Zombieland Saga

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.

I have seen a lot of Idol anime and when I tell you I have seen a lot of Idol anime, I mean a lot, for example, Pripara, Aikatsu, Love Live, Cinderella Girls, Pretty Rhythm series and a lot more.... so I thought that Zombieland Saga would be just any other Idol anime ( don't get me wrong, I really love Idol anime ) .... but after finishing it just an hour ago, boy did it prove me wrong... It was different and kinda "revolutionary" and the ending left you with more questions than answers and that's what I like about it... I would say ... this was worth a watch ꒰ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ꒱

Story 9/10
The story centers around a group of zombie girls being forced into becoming an idol group by an overzealous manager. Does it sound crazy? Yes. but it's also a new and fresh kind of plot given that this is an Idol anime. It also really good that you have so much mystery to unwrap with it and each episode is just not enough. I also love it that they also put comedy in each episode and that always cracks me up ~

Art 9/10
I really like the art so much, they made all the characters so cute and pretty! Their dance costumes also are so well-thought and so nice to look at it ^^ Don't forget our best boi, Kotaru ~ he is kinda handsome for someone who we never saw his face...

Sound 10/10
The music the group makes in the show is absolutely amazing and every time I hear it, it gives me goosebumps. It is so very catchy and upbeat and it really brings our positive vibes which I myself find singing along to. Lastly, the VAs voices are also good and I have no problem with it

Character 10/10
The characters in the show all have their own personalities and mannerisms and that what makes them unique. I love the diversity each character has and that each of them has different struggles and problems that we watch them overcome and grow as a person..

Enjoyment 10/10
I enjoyed very much to binge it in a day. That's it.

Overall 10/10

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.

You gotta watch it, at least once.

note: this review is short.

Zombieland Saga is well, not what you'd first expect, without reading the synopsis (duh). After going through certain idol animes, I've never really liked the entire purpose of an idol genre. Which led to me not expecting much from it, ZS pretty much surprised me. At first, the only reason I watched this anime was because of the comedic aspects.

In full complete honesty, plot and storyline are pretty basic. Nothing really to look forward to and nothing really to extremely surprise you. The entire plot is based upon the girls and ... their feelings, cliche, but what isn't nowadays? Finding the purpose of why to become idols, blah blah, blah. However, it suits what I believe the creators were trying to bring out a horror-comedy-idol-anime. It's enough for the audience to be engaged and want to watch the show.

The animation for the show was great, don't get me wrong, but the animation during the actual performances...it's just it. I completely understand the reason for the animation decision, but just wow. It kind of just jumps out at you. The actual performances (excusing the animation) was amazing. You can tell that the entire cast put effort into it. Hell, I'm still humming the tune today.

But does that matter?

That's up to you, still, give it a few episodes and see what you think.

OOOOOHAYOOOOO!!!!!!

REVIEW NO JIKAN DAYOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Ok, another idol theme anime has ended as usual it has a rather cliche story plot in it , where is never goes out of style , cu'z it is only secondary , in fact the plot always center around the relationships of the group members and as usual there will always be some drama and all kinds of things that seemingly were just added to simply just force it, but in all aspect it was just simply about the songs that them anisong fanatics would pirate it in any downloadable song sites leaving them composer with little or close to nothing ... when it comes to profits. But, if I were to be asked if this was a good anime????? Well , I'd say that it was but not that good in terms of how the story goes, so here are my ratings:

Story-mediocre 5: Ok so them girls were Zombies , they died and were resurrected by some loud mouth nut case Tatsumi Kotaru or Inui since he and Sakura knew each other from before, when Sakura was still alive, since series composer, Murakoshi, Shigeru and anime director , Sakai, Munehisa
didn't bother tell us audience how he did it, they basically they just focus on the usual drama found in any idol related anime and just bank on the usual eyecandy and the songs.

Art- Mediocre 5: Just like any idol related anime, the art was just all about those fancy dresses or outfits that makes the characters look hot for the girls and cool for the guys.

Sound- Mediocre 5: It's just the songs guys, I just don;t get what a lotta people find anything soooo special about this and why should this category be given a high rating, in fact I pity more about those song writers and composer whose works would be downloaded by a lotta otaku freaks out there from any sites or dark web out there, leavening them song writers and composers out of the blue with less of the profits from their works.

