Zombie-Loan

I think it’s time we talked about something other than ,,must see” , classics, legends or horrible and retarded pieces of crap. I think it’s time we show something less known and less talked about, but still worth mentioning. Zombie-Loan is one such anime. It’s not the kind that you would put on any of your "Watch before I tragically die" list or anything. This is the kind that I watched on a rainy spring day without anything better to do. On that day I watched the entire series because it’s not long, only 13 episodes, and let me tell you, even though the entire day rained and I spent the day watching this anime, I didn’t feel like the day got wasted. And I think that already talks a lot about this one. It’s not epic nor does it absorb you in it, but it’s still a fun ride. Although I have to say that in the end it kind of sucks but I’ll get to that soon enough.
So the story is about a girl, Michiru, and her ability to predict when a person is about to die. If she sees a gray line form around a persons neck then that means he will die soon, and if it is black then that means he’s dead. So she wears glasses to counter this sight, but one day she bumps into one of the schools idols, loses her glasses and sees a black line around his and his friend’s neck. These guys are Chika Akatsuki, a guy with a rather lively and extroverted attitude, but he is also short-tempered, and Shito Tachibana, which is seen as an idol by the female students, though he seems not to care and he is generally a much more approachable person than Chika, but certain situations and people cause him to act cold and indifferent. As it turns out, both these guys are zombies that work for the Zombie-Loan office. They dispatch zombies to Heaven or Hell, depending on the weapon used. Ahhh, yes, let’s talk about the weapons. As it turn out each of these guys right hand doesn’t belong to him but to the other. It’s like they switched their right hands. So that means they are linked to one another. If their hand stays too much on the owner, or if too much it stays apart, then the hand will begin to rot. Also, when they switch their hand back to the original owner they form weapons. Chika forms a katana with which he sends souls to Heaven, and Shito ( I just realized he has a fucked up name… Shit-O ) forms a 9 inch revolver with which he sends souls to Hell. So they hook up with Michiru and she starts aiding them in finding zombies for them to kill. This is the plot basically, and beyond this there really isn’t much to say. So yeah, the plot isn’t much complex, but that is good, I didn’t expect for them to overcomplicate things. This is the kind of anime you want the plot to be plain and simple.
What kept me going here are these 2 characters, Chika and Shit-O. The fact that they practically hate each other ( although it is hinted that they think of each other as friends ) gives way for a lot of comic relief, or… tries to. I mean don’t get me wrong the series managed to put a smile on my face here and there, but comedy isn’t its strong point. But still, I think it’s well thought out this idea that they hate each other, but are bonded by this ,,right hand going to rot” curse, and have to work together to correct this mistake and pay out their loan. What else I like about them is that they are… assholes. I mean that is good, cause usually you see these heroes, noble souls that fight for the weak or anti-heroes. But here you see guys that fight only for themselves and if they do something good, it’s only for their cause. They don’t care about anything else, they just want to pay out the loan, and continue with their lives. And the way they treat each other and Michiru, well… I can understand them being dick with each other, but the way they treat Michiru is so asshole like. And don’t forget that she is a girl. And Shit-O is the worst because Chika openly shows his dick-like behavior while Shit-O acts all cool and calm until he just looks at you and says ,,Go burn yourself”. I mean, that is cruel, to act like a gentleman and then say cold-hearted things. But still I think these characters are awesome, and they are the main reason I kept watching this show.
But like I said before, after 7 episodes it kind of feels like they offered all they have to offer and it just drags along. So to end it, they present one final plot, one final boss and then one final happy end. It ends kind off sudden, but it doesn’t leave you wanting some more, it just… ends, and that’s it. You don’t know what to say or what to think, you just start another series without fully realizing it. So yeah, the ending kind of suck, but if they dragged any longer just to make an epic ending then it would’ve sucked even more, so I have no major complaints.
Animation-wise, Zombie-Loan is fairly decent. The character models are well drawn and detailed and the visual effects are good. It’s nothing that makes me touch the screen, but at least its eye pleasing. And the sound is decent, nothing spectacular or memorable, but it does the job right and fits well.
Overall, this isn’t a ,,must see” , but I enjoyed the short experience and if you want something to spend your time on a murky and rainy day then be sure to check this one out.