Zombieland Saga

Doesn't it feel like in today’s world, there’s way too many horror media that does same things over and over again? I’m not solely talking about anime alone but the horror genre has gotten to a point where it feels like we’ve seen just about anything. One of the most iconic type of horror is the dead coming back to life. In this case, I’m referring to zombies. Franchises like Resident Evil and The Walking Dead are among just a few well-known ones that comes to mind. But what if I told you that Zombieland Saga manages to revitalize a bit of the horror genre ... instead of falling to common cliches?

To be honest, Zombieland Saga isn’t really a horror show at all although the first episode’s opening suggests so with a cliché setting and a young girl facing a crisis between life and death. It manages to trick viewers through its opening and does a 180 degree turn after revealing the series’ real concept – a horror comedy that satirze Japanese idols with an absurd character cast. As a collaboration project by Cygames and Avex pictures (with studio MAPPA), they managed to keep this show a secret from the start.

Now that we got that out of the way, it’s time to realize what Zombieland Saga really offers. I watched plenty of zombie shows in the past and most of it attempts to do the same things over and over again – evoke a sense of fear. Zombieland Saga does the opposite and creates a sensation of genuine entertainment with its comedy elements. In fact, I’d say the show is self-aware enough to satirize the idol industry. In the first few episodes, protagonist Sakura Minamoto ends up dead after being hit a trick. But rather than awakening in some fantasy world, she is reborn as a zombie. It doesn’t take long for her to join a group with other zombie girls together. This group collectively is formed by a man named Kotaro Tatsumi with the purpose to save the Saga Prefecture. Say hello to Franchoucou.

Ideally, a show like this sounds like it took a big risk as it sounds like a dumb joke of itself. Watching Zombieland Saga does feel like the show plays with itself a bit too much but it didn’t take long for me to accept and grow attached to the main characters. That’s because each of them have a life of their own with colorful personalities. As an inspiring idol, Sakura’s dream became a reality when she steps onto the stage. Sakura’s friendly personality enables her to easily get along with everyone. That’s the opposite of delinquent yankee, Saki Nikaido. Unlike Sakura, she is difficult to get along with because of her tough personality. Deep down though, Saki isn’t a malevolent character and in fact manages to develop some deeper bonds with her idol comrades. We also meet Ai Mizuno, a girl who desire to make the best of her current life. Junko Konno, Lily Hoshikawa, and Tae Yamada make up the rest of the group after being reborn. Despite dying under different circumstances, they all serve the same purpose and that’s to make their group into a sensation.

You’re probably asking yourself if Franchoucou really is a sensation in their world. They didn’t start out with popularity and instead had to work their way up. Through hard work and motivation, the group does gain popularity as Sakura leads them to stardom. My interest for the show grew more and more as I wanted to see this group succeed. It also helped that the show constantly got me feel attached to the characters through effective storytelling. We learn of their past, their motivations, and what they hope to accomplish in the present. There are also some episodes that throws in some surprising plot twists and bittersweet ending moments. I’m not going to spoil it but it manages to become even emotional at times so prepare for some tissues.

As a horror/idol comedy, the show contains countless amount of humorous gags. Most of the humor revolves around the concept of zombies. Characters retain personalities from their past lives but sometimes finds themselves surprised by unnatural events. This often includes body parts coming off unintentionally that’s played with absurdity. The guiltiest member of the group that people will point fingers at would be Tae Yamada, the legendary title-less girl. Unlike the rest, she has yet to regain her personality and behaves like a zombie. She has an unhealthy appetite that seems to have a personality of a kid stuck in an adult’s body. The show constantly pokes fun at her character by showing what zombies can do. It’s the type of satirical humor that is aware of its intentions and seeks to make the audience laugh. And to be honest, it works.

So now what? Is this just a show of humor nonsense or is there something bigger that meets the eye? It honestly depends on how you approach this show. The more I watched Zombieland Saga, the more I felt compelled to see how different this anime is compared to other genres of similar nature. In fact, I’d say that Zombieland Saga offers an experience that is refreshing by mixing in comedy with musical themes. It’s not often you get to see these two mixed together in today’s world. The project creators managed to effectively create a fakeout of the show from the first episode while ultimately making this into a parody. Don’t get me wrong though. You’ll still occasionally see some “horror” content pop up but it satirizes to make it absurd as possible.

It should also be said that the voicing cast of this show deserves recognition for their talent. In particular, voice actress veteran Kotono Mitsuishi plays her role as Tae Yamada flawlessly. She’s able to step into the shoes of her character with the mindset of a zombie. Others such as Asami Tano is able to take on their character role as a yankee and her accent proves it. As a show about idols, you should also expect tons of catchy songs. While most of them relates to J-pop, there are occasional times when the show throws in a surprise or two such as a battle rap in one particular episode. The bottom line is, this is so much more than just a horror-idol comedy as it also manages to embrace its music culture.

Studio MAPPA did it again. They managed to create a show that not only surprised me but also give the zombie concept a breath of fresh air. Zombieland Saga manages to reinvent itself by stepping out of the comfort zone. It satirizes the idol industry by combining its self-aware humor and absurd character cast. Yet, it manages to deliver effective storytelling that is important for the overall direction of the show. As I learned more and more about the characters, it felt hard to let them to go when everything concluded. By accomplishing such a feat, this anime is definitely a sensation to take attention to. The secret is out now and it’s easy to say that I need more anime like Zombieland Saga in my life.

Zombieland Saga is unironically the best anime of 2018.

Let me tell you a little story. Once Upon a Time, I got hooked on the idol genre, and descended into what is commonly referred to as idol hell. However, contrary to popular belief, I was able to snap out of my zombie like trance and escape from idol hell, and I can happily say that I’ve been clean for over two years. No longer having an interest in idol anime, I had no inclination to watch Zombieland Saga, and had planned on skipping it. What a sad, misguided fool the me before watching this anime was…anyway, ... I eventually got around to watching it thanks to my weak mind being influenced by Youtube videos that told me to give this anime a shot. In this review, I’ll explain to you why Zombieland Saga isn’t just great for it’s drop-dead hilarity and entertainment value, but for its unexpected complexity that you might just miss out on if you just skim the surface of this surprisingly great anime.

That’s right, this is actually going to be a somewhat intricate review since Zombieland Saga is totally worth analyzing. So if you don’t have much time and have to Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!, here’s a little tl;dr for you: I came for the quirky idol shenanigans + zombies combo, stayed for the amazing comedy, and left absolutely loving the diverse and both figuratively and literally fleshed out characters (Get it? Cuz they’re zombies?)

This anime really hits like a truck in how quickly it transitions from a seemingly typical idol anime opening sequence what with our heroine Sakura’s upbeat and energetic disposition to an intense and hilarious death scene backed by heavy metal music after like 30 seconds into the first episode. I was instantly hooked after this unique beginning, and the anime just got better from there.

It’s no spoiler to say that our protagonist is as dead as someone who, well, died. However, she is revived via necromancy by a sunglasses wearing manager dude named Koutarou who also brought back six other SUPER LEGENDARY girls from the dead all for the purpose of them forming an idol group with the monumental goal of saving a declining Saga.

If that sentence long synopsis doesn’t get you to tingle with excitement in anticipation to see where the heck this anime goes, then I don’t know what will.

