REVIEW: ‘Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead’ Episode 6 — “RV of the Dead”

Having survived their harrowing adventure at the aquarium, Akira Tendo (Shūichirō Umeda) and Kenchirō Ryūzaki (Makoto Furukawa) returned to their rooftop home. However, the infrastructure in the city is finally breaking down, necessitating the duo to relocate to somewhere safer. Deciding on traveling to Gunma, the home of Akira’s parents, the pair take their first step towards accomplishing this new goal, procuring an RV for safe zombie apocalypse travel. And as luck would have it, they won’t be traveling alone in Zom 100 Episode 6, “RV of the Dead.”

The realization that the water, power, and internet are dying forces Akira and Kencho to face the fact that, despite having quit their jobs, there’s still work to be done. But while traveling to the country will be dangerous with many unforeseen threats waiting along the way, the duo still plan to enjoy their apocalypse as best they can as they plan to take their trip in the most tricked-out RV they can find. Their new objective sees them arrive at a convention center where an RV Expo was underway when society collapsed. As luck would have it, their old friend Shizuka Mikazuki (Kusunoki, Tomori) had the same idea, leading the pair to finally convince the far more serious-minded survivalist to group up with them as they all prepare to leave the city together.

The expo sequence delivers a fun opening for Zom 100 Episode 6 as we witness Akira and Kencho’s influence begin to break Shizuka’s hardened exterior. While the moment is fleeting, seeing the survivalist giddy over a potential ride is a moment that makes the viewer smile far more than the larger antics of Akira and Kencho due to how out of the ordinary Shizuka’s display is. Sadly, the moment passes swiftly as the trio’s excitement over their potential ride draws a hoard of zombies into the expo, forcing the trio to grab the nearest RV just to save their skins.

As they depart Tokyo for the country, Zom 100 Episode 6 sees Shizuka and Akira ponder the likelihood of society’s survival. Whether there are people out there striving to create a vaccine to curtail the spread of the zombie plague serves as a nice transition moment from the somewhat farcical opening and what comes in the back half of the episode.

While the early portion of the trip goes smoothly enough, the group’s journey is cut short when they hit a spike strip that sends their vehicles careening out of control, seriously injuring Kencho. They soon discover that a group of survivalists have laid down the spikes and are extorting travelers for cheap labor if they want help repairing their vehicles. To make matters worse, the group is led by Akira’s old supervisor Chief Kosugi (Kenta Miyake).

The reappearance of his old boss and abuser sees Akira instantly regress to the state the show first introduced him in. Scared and meek, still referring to him as “Chief” despite the fact that the title no longer applies, he is completely stricken by this surprise reunion. The visuals emphasize Akira’s struggle, capturing the panic, fear, and despair that overwhelm him with a skillful combination of color, camera angles, and character design. As Akira’s world collapses around him, the viewer is not only witness to the moment but is nearly dragged into it.

With a fresh horde of zombies attracted to the sound of the crash, Akira is left with no choice but to agree to Kosugi’s terms to keep his friends safe. Two days of labor will buy them replacement tires and medical care. But even as they are brought into the safety of a nearby truck stop that has been secured from the zombies, Shizuka has her doubts about the arrangement.

While Akira is working away in the hot sun, Shizuka tends to Kencho, who is frustrated by how Akira is allowing his former boss to act as if he has authority over him. As Shizuka explains the effects that being confronted by a former abuser can have on an individual, Zom 100 Episode 6 gives us a peek back into her life as we see her dealing with an abuser of her own.

As the episode closes, the group’s future appears in doubt, as the underlying attitude of Kosugi clearly indicates he has no intention of allowing them to leave. How they will escape, and how Akira will come to break the hold that Kosugi has over him, are moments that are left for future episodes. While thoroughly enjoyable up till this point, Zom 100 Episode 6 episode’s ending has managed to capture the emotional narrative far more than the previous ones, leaving even more reason to be eager to learn what comes next.

Zom 100 Episode 6 is streaming now on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix.