Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

It's a generic zombie apocalyptic clique anime that turns into the most wonderful story about following your dreams. (No Spoilers)

I like to keep my reviews short so I'm not going to touch on visuals, sound, characters, etc. I'm gonna focus on the story itself and where it'll eventually lead to.

I went into this anime completely blind. I knew nothing about it, other than it has zombies. Heck, I didn't even read the "bucket list" in the title.

And to be frank, I don't even like zombie movies/series to begin with. I think they're overdone. I just read that the anime was trending so I just decided to give it a shot.

This one may have gotten bad reviews due to the delays; the anime aired up to ep. 9 and the last 3 episodes were released a couple of months later.

I started the series when it finished airing so I wouldn't have to wait for the episodes to come out. I understand people's frustration, especially those who watched it every week.

If I could compare it to something, it would be Evangelion. They're completely different stories, sure, but they did something very similar: they used a trope to promote the author's ideas and feelings. If someone asked you to recommend a mecha movie, would that be Evangelion? Probably not.

Similarly, the zom100's main theme is zombies. But it has nothing to do with zombies. The characters will go through tough times, the zombies will throw them off the tracks and they'll always be a threat as long as the story goes on.

But it doesn't matter. The story is about the main character doing what he always wanted to do. The zombie apocalypse is just an excuse for him to finally do the things he always wanted to. That's where the title of the anime comes in, The Bucket List.

Akira, the main character, decides to ignore all the noise and do the things he always wanted to do. Surviving? Nah, f*ck that! What about wearing a very expensive watch that you couldn't buy because you had to focus on your bills and job and couldn't afford it originally?

What about all those things you wanted to try but your dead-end job wouldn't let you enjoy?

This anime could be as well done without the zombies, by someone just simply quitting his job and enjoying life. But that wouldn't catch the attention of the community, would it? Zombies feel more like obstacles and less like threats in the story.

Don't get me wrong, they're still out there killing people and infecting other creatures. But they're not presented as a terrifying entity that you can not comprehend.

The story is all about finding what you want to do, helping & inspiring others and it's a wonderful message about daydreaming and setting goals for yourself.

I wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for dumb entertainment cause its action is underwhelming and fights are resolved pretty quickly.

I would, however, recommend it to anyone looking for a slice-of-life story with a bit of an edge to it.