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

[neflight86]

2035

"* Based on a black comedy dystopian manga written by Asou Haro and drawn by Takata Koutarou.

After spending years working for a soul-crushing company, Akira's life has lost its luster. But when a zombie apocalypse ravages his town, it gives him the push he needs to live for himself. Now Akira's on a mission to complete all 100 items on his bucket list before he...well, kicks the bucket.

Source: Viz"

Genre(s): Zombies, Apocalypse

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1

The first episode went hard, but didn't fully sell me. I appreciate the lengths they went to normalize how Akira might assimilate into the black company for three years; it makes him seem less stupid as a protagonist if we can relate to his emotions slightly.

That being said, I'm merely optimistic about Zom 100, because I dropped the manga due to lack of interest. Good news is that I remember liking this first episode significantly more than the source, so that is a good omen, especially if the animation keeps up.

[MFauli]

Really good first episode, but as I said, I hope it won't devolve into silly comedy. The message of "people are too obsessed with work" is an important one and I'd hope that a somewhat serious story is attached to it. Doesn't mean that i cannot have some funny scenes, too.

[Ryllharu]

The series isn't good. The anime just made the things that were bad about it worse. Maybe the netflix live action won't suck like the other two do. It certainly looks considerable better.

[MFauli]

episode 3:

Three episodes, three bangers so far. Really enjoyed this one, too. I'm positively surprised how this show manages to mix comedy and serious events, like, the overall situation isn't being made fun of, but the individual scenes can be over-the-top. And I like that Kencho actually is allowed to stay alive and not be a one-off. Although now that I watched the ending, I guess this was to be expected.

Easily the show of the season.

[MFauli]

where's the new episode :(

[MFauli]

episode 4:

Wow, talk about "no strings attached"; Kencho got to fuck and right after the girl is killed, rofl!

Bummer that the oldest girl died, her mean attitude was kinda hot and would have made for a more unusual pairing.

In general, it sucked that all 3 died, made the whole episode feel too formulaic. One of them joining their group, even if temporarily, would have been better.

Dat tv, though, LOL. And the game must look worse now, because there's no console that properly supports 8k gaming yet :D

All in all a really enjoyable anime.

[neflight86]

I'm surprised you are enjoying this due to its deadpan depiction of death and the characters' reaction to it. No one bats an eye hardly that so many people have died. Even Akira got more emotional response out of finding a kindred spirit that also sought a fulfilling job than at the loss of her (and her comrades) lives, as a human beings.

That is probably why the emotional beats of this story fall flat for me. For all it offers, I just can't get behind the cast due to them being (with exception being the edgy main girl) completely flippant about the end of society. None of them suffer any real breakdown and are just... natural sociopaths? That drains my sympathy for them and actually makes me root for Akira's downfall. Nothing about his demonstrably poor decision making skills should enable his survival, meaning his 'luck' in doing so is simply deus ex. Zombies left conveniently for the getaway with a giga tv? Enjoy your fun time while the utilities still work and food hasn't spoiled yet?

That is likely why I also dropped the manga after x chapters; if the characters don't care about the story, why should I?

[MFauli]

I'm surprised you are enjoying this due to its deadpan depiction of death and the characters' reaction to it. No one bats an eye hardly that so many people have died. Even Akira got more emotional response out of finding a kindred spirit that also sought a fulfilling job than at the loss of her (and her comrades) lives, as a human beings.

That is probably why the emotional beats of this story fall flat for me. For all it offers, I just can't get behind the cast due to them being (with exception being the edgy main girl) completely flippant about the end of society. None of them suffer any real breakdown and are just... natural sociopaths? That drains my sympathy for them and actually makes me root for Akira's downfall. Nothing about his demonstrably poor decision making skills should enable his survival, meaning his 'luck' in doing so is simply deus ex. Zombies left conveniently for the getaway with a giga tv? Enjoy your fun time while the utilities still work and food hasn't spoiled yet?

That is likely why I also dropped the manga after x chapters; if the characters don't care about the story, why should I?

"Natural sociopaths", yeah, that's why I probably can relate to Akira so much <3

The way he despises work is just SO on point with my reality, and just how often have I wished for a zombie-apocalypse, lol. Ofc, it sucks to lose loved ones, but a zombie apocalypse is such an out-there-scenario that it's easier to get over it compared to, say, them dying in a car accident.