Character- Mediocre 5: In any idol them anime, like the usual, there will always be the lead and the 2nd lead so on and so forth and then adds some force drama on them them you have usual stuff. Ok so them girls have a backstory and we're show how each girls died before being turn into zombies like Junko who died tragically, Ai and Liliy both died bizarrely, Sakura died stupidly, given that she got hit by truck kun twice, Saki dies carelessly , Yuugiri and Tae's deads were unknown since this anime's director didn't even bother to include it, which is UNFORTUNATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoyment - fair 6: I would have like this anime very much despite of the mediocre it has with the usual idol themed anime , but I kinda find it disgusting that the anime at the last few episodes decide to go back to the part of how Sakura got hit by truck kun for the 2nd time, where in my opinion the drama that she feels down should have been used in the 1st or in the mid episode.


Overall-good 7: That's for the song that I find it good, and don't even think about another season of this thing. unless we get to know the backstories of Yuugiri and Tae chan.

THAT'S IT FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Idol anime are somewhat of a hit or miss for a lot of people. Whether its the corny story-lines or the janky CG animation of the dancing, there is plenty to complain about in the idol genre. However this is not that kind of review.

Zombieland saga is an out of this world crazy take on the Idol genre as a whole. From its visuals, music and story-telling to its music and character interaction, this anime is a complete other level from other Idol anime (at least in my opinion). The way the anime deals with the harsh realities of death while presenting it alongside a ... cheery success story of a local startup idol group is a thing to behold.

A zombie idol group, I doubt I could make this stuff up if I tried, and somehow its one of my favourite anime of all time. The meaningful relationships of the characters and the treatment of death and the past as a plot device is a genius move. Never have I cried at a song quite like "To my Dearest".

The characters are unique, each one filling the cliche idol roles in unique ways. They have their own arcs and issues to overcome and their designs are indicative of the years they were born (Since most of the girls are from different time periods). The girls also develop songs for the conclusions of their arcs, to help them express their feelings. If you have the time, its more than worth checking out the full bonus album that was released on Spotify.

The music is of course a big focus of Idol shows and it certainly doesn't disappoint here. There are plenty of songs that convey a unique flavor for every character, and despite the use of CG in the dance scenes, one can forgive that when watching glowing lightning zombies...

Its absurd, its colorful, its wacky, Its genuine and its meaningful. An out there entry to Idol genre and one truly worthy of anyone's time, even if you are not that into Idol Anime all that much.

First, let me make myself clear. I am never invested into any idol anime. Never. And for an idol anime managed to make me drowned into idol anime for the first time, it is a very great achievement for that anime and a proof of how good that anime concept to make me invest myself to this particular genre. This anime took a concept that seemed won't work but work anyway and made a fresh breath of air into the genre of idols. So, grab your light sticks and prepare a towel to wipe away your sweats after enjoying undead girls reviving your heart with ... their songs and stories. This is an original anime by MAPPA, this is Zombieland Saga.

Like I said before, this anime excels in dragging many audiences by its absurd yet interesting concept that is zombies becoming idols. It might be very simple if you hear it but from that alone, we could already get very interesting back stories from each of the member particularly how they ended up die. And from there, Zombieland Saga easily built character developments from how they overcome their past and keep living (ironically). This is why every member of Franchouchou has a very great character development including the one who can't speak any word, the Legendary Tae Yamada. Yes, I think Tae-chan is the embodiment of how much Franchouchou grow overtime. The other girls were the ones who taught her how to be more human and while she still could not speak until the very end, she is shown to treasure her relationship with Franchouchou by trying her best to snap Sakura just like the others.

Then the music, the most important component of the idols. I must say, I love the songs very much. I don't know why but every song they sang made this feeling of hype and happiness in my heart. It made me want to chant along their song and I think it is very important for any idol anime to make us feeling that way. Not just that, I love how every singer (or seiyuu in this case) have their own vibe of voices and made their songs colorful. From the high pitch girlish voice of Lily to the more adult voice of Yugiri. And to add more, I actually have a special love for the voice of Junko Konno in their songs. Her voice is very strong and I kinda have a soft spot for strong voices. So yeah, I am kinda Yon-Go stan.

Not just the music, I probably want to make Zombieland Saga as the best opening sequence of this season. The opening sequence is very greatly animated with the song that actually very catchy. And from what we learned from JoJo's Bizzare Adventure, opening with sound effects are better and Zombieland Saga used that fact made the opening unskipable.

But yeah, from all of that goodness, I must say that the CG section which happened in every of Franchouchou idol performance could be annoying at first. But I am giving kudos for the CG animation department as their CG sequences are getting better along with the episode counts. It might saying that they are getting used to use the 3D models more and more. Aside from CG animation, the other animation is pretty good with how beautiful their backgrounds which is taken from actual Saga prefecture and redrawed beautifully and as precise as they could. I just love those comparison photos circulating in the internet.

