Honestly, the first time you watch the opening minutes of the zom 100 bucket list of the dead anime, it feels less like a horror show and more like a mirror. You see Akira Tendo. He’s a guy who’s been hollowed out by three years at a "black company" in Tokyo. His eyes are dead. His room is a landfill. Then, the world ends.
Most people would scream. Akira? He cheers because he doesn't have to go to work.
That’s the hook that made this series a cultural lightning bolt. It isn't really about zombies. It’s about the absolute insanity of modern work culture. For Akira, a literal flesh-eating apocalypse is actually a massive upgrade over filling out spreadsheets for a boss who hates him.
The Visual Genius of BUG FILMS
The studio behind the show, BUG FILMS, did something pretty gutsy with the art style. For the first few minutes, the world is grey, cramped, and depressing. It’s letterboxed with black bars like a funeral.
The second the zombies appear? The screen explodes into technicolor.
Akira literally rips the black bars off the screen. Blood doesn't just spray; it splatters in neon pinks, yellows, and blues like a Splatoon match. It’s a genius way to show that for Akira, the world has finally become a canvas instead of a cage. You’ve probably seen the "zombie shark" clips on social media, but the real meat is in how the show uses color to represent mental health.
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Why the Production Delays Actually Happened
If you followed the 2023 release, you know it was a mess. Episodes were getting pushed back every other week. It’s deeply ironic that a show about the dangers of overworking was seemingly being crushed by a brutal production schedule.
- New Studio Growing Pains: BUG FILMS was a fresh face in the industry, and their ambition outpaced their resources.
- The 2023 Hiatus: The final three episodes (10, 11, and 12) didn't even air until late December, months after the season was supposed to end.
- Quality Over Speed: Despite the frustration, the final episodes looked incredible. They didn't settle for "good enough" animation just to hit a deadline.
A lot of fans were worried the momentum would die, but the delays actually turned the show into a "cult classic" that people binged later. It was better to wait than to get a rushed, ugly finale.
The Bucket List: More Than Just a Gimmick
The titular list starts as a way for Akira to reclaim his humanity. It’s not just "survive." It’s "drink beer all day" and "grow a cool beard." It’s stuff he was too tired to even think about while he was a corporate drone.
As the story goes on, the list grows. He meets Kencho, his old college buddy who wanted to be a stand-up comedian. Then there’s Shizuka, the survivalist who thinks Akira is an idiot (at first). Finally, you get Beatrix, the German girl who’s obsessed with Japanese culture and fights in samurai armor.
They aren't just running from monsters. They’re running toward themselves.
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The list includes things like:
- Cleaning his room (Item #2)
- Telling off his jerk boss (Item #37)
- Saving as many people as possible (Kencho’s addition, Item #41)
- Becoming a superhero (Item #36)
This makes the zom 100 bucket list of the dead anime feel like a "reverse isekai." Usually, characters go to a fantasy world to find meaning. Here, the fantasy world (the apocalypse) comes to them, and they have to find meaning in the wreckage of their old lives.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Themes
Some critics argue the show is too "goofy" for a zombie story. They think the neon blood and the jokes take away from the stakes. But that’s missing the point entirely.
The goofiness is a survival mechanism.
If Akira treated the situation with the grim-dark seriousness of The Walking Dead, he’d just be another miserable survivor. His joy is his weapon. By refusing to be afraid, he takes power away from the apocalypse just like he took power away from his old boss. It’s a radical act of self-care.
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The Karoshi Problem
In Japan, there’s a word for "death from overwork": karoshi. This anime is a direct response to that reality. When Akira sees his boss turned into a zombie, it’s a pivotal moment. The boss is still "working," still barking orders even as a mindless corpse. It’s a biting satire of how some systems don’t even stop exploiting you after you're gone.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Watchlist
If you're jumping into the series now, there are a few things to keep in mind to get the best experience:
- Watch the Anime First: While the Netflix live-action movie is okay, it cuts out a lot of the visual flair and character depth. The anime’s use of color is essential to the story.
- Pay Attention to the Backgrounds: The animators hid tons of references to classic horror movies and Japanese pop culture in the debris.
- Listen to the Soundtrack: The music by Yuka Kitamura (who did the Elden Ring score) and the opening theme "Song of the Dead" by KANA-BOON are absolute bangers that set the frantic, hopeful tone perfectly.
- Check the Manga: If you finish Season 1 and can't wait for a Season 2 announcement, the manga by Haro Aso (who also wrote Alice in Borderland) is fantastic and continues far past the "Great Buddha" arc.
The zom 100 bucket list of the dead anime reminds us that you shouldn't wait for the world to end to start living. You don't need a zombie outbreak to quit a job that's killing you or to finally buy that RV you've been dreaming about.
Start your own list. Don't let the "zombies" of routine eat your brain before you've actually done something that makes you feel alive.
Next Steps:
- Compare the first episode to the manga's first chapter to see how BUG FILMS used the aspect ratio shift to tell a story that words couldn't.
- Look up the full list of 100 items (currently documented up to item #93 in the manga) to see how the goals evolve from "selfish" to "altruistic" as Akira grows as a person.