Zom 100: Bucket List Of The Dead Is A Painfully Relatable And Hilarious Zombie Anime
(Welcome to Ani-time Ani-where, a regular column dedicated to helping the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.)
The purpose of this column has always been to highlight anime that newcomers could jump into without prior knowledge of the medium, shows that hopefully act as a gateway to a medium full of incredible possibilities. Recently, I've been trying to avoid brand-new shows, and instead focus on shining a light on older classics and relatively more modern but still underseen anime — basically, shows that you don't hear about trending on social media.
That being said, a brand new show comes along sometimes and surpasses anticipations and expectations to deliver a viewing experience so unique and thrilling I am left with no choice but to immediately write about it in the hopes that everyone catches up before the season ends. That is the case with this month's anime: "Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead."
This is possibly the most painfully relatable anime ever made, a show that speaks to anyone who has been a wage slave to a dead-end job that makes them miserable. That is how we meet protagonist Akira, who sees his dream of working for a production company crushed by the realization they are a black company that exploits its employees. In just three years, the cheerful and hopeful Akira turns into a zombie who lives to work and little else.
Imagine his surprise, then, when he wakes up one day and there's an honest-to-god zombie apocalypse happening all over Japan. Rather than panic, Akira has one thought, "I don't have to go to work anymore." From there, "Zom 100" evolves into a hilarious zombie story that has a lot to say about modern work culture.
What makes it great
Studio BUG Films may not have been around for long, but they make a big impression with "Zom 100," particularly the premiere, which is one of the best first episodes of an anime in years. The episode starts losing color and becoming more and more static as Akira becomes a company drone, but the moment the zombie apocalypse begins, the screen goes full technicolor — a fantastic riff on zombie apocalypses post-"The Walking Dead" being rather grim and monotone.
On top of that, Akira quite literally rips the black bars off the screen and expands the aspect ratio just as his mind is expanding to embrace life for the first time in three years. It is a brilliant piece of visual storytelling that fully uses the medium of animation to expand on the source material — a manga of the same name by Haro Aso.
One small way in which "Zom 100" feels refreshing in today's saturated zombie market is that the characters are fully aware of what zombies are, which means we don't waste time re-discovering the rules.
Though the anime focuses on Akira as he begins to live life to its fullest, it manages to find time to explore small vignettes in each episode that showcase different zombie survival stories. In episode three, we meet people from a Host Club who defend their sanctuary from a horde of zombies. This helps paint a picture of the larger world outside of Akira's story, similar to "World War Z," but these more somber stories also serve as great parallels to Akira's cheerful journey. It is outright impressive how much the episodes pack in such a short runtime, from expanding the world to fleshing out new characters you care about, all in just over 20 minutes.
What it adds to the conversation
Even after the start of the apocalypse, "Zom 100" remains a brutal indictment of the way we've convinced ourselves that we need to dedicate all our lives to work, and the way it so easily leads to burnout and health problems. In that regard, the show feels like a companion piece to "Kiki's Delivery Service" while serving as an antidote to the bleak "Cells at Work: Code Black." Its workplace satire belongs in a pantheon with the likes of "Office Space."
This makes Akira such a unique and fascinating protagonist for a zombie story because we understand why he would be so unafraid of a zombie apocalypse. It's not that he doesn't think things are dangerous, it's that he's already made his peace with eventually becoming a zombie, and he's not going to waste time trying to survive when he can be out there actually living. Unlike most zombie apocalypse heroes, Akira's life is turned upside down for the better. He was already a member of the walking dead. Now, he is finally alive, because he was already at rock bottom. The show beautifully represents this by making blood look like paint because, for Akira, the apocalypse is a canvas on which he can paint his life story.
In the three episodes available by the time of this writing, "Zom 100" is not just a fantastic comedy, but one of the most aspirational anime stories since "A Place Further Than the Universe." It is fascinating and thrilling to see the different characters we meet treat the apocalypse differently, but it is a joy to see Akira's enthusiasm infect those around him to embrace life even after the world ends. It took Akira a zombie apocalypse to start living, but we don't have to wait that long.
Why non-anime fans should check it out
"Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead" is a phenomenal twist on the zombie genre. This story falls somewhere between the hang-out vibes and humor of "Shaun of the Dead" and the self-aware tone of "Zombieland," delivering a hilarious comedy that riffs on genre tropes while also offering an earnest story. Indeed, each episode has a healthy balance of comedy, existential horror of being in a zombie apocalypse, and also heartfelt moments of emotion as the characters realize they have a second chance at life.
Plus, each episode pays homage to George A. Romero, with the titles formatted as "Of the Dead," which is a pleasure to see.
For zombie fans, "Zom 100" is a breath of fresh air for a half-dead genre. For those who either don't care or know enough about the genre, "Zom 100" is still a biting (sorry) satire about work culture, with one of the most relatable protagonists in a TV series, and a colorful and visually stunning story about embracing life. Truly, a gateway anime.
Watch This If You Like: "The Walking Dead," "Office Space," "Severance."
"Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead" is streaming on Crunchyroll.