Akira Tendo is a man in his twenties who has lost every single spark of life he had. Working for a company where he has to often work overtime has desolated his psyche. He doesn’t even have time to pee properly most of the days. On the off chance that he gets an off day je spends them in darkness watching zombie movies and eating instant noodles. His apartment is a huge dump, with bags of litter and garbage slowly turning the apartment into a hellhole of disgusting smells. He isn’t alone in this. Everyone who he works with is in the same boat he is. Overworked, with bags the side of a coffee cup under their eyes, a good nights sleep a distant wish. They all, and this is best seen with Akira himself absolutely hate the job they have. They know they are being worked to death, mercilessly pushed towards an way to early grave, with anxiety and depression gorging at every single aspect of their life. But they don’t have it in them to quit. The only person who looks fine is Akira’s workplace crush Ootori san, a young, beautiful and voluptuous woman. But that is only because she is sleeping with the director of the company. That doesn’t stop Akira from being helplessly heads over heels in love with her. A love from first sight, at her huge chest probably.
Akira and the rest of his coworkers were not always like this. At the start of his career, he (and probably the rest of the workforce) was very eager to work, very enthusiastic about his career, had dreams and hopes about his future. But after a few months, all of that positivity faded from his life. He became a hollow shell that works as much as possible, with no time to think, yet alone act towards other goals in his life.
Feels like the whole world is ready for some big reset or purge. And then it happens in the form of a zombie apocalypse. One would think that this would make him feel even worse, maybe even suicidal. But no. The zombie apocalypse is the best thing that has ever happened to him. Knowing that he doesn’t have to go to work anymore has turned him back into his jolly old self. He starts doing things that he previously didn’t have time for. From cleaning his apartment to going shopping, the usual thing an average person dreads doing, he does with the biggest smile on his face. He even musters up courage to visit Ootori san. Sadly she’s already turned into a zombie, but on the bright side he does manage to glance her marvelous chest.
Back in his apartment he decides what he wants to do. He’s not sure he will make it out of the apocalypse alive, but he knows that there are things he wants to do, some small, some big, accomplishments that will let him know that he has lived a good life. In total there are 100 things he wants to do. The first one on this list is getting drunk with his best pal Kencho.
This is by far the funniest zombie related media I ever consumed. It has officially dethroned Zombieland. The joy Akira feels after shit hits the fan is hilarious. As is his overall behavior. He is doing the most basic things in the wildest of scenarios, and its really funny. One of my favorite recurring bits is when he drops down to his neighbors unannounced to check if they need something. Every time they are scared to death thinking “Oh God, the zombies are going to get us”, while its just Akira going, “Oh hi neighbors, lovely day isn’t it? Do you need anything from the grocery store I thought about dropping by”. Living his best life in the worst of circumstances. Hats off to him.
Hats off to Kotaro Tanaka draws heads and faces in this manga. Every zombie looks unique, and very disturbing, with their brains leaking, faces deformed into abysmal ways. As well as the way he draws Akira in various mental states, be it his almost catatonic stare at the beginning of the volume to his exuberant self after he is freed from the heavy bonds of company work.