Friday, October 18, 2024

FIF#219-Zombie Land Saga

High School girl Sakura Minamoto’s dreams of becoming an Idol come to a crashing halt when she’s struck dead by a truck.  But Sakura quickly finds herself resurrected as a Zombie along with a select group of other zombified Idols from across history.  The mastermind behind this madness, Kotaro Tatsumi, has assembled this hand picked team to create the ultimate Idol group whose potential popularity can save the Saga Prefecture he resides in.  It’s the chance of a lifetime for Sakura, if she and her new friends can keep their secret lest the world try to destroy them.
 
Now this…is a combo I never really thought of.  Idols and Zombies.  One is one of Anime’s most popular sub genres that are the lifeblood of such classics as Love Live and Macross.  The other is a genre that is one of the most enduring in entertainment history (The Walking Dead is still going on even after its parent series has wrapped).  Put the two together? It’s as bizarre as it sounds but I’m not going to lie…I had to watch two episodes just to get my head around this properly and…I liked it?
 
The premise, if you hadn’t picked up on it, is pure insanity and it also surcumvented my expectations.  When I was introduced to Zombie Land Saga, I was expecting the Idols to be Zombies in the middle of a Zombie apocalypse, that’s not the case here.  These girls are just poor, unfortunate souls are just the result of a mad mans quest for…you know I’m still not sure what Tatsumi’s deal is but he’s one of the best parts of the show.  He’s the unfiltered inner voice made loud and heard and his rudeness and blutness are only matched by his dimwitted stupidity, though he does have one of the more thoughtful lines in the premiere, which caught me off guard.  Part of Zombie Land Sagas fun is looking forward to what crazy line comes out of Tatsumi’s mouth next.
 
As for the girls, well theyre why I had to watch 2 episodes to get a better hand on this shows premise.  At first it’s only Sakura who can talk like a normal person while everyone else is still fully zombified.  Once they get actual voices and let their own personalities shine, the show went from good to mostly better.  This shows set up is crazy and it only makes sense that it’s one to go all in on said crazy.  There are a couple of characters who are supposed to be the more philosophical tether to being an idol and an undead at the same time.  But I love the girls who aren’t held down by this sudden change in events, like the loud and boisterous Biker Gang Leader Saki and the seductive Courtesan Yugiri.  Then there’s Tae, who’s just a Zombie through and through and arguably the best character besides Tatsumi.  We do get to see the girls perform two different kinds of musical acts, one Death Metal and the other turning into a Rap Battle.  So that’s sure to keep things interesting moving from one musical genre to keep viewers guessing the next act will be and if the girls can pull it off (no pun intended).
 
I cant believe I’m saying this but Zombie Land Saga is a pretty unique idea that has merit and proves it can and might work after just two episodes.  I do have a feeling this could turn into another Angel Beats scenario, where the show only gets more heavily emotional and less fun the more it goes on (Angel Beats is still great don’t get me wrong).  Either way, depending on how it turns out, this could potentially be a solid title for a Halloween themed Anime Review one October down the line.  Guess I should investigate further and find out, eh?

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