Idol anime have always been hit or miss in the anime community. While they have often received praise for their music, colorful costumes and diverse characters, others have scorned them for a multitude of reasons. There have often been complaints that idol anime are too predictable with their realistic and slice-of-life settings. Another factor that has bothered fans is the genre's reputation for using computer graphics to create dance sequences.
Due to this, few idol anime out there have large followings or ratings, with Love Live and Idolish7 being among the few exceptions. However, a more recent series known as Zombie Land Saga has been known to break the boundaries of what is usually a down-to-earth setting. With its characters coming from six feet underground and an underlying dark storyline, Zombie Land Saga has made itself one of the most engaging idol anime within the community.
Zombie Land Saga's Chilling Plot Is Unique to Idol Anime
Set in the small Japanese prefecture of Saga, Zombie Land Saga's story begins in 2008 where Sakura Minamoto, a second-year high school student who aspires to be an idol, rushes out of her house to complete the first steps in making her dream come true. In all her excitement, she fails to notice an oncoming truck, resulting in her sudden death as it hits her.
After waking up in a strange house ten years later, unaware that she died, Sakura meets six other girls who have also passed away. Unlike her, however, they had previously been famous for various reasons. Revived as zombies by their eccentric, outlandish manager Kotaro Tatsumi, the seven of them are committed to forming a successful pop idol group called Franchouchou. Although she has lost all her memories from her past life, Sakura is determined to recover them while helping her new friends.
The Girls in Zombie Land Saga Must Cooperate to Conceal Their Identities
Contrary to other anime idol groups, Franchouchou's members are all zombies, bringing a creative take into the genre. While the girls do face normal struggles within the idol industry, such as disagreements between members or constantly being shunned by more experienced groups, one distinctive obstacle they face is not disclosing their real identities to the public. This proves to be difficult; their facial makeup makes them wary of water and their limbs can fall off in the most unexpected ways.
However, an important story beat throughout Zombie Land Saga is that Franchouchou's situation is not all fun and games. Even more so, all but one of them have abandoned their zombie-like instincts, making this challenge even trickier for them. Despite this, the effort they all put in to pull through and cover for each other is a constant example of how well the group is able to get along, something much needed in order for these idols to achieve success.
Zombie Land Saga Diversifies and Develops Its Cast of Idols
When Franchouchou's members are recruited, Kotaro tells them that the intention is to save the Saga prefecture. At first they believe it is just to bring life into the community, until they come to realize he meant it in a literal sense. Zombie Land Saga actually goes into Saga's backstory in great detail, even explaining why Kotaro believed an idol group was vital to the prefecture's fate.
Aside from that, Franchouchou's members are not just there for show. The anime takes time to focus on each of them and what their past lives were like, showing there was far more to them than just being idols. In fact, half the members had no desire to become idols during their past lives, which further diversifies the girls' interests and personalities. It all creates a perfect blend of characters aiming to achieve one musical goal together, making Zombie Land Saga a quality watch for anime fans from all corners.