Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 1

r/Antiwork the Anime

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 1 was a pretty good start to the series. Though, I’ll admit I was expecting a bit more from it. I would have rather it started right in the middle of the action.

We could always go back and see how Akira Tendou found himself in his current situation. And I think doing it this way would have worked better as a first-episode hook. But, still, this was a fairly good episode and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

Now, even though I’m already complaining, there were things I liked about how the series began. One of the main things is how Episode 1 is pretty much an anime version of r/Antiwork. I’m not a Redditor. But, I have been spending a lot of time on that subreddit recently while on the job.

So, I can sympathize with Akira. I also don’t want to go to work in the morning. I cope my way through all the deadlines I’m missing and the work that piles up. And, I’m no stranger to having to take on more work because someone else left the company.

Akira, I get it.

With that said, Akira’s obviously in a worse situation. I mean, his crush is the CEO’s mistress. At least I don’t have anything like that to deal with. But, I don’t have time to have a crush on anyone. All my free time goes into this blog.

Still, I do think the first half of this episode encapsulated r/Antiwork. It ran through the r/Antiwork greatest hits. Overworked and underpaid employees with benefits they can’t use? Check. Terrible management that doesn’t understand they’re the problem? Check. Dramatic resignation speech? Check. It did it all.

Celebrating the End of the World

What’s another thing I liked about this episode? I liked the framing — literally the frame on the top and bottom of the screen. Normally, I would edit the black bars out of the images I use in a review. But, not this time.

You see, the black bars actually played a role in the episode. They were present for the entire time that Akira was working at his job. But, as soon as he realizes he doesn’t have to work anymore, they go away.

It’s not like the black bars disappeared on their own, though. No, Akira physically breaks out of them. The bars represented how his job was holding him in and suffocating him. Now that he doesn’t have to go back to work, Akira is free. So, it’s possible that we won’t be seeing the frame come back.

With that said, we could see the return of the dreaded frame for flashbacks. There are going to be other characters in this series besides Akira. And at some point, I imagine we’ll get backstories for those other characters. So, the frame might return for that content.

My prediction is that the other main characters are going to feel the same way Akira does about the end of the world. They might not have been salarymen/women who hated their jobs. But, I have a feeling they’ll each have their own reason for preferring the current state of the world.

I’m also hoping things get a little crazier as more characters get introduced. Sure, a zombie apocalypse is “crazy,” I guess. But the cover art has a great white shark in it. What’s that all about? I hope it’s something extra crazy because that’s what I’m looking for.

An Expected End

Were you expecting Saori Ootori to survive the apocalypse? I wasn’t. As soon as she was introduced as Akira’s crush, I knew she was a goner. There was no way she was going to survive the episode.

But, let’s say she did survive. What would she bring to the rest of the series? She doesn’t seem like she’d be very fun during a zombie apocalypse. Sure, she was cute. But that’s all she had going for her. She didn’t seem to have pent-up stress like Akira. Unless, maybe she didn’t want to be the CEO’s mistress.

Now, we know Akira isn’t the only survivor. The cover art of the series makes it clear there are others. But, I wonder if we’ll ever find out why these characters survived. This doesn’t seem like it’s going to be a mystery series. So, will that question be answered?

Part of me wants to say that we won’t get an answer and that the answer doesn’t matter. How the zombie apocalypse happened doesn’t change anything. The series is still about a bucket list of things to do before you die at the end of the world.

With that said, I also didn’t expect World’s End Harem to turn into a mystery series. That’s another one that really didn’t need an explanation for what happened. So, if World’s End Harem can turn into a series about uncovering the truth, I guess Zom 100 can, too.

So far, though, the zombie apocalypse doesn’t make sense. How did it spread? Saori and the CEO were alone in her apartment when they turned. So, they weren’t exposed to another zombie. And if the virus could get to them, why couldn’t it get to Akira? Even his neighbors were zombified.

Conclusion

What do you think of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 1? Do you relate to the struggles Akira faced in the workplace? Did you notice when Akira broke the black bars framing the screen? And, were you expecting Saori to survive the apocalypse? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss any future articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 2 is available now.