Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto

Everybody that is rating this low and saying it’s just some silly goofy anime that is a little boring isn’t getting it.

This show is based on somebody in a zombie apocalypse that decides to make and complete bucket list before he dies. The concept is not supposed to be a zombie survival. People are really just missing the point. This show is literally about somebody exploring existentialism and the purpose of life. In which, Zom 100 uses a zombie apocalypse as the motif to further exaggerate what it truly means to live. Akira is not trying to survive. He wants to live a full ... life something that was taken away from him due to his exploitative job. Many everyday people go through this same type of scenario of having their souls depleted from them bc they are so dependent on their job to provide them with money to live as adult in the working world. As a result, they align their “job” or “work” as their purpose for living. Whether it is to get a dream “job” or so on rather than actually experiencing the true nature of life. This show touches on this theme perfectly and constantly drops gems on how one should view life. There is more to it than a job. I can go in a whole rant about this, apparently not enough of yall are in the working world I guess??? 😂😂

On top of all of that which is the true nature of this show. It is lighthearted, easy to watch with some good comedy every now and then. The animation is also beautiful. The paintball aesthetic and action sequences are very fluid giving Zom 100 it’s own unique style. It’s an excellent show and I HIGHLY recommended to anybody wanting to explore a different themes and perspectives of the “purpose of life” which in this case is to just live and enjoy it while you can.

This anime is pure CINEMA. I waited a long time for this anime and it surprised me in an incredible way. Both the art and animation are incredibly beautiful and solid, the cinematography is insane. The direction behind each episode is extraordinary. The first episode is extremely exciting, remarkable and fun. I can safely say that it has one of the best first episodes of all time. This is a zombie comedy that uses the apocalypse in a brilliant way to show you how exploration affects you and how people steal your dreams and passions. A very entertaining masterpiece that inspires you to free yourself ... from these influences so you can enjoy your life to the fullest. Memento mori!

'Zom 100' is surely the most hyped and talked about non-sequel anime of this year. The first episode of this anime can probably hook anyone to give it a try. It was so damn good. But as soon as you start to pay attention to the characters and how they act, you should start noticing some major flaws of this anime, which might be the reason this falls into the 'This is not for everyone' territory.

Animation (8/10): I know that the plot is the first thing to discuss in a review generally. But all the hype around this show was mostly because of its animation. ... So let's talk about that first.
It was good. It was colorful and consistent throughout the entire 12 episodes. I never felt I had any problem with the excessive use of those vibrant colors. Although I noticed something interesting. The fact that Akira's face and expressions perfectly resemble Luffy. Hmmm... still it didn't bother me. Not that the other characters had any remarkable or unique character design to begin with. So I was fine with it as they looked good. Overall, you can't expect much better in the animation department than this from a new studio.

Plot (6/10): 'Zom 100' is not the first anime to have a setting where a bunch of people try to survive a chaotic situation where any normal human being would feel some sort of fear and sadness. Regardless of the individual, they will constantly be thinking about how to prolong their stay on this planet, even by a tiny margin. 'Highschool of the Dead' used this exact concept more than a decade ago. That anime showed the journey of a group of people trying to survive while also keeping their sanity and humanity intact. And that is the part where 'Zom 100' faces a major issue. We follow a set of characters who act inconsistently. Sometimes they act like normal people and sometimes they act like a bunch of drunk psychopaths you would find on the streets. They embark on an aimless journey. More about them in the 'characters' category.

Characters (5/10): Wouldn't you notice if the 'Good Guys' of a show can forget anyone's death just a few moments after their death and can celebrate getting a huge TV like they won the biggest lottery of their life? I personally think you should notice that. Akira and his nudist friend with a questionable personality are both equipped with very little common sense and empathy.Sometimes they crack some silly jokes which didn't hit the spot most of the time. I don't care how much one suffers handling their respective jobs, how painful it gets to keep your cool. Will you lose your human traits just because of the temporary freedom you get? (Of course, it is not temporary in their case as they survive every difficult situation just because they have plot armor, how on earth he jumps better than some Assassin's Creed characters btw?) Akira, his nudist friend, Shizuka and Beatrix continue their journey which has very few things to discuss. I think anyone will be able to tell that there is not much personality in any of the characters. So you get to see Beatrix, she is there for the sole purpose of giving us some fan-service with an added 'Samurai Woman' gimmick which makes her character even less enjoyable to watch. And in Shizuka's case, she also starts acting like Akira and his nudist friend upon meeting them. The reason: 'Happiness, freedom blah blah blah....' To sum up, you will find a bunch of idiotic characters wandering around prioritizing their desires over their survival. I know the author maybe tried taking a less serious approach while writing this. But zombie apocalypse and light hearted comedy about some people chilling and saying some idealistic things once in a while just don't go well together.

Audio (8/10): As always, there is little to complain about the voice acting, it was good. The opening and ending songs were also good. The visuals of those songs were even better.

