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Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 8 – Quick Summary
In Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead episode 8, “Sushi & Hot Springs of the Dead,” Akira, Shizuka, and Kenchou were about a day out from Akira’s hometown when they came upon a refrigerated truck broken down along the road. A horde of zombies surrounded it, suggesting there was a living person inside. Can Akira, Shizuka, and Kenchou come up with a plan to save whoever’s in there? And if they can, is that person safe to save – or might it be another Gonzou who’ll make their lives hell?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 8
I loved the expressions in this episode. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
The humor in this show is in my strike zone. It even made up for the delays! Though now I feel compelled to extend my sympathies to the overworked artistic staff and offers hopes that they can someday achieve a work/life balance.
But in the meantime, we have this week’s episode that had a running joke about motivation. Did Beatrix want to get her truck full of refrigerated fish to a starting enclave of zombie survivors? Maybe a last-holdout military base? Nah. She wanted sushi.
And I can’t blame her.
Bonus shot of Beatrix’s wonder that Akira listened intently to her words. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
As she explained this to an intently listening, Shizuka and Kenchou were all like “She’s just in it for the sushi?!”
When she finished, a very contemplative Akira said (05:57), “It’s clear to me that your love of Japan and its culture is pure and true.”
I almost thought he was going to let her down gently. Then he added, “Regarding that fish… We’ll deliver it to that sushi place in Takasaki even if it costs us our lives!
Shizuka and Kenchou thought together (06:07), “He’s only in it for the sushi, too!”
I may or may not have selected this quote because of its great accompanying screen cap.
Favorite Moment from Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 8
Shizuka is starting to open up to Akira – a little! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: Beatrix’s Great Entrance and Shizuka Stepping Up
Wow, did Beatrix make an entrance, or what? Bursting out of the disabled truck in full armor, armed with a naginata – dispatching zombies right and left. Good stuff!
And did you notice the new visual for the OP? Also good stuff. The staff might be struggling, but they’re absolutely delivering enjoyable material. They’re hitting that goal from everything I can see.
Look, I’ll be straight with you: Shizuka is my favorite character. It’s not just her looks, though the full disclosure thing requires I mention she’s well-animated in that regard. It’s her drive – and I might not mean that in the way you expect.
We saw her step up and assume command in this episode. She reminded me of Ya Boy Kongming for a minute there. It was great seeing her find her footing within the group. Akira and Kenchou welcomed her, of course. She had to feel good about that. But Shizuka’s the kind of person who wants to contribute. And contribute she did.
Shizuka’s well suited for command. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Under her leadership, the group almost destroyed the sushi-threatening zombies on the first try. It was because of her foresight that they had a fallback plan. That impressed me – that’s not something Akira or Kenchou are particularly adept at doing. So there’s no doubt she brings useful skills to the table.
But like the rest of them, she’s carrying a lot of baggage. It slipped out here and there, like when she jumped all over Akira’s talk about love when they first got to the hot springs. That moment resonated with me. It’s one thing to understand your past, like Shizuka did in the previous episode. It’s another thing to begin the journey to recovery – and there will be a lot of back-sliding on the way, if the characters are realistic.
These characters are realistic. To that extent, anyway.
Delivery: Shizuka’s Shields Come Down – for a Moment
My favorite moment is when Shizuka was in the natural hot springs on the mountain. Of course, she had been embarrassed when Akira floated into her (and dude – what if she had been a zombie? Never let your guard down during the zombie apocalypse!). But she settled down, and they started talking. The full moon set the mood. They both seemed to forget civilization falling all around them and just started talking.
Apparently, she’d been thinking about how hard she’d rhetorically jumped on him, and she apologized. He let her talk. He didn’t interrupt her. She spoke of how her father had silenced her. That’s why she had spoken that way, she explained: the “skill” of pouncing on anyone’s opinion she learned from her father. She surprised me when she said ultimately, she spoke out of jealousy. Akira seemed to have no trouble saying what was on his mind, and she envied that. In a show of remarkable trust, she confided that she was afraid of getting hurt, so she had tried to act tough.
Shizuka felt bad enough about her words to reflect on them. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Akira’s not the most astute of men, but he was smart enough to gently observe that she seemed to be quite open right now. He felt nervous about saying it, and I don’t blame him. Shizuka’s a strong-willed, sometimes touchy individual. But she took his words in the spirit he intended.
Smiling and looking at the sky, she said (21:44), “If I ever fall in love, I hope it’s with someone I can be this open with.”
The moment’s candor, its complete unguardedness, struck me. The words came out easily, and for a moment, they hung between the two of them. It was tender, it was honest, and it was beautiful. Right up until the point they both realized how romantic it sounded.
