Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead episode 8 hit streaming services on Monday and introduced the final “new” character of the group– Beatrix! She perfectly completes the group and brings an entirely new mood that mirrors Akira’s mindset and Kencho’s… well, let’s say free spirit.
Amid the epic moments and fan service, Shizuka and Akira also continue to grow a little bit closer together, which as the story progresses — gives way to more than just completing a bucket list and running from zombies.
Beatrix’s Introduction
Even though Beatrix was teased entirely from the beginning of the series (the opening, the ending, the anime visuals, and so on), her character’s introduction was still badass and what Zom 100 is all about in every way. While voice actress Minami Takahashi has taken on a challenging role as a girl from Germany now living in Japan, I think her series debut performance was pretty solid for the most part.
It’s already a tall task for anime voice actors and actresses to act their roles with characters who speak broken English. So, I tip my hat to Takahashi for speaking broken Japanese while performing her best German accent possible.
There were times I could tell when Beatrix’s language wasn’t as fluid as others in the episode. I have been looking forward to her role and how she would convey Beatrix’s accent this entire season, so I’m glad that Takahashi was able to deliver in such a flashy style.
It’s also important to remember that Zom 100 is an adult comedy anime so there’s bound to be fan service at some point. With Beatrix, I think what makes the fan service surrounding her character a little more enjoyable rather than just being forced is because of her combination with Akira and Kencho’s attitude.
While you can definitely say it’s forced simply because of her character design, there’s more to her than the obvious and she plays in almost perfect contrast with Shizuka as the second girl member of the group.
Beatrix seems to represent those overseas who have a deep appreciation for Japan and its culture. It’s something the audience watching the series, whether boy or girl, could relate to. For instance, the part when she cried after enjoying prime sushi for the first time is something that can resonate with a lot of viewers since it’s quite possibly what so many of us would love to do as well.
What’s more, Beatrix didn’t have time to enjoy her trip to Japan even after working hard to save up the money, so it was a touching moment when that realization sunk in. She can finally enjoy the country and do what she came to do. I think that Beatrix’s character adds a lot more excitement to not only the group but to the series in general.
Shizuka and Akira’s Relationship
Shizuka and Akira’s relationship is starting to hit that development stage. I love how even though some Shizuka fan service was thrown in there (leaving it to Kencho and Beatrix), it didn’t take away their heart-to-heart moment. What I love about their relationship is that while Shizuka is starting to find her true self, Akira is also trying his best to get to know her in his own clumsy ways. It creates these situations that may or may not click, and even if it doesn’t, it still ends up in some sort of funny scenario.
Another thing I love about their relationship is that it adds a layer to the story. It’s not as simple as four people surviving a zombie apocalypse together anymore. Although Kencho and Beatrix also add consistent high-level positive energy (so does Akira, don’t get me wrong), it is specifically Shizuka and Akira who add a lot more depth to the story.
For them, it’s about exploring relationships as adults that they weren’t able to have in the past because of Shizuka’s father practically brainwashing her and Akira’s work preventing him from having any sort of life in the first place. The moments that they had at the end, for example, are one of the reasons why I love this series so much. Not to mention, the episode director and storyboard artist, Gorou Kuji, captured it flawlessly.
Production
While it didn’t have the intricate aspects like the past episodes, the overall production of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead episode 8 was extremely well done. The art and action storyboard were good yet again and even Kuji did a solid job with the direction. (I question though when the hell Akira learned how to fight like he did in this episode.)
In addition, series director Kazuki Kawagoe’s presence was felt in this episode, particularly with the eyes. At this point, seeing Akira through each of the character’s eyes has become a sort of a trend in this series. Beatrix had one in this episode and interestingly enough, Shizuka’s (again) was from her memory of Akira rather than in the present feeling, which was originally talked about at the very beginning of the episode.
It’s not just the eyes. Throughout the series, Shizuka is constantly shown in different scenarios where she’s gazing upon her own reflection — through Akira’s eyes, a car window, and then again in this episode in the hot spring. Kuji’s storyboard did a great job of keeping that consistency to show us that she’s still figuring out who she truly is, wants, and enjoys.
I also think this episode did a wonderful job with the facial expressions. The emotional ones when Beatrix ate the sushi and the hilarious ones, which were practically all throughout the episode, were wonderfully done. The episode didn’t have any flaws whatsoever. The animation was solid. The composition was solid. The environmental artwork was extremely well done in this episode, especially when they went to the famous Kusatsu Onsen.
Zom 100 Episode 8 Wrap-Up
Production this, production that. At this point, whether it’s a production issue or a scheduling issue, Zom 100 has proven to us that every episode is going to deliver at a high quality. This was another fantastic episode that was a perfect bridge between the end of the last arc and the beginning of a new one. The fact we also got a “new” opening for the episode was like the cherry on top.
Even though the end of the season draws near, we still have plenty of wonderful moments to look forward to with our favorite zombie apocalypse squad.
Episode 8 rating: 10/10
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Screenshots via Crunchyroll
© Haro Aso, Kotaro Takata, Shogakukan / Zom100 Project
