Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Review – But Why Tho?

Studying Time: 5 minutes

Akira Tendo is likely one of the most relatable characters in manga. Created by Haro Aso because the central character in ZOM 100: Bucket Checklist of the Lifeless, Akira is a 23-year-old wage slave at an abusive firm the place he sleeps beneath his desk and is labored to the bone, all whereas being harassed by his boss. Considering his personal loss of life as a solution to escape his hole existence, one morning, it’s the world and never him who dies. Akira is celebrating as his metropolis is overtaken by zombies, leaving devastation of their wake. As a result of, guess what, when the world is ending, you don’t need to work.

Displaying his innate positivity, Akira comes up with a listing of 100 issues he desires to do earlier than he turns into a zombie, together with cleansing his house and tenting on his balcony, dying his hair, wine and eating a flight attendant, and doing SUP yoga. As a substitute of dying within the zombie apocalypse, he chooses to actually dwell in it and units out to finish his bucket record, discovering his greatest buddy Kencho (Shuntarô Yanagi) and fellow survivor Shizuka (Mai Shiraishi) alongside the best way.  Already a success anime and manga sharing the identical title, the previous produced by BUG FILMS and the latter by mangaka Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata.

This additionally isn’t the primary live-action adaptation of Aso’s work, with Netflix additionally the house to the Alice in Borderland collection. Not like Alice in Borderland, which had two seasons to inform its story, the Zom 100 live-action must condense a big story into one movie whereas competing with the model of itself that is likely one of the hit anime of the Summer season 2023 season. To do that, Zom 100 director Yûsuke Ishida and author Tatsuro Mishima select a breakneck tempo for the movie, shifting shortly from one giant story beat to the subsequent. Whereas this causes a few of the bigger character moments to ring barely hole or maps two giant moments in Akira’s development into one, it in the end pays off for a two-hour runtime.

Like all adaptation, live-action or in any other case, the Zom 100 film makes some pretty substantial modifications to the manga, with Akira experiencing rather a lot alone earlier than assembly up with others. On the identical time, the variations within the movie intensify a few of the bigger themes of the manga (and now the anime), like how actually dwelling requires extra than simply your self. That stated, what the Zom 100 live-action does properly, is that it differentiates itself from different variations of the story, and due to Eiji Akaso‘s efficiency as Akira, the movie is one thing particular.

As Akira, Akaso captures the vulnerability, pleasure, and tinge of loneliness that we see in our lead character, which is important to point out Aso’s authentic message of the story. He’s emotive when he must be, and on the subject of motion, properly he shines, particularly within the movie’s ultimate act. Akira is a 23-old man who has basically had his youth stolen from him and plenty of his life with it. He recaptures it from the world. Akaso maps that immature bliss onto moments of banality that showcase simply how arduous Akira had it earlier than the zombie apocalypse. It interprets into his total bucket record merchandise to develop into a superhero, however with that immaturity comes a reminder we must always let these items of ourselves thrive.

Akira makes use of his bucket record objects to meet his desires, as small as they might be, but in addition to connect with individuals, particularly Shizuka and Kencho. For Shizuka, we see Akira learn to confide in somebody new and act on his romantic feelings that he typically pushes deep down. He will get to have a crush. However with Kencho, that’s the place the true connection occurs. The 2 of them are in a position to reconcile and reconnect, getting previous their very own hang-ups of grownup life. That is the core of Zom 100 as a film, an anime, and a manga. Thriving on the finish of the world and educating its viewers to not look forward to zombie armageddon to start out selecting themselves and the comforts of life.

That stated, the best way that this adaptation handles the bigger story components is fascinating, to say the least. One in all these is its option to reimagine the Flight Attendant part of the story, the place Akira and Kencho meet a gaggle of survivors get drunk and have totally different success with the ladies there. Within the manga, Kencho sleeps with one of many ladies whereas a particularly drunk Akira will get let down by the opposite one, leaving him to consider his childhood dream after a dialog along with her. As a substitute, on this model of Zom 100, Kencho, Akira, and Shizuka are all current with the brand new survivors and Kencho is an absolute dumbass who has no thought the way to actually discuss with ladies, and Akira spends time bonding with Shizuka.

Learn Our Checklist Of 13 Reside-Motion Anime Variations To Watch Proper Now.

Whereas the change condenses the timeline and accelerates the tempo, it does so by essentially who Kencho is as a personality. A charismatic womanizer who loves to point out off his physique, Kencho is at all times the individual that Akira is consistently just a bit jealous and right here, he’s changed with a goofball who’s extra idiotic than charismatic, making him laughable otherwise than within the manga collection. This doesn’t simply change his dynamic as a personality but in addition how he pertains to Akira and in the end removes a few of Akira’s insecurities within the course of.

That stated, Kencho is the weakest spot of the movie, however he’s not sufficient to steal too many factors from this fast-paced story that completely rocks a stellar finale bringing the long-lasting shark zombie to life. With that, it’s true to say that when you don’t know what the story is exterior of the movie, this adaptation is incredible. It hits the primary beats whereas being distinctive in its personal proper, making it an amazing zombie movie for anybody to observe no matter their publicity to the fabric.

The condensed storyline helps hold the tempo breakneck, however on the identical time, it sacrifices some components of character improvement which can be crucial. In the end although, Zom 100 works in its personal proper, primarily in the way it brings to life motion, the enjoyment and vulnerability of Akaso as Akira, and its dedication to going large or going house in a few of the craziest struggle scenes. Zom 100: Bucket Checklist of the Lifeless is one other enjoyable adaptation that provides to its supply materials as a substitute of taking something away. The one factor higher? There’s loads of room for a sequel.

Zom 100: Bucket Checklist of the Lifeless is streaming now completely on Netflix.

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Kate is co-founder, EIC, and CCO of BWT. She’s additionally a Licensed Rotten Tomatoes Critic, host, and creator of our flagship podcast, However Why Tho?. She additionally manages all PR relationships for comics, manga, movie, TV, and anime. She has an MA in Cultural Anthropology and Non secular Research specializing in how popular culture impacts society.

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