Written by: Ryan Dailey
If Simon Pegg’s Shaun of the Dead came from The Land of the Rising Sun, Zom 100 would be the result.
A young man named Akira hates his job, lives in a pigsty and his crush is sleeping with his boss. The zombie apocalypse happens and our hero pens a bucket list, knowing he will someday become one more body in the army of the undead.
Zom 100 is a fresh take on the zombie genre, as most focus on the human need to survive. Everyday people become experienced brawlers, expert marksman or gung-ho survivalists. The will to live exhibited by these people is why we are drawn to that type of medium.
Akira is nothing like that. His attitude of treating the zombie outbreak as though he was passing away from cancer and only has a finite amount of time left on this planet is more realistic. Our hero realizes that time and/or a zombie bite could be his end, and he wants to use this chance, free of the shackles of society, to do the things he wants. He sees the end of the world not as a bad thing, but as a means to better himself without worrying about paying rent or clocking in at a soul crushing job.
Zom 100 could very possibly find itself standing shoulder to shoulder with cult classics in the medium, such as Ranma1/2, Tenchi and horror great, Train to Busan.
Netflix is known as the streaming service that pretty much greenlights any project that comes across their desk, but they really found a hit with this show. Zom 100 Is the perfect project for fans that are new to anime to get a feel for what the genre has to offer. It also is great for established fans to sink their teeth into, as they would be able to pick up on the influences that inspired this show.
The animation is fluid, the voice acting is superb and the dialog is real, emotional and hilarious at times. This show is one of the few saving graces that this aging streaming service has, Love,Death and Robots included.
This show screams fan service, which is good, because fans are what keeps people in the entertainment business employed. Take note, Hollywood.
Zom 100 is currently streaming on Netflix, with a live action rendition coming in August. The manga is available through VIZ Media.