Overall, this anime is a solid candidate for the best anime of this season (along with Bunny Girl Senpai) with its revolutionary concept in the idol anime genre. Great character developments, great musics and opening sequence, beautifully drawn backgrounds, and of course, a perfect gateaway for someone who never invested themselves into idol anime. In the end, I think Kotaro really did save Saga after all.

What is Zombieland Saga? A horror in a zombie apocalypse? A saga in a land full of zombies? Well, none of that. It is actually an idol anime with zombies as the idols. Why the Saga part then, you ask? Because it is set in the Saga Prefecture, Japan.

This is an anime that doesn't take itself seriously. Keep that in mind if you want to watch this show. Most of the early episodes are just comedic episodes with little story progression. You will recognize this immediately at episode 1. With the first scene that may shock you while also being a joke. However, without forgetting ... to be silly, the later episodes get more serious by showing the stories of each characters in turn.

We have a handful of characters in this anime, I won't talk about all of them in detail but will describe them to some extent. Sakura is our main protagonist. She is an enthusiastic girl who aspired to become an idol. For the others, we have Saki, Lily, Ai, Junko, Yuugiri, and Yamada Tae. Saki was a girl biker. She has a rash personality and has quirks she kept from being in a biker gang. Lily was a child actress. She is the youngest in the cast and has some story involving her father. Ai and Junko was an idol when they were alive, but in different periods of time. Ai has a trauma involving the end of her career, while Junko at first is not content with how much idols have changed. Yuugiri was from the 19th century. She retains a lot of behaviour from that period of time. And last but not least, THE LEGENDARY YAMADA TAE. Basically, she doesn't speak.

Outside of those casts, we have one more character, who is the producer of this idol group. He is Tatsumi Koutarou. He has a wild and manic personality. He speaks in wittily and tends to brush off things he deems unimportant. He constitutes quite a big part of the comedy of the show. In spite all that, he knows what he should do to solve various problems and how to help the group move forward.

Now, this anime being an idol anime, the music is something that needs to be talked about. There are quite a few songs aside from the opening and ending. Some of them are dedicated to its respective characters in their respective episodes. In my opinion, some songs are nice, but the others are just not that good, notably the insert song for Lily's episode. However, as peoples taste in music are different, you can judge the songs yourself.

The animation is nothing amazing. During dance scenes, CG animation is used. I don't know if it's just the source I'm watching or it is the actual quality, but the CG animation is laggy and has just little amount of frames.

All that said, this anime gives a good amount of enjoyment. The comedic aspects are a big part of it. The comedy is most prominent during the early episodes, but not forgotten on the later ones. The comedy might be a bit cringy at times, but it usually succeeds in making you chuckle.

Later episodes focus more on each characters in turn. These are great stories which tell the girls' past before the became zombies and how they deal with it now. I argue that this may be a better part of the anime than the comedy. It successfully captures each characters' personalities and how they develop.

All in all, Zombieland Saga is an idol anime with zombies as their cast, that is filled with comedy, but also doesn't forget their characters. It shows about the past and present of its characters, before and after becoming a zombie. Although the songs and dances might not be spectacular, it is worth watching for the comedy and characters.

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.

Out of 100 Nobles watching...
75 were impressed!
10 were the same CG critics that leave every time in the modern anime era.
10 Would like a more unified tone and desired more coherent explanations.
5 don't like the premise.

Zombieland Saga is a show with an ambiguous title that makes perfect sense once you actually find out what the premise of the show is. Zombie girl pop idols in Saga prefecture Japan. Ohhhh I get it now (I don’t get it). In all seriousness I don’t want to give away too much of how this show starts as it has some great first episodes that serve to hook you ... in.

The show is essentially an Idol anime with a Zombie flavor, but first and foremost the show is a black comedy. It’s been fairly standard practice these last few seasons as seen with Uma Musume that it’s necessary to put an extra twist onto an Idol anime for it to stand out and get noticed and Zombieland has quirk in spades.

The story follows aspiring Zombie-girl idol group Franchouchou in their quest to revitalize the prefecture of Saga, Japan with their music. The various members are all “Idols” of sorts from their own time period spanning decades to centuries (in the case of one member who is a feudal era Courtesan). The show uses a mix of comedic situations, dark humor, and fast paced scene transitions to present what I would have called an extremely bizarre experience as a whole if I hadn’t watched Pop Team Epic already. The girl’s designs are all unique and they mostly have their own qualities to spur proper best girl debates (although everyone knows Tae Yamada is best).

What seemed to keep the show down was trying to deal with its own premise. Episodes never seemed to settle on exactly what kind of tone they wanted to take with characters later in the show tackling issues unique to being undead such as being a performer when you were alive, someone might recognize you as a performer now or how about dealing with the trauma of everyone you know having grown old?