It’s no secret to say that I didn’t watch this anime hoping to find something with a compelling narrative and developed characters and was instead looking for something that would make me smile in amusement. And I can happily say that Zombieland Saga made me die of laughter (Don’t worry about me though, I was brought back to life…Though sadly not as a LEGENDARY zombie idol) This is the funniest anime that I’ve seen all year. Each episode contains a plethora of comedic moments, and there was always something new and creative so it never felt like I was watching the same routine with each passing episode. Now if the good comedy was all Zombieland Saga had, I would have been perfectly content with the anime and left satisfied. However, there is so much more to this anime than that, and its greatest strengths revolve around the cast.

You really can’t go wrong when your characters are a bunch of LEGENDARY girls in an idol group called FranChouChou. Outside of Sakura, who suffers from memory loss, a typical anime trope that Zombieland Saga actually executes better than literally every other anime that utilizes memory loss, our girls include my personal favorite, the LEGENDARY Saki Nikaidou, a fiery, outgoing girl whose voice and character design are so hot that they make me catch on fire. Plus she’s a rapping biker girl who likes chicken and goes down in a blaze of glory TWICE. I guess the perfect girl does exist. We also have Ai Mizuno, a girl who was a successful idol in life who had a simply LEGENDARY death after giving one last electrifying performance. Let’s not forget the soft spoken yet powerhouse vocalist Junko Konno, whose LEGENDARY rise to stardom may have been cut short by an unexpected crash and burn, but she lives on in our hearts…and as a zombie. Lily Hoshikawa is a kawaii girl who was a LEGENDARY child actress who unfortunately ended up in a hairy situation that her little heart just couldn’t take. Still, she’s a true star, and her cuteness is infectious. Next, we have the ever enticing and LEGENDARY Yuugiri, who is the most experienced of the girls in more ways than one~

Finally, we have THE LEGENDARY TAE YAMADA, and thanks to her inclusion as the star of the show, I was practically mandated by the animu gods to bump up my score for this anime by a full point. So yeah, the girls in this anime are just so…Illustrious.

You’ll notice that the girls all lived in different eras, so they obviously were exposed to different cultures based on the times that they lived in. A lesser anime would have glazed over this fact, but not Zombieland Saga, and this was the point that I realized that this anime was something special. Junko and Ai were to first to go through compelling character arcs, and their stories were pretty engaging, and set the stage for the upcoming character arcs. The episode dedicated to Lily was, to put it bluntly, LEGENDARY. Zombieland Saga had done it. It became the first anime I’ve ever seen to make me laugh hysterically AND be brought to the verge of tears thanks to an incredibly well produced character driven episode. I didn’t think anything could top the epicness of the rap battle, but the emotions I felt thanks to Lily’s story certainly did. I was trapped in a sea of emotions throughout the entire episode, and I could probably write an entire review just dedicated to that episode alone. Seriously though, I have never seen an anime handle Lily’s character type nearly as well as Zombieland Saga did, and at the end of the day, Lily is Lily.

And of course, it goes without saying that Saki’s episode was pure greatness. Saki is just that good.

A strong demonstration of camaraderie between characters is something that I rarely see sufficiently executed in anime. So imagine my shock when I realized that Zombieland Saga of all things was able to pull it off. The bonds that these characters have with each other grew from constant arguments and not being on the same page in the first few episodes into an in sync family who would do anything to help each other out. This is demonstrated the clearest near the end of the anime. I won’t spoil exactly what, but something happens to Sakura that causes a rift between her and her fellow zombies. The way that all of the girls try to get her back to her old self is extremely heartwarming, and it really goes to show how far these girls have come. And thanks to their positive relationship with one other, they’re able to put on some spectacular performances. And now we get to the other great part about this anime.

Its music is hella good.

For the past several weeks I’ve been listening to the opening theme song, Adabana Necromancy, constantly. I play it when I eat. I play it when I sleep. I’m playing it as I’m writing this review. It’s a pretty damn good song. And you know what else is good? Literally every insert song in this anime. I’ve already mentioned the rap battle, which was pretty off the chain. Lily’s song and Saki’s song are two personal favorites of mine, and every musical number in this show is just really catchy. If FranChouChou ever put on a show irl, you better believe I’d buy tickets to go and see them, and I would be screaming and crying at the awesomeness alongside those two heavy metal guys who’ve attended every show that the girls have put on. Seriously though, those two guys really are the unsung MVPs of this anime.

When it comes to the voice acting, as Phil from Hercules would say, I’ve got two words for ya: Frickin Miyano Mamoru! This boi is my favorite male seiyuu, and his performance as Koutarou is simply LEGENDARY. Some of the best comedy from this anime comes from the combination of Koutarou’s absurd lines plus Mamoru’s expert delivery of them. And of course, the ladies voicing our lovely zombie idols do an exceptional job. And they even got the LEGENDARY voice actress of Usagi from Sailor Moon to voice the LEGENDARY Tae Yamada. I didn't expect anything less.

Visually speaking, this anime is animated quite well. I love the character designs, and the fluidity of their movements during scenes like the rap battle and Lily’s song is very impressive. But there’s one glaring issue with the visuals, and I’m sure you know exactly what I’m referring to. You guessed it, I’m talking about none other than the CGI.

Which is an acronym that I made for Cute Girl Idols.

That’s right, as I said before, these cute girl idols are drawn to look pretty attractive, but they’re, you know, rotting corpses, and I don’t know about you, but I’m not into necrophilia. Yet the girls’ cutesy designs have consistently tempted me throughout the anime’s run time, which has been problematic since it’s called into question my morality and…Oh wait, you thought by CGI I meant the Computer Generated Imagery that this anime scarcely deploys? The CGI implemented during some of the dance sequences that is literally used for less then ten minutes of the entire anime’s run time and doesn’t look nearly as bad as people make it out to be? Well personally, I have absolutely no qualms with the CGI. There’s definitely worse out there, trust me.

Zombieland Saga impressed me. It put a fun twist on the idol genre that not only made it incredibly entertaining to watch, but also allowed it to develop some truly great and unique characters. I haven’t enjoyed watching an anime this much in a long time. And if you haven’t watched this anime yet, you really should Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! and watch it as soon as possible. It just isn’t right to miss out on such a LEGENDARY anime.

It’s pretty clear that in today’s society, anime seems to be churned out in droves. You bare witness to the regurgitation of carbon copies, causing the medium you hold dear to fade into the bleakest grey...

And then Zombieland Saga busts in through the fucking window in a speeding minivan going 156 mph, shouting “FUCK YOU; GET IN” before flooring it faster than you can say “The Legendary TAE YAMADA!” It’s fun, it’s quirky, it’s loud as all hell, and most importantly, it’s as vivid as a sunset. Sure, your weeaboo mancave of a room is busted and your waifu collection is in pieces, but we ... all know you’ll replace that with a shrine dedicated to a bunch of zombie idols in no time. You’ll get used to it anyway.

We should probably get the most colorful, charming parts of this show out of the way. These visuals pop. The colors strike like God’s lightning, especially in both the opening and ending. These character designs are as bombastic as the personalities of the girls when they’re off doing weird hijinks. Their facial expressions and clothes are so glorious that it’s easy to forget that you only give a shit about like half the characters until their pasts get revealed. Sure, there are some fugly CGI idol models in a couple of dance sequences early on, but then we get oil paintings for menus and real-life footage. Studio MAPPA poured their blood, sweat, and tears into injecting nothing but style into this show.

