Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (Season One) – Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto
After three years working in a soul-sucking corporate job, Akira had given up on life. He certainly wasn’t living as it was. But then, he woke one morning to find the dead attacking the living. At least, he didn’t have to go to work!
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (Season One) – Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto
What did you watch?
I started reading the Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead manga back in September 2022 and instantly fell in love with it. So, when they announced that it was getting an anime, I was overjoyed and quickly read all the remaining volumes so that I was ready to fully enjoy the anime. Unfortunately, the series was hit with numerous production issues with episodes being delayed almost weekly. It all came to a head when they announced after episode nine that it would go on an indefinite hiatus. Thankfully, the remaining three episodes were released in late December, almost three months later. It’s ironic that this happened given the nature of the story. However, over than mentioning it here, I’m not going to let that influence my opinion of the series. Anyone who hasn’t seen it yet can enjoy all twelve episodes without any delays. So, what are you waiting for?
What happened?
Akira Tendo came out of university and landed his dream job at an advertising firm. However, he very quickly realised that it was more of a nightmare than a dream. His first day ended three days after it began and even then, all he managed was to go home and sleep for a few hours before heading back. After three years of being abused by his boss and his clients, Akira woke to find the world had changed overnight. The dead were attacking the living and anyone who was bitten joined them. It was while he was running for his life that it suddenly hit him. He didn’t have to go to work today… maybe ever again! He was free!
With his life back in his control, he decided that he would do all the things that he had put off. The first thing he wanted to do was to confess his feelings to his office crush, Saori Ohtori. However, when he got to her apartment, he discovered that she had already been turned into a zombie. Regardless, he told her how he felt and then ran. It felt good to do something for him for a change. Later that evening, he began work on his bucket list. He wanted to accomplish one hundred things before he was turned into a zombie. Well, he certainly had plenty of time on his hands!
What did you think?
I absolutely loved this series. As a huge fan of zombies, I’ve read countless books, seen a ridiculous number of movies, and will jump at anything zombie-related without hesitation. So, when I say it’s a great zombie series, you can take that to the bank. However, I’d also caveat that statement with the notion that this isn’t really a zombie series in the traditional sense. Sure, there are plenty of tropes that will be familiar to zombie fans but don’t be fooled. This story shines a light on the idea that the corporate world has already turned us into zombies and it’s only by introducing real zombies that we can actually see what we’ve become. It’s not subtle, but it’s incredibly effective. There are a lot of moments where I look at Akira and see myself. That said, I’m sure the purist zombie fans will love it too.
What was your favourite moment?
The most iconic moment in this series is when Akira has just discovered that the zombie apocalypse has begun and is being chased through the streets outside his apartment building by zombies. He’s literally running for his life and then it hits him. A smile appears on his face as it dawns on him that he is free from his job. He came so close to giving up on life, but now, when the world is falling apart, he gets a second chance and he’s going to grab it with both hands. I feel like there’s a message here about never giving up and looking for the silver lining when things get bad. Either way, the moment is incredible and you just can’t help but smile with Akira.
What was your least favourite moment?
I don’t want to really call this my least favourite moment because of how wonderfully effective it was, but it was the moment that I realised that this isn’t just a story about Akira and Kencho goofing around as the world collapses around them. I am talking about the episode which followed them as they got trapped in a department store with three flight attendants. It was one of those great serendipitous moments when Akira’s bucket list came to life. At first, the girls were standoffish but they soon began to have fun and let their guards down. Unfortunately, there was another survivor with them and he had been bitten. He turned later that night and attacked the girls one by one. The scene where Yukari pushed Akira away, forcing him to run and leave her behind will always haunt me.
Who was your favourite character?
I feel like I should say Akira since I saw a lot of similarities between us, however, that would be a straight-out lie. There was obviously only one character who stood above all others – Beatrix! I loved Beatrix in the manga and was patiently waiting for her introduction in the anime. I knew that everyone would love this crazy German teenager who was a hardcore Japanophile. I love how she was a fountain of local knowledge, often knowing more than the locals. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do love Shizuka, too, however, Beatrix wins it with her samurai armour and weapons. Plus her lack of inhibitions and lust for life are hard to ignore.
Who was your least favourite character?
Again, this is a fairly easy one. There was one character that left me fuming. Akira’s former boss, Gonzou Kosugi was a horrible person. He had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I hated watching how he impacted Akira. He would take the credit for anything Akira did and then put him down in the next breath. Amazingly, he even tried to make Akira feel like he was looking out for him. His use of power to abuse his subordinates was disgusting. Part of me was disappointed that he never got the on-screen ending that he deserved, however, everyone abandoning him was almost as good. My only worry is that he’ll do it again.
Would you like some more?
This might surprise you, but I think this is the best place to end the anime. In my opinion, the Hometown of the Dead arc was the strongest part of the story. It was a great ending and showed us just how easily things could have been different for Akira. I’ve read eleven volumes of the manga, however, I only own six. I will continue to read the manga and if they ever make another season of the anime, I will undoubtedly watch it, but I’m about to jump on my soapbox and demand more. This was a great zombie series, but it’s not Highschool of the Dead.
What have you learned?
It’s often said that there aren’t any new stories, and to an extent, that’s true. There were a lot of similarities to other zombie stories. When I was reading the manga, I noticed a lot of things that reminded me of Highschool of the Dead. The characters were fairly similar, to begin with. There’s enough not to get too bogged down in it, but to someone as keenly down with Highschool of the Dead, I could see them. When they added the little girl and her dog I had to laugh. Not to mention the way Akira’s old home was overrun with zombies similar to Saya Takagi’s home. Anyhow, there were plenty of similarities, but that doesn’t really matter. This story showed us something different by comparing the zombies to corporate slaves. This was much more about living than surviving and I really enjoyed that perspective. So, yes, lots of stories are similar, but there’s always a new perspective to explore.
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
- Season One
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