Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 2

No Point in Living Without Beer

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 2 was a bit better than Episode 1. But, I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about the series. Maybe once the rest of the main cast is here, I’ll like it more.

But, at this point, it still feels a little bland. Not much has happened. And, the OP didn’t help. I don’t know if you noticed but at least half of the OP was recycled material. It included a lot of shots ripped straight from the first episode.

That’s not a good sign. Anime OPs are pretty important today. They can be an indication of how good a series is. So, using recycled content for a lot of the OP isn’t a good sign. It makes me wonder if the animation studio also cut corners with the main content of the series.

I don’t want to be a downer for this entire review, though. So, moving on, in Episode 2, Akira starts thinking about what he wants to do with his free time. He already confessed to his crush. But, that was more of a spur-of-the-moment thing.

Now that he’s settled into life during the apocalypse, he needs to consider how he’s going to spend his time. And, after cleaning his apartment, he decides that beer is the answer. After all, what else is he supposed to do? There’s nobody else around and he can’t exactly go out and do things.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for Akira to realize there’s a flaw in his plan. His beer supply isn’t unlimited. So, he decides to go on a beer run. And on his way out, he meets Mr. and Mrs. Kousaka, his neighbors who have also managed to survive.

High-Priority Task

As you might expect, Mr. and Mrs. Kousaka are a little perplexed by Akira heading to the convenience store. After all, what could possibly be important enough for him to risk his life? Beer, duh. But, I can’t say I was expecting what happened to those two.

When Akira was in the convenience store, we never saw him pick up the items they requested. So, my assumption was that he was going to return with only beer. Their reaction to Akira forgetting the actual survival supplies would have been comical. However, that’s not what happened.

Somehow, the zombies got to the couple. And by the time Akira returned, they were dead.

This was a turning point for Akira. It, along with his run-in with Shizuka, made him realize that he could die at any moment. It’s what encouraged him to start writing down his bucket list.

Speaking of Shizuka, she’s the girl Akira met in the convenience store. We didn’t get her name in this episode. But, I’d rather call her by her name than refer to her as “the convenience store girl.” And I’m pretty confident that her name isn’t some kind of spoiler.

Anyway, from what we see of Shizuka, she’s the complete opposite of Akira. While Akira wants to have fun during his “time off work,” Shizuka is all about survival. She can’t understand why someone would risk their life for nonessential supplies.

As she says, a beer run is not a high-priority task.

So, what are high-priority tasks? To Shizuka, high-priority tasks involve anything that increases her odds of survival. Things like gathering healthy food and clean water are at the top of the list. Then, there’s also staying in shape to outrun zombies. And gathering intel on zombies is important, too.

Shizuka & the Sakura Mochi

Did you notice that the black bars were back at the top and bottom of the screen in this episode? They weren’t there for the first half. But, once the episode swapped over to following Shizuka’s perspective, they appeared.

This seems to point toward something I said could happen back in my Episode 1 review. If you remember, the black bars disappeared in the first episode after Akira broke them. It symbolized his breaking free from the shackles of work. And, it looks like the same thing is going to happen now for the other main characters.

If that’s the case, though, what is Shizuka breaking free from? As far as we know, she didn’t work an oppressive job that she hated. And unlike Akira, the apocalypse itself didn’t allow Shizuka to “break free.” Whatever’s holding her back still exists even now.

Well, we got a few clues in Episode 2. You see, Shizuka is a very serious person. While Akira is messing around and having fun, Shizuka is only thinking about survival. And she doesn’t just want to survive. She wants to survive as optimally as possible.

My prediction is that this seriousness is what she needs to break free from. For example, we saw her eyeing a sakura mochi sweet in the convenience store. But, she chose not to grab it. And later, we saw that the reason she didn’t grab it is because she believes eating excess sugar isn’t optimal.

With the help of Akira, I think we’ll see Shizuka learn to have a bit more fun. She doesn’t need to become as carefree as Akira is. But, she needs to learn that there’s nothing wrong with doing things because you want to do them. Eat that sakura mochi, Shizuka.

Conclusion

What do you think of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 2? What would make you leave the safety of your apartment during a zombie apocalypse? Do you like Shizuka so far? And, what do you think she needs to “break free” from? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 3 is available now.