Speaking of hijinks, there’s a ton of variety in these spectacles. Horror movie/game parodying, playing hot potato with Tae’s severed head, fucking chicken performances and rap battles?! How can anyone object to this?! This is a perfect venue for vibrant character chemistry, as evidenced by the two best characters in the show, Saki and The Legendary Tae Yamada! These two embody the best aspects of the show, with them getting a majority of the best gags. Saki’s loud and abrasive personality makes for perfect chemistry fodder with the rest of the cast, and the inner machinations of Tae Yamada’s mind are an enigma. She is a joy to witness.

The rest of the characters took a while to become even remotely interesting, and this is for a few reasons. For one, several of the main characters are often more drama focused. While this isn’t a bad thing on its own, not only are the personalities of characters such as Junko and Ai not very interesting, but given the limited time spent on drama in comparison to everything else in the first 4 episodes, the drama often feels like a detour. Admittedly, very few of these characters are that great when they aren’t dealing with absurd scenarios, but some are especially dull early on. The latter half thankfully has episodes designed around fleshing out the characters and giving them an emotional arc, but not every character gets this luxury. Granted, none of the main 7 idols are as grating as their manager Kotaro (cuz that guy can get fucked by a cactus more than half the time) but the show still has a hard time giving everyone the spotlight. Thankfully some of the side characters introduced in some of these character-centric mini-stories are written and explored efficiently. Without them, the drama-centered focus of the second half would have felt like an agonizing shift considering how lackluster the more serious portions of the show felt beforehand.

The only thing left to touch on is the music. The background tracks are catchy, with neat jingles to compliment the lighthearted and comedic moments. However, the real meat comes in the form of the songs by everyone in this idol group: Franchouchou. The OP "Adabana Necromancy” is as vivid as the visuals that it plays over, and the watercolor visuals really help sell the emotional ED "Hikari e”. As for the insert idol tracks, several of them are pretty nice to listen to as well, with the only real exception being the ear-piercing Vocaloid-esque song that plays at the end of the 7th episode. It would be rather ghastly if these performances sounded dead, so thank the maker this ain’t the case.

It’s refreshing to have an anime run you over, screaming. It calms down, and there are some growing pains, but I’m happy to see some life here. There’s a vivid pulse to this one, a wild and unique expression so charming and sincere that I nearly overlook how uneven and easy to break this show can be. With this performance now over, it’s your turn to take part in the saga. What are you waiting for? Do it while you’re still alive!



Also, Tae Yamada dabs in episode 7, so that’s an Easter egg to look out for.

Written/Edited by: CodeBlazeFate
Proofread by: Peregrine

Zombieland saga takes all the rules of what you expected about a Idol show, or a zombie show, and throws them out the window. It is a comedy, but less about individual gags and more about the absurd concepts presented in general. I'd definitely recommend you at least try it out, though it will not be for everyone.

Also sports a cameo by everyone's favorite Truck-kun.

Story - So far the story itself is quite simplistic, but it is full of charm and humor, which is rare for me to like but it meshes well.

Art - Typical of the art style in this decade, its the weakest ... part of the show. Not because it is bad but because it is rather generic.

Sound - The sound design itself is the most surprising element once you get past the shock of the opening few minutes, the songs are well put together, and the sound design is catchy. It is rather unconventional, which may turn away potential viewers.

Character - Many of the characters are yet to be developed as of episode 2, but so far the MC and Tae are definite stand outs. I look forward to the development of the cast, and the character designs are fantastic.
Miyano Mamoru has particularly good voicework for his character.

Enjoyment - So far I have laughed out loud at least once an episode, a rarity these days. I quite enjoy it.

Overall - A solid 8 so far, with potential to slip to a 7 or raise to a 9 depending on how the show develops.

Spoiler free review:
Just like many other animes I have seen, I decided to go in blindly without researching absolutly anything about it. At first I thought this anime would just be another copy of "Highschool of the Dead" but boy I was wrong. The cover art you are seeing now on MAL wasnt the first one that was displayed on the anime, the first one just had a bunch of spooky zombies on it, and that at first had me skeptical about the anime, as I first thought it would be nothing but chaos, gore and a failed attempt at copying "Highschool of the Dead". ... But it turns out that this anime has absolutly nothing to do with the previous mentioned one, in fact if you look at the genres of this anime, it has the "Comedy" and "Music" tag on it. Overall, I didnt expect the Story to turn out the way it is and I consider the story to be absolutly hilarious in a good manner. In fact, I have never laughed this hard after the first 2 minutes of an anime EVER! Overall I rate this anime a solid 7/10. Give it a go! Its quite funny indeed! <3

Zombies and idols. Both are oversaturated in their respective parts of the world with zombies in the west and idols in the east. I'm pretty sure that we are fed up of both and don't take interest in watching them and just look for something else to watch. I imagine it is going to take a lot to get people into watching an idol or zombie show. But along comes this show. This show which combines these two together into one caught many people off guard and provided us with something we did not expect. So why, I ask, did I keep watching this show ... to the end while knowing what kind of show it is?

Sit back, relax and bow down to THE LEGENDARY YAMADA TAE!!! as I present to you the anime review for Zombieland Saga. Lets begin.



Story: 8/10

Our story begins with Sakura Minamoto looking forward to what she thinks will be the best day of life. She gets dressed; rushes down the stairs; out the front door; looking into the sun with a smile on her face and then gets immediately hit by a truck (that's right, TRUCK-KUN STRIKES AGAIN!). She finds herself awakening in a seemly abandoned old mansion crawling with Zombies. She then finds out she is also a zombie and has been for 10 years. Under their charismatic but self-absorbed leader Koutaro Tatsumi, she joins several other girls who are considered legendary in their own time with one goal in mind. To become the ultimate idol group in order to save Saga, the location where these girls will perform and revive the idol industry there.

The way this show was built up before its airing was interesting. We pretty much had no idea what it was going to be. Going from the trailer and the poster, it looked like it was going to be an over the top, zombie slaying action series. When the show aired its first few episodes, I think the show just went ahead and said:

"Oh you thought this was a zombie action series? Well PSYKE, it's an idol show. Except PSYKE, it's not really an idol show but rather a parody of the idol industry. Except PSYKE, it's an genuine idol show but you don't care because you are already invested."

And you know what? I was invested. The way this show is structured is very well done. It starts off with something so abrupt, it is absolutely hilarious and sets the tone pretty well. It follows up with some unconventional music that doesn't really associate with idols. It then gives us actual idol s**t when we are invested into the show and when we get invested into the characters, we learn more about them. The show knows when it is a good time to change the focus of the show and then develop on it in order to keep it fresh, making the show's pace very well executed.

Now, since this show's idols are also zombies. It leaves a question that it asks us. Does the zombie aspect add anything to Zombielad saga or are they mainly used for comedy? Well yes, they do add something. Considering that these girls have all been resurrected from different time periods, they also bring their backgrounds, ideals and personalities from that time period with them. This creates some conflict between the characters as their ideals are different from one another. Creating tension and also character building. Of course, them being zombies also means that some people will start catching on that these girls who are supposed to be dead have started to walk around again and are performing as an idol group.


Characters: 8.5/10

Each of our main cast of female characters are rather distinct from one another and each have their own personality. It is important that each character has their own personality in this case in order to stand out in their own way. Whether it is Saki's brash nature or lily's love for everything cute, they all have their own quirks that all make them stand out in their own way. Sakura is the only character I have some gripes with due to being a blank slate character due to her having amnesia. But I can forgive that because she really comes into her own near the end of the show.

