Zombieland Saga [Review]

Posted on January 9, 2019 by KiritoNarukami One comment

*IF YOU WANT THIS FULL EXPERIENCE OF THIS ANIME, PLEASE GO WATCH IT BEFORE READING ANYTHING FROM THIS REVIEW*

“In 2008, high school student Sakura Minamoto is on her way to audition for an idol group when she is killed in a traffic accident. Ten years later, she discovers that she, along with six other “legendary” girls from various eras of Japan’s history, are resurrected as zombies by Kotaro Tatsumi to save Saga Prefecture as the all-zombie idol group Franchouchou” -ANN

Story:

Zombieland Saga’s surprise twist really hit like a truck (hehe). The Zombie Idol was quite a strange concept to imagine but in the end, it felt new and fresh compared to all the idol anime that have come out in recent years. One of the most interesting things about Zombieland Saga, besides the zombie idols, is the incorporation of all thing Saga (a prefecture in Japan). Our beloved zombie idols visit a number of Saga staples such as restaurants, festivals, and venues! Each location has meaning to our unique cast of character tying both the characters and setting together creating unforgettable stories. The rise to the top isn’t without challenges as FranChouChou aims to be the top idol group in Saga!

Artwork & Animation:

As mentioned above, Zombieland Saga focuses on Saga and its locations and to see those animated was a real treat. The character designs are wonderful, especially the way how the scars and injuries that you see on the zombies were influenced by the way they died. Now since this is an idol anime, we have to talk about performance animation, as it’s a staple in all idol anime. The use of CGI for the performance wasn’t terrible, in fact, it’s much better than some other anime but the drop in quality is clear as you can see the drop in frames per second resulting in a choppier animation sequence.

Character(s):

All of the characters were charming in their own way and the fact that they are zombies made things much more interesting. As for character development, overall it was decent for the whole cast besides Yuugiri and Kotaro, whose backstories were slipped in here and there very subtly. The only person who didn’t get a single thing was Tae and I won’t let Zombieland Saga end until we get Tae episode!!!

Sound (OST & Voice Acting):

With idol anime, of course, there are going to be a number of songs, but FranChouChou’s discography has the most diverse set of music from a single group that I’ve ever heard. It goes from your typical Jpop style to death metal and even rap. The none idol songs tend to have really funny backstories so they’re much more enjoyable than you would think.

Enjoyment:

I got hooked on Zombieland Saga by the first episode, honestly thought it was a horror anime though. While I didn’t get as much horror as I wanted, I fell in love with the wonderful characters and the music that they performed.

The last episode left a lot left to be desired as it features new characters (who could potentially be FranChouChou’s rival!). All the while, their secrets as zombies are beginning to be unraveled as one of the news reporters is starting to getting very suspicious of their similarities to people from the past. Hopefully, this means a season two and we’ll get more FranChouChou material!

Overall: Score 9

Zombieland Saga both revitalizes the old Saga as well as introduces to a new concept of Zombie Idols! With a great list of songs, compelling characters, and references to actual locations in Saga, Japan Zombieland Saga is a fun and rewarding story that will have you laughing and dancing at the same time!

Best Girl: Yuugiri

The calmest, collected, and most graceful of the bunch. Yuugiri goes with the flow and that’s the vibe that I’m all about! Literal no brainer for this one!