Are you serious? My final impression is finally included…

Summary:

Chika and Shito attempt to have Michiru search for nearby zombies, but they are shocked when Toko appears to have the ability to find zombies from very far away. With Zarame’s help, the Z-loan is still able to find a zombie first. The A-loan appears to take down the zombie before them, however, seemingly with more skill than the Z-Loan would have. Michiru surprises everyone by showing kindness to Zen, helping him with an injury he has obtained on his head. When Toko arrives to see this, she shows subtle distaste in it. With this, she quickly alerts her companions of another zombie nearby. Before leaving, she promises to Michiru that her group will not lose. At the ARRC, Carmella’s original form is returned when Hakka gives her core back. When Shiba is questioned of his reason for wanting to come back to life, he gives his usual indifferent reaction. Using an ability that seems to paralyze Shiba, however, Hakka contradicts this by revealing the true reasons behind his actions.

At the dormitories that night, Koyomi meets Michiru in the baths. After hearing her troubles, she assures Michiru that the Z-Loan definitely wouldn’t lose to their new rivals. Chika meanwhile brings up the A-Loan’s weapons to Shito in the showers. Shito guesses that this deals with the price they must have payed, as it could have been higher than theirs. Chika again states that he absolutely cannot die, but Shito only replies with the fact that he has been living for several generations himself. Otsu discusses the need for support with a man named Sonya the next day, attempting to convince him that the Z-Loan’s future would now affect quite a bit of people. Elsewhere, Shimotsuki makes a donation to Bekke in the Z-Loan office. Zarame meanwhile reveals to Michiru that there is more potential in her ability than she has been displaying.

Michiru is amazed when she is able to find a zombie from far away, just as Zarame described, but this turns out to be Sonya who has just finished talking with Otsu. In the park together afterwards, Sonya describes his helpless thoughts about what would happen if the Z-Loan dissolved. Michiru denies her similarity with him when he states it, however, as she has changed from the indifferent person she was before. Shortly after, Sotetsu appears to pick up Michiru. Sonya takes the chance to meet his daughter Misora from her day care, and while embracing her, he believes that he certainly wishes to protect her. When the Z-Loan members return to the office together, they meet Raika for the first time in awhile. This was the werewolf who had been taken under the care of Shimotsuki, learning human lifestyle until now. Shimotsuki offers Raika’s aid to the Zombie Loan, and with the simple belief that the experience would make him stronger, Raika agrees to in order to protect Shimotsuki more effectively. With the Z-Loan, A-Loan, and ARRC gathering in various places, everyone prepares to hunt.

Impression:

Okay, this is retarded. As if the first “ending” wasn’t bad enough, we’ve ended right after an arc has been introduced this time. I’ve been reading around that this show was originally set to be a two season series, but was cut short because of various reasons. It would probably be the lack of viewership, especially with how poorly received the animation was. Oh well.

As for the actual episode, I would have actually really liked it if it weren’t for being cut off at this point. Chika and Shito’s pasts and goals were brought up again, which is one of the strong drives of this series. Even Michiru has started to develop her abilities due to the dire situation the Z-Loan is in. I absolutely loved seeing Raika return, as I recall wanting to see more of him when we last saw him in episode eight, and his want to serve Shimotsuki is something that I could totally support. The A-Loan’s abilities are interesting as well, simply because they mirror the Z-Loan’s quite closely. Zen has obviously taken a liking to Michiru, which is making Toko all jealous. I really like that part of her character. She obviously doesn’t know that Michiru already has Yomi though…

Final Impression:

Zombie Loan was a series that I had a lot of mixed feelings about when I started watching it. I initially covered it because my slight interest in the premises and the lack of coverage elsewhere, but I was quickly hooked by the themes of death that were played on in future episodes. This series had several things going for it: a strong cast, an excellent story by my favorite Peach Pit, good character development, and great art. So where did it go wrong? Probably the poor production and presentation. Coming back to this series after a year easily makes me see some things in a different way. Xebec, who I once thought did a decent job with shows, has clearly shown me that they have the ability to completely slaughter a potentially excellent series. The animation for this show was easily sloppy, and it almost seems like the production team didn’t even want to put effort into some scenes.

Still, taking this major flaw out of the picture, I thoroughly enjoyed Zombie Loan for the short time I spent with it. Even though they were involved in supernatural events, the three main Z-Loan members were very believable. It was hard not to become attached to Michiru, who slowly changed her indifferent thinking into something more passionate. Shito easily had some of the most development in the series, and very strong development at that. It was even possible to relate to Shiba, a character we are probably suppose to despise. The influences for this series’ story probably came from the Japanese mindset, as the country with the highest suicide rate in the world. Some people may not understand the way characters are thinking in a story like this, but I certainly see that they are believable. I did have problems with some of the characters in the series, mostly with those on the opposing side, but these were characters who were quickly discarded in the first arcs of the series.

