English Dub Review: “Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise”
Overview:
Zombie Land Saga has a zombie vs. aliens story for fans with its big movie debut, Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise. Crunchyroll released an English dub of the movie to theatres in the United States and Canada in what was promoted as a one-night-only event.
Our Take:
Back in 2018, anime fans got a new twist to the idol genre with Zombie Land Saga, which sees high school student Sakura Minamoto killed on her way to submitting her idol application. Soon, she wakes up as an undead corpse, surrounded by other “legendary” girls in the same position. Together, they have been recruited by Kotaro Tatsumi to revitalize Saga Prefecture with the power of music as Franchouchou, and they won’t let their previous deaths get in the way.
Now, the girls have gotten their own movie with Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise. More importantly, it seems to address questions fans have had for a while.
Starting things off, if zombies weren’t enough of a draw to get anime fans interested, the movie throws aliens into the mix. This is actually following up on a cliffhanger from the end of the second season, Revenge. Taking place in the year 2025, Franchouchou is set to perform at the Saga Expo. Unfortunately, whatever dark forces that seem out to get Saga have drawn aliens down to invade.
A movie needs to be a big event, and the aliens’ attack goes above and beyond. Of course, a series about zombie idols can never be over-the-top without somehow being strangely fitting.
However, the real draw of the movie is that it tells a story fans have been wanting to see since the first episode: the awakening of the legendary Tae Yamada. As fans know, supplementary manga revealed that she was once a demon hunter. Despite this, she previously wished to one day become an idol. Even before this reveal, fans wanted to see just what made her so “legendary,” even if being voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi in the original certainly helped.
During the events of the movie, consuming the alien ship’s power source helps to restore her human memories. This inspires her to leave Franchouchou and head off to face the alien enemy alone. This leaves the rest of the group a dual goal: bringing Franchouchou back together, all the while saving the world.
Tragically, the key to fighting the aliens unfortunately involves removing the power source, costing Tae her memories and, effectively, her second chance at “life.” Granted, it was bound to be unavoidable for continuity’s sake. However, the story comes with the important message of living one’s life, and taking all the chances you can get. After all, not all of us are lucky enough to be revived as zombie pop stars.
The aliens themselves are a treat for fans of sci-fi. They are highly intelligent and pose a significant threat to humanity. However, they are also completely inhuman, making it all the easier for viewers to root for our protagonists to defeat them. One even has to wonder if they are simply powered by the same sources that awoke Tae’s memories. Weakened by sound and sensing things by heat, however, they are the perfect foil for the zombie heroines, especially with their inability to emit a human body temperature.
The voice acting is decent and, as with every idol anime, a big draw is the music, notably the song, “Longing for the Twinkling Sky,” which praises Saga while suiting the story’s sci-fi trappings.
The movie is really made for fans, sharing things they’ve been anticipating for years. A few fan-favorite characters also make cameos in the story. However, even fans who weren’t familiar with the original can still enjoy the story. There’s even a brief recap at the start, shown in different styles, reflecting the different backgrounds and personalities of the girls. After all, Zombie Land Saga is often cited as a gateway series for fans of idol anime; this franchise is designed to draw people in.
The film is really a big event, taking the story to various places around the world, not to mention the world above. In fact, the dub’s theatrical release was even promoted as a one-night-only release. Ultimately, the movie is worth seeing Tae Yamada getting to show off what really makes her legendary. Overall, fans will be left wondering just what the franchise could bring fans next.