Even in the episodes where the show decides it’s going to tackle these sorts of issues, we get a very Japanese payoff. “My father thought I was dead all these years and seeing me on stage yesterday is really messing with him because I look just like his dead daughter, but I can’t just TELL him I’m a zombie because…uhh…hrm…Oh well he’s accepted my passing.”
No sir I don’t like it.
Not one bit.
I need closure, but maybe that’s just me?

The songs from the performances in the show were quite good. I would say they’re a solid level of enjoyment over what comes to mind when thinking of typical idol songs. The OP however is absolutely fire. Grade A stuff. It’s going right into the mix list. Unfortunately, about 3/4ths of the dancing performances in the show were the same low-grade CG garbage that’s typical of the genre. I get it, it’s cheap, but having portions of the dances in the show be gorgeous and others flip back and forth to stiff 3d models is painfully jarring. The rest of the show was very visually appealing for the most part. The show had a very nice light palette, great stylistic choices, and certainly produced some fine memes for the anime community.


Overall, I’d say Zombieland Saga was an enjoyable experience that’s worth a watch and deserves a second course. I felt a genuine joy at some of the inspiring moments and empathy during the sad moments. It definitely had some loose bits that could use better stitching together, but the power of comedy and genki charm goes a long way to make a show worthy of being in someone’s anime collection.

Zombieland Saga was a huge disappointment to me. What started off as a brillant slap in japanimation clichés quickly became a huge cliché itself: an average idol anime.


STORY
A guy who somehow can revive people decides to use dead girls to make an idol group and make his town popular. Now that's an awesome plot! They try to mix up zombie stuff with idol stuff. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, here is what could go wrong:
- the series could try to take itself too seriously.
- Or it could simply give up on that inappropriate mix to become a classic idol series as there are plenty others.
- ... Or it could also fall into flat comedy.

All that did happen. They did try to put up a serious story with a plot about ZOMBIES BECOMING IDOLS. The idea itself is stupid as hell!
They did give up a lot on the zombie side to make it an average idol story.
And they did fall into dumb comedy, while it started off brillantly.

I am no fan of idol series. I watched Zombieland Saga because the very first scene was a brillant slap into japanimation industry, as it takes a cliché introduction and turns it upside down. Then, the story quickly became about teenage girls doing their best to become famous and doing cute stuff.
Basically, this series is a trap. It makes the viewer believe it will see something uncommon (mixing two genres that could not possibly go together), and then makes it an average idol series.
In this series, the protagonists try to make idols famous again. Maybe that's actually what the writers try to do: make the idols popular by reaching a new public. It certainly didn't work for me...


ART
I am no fan of cutesy art. It's not badly done, it's just that bright shining eyes and pinky stuff everywhere is not really my stuff.

As every idol series nowadays (yes, this IS an idol series, there's no denying), the dance scenes are made in CGI. And as every idol series, the CGI is horrendous and doesn't go well with the other scenes (drawn, in 2D).

Then, there is the opening. Now, that's something to watch. It is badly drawn, it is a huge mindfuck... and all that makes it so funny! We may say it is badly drawn, but I think it is on purpose: the kind of stuff that is "so bad it's actually good".


SOUND
The music didn't really catch my ears, but at least it didn't ruin the series to me. It blends in the scenes very well. The opening is catchy.


CHARACTER
First of all, Hououin Kyouma is in that series. Yes, I am talking about Stein's Gate protagonist. A character in Zombieland has his seiyuu, his character, his ways of doing stuff (shouting everywhere, giving dumb nicknames, naming stuff with "temporary name" in it, ...). And that was just awesome to discover, it really surprised me!

Then, there is the LEGENDARY YAMADA TAE! I don't really like the character itself, but she is indeed legendary for no f*cking reason xD.

For the rest, they're just average characters that can be found everywhere else: the cute MC, the rebellious rival, the lolita, the way-too-serious girl, ...

Nothing really memorable here, except YAMADA TAE!


ENJOYMENT
This anime is a trap. It tries to catch people with zombie stuff and make them watch an idol anime. And they did catch me, well done. Sadly, it barely has anything else to offer. I really liked the first two episodes, some of their jokes are hilarious, but I didn't really spend a good time in front of the rest of the series...

Zombieland Saga takes two of the most popular things in Japan and mashes them together, Pop idols and Zombies.A girl inspired to be an idol has her life end and is resurrected as a zombie.And now held captive with other zombies from different eras they only have one choice:to become a pop idol sensation.Im not joking.If you think that concept alone is bizarre then you should see it in action.This pop group,known as franchoucho or something have to work their way up to be well known through gigs such as concerts, commercials, and even rap battles.

