“Zombieland Saga: Revenge” episode 9 is out! The Legendary Yugiri and Saga’s backstory finally reaches its dramatic conclusion. Prepare your tissues! The episode is titled, “The SAGA Incident, Part Two.”
“Zombieland Saga: Revenge” episode 9 begins with Kichi in a meeting with his new comrades to bring back Saga. Yugiri is very supportive but Ito seems annoyed about it. One day, Kichi, Ito, and Yugiri have a photo taken together. It’s very cute but it also feels a bit ominous. When Kichi leaves them for another meeting again, Ito warns Yugiri to be careful with Kichi’s ex-samurai comrades. We also discover that Yugiri takes care of Kichi’s Gramps. The sick Gramps, however, continues to say that his dying life is connected to Saga.
During the meetings for restoring Saga, Kichi runs into problems with his comrades. While he pushes for a peaceful petition, the ex-samurais insist on a violent rebellion. Ito tries to convince Kichi to give up because pure idealism cannot change the world. He tells Kichi that the country is still immature, twisted, and barbaric. Kichi refuses to give up because nothing will happen if he stops fighting. He goes on to say that he dreams of a new Saga — a place where people can do what they can do, no matter where they are from.
After the fight, Ito goes to tell Yugiri to get away from Saga. Yugiri, however, believes in Kichi’s dream. Ito asks her to take care of Kichi and then leaves. It becomes obvious that something is about to happen very soon, especially since it starts to snow…
Suddenly, “Zombieland Saga: Revenge” becomes intense with a whole different atmosphere. Kichi hurriedly looks for his comrades, only to find that they had already been killed by a samurai — Ito. Fortunately, Yugiri arrives to defend Kichi with her shamisen kodachi. While on the run, Kichi becomes distressed with the turn of events. Yugiri slaps him and tells him to press on so the deaths of his comrade will not be in vain. The scene becomes more emotional when Yugiri instructs Kichi where to go for escape. I think this is the moment Kichi is really struck with reality. Before they separate paths, Yugiri tells Kichi how she wants to see his new Saga someday.
The legendary courtesan heads to battle Ito. After the clash, Ito apologizes and thinks aloud about the “place where everyone can live freely”. Yugiri looks up to the moon as the policemen arrive. Meanwhile, Gramps at home collapses from his illness. However, the next day, he wakes up to find that he is still alive. He finds a letter from Yugiri which conveys a farewell and a wish to guide Kichi on his dream.
We jump right back to the present and see zombie Yugiri preparing for Franchouchou’s performance. The room is chaotic with all the idols but the scene focuses on Yugiri’s gorgeous dress. She has a red comb, the same one she got from Kichi, with her. The performance is amazing and perfectly fits Yugiri and the story. “Zombieland Saga: Revenge” episode 9 comes to a close as we see Yugiri and the bartender sharing a drink together. In the end, it implies that the bartender is, in fact, the same Gramps from the Meiji Era. As they celebrate Kichi’s dreams, we see the photo of Kichi, Ito, and Yugiri sitting on the shelf.
Wow, just wow. I am lost for words to describe how breathtaking this is. What an amazing episode! Honestly, I forgot I was watching an idol anime because of the intensity of these past two episodes. I didn’t expect Yugiri’s backstory to be this jam-packed— history, suspense, action, drama, all in one. It was absolutely worth the wait! (For me, It definitely had that Rurouni Kenshin feel too.) I also wholeheartedly think that the music, acting, and animation of this arc have been a real delight. Hats off to MAPPA and the cast for doing an amazing job.
Yugiri’s character is so unique, mysterious, and just incredible. First of all, she sends letters to powerful and influential people to protect Kichi. Second, she has a kodachi in her shamisen and is very skilled in combat. Lastly, her bravery and selflessness are just above and beyond. Yugiri was prepared to take the fall for Kichi. Truly legendary.
My heart aches for these three friends. It’s heartbreaking that Yugiri had to battle Kichi’s friend (who didn’t seem to have a choice for his job) and then take the blame. We also find out that Ito actually believes in Kichi’s dream and didn’t want to betray him. I also want to say that the narration text after the execution really hit me hard. At that point, I was an emotional blob! The soundtrack was also not helping at all. I was sad but also very happy to know that Kichi lived on and eventually succeeded in restoring Saga.
It’s somehow understandable now why Kotaro (and Gramps) chose Yugiri to be part of the Zombie Saga Idol Project. Saga wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Yugiri’s sacrifice. I mean, aren’t you glad that Yugiri gets a second chance in life? Since the beginning of her zombie life, she was always calm about it. Maybe it’s because she had no regrets. She did, after all, died saving and protecting the person she cared about.
I also want to add in and say that the performance of “Saga Jihen” at the end was so good. The energy of the performance was fantastic and Yugiri was stunning! Honestly, I didn’t know if I wanted to cry or laugh, but it sure made me just want to dance to the beat! Plus, there were special flashbacks of the characters. I also really appreciate the mix of 2D and CG animation. All in all, it was a wonderful and wholesome way to conclude this emotional arc.
While “Zombieland Saga: Revenge” episode 9 wraps up the Saga and Yugiri backstory, it still leaves us with some unanswered mysteries and lores. I’m curious to know about Gramps/Bartender and his reviving powers. Is he really the embodiment of Saga itself? Plus, what is Kotaro and Kichi’s relationship to each other? I really hope we get answers soon. For now, check out a special drawing by the episode director below:
Episode 10 titled, “The SAGA of How These Zombies Will Get Their Revenge” will air on Thursday, June 10 at 11:30 PM (JST). It will be available to watch on Crunchyroll, though in selected regions. It is also available for free on the official YouTube Channel of Muse Asia. If you enjoyed “Zombieland Saga: Revenge” episode 8, make sure to vote for it on our weekly poll! Read our other “Zombieland Saga: Revenge” articles here.
Zombieland Saga: Revenge follows the story of a zombie idol group in Saga. One day, Sakura Minamoto dies in an accident. She wakes up ten years later and discovers that she is resurrected as a zombie by Kotaro Tatsumi. Coupled with six other girls, they become an idol group called Franchouchou and go on a mission —they must save Saga!
All images via Muse Asia
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