That's not to say that I likd how quickly Akira got over the girl he just had a moment with dying ,that was bad. But I've come to accept that Japanese authors just suck at depicting people's reacton to death. Tbh ever since Gantz have I given up on Japanese authors to handle death and loss properly. One of the rare exceptions really is One Piece, surprisingly, that handled the death of a certain character truly realistically and I likd that a lot.

[Ryllharu]

But I've come to accept that Japanese authors just suck at depicting people's reacton to death. Tbh ever since Gantz have I given up on Japanese authors to handle death and loss properly. One of the rare exceptions really is One Piece, surprisingly, that handled the death of a certain character truly realistically and I likd that a lot.
Not that I'm watching this (I also dropped the manga fairly early on), but this is a really good point. I tried to think of a number of examples that countered this, only to realize that several I could think of were actually Korean. Japanese anime and manga all too often have the, "oh no! Anyway..." meme style reaction to a character's death or grief in general.

Maybe the only one to handle it well is Battle Angel Alita. Macross Delta did a pretty decent job even though the series as a whole is shit, it's actually the best episode in the entire series. 86 wasn't bad about it either.

Japan anime melodrama covers it, but it doesn't really match the natural stages of grief. Japanese films do it pretty well though.

[MFauli]

Not that I'm watching this (I also dropped the manga fairly early on), but this is a really good point. I tried to think of a number of examples that countered this, only to realize that several I could think of were actually Korean. Japanese anime and manga all too often have the, "oh no! Anyway..." meme style reaction to a character's death or grief in general.

Maybe the only one to handle it well is Battle Angel Alita. Macross Delta did a pretty decent job even though the series as a whole is shit, it's actually the best episode in the entire series. 86 wasn't bad about it either.

Japan anime melodrama covers it, but it doesn't really match the natural stages of grief. Japanese films do it pretty well though.

Japanese films as in other than live-action adaptations, maybe, I wouldnt know these. Im trying to think of other anime that did death/loss well, but often it's just romance stories where the griefing doesn't come from actual grief, but from "I lost my love interest". I was about to mention Clannad After Story, but that's too much already, it's "grief porn", lol.

I guess my favorite anime of all times, "Fantastic Children", handles it pretty nicely from what I remember. I really liked how the whole Conrad Röntgen-arc came to be, but even later on there's a heavy theme of losing others.

But, yeah, it's much easier to find anime where people don't give a shit about other people dying.

[neflight86]

Interesting points, but I think there's a distinction to make with mourning strangers and morning people/characters you are familiar with. I think anime fumbles largely with the stranger death. Maybe because their culture is insulated or individualistic 'to each his own', but there is fairly little attachment to randos in anime (which itself is written/adapted for a certain young demographic). Maybe its to save time and keep the storytelling simple and brief? That said, death is used common enough in anime that it has to be reacted to to even serve a purpose narratively. You might not be able to remember an entire episode dedicated to a funeral (I think there was one in Naruto and Summertime Render was predicated around a funeral), but there are plenty of examples of household shrines to passed loved ones and annual graveyard visits; honoring or still grieving?

To be clear, none of this applies to Zom100; everybody dies and nobody cares is the attitude I'm getting from that, but I can think of quite a few anime that handle death with an approximation of appropriate realistic weight.

[Ryllharu]

That's what I found to be such a distraction to the series. It's badly written shonen after the first chapter. Terribly written.

All the tonal mistakes it make, High School of the Dead never did, goofy ecchi aside.

Cemetary visits and using the home altar is not the same as showing a decent depiction of grief. The characters are usually long over it, and it comes off as household routine.

This is just flippant disregard for the lives of others, which sharply undermines the main point of the first episode.

[MFauli]

I guess I went into this anime expecting silly comedy, so it being more than that is already satisfying me enough to enjoy it, even though you're absolutely right how it treats the death of others without regard. I mean, does Akira even have family, if so, wtf.

But the premise of this show is "Im free from work, now I can live!" and I just celebrate that so much <3

Agreed that special events like going to a cemetery is not the same as reacting to immediate death. Really, what anime do a good job there, feel free to mention them if you know. I vividly remember watching Gantz for the first time and how I was upset when all the people waiting for the underground just watched as Kurono and Kei were trying to hoist a guy off the rails, and we got to hear their thoughts, like "omg, are they gonna die" with excitement, ugh.