Each get some development as well and and we get some insight of what their lives were like before they became zombies. Well maybe except Yuugiri and THE LEGENDARY YAMADA TAE!!! They don't get as fair of development than the rest of the cast. I can forgive THE LEGENDARY YAMADA TAE!!! due to her actions speaking for herself. But Yuugiri, not so much. Either way, the characters are enjoyable, likeable and their deaths are hilarious.

However, the best character in this show is definitely their manager, Koutaro Tatsumi. Basically, he's as if Houoiun Kyouma decided to ditch the mad scientist gimmick and decided to become a manager instead. He's loud, he's brash, he has no sense of personal space, loves the sound of his own voice and is a complete idiot. He's basically a parody of the standard idol manager considering he has little interest in the girls' feelings or health whatsoever and will do his own thing while the girls have to practice. He's pretty much is looking to advance his own fame rather than the girls because they are zombies and everyone would want to kill them if they find out. Thankfully, he does get his s**t kicked in at times by Saki and Ai at different points of the show due to his idiocy. He is where the comedy is at its best due to Mamoru Miyano's performance and delivery (and we will get to that) but he is genuinely funny and is definitely the highlight of the show.


Animation: 9.5/10

MAAPA has done a good job here animating this show. Everything about the animation of this show feels vibrant with the colour especially feeling lively or when the cinematography changes like whenever Koutaro shouts at people or saying "MUSIC, COME ON!!!" It really is a nice treat for the eyes. The character designs as well are well done, especially with the girls' zombie aspects. Each character is designed in correlation to how they died. This includes bandages, stitches and scars. It's that nice attention to detail that makes the animation quality that much better. Also, those faces. Whether it is from getting shocked, their scary zombie face or Saki's smug face on episode 4, they add to the comedy which is especially important as body language can also make the scene more humorous.

Now there is also CGI used in this show when the girls start performing actual idol performances. At this point I've come to the belief that CGI is to anime what microtransactions are to video games. You don't want it to be there, but you'll know it will be there. Thankfully, it doesn't look bad as the CGI doesn't look stiff and doesn't look too out of place.


Sound: 9.5/10

This being an idol show, the music must take high priority. Otherwise, what's the point? The soundtrack used is very catchy and enjoyable to listen to. Very diverse as well with different types of songs and music across the entire show to hammer it home that this is an unconventional idol anime. The rap battle sequence from episode 2 ALONE deserves a point as it is so well done, so catchy and so f***ing funny that it was the highlight of the show for me. Of course it can take itself seriously as well. The song played at the end of episode 8 is a heartwrencher that made me shed one single tear when I watched it.

The opening "Adabana Necromancy" that is performed by the main cast of girls is also very well done. It just has so much style and character to it as it looks like the opening is just trying to have some fun. Power ranger idols, a zombie dance number and Koutaro showing off his moves. It just relates to the unconventional nature of the show. The music as well is done well with bombastic trumpets and trombones combining well with the drums and violins. Combine this with the sound effects to make a fast paced, well done opening altogether. In fact, the sound effects are so crucial that when I listened to a version of the opening without the sound effects. It felt off as if the opening lost a key part to it.

The ending sequence is a standard calm down ending where after the events of the episode, you need to listen to something that will calm you down and make you feel relaxed as you reflect upon the episode you just saw. So yeah, pretty standard.

Now I was curious as to how the english dub would be handled. Mamoru Miyano's performance as Koutaro Tatsumi is absolutely brilliant with him constantly changing the tone of his voice and shouting at the top of his lungs. It was like Koutaro was made specifically for him. It sounded like he was having so much fun with the role. So I was interested to see how the English dub would compare. And you know what? Ricco Fajardo did a damn good job as Koutaro as he also brings a charismatic and bombastic performance that is also enjoyable. The rest of the cast also does a good job with each of their respective roles. But considering Mamoru Miyano's performance and the fact that the idol performances have not been dubbed and are still in Japanese. I would still choose the sub over the dub. But if you want to watch the dub, go right ahead.


Conclusion:

I didn't know what to expect from Zombieland Saga and after watching the entire series, I was surprised as to how I managed to watch an idol show without considering on dropping it altogether. But I would say it earns that right of being an idol show by giving us something different to start with before giving us all that idol crap while still realising its roots. Its characters are likeable and enjoyable for the most part, its animation is great and the opening is something I will remember for years. It has cute zombie girls, Truck-Kun, Mamoru Miyano, a rap battle, more Truck-Kun and a whole lot of comedy. I would even call this the surprise show of the season. Some people may argue Bunny Girl Sempai or that Isekai slime show, but at least you got some idea of what you were getting. This being many peoples' first idol show that they have watched (myself included), it caught everyone off guard as to how enjoyable it was.

If you are looking for your first idol to watch, this is a great starting point as it does something different before it does the idol stuff and is a show I highly recommend you watch.


My personal enjoyment: 10/10


Overall score: 9.1/10 Recommendation: Go f***ing watch it

MAPPA, you genius. Had someone told me a year ago that I would watch an idol show featuring zombie girls nonetheless, and whole heartedly enjoy it, I would´ve laughed said person straight up in the face. Honestly, I´ve never seen an idol anime before Zombieland Saga (ZS) and will probably never see one again. Because ZS came and rocked my world (yes, pun intended), with what doubtlessly is mostly a great grand parody of the idol genre. MAPPA has gone and done it again, and this time with genres that I for my life never thought I would ever appreciate. So why is ZS the ... only idol anime you ever need to watch? I will tell you right now.

And since the synopsis nowhere near doing the show justice, I will elaborate it a bit.

The fabulous and self-proclaimed zombie girl idol producer Koutarou Tatsumi has a mission, and one mission only - to save the district Saga. Saga´s population is declining; especially young people is leaving to find their luck elsewhere. Koutarou-kun want to fix this ASAP, and what better way to do it then with a Saga idol group, right? And if you can´t find living young girls who´s up for the task, what better way is there than revive a bunch of dead ones and create an idol group of zombie girls?!

You might wonder how the hell Koutarou-kun made them into zombies? To cite the grand man himself when asked; “A little bit of this, a little bit of that and bang, you´re out of the grave, right?! Isn´t that all you really need for zombies?!” So, there you have it.

Sakura were in her teenage prime, with big dreams of becoming an idol. But one day when she is running in excitement with her song-CD to the mail-box, a truck hits her and bang! Sakura is dead, and no more idol dreams for her. At least until Koutarou-kun revives her 10 years later and informs her that she now is Zombie nr 1 and is going to be an idol together his little group of zombie girls to save Saga. Only one problem for Sakura though, she has lost her memories!

What follows is the groups hilarious strive to be THE idol group everyone talks about to save Saga, in an era where the concept of idols is almost extinct. As you can guess, they have to start at the bottom, with all kinds of odd jobs. And all the while they have to hide the fact that they are zombies, which often leads up to violently comical situations. Even if I haven´t watched any idol/music anime, I expected an endless succession of disgustingly sweet love songs and girly group dances. Boy was I wrong. Ok, there are such later on, but the texts and songs actually have personal meaning for the girls, which made it kind of cool, but let´s get to the point. Their first gig is on a local freaking heavy metal event. Has Koutarou-kun prepared his zombie girls for such an event. Hell no. That scene set the bar for the rest of the show for me, and it did not disappoint. I laughed my ass of multiple times during most episode, and I´m no easy to entertain with comedy. Brilliant.

