Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead – 08 – The Beautiful Nippon

Akira, Shizuka, and Kencho are back on the road to Akira’s folks when they come across a wrecked truck on the road, surounded by zombies. Without hesitation, Akira dons his Akirager costume to rescue the survivors, but they, or rather she doesn’t need help. She’s a one-woman zombie-killing matching, resplendent in full samurai regalia. She is Beatrix Amerhauser, German national and lover of All Things Japan.

Beatrix had the awful luck to work her whole adult life to save up enough to visit Japan and experience all she has to offer just when the pandemic broke out. So while she may not have an official list (at least on paper; it’s probably in her head) she’s determined to experience “the Beautiful Nippon” all the same.

That includes having a fancy sushi dinner, hence the truck: she was transporting fresh fish to a sushi chef in Takasaki City. Akira is the first to agree to help, as he wants sushi too, and Kencho and Shizuka go along. But while they have a nifty little plan in place to herd and burn as many zombies as they can, the matches they have don’t work.

As the zombies swarm and draw closer to their precious RV, Beatrix has a momentary crisis of confidence. But Akira snaps her out of it by leading by example—that is, running headlong into danger as usual. Shizuka and Kencho back up their close-range fighting by preparing Molotov cocktails that mop up the zombies. The sushi chef, still alive, treats the quartet to the best sushi dinner of their lives, and it’s enough to make Beatrix weep.

After the great Japanese tradition of sushi, the four continue their road trip, but when a classic Japanese heat wave makes them hot and sticky, they seek out the invigorating waters of a hot spring town. Beatrix finds the ladies’ kimonos aren’t generously proportioned enough to hold her Teutonic bust, so she wears the same robe as the guys.

Akira, realizing that he and Kencho are with two cute babes, comments that under normal circumstances this would be a great spot for a date. That’s when the Shizuka of old comes out, decrying love and romance as wastes of time and resources. She’s also scandalized at the prospect of sharing the only working hot bath with the guys, but Beatrix casts away her clothes in preparation to join them without fear or shame.

When a horde of amphibious zombies emerge from beneath the water, the four have to make a run for it, seeking refuge atop a nearby bluff. That night, Akira wanders off to find a drink of water and comes upon a picturesque natural mountain hot spring. He disrobes and dives in, only to find a nude Shizuka is already there.

They agree to stay on their respective sides of the rock and Akira promises not to peek, and they’re eventually able to relax. Shizuka even apologizes for snapping at him about love before; she tells him after a lifetime of having her opinions shot down by her awful father, hearing and accepting the opinions of others doesn’t come easy.

She continues to say she’s “bad at romance” and tries to act tough by saying she only needs her job, but in reality she’s afraid of being hurt. When Akira points out she’s being very open, she says if she does ever fall in love with someone, she hopes it’s with someone she can be this open with.

She then realizes how that must sound to Akira, but before she can qualify, the two are interrupted by the arrival of a naked Kencho and Beatrix, ready to join the party. Seeing the quartet promised by the OP and ED finally completed is quite simply fun as hell, Beatrix is a great new addition, and Shizuka x Akura is definitely ship-worthy. It’s a shame we’ll have to wait a bit for the last three episodes to air.

Masamune-kun’s Revenge R – 12 (Fin) – C’est pour le mieux

By dumping Masamune so Yoshino can have her shot, Aki is trying to be a good friend, as well as a more self-sufficient person, making a passable tea rice bowl for herself when Yoshino is out on a date. But even when her stomach is full, it’s evident that she’s still wanting for something…or someone.

It doesn’t help matters that when the new spring term comes around, everyone’s in Class 3-E except for Aki and Masamune, who are in Class 3-A together. Kanetsugu has also decided to start wearing the girls’ uniform, while Yoshino and Neko bury the hatchet. A new year means old feuds die.

Aki is flustered by the fact Masamune sits right in front of her, and talks to her so casually she can’t help but think of when they were dating, which were happy times for her. Heck, Masamune still visits her in the storeroom to deliver a special new bread variety from the school store.

Aki understandably wants to know what Masamune’s deal is, but before he understands what she’s asking, Yoshino swoops in, gloms onto Masamune’s arm, and drags him out of the storeroom. Aki resents them flaunting their romance in front of her, but outside Yoshino ominously tells Masamune “Not yet. Just a little longer.”

Something is clearly Up with a Capital U, but Aki doesn’t suspect anything, or she wouldn’t go to a salon for the classic post-breakup haircut. Her shorter locks are adorable as all get out, but Yoshino freaks out when she see them. Aki makes clear she didn’t think she could get over Masamune without some kind of big change.

Yoshino pounds on Aki with her fists, then urges Aki to head back to school, where Masamune is waiting and will explain everything. Once there, Aki can’t find Masamune anywhere, but does find a letter addressed to her in his handwriting. Assuming it’s some kind of revenge, when she finally spots him outside, she’s poised to give him the mother of all talking-tos.

As she runs out to him, he runs up to her, resulting in them switching places. They do this once more—a nifty microcosm of their relationship thus far—before he finally manages to grab her arm, sending them both to the hallway floor. When a distraught Aki tells her to have all the fun he likes with Yoshino, Masamune unloads a bombshell: he and Yoshino aren’t dating.

He was happy when “Shisho” came all the way to Shinshu to see him and tell him she loved him, but he couldn’t return her feelings. He loved someone else. It’s only since all of the lies and misunderstandings have been cleared up that he realizes his feelings for her never changed from that day he gave her a bouquet in a dazzling field of flowers.

When Aki finally opens the letter, it simply asks if she’ll be his girlfriend. He asks her out loud, just to be clear. She tells him no…her answer isn’t no. More than once, she asks him if he’s sure he’s okay with her, but she’s the only one he’s okay with. She’s the reason he’s who he is, and the only one he could work so hard for.

It’s here, on the floor, at sunset, when the rich, beautiful, huge brat and the self-centered, self-obsessed, selfish egoist stare into each others’ eyes and then seal their intention to date again with a real, honest-to-God kiss. As far as we see, Masamune doesn’t get any hives. He even seems to introduce a bit of tongue into the kiss, but Aki ain’t havin’ it!

Fast forward to the post-culture festival bonfire. Last year both Masamune and Aki were pursued by many a girl and guy for the right to dance with them, but tonight they dance with each other. Neko and Yoshino commiserate, with Yoshino clarifying that Masamune didn’t get hives because he felt safe with his “Master.”

As for Aki and Masamune, their spirited quasi-adversarial dynamic lives on even as they’re an official couple, with each of them able to make the other blush with a word or gesture. Masamune isn’t taking the Cruel Princess’ hand for revenge, but out of respect. And as Aki takes his hand, it feels like all’s right in the world. Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but our lovebirds are beyond that, for romance is a dish best served warm.