Although Western movies do the same shit, really. So many times a side character dies, hero is sad for a moment, then someone else says "we must proceed. we owe it to <dead character>", then hero nods and the story proceeds and everybody keeps making jokes again. blugh.

That's why I always think: Using a characters death in a story AlWAYS needs to be done carefully, otherwise it will quickly make the viewer feel lik the heroes have a plot shield (they always do, but good stories make you feel like they don't) and it also makes you not give a shit about people dying in a story.

[Buffalobiian]

I guess I went into this anime expecting silly comedy, so it being more than that is already satisfying me enough to enjoy it, even though you're absolutely right how it treats the death of others without regard. I mean, does Akira even have family, if so, wtf.

He does. An item on his list is to spend more time with family.

I caught up on this show, and it grates me the wrong way.

-stylistically the rainbow blood took getting used to. I'm not a fan.
-Utilities work for some reason, suggesting that government or organised society is still functional, but there's no organised effort to get rid of the zombies?
-Raiding convenient stores freely with barely any survivors around, and those they see are all friendly - no bandits.
-The MC just YOLOs and gets away with it.

Overall it just feels like a poor setup. The MC gets the joy from being liberated from work (a necessity of modern society without AI/full automation) without suffering from any setbacks that a dystopian apocalypse brings.

I enjoy the main girl and her pragmatic approach to all this though.

[MFauli]

-The MC just YOLOs and gets away with it.

Overall it just feels like a poor setup. The MC gets the joy from being liberated from work (a necessity of modern society without AI/full automation) without suffering from any setbacks that a dystopian apocalypse brings.


Capitalism is the #1 problem in the world!

[shinta|hikari]

I think we should remember that this guy is insane. He was broken by his job. He feels free now and enjoys his life even with everyone dead because he is completely and utterly broken and bonkers. He survives due to luck and plot armor, but he is infesting everyone else around him with his craziness.

[neflight86]

That is how I see him, but my issue is that Zom 100 implies that being crazy is the survival of the fittest in this situation, and that's just... irresponsible. A personal pet peeve.

[shinta|hikari]

I think one can argue being his specific brand of insane is perfect for an apocalypse scenario. It allows him to do crazy risky things that have good returns, like jumping that ramp with the bike. Others are too stressed about the situation and cannot think, while his broken mind allows him to be chill about it, and in turn more adaptable.

[Buffalobiian]

I don't know man. He also nearly trapped himself in a convenient store because he lured zombies to the entrance while thinking about beer.

He did utilise quick thinking to perform the car jump, but main girl could have done the same as well.

His behavior does give us something to watch, and does avoid the OP/too-knowledgeable protagonist thing.

[MFauli]

"Main girl" (is she "main", there's a girl in the opening that hasn't joined the group yet, which I'd consider "main girl" once she does) can do what MC can, but the difference is: He's having fun. She's stressed out to the max. Which approach is better I wonder.

[Buffalobiian]

Oh she's main girl. You might not see her as best girl, but she's definitely main girl. MC's friend isn't "main" just because he's in the OP. Getting more pussy doesn't even cut it.

As for which approach is better, main girl's approach is better.

MC is YOLOing and happening to survive. Main girl is aiming to survive and deliberately making choices that are likely to succeed.
While MC's goal arguably isn't to survive, he'd better think harder about that if he wants to actually get through his bucket list of 100 things.

Sure, I also agree that main girl could have gone for that sweet - not getting it was dumb.


Capitalism is the #1 problem in the world!

Even in socialism and communism you have to work.

And you mention stress? That doesn't look like stress. Sure she's in thought, she's planning, and she's not doing things that are entertaining for her - but that's not the same as stress.

[shinta|hikari]

If you are a protagonist in an anime, the former. If you are an actual human, the latter.

[MFauli]

Oh she's main girl. You might not see her as best girl, but she's definitely main girl. MC's friend isn't "main" just because he's in the OP. Getting more pussy doesn't even cut it.

As for which approach is better, main girl's approach is better.

MC is YOLOing and happening to survive. Main girl is aiming to survive and deliberately making choices that are likely to succeed.
While MC's goal arguably isn't to survive, he'd better think harder about that if he wants to actually get through his bucket list of 100 things.

Sure, I also agree that main girl could have gone for that sweet - not getting it was dumb.



