Zombie Land Saga is a quirky anime that many in the anime community have heard about or at least seen pictures of the main cast floating around. The show can be rather confusing and even a bit off-putting for those who choose to avoid the idol scene.
The series has much more to offer than a group of decked-out teams singing cute tunes, though, and in many ways reinvents the idol genre. Zombie Land Saga's Franchouchou is a force to be reckoned with, every episode is a delight to watch, and contains some of the most unlucky idols to ever be seen in the anime universe.
10 It is an Anime Original
Anime originals are always a bit of a risk as there is no source material that studios can look at to gauge fan interest. This becomes even more of a risk when trying to do something new with a genre, but Studio Mappa is known for stellar shows.
The show is written by Shigeru Murakoshi, who worked with Kakegurui, and is directed by Munehisa Sakai, who worked with Sailor Moon Crystal.
9 There is Now a Manga Being Published
The anime was a massive success in Japan and even won Anime Of The Year at the Tokyo Awards. It was only natural that the series would be publicized as a manga series that is currently still ongoing in Cycomi magazine.
The manga began publishing in 2018, and there are currently three volumes, with none of them translated into English.
8 Yes, All The Idols Are Dead
The name zombie isn't just placed in the title to try and garner attention; all the idols are zombies. These girls were brought back to life by means that are currently undisclosed to the viewers and have to wear make-up to perform.
Some of the idols came from recent times, while others have been dead for a longer period of time. One thing many of them have in common is being notable performers in their normal lives.
7 The Series Received a Spin-off Series
A spin-off manga called Zombie Land Saga Gaiden: The First Zombie just started publishing in May of 2021. The manga is publishing in Ultra Jump and is a prequel to the main series.
The manga focuses on a boy named Eikichi Hyodo who finds himself in the Saga Sagako Busters, helping to fight demons.
6 Franchouchou Sings a Ton of Different Genres
Franchouchou isn't your typical idol group by any means and tends to wander into different genres of music. In the second episode of the show, two of the idols hold a rap battle where they use freestyle rap to entertain onlookers.
In the second season, the ska genre is also introduced by the character Lily and the girls even end up gaining a few death metal fans in season one.
5 It's Heavy on The Comedy
The show has a lot of comedy thrown in, especially when it comes to the girls trying to climb up the idol ladder. There is an episode in the first part of the show where Franchouchou finds itself dressing up and dancing in chicken outfits.
The girls typically find themselves in a string of strange events, like running into a cop in zombie form and Kotaro-forced jobs.
4 Kotaro is a Focal Point of The Show
Kotaro is the girl's manager, as well as one of the biggest draws of the show. Kotaro is extremely loud, always pushing the girls to do better and completes strange tasks in order to build up more popularity.
He can often be seen screaming out commands, although the anime seems to be hinting at a more serious side that he hides.
3 There are Official CDs in Japan
The anime has put out official CDS in Japan with songs from the fictional group. The CDs have reportedly sold rather well despite the fact that many of the songs have only ever been heard by fans who have watched the entire anime.
While season two doesn't have a CD release yet, there is certainly one planned for later on. There are currently two different albums and four different CDs containing music from the anime.
2 Their True Identities are Touched On
The girls don't just wander around the world unnoticed by those who knew them. Several characters are introduced throughout the anime that pick up on the younger girls' resemblance to their family or friends, especially in the case of Lily and Ai.
The girls don't age, and when they have make-up on, they look exactly as they did before they were killed.
1 The Saga Region Has Collaborated With the Anime
The Saga region of Japan seems to have a pretty positive opinion of the anime. There have been several collaborations between the show and the region, including a train featuring the anime. There have also been live concerts that have happened in Saga.
It's not rare to see anime events in Japan, but the fact that Franchouchou is a real group performing songs in Saga is enough to make any fan happy.