While trying to figure out how to fill up his time, Akira decides to call an old friend who, surprisingly, picks up the phone! Unsurprisingly, however, he is in trouble!


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General Information

This section Includes information about the Director, Writer, and Cast.

Release Date (Netflix) July 23, 2023
Director(s) Jun Shinohara
Writer(s) Hiroshi Seko
Newly Noted Characters and Cast
Shou To Be Determined
Kencho Makoto Furukawa
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.

The Club Is A Safe Haven – Shou

Shou reassuring a child living in his club
“Shou reassuring a child living in his club,” Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, “Best Friend Of The Dead,” directed by Jun Shinohara, 2023, (Netflix)

Shou, a club owner, has allowed his “Sho-TIME” club to become a safe haven for men, women, and children, with him and the staff protecting and caring for everyone. But, with a zombie horde on its way, it seems the club has seen its final days and will go from people enjoying life to being part of the undead.

Friends Like Akira Last A Lifetime – Akira, Kencho, Shou

That is until Akira shows up. After spending half a day bored, Akira learns his cell phone has internet, and as he goes through his messages, he remembers his best friend from college, Kencho. He decides to call him up, and Kencho, barely alive in a BDSM room of a love hotel, picks up. With his best friend alive, and in trouble, Akira rushes over there, and when he sets up a car horn to beep non-stop, it allows Shou to survive. Unfortunately, most of his staff are dead when Akira shows up, but at least he got to keep his promise to a little girl in his club.

As for the two friends, they reunite, and Akira apologizes and as he yells out his feelings, the car he used for a distraction no longer keeps the zombies away, and he ends up attracting them back to the love hotel – thus forcing him and Kencho to run to the roof since there is no other way to get away from the zombies.

Join Me In This Whole New World – Akira, Kencho

Once on the roof, Akira knows jumping to another roof is the only option and does so. He gets a little banged up but survived. Kencho, despite being on the rugby team as well and seemingly still fit, doesn’t think he’ll make it and resigns himself to die. But, before he does, he reveals all the excess and splendor; it didn’t make him happy.

You see, Kencho was a real estate agent, and while he had the gift of gab, he didn’t use it for good. He talked people into bad contracts, lied to their faces, and all for the approval of people he seemingly didn’t like.

Kencho (Makoto Furukawa) revealing how he truly feels about his life
“Kencho (Makoto Furukawa) revealing how he truly feels about his life,” Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, “Best Friend Of The Dead,” directed by Jun Shinohara, 2023, (Netflix)

In fact, if he could change anything, he would have been a comedian. Which in this new world, Akira says he can be – he just has to quit his job. Now, clearly, the real estate industry is dead, as is most of the world, so this is easy for Kencho. However, leaping across a street to the roof Akira is not as easy as Akira made it seem, and Kencho barely makes it. But, since Akira is strong as hell, and is able to pull his strangely now naked friend up, and they reminisce, naked together, on the roof for a day or two.

Review

Highlights

Akira Reunites With A Friend

It isn’t clear when the gang we see in the intro will be together, but if Kencho is one of them, that works for us, mainly due to Kencho’s take on how Akira will save them all, perhaps just by pushing people to live. The world has ended, a new society can be formed, and while there will be a need for leaders, scientists and more, people can pursue both survival and joy at this stage.

Plus, as of now, we don’t know the zombie rules here. Are zombies immortal, or will they die off if they don’t feed? How do they handle summers and winters? It’s all hard to say, but, as Akira builds up a group, maybe even makes connections with those like Shou and others, he may find himself leading a new society. If not becoming a notably influential member of it.

Episode Directory

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FAQs

Answers to some questions you may have regarding this episode:

Why Is The Episode Called “Best Friend Of The Dead?”

Because Akira is reunited with his best friend Kencho, who he hasn’t physically seen in a year.

Who Is Kencho?

Makoto Furukawa plays Kencho, and they are Akira’s best friend from college who, post-college, became a notable real estate agent due to his gift for gab. However, while he made it seem he enjoyed rubbing elbows with the rich, famous, and potentially powerful, he didn’t. He just wanted to entertain people without lying to them or putting them in bad deals. Hence his decision to become a stand-up comic – even if there is no safe place to perform.

Akira (Shuichiro Umeda) drawing on a beard and mustache
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead: Season 1/ Episode 3 “Best Friend Of The Dead” – Recap and Review
Overall
With the potential of Akira’s group forming, so comes the question of what may happen long term for the series. For it’s clear Akira will be bored doing nothing, so as he comes up with a new purpose in life, it should be interesting to see who he meets, befriends, potentially makes an enemy out of, and who may join him as part of a group who don’t simply want to survive, but thrive in some way.
Akira Reunites With A Friend
82
Highlights
Akira Reunites With A Friend
Disputable
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