Sure, there is a little more serious moments with what I only can guess is the classic idol show concepts of a striving group towards success and for filling a dream, and of course the girls’ personal issues. But such scenes didn´t ruin the all over mood of the show at all, they just gave more filling to the story and the characters.

Speaking of the characters, such a great bunch of zombie girls!❤️Saki the hardcore ex biker gang boss, Yuugiri the elegant ex courtesan, Lily the sweet little ex child actress, Sakura the kind and positive ex idol-dreamer, Ai and Junko the only revived ex-idols, and let us not forget the LENGEDARY Tae Yamada! No ex- before legendary here, Tae were and is the one and only legendary Tae Yamada. No explanations needed. All the girls get some nice backgrounds and episodes dedicated to them, which explores there past, cause of death and personalities, which often was really entertaining. Koutarou-kun is the best producer, often screaming in the girls faces when asked stupid questions (or often highly relevant questions, but whatever), throwing the group into situations they have no clue how to handle, and is a master at body make-up. He also has a super awesome seductive move, which works on women and men, both living and the dead. Who could´ve asked for more! It´s music on its own to hear him screaming “Ohayōgozaimasu!!!”, “GO GO GO GO GO GO GO!!!”, “YOU STUPID ASS ZOMBIES!!!” or “COME ON!!!” on the top of his lungs.

As expected by MAPPA at this point, they have put their unique touch to ZS. Their trade mark is, unlike many other studies that make all their works looks similar, giving each project their own exclusive look and feeling. In ZS case they used bright and vivid colours, with lots of red, yellow, orange, pink and purple. Great and memorable character designs, with Saki being extra cool. Per usual they play with alternative angles, facial expressions and motion pacing’s, and per usual hit the jackpot. I even found their use of CG pretty inventive.

Since it actually is an idol show, of course it’s a lot of music. As I said mentioned before, the music they performed was a very mixed bag with everything from heavy metal, rap to ridiculous commercial songs. I´m freaking loved the rap battle, Sakura & Co owned it! If not watch the show, I highly recommend you to look up at least that part. Even if the music performance goes more toward what maybe I would´ve expected from a regular idol anime along the way, most of the songs and dances have clever texts and choreography. And the OP is in a league on its own -> LOOK IT UP. The VA´s (Japanese) very all more than perfect for the roles, so arigato gozaimasu!

Since I´ve never ventured into the genre only anime could come up with before, I had almost no expectations. And I was blown away. MAPPA once again has proven that they can do something different, and not only get away with it, but shining while doing it. I had a blast this fall watching the legendary Zombieland Saga and is proud to say that this is and likely will be my only idol anime. Because this is probably completely different from your regular idol show. I can highly recommend ZS to all you good and fine people out there. Take part of the legend!

Well normally I don’t write Reviews anymore since there are enough of them. But this f*cking LEGENDARY Anime worths it!
When I started to watch I was like "Just some episodes now, then playing PS4 and the rest of this show after going to sleep." But Damn was I wrong! There was no other option than watching the whole thing in one run without pauses! It’s new, It’s fresh and It’s LEGENDARY as Hell or better LEGENDARY as the LEGENDARY TAE YAMADA!! [absolute favourite of every Anime concerning Zombies I watched til now]

Just watch it yourself and get LEGENDARED!!!
(If you want specific information about story, art ... and so on, just read some of the other reviews. For me everything is at least 10 out of 10!)

I've never seen any idol anime before.

Quite great, and worth-it to watch! the graphic is quite great tho, and i love its story; fun, light, colorful but still, have its own drama; and 'safe' (no sexual and harem comedy detected as far as i see). But, one thing that makes me sad : the story is hanging. is there any second season for this anime? no information about that :'( oh man!

I love all of its character's development. they have strong and different background among others. Minamoto Sakura, who always unlucky in entire her life and a fan of Mizuno Ai because she is inspired ... by her. Mizuno Ai, legendary heisei idol, inspiring Sakura, and always thinks that showing mistakes is a good part -of an idol- to make us developed. Junko Konno, legendary showa idol who has an opposite thoughts through Mizuno Ai. Junko, with her conservative thoughts that "idol is always perfect. makes mistake is strongly prohibited" (you know that Junko and Ai is from the different era) gives a little drama for this story. I love Junko. if i am a man, i will make her as my waifu lol

Saki Nikaido, is a legendary boss from motorcycle gang who become an Idol with Franchouchou (hey, why she is becoming an idol, tho? but i admire her character; cool!). Yugiri, a legendary courtesan who looks graceful and being onee-san of Franchouchou. Lily Hoshikawa, a cutie imouto who dead silly caused by a piece of hair grown on her chin (or cheek? or between them??). she didn't want to grow older, and that grown hair makes her afraid if she will become older.

And.... the last character : Tae Yamada! an unawakened zombie who always impulsively acting. she is caring about Sakura at the end. Ah.. I love Tae's Seiyuu : Mitsuishi Kotono who is being a Senior Seiyuu among five of them. (actually, the zombie dog's seiyuu is a senior too). Oh yeah.. i'm a big fan of Mitsuishi Kotono!

I'm really impressed by the quality standard of this anime season, really good works, Zombie Land Saga stands out for its simplicity of story, in a genre that is not very well known for quality overall. delivering a good story, with charismatic characters even in the background, great songs and a design quite colorful and beautiful to accompany, with a simple enough humor that still captivates. This anime will make you confused not knowing if you laugh or cry about the girls' deaths, it's just incredible. Maybe I'm just pretty excited after a great final, but for me it's a 10.

Ah...Zombieland Saga. The one idol anime series that pays omages to past idol series and whacks them out of proportion with parodies and such, AND I LOVE IT. I'm not into idol anime, but much like Revue Starlight, this is super entertaining, at least to opinionated agreement.

Going into this series, MAPPA is telling us: "If you think we're here to create some generic idol anime, Truck-kun will deal you heavy damage and subvert your expectations to the insane degree!" And that's what they did, and whether you feel it succeeded or failed is up to debates, but none can deny that for what it was ... going for: Zombieland Saga cuts to the chase, make some questionable decisions, and then hands down (what I think) deliver on its originality.

Let us start with the bad, and we can end this on a good note, starting with the art and animation. MAPPA has been known for creating a lot of slick animation to boot, but the character designs, original as they may be and easy to differentiate the cast of Franchouchou as a whole, it leaves a lot to be desired. Even more is the very subjective animation, which I assume is for pretty much the parody of idol anime. Weird 3D models and whatnot, and I get it, the fact that this model exists is just for show, and many people will feel off-putting. As for myself, it's plentiful and does its job, decent at best.

The good-but-not-great part, the music. Created by the one and only Yasuharu Takanashi of Naruto: Shippuden and Fairy Tail fame, this was honestly the biggest standout to me, as the OST contained within this series is truly another great work that adds to his name. The next-level OP visuals with sound effects (something that's ultra rare in anime) that always pulls off excellently, to the calm ED, both songs sang by none other than Franchouchou. Simply just brilliant.

For most people however, its the simple story and backgrounds of the characters themselves that will earn praise over why this series is super popular now. Let's start with the man in question: Franchouchou's agent-cum-director/driver/counsellor AIO Kotarou Tatsumi. He has been the male elicit of the girls in whatever situations, and has outgrown and outshined himself as the main go-to parody, not caring what the girls' opinions are (until it gets serious like Sakura's). But like them, he has a dream to make Franchouchou known around the dead city that is Saga.