Overall (7/10): At the end of the day, I can't deny the fact that I enjoyed watching this show(Specially first three episodes). That is the reason you are seeing that rating. Though this show suffers from lack of good writing and likable characters, most of the people will still find it enjoyable. These shows might have a higher 'entertainment value' than most, but lack some basic things that make a show memorable. I still won't recommend it to someone who looks beyond a show's 'entertainment value' and searches for a zombie survival show that handles the situations seriously and has an actual plot.

**I forgot to mention anything about the last three episodes being delayed earlier. That really wasn't any good news for this anime either. The hype has already died out and I had to rewatch all the episodes partially while writing this review (Not watching the recap was intentional btw)

Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto has taught me that people don’t know what “dystopia” means anymore. For the last 5ish years, I’ve seen a lot of complains on why the generic isekai we get by the dozens are popular, but I find the answer to that question very obvious: escapism, as they provide an outlet for MC-kun to get free from the burdens of the real world, and enter a fantasy world where he can do whatever he wants, while the high school age viewers places themselves in his place. Zom 100 offers the same idea but for the ... working age viewer, with the zombie apocalypse replacing the travel to another world, showing our working-class MC-kun being able to do whatever he wants now that he’s free from his work so the overworked viewer can self-insert on him.

As a direct result of its escapism angle, the series isn’t actually horror, having a lot of light hearted moments and comedy to make it look like this is a superior lifestyle, which backfires on it hard because the comedy in this series is atrocious, I’m talking about “going naked is funny” and “fart jokes” levels of bad comedy, I wanted to slam my head on a wall when they unironically showed a zombie farting as if it was a punchline. This same light tone also undermines all the serious moments, not helped by the fact the series suffers from “getting character development means you’ll die” syndrome, so you get a scene painted as tragic because a character we barely knew is a zombie followed by the cast laughing at silly jokes. I’m a big fan of the style of Hiroyuki Imaishi, and one thing his series manage is to strike a balance between the serious character moments and the absolute batshit insanity going on around them, but this series clearly has no idea how to do that, as the tonal whiplash here is so jarring even Code Geass and its constant back and forth between racial politics and waifus eating pizza feels more balanced.

MC-kun, named Akira this time, is a self-insert character, as unlike any other person or even the other characters in the same show, he shows absolutely no horror or regret at the idea of the world ending in a zombie apocalypse, instead being happy that he doesn’t have to work anymore, obviously a tool to enable the escapism aspect of the premise. This behavior is just downright nonsensical, as we have no explanation or thematic point made by Akira acting like the death of most of humanity is his comfort catalyst, and in fact makes him come across as a sociopath rather than the sympathetic character the narrative tries to paint him as, something that’s very notorious in episode 3 where contrasted against his friend who has a far more logical reaction to seeing everyone around him turning into murderous monsters. A character acting in an extreme way CAN be done well, as shown by Shirou in Fate/stay night and Shu in Ima Soko ni Iru Boku, but only if said behavior is done to make a thematic or moral point, something that’s not the case here, as there’s really no clear reason for him to act like that beyond making it #SoRelatable to the viewers who also feel overworked. Also, what’s up with the fact he doesn’t even look like an adult? If you showed me his design with no context, I’d say he’s 15, and even watching the show he acts just like I’d expect an anime teen to do it.

The other characters aren’t really much better. Kencho has no character at all beyond being the comic relief, and by that I mean that he’s an obnoxiously loud idiot who clearly doesn’t know how to deliver jokes, with getting naked seriously being the best he can come up with in terms of comedy, just to put into perspective how poor the overall comedy of this series is. While I think that Shizuka was passable, given she seems to be the only sensible person here, she’s mostly used as a strawman damsel in distress despite her supposed capabilities to highlight how cool our MC-kun is, leading her to be a fanservice source at best. Bea is a westerner obssessed with Japanese culture - that's her entire character, everything around her revolves around being a weeb, and once again she's just a tool to provide some extra fanservice.

An aspect for which I wanted to give this series points, however, is the visuals. We live in an age of seasonal shows that all are filled with so much cost cutting like CloverWorks works being filled with blurriness, and the idea of what good animation is has been reduced to just “flashy visuals” rather than having any appreciation for the technical aspects with MAPPA churning out disaster after disaster that isn’t well animated to anyone who knows of animation but looks flashy so it gets called “good animation” by those who don’t know, making Zom 100 a show that stands out in this landscape because it actually tried. The first episode didn't have the generic simple shots made to save money, it had an actual visual identity, something that’s such a rarity in modern anime that I can see why people act as if this was groundbreaking, even if in reality it’s more of a minimum to look good, at least when they don’t use CGI, that still looks bad even here. However, this “carried by the animation” angle was only at first, as each episode got uglier and uglier to the point it got rid of much of the praise points I could give it, as it looked like any other anime by its later half, which very likely relates to its now infamous troubled production and grueling working crunch. Given that from what I read, this new studio BUG FILMS was created by people who felt overworked on their previous work at OLM, and the evils of overwork being the main theme of the series, the fact this new studio now perfectly reflects the very type of company the anime criticizes is incredibly hypocritical.

