Becoming an idol is a tough lifestyle that many dream of obtaining, but it comes with serious challenges. In Zombie Land Saga and Aggretsuko Season 3, the protagonists find themselves with the opportunity of a lifetime, but need to learn how navigate the tricky waters of stardom to ensure their success. Both shows deliver creative twists, but which is the better idol satire anime?
Strengths: Zombie Land Saga
Zombie Land Saga takes the most ambitious approach to demonstrate what it takes to become an Idol. Sakura Minamoto is a young high schooler on her way to submit an application to become an idol. Sakura’s dreams are derailed after she gets hit by a truck and wakes up 10 years later as a zombie. After awakening, she's brought up to speed by her new hyper-energetic producer, Kotaro Tatsumi, and is told she is going to lead Franchouchou, an idol group of six other zombies to increase business and tourism for the Saga Prefecture.
Each member of Franchouchou has their own distinguishing characteristics as entertainers and leaders from the past. The anime explores their pasts, and how they each overcome their own struggles to ultimately free themselves in the new world they live in. They are constantly faced with the struggles of dealing with fans, practicing vigorously to make their performance perfect and making sure their identities don’t get discovered.
The diversity of performances and exposure tactics are comically represented while keeping them relevant to what idol groups must do in order to grow their fan base. Kotaro is over the top for the majority of the anime, but delivers some sincere moments that highlight his role as being an inspiring producer. He allows the girls to face their issues head-on, and provide necessary words of encouragement when needed. Their teamwork develops over time, and their individual roles within the team blossom to aid the group.
Strengths: Aggretsuko
Aggretsuko Season 3 delivers another stunning season of the show, incorporating pop idols into the show's death metal ethos. Retsuko becomes the accountant for the indie group OTM Girls due to an arrangement with their producer, Hyodo. Hyodo discovers Retsuko's video tutorials teaching death metal vocals, which snowballs her path into becoming an unconventional idol star. OTM Girls in fairly new, but because of their poor management, their growth is limited until Restuko steps up to the plate and leads them to stardom.
Aggretsuko Season 3 does a great job in portraying the lives of indie artists, and the constant struggles they endure to make their idol dreams a reality. The strategies and tactics Retsuko uses to generate income and growth for the fan base are relevant to what modern new artists must do. OTM Girls, now standing out with Retsuko's death metal style, goes from completely broke to playing major festivals.
The story really starts to blossom as Retsuko begins to assert herself to the cause and demonstrate she is more than your average accountant. The internal struggles and self-doubt Restuko goes through is relatable, and a constant reminder of the turmoil we all must overcome. When she decides to give it her all, Retsuko becomes the star she is meant to be.
Weakness: Zombie Land Saga
Where Aggretsuko manages to work excellently as both comedy and drama, Zombie Land Saga leans so heavily towards the comedy that, the occasional compelling character conflict aside, it's impossible to take seriously. The answer to how the girls got resurrected is still a mystery. Franchouchou has performed many times, yet no one is able to tell they are reanimated corpses. They interact with fans at a personal level, but no one has detected the smell of rotting flesh or noticed the detachment of limbs!
The uncoordinated performances in the first few episodes go through a variety of styles, from rap battles to guerrilla presentations. This certainly has its charm as pure comedy, but the show ends up abandoning this variety as it goes on in favor of more generic idol music, so some of that comedic potential is lost.
Weakness: Aggretsuko
Aggretsuko Season 3 gets a lot darker than the relatable slice-of-life stories from the first two seasons. Dealing with a psychotic fan is an important part of the season's social commentary, but the late-season genre shift to more of a suspense-thriller is nonetheless jolting. The assault scene in the final episode arguably has the show biting off more than it can chew, and the way the show uses this to impact romantic relationships seems a bit inappropriate.
Restuko's PTSD from the assault led her to leave the group, but the way the show treats this trauma is a bit on the rushed side. Hopefully, future seasons will delve deeper into the lasting effects of this trauma, but Aggretsuko's need to wrap each season up with a neat bow gives the conclusion an odd tone.
Which is the better Idol Satire Anime?
Even though Zombie Land Saga delivers a more colorful depiction of the idol life, the realism behind Aggretsuko makes it more relatable to modern-day indie stars. That is why Aggretsuko is the better idol satire anime when compared to Zombie Land Saga. The struggles Restuko had to overcome had real consequences to her daily life, which ultimately lead to her necessary choice of leaving OTM Girls.
Zombie Land Saga has a lovable diverse and dynamic cast, but their luck is stretched a little too far to avoid consequences that could hinder the group's popularity. Though Aggretsuko is the stronger show overall, Zombie Land Saga is still highly recommended and should not be overlooked. So grab your microphones, put on your flashiest suit, and be prepared to laugh with these two great idol satire anime.