Now, with the girls.
Sakura Minamoto has been always looked upon as the MC girl ever since the beginning and recurrence of Truck-kun, and is always the person of ridicule when faced with Kotarou's whims, but ever since Day 1 when she wanted to be an idol, in a snap, she lost all hope as she not only got smashed dead by Truck-kun, but questions her intent and place in the unit, only to have these worries recitified to enjoy what has the new zombie life has in store for her.

Saki Nikaidou, the group's bad-ass leader and former gang leader. Nothing short of the finest in life. She has that bad-ass attitude, and doesn't even spare that to Kotarou and his crazy antics, making sure that everything goes her way, and doesn't back out of a fight...that is until her untimely death when facing off another rival gang. For reference, please refer to Episode 2's crazily awesome rap. A gung-ho girl that everyone relies on heavily to get things going, I'd say she is someone you wouldn't try to mess with her wrong side.

Lily Hoshikawa, the youngest in the group, and an established idol well in her early years. Her dead-come-alive story is simple: transgender, died after that simple growing of puberty adolescence. But nonetheless, she has what she always had from the beginning: the support from her father-cum-former manager (And it's not easy for parents to guide their own children who have become idols, so to speak).

Ai Mizuno and Junko Konno are two separate humans, yet two separate entities which has come alive through lightning exposure and death from a plane crash. It's easy to see how both Ai and Junko are similar to one another, yet have different views when it comes to interaction with their own idols. Granted, Ai is modern (Iron Frill, 2008) and Junko is traditional (80s Showa era), but despite their bickering, sometimes (or much rather) they come together as one to give the performances that people need, and it is well worth it.

It's sad that Yuugiri and "legendary" BEST GIRL Tae Yamada hasn't has their backstories, but given the time frame of the series, they could have done much more into expanding on these two characters, best of the best and legendary status' girls. *ah-chou* Franchouchou is born! And come on, even the calefare Policeman had his moments!

Zombieland Saga is parody, satirical, and a slap in the face to the archetypes we've come to know and love/hate, and how it manages to do all that, it does so brilliantly at its very best. All we know, there'll never be anything like it ever again on the face of this Earth, and so I must and shall say, it's a "die, die must watch" kinda feeling. It puts a smile on my face every episode whether good or hilariously bad, and farewell, hasta la vista to these zombie-fied girls which punch a good heartbeat into this series. Well done, MAPPA, CyGames and Avex Pictures (which this series is a collab! Suckerpunch!)!

"I don't think mistakes or failures are a bad thing because they always end up helping with whatever happens next. I believe I'll only be the best version of me once I overcome it all." - Ai Mizuno

Where have you been all my life?

Zombie Land Saga is the first case in anime I find to be an underrated gem. When you first look at the name, you may be expecting this to be just another horror show, but then you jump into the first episode and see that the zombies are the protagonists of this anime.

First, I really love the word play with this title. ... Saga is a synonym for story, but it's also the name of a prefecture in the Kyushu region of Japan, which is where Zombie Land Saga takes place in. The story is centered around seven girls, who have met an unfortunate demise, resurrected as zombies by an idol producer, whose intention is to revitalize the prefecture. I am fully aware that lots of people are not fans of the idol / show business theme when it comes to anime. I personally never go out of my way to get into it, but the second I feast my eyes on the banger that is the opening scene, I just know I'm going to have fun with this anime. When it's said that the idol producer's intention is to revitalize Saga, he really means it. The prefecture just seems to appear to not have anything outstanding and its existence is on the verge of fading from memory. Zombie Land Saga isn't just about these girls becoming popular idols in Saga. It's an epic quest to save the prefecture.

The characters are a strong highlight for me. The seven girls all came from different eras and have different backstories creating a fun and diverse cast to watch and listen to. First, we have Sakura Minamoto. She may be somewhat clumsy, but she is very optimistic and cares for the other girls. Second, there is Saki Nikaido, who was a member of a girls-only biker gang that successfully took over Saga during the 1990s. First impressions of her may be scary, but she's actually a polite person on the inside. Third, my favorite character who I quoted at the beginning of this review, Ai Mizuno. She was once a member of the idol group Iron Frill ten years ago, making her the most experienced of the zombies. I also like the fact that out of all the zombie appearances the girls have, Ai appears to be almost completely covered in bandages making her look more like a mummy. The fourth character is Junko Konno, an idol from the 1980s. Back then, fans' accessibility to meet up with their favorite idols up close in-person was not a thing, and Junko intends to stick to that old tradition. Our fifth character is Yuguri, who is said to be a legendary courtesan from one hundred fifty years before the events of Zombie Land Saga. Unlike Junko, Yuguri is quick to adapt to the modern era. Next is Lily Hoshikawa, a child prodigy actress from seven years ago. She is extremely happy to have become a zombie because she views it as a means to never get older. Finally, we have the legendary Tae Yamada. What's her backstory? We don't know, but we do know for a fact that she stands out as the only zombie to not fully regain consciousness. While she is still in the state of a brainless zombie, she does have some amount of awareness of her surroundings. It's also worth mentioning that Tae's voice actress is Kotono Mitsuishi. It's truly astounding that the person known for saying "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!" is the one making all these incomprehensible zombie noises for Tae.

Together, these seven girls make up the idol group called Franchouchou. To reduce the chances of anybody recognizing them, they go by numbers instead of their actual names, with Tae being Number Zero for some reason. Before going out in public, their idol producer, Kotaro Tatsumi, utilizes a special make-up on them to make them look perfectly like regular living humans because zombies don't have a place in society. Kotaro is just freaking hilarious. He is voiced by the same man who voiced Rintaro Okabe from Steins;Gate. He also voiced Light Yagami from Death Note, but the voice for Light doesn't even come close to either Rintaro nor Kotaro. Oh... I just realized Rintaro and Kotaro rhyme with each other as I'm typing this trivial information. Well, back to talking about Kotaro. He comes off being very strict towards the girls, but he actually does care for their well-being, especially towards Sakura. I've seen some people not like him, but how could you not enjoy some of the lines he says such as "Music, come on!" or "Nice bird!" or my personal favorite: "Kicky blammo!" Just for clarification, he doesn't actually say the last one in English. I just laughed so hard when I first read it in the subtitles. Throughout the whole anime, Kotaro never ceased to entertain me.

Since Zombie Land Saga is categorized as an idol anime, that means there are going to be a lot of songs in it. While Franchouchou isn't my go-to choice to listen to all the time, they have plenty of good songs under their name. Their most common song that's inserted into the anime is called Awaken Returner. It's a good song, and I don't mind it being the most performed song. Franchouchou also sings the opening and ending songs. The opening song, Fruitless Necromancy captures the allusion of Zombie Land Saga sounding like a horror anime before gradually changing its tone to fit an idol anime. The ending song, Into the Light is one of the most calm and peaceful themes I have ever listened to. It really does tell the viewer that despite the fact that the girls are now zombies, they are enjoying their second chance to the fullest.

So far, I've come to enjoy the story, the characters, some of their voice actors, and the music. What exactly made Zombie Land Saga an underrated gem? It all comes down to the animation studio that created this anime: MAPPA.