Overall, this series is just a failure all around, it fails at being entertaining, it feels at giving social commentary on Japanese work culture, it fails at being funny, it fails at building actual characters, and most importantly, it fails as an anime production, with its terrible development hell that postponed the last batch of episodes for months being a perfect example of the terrible state the anime industry is in nowadays.

Thank you for reading

Zom 100 has a lot going for it, especially in its premise and first three or so episodes. This anime has an absolutely stellar first episode in particular, but as I continued to watch the story unfold, and like a zombie left out in the sun for too long, I realized that things could only get worse from here.

Zom is a lot of style and very little substance. The animation, the choreography, the striking use of colorful paint in the place of zombie blood, everything on a visual level is just amazing. The opening song is an ABSOLUTE banger, and the both of the ... opening animations are just so fun to watch and listen to. Which is why it's so disappointing that I can't give this show a stronger recommend than I am. It's not a bad show at all, but I feel like Zom 100 definitely falls short of what it potentially could have been.

Zom 100's core message is that we all take life too seriously, and we need to stop waiting for "the day things finally get better for us" because that day will never come. It might come in the form of a zombie apocalypse, or something as quietly sinister as the slow passing of time, but for those of us with freedom and life, we owe ourselves the happiness we could have if we just lived life more fully. Our protagonist, Akira, realizes this too late as he seeks to live out the best life he possibly can now that there's a real sense of urgency in his life.

...And that's pretty much all there is to the message. It's safe and relatable, but the lack of nuance doesn't leave much room for further exploration. Characters and ideas are victim to this problem as well; things are either entirely good or evil, black and white. The villains of the show are made to be relatable but NOT very sympathetic, and as a result bad guys in Zom end up feeling like comic book villain stereotypes who are boring to watch.

This problem also extends to the main characters. All of whom, except for one at the start, are extremely good-natured people with very few negative characteristics if any. This isn't realistic and serves to make it hard to identify with these characters. There just isn't much depth to our cast of heroes, as fun as they are to watch. They also have relatively poor chemistry as most of them don't really open up to each other very much, however they've only just met so this is understandable to an extent.

The first season ends with a prolonged conflict, and without spoiling anything, I can promise you that you'll be rolling your eyes by the end of it. There's so much moral grandstanding and selfrightrousness written into these characters, it stops being belivable and just feels like a power fantasy cooked up by the author. I won't deny that there is a definite catharsis to it, but there's something so silly about how these later problems were handled that just doesn't sit right with me. Like I said, absolutely no room for exploration, all of life's problems wrapped up in a nice tidy package.

And speaking of catharsis, there's definitely a good sense of it in seeing these characters live out some of our dreams and fantasies, like the idea of quitting your dead-end job by kicking your zombified boss out of a tall building. But this thrill gets old pretty quickly, and it suddenly becomes apparent the the story isn't really sure where to take things from here. It wants to deliver these deep, thoughtful and incisive morals and lessons, but fails to consider that it needs a bit more than "society bad"

This is just season 1 so I'm hopeful this anime can get on its feet by then, but if nothing else Zom 100 is a very good anime to just turn your brain off to. Zom 100 feels shockingly fresh in a world full of zombie-related media and post-zombie media fatigue, but fails to do enough to capitalize on its core ideals.

Alright, let’s see what all the noise is about.

Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto, or better known by its English title, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is a zombie-themed anime centered around the shenanigans of our main character, Tendou Akira and his survival in a zombie apocalypse. In this review, my main goal is to try and find the answer to this question: where is all the praise coming from?

Tendou Akira finds a job at an office and at first, everything seems what your everyday office workplace would be like. But as Akira continues to work there, he ... finds his job extremely draining and abnormally rough. Turns out that office is exploitative, and Akira is just another person who has fallen into the trap the office has laid. One day he wakes up, ready to continue his dreadful work life, when suddenly he sees the streets swarming with zombies! And that’s when Akira realizes he doesn’t have to work anymore. And so, he creates a bucket list of what he wants to do now that he’s free.
Within the first episode, the show establishes the setting our main character is in. It’s simple and easy to understand. This bodes well for the rest of the show’s enjoyability.

Here’s one of the weak points.
How many zombie survival films or TV shows are out there? 50? 100? Maybe even 1000? Zom 100 might just be another one of those. On paper, it looks pretty cool, but when you actually think about it, it’s not very interesting. This guy finds himself in a zombie apocalypse and must survive. He’s finally free from his job, so makes a bucket list of what he wants to do and completes those bucket list goals throughout the show. It’s kind of underwhelming. Besides the gimmick, it’s just one of the many zombie survival shows out there – albeit one of the better ones – which isn’t too good a sign.

This is where most of the praise comes from: the animation handling. It’s probably one of the best this season. I haven’t watched and don’t want to watch Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 or Mushoku Tensei Season 2, so I found this to be the best. The way the characters move and the flow of everything makes for nice cinematic scenes. Studio BUG FILMS did an extraordinary job as the main animators behind this.

