Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

Episode 5

I sat here for a while trying to come up with funny “Zom 100 sure did jump the shark!” jokes, but that ran the risk of someone not reading the whole review and thinking that I was actually complaining about all of the badass shark-jumper (and punchy, and general WTF-ery) on display in “Hero of the Dead”, which is the last thing I want. After last week's slump, I was worried that Zom 100 was going to settle for being the raunchier, dumber, more Japanese riff on Shaun of the Dead-style frat boy antics, but thankfully the series has picked back up again in a big, bad way.

I don't think it's a coincidence that the uptick in quality this week coincides with Shizuka's return to the story. Sure, her obsessive and ridiculously “risk” themed dialogue can make her come across as much more of a “gimmick” character compared to either Akira or Kencho, but she provides a much-needed counterpoint to the boys' incredibly stupid status quo (and I say “stupid” with a lot of affection). I love these dorks, but after the Flight Attendant Fiasco from last week, I needed their shtick to have some kind of friction to deal with.

Now, Akira's a good dude, obviously, since despite Shizuka's attempts to tear him down after the aquarium rescue, it's clear that his desire to be a true "superhero" for the helpless stems from more than just his desire to make up for his crippling self-doubt and low self-esteem. That's all probably a part of the equation, for sure, but even the most deranged and delusional nerd wouldn't just willy-nilly don anti-shark armor and go fighting swarms of the undead just because of their psychological deficiencies. Still, the Giant Zombie Shark (with Legs!) fight with only Akira and Kencho would have felt like business as usual for Zom 100. Throwing Shizuka and her no-nonsense personality into the mix gives the whole thing a sense of stakes, you know?

By the way, can we talk about that fight with the Giant Zombie Shark (with Legs!)? Because it's goddamned awesome! Zom 100's visuals haven't quite managed to match the peak of that first episode's audio-visual brilliance, but there were certainly flashes of it throughout this week's dynamic and exciting action scenes. The solid production values are what helps the show's humor sing, too. I mean, I probably would have been laughing at Akira getting chomped through his chainmail suit and Kencho hanging dong to bait the Giant Zombie Shark (with Legs!) either way, but that kind of stupidity always plays better when you can tell that the crew involved put in ten times more effort and care than could ever be deemed reasonable.

I'm bummed to see Shizuka depart from the gang again, though I doubt it'll be too long before she's back in the crew, and for good. In the meantime, I agree with Akira: A change of scenery is just what Zom 100 needs. Next week, we head to Gunma for a relaxing mid-apocalypse vacation (and, you know, to make sure our hero's parents are still alive).

Rating:

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on Twitter, his blog, and his podcast.