The artstyle is fine and the animation outside of some performances are done correctly. Mind you... I said outside of some performances. Things like the funny rap battle between Sakura and Saki and the cute little commercial for Drive-In Tori are well animated. It's the concert performances where haters like to bully Zombie Land Saga over. We can all collectively agree that MAPPA is not good at utilizing Computer Graphics Imagery (CGI). The song Awaken Returner was introduced in the third episode where the girls do a guerilla performance. This is the first instance we see the slow and clunky choreography because of the bad CGI, and this does happen quite a few more times throughout the anime. That being said, it's literally the one and only flaw with Zombie Land Saga and yet, just that one flaw is why there is a faction of people who think negatively of the anime to an extreme extent. I can understand if they are also not fans of other elements. If you don't have any other problems besides the CGI, then that's just a -1 at best and a fall to the Mixed Feelings range at worst. Not an instant 1/10. By the way, I'm not talking about the negative reviews on MyAnimeList. I'm actually talking about the comments I've seen on websites where I watch anime on.

If MAPPA had some members experienced at making good CGI, Zombie Land Saga could've reached a perfect score. Other than that, people focus way too much on this one element over the several other elements I personally find the anime to do just right. Zombie Land Saga did a good job demonstrating how these zombie idols live their lives and the importance of not getting exposed as zombies. As said at the end of the previous paragraph, the bad CGI is at best only a -1 penalty to my rating, so that means it's a 9/10.

To end off, I really love Ai Mizuno's philosophy on how to improve. That quote of hers I put at the beginning of this review is worthy of a pure platinum metal. Well, that settle it. Ai Mizuno is officially one of my favorite characters. Man, it's about time I finally add a second character onto my list on my profile page after half a year of just having Princess Euphemia from Code Geass. I'm sure she's happy to have some company now.

Zombieland Saga is entertaining. And that's a fact.

Zombieland Saga, preys on your attention with its well-timed editing. It feeds on it. Whenever there are events unraveling, you'll notice how one action can completely flip the mood of the situations. These comedic moments can envelop the show because of the reaction shots on the characters whenever something came up. A look at their facial expressions and another look at the situation. That's all you need to evoke emotions. The right pace.

The art is also done so well that it can mimic the reactions that can make you laugh. Of course, no one can forget the various ... role-playing and voice intonation switching by the voice actor of the manager. He can light up the mood, tense up the situation and pretty much do anything with the silliness bestowed on his character. A close-up on his face and high-pitched voice are his charm and a precious gem that blend well the show.

By still keeping his absurdity going, little by little, the studio pulls you in closer to the characters. It hooks you back to reality, taking you face to face to see what they are looking at. As it goes on, more and more little stories unravel to tickle your bone and warm your heart. Rolling heads, undead bodies, awkward CGI dancing animation are all its embodiment that take you a step closer into their zombie world.

In the end, Zombieland Saga has introduced an idol group known as Franchouchou to the world. A group of zombie girls fighting to take every chance and every breath they can, to save Saga and tell the world that they are - alive.

Alright, let's get one thing straight: I usually sidestep idol anime like it's hot lava in a childhood game of "the floor is lava". But this one? Totally caught me off-guard. Combine idol girls with a sprinkle of undead, toss them in a blender from different eras, and voila! A concoction I never knew I needed.

Hesitantly, I clicked expecting the usual sugar-coated idol performances. Instead, I found myself in a whirlwind of undead hilarity, mishaps that made me spit out my drink, and a manager whose energy is... let's say otherworldly.

The animation? Top-tier. Concert scenes? Actually fire. The music? Catchy with a twist, and not ... the generic type either. It has layers, just like the decomposing characters who sing it.

Beyond the comedic value, the show pulls at your heartstrings. It’s not just about the laughs or music; it’s about the stories these characters carry with them. Before I knew it, I was rooting for them, not just as performers, but as individuals trying to reclaim a lost purpose.

If, like me, you've got reservations about the idol genre, consider giving this unexpected gem a try. It may not turn you into an idol superfan, but it’ll surely get you cheering, laughing, and perhaps shedding a tear or two. And for the record, I'm only slightly tempted to buy a lightstick now. Just a tiny bit.

Zombieland Saga is your stereotypical horror show with zombies.Nah,of course not,I'm just pulling a leg here.But,that is actually what MAL portrayed the show to be in its initial stage and with very little information,low expectations were immediately setted for the show.However,those very expectations will soon be exceeded.Let's start the actual review.Zombieland Saga is an anime about a group of undead zombies forming an idol group under the brilliant leadership of their manager,Kotarou,in their quest to accomplish Kotarou's goal of saving the Japanese prefacture,Saga.(I feel like this may be the show's way ofmaking a parody of idol anime settings like Love Live that requires the group ... to save the school.)This general plot was whipped straight at the viewers after the 1st episode which disguised itself as the stereotypical zombie horror show that it isn't.I got to say that it was pretty good publicity as this is the first "horror" anime that anime fans will see in Fall 2018 and will watch this show purely to see whether this "horror anime" will turn out great.To generally summarise this anime,this is a comedy idol show that throws a lot of ridiculous moments and a huge meme on its own while it is also able to get serious when the show requires it to be.Now,I'll start discussing on the various parts of the anime that made me give it a score of 8.(There will be spoilers in this review as examples to substantiate certain points.)

The story in its own is of course,ridiculously simple.Our main protagonist,Sakura,gets whacked by a van,just normal everyday problems,and became a zombie,gets pulled in the idol group under Kotarou and the story continues to show the exploits of our zombie friends.The story is not particularly amazing but it is pretty good as compared to other "idol" shows due to its innovative ways of presenting the idol genre through the funny and interesting perspective of our zombie friends.

The Art of this show is not particularly noteworthy in general.But,there are a few instances where the aesthetics of the show shines.For example,the show uses CGI during the earlier episodes to highlight how awkward and bad our Zombie idol group was when it comes to performing while simultaneously making a joke out of how other idol anime uses the CGI effect on a daily basis.The show then contrast this with using 2D animation when the group starts improving to show the visual improvement of the group,something that is lacking in most idol anime.The animation is also pretty fluid when the characters make over the top actions which made the scene extra hilarious.Therefore,although the general artstyle is mediocre,the way they animated the show is brilliant and innovative and is something other idol anime can learn from.

Let us move on to the audio aspect of the show.The OST is ok,nothing praiseworthy but good noneoftheless.The idol songs are surprisingly good,I enjoyed every single one of them.They are generally on par with other idol anime in terms of its good quality.However,the most noteworthy thing about the audio of this show is the intro.The way the absolutely mind-boggling visuals were complemented by the equally ridiculous intro song made the intro a must-watch,this brilliant masterpiece should not be skipped.Lastly,the ending isn't as good as the opening but it is a good reminder that the show is not pure comedy and does have serious elements to it.(Backstory of some of our zombie friends and their respective arcs)

Let us talk about the characters now.With a huge of 7 zombie girls and our godly manager,there will definitely be good and bad points about the characters of the show.On one hand,characters like Yugiri(lily to a smaller extent,outside her own arc) are certaintly neglected and feels like the cast may have expanded too much and have filler characters.But,the show still manages to add colour to the rest of the main cast,even though some of these characters have little screen time.Firstly,THE LEGENARY YAMADA TAE,an all-time favourite among fans of the show,certaintly lives up to her legendary status.Even though Tae doesn't talk in the show and little is known about her past self,she still manages to captivate the hearts of the viewers with her hilarious and insane stunts.Next,out idol pair,Ai and Junko,although not as amazing as Tae,are still essential to the show as a whole in providing serious analysis on the generation gap and their conflicting ideals on how an idol should act.Lily,although a weak character outside her arc,has shed light on how someone could lose their initial vision after acquiring fame and fortune,hurting their child unknowingly.Her arc is pretty good and is one of the most emotional episodes of the anime.Sakura,our main main girl,is actually not particularly amazing but is often the "sane" one of the group,though this is not the case for some of the episodes.The last of the zombie girls,Saki,is a reckless biker gangster whose own undoing is her own recklessness,she is also the leader of the group though she does not act like one well,which actually adds to the comedy aspect of the show.Lastly,we have the wise yet most ridiculous character of the show,Kotarou.Do I even need to spell it out?This man's weird antics never fails to make me laugh and on top of that,he is like a father figure of the group who is helping the zombie girls during difficult times under the guise of his crazy persona,this man is a godsend,best character of the show easily.

