Out of all the Anime airing this season, Zom 100 is probably by far the most promising one in terms of production. It is a novel thing nowadays that Studios in their very first attempt seem to get things so incredibly right in almost every department, and then there is Visual Flight.
Plot: It's a very simple premise to begin with, a little convenient and bordering on pure fantasy, but engaging nonetheless. At first glance Zom 100 is essentially a survival horror amidst a zombie apocalypse, with the absence of horror due to the mindset of certain characters. In that way, it seems to be an animated version of Zombieland, with little sprinkles of Shawn of the Dead laid over it.
Though it is definitely a zombie apocalypse, Zom 100 almost makes it seem like a fun joyride with it's main characters perspective. The way others react is in stark contrast to the way he does, bordering on parody of said genre itself. There is also an easy going video game feel to it, almost reminiscent of the original Prince of Persia or a more modern Sunset Overdrive, which adda a certain charm to it.
This is the way it seems, till you realise that Zombies are merely there as the hook, the real focus of the Anime is actually on the Bucket List. Which is why the Zombies alone make very little sense, because there is no explanation of how it began, it just began, and how little the main character seems to care about them.
Characters: You have your typical group of survivors, or rather in this case, joyriders. The bizarre circumstances are made even more perplexing by the way the characters react to it. On one hand you have a terrified couple losing their mind with how to survive till the next day, and on the other there is someone who is perplexed because he has run out of beer. It only gets more and more bizarre with each episode.
Animation: Zom 100 is without a shadow of doubt one of the best animated shows of the season. Huge props to the studio Bug Films for this outstanding quality of work. The way motion is portrayed in this Anime is so fluid that characters and even the zombies are almost brought back to life. Every frame looks as if it has been enhanced for more details oozing with quality. The way colours are used to set the tone of story is also masterfully done, especially how gore is almost transformed into a splash of vibrant hues. Quite frankly, as someone pointed it out, this is what people had hoped Chainsaw Man would turn out to be.
And that, brings us to the most important question, is it sustainable for a whole season? If you'd go back a few seasons to Komi San, and specifically to the blackboard scene, for a moment it felt as if somebody resurrected something straight out of the depths of Kyoto Animation, and then it fell off considerably. Case in point, Bug Films were also a studio involved there, albeit only as a helping hand behind Komi San.
Music: In terms of music so far it has hardly done anything to be raved about. The only thing that comes to mind is probably the Opening sequence which again, animation wise is probably one of the best Openings of the season, and as far as the music is concerned it is also pretty good. But not much else to talk about apart from that.
Enjoyment: This is all about enjoyment and fun. It is made for a light, casual, not too fussy fun without the hassle of anything deep or profound to ponder about. At times, it tries to jumble a few serious themes, and it works well in contrast with the how fun everything else is. Nothing to complain here so far, and hoping for more of the same. Pretty enjoyable on the whole.
If by any chance, someone finds it too Japanese in flavour for their liking, there is no reason to believe you're wrong. I mean, how dare a Japanese Studio, almost entirely populated by Japanese employees, adapting a Japanese manga created by a Japanese person, should focus on Japan and Japanese things only, right?
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