MANGA REVIEW | "Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead" - Vol. 10
Life is about taking chances. Whether big or small, we put something at risk in order to achieve the things we want. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is all about taking the biggest chances, as Akira and the gang seek to conquer it all before they inevitably become one with the walking dead. However, as the tenth volume shows, there is plenty to live for, even if the list is getting close to being completed.
The volume starts with the conclusion to “Millionaire of the Dead”. With Akira washed into his own little greedy world, it’s up to professional gambler Takeru to take down the fat cats. It’s a stare-down between the wealthy and the poor, as Takeru bets all the cans to get to the top of the food chain. Quickly, the rich realize that they are in deep shit, as the cans pile up to the heavens and Takeru’s victory is a lot easier than one initially thought it’d be.
As for Akira, the leader of the pack quickly snaps back to reality, aiding Takeru in the last-minute. The victory gains them the chance to talk to the head honcho, who may have some news about an anti-zombie vaccine. Alas, the big cheese has more holes in his body than a block of Swiss. It’s a twist that we should’ve all seen coming, but it’s still nonetheless a disappointing sight.
Thankfully, the gang does get a clue, which brings the Zom 100 team to Kyoto in “Geisha of the Dead”. The boys aim to have some fun with the local geishas, as they search for the lustrous ladies. As you can imagine, finding a non-zombified geisha is easier said than done, with the streets catering only rotting women with a taste for human flesh. That’s when a sign from above gives the boys some much-needed solstice.
Surrounded by geishas, the boys have the time of their lives. There’s drinking, games, and maybe even a little stripping (only Kenichiro, sadly). Takeru also finds himself smitten by one of the geishas, who aims to bring her along on their journey. But when zombies invade the tea house, the time to party comes to an end. It ends like how most of the tales in Zom 100 have come to conclude: a bit of fun, a sprinkle of heartache, and a little perseverance to move on to the next town.
However, the next journey is something that nobody except Beatrix would sign up for: a 1300 kilometer journey! The beginning of “Pilgrimage of the Dead” has the foreigner convince the team to take on the harrowing journey. There’s the shaving of heads, tons of prayer, and plenty of sore tootsies. However, in the shadows, a threat almost as big as a zombie begins wreaking havoc on innocent people.
Akira’s search for a cure continues, but the gang is all having a good time taking risks and experiencing life for what it’s worth. Volume Ten of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead adds a new comrade to the traveling team, with a good dose of laughs, hopes, and maybe a sliver of disappointments along the way. But even when things are down, Akira and the gang continue to show why it’s best to take a gamble than play it too safe. We all have one life after all, and we best use it to take on every challenge that awaits!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
