Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.
General Information
This section Includes information about the Director, Writer, and Cast.
| Episode Title | Bucket List of the Dead |
| Release Date (Netflix) | July 16, 2023 |
| Director(s) | Toshihiro Maeya |
| Writer(s) | Hiroshi Seko |
| Newly Noted Characters and Cast | |
| Shizuka | Tomori Kusunoki |
| Previously Noted Characters and Cast | |
| Akira | Shūichirō Umeda |
Plot Recap
This content contains pertinent spoilers. Also, images and text in this post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made from those sites, we may earn money or products from the company.
Ah, The Simple Life – Akira
With vacation and sick days being part of the compensation package but never having permission to take them, Akira enjoys spending a day drinking. Yes, the news shows the end of civilization and even a reporter getting attacked, but Akira is strangely safe. There are zombies in the staircase, but none are trying to break down his door, and he can sleep, watch television, clean, and even yell on his balcony in peace.
A Life A Little Less Lonely – Akira, Shizuka
But then he runs out of beer, so he has to make a beer run. On his way, he meets a rather nice couple, likely within an hour of them being killed, but before that happens, they have a nice chat. The wife even asks Akira to bring back some toilet paper if he can.
However, when he gets to the convenience store, Shizuka distracts him. She is pretty, athletic, doesn’t say much, and makes Akira a bit self-conscious. Yet, he tries to power through and make conversation, but Shizuka makes it clear Akira is too irresponsible for her to get to know or invest in. Which doesn’t stop her from saving his life, but it does mean her taking his bike when hers gets destroyed.
Maybe It’s Not Just About Survival? – Akira, Shizuka
Akira and Shizuka have drastically different approaches to handling the zombie apocalypse. Akira sees this as the chance to do all the things he couldn’t before and live a more carefree life. He even has a bucket list of things to do before he feels he will inevitably become a zombie.
On the other hand, Shizuka is planning to the T all the ways to not become a zombie and is more focused on survival than any sense of thriving. She works out for an hour, is focused on securing food, water, and electricity, and also wants to keep her sugar intake low. All of this makes it so, after her encounter with Akira, she gets home safely but regrets not taking a treat she saw at the convenience store.
As for Akira? While Shizuka did take his bike, with the zombie apocalypse apparently hitting during rush hour, it means so many vehicles, motorcycles in particular, with the keys in their ignition. With that, Akira rides multiple bikes and is overjoyed that he gets a much faster means to get around and an experience he has long wanted to have.
Review
Highlights
A Different Perspective That Could Allow Akira and Shizuka To Enjoy What’s Left Of The World
For Akira, as we’ve seen, he just wants to enjoy his life. He lost three years of his youth trying to build something, only for it to be gone in a day. With that in mind, now he wants to relax and enjoy the time he has left doing the things he put off for advancement, including seeing his parents.
In terms of Shizuka, it seems she needs that same kind of wake-up call but could also press Akira on creating a new routine. As time goes on, electricity isn’t going to be generated as no raw materials are being produced or systems maintained. Also, water treatment plants are surely to go down, and considering all the places zombies are and it not being clear if the disease can be transported by water, it may not be best to drink the water even in the early days of the pandemic.
With that in mind, as the show’s intro hints, it should be interesting to see these two hook up and join forces and how they evolve and influence one another.
Brutality Is Clear, But Not Dwelled On
Akira isn’t oblivious to what is going on. He saw his crush of three years as a zombie and knows hundreds of thousands of people are now the walking dead, but this isn’t dwelled on. Even when the couple he saw alive and then likely murdered within hours, this doesn’t weigh on him, and I strangely appreciate it.
Again, it is about perspective. The husband and wife died together rather than died alone. Akira got to confess his feelings, even if it was to a zombified version of the woman he liked. Also, with meeting Shizuka, he knows other women are out there and even the chance for him to find love. So, why dwell on the negative when there remains good things out there to look forward to?
| More From The Series | ||
| Previous Episode – Episode 1 | Check Out The Character Guide (Coming Soon) | Next Episode – Episode: Episode 3 “Bes Friend of the Dead” |
FAQs
Answers to some questions you may have regarding this episode:
Is this a worldwide pandemic?
From what it seems, yes, as Shizuka tries to contact her colleagues in Los Angeles and doesn’t get a response.
What’s the government’s response thus far?
Going by the news reporter, before she was eaten, there hasn’t been one. The only thing being said from any authority is that people should secure themselves inside and not leave their homes.
TV Shows We’re Covering This Season
Images used for editorial and commentary purposes. All rights remain with their respective copyright holders.