Okay my opinion.I am not a big fan idol ... shows, at all, but would be doing a very large disservice by not recommending this because this show is really great.I gotta say I haven't laughed so much watching an anime in such a long time.
The band goes through way more than I thought they would for an idol show.The show is so nicely paced;nothing feels rushed or pandering.Also since the characters are so loveable, this anime does have some very hilarious and epic moments.


Alright, here is the down side of the show.Yes, there is CGI. In my opinion CGI in any medium is like a pimple.Everyone has at least one,some make it look better than others, and some look so bad that it becomes distracting. The thing with MAPPA is that they have been using an abundance of CGI since their inception:from that awful looking dragon from Bahamut, the 3d dancing in Yuri on ice, and that clusterfuck that was Inuyashiki.The 3D in this show is better than others but still low tier for an idol show and the frame rate, ohh man .I think MAPPA got a little blindsided with making 3D dance sequences look good with their budget.BUT DON'T LET THAT SCARE YOU OFF, because you will start to get used to it after a bit.The 2D on the other hand is really good, there are some scenes that are choppy but it's used for great comedic effect and expression.Also some dance sequences are animated in 2D and they look gorgeous. The character designs also are amazing. Each character has a distinct color palette and features.Overall the 3D could be better but it doesn't break too much immersion from this series.



The soundtr…..(woo let me compose myself)
is straight up fire.The background music combines the zombie aspect and slice of life together and it's really catchy. The insert songs are so hype and great. The ending is really great, the VA is stellar and the opening HOLY CRAP. I am not exaggerating when I say this was my favorite anime opening of 2018.It does everything right.The song is soooo damn catchy it's ridiculous,all the idols are in the song and it's epic, the animation is well timed, goofy, and super hyperactive at the same time Everything is so colorful,THERE ARE LOTSA SOUND EFFECTS This opening was just a treat and I found myself rewinding each episode for that opening alone.
So as you can tell, I enjoyed the soundtrack quite immensely.


The characters in show are done so well that it gives Devilman Crybaby a run for its money.Each character gets so much development,since there are so many characters from different periods of music.One thing that I rarely see in anime is that it deals with cons of being a pop star. It doesn't go to Perfect Blue levels but it was well done.Some characters get an episode dedicated to themselves, but one thing that is kinda disappointing is the two characters I like the most get the least amount of development.Im not complaining too much since the actual situations the idols get put into show each idols character and personality and it is pretty amazing.As amazing as it is hilarious.Speaking of which, the manager of the idol group played my Mamoru Miyano, holy crap.


This show is great, this show is great, the plot is well paced, the characters are hella loveable, the 3d can be jarring but the rest of the animation is charming, and the soundtrack is out of this world anime fit into the show really well. And by the duty vested in me, I give this anime the title of the best anime of 2018(in my opinion)WATCH IT

overall-9
This show is awesome

It's late 2018, I boot up my Wif- ..I mean Computer, I open my browser, Open Canc- Youtube. My eyes are immediatly drawn to my Recommendation, there I see 'TOP 10 FUNNIEST ANIME MOMENT', Upon seeing I think to myself "Oh fuck, I forgot to sign off my account from my brother's Computer", OFC, I ignore such vile Uncivil bait for views and my lack of Internet Hygine. My taste in comedy can't possibly be sated by thes- I missclicked, anyway the first few minute see a girl being isekai'd by a truck and I immediatly close the video, say fuck you to my Brother, ... and Forget whatever happens that day. A month later I come to learn that what I've watch is the first few minute of an anime called 'Zombie land saga', and that's how I start the show. Long winded Explanation that doesn't explain anything? Fuck you this is my first review, I'm not good with starting these. Anyway, Later on I realize that the anime is EXTREMELY popular, and Immediately told myself to wait for the hype to go down. Where then I Marathon the show in 3 days and here we are! aight let's start the actual review

Story.(8/10)
The overarching plot take a back seat for most of the show, so there isn't much here. I was reluctant to give it a 5< score because of this, but I give it an 8 anyway, seeing how that anything in the story other than the Overarching plot is so good. The overarching plot is there, it's good enough to keep the rest going, but it's prob one of its biggest flaw, only second to its use of CG (more on this later). However, as I've said before, anything other than the overarching plot is really good. The character development especially is very well managed with little to no hiccup. Lore is (Insert joke about season 2 here). Also, I'll give it credit for not giving into the trope of beach Episode fan-service. Overall, if only for the fact that the whole overarching plot being very lacking, I'd give it a perfect score, unfortunately it is, so It's stuck with an eight.