The colors are nice. In my previous reviews I didn’t write about the art or color since to me they weren’t anything worth mentioning, but I feel like I need to write about this. The way the blood is all multicolored might seem strange at first, but soon enough you’ll realize how cool an aesthetic it is. It’s not the typical red that we always see, which is a nice change from everything. The way all the colors are saturated is done nicely, too. Usually, zombie anime and any horror anime tone their colors down a little to fit the mood. Since Zom 100 is both horror and comedy at the same time, saturated colors work, and in a pleasing way.

The music is pretty good. The background music is chosen well, as the tracks fit with every scenario they are used in. A serious scene? A serious track. A funny scene? A funny track. You get it. Every track’s placement is great. They’re not just always the techno-rock-whatever-the-hell tracks that would be used in a typical zombie anime either; they actually have a variety of different-styled tracks throughout the show. I’m not too great with analyzing music, so interpret that however you want.
The OP is an angry track but isn’t anything creepy or horror-ish. This fits well with the theme of Zom 100, as the show doesn’t try to be too horror-focused and instead focuses on survival, where the angriness of the track fits well. The ED is also nice, being focused more on the lighthearted side of the anime. The lyrics actually relate to the anime in a way and how survival is necessary, even in the state the world is in. Two well-chosen tracks.

I give Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead a solid “watch” for this season. Overall, this anime is a great zombie survival anime that does things right. It strays ever so slightly away from most other shows of the same ilk, and in a good way. The idea of it being another zombie anime with a gimmick might not be so great but, that’s made up for by the phenomenal animation handling, the strange but cool use of colors and the fitting music. Give this a try, you won’t dislike it.

After a period of zombie genre overexploitation, this anime is released without much ambition to be relevant in this realm. Having only watched 8 episodes (all the main characters have appeared), I have come to the realization that this series is primarily a comedy lacking in humor, a drama lacking in interest, and a romance based on the most insipid ecchi elements. The zombies themselves possess a mishmash of characteristics but lack any distinct personality beyond bleeding rainbows. It is entertaining to watch due to the spectacle of its visuals, but it feels empty both in terms of its characters and its messages.

The combination of ... adult life problems, such as work stress, with the foolishness typical of teenagers, like rejoicing over the end of the world to avoid going to work, risking their lives to steal a TV, or attempting to engage in casual encounters with any female he finds, makes it very difficult for me to consider it a seinen or something that someone over the age of 15 would truly enjoy. While many of us have fantasized about being the most skilled survivor in a zombie apocalypse to escape the burdens of real life, it seems to me that this anime takes the concept of escapism to such an extreme that it diminishes the weight of everything that occurs. Even in Highschool of the Dead the sense of zombie danger and the need to survive felt more palpable.

There is another strange combination regarding the actual threat posed by the zombies. On one hand, secondary characters can die within a couple of seconds on screen, but on the other hand, the protagonist is capable of jumping from a third floor, running like a gazelle, and effortlessly riding a motorcycle despite having no prior experience. The zombie apocalypse is meant to be fun, but be careful because you can die at any moment. That is, ultimately, the premise. The protagonist expects to die soon but wants to make the most of his time and fulfill all his goals in life, no matter how superficial and fleeting they may be.
The presentation is smooth and colorful. Absurdly colorful, in fact. At times, it can be quite impressive, but in my opinion, they go overboard. The show treats mundane actions, as the protagonist simply putting on a shirt, with the same level of epicness as jumping 15 meters to escape a horde of zombies.

Once it becomes clear that most secondary characters are destined to die as soon as they appear on screen, I can't help but feel that it's a waste of time trying to understand them with the little information provided. Before you can grasp who they are, they have already died without anyone caring. The protagonist continues to laugh and drink beer as if nothing happened.

In my opinion, this anime may be entertaining mainly for a male teenage audience who only consumes seasonal anime (although the airing has currently been halted). It is very straightforward, with a colorful presentation, smooth animation, one-dimensional characters that won't provoke any introspection, a certain amount of gratuitous ecchi, and very mild zombie violence. It is perfect for those who just want to pass the time without paying attention to the story or getting invested in the characters.

Out of all the Anime airing this season, Zom 100 is probably by far the most promising one in terms of production. It is a novel thing nowadays that Studios in their very first attempt seem to get things so incredibly right in almost every department, and then there is Visual Flight.

Plot: It's a very simple premise to begin with, a little convenient and bordering on pure fantasy, but engaging nonetheless. At first glance Zom 100 is essentially a survival horror amidst a zombie apocalypse, with the absence of horror due to the mindset of certain characters. In that way, it seems to be an ... animated version of Zombieland, with little sprinkles of Shawn of the Dead laid over it.

Though it is definitely a zombie apocalypse, Zom 100 almost makes it seem like a fun joyride with it's main characters perspective. The way others react is in stark contrast to the way he does, bordering on parody of said genre itself. There is also an easy going video game feel to it, almost reminiscent of the original Prince of Persia or a more modern Sunset Overdrive, which adda a certain charm to it.

