Title: Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?
Genre: Action, Comedy
Rating: 8.5/10
Summary: Aikawa Ayumu is a normal high school boy. One day he is killed by a serial killer and revived as a zombie by a necromancer named Eucliwood Hellscythe. He starts to serve Eu as her guard but he happens to deprive the mahou shoujo Haruna of her magic power. Haruna orders Ayumu to fight against the anti-mahou shoujo system "Megalo" in her place.
Review: Looking way-back-when on my comments for the Winter 2010-2011 preview I feel pretty bad for giving this anime no credit. I thought it was going to be another mindless zombie killing anime with cute girls. Of course that also brought me memories of Highschool of the Dead with its extreme ecchi. Plus this was during my magical girl hate phase. After completing the series I realized it was one of the best for the Winter season. Comparatively to other anime out during Winter it actually managed to keep my attention the full way through. From beginning to end I enjoyed every episode and find little faults.
The art style for
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? was great. Probably what I enjoyed most about it was the action. For some reason the little glints of light reflecting off the characters’ faces and eyes made it all the sweeter. The epic battles between good at evil, living and dead, supernatural whales and ninja vampires were captivating. This unexpected visual beauty caught me by surprise as it combined action and comedy very well. The lighting effects and shading were phenomenal. My most enjoyable scenes too place during sunset or evening. The moonlight was drawn perfectly, matching and forming shadows that were all too perfect. This included both the opening and ending theme as well. Although the ending wasn’t as jaw dropping animation, it’s cute art form was still enjoyable to watch (seriously how could you hate that adorable little Eu dance?). My single jaw dropping moment filled with bliss and excitement were the final scenes. Watching the beautiful vampire ninjas playing in an orchestra blew me away. It had everything I’ve ever wanted, classical music, cool effect, and gorgeous girls. However, it wasn’t the art or action that brought me to like
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?. No my friend, it was the story. That’s right the story of a young zombie just trying to make it through his every day life , struggling to get to school as he burns in the heat and fighting off crazy death marine creatures on his time off.
The storyline was one of the best parts of
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?. It did a great job mixing action, drama, and comedy. The comedy for the anime picked up right away. From the moment I heard the line “I’m a Zombie” I knew this was going to be a keeper. As the anime went on, it did a great job tying in an actual storyline. It turned more into an action drama than a comedy though. I can’t say that I missed the comedy even though it was the thing that original brought me into the series. It was something about the heavy story and good character development that kept me going. The series never needed an unexpected twist or brain teasing plot. The simplicity is what kept me going. I tend to find most anime (especially comedies) that try to be deep and meaningful end up falling short.
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? knew exactly what it was doing. The story was well thought out and carried till the end. There is some room for improvement, but nothing that struck me immediately. The ending was one of the best of Winter. It had everything from action to romance. I loved the way the series brought resolve without being corny or predictable. It was as though the writers walked into my head and knew exactly what I wanted to see, then improved on it. I don’t think I would mind if a second season was never released but I’m already missing the characters.
Aikawa was probably one of the most enjoyable protagonist of the Winter season. As I have grown tired of the same old dorky hero with “hidden potential”, Aikawa was a step in the right direction. He wasn’t a suave ladies man or world recorder holder, but he did bring out his BAMF side when the time came. Pushing the limitations of the human body thanks to his curse/gift, proved to be an amazing brawler. Mixed with the power of a magical girl thanks to the comedic encounter with the genius Haruna, Aikawwa took things to the next level. What enjoyed most about his character were his intentions and motivation to do anything. While most heroes wish to save the world and bring peace to the land, he just wanted to keep his friends together. To me that seemed like a much more realistic view point because where would we be without our loyal friends? This simplistic view on life was what got me feeling a relation. I may have been giving only praises to Aikawa but the truth is he wouldn’t be half the man he was without his group of friends. The cast of
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? were all amazing. There was not a single character I didn’t like. Even the villains had a point of likability past the kidnapping and death threats. The female leads were all funny and awesome in their own right. Sadly I must choose a best, and all credit goes to Eu. This silent yet powerful maiden stole my heart away with her emotionless antics. She reminded me much of Yin from
Darker Than Black. The main difference was Yin needed learned to express emotion whereas Eu simply repressed them for the safety of her friends. With a touch of romance from Haruna, the anime fed my cravings and left me with a satisfied smile on my face.
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? also had a good soundtrack. The opening is worth listening too and I’m still a bit curious on how the full version is. The ending wasn’t my style but it was cute, I’ll give it that. And of course, as I mentioned before, the classical sounds of violin swept me away during the final episode. In short, the anime had good music, but nothing spectacular. Thankfully that was easily made up for with the art, story, and characters I mentioned above.
Final statements: This easily ranks the charts as a high priority watch for the characters alone. The dramatic yet comical story kept me at the edge of my seat till the very end. For your sake, watch it. Don’t tack on the “yet another zombie anime” tag. Who knew that a male magic girl could be so damn cool?