The moment wasn’t just beautiful. It felt earned. Both of them have been through a lot, so it’s good to see them start to open up with each other. They’re not a couple yet, which is also good – with realistic characters, that takes time. But I’m glad I get to watch their journey!
What did you think of the visit to the sushi chef? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 8: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto • Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead – Episode 8 discussion
- I Drink and Watch Anime: ZOM 100 – Episode 8
- RABUJOI: Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead – 08 – The Beautiful Nippon
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 01: Akira of the Dead
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 02: Bucket List of the Dead
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 03: Best Friend of the Dead
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 04: Flight Attendant of the Dead
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 05: Hero of the Dead
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 06: RV of the Dead
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 07: Truck Stop of the Dead
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 08: Sushi & Hot Springs of the Dead
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Episode 09: Treehouse of the Dead
The Germans are big on social nudity in baths and Beatrix reflects this perfectly. Kenchou and Beatrix could make perfect anime nudists.
So far, they seem to be hitting it off!
I hope that some of Beatrix’s attitude rubs off on Shizuka. Goodness knows she needs to relax a bit!
Oh, and it was great seeing Shizuka getting so into her role as a strategist! She was so… not exactly subdued, but restrained and inhibited in her behaviors at first. Now she’s loosening up and joining in the madness. She’s being herself for the first time in her life. It’s great!
It was like she was in the zone. The task was big enough to engage her full intellect — that was great!
Yay! We *finally* meet our samurai girl! And she’s great! 😀
I have to make a small comparison that makes me laugh:
Introducing Akira: the entire episode of his suffering at a horrible workplace, energized with his sudden freedom after the zombie outbreak, crowned by his crafting of the bucket list.
Bringing in Shizuka: several encounters where they work together, as well as part of her introductory episode being told from her perspective.
Adding Kenchou: an entire episode where he and Akira reconnect, reconcile, and work together.
Finally, Beatrix: just throwing her into the mix, blazing her entry with blood, skill, passion, desire, and boobs! The instant she enters the scene, she’s part of the group! Whoo!
I love it!
Fun bit of trivia for anyone who does not know: the naginata was the traditional weapon of the female samurai. It’s lighter and provides a greater reach, giving the females an edge to put them on par with bigger, faster, stronger men. So, with Beatrix knowing so much about Japan and loving samurai, it makes sense that she’d go with the naginata as her weapon of choice.
Speaking of… when Beatrix goes off like that on her info dumps, I have this odd sensation of, “I am in this picture…” Right down to her commentary about getting nude in the baths, as I commented something about that myself a few months back. Of course, being German, her inhibitions on that score might already be a bit looser than one is accustomed to in America. But either way, I was blushing and laughing at the same time.
Heh, my mother likes to tell the story of how we went to her homeland of Norway when I was a kid, and we went on one of those tours that talk about the folklore and mythology of the Vikings. I was very much into Norse mythology at the time, so when the tour guide made a small mistake, saying that this god had this weapon, I interrupted and corrected him (as politely as I could). The guide considered for a moment, and admitted the mistake. So there I was, the American kid correcting the Norwegian tour guide on Norse mythology, LOL!
And where the heck did those zombies in the hot spring come from, simply popping up like that?! I’d have been very worried, having been in the water with those things for any length of time, but the crew certainly had more pressing concerns right then!
And hey, they still got their hot spring experience!
“Finally, Beatrix: just throwing her into the mix, blazing her entry with blood, skill, passion, desire, and boobs! The instant she enters the scene, she’s part of the group! Whoo!”
Isn’t that awesome? Her attitude makes me feel better about life.
“the naginata was the traditional weapon of the female samurai.”
I didn’t know that. Beatrix certainly knows how to use one, too!
I actually enjoy IRL info-dumps if the person dumping the information is passionate about it. And accurate. I like accurate, too. I like to get caught up in enthusiasm, either my own or from others. That also makes me feel better about life.
“The guide considered for a moment, and admitted the mistake. So there I was, the American kid correcting the Norwegian tour guide on Norse mythology, LOL!”
Good on that tour guide! They could have been a jerk about it, but they decided to acknowledge you knew what you were talking about. And now, years later, you still have a pleasant memory!
“And where the heck did those zombies in the hot spring come from, simply popping up like that?!”
See, in the zombie apocalypse, I’d like to think I’d do things like check a hot springs for submerged zombies. Heck, I’d probably skip the hot springs entirely.
Hmmm. And my favorite character is Shizuka, too. That probably says something about my approach to life!