Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead review
Netflix release Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is a fun take on a zombie apocalypse that takes a little too long to get where it’s going.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
Directed by Yûsuke Ishida
Written by Tatsuro Mishima
Starring Eiji Akaso, Mai Shiraishi, Shuntarô Yanagi and Kazuki Kitamura
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Review
A live-action version of the Zom 100 manga works. That’s the first takeaway from watching Bucket List of the Dead. It would work better as a mini-series. That’s the second, and troubling, takeaway. There actually is an episodic series that you can watch on the same streaming service right now. In animated form, of course. The live-action film may present diminishing returns from its manga origins through its animated series…but it still has enough charm and lands enough big swings to make it worthwhile. Since we’re reviewing the film…that’s the last we’ll talk about the other ways you can consume the story. Let’s dive into what you’ll get from the live-action movie.
Akira Tendo (Eiji Akaso) is very excited to be starting his first job. Too excited, as it turns out. He’s overworked and underappreciated. To the point where his first reaction to a zombie apocalypse breaking out is utter joy at not having to go to work that day. Resigned to an inevitable future as a zombie…he creates a bucket list of things he wants to accomplish before his time is up.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is all about Akria Tendo’s journey. The story does a good job drawing us into its unique world. Unlike many zombie-based movies…the characters know what a zombie is in this universe. Akira’s first mission is to rescue a girl he has a crush on. He fails and she turns into a zombie on the first day of the outbreak. By the time the opening title card hits the screen we’ve seen zombie action and consequences on full display. Akira is not an infallible hero…he’s a young man whose goal is to help people.
It’s one of 100 intended goals, in fact. Akira’s bucket list is what drives him to live. To live in a world full of the dead. He doesn’t have to go it alone, however. His best friend Kencho (Shuntarô Yanagi) is still alive…trapped in a…very special location. Akira’s second rescue effort goes better than the first…he and Kencho embark into a changed world together. Eventually another survivor, Shizuka (Mai Shiraishi), completes the film’s triumvirate.
We see many adventures unfold over the course of Zom 100: The Bucket List of the Dead’s 129-minute run-time. Too many adventures, truth be told. While there are fun moments to be had at each stop…streamlining the story for this format would have benefitted the overall package. It does end up in a place where the major themes can pay off…but those ideas are too often ushered to the background for long stretches beforehand. The film’s manga origins provide it with several great moments…but inspire a choppy pacing issue that should have been smoothed out when adapting it for screen.
Eventually, Zom 100: The Bucket List of the Dead gets back on track for its final act. Set in an aquarium, Akira’s story finally comes full circle. His list, his friends, his ultimate goal…everything is tested in a way that is thematically relevant to where the story began. Plus…there’s a freaking zombie shark. A zombie shark with legs. Yeah…it’s pretty great. When Zom 100 takes wild swings it connects more often than not. It provides a lot of fun moments…in a movie that is simply too long.
It’s also not afraid to provide some good zombie carnage along the way. Everything from quiet solo zombie danger to full-on zombie outbreak to mutated zombie shark is covered. A likable cast gels into a formidable unit…even during some overly cheesy moments. Zom 100 takes care to pay off as many little arcs as it can. There’s both good and bad in the execution…but you walk away feeling like you’ve seen a full journey to completion. Even if the story rolls on in other formats. Perhaps a live-action sequel will arrive if this garners enough interest. Zom 100: The Bucket List of the Dead is now streaming on Netflix.
Scare Value
Zom 100: The Bucket List of the Dead provides memorable moments of zombie mayhem. It’s also way too long. Wanting to touch on as many stories from the original text as possible, the live-action version of Zom 100 feels like it should be a mini-series. Which…if you are into animation…it already is. There’s a stripped-down version of this that would fit a film better…but there is enough fun to recommend it in this format.
3/5
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Link
Streaming on Netflix
