The zombie apocalypse can be a life-changing event. The terror, the carnage, the sense of impending doom. It’s enough to rob anyone of their senses. In the case of our protagonist Akira Tendo, it’s the perfect opportunity to quit his job and embark on a colourful dance through the destroyed world, filling in his bucket list of 100 Things to Do Before Becoming a Zombie.
Akira was a bright-eyed young man coming out of university. Entering the workforce he expected to accomplish great things and enjoy the next stage of his life. What he didn’t expect however was to work for a “black company”, the Japanese term for an abusive employer that will force long hours, harass and bully employees, and generally extort their workers to near or in some cases actual death. With every day a living hell, the realisation that there’s a zombie apocalypse means only one thing for Akira. It’s a day off! Thus starts this young man’s mission to survive and live the rest of his life to the fullest.
Based on the manga of the same name written by Haro Aso (of Alice in Borderland fame) and illustrated by Kotaro Takata (creator of Hallelujah Overdrive!) one thing that amazes me with this series is how brilliantly they’ve brought the vibrant and colourful world of Zom 100 to life. Bug Films have predominantly done in-between or key animation for several other projects so seeing their first major release be so excellent is a welcome sight. This is a world dripping in colour and humour from its catchy and beautiful opening, right up to its artistic retro-inspired ending. Every episode is a joy for the senses and a visual treat – even the zombies farting rainbows.
The show features a wild cast of silly, eccentric, and loveable characters where everybody is sure to find someone they love, even if they only appear for one episode. And while this is a very light-hearted dystopia, the series isn’t afraid to touch on some serious topics either. The story isn’t always spectacular, it has its stumbles here and there but overall it makes for an enjoyable experience that you can either consume at your leisure or binge for a lazy afternoon of joy.
At the end of it all, this is a positive story about making the best of life and living to the fullest without taking itself too seriously. And that I feel, is a welcome addition to anybody’s anime line-up. I truly hope that we will be getting another season. Zom 100 is available on Crunchyroll with the original manga available physically or digitally from Viz Media, or on the Viz Manga app. There is also a live-action movie adaptation available on Netflix which we have reviewed here.
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