This is the way it seems, till you realise that Zombies are merely there as the hook, the real focus of the Anime is actually on the Bucket List. Which is why the Zombies alone make very little sense, because there is no explanation of how it began, it just began, and how little the main character seems to care about them.

Characters: You have your typical group of survivors, or rather in this case, joyriders. The bizarre circumstances are made even more perplexing by the way the characters react to it. On one hand you have a terrified couple losing their mind with how to survive till the next day, and on the other there is someone who is perplexed because he has run out of beer. It only gets more and more bizarre with each episode.

Animation: Zom 100 is without a shadow of doubt one of the best animated shows of the season. Huge props to the studio Bug Films for this outstanding quality of work. The way motion is portrayed in this Anime is so fluid that characters and even the zombies are almost brought back to life. Every frame looks as if it has been enhanced for more details oozing with quality. The way colours are used to set the tone of story is also masterfully done, especially how gore is almost transformed into a splash of vibrant hues. Quite frankly, as someone pointed it out, this is what people had hoped Chainsaw Man would turn out to be.

And that, brings us to the most important question, is it sustainable for a whole season? If you'd go back a few seasons to Komi San, and specifically to the blackboard scene, for a moment it felt as if somebody resurrected something straight out of the depths of Kyoto Animation, and then it fell off considerably. Case in point, Bug Films were also a studio involved there, albeit only as a helping hand behind Komi San.

Music: In terms of music so far it has hardly done anything to be raved about. The only thing that comes to mind is probably the Opening sequence which again, animation wise is probably one of the best Openings of the season, and as far as the music is concerned it is also pretty good. But not much else to talk about apart from that.

Enjoyment: This is all about enjoyment and fun. It is made for a light, casual, not too fussy fun without the hassle of anything deep or profound to ponder about. At times, it tries to jumble a few serious themes, and it works well in contrast with the how fun everything else is. Nothing to complain here so far, and hoping for more of the same. Pretty enjoyable on the whole.

If by any chance, someone finds it too Japanese in flavour for their liking, there is no reason to believe you're wrong. I mean, how dare a Japanese Studio, almost entirely populated by Japanese employees, adapting a Japanese manga created by a Japanese person, should focus on Japan and Japanese things only, right?

Zom 100: A Bucket of Disappointment?

While Zom 100 has its fans, it's certainly not without its flaws.

One-dimensional protagonist: Akira's obsession with his bucket list overshadows any real character development. He comes across as childish and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with him.

Generic supporting cast: Other characters feel like tropes rather than individuals. Their motivations and backstories are underdeveloped, leaving them forgettable.

Predictable plot: The story often takes predictable turns, relying on tired zombie apocalypse cliches instead of offering something fresh.

Cringey attempts at comedy: The show's attempts at humor can often fall flat, resorting to juvenile slapstick and awkward jokes. Some find it grating ... and unfunny.

Repetitive gags: Certain jokes are milked to death, losing their appeal quickly.

Logic lapses: The show can be riddled with illogical choices and plot holes, leaving viewers scratching their heads.

Unrealistic survival tactics: Characters often make questionable decisions, ignoring basic survival instincts and logic.

Missed potential: The premise of a lighthearted zombie apocalypse comedy seemed promising, but ultimately feels squandered.

if you're looking for a deep and engaging story with well-developed characters, you might want to look elsewhere.

This show is pretty pogchamp for zombie genre fans and the animation do be pretty. However, it gets hit with delay every other week to the point where you kinda lose interest in what's going on bc last episode was 2 weeks ago and there's already a new delay announced after the one you're watching, killing all the hype. Watching this as it's airing is an absolute chore so if you're interested just wait for it to be finished.

The premise is the strongest part of the show. Characters are fine and likable enough. Action is pretty to look at. Comedy doesn't always land but most ... of the time it does, pretty funny show. I want Shizuka to choke me out.

it should have been a one-episode OVA. The first episode was pretty good and set up an interesting premise. It quickly went downhill after that. All the character are thin and underdeveloped. They all get one or two traits and that's it. I couldn't tell you much about the main character besides the fact that he hated his job. The story is predictable and ends on schmaltzy bullshit about connections with other people being good and following your dreams, as if you haven't heard that a million times before. There were some good action scenes and creative moments, but the premise and characters are too ... thin to carry an entire series. You'd be better off simply watching a bunch of zombie movies (the good ones, I mean).

If I were in the mood for an anime where a kid incessantly screams at me and had hoped for a more captivating experience, I'd opt for Black Clover. The initial episode seemed promising, setting the stage for what could have been an intriguing anime, but instead, it shattered my eardrums with one of the most unlikable, one-dimensional main characters. Oh, the protagonist quit his job to complete a bucket list – how profoundly moving, right? It's like, super deep, man, you just don't understand, bro. I do hope there's an incredible overarching plot that I missed out on, but from my perspective, it's just ... another visually appealing yet ultimately dull and uninspiring anime.

