Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead episode 7 has aired after another delay but that doesn’t matter much. The latest episode has proven to be another gem just like all the previous episodes. Despite the many delays the series has faced, Director Kazuki Kawagoe and the staff continue to bring us one of the best anime of the year. Now halfway through the season, Shizuka steps up and proves to everyone why she’s the leader for the Summer 2023 “Most Beautiful Girl” award.
Shizuka – What’s not to like?
Shizuka could easily be Akira’s favorite in this series, but she’s proven to be so much more. Firstly, I couldn’t be happier with Tomori Kusunoki’s performance as Shizuka, especially in this volume of Zom 100. Shizuka is my favorite character when reading manga but Kusunoki’s acting in this volume only strengthens me. rebuild my fandom for her character. Her reserved attitude finally releases any pent-up frustrations since she was a child and it’s shown beautifully from the point of view of the storyboard, made even more so by Kusunoki’s acting. .
Shizuka’s backstory is at the forefront in this episode and it’s a brutal episode. Her father is possibly one of the worst fathers in recent anime history if not one of the worst in the last 20 years of anime. He’s no Shou Tucker, but he’s certainly not a father any viewer can defend. The culmination of the way Shizuka was raised, what her father forced her to go through, and her own past trauma through what Akira went through has culminated at the perfect time.
Shizuka is not one to forgive people who treat others like trash, no matter how cold she is at the beginning of the series. Perhaps it was her own line of defense to save herself. When she talks to Akira about the future at the end of the episode, it feels like Shizuka not only wrote “Tell my boss” on Akira’s to-do list for his sake, but also for his own sake. hers. It represents her own desire to do the same to her father that she was unable to do before. The sense of freedom Akira and Kencho felt finally reached Shizuka. This, again, proves Zom 100 is more than just comedic antics—it’s a seinen series with first-rate character development. I could go as far as to say that Shizuka is performing much better than Kencho at the moment.
I was worried at first about how this episode would play out because it was a very important moment for Shizuka in the manga that helped her character get to where she is now. But I think Kusunoki has successfully demonstrated why she’s such a veteran voice actress. The pent-up anger in her voice during the big monologue in this episode feels like it’s coming from a private place and that’s what distinguishes a good voice actor from a good voice actor, Kusunoki was the last to arrive.
I like to think that Shizuka sees Akira as the puppy she couldn’t save as a child. While I’m not sitting here saying that Akira is a dog, there’s a reason why this particular part of Shizuka’s backstory is the one that’s actually depicted. We watched the time go by as she entered high school and passed that time. But the specific case with Roo (the dog) was specifically chosen at this point in the story and I think that’s why—it was an opportunity for Shizuka to not stand by and let the same terrible thing happen again. with someone you really care about. My favorite shot from the entire episode (below) makes a lot of sense. The fact that her father looked like Akira’s boss from behind, the fact that she was not only protecting Akira in this moment but also that her younger self was unable to…just a perfect moment. perfect in every way.
Shizuka has a deep appreciation for life. From wanting to take care of Roo on her own and even researching ways to help him immediately even as a little girl, to creating a list that is the opposite of Akira’s on how to do things. different job to survive, the signs were there. Not to mention, her desire to become a doctor from the start was a noble sign. But her current attitude shows that even she hasn’t given up on her dream.
Another great storyline
I think Zom 100’s plot timing is the right thing to do. Every event seems to happen at the perfect time and place in the story. Nothing feels rushed, forced, or too slow, and that heightens the potential for the cast to really give it their all in big moments like we had in this episode. But to properly convey the content of the series, the image must also be appropriate. Luckily for us, that’s exactly what episode director Kazuya Monma and episode storyboard artist Hanako Ueda did.
One thing I really loved about this episode when I watched it a second time was that the quick shots of Shizuka and her father were similar to those used in the moments with Akira and his boss. A lot of times, characters can be related on a single level. It’s rare in anime these days that a character seems to have a relationship on the same level as Shizuka and Akira. If you look at the images below, you’ll see that in just a few shots, this episode really shows how vulnerable each other is.
I told in my post in last week’s episode how it perfectly helped to deal with Akira’s PTSD while working under his former boss again and how to relive the trauma. in the past can make up anything the average person reacts to. And I think this week’s episode does the same with Shizuka but as an outsider and someone who knows what that feels like. The episode has a lot of close-up shots of her chest and mouth instead of her entire face to really show her body language and reactions to certain moments, whether it’s witnessing Akira. experiencing what he is, what she went through as a child, or even the thoughts she pondered in her own time.
But what I like most about these camera shots is that if you look closely, the moment after she talks to Akira’s boss and saves Akira, we never see those angles again. Every shot of her from then on is as clear as day and shows a full face that gives off a sense of freedom and happiness. Again, this is noticeable at first but the construction here is yet another great visual storytelling of parts of Monma and Ueda. Note that colors are darker and shadows are heavier in those moments than the vividness of those moments later.
Although the entire episode can be viewed as the scene where Shizuka saves Akira, I think the episode is always Shizuka centered. We constantly see Akira’s impact on those around us. So it was fun to see the impact Shizuka had on Akira and even everyone around in the camp while being jostled. She is a great character and not a simple fan service as Akira’s boss considers her to be. She is the “Prettiest Girl” for many reasons and I encourage someone to find me someone else who can best her in this anime season.
Zom 100 Episode 7 Summary
This episode proves that there are always layers that need to be peeled off when the production process has the perfect combination of substance and creativity. Even with the delay, Zom 100 really didn’t show us that the production problem was obvious. It continues to be visually pleasing, and the story hasn’t achieved any success. Under Kawagoe’s direction, everything went smoothly. The best part is that Shizuka will continue to prove herself as a fan favorite with more events to come.
Rating episode 7: 10/10
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Screenshot via Crunchyroll
© Haro Aso, Kotaro Takata, Shogakukan/Zom100 Project