Art(5/10)
Very Very generic, there really isn't that much to talk about here other than a single nitpick and a single praise. Why CG? I know I'm biased here, but why bother with one when you're still capable in doing it with normal 2D animation? I don't get it. In fact The animation overall is very expressive, which makes me wonder even more why they decide to use CG. Don't get me wrong, it isn't lazy, I can see them genuinely trying to make this work,,. But there can only be so much you do with bad CG before the fact that it's bad CG Badly explode allover the Non bad CG part. Overall, I'll give it a mediocre score, I'm eager to give it a 4 but I'll at least give it credit for being very expressive.

Character (9/10)
Ho boy, let me tell you this is THE best part of the show. The Character design, is both elegant and unique, for some you can even see a glimpse of what their previous life were (If you don't know what I mean, read the synopsis), and a clue of how they die. It tease your brain with Visual, rather than a blatant foreshadowing from the Character's line, it tells a story with not only animation and interaction, but also with their character design. That's not all either, every character just like I've said previously, are very expressive, they each (well, most) are very well developed in terms of personality and character. I could wrote more about this, but I don't think I will overstay my welcome here.

Sound (6/10)
Despite being an 'idol show' The sound design is very very mediocre. The Background soundtrack is 'eh'. The sound composition is fair at best, and at worse; ruin the mood. The only saving grace is the Opening (which sounds better every time I hear it!), anything else is either Mediocre or plain bad.

Enjoyment (9/10)
Despite all this flaws, did I enjoy it? Of fuking course I did! I watch it after the hype is over and I complete it in 3 days, why would you think I rush an Uninteresting show and write a review about it? There's nothing better than having high expectation and seeing it not disappoint. It's doesn't take itself too seriously, it doesn't feel like a rushed job, The CG and sound composition kinda ruins the mood but I'll manage. I got so hooked into it that I almost want to continue with other Idol show! Almost. You heretic will never turn me into one of your kind.

Overall, I will say it's really really amazing. Will it turn me into an Idol fan? Probably not, I think the show work not because of it being an Idol show, but because of it's good writing. This might just be because I have never watch an Idol show before, which means I don't know what make an Idol show enjoyable. In fact maybe the whole reason I enjoy the show is because it's an Idol show and I'm just a bias asshole who can't see thing for what they are. But I digest. Spectre Estate Epic is a great show last season, and nothing will change my mind. The show is over, it's finished, there's no unexplained plot points that make us want another season. It's complete. Right?

LA hates zombies, but these zombies can be an exception...LA needs to buy those idol glowsticks.

Zombieland Saga is one of those animes with a wacky, quirky premise and just runs with it, so...essentially it's Hounin Kyouma turned idol producer resurrects 7 girls through time new and old where they were famous and popular and they form to make an idol group. No seriously.

Zombieland Saga at first few minutes of it's first episode is made out like a scary horror anime, but then it rips it's facade in half and it turns into an incredibly playful, comedic idol anime with many of the typical cliches that ... the idol anime has and it does it well!..for the most part. Sure cliches are everywhere but it all depends on whether they do it right and Zombieland Saga does that for it's idol elements, mainly bringing us character focused episodes with those idol elements put together and developing these seven zombies and sometimes how they died as backstory and how it affects them as zombie idols now.

Sakura Minamoto voiced by Kaede Hondo is our narrative focus for the entire anime and we see her death at the start of the anime, but she at the start is a novice in the idol biz but she wants to bring back her memories before her death and through forming the idol group Franchouchou she along with her other 6 members helps. Ai Mizuno voiced by Risa Taneda and Junko Konno voiced by Maki Kawase have something of a joint character focused arc where Ai and Junko has a clash of beliefs when it comes to fan interaction, Ai saying that because of the current climate of idol groups, they need to broaden their fan reach, while Junko wants things much more private and coveted as an idol. LA favorite character becomes Ai...being a tsundere as well as her backstory massively helping. Lily Hoshikawa voiced by Minami Tanaka gets a rather heartwarming backstory that made a rather satellite character to be on the limelight and became much more noticeable after Lily's focused episode, Saki Nikaidou voiced by Asami Tano a delinquent biker leader also goes through something similar to Lily's as we learn more about her. The only three characters that doesn't really develop are Yuugiri voiced by Rika Kinugawa a courtesan who lived in the Meiji era, the legendary Tae Yamada voiced by *cough* Kotono *cough* Mitsuishi *cough* but that's kinda because she hasn't "awakened" yet and thus can't exactly speak and finally the producer that made all this happen Koutarou Tatsumi voiced by Mamoru Miyano who actually really doesn't need much backstory though we get some vague hints, he's just strangely focused in making Saga province thrive again by using Franchouchou as a vehicle, we don't know why let alone how he resurrects the zombies, but it's the mystery about him that makes him even more unpredictable, it's like keeping that mystery alive and not destroying Koutarou's facade as it were that makes the unknown great about him. Zombieland Saga is anything does a pretty good job in it's character development department and how they link to the typical idol cliches but doing them well in the process.

