English Dub Review: ZOMBIE LAND SAGA “NO ZOMBIE NO IDOL SAGA”

“The beauty of a group is that it makes up for individual weaknesses.”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The time for Franchouchou’s big solo show has come, and Sakura is super excited. She can’t help but feel like this stage is familiar and those good things will happen when she steps onto it. But before they’re ready for the show, Koutarou decides to drop them off on the mountains for some rugged team building exercises.

But Sakura isn’t about that! She’s so worked up about the upcoming show that she can’t seem to focus on any outdoor activities. Luckily, her friends quickly bring her back to her senses after a few minor blowups. But emotions aren’t the only thing up in the air when Sakura’s arch enemy returns: the truck!

Our Take:

The girls of Franchouchou just keep attracting more fans and getting more famous. Now, Koutarou has booked them in a large gig with a potential audience of 500 people. The pressure is real, which is why Koutarou sends them all packing on a training trip to the great outdoors – Franchouchou is going hiking in the mountains! The girls all have their special quirks and talents that they’re able to put to use while adventuring out of doors, like Saki’s stick finding, Lily’s fire starting, and Ai’s quick hunting abilities. (Though none of them are any good at avoiding wild boars! That daddy boar, though.)

There’s not much time left before the big show… so why is Koutarou having them focus on stuff like this? Sakura’s reaction is basically to go through a mental break down. While the others were ‘goofing off’ in the mountains, Sakura can’t help but wish she was actually doing worthwhile practice. She storms off the mountain and is at a standoff with the other group members for a day or so. This is pretty out of character for her, and caught me off guard. I think that it will become more understandable once we learn the reason why Sakura is so familiar with the upcoming performance location. With only a week left to go, Sakura is feeling better. Her teammates are banding together and she’s feeling like part of the group again. But then, truck-kun makes another guest appearance. Has she lost her memories or regained them?

Not only would I like to learn more about Sakura’s motivations in the next few episodes, but I sure hope we find out more about Koutarou and who he really is. Why is Koutarou so invested in saving Saga? How did he create zombies? Are his shades permanently affixed to his face via surgical means? He’s surprisingly good at giving pep talks, and I hope we uncover the reason for the disconnect between screaming manager Koutarou and trusty confidant Koutarou.

This week’s dub had a number of excellent lines, like Koutarou’s words of wisdom: “You can’t pull off something this amazing without a training montage in the mountains!” Lily’s reaction to being in the outdoors is adorable: “I feel like a zombie popsicle.” I couldn’t help but laugh at Saki’s line as well: “Here’s more sticks than you can shake a stick at.” Such a dumb sense of humor, but still so sweet and effective.

The tenth episode of ZOMBIE LAND SAGA is an interesting one. There’s definitely plenty to like, with lots of funny gags and the excellent dynamics between the girls that we’ve come to love and enjoy watching. Sakura’s development is a little rushed, and I’m not exactly sure what her deal is yet, but I’m ready to find out more next week!