Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Vol. 1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 6 Akira Tendo's salary job is crushing his soul and turning him into a living zombie. Then an actual zombie outbreak happens, and he realizes he's free. But what to do? He makes a bucket list of 100 things he wants to do before becoming a zombie.Zombie stories are often hit or miss; whether they're serious or not doesn't matter either. This is one of those stories that is not serious, but also not focused on the zombies. It's more of a slice-of-life comic with a main character whose view on life is quite simplistic. Japanese salary jobs are known for literally working employees to death, unlike anywhere else in the world, so while readers here in the US won't understand the realism of his job, they will still empathize with the soul-crushing aspect of working a job you hate and never getting a break. This part of the story is pretty awful to read, and lasts about 30 pages. The immediate sense of freedom he gains through the realization that he never has to go back to work (because of zombies) is endearing. He's looking on the bright side of life, and is truly enjoying the little things. Somehow, this newfound zest for life (and his leftover strength and stamina from playing rugby) allows him to avoid the ever-increasing number of zombies, and survive. I appreciate that he knows there is risk but his goal of the moment outweighs that risk. Making a bucket list gives him some purpose and sense of achievement, but mostly lets him try to do all the things he couldn't do because of his job; I like the realism of that. If we're honest with ourselves, our own lists would be similar if freed from all responsibility. And some things that should be simple, are complicated (for our reading enjoyment) because of the zombies, like sharing a drink and laughing with his best bud, which involved running from zombies and jumping from one rooftop to another! There is some nudity (breasts) and a couple scenes for adult / sexual humor, but it's not done for titillation. One guy being saved from his now-zombie lover because they were in a hotel room for people who are into bondage, is pretty funny. The art fits the style well, a sort of stylized realism. There's a small bonus chapter at the end focusing on a girl that Akira ran into after the zombies took over. Her "100" list is a survival list, which is admirable, but it also restricts her from getting any enjoyment out of life. The two are complete opposites, so I fully expect them to have some interesting encounters in the future, especially since they're on the cover together. (Sadly, I expect it to use the trope of the man getting the woman to "loosen up", though that could be more palatable than it normally would be, knowing his story.) So far, this is a different kind of fluff piece. I enjoyed reading it well enough (and it's a fast read), and can appreciate it's different take on things, but nothing about it wowed me. It's escapism that will appeal to some readers more than others, but, in the end, it's still fluff. Written: April 4, 2021
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