Sommerleigh Pollonais, Senior Writer
Plot: Akira Tendo, a 24-year-old office worker, discovers himself trapped in a routine and meaningless life. However, when a zombie apocalypse unexpectedly strikes Tokyo and turns people into mindless zombies, Akira sees this as an opportunity to experience life to the fullest.
Review: Netflix has been making waves in the world of anime with an eclectic assortment of movies and series that cater to all the anime genres but their latest, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, might just be the most unique of them all. Not that the anime genre doesn’t have a vast array of original content dropping left and right for fans to enjoy, but as a fan myself and with so much new shows coming out every season I would be lying if I said some of them don’t blend together in my mind. Not so with this quirky, highly stylized take on what it means to be stuck in a zombie apocalypse.
Akira Tendo is a young man whose dreams of financial independence as a new member of the working force is quickly dashed when he realises how soul-sucking the day-to-day grind of being a worker drone can be (we can all relate right?). Akira dreams of the day he can finally take a vacation and that dream comes true in the most horrific of ways when a zombie outbreak hits his city, and the world goes to hell. But here’s the kicker — unlike Rick Grimes and his band of melancholy allies, Akira is delighted by this! Instead of just seeing a world of the undead, this young optimist sees a world of possibilities. And with no job card to punch everyday Akira quickly decides to make the most of it by creating a list of things he always wanted to do and getting them done, apocalypse be damned!
It’s not an easy feat making zombies, or any zombie-themed story, feel fresh and new, but Zom 100 seems to be pulling it off and I’m all for it. The animation is fast-paced and full of life, with bright neon colors used to offset the brutality of this world. Think Zombieland but even cooler as it taps into that weird fantasy we’ve all had from time to time — what if the world went sideways tomorrow and all your responsibilities got tossed out the window? What would you do? Would you huddle up in a dark room and wait for the inevitable conclusion or would you seek out the nearest car dealership, pick out the fanciest sports car and race around the city only stopping to grab yourself as much junk food and drinks as you can hold on to?
Looking for the silver lining in the end of the world isn’t something most would think of, but that’s exactly what’s being explored here in Zom 100. And while there’s only been two episodes released so far, I think the series is shaping up to be the one everyone is going to be talking about this year. There’s even a live action version coming out on August 3rd, but whether you choose to watch that one or not, this slice of apocalyptic life is definitely one worth your time.
Sommer’s Score 8.5 out of 10
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Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More