So starting with this episode, Shaft is helping Bug Films out in animating Zom 100. None of Shaft’s usual flairs are present here. There’s no dramatic close ups of heads tilting for example. I kind of figured that would be the case. It’d be baffling if Shaft’s fingerprints usurped this show’s direction. Still, I have to wonder the extent of Shaft’s assistance here. They’re credited under “Animation Production Cooperation” and not “2nd Key Animation” so I guess they’re more involved than other companies. They’re not credited as the primary studio alongside Bug Films but that could very well be a contractual thing rather than an indication of Shaft’s involvement. I guess we’ll never know unless someone spills the beans, officially or not.
This episodes begins in Shinjiku, where a club owner named Shou (Mamoru Miyano) provides refuge for survivors and rallies his crew to fend off incoming zombies. The episode later cuts back to the battle, with Shou seemingly the last man standing. Just as he’s about to bite the dust, he’s indirectly saved by Akira, who travels to Shinjiku (more on that in a bit) and distracts the zombies with a car alarm and a makeshift bomb implanted in the car. This part of the episode has absolutely nothing to do with its actual plot and Shou doesn’t get to meet Akira. Why even include this in the episode. Apart from this possibly being in the manga source material, the only justification I can think of is that Shou’s battle does make for a solid cold opening. That’s it. Maybe it also serves as contrast to Akira’s happy go lucky outlook but that sounds unnecessary. Akira being outside the norm has been abundantly clear since Episode 1.
After the cold opening, the actual plot begins with Akira regaining internet access and messaging his friends for the first time in years. I know that Akira is overly positive but it doesn’t seem appropriate of him to reconnect so casually, admitting to one friend that they haven’t hung out in a while or asking another if they need a surfing buddy. The first thing he should really do is find out if anyone is still alive. Among the people Akira contacts is his best friend, Kenichiro Ryuuzaki (Makoto Furukawa). Akira and Kenichiro were good buddies during college though they eventually drifted apart from each other when they got jobs and Kenichiro kept bringing up how amazing his job has been, much to the overworked Akira’s annoyance. The two finally cut ties when Kenichiro suggested to Akira to quit his job. Despite the estrangement, Akira still wrote in his bucket list that he would like to have a drink with Kenichiro again. To his relief, Kenichiro is still alive, having been trapped in a S&M dungeon in Shinjiku since the start of the outbreak. This prompts Akira to travel to Shinjiku and bust his old pal out of the dungeon. The booby trapped car mentioned earlier is how Akira is able to safely sneak into the club. Frankly, it’s a lucky guess on Akira’s apart that the zombies in his world follow the attraction to sound trope but whatever.
Considering that they last saw each other on a sour note, Akira’s objective isn’t just to rescue Kenichiro but also reconcile with him. He snapped at Kenichiro when really, his friend meant no ill will and was looking out for him. An apology is overdue and given the circumstances, Akira is lucky that he gets to make amends. By that same token, Kenichiro apologizes to Akira, admitting to his best friend that he actually disliked his job and he bragged about it in a vain attempt to make himself feel better. These scenes work to dramatic effect though I must say that these characters have some lousy timing. Akira yells out his apology, attracting the zombies back into the S&M dungeon and wasting his booby trap. Kenichiro apologizes to Akira right when he needs to jump across buildings before the zombies get him. I get that emotions are high here but maybe reconcile when there are no zombies around?
Apparently, Kenichiro wants to be a stand-up comedian. I imagine that job market is going to get tough when the audience is mostly dead but more power to him. What I’m indifferent is his main shtick being that he strips himself naked. Not that I have the most mature sense of humor out there but as someone who has seen a lot of fanservice in anime, it’s hard for this bit to get a laugh out of me. Honestly, I’m more confused than entertained as to how Kenichiro manages to take off his clothes in the middle of the air and at breakneck speed…and why he thought that jumping across buildings with his balls exposed is a great idea. I’m with Akira here, Kenichiro might want to broaden his comedy.
Watch Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix
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