The summer 2023 anime lineup contains many big-name returning shows and some much-anticipated new ones. But one show, titled Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, looks likely to make a massive impact as it flips the script on many zombie tropes, making it stand out against other recent zombie anime series.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead follows 706z87″ title=”akira”>Akira, a young man in an emotional slump. After spending the last several years doing hard work for an exploitative company for terrible pay, he is totally burnt out, struggling to motivate himself to get out of bed. However, one day 706z87″ title=”akira”>Akira wakes up to find that the zombie apocalypse has happened, and realizing that he never has to go to work again, he makes a list of things he wants to do before becoming a zombie and sets off on an epic road trip to complete the list.
100-bucket-list-of-the-dead”> What Is Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead?
The anime is based on a manga created by Haro Asō, a name American anime fans will likely recognize as they also wrote the highly-acclaimed Alice in Borderland manga, which was later turned into a popular live-action series. Like Zom 100, Alice in Borderland flipped concepts seen in other death game series, giving them a unique twist while following a group of characters disenchanted with modern life.
The most noticeable way that Zom 100 flips the script is that, rather than treating the zombie apocalypse as a negative thing or a horror to be overcome, it’s presented as a great thing, as it frees 706z87″ title=”akira”>Akira from the grind of his life, finally allowing him to do the things he wants, letting him feel alive once more. This contrasts starkly with other zombie media protagonists who have the opposite arc, with the apocalypse causing them to become dark and burned out as they give up their old morals in exchange for survival. This is also reflected in 706z87″ title=”akira”>Akira‘s goals, as rather than trying to stop the zombie outbreak or find a place where he can live safely, he focuses on completing his bucket list, most of which consists of mundane or highly-specific personal goals.
100-flips-the-script”> How Zom 100 Flips the Script
This subversion also shows in the manga’s tone, as it is sillier and wackier than other recent zombie anime. The supporting cast surrounding 706z87″ title=”akira”>Akira is exaggerated and comical, plus the situations they find themselves in frequently break conventional logic, giving the series a more surreal vibe that makes it feel markedly different from things that have come before it.
Another fascinating thing about the Zom 100 manga is that it uses zombies as a metaphor for capitalism, in the same way, that the classic movie Dawn Of The Dead did. The zombie horde represents the crushing pressure to conform in a society that only wants people to mindlessly consume without a second thought. Perfectly exemplified by the fact that the first zombie 706z87″ title=”akira”>Akira encounters is their landlord, making this capitalism metaphor very on the nose. While using zombies as a metaphor for capitalism has never stopped, it has become less common in recent years, especially in anime, where zombies tend to be used as foes to fight.
The show’s visuals also flip classic zombie tropes on their head, something perfectly seen in the show’s trailer. Traditionally, zombie series use dark colors and muted color palettes to show how horrible the world has become. Zom 100 does the opposite, featuring bright colors and highly stylized animation, helping the audience feel 706z87″ title=”akira”>Akira‘s newfound lust for life and burning desire to complete his list.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead puts a unique twist on the zombie format, making it feel radically different from the other zombie series anime fans have been treated to for the last few years. This subversion will likely lead to the show getting plenty of attention when it launches. As if it manages to capture what made the manga so gripping and enjoyable, anime fans will be in for a treat.