode itself was quite contained to Akira and Kencho. We did see a scene from a host bar where the hosts were fighting the zombies in the streets which was bizarre and quite funny. I’m not sure exactly why this scene is here, although I hope that we’ll find out more in due time.

Anyhow, I liked the way Kencho came clean about how he hated his job too and he was nearly hiding the fact from Akira so that he wouldn’t seem like a complete failure. Meanwhile, Akira looked like a zombie next to him. It’s amazing the lies we will tell ourselves just to avoid looking like we’d made a bad decision. It seems even more bizarre as this was a clear message in this week’s Mushoku Tensei episode too. I think people need to be more honest with themselves and open to talking about their troubles. We’ve become too focused on showing the perfect online persona that we tend to hide the truth from ourselves and the world around us.

Who was the most impactful character?

I don’t think I’ve mentioned Akira in this section yet which is funny for the main character, but it also works out perfectly, because this was the episode where he was the one making an impact on someone else’s life rather than being on the receiving end. Kencho has been stuck in the love hotel for three days with just water. There was also the restrained zombie that probably didn’t sleep so that would have given him absolutely no peace, even if she couldn’t move. He was probably pretty close to dying whether he was going to give up or not, but then Akira called. He sounded chipper and full of life. He was going to come get him! Akira’s act not only saved Kencho but gave him the strength to keep fighting. You only lose when you give up and Akira wasn’t going to let him throw it all away without trying.

Was there any conflict?

Of course, the conflict was in the past but that didn’t make it any less important. Kencho and Akira would meet up every year after university to talk about their jobs and catch up. Every year, Kencho looked great. He had wonderful stories to tell about celebrities and models. His life sounded amazing. Akira, on the other hand, was broken. He was tired and grumpy. He hated his job and his life. They couldn’t have appeared more different.

This is where the real conflict comes in. They were both experiencing the same thing only Kencho wasn’t ready to show Akira how he really felt. He was worried that Akira would think lesser of him which is ironic given the way Akira saw himself at that point. So, when Akira risked his life to apologise to Kencho it made him realise how silly he’d been. They were best friends and they couldn’t even be honest with one another until a zombie apocalypse changed everything. Thankfully, they’ve resolved things now while having a beer in the nude on the top of a random building overlooking the city…

What have you learnt?

In the last episode, I spoke about how Akira and Shizuka were complete opposites and it was likely going to show us how one approach may be better than the other. In this episode, it showed us how two opposite approaches yielded the exact same thing. Both hated their jobs, but only one was able to admit it. I’m not sure what this says for the way we’re seeing Akira and Shizuka, but it could just as easily end up the same way. I do, however, still believe that Akira’s approach will be the best for his mental health. He is undoubtedly happier than anyone else at this stage, and long may it continue. I love his positivity and seeing how it impacts others.

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Other posts in the series

• Manga
  • Volume 1 – Akira of the Dead
  • Volume 2 – Flight Attendant of the Dead
  • Volume 3 – Truck Stop of the Dead
  • Volume 4 – Hot Springs of the Dead
  • Volume 5 – Hometown of the Dead
  • Volume 6 – Hometown of the Dead Part 2
  • Volume 7 – Suite of the Dead
  • Volume 8 – Boredom of the Dead
  • Volume 9 – Millionaire of the Dead
  • Volume 10 – Geisha of the Dead
  • Volume 11 – Cruise Ship of the Dead
  • Volume 12 – Deserted Island of the Dead
  • Volume 13 – Airsoft of the Dead
• Anime
  • Season One
    • Episode 1 – Akira of the Dead
    • Episode 2 – Bucket List of the Dead
    • Episode 3 – Best Friend of the Dead
    • Episode 4 – Flight Attendant of the Dead
    • Episode 5 – Hero of the Dead
    • Episode 6 – RV of the Dead
    • Episode 7 – Truck Stop of the Dead
    • Episode 8 – Sushi & Hot Springs of the Dead
    • Episode 9 – Treehouse of the Dead
    • Episode 10 – Hometown of the Dead I
    • Episode 11 – Hometown of the Dead II
    • Episode 12 – Hometown of the Dead III

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