"If you’re gonna waste the limited amount of reality at your disposal, who cares if someone tries to stop you? You gotta cleanse your brains. Your life isn't fast food" - Song of the Dead, Kana-Boon

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead burst onto the scene with an explosive and brilliantly captivating introduction, leaving no room for doubt. Starting with a metaphor that likens working in a black company to becoming a zombie, which also serves as a powerful reflection of a somber Japanese reality, underscores the depth of the issue and offers an impactul entry to explore this theme in the anime, and so ... it does, as Akira, the main character, unfolds his journey as he resigns by throwing his boss out of the window, a symbolic act of breaking free from his own limitations.

The anime's premise is remarkably simple. A zombie apocalypse serves as the unexpected catalyst for the protagonist's liberation, enabling him to fully embrace life. What truly captivates in this narrative is the paradoxical and extravagant juxtaposition it presents. The essence and beauty of the anime stems from the very contradiction of a zombie apocalypse becoming a conduit for the protagonist's freedom and happiness. However, this uniqueness is not the only characteristic that defines it. The animation's vibrant colors and lush palette add a startling contrast to the morbid and frightening scenario that often accompanies a zombie apocalypse. This fusion of disparate elements creates a unique synergy, providing an experience that is both fascinating and unpredictably fun. Ultimately, this combination of factors results in a perfect formula for a genuinely captivating and entertaining work.

Undoubtedly, the creativity and expressiveness Akira presents find a unique harmony with the general atmosphere of the anime. From using a rugby ball strategically attached to a horn to attract the zombies' attention through sound, to the audacious choice to wear an anti-shark suit to avoid being bitten by the undead, are examples that reward the audience in a gratifying way. The absurd caprice of these unconventional solutions lends a humorous and ingenious touch at the same time, adding undeniable value to the narrative. Finally, this dose of improbable wackiness proves to be not only funny, but also exceptionally beneficial to the experience as a whole.

Addressing the negative aspect head-on, it's paradoxical but also evident that the protagonist, ironically, bears significant responsibility for almost erasing the qualities that could have enriched the anime. His negative influence is so pronounced that it becomes difficult to ignore how his presence significantly affects the overall appreciation of the work. Regrettably, Akira is remarkably inconsequential as a character. His eccentric behavior and extravagant actions can certainly be considered an attractive aspect of the anime; however, as a whole, it appears that his personal evolution is at a standstill. Just when you expect him to be developing self-awareness, he goes back to where he started. This regressive dynamic is constant throughout the narrative, noticeable in practically every episode.


Q: A zombie apocalypse has just happened, what to do first?

A- Worry about your own family (just saw a family turn into a pool of blood) ✕
B- Going out with a stewardess ✓
C - Make dreadlocks ✓
D- Have a cool beard ✓
...


Bluntly, what's truly disheartening about the introductory part is how the protagonist dismisses the gravity of the world situation, listing thirty trivial matters to his bucket list before recalling the existence of his own family. This glaringly illustrates the character's inherent shallowness and emptiness. What is the real purpose of stating that "the most important thing I want to do right now is see my parents", when at no time before that has he shown any regard for them? The irony deepens even further when we realize that, instead of immediately acting on this desire, he chooses to prioritize trivial acquisitions, such as a new television to play video games. This sheds light on Akira's true priorities and underlines his disconnect with the claims he makes, reinforcing the contradictory nature of his actions and words. Regardless of whether it was the author's intention or not, the fact remains that it's indeed frustrating to follow the story of a character like that.

Essentially, the majority of the issues raised would have become almost irrelevant if the author had promptly addressed the family matter, allocated screen time for the character to express genuine concern for his parents during his adventure to find them or, even more ideally, refrained from introducing them so early on the story. And this indirectly creates an identity problem in the anime: After all, what does it propose to be? An episodic comedy? A comedy that uses elements of dark humor to, in the end, convey an impactful message to the audience? The feeling that permeates the anime is that the author faced difficulties in clearly defining his direction. The interaction between the zombie plot and the development of the protagonist ends up creating a web of intentions that sometimes becomes somewhat confusing. While hilarious moments and enjoyful situations predominate, the deeper content that could have been explored seems to give way to the comedic aspect. In this sense, the narrative resembles a puzzle with scattered pieces, some of which fit together perfectly, but others seem somewhat out of place.

As previously mentioned, there are no apparent issues with the protagonist's eccentric behavior and unpredictable actions. Quite the opposite, these aspects contribute to the charm that this anime brings forth. My concern lies in Akira's lack of emotional growth and priorities; he fails to navigate loss, fear, and the repercussions of his choices in the way one would typically expect. The protagonist's lack of self-awareness is notable, as he rarely reflects on his actions or consequences. This lack of introspection prevents him from growing as a character. In short, every dramatic part of the show involving Akira ends up becoming a wasted opportunity, as he does not extract learning from the situations in which he finds himself. Not only is this a fact, but one often witnesses him transitioning between emotions in an unusual manner: he appears worried, then, seconds later, he reverts to the same personality of "look the crazy stuff I do in a zombie apocalypse." As a spectator, feeling uncomfortable with certain situations becomes the only viable option due to the protagonist's utter lack of awareness and empathy. It's not inherently problematic for a character of this nature to exist. The real issue lies in the fact that this character is precisely protagonist. With the anime's proposal, witnessing someone like Akira being consistently rewarded, despite the decisions and actions he undertakes, makes it progressively challenging to wholeheartedly support each achievement. In essence, the lingering sense of injustice ultimately overshadows any sense of triumph.

