MANGA REVIEW | "Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead" - Vol. 15
It was only a matter of time. Akira and Shizuka have been shipped from coast-to-coast by readers of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. The question was whether or not Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata would deliver the goods. In Volume Fifteen, the delivery finally reaches its destination, thanks in part to a hoard of undead, a sexy doctor, and the acrobats of the sea.
The three-part “Dolphins of the Dead” takes up the main chunk of the volume, as the gang gets to hang with the ocean’s most majestic creatures. But as Shizuka looks through the bucket list, she notices an old one that’s been crossed off: “33. Meet the woman of my dreams.” At that moment, Shizuka remembers everything Akira said to her after she was bitten, resulting in a hell of a lot of awkwardness. And their friends don’t make it any easier.
Okay, that’s not true. The gang has plenty of advice for both Akira and Shizuka. But the most important one revolves around honesty, and why they need to go about revealing their true feelings to one another. Alas, this is a manga, and love confessions are harder than performing brain surgery in zero gravity, blindfolded and with one arm tied behind one's back. So naturally, no confession comes to fruition…yet.
No, it takes the appearance of a Dr. McDreamy to finally get those courage neurons going. The St. Elsewhere-looking doctor makes it his mission to go all over Japan to help those in need of medical assistance. These acts touch Shizuka’s heart, leaving our heroine to wonder if this should be her real calling. After a heart-to-heart with Akira, it would appear that their paths were about to be separated.
But then, Zom 100 delivers the goods! A sobbing Akira grabs the attention of more zombies, as well as a concerned Shizuka. And as they run for their lives, the two reveal everything to one another. Their feelings, the reasons behind the struggles to confess, and what their hearts desire are all laid out for only the undead to hear. And as the two appear to reach a watery grave, the moment finally arrives.
It’s taken 15 volumes for Zom 100 to finally reach this point. For most rom-com manga, that’s almost a lifetime. To finally have this moment on paper — on top of the hilarious way our lovebirds escape — is a wonderful sight to behold. But now comes the fun part: seeing how their relationship will evolve from here on out.
There are also some fun bonus chapters put in for good measure, celebrating some milestones revolving around Aso and Takata’s works. Akira once again finds himself in the world of Alice in Borderlands, having more of a ball than the series’s main characters. Then the gang get in on the fun of the work on the anime and film adaptations of Zom 100. It’s fun seeing both the actors and the seiyuu in manga form, and watching the boys get into the mindset of the zombies has its fair share of silliness.
Although the main storyline is just half of Volume Fifteen, it ends things exactly where it should. Zom 100 is a goofy good time, but how it treats this moment between Akira and Shizuka is genuinely sweet. Not even a hoard of the undead can ruin this special moment, with our heroes finally confessing what we readers have known since the first volume. Will the others find their own special someone by the end of Zom 100? Only time will tell…
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