Even in socialism and communism you have to work.

And you mention stress? That doesn't look like stress. Sure she's in thought, she's planning, and she's not doing things that are entertaining for her - but that's not the same as stress.

I'd argue that living without trying to hard to survive is actually preferable to existing only for survival. Similar to the mindset of eating healthy vs eating what you enjoy eating - sure healthy food makes you live longer, but is it the better life. And we'll all die eventually.

Yes, you gotta work in socialism/communism, too, but not nearly as much as under capitalism if applied correctly. But I'm not gonna get into that sorta debate. Capitalism is evil and nothng will change my mind there.

[MFauli]

episode 5:

Okay, this episode felt like we're watching a Boku no Hero Academie-spinoff now. Wth. The suit even looks similar to Deku's shitty suit. I wonder if this hero shtick keeps going or not. Would be weird to go back from saving people, but next episode makes it sound like he's no longer doing hero stuff. Hm.

Also, this anime committed a cardinal sin that zombie movies mustn't do: Zombie animals.
Why do 99% of zombie movies avoid animal zombies being a thing - because humans would be utterly fucked then. Defending against human zombies is one problem. Defending against the entire animal kingdom is impossible. This time it was an aquarium shark and some fish, but it's guaranteed that there zombie fish in the ocean now, too. Plus surely there's zombie bird. And if zombie insects are a thing, game over.
The zombie shark was kinda cool, but you really are inviting a mess of plot holes to come.

At least development with strategy girl.

Kencho running around naked will never not be super weird, but I guess that's Japanese culture.

[MFauli]

episode 6:

that was a shit episode. Absolutely hated it. I also didn't find Akira's reaction plausible. Punch this asshole to a pulp and continue with the journey.

[Buffalobiian]

Yeah his fear felt weird. In his old job he was preoccupied with working hard and slaving away, and his boss was a dick, but living in fear of him wasn't particularly emphasized. It's acting like the guy used to hit him or something.

And 2 days labour seems cheap. You'd think there'd be a catch to keep them around for longer. I expected Shizuka to be carrying a weapon of some description, but even if she did I suppose it's no place to use it since they now need to help of the baseball fellows.

They really do need to learn to secure their perimeter before talking and wasting time. Thanks to not doing that, they now get stuck with the most generic RV.

[shinta|hikari]

And 2 days labour seems cheap. You'd think there'd be a catch to keep them around for longer.


I have a bridge to sell you.

[MFauli]

What also really irked me: Shizuka has been portrayed as a super careful, always prepared girl ... if I were in that situation she's in now, I'd be super scared of getting raped by that "leader". He gives off super rapey vibes, the whole situation does. And how she's exempt from working is also super suspicious.

Either there's more of a plan on the leader's side, or this is really badly written.

[Buffalobiian]

I have a bridge to sell you.

You had me looking up how one actually goes about buying a bridge.

[MFauli]

episode 7:

That episode was even worse than last one :/

- WHY did Shizuka drink that beer?! We literally see her being cautious and all all the time. She must have understood how rapey that asshole was. She couldn't be sure that he didn't spike the drink, either. What a colossal failure on her part. Totally out of character.

- "Telling of your jerk boss" -> repeatedly shouting "I'm sorry!". Wat. That was such a lame, unsatisfying reaction.

- ZERO punishment for the asshole boss. Everyone leaving is not punishment, it's just reseting to before. What a shitty message. "Hey, all you abused, weak people out there: Always forgive your bullies and don't be mean to them, okay?" Fuck off


Other than that, I noticed the blong, big-tiddy girl in the ending again. I assume we'll meet her next time, otherwise it gets really late to introduce another party member.

[Buffalobiian]

This show appears to try really hard to avoid violence, and it comes off as rather unrealistic.

Tendo was painful to watch. Prior to this, he appeared to be worked hard, but didn't seem to be traumatised by the whole thing, so his transition here also felt off.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 9-12

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The evil dudes were pretty cringe.

Besides this being rather well animated and the main girls/friend having pretty designs, I won't miss this series.

[MFauli]

The complete lack of inner logic and how the series treats "serious" moments ruined it for me. I still can't get over zombie animals - there's a reason why NO zombie movie does that. It'd be an impossible world to live in.

Don't need a season 2.

[Buffalobiian]

I'd very much rather watch Highschool of the Dead S2.