Then, when it comes to priorities, it's a recurring theme that Akira tends to prioritize trivial and mundane matters over recognizing the genuine significance of what truly matters. While this contributes to the comedic aspect the narrative aims to convey, there's another dimension to this behavior. At various points throughout the anime, there will be instances where grappling with the idea that "A" should take precedence over "B," or vice versa, becomes a challenge. Addressing immediate concerns that can be easily done is one matter, but sidelining a clearly more important goal for the sake of frivolities presents a different scenario altogether. Without intending to be overly critical, Akira serves as a prime example of how a slightly disproportionate protagonist can negatively impact a work, regardless of the quality of the story and world-building.

Regardless of the previous issue, the second negative point has nothing to do with the work itself but it's crucial to address the issue of how problematic the anime's postponements were. This situation carries a tremendous irony and frustration, given that in its opening episode, Zom 100 critiques capitalism, particularly the Japanese black companies, yet ends up experiencing the very setbacks it aimed to criticize. Placing the protagonist in a setting reminiscent of the current anime staff's former studio, and witnessing the anime succumb to the same issues the animators had indirectly highlighted, presents a truly unfortunate twist of fate.

In fact, the delay is a double-edged sword: while serving as a significant irony regarding its critique, it also provides relief for animators by easing the burden of a heavy workload that would have accompanied the original schedule. Nevertheless, this regrettable situation will undoubtedly leave its mark in the records of anime industry. Luckily, the fact that the anime is more focused on an episodic comedy, the postponement issue actually doesn't affected the enjoyment of the story too much. Aside from this and from the protagonist, the anime still managed to captivate its audience with a surprisingly fun character: Beatrix.

Xenophile girl injects new life into the anime as the final addition to the main group of characters. Her interactions add an extra layer of unpredictability to the group dynamics. She can transition seamlessly from being a badass samurai with a stylish soundtrack to an incredibly friendly and extroverted individual who pays no heed to societal norms. Her relationship with the rest of the group creates delightful moments of shared camaraderie, often giving the impression that they share the same braincell. For me, she is the greatest of all time and the one who carried and saved a lot of things from this show.

Unfortunately, this show is a love or hate choice: If one ignores the protagonist decisions, way of thinking and actions throughout the anime, it will end up being an actually funny watch. If not, Akira will most likely break the viewer suspension of disbelief and every scene will feel forced.

Therefore, despite its promising potential for a highly captivating story, "Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead" is notably undermined by both its controversial production issues, identity crisis and a protagonist lacking emotional depth. Sporadic delays, an incomplete opening theme, and drops in animation quality collectively diminish the overall enjoyment of the work. Yet, despite the challenging schedule, the production team still managed to deliver something remarkably compelling, even amidst unfavorable working conditions. In the end, despite its enjoyable and compelling narrative elements, this show has its potential severely limited, rendering it unable to achieve the impactful and lasting status of a truly memorable story.

I really wanted to give this anime a positive review. The first episode skillfully blended narrative and performance. It was like a breath of fresh air waking up my drowsy senses. The portrayal of the "black" company life in the first half was both humorous and despairing: obscured angles in the cramped office, or dimly-lit horror vibe outside the office. The visuals even gradually shifted to black and white without me realizing. When the protagonist, Tendou Akira, started the zombie chase, the animation exhibited astonishing expressiveness while transitioning to color – it was truly remarkable. On top of that, there were so many splendid moments ... that it's impossible to list them all.

Starting off on such a high note, no wonder my expectations exploded on this exaggerated comedy + road movie. I thought it was an exaggerated comedy road trip movie, and patiently watched the ep.2-3 with all the "character introductions". Starting from ep.4, it began to feel somewhat tedious. While there were still exhilarating action scenes (such as the ones at the aquarium in episode 5), the clichéd plot and lackluster content began to surface. The story veered between being humorous (though it gradually became less funny), action-packed, emotional, exaggerated, and realistic – it left me feeling disjointed. The only consistent factor was that the characters gradually became one-dimensional, turning into mere "labels"; I could no longer empathized with any characters.

I guess the delay in airing the anime made things worse. The last three episodes were so bad, with shallow character motivations and a faltering story. Such an ending actually left a bad taste in my mouth. If it weren't for the incredibly captivating first episode, I would have rated this anime a 5 out of 10.

All of the "Mixed Reviews" I see here all basically say the same thing: It's too silly for a zombie related anime." Or "It's too silly for comedy based around zombies."

News flash! With the name "Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead", you shouldn't expect a serious zombie show! You SHOULD expect silly humor.