With Koutarou being the eccentric he is, he does drive the plot but makes it crazy and unpredictable idol rollercoaster, with lives, freakin' rap battles, death metal, rock and heartwarming songs all along the way.

Zombieland Saga's animation done by MAPPA is pretty well done, with detailed and expressively quirky facial expressions, distinct character designs both in human form as well as zombies, some of which gives us clues as to how they "might" have died even! Zombieland Saga also incorporates something like 3D CGI in their lives though the credits tells LA that there were no 3D CGI used, so rotoscoping maybe?, well either way, the 3D CGI usage felt almost intentional with how stiff they are...well they are zombies and all, but nonetheless the CGI does clash alot with the traditional animation most of the time. MAPPA nonetheless did pretty well with the animation across the board, LA can even ignore the clashing CGI use in the lives as they even do something interesting with the CGI as well.

Voice cast was pretty good, special props to Asami Tano and Kaede with their rap battle. But really for a ragtag bunch of zombie through the ages, they have some pretty great chemistry with one another, from Risa Taneda with Maki Kawase to Minami Tanaka and Rika Kinugawa with Asami Tano and Kaede Hondo working with most of the voice cast well but HUGE props to Mamoru Miyano just hamming it up to high heaven, his performance was like meant for him. MVP's easily goes to Mamoru Miyano, Kaede Hondo, Asami Tano and heck LA might throw in Risa Taneda as well. On the dub side of things, as LA did look into the Funimation Dub, the entire main cast just fit sooo well as their respective characters it was crazy, though LA at first had some niggling problems with Brina Palencia as Sakura but she grew on LA over time. LA was disappointed that Zombieland Saga didn't do their english rendition of the songs especially the rap battle, because seriously, hearing Caitlin Glass and Brina Palenica having a rap battle would had been freakin' amazing if they did it with the same flair as their Japanese counterparts BUT from what LA heard, the Blu-rays WILL have the english renditions in them, so LA is excited!. So is Koutarou's English version the same batshit quirky as his Japanese counterpart?...yeah he's pretty much point for point with Ricco Fajardo doing an excellent job as Koutarou on the dub side. Really whether it be the English or Japanese dub, BOTH voice casts were amazing, but as of right now as LA writes this review, watch the Japanese version for now, but once the Blu-ray version drops, both are open game with both being viable to watch.

Zombieland Saga does have it's flaws however, the most major noticeable one becomes Sakura's character development and to be precise how it was handled, yes Sakura's development has the typical cliches shown in idol animes ALOT, the "leaving the group" situation but just couple that with her character backstory and to be honest it became grating and something that has been done millions of times before, yes Junko went through the same thing but not as long as Sakura went through hers and her behavior to say the least was unacceptably grating, thankfully the final episode did resolve it, whether it was worth it going through all of that annoyance...just barely for LA as Sakura finally got out of her grating depressing funk and made the finale explosive. The only other flaw is that like LA said above, Yuugiri, Tae and Koutarou never really gotten a focused episode for themselves which puts a damper if your a fan of that character in question but the only defence LA would give is to Koutarou with his mystery element intact, Yuugiri got the short end of the stick really, while Tae got ALOT of screentime with her....unawakened craziness being her charm.

Zombieland Saga is the breakout anime of Fall 2018 and it being a quirky unique idol anime was just the icing on the cake for LA. Integrating idol elements to it's characters in making us be invested in them, likable characters and just being a crazy idol comedy that doesn't hold back in it's quirkiness one bit. Zombieland Saga was one of LA's favorite original anime of Fall 2018 and it well deserved it, sure idol cliches are abound, but man does Zombieland Saga implement them well in both it's characters and it's plot and makes both the journey and destination of making Franchouchou successful idols in the rural province of Saga, dramatic, heartwarming, quirky and crazy, serious and fun as hell all the way through.

Zombieland Saga brings a new spice to the idol genre and LA wants more of it like it and LA hopes Zombieland Saga just doesn't become an outlier for quirky idol shows because Zombieland Saga was such a uniquely quirky experience and LA loved it all the way through.

Tae is best girl!

With that out of the way, Zombieland Saga, despite it's name, is not a horror anime. It is a Idol Anime. That's right, cute girls dancing and singing. That's what you're getting from a show named Zombieland Saga.

