English Dub Review: Zombie Land Saga Revenge “The Acoustic SAGA of Love and Youth”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Our Take:

Zombie Land Saga has always been a story about the power of music and the power of friendship as a group of girls with wildly different backstories come together to form an idol group. In The Acoustic SAGA of Love and Youth, that heart threatens to become derailed when Ai starts to drift away from Franchouchou. It’s an interesting premise that works pretty well for opening up some questions about the longevity of the group as well as plenty of drama.

Opening for a popular group like Iron Frill is a good way to jump start the conflict with Ai and Junko, but it is a little confusing for viewers who, like me, might struggle to pinpoint exactly what’s going on with Franchouchou’s public image. Just an episode or two ago they had been completely forgotten. Now after a couple weeks of performances, they suddenly get to open for the hottest idol group around? It’s a bit jumpy, but hey, with Kotaro’s chaotic energy I suppose anything is possible.

As Ai starts to perform on her own this episode, we see just how much being in a big group like Franchouchou might be holding her back. Junko thinks she could have been a super popular solo artist if she had lived in an earlier time, and she’s not wrong. Everyone seems to be smitten with Ai’s newfound solo success—even her old group. Having Ai be recognized (maybe) by her former friends is going to be an interesting direction going forward. We might even have some true antagonists in the show based on how cutthroat the members of Iron Frill seem to be when it comes to those who stand in the way of their success.

The dub continues to do well in terms of casting and dialogue, but I was still disappointed at Junko’s song not being dubbed. It just takes you out of the moment, especially so when it’s a more heartfelt and emotional scene like her crooning on top of the roof. At least Funimation added subtitles to the songs this season, though.

The Acoustic SAGA of Love and Youth is a solid third episode of Zombie Land Saga’s second season. After a couple episodes of getting things back on track, it looks like we’re finally seeing the shape for how the rest of the season will play out—and it looks like things aren’t going to get any easier for Ai, Junko, or the rest of Franchouchou anytime soon.