I saw one commenter say "I don't know if this is based on a manga and I don't care." This is a preemtive strike on those who DO KNOW there is source material and on those who have read it. I read that comment as ... "I have NO idea if this is an adaptation so I HAVE NO CLUE if it was done right." Well, it is based on a manga and it is adapted splendidly. Honestly, I was afraid an unknown studio would really mess it up since I couldn't even imagine a premiere studio could adapt it well. To use a baseball analogy " The rookie walks up to the plate and knocks ir out of the park on his first swing!" If this production, animation, and adaption level continues through the rest of the run, this anime WILL be a classic.

But don't take my word for it... Go watch it for yourself! But remember... It's called "Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead" for a reason. If you are a pretentious snob looking for fine art, you ain't getting it! Your getting a fun ride send up of the zombie genre excellent art, animation, production, and voice acting. You have been warned.

A departure from what folks have come to expect from survival horror, Zom100 is a refreshing take on the popular premise. The show has measured the pulse of its primary demographic by depicting the hopelessness of working in a corporate environment, and succinctly inverts the dreadful scenario into an expression of joy born from conflicting circumstances. From the visual style to the narrative beats, the show makes it clear that it intends to show the brighter side of life from the perspective of a worst case scenario. The characters have experienced growth in a way that challenges the conventions of the genre, and this is ... where the show's greatest strength lies. It is not afraid of alienating viewers who enjoy a traditional Zombie show, so keep that in mind. Two things are certain, this will feel new and visually striking.

The first episode of this show was absolutely phenomenal. It's about the MC feeling overworked, exhausted and stressed out to the brink of feeling suicidal, all of this because he sees himself trapped in a toxic unfulfilling working environment. So when a world-ending event such as a zombie apocalypse proves to be a golden opportunity for our protagonist to free himself from the shackles of his workplace and start doing the things he always wanted to do, you know you're in for something special. This goofy idea combined with the silliness of the scenes where the protagonist comes out unscathed while he rides his bike ... all giddy with excitement seemingly ignoring the hordes of zombies following him makes you expect a light-hearted comedy akin to Shaun of the Dead. The great visuals and animation combined with a nice soundtrack only increase the expectations for the following episodes.

Well, I'm disappointed to say that the show manages to shatter most of the expectations by the time you reach the fourth episode. Frankly, this anime loses its identity because it tries to do many things (sometimes contradictory things) while doing none of them well enough. It still tries to be "funny" but less than the initial expectations lead you to believe and the humor doesn't land most of the time, at least for me. It's still plagued by this thing where anime creators think their audiences are comprised of toddlers who think comedy is loud screaming and goofy faces. But to the show's credit, this thing doesn't even come close to being as obnoxious as in other shows like Demon Slayer.

Something I don't understand is the fact that this show sprinkle in moments that are supposed to be sad, dramatic or wholesome, which absolutely ruin the overall light-heartedness of the anime. Isn't this supposed to be a comedy? This moments alongside some scenes where characters talk about their view on life aren't even something particularly amazing if you consider them in a vacuum. They're done as well as any generic anime does it when it tries to be emotional.

The characters are serviceable except for a weeb who's introduced later in the show and can't shut up about how much she loves Japan and its culture, which really grinds my gears. Sometimes I wonder if anime was to be invented in some obscure country instead of Japan, like Moldova, would we have as many weebs that are obsessed with Moldovan culture?

This show sets the bar very high in the first episode only to subsequently deliver a mediocre experience that doesn't have a solid grasp on what main point it wants to accomplish while being often unfunny and straight-up boring to watch.

Starts fresh. Falls into already seen narratives.

The thing I probably loved the most about this show, was how characters were mostly developed through natural dialogue, a very intimate solution, that made me interested in their stories as if they were friends of mine. But then, the annoying cliché flashbacks kick in... and with the intent of getting the characters closer to each other, they, instead, manage to get the viewer far away from any involvement with them.

That, of course, is just one example. More generally, the show progressively replaces its extravagant, yet original ideas, with dull, unoriginal ones, and flattens its finesses one by one. ... That's the case for the art as well, which is nice, but gradually gets stale, to the point where you just forget about it.

On the whole, the show is still enjoyable, but nothing more than that.

one of the most fun anime i have ever seen , the story about the innocence being crushed in the working world , then being a good adult working for a company that exploits your soul to point where a literal apocalypse gives you more joy.
As a 31 year old guy who worked 70 - 90 hour weeks for months without a single day off during covid i sympathize with the protagonist.

Story - takes a zombie troupe and bucket list mixes them nicely
Art - not the best art but still great and fits the story
Characters - fun characters that balance each other ... out

The first few episodes is amazingly animated and very fun, and the anime keeps a steady quality until the german girl is introduced. Her character is uninspired and the rest of the anime drags and feels like they were running out of ideas.

The art direction and color use in this anime is astounding and colorful which definately helps make the anime more enjoyable, however it cant fix the boring copy pasted concepts that plague the latter half of the anime.

Despite the problems with the second half of the anime, the first half is a blast, making use of characters being put in absurd situation while ... its ideas are still fresh

All in all this anime gets a 6/10 because of its great first half followed a dragging uninspired second half.