So this show starts off as kind of a tear down of idol culture. The manager is a necromancer for brought former idols, child stars, a biker gang leader, an oiran, and Tae (she's really her own thing) back from the dead so they can save the town of Saga with their idol music. That's right, he can't work these girls to death, ... because they are already dead. There is a reason the concept of why he did this is so silly, but you'll have to watch the anime to find out.

So yeah, early on the show lampoons being in an idol band, but it quickly turns around and becomes a straight up idol show, with Zombie gags thrown in. You get to know and appreciate all the girls as the show moves along. In fact, most of the girls get their own episode dealing with their back story. Almost monster of the week style. Except the monsters are cute girls.

The designs of the girls are of course cute, but it's really funny watching these cute designs turn ugly for Zombie scare shots. My only issue is the CG dance numbers during concerts feature some jarring animation. While this is common in idol anime, it's still a problem. Especially for a show like this which can serve as a gateway to the genre.

All in all, this is a fun concept, that turns into a more typical idol show. There is a little more depth to what's going on here as opposed to your average idol show, but you end up with the exact same beats you'd expect if the show was named Idol Saga instead. Still for what it is, it is for the most part executed really well, with a lot of humor. Give it a try.

[If you can, please watch the show before reading this. I discuss some elements that surprised me and I wouldn't want those surprises ruined for you]


Story(9/10): The concept of zombies turned into idols is absurd, and this show knows it. The craziness of everything is fully embraced, and that's the strongest part of this show in my opinion. The story is paced expertly well, with each misadventure feeling fun and outrageous while also not skipping out on some of the more heartfelt elements. Perfectly sketchy mastermind Koutarou's main goal, the revitalization of Saga, allows for a free-flowing plot that pummels the viewer with pure fun. ... I was pleasantly surprised by the touching plot-lines sprinkled in the 2nd half of the show. I loved the direction everything went in episodes 10-12 in particular. Overall, Zombieland Saga's story is packed with just the right amounts of mayhem and heart, but don't expect anything groundbreaking.

Art(9/10): Goddamned fantastic. Even though the show's main focus is the dead everything feels so alive. (I really hope I'm the first to say that.) I haven't seen animation this slick since Kill La Kill. The range of motion the animators painstakingly added to these characters is outstanding. From Saki's abruptly intimidating body-language to Tae's hunger-fueled frenzy, movement is an absolute joy to watch. Everything else is great, namely the vibrant backgrounds along with the constant changes in the main cast's costumes. The jarring flaw that prevented art from being a complete 10 is the distracting CGI dances. I do not know much about animation, but I have to assume that animating choreography is a pain in the ass. I understand the transition to CGI for the more complex dancing scenes, but man, does it stick out like a sore thumb. I could probably count the CGI scenes on one hand, and there are some dances that don't have it, however I wished the quality was much better than it turned out because the characters look uncomfortably close to MMD quality at times. Overall the animation is fantastic, but the CGI drags the hyped up performances equences down for me.

Sound(10/10): I can't find the words to show how much I love the voice acting. It's wonderful and everyone does a fantastic job. I really appreciated how the voice actresses did not sound like they were drowning in autotune for the songs. Either they were using some pretty damned impressive autotune tech or they have lovely singing talent equivalent to their flawless voice acting skills. The OP is catchy as hell, and the background music (especially that one badass guitar piece for Saki and the other bikers) overall was a pleasure to listen to.

Character(8/10): I thought they would be shallow and I wasn't expecting anything bold, but most of them were decently fleshed out. I loved the exploration into Sakura's mentality during the final three episodes in particular. Saki's and Lily's respective episodes were both great, with appropriately touching moments. Junko's, Ai's, and Yuugiri's plotlines felt reasonably weaker in my opinion because they mainly served as foils to Sakura. These three were the less memorable of the bunch but their stories were decent at best. I also appreciated how Koutarou's source of motivation isn't actually told to you and left to be pieced together by the viewer. The back-and-forth between the characters is what shines the brightest. All the funny moments landed and never felt out of place. I particularly found Koutarou's "good morning's" the funniest. It's comedic when it needs to be and more somber when it needs to be.

Enjoyment(10/10): It's a blast from start to finish. Even though I had minor gripes with characters and art, none of those took anything away from how much I enjoyed this show.

Overall(10/10): Zombieland Saga has flaws, but its accomplishments in every department overpowered all the problems I had with it. It presents a powerful lesson on perseverance and is one of the funniest shows I've ever watched. It's a fantastic (wow, I've used that word a lot in my review), well-rounded show that gave me everything I wanted from it and also delivered a surprisingly heartfelt story in the end.