©Haro Aso, Kotaro Takata, Shogakukan/Zom100 Project
“Truck Stop of the Dead” is one of those episodes that sounds like it has all the right ingredients on paper. However, it feels a bit like less than the sum of its parts when everything is said and done. This isn’t a terrible entry in the Zom 100 saga, thank goodness, but it certainly feels like one of the least interesting chapters the show has delivered to date. Still, I’m grateful that it contains some valuable details about Shizuka and Akira’s backstory and character development, and that it gets their story back on track after all the work This nasty Kosugi business is over.
It was that “unpleasant” aspect that made the episode a bit sad for me, as both of the opposing forces we had to deal with this week were despicable enough to take me out of the story for a bit. Like, yeah, we know that Kosugi is a complete tool, but having him sit Shizuka down so he can scold her about how all women are nice when it comes to serving drinks and receiving given that his series of sexual harassment takes the story to a level of clarity, the simple narrative may be too gripping even for those who liked Zom 100. The same could be said out with Shizuka’s father. I’m not entirely sure how we got to the point where “Overbearing dad proves he’s an asshole by accidentally killing his young son’s innocent puppy” has become into a cliché fantasy genre, but I could do without such blatant attempts at emotional manipulation.. I think it would be enough if just the older Mikazuki became a money-grubber in the City Wall, who always looked down on the lower classes.
Even if the way Zom 100 conveyed Akira and Shizuka’s respective traumas ended up being a little sloppy for my taste, I couldn’t be too pleased with the story’s outcome. Like I predicted last week, the only way for Kosugi’s little empire to fall is a bloody massacre, but Akira tried to maintain his dignity and humanity by saving as many people as possible. the better after sending his boss away once. and for all. As for Shizuka, I appreciated that she respected and appreciated Akira’s particular brand of reckless optimism, and the pace at which we explored what she added to Akira’s Bucket List was a of my favorite rewards of the season so far.
All of these successful elements of the episode could have been even more successful if the show’s visuals remained relevant to where we were when the season began, but alas, that’s the major stumbling block. Another of this episode. While much of the film still looks solid, there’s no denying that the direction and animation of “Truck Stop of the Dead” isn’t as dynamic or engaging as what we got in previous episodes. Storyboards have become less creative and varied, instead choosing to stick with a lot of basic medium shots and close-ups, and the action beats at the end of the episode are filled with a lot of still frames cheap camouflage.
With this season’s packed schedule, I’m worried that Zom 100 won’t be able to cross the finish line without delivering at least one bad episode. Hopefully the series will end up proving me wrong. I had a great experience with the Zom 100 this summer, and the last thing I want is for it to end up like one of those poor guys who ends up tripping over his own feet in just a few safe steps. perfect, only to be destroyed by hungry crowds due to budget constraints, angry advertisers, and mismanaged products.
I mean, get eaten by hordes of hungry zombies. Yes. That’s absolutely what I wanted to type.
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Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix.
James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other popular cultures, which you can also find on Twitterhis blog and podcast.