Overall,this show is pretty enjoyable,there will be WTF moments initially but once the show gets going after their whole publicity stunt,it gets really good and will sure to bring smiles to you.If you expect a horror anime,this is not the show for you,but if you want to watch a comedy show that will help you get through tough times and bring you a smile after your busy day at work,then this is the show for you.This show,in my opinion,is a revolutionary idol anime that brings a whole new option to the idol genre,therefore,this show is also easily one of the top idol anime out there and imo,is better than even Love Live and the other top idol anime.

Ok ok this is the thing this anime is a parody it's been confirmed and umm what else it's really good i haven't laugh that hard in many days lol aside from bullying kids online (it's a joke) anyway before watching this anime let me remind you that it's a parody a gag idol show or you can say it's just a bunch of zombie girls running around trying to be idols at the same time having issues and existential crisis and alike it's just really fun to watch also the manager va is having so much fun lmfao you can tell like its just ... good definitely recommended.

The animation cg and stuff its alright just dont be a crybaby and endure the pain just wash it off with bleach afterwards.

the dances eh idk really i havent watched an idol show before

YOU KNOW IT'S LIT WHEN IM WATCHING AN IDOL SHOW

I want to clarify this anime wasn't my first ride into the Idol Genre...This anime brought back the life in me to scream out lyrics and the want to wave a glow stick for girls. Heck I had shown this idol anime to non-idol fans and they have converted into idol hell just for the sheer amount of heart behind this production.
Everything down to the voice acting, style, and writing is so amazing and filled with so much love. And those who are worried for the songs, DON'T YOU WORRY MY HOMIE MAPPA HAS YOU COVERED! MAPPA time and time again has proven themselves to ... be a wonderful studio, from hajime no ippo to kakegururi to banana fish. The studio behind this masterpiece of comedy, drama, and idol love really hit it out of the ball park again. Every character is truly someone to love in some shape or form, and heck the god himself KOTARO TASUMI (the manager of the idol group) must be an elder god from the sheer amount of personality he exudes...the man is the true legend (sorry Tae fans).
I would highly recommend anyone from non-idol fans to idol fangirls/boys to sit down and dedicate time to watch this show. To quote a friend- "I trust MAPPA with my life" and you should to...

Good songs, morals, characters, designs, writing, voice acting, and love.

The first few episodes of this were phenomenal. The first minute or so of the first episode was one of the best in any anime I've ever seen, and the rap battle in the second episode (I think) was EXTREMELY COOL! It did everything right, and it was an amazing fresh take on the idol genre! I was thinking I might be able to give this a 10, but then later on in the first season it devolves into just a really good idol show, with the zombie part as more of an afterthought. Still, I love all the characters (especially tae-Chan and the manager, ... I know he seems kind of annoying but I love him), the music is banging, the visuals, while not the best of all time, give the show a really fun aesthetic, the drama feels real, and the interactions are great. The part of the second season I've seen so far picks up the slight bit of slack of the first, and it's really awesome too! The tae-Chan episode had me absolutely rolling around in laughter! Overall, so far this show is a fresh, unique take on the idol genre, and I cannot recommend it enough. The only other idol anime I've seen is love live and the shows connected to that, and this is definitely better than that.

An idol show? a comedy show? an idolcom? a comidol? IDK I just know that this show is somehow bearable for people who don't necessarily like Idol anime.

Zombieland Saga follows a group of zombie girls that perform music shows with the help of their insanely reliably unreliable manager who somehow accomplishes extremely difficult tasks while failing at simple ones. The anime manages to be funny throughout the series and the story develops by letting the girls perform on bigger and better stages as the show progresses. However, the conflicts between characters seem shallow and rushed, and emotional challenges of some ... characters are a bit weak. This may work in favor of the show as it shows (pun) that it doesn't carry itself too seriously. The story gets a 7/10

For Art, some scenes use horribly animated CGI which only appears in the stage performances. This doesn't carry on to other parts of the anime so art gets 6/10. Sound is good as should be expected from an Idol show, the songs are better than most of whats sung in other idol shows and can even be a bit catchy. In an early episode I was surprised by some actually decent rap so sound gets 10/10.

For Character and enjoyment, they both get 8/10. The girls are all different from each other but their is clear development on some of them while others have yet to get that treatment as of episode 7. Why character gets 8/10 is the hilarious manager of the group who is way more dynamic than any other character; although he is still two dimensional as of episode 7, he doesn't need a backstory to bring uniqueness to himself. For Enjoyment, it gets an 8/10, and this is coming from someone who dislikes idol shows. Early on, the show is REALLY creative, but starts losing some creative luster as it progresses.

Overall gets an 8/10, would recommend for anyone looking for an easy laugh/watch.

My first review of an anime called Zombieland Saga. Being a fan of real idols for almost two years now. I initially held no expectations whatsoever when I was first going to watch this show because I have essentially desensitized myself with anything related to the idol industry.

With that in mind, the show pleasantly surprised me when it used a unique concept while sticking to the strengths of an idol concept show. The idea of zombies trying to become competent idols does seem gimmicky personally but the show does well in portraying the characters as all of them are given shown enough for ... a viewer to slowly start liking them and how they interact with others. We even get to see how most of them died which became part of the reason that the characters start striving towards becoming idols that they can be proud to be. Some having regrets because of the things that have happened in the past as a reason to continue even though they are technically already dead and at the end of the line.

The show also does well with its portrayal of the comedy, even becoming a parody of the idol genre itself sometimes. With the use of cliché moments. A minor spoiler of dialogue here between the characters but I found it funny that the manager used the idol group, Tatsumi Kotarou used the excuse of his group being zombies to overwork them which genuinely gave me a laugh. Poking fun at an industry that is infamous for overworking their idols gave me a bit of an excuse to laugh aloud as I sympathize with the girls. The show itself contains many jokes like that portrayed wonderfully, which part of the reason is because of the wonderful voice actors in this show.

The development of the plot itself is also a good factor. We have a ragtag group of zombies trying to become idols that seemed initially impossible but as you slowly start to see them improve, it rather grows on you. I find that aspect of the show heartwarming since I have experienced loving a group wholeheartedly as they slowly improve from rookies to something that you can be proud of. This may seem fake to some but the actions portrayed in the show and how the characters overcome their struggles genuinely attracted me in a way reminiscent of how I once was attracted to the real thing.

Another aspect of the show I liked a lot is the music surprisingly, as each member has it owns impression of it or a solo song that describes their character surprising well that also spans different genres of music to Vocaloid all the way to jazz. The portrayal of their own story, the group of Franchouchou through the music is also done uniquely, with their struggles, being emphasized a lot more than normal because of harder circumstances but also shows the passion of said group to continue and achieve greater heights.

Overall, if you are looking for a show that will give you a great time watching while also having great characters I would recommend this show, though it does have its flaws they are minor for me and did not inhibit my overall enjoyment of the anime itself.