I really got bored doing web-dev tutorials, so I wanted to make a neocities site! I'm using the Periwinkle template from NomnomNami for now, but I plan on customizing more as I learn more CSS and JS.
I'm probably mostly gonna blog about anime I'm watching or games I'm playing, but hopefully I can also share game dev stuff, va work, or any other internet thing I'm doing so stay tuned!
Have you heard of Rise Kujikawa from Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4?
I'm a big fan
Zombie Land Saga came out all the way in 2018, with a second season in 2021, and most recently, a movie that showed in theaters in the U.S. last Monday. Of course, when the that release got announced I rounded up my high school friends that I watched the show with all those years ago and binged the whole series with them. Watching the show again was amazing and the movie was even amazinger!!
If you haven't seen or heard of it, Zombie Land Saga is a idol-anime/comedy about an idol-group of made up of zombies trying to revitalize the unpopular and declining Saga prefecture in Japan. They show contrasts the melodramatics of practicing for performances, booking gigs, and working together as a team, with the hijinx of trying to keep secret the fact that they're all undead.
Even if you haven't seen the show, you might have seen this viral clip from the first episode, where they fake you out thinking that it's gonna be a normal idol anime, before the main character gets mercilessly checked by a truck and dies.
The main formula of the show is pretty fun. The group's unhinged and hilarious manager talks to them about an upcoming gig in some sort of landmark or famous area in Saga. They then head over to that area, get caught up in some zombie-related shenanigans and then learn something about themselves and each other and sometimes perform a song.
The show is actually partially funded by the Saga Prefecture's tourism department, but it's handled pretty well. The premise of "Saving Saga" is so tied to the main conceit of the show, which is already over-the-top and ridiculous, that the fact that the show engages in actual promotion of local business, local history, and local tourism just adds to the hilarity of it all. It's like if there was an American Show about a vampire boy band in Oklahoma that was officially supported by the state government. The idea is already so insane that the official support of it just makes it even funnier. And honestly the Saga Prefecture made a good investment because whenever my friends and I take our mandatory Gen-Z Japan trip, we're definitely spending some time in Saga to visit spots from the anime.
And while the comedic dichotomy of the idol and zombie genres is the hook for the show. When the show starts to go into it' s more dramatic elements it does not pull it's punches. You gradually get attached to each of the members of the group and when the focus shifts to their issues and struggles, it's surprisingly complex and nuanced. Many of the zombies girls had very premature deaths and have to come to terms with the haunting ghosts of their previous lives and careers or struggle to adjust to a world that has changed so much after they passed. This is when the show really hits you with the strength of the idol genre, amazing songs and performances that are filled with deep meaning and inspire the girls and the viewers to keep doing their best and strive towards their dreams, death be damned.
The show is at it' s absolute best when it manages to perfectly blend over-the-top comedy, emotional character moments, and the inspirational feelings you get when a community comes together. It's hard to think of many anime that can juggle all those elements perfectly and also have a kick-ass soundtrack and animation. The first thing that comes to mind is Mob Psycho 100 which you would know is some of the highest praise if you've ever experienced that masterpiece. I've done a lot to avoid specific details or storylines because I honestly think everyone should watch this show. If any of what I just described intrigued or interested you, I implore you to give Zombie Land Saga a chance.
