Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 9 Review

Treehouse of the Dead

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 9 was a good episode, overall. It gave us a bit more information on how the zombie apocalypse spread, which is great. But, it also introduced a trope I’m not exactly the biggest fan of.

Before we get to all that, though, we need to talk about the treehouse. On their way to Akira’s hometown, our heroes came across a tunnel that had been blocked off. This was done to trap zombies inside and protect the village on the other side.

As a result of this, Akira and his friends had to make their way around the tunnel by going through the forest. And this is where they met, and saved, Masaru Kumano. Masaru was being chased by a zombie boar. And after Beatrix saved him from it, he took the group to his home.

As we all should have assumed from the title, Masaru’s home is a treehouse. However, it’s not a completed treehouse. Masaru only recently arrived in this forest and hasn’t had the chance to complete it. But, Akira volunteers to help build the treehouse since it’s something on his bucket list.

So, why should we care about the treehouse? Well, it’s actually a great idea in a zombie apocalypse. Assuming zombies can’t climb ladders or trees, a treehouse provides decent protection. And, you could even build in a way to raise the latter to keep unwanted survivors out.

This scene also seems to include a bit of foreshadowing. When Akira asks Masaru about his son, Masaru reveals that his wife and son were zombified. And not only that, but Masaru had to put them down himself. To me, that was foreshadowing something Akira will have to do later.

Zombie Germ Theory

The most interesting part of the episode was the information we got about the infection. We learned a little more about how the infection works. Though, it’s still unclear how it began and the different ways it spreads.

This isn’t entirely new information, but we know symptoms of the infection are delayed. At least, in some cases. An earlier example came from Episode 4. The other guy hiding in the store with Akira, Kencho, and the flight attendants turned into a zombie. He was quiet and shaken up, but otherwise “fine” before then.

I don’t quite remember, but I think we saw that he had a bite mark prior to turning. So, we can assume the infection spread to him through a zombie bite. And, we know that the flight attendants became zombies in the same way. However, for them, the process happened much faster.

This idea of delayed symptoms came up again in Episode 9 during the flashback of the refugees. When entering the tunnel, one of the refugees suddenly turned into a zombie. We can assume he had a prior zombie bite. But, it’s not confirmed.

Then, later in the episode, we see Akira’s dad coughing up blood and saying to himself that he’s running out of time. The implication here is that he’s infected, but hasn’t turned yet. Though, it’s also possible that this is an intentional misdirection. He might be sick with some other ailment.

But, what if he’s infected? If that’s the case, I’d want to know how long ago his exposure to the virus was. And, I’d want to know if a zombie bit him. It doesn’t seem that a bite is the only way the infection spreads. Otherwise, the infection couldn’t have spread globally overnight.

Dueling Bucket Lists

Now we’re getting to the part of the episode that I didn’t like as much. At the end of the episode, we find out that there’s another group of four with a bucket list of things to do before they die.

But, the twist is that these people and this bucket list are the opposite of Akira’s group and their list. This new group features terrible people who want to see others suffer. They want to get back at the world they believe unfairly wronged them. And, their bucket list entries reflect that.

The leader of this group is Kanta. His name wasn’t revealed yet, but I looked it up because I wanted to be able to call him something. Anyway, Kanta hates society because he feels that it left him behind. He had trouble getting jobs he thought were worth his time and ended up becoming resentful.

Kanta is the kind of person who just wants to watch the world burn. But, what about his “friends?”

The woman in the group wants to burn down a company that insulted her. The large incel of the group wants to force himself on a woman. And, the fourth member of the group is a guy who wants to assault his wife.

As you can see, Kanta somehow managed to find a group of people who are just as messed up as he is. And now, it looks like they plan to unleash zombies on Akira’s village for the fun of it.

So, why do I hate this trope? I’m not interested in surface-level, opposing groups like this. Kanta’s group isn’t interesting (so far). His group isn’t anything more than the antithesis of Akira’s group. And, to me, that’s not how you write exciting antagonists.

Final Thoughts

What do you think of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 9? Were you expecting Akira’s group to spend the night in the treehouse? Do you think Akira’s father is infected? And, how do you feel about the evil bucket list group? Let me know in the comments.

Akira already said he doesn’t want to see people become zombie food. So, I’m expecting things to turn out well for the evil bucket list group. They’ll see the error of their ways and become contributing members of the village. At least, that’s what I’m predicting will happen.

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