Book Review: Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Vol. 1 by Haro Aso

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Volume 1 by Haro Aso

Akira Tendo is a twenty-something Tokyo resident who has spent several years in a dream job that turned out to be a nightmare--the hours were very long, the one cute girl in the office is not interested in him and has a thing going with the boss, and he's lost touch with all his friends. Getting out of bed in the morning is the first of many daily trials. Then, one day a zombie apocalypse happens and he does not have to go into work. He is overjoyed with his new freedom, probably the only happy person in Tokyo given the circumstances. He decides to make a bucket list of 100 things to do before he turns into a zombie. He sneaks out of his apartment, climbing down the outside wall and offering to get groceries for the downstairs couple, even though he's just going on a beer run so he can get wasted and watch TV all day. He meets another young, attractive woman at the supermarket who has no interest in him because he's collecting every type of beer while she is getting necessary supplies to survive. He does not have proper risk analysis or priorities. They part ways but by the end of this volume, she realizes he has something that no one else has...a happy attitude. Maybe she should team up with him?

The story has an interesting premise but it leans heavily into one of my pet peeves about manga. Women are almost entirely depicted as large-breasted sex objects with little other worth to any of the male characters. Even the sensible woman at the supermarket is in a non-sensically skimpy outfit and is somehow ultimately swayed by his shallow demeanor. The attitude is so persistent, it drags the rest of the story down. Also, the guy is not that compelling a protagonist. I am not interesting in reading any more.

Not recommended.