It feels like Zombie Loan simply didn’t get the length it deserved, as the story constantly only feels like it has just started. I would have loved to continue watching this for more than one season, but I suppose not everyone can appreciate shows like this in the same way. I leave Zombie Loan for the second time with a fairly positive outlook, but because of a few minor flaws, this show quickly becomes one that eventually becomes forgotten because of lost potential. Fans of the manga, however, are probably appreciating the series as much as they ever had.

Are we still suppose to care about this show?

Summary:

Following the previous events, Michiru and the others have a party in Shito’s room. Shito is clearly annoyed at first, but he finally takes the chance to thank Michiru for comforting him earlier. Bekko meanwhile uses his newly revealed powers to open a entranceway below the Zombie Loan office. In an alternate world, he meets with a man named Hakka before attending a conference with similar members. Hakka eventually gets to the point about a certain threat known as the Akashic Record Reform Committee, or ARRC, though not much is known about their activity. Hakka also surprises Bekko by announcing that he has created a group similar to his Z-Loan, known as the Alive Loan or A-Loan. Meanwhile, Carmella introduces Shiba to another one of ARRC’s members, expressing her want to recruit him. When the young boy does not approve of this, however, Shiba quickly displays his power by cutting down Carmella with the scythe he now holds.

Hakka later shows up at the Z-Loan with members of the A-Loan, revealing that they have moved in across the street. Stating that there is no need for two groups, he also proposes a challenge where the loser would have to leave. The A-Loan members Zen and Toko then introduce themselves, with the last member Shuji appearing later. Chika and Shito quickly take a disliking to the members, and when the two attempt to get a lead on new zombies before them, both teams quickly leave to work. Hakka suddenly appears in the chaos of Shiba’s attack at ARRC later, revealing to be a superior of the members. Though Carmella easily comes back to life, Hakka only drives back in to her to reveal a piece of life force to Shiba. Explaining the core’s properties to Shiba, he makes him remember the details of it.

Preview: Z-Loan versus A-Loan.

Impression:

I care, guys. I really do. But man, when was it that I actually watched episode 11? That was like last year! I still remember how annoyed I was with the sudden cut off. It was honestly kind of hard to jump back into the series, with various pieces of detail long forgotten in my mind, but some things were instantly familiar. I still love a lot of the cast, right down to Koyomi’s silliness, and the series in general is still fascinating. Bekko’s newly revealed power wasn’t as shocking as his appearance was at the end of the last episode, but it still makes him a much more interesting character.

The introduction of the A-Loan is quite amusing too, with characters who all seem to contrast with the Z-Loan’s. Shiba’s return, with a new scythe at that, was really exciting. It was obvious that he would have a big role, but I would really like to see how our heroes would deal with him now. With only one episode left though, I still feel like I won’t be satisfied. The newly introduced Hakka’s role would be the twist for this episode, with the quick revealing that he himself is the traitor of his group.

Even though this is already late, I might take a bit longer to write up the final episode review. I need to come up with a final impression that I held off last time, after all.

This is the end? What the heck.

Summary:

Chika arrives in Shito’s cell, where he beings making fun of him. He begins to talk about his desire of money which developed as a child, before trading hands and leaving Shito. This angers Shito greatly. The rest of the group arrives inside the building, and Zarame leads Michiru to Shito’s cell. He has her release him before running off, and Michiru becomes surprised that he called her by her name. Chika runs into the large golem, while the rest of the group aids Shito in his weakened state. When Michiru embraces Shito, he wonders who it is. Yuuta heals Shito, and he realizes that Chika has encountered combat. Otsu catches up to Nogi elsewhere, where he begins to get information from him. Nogi explains the golems to him, and the work he and Yoshizimi had been doing. Something even greater, Foranx, was being created. Yoshizimi looks upon this creation, and prepares to release it. The large golem gets very close to finishing Chika off, but Shito appears just in time to save him. Sotetsu distracts its attention to him, as Shito goes to pull Chika up from the ledge. Chika will not allow Shito to save him unless he calls his name, so Shito finally does. Shito releases his anger against Chika, while the golem falls over behind them. Sotetsu claims that it wasn’t him that defeated it, and that it fell over on its own.

Nogi explains to Otsu that if left alone, golems will cease to operate. However, the Foranx is different. Yoshizimi lets the monster absorb him, and the group led by Shito find his combined state in the room. Shito sees the female golem being taken in, so he attempts to save her. Michiru notices that she is still alive, as Chika begins to attack as well. The group begins to struggle against Yoshizimi, but Otsu appears to send his fist into the side of Foranx. Yoshizimi doesn’t believe that anything has happened, but inside of Otsu’s hand was something that Nogi had prepared for this event. With this, Foranx’s form begins to fall apart. The Zombie Loan finishes off Yoshizimi, and Chika expresses his happiness after looking at the reward outside. Shito wakes the female golem, as he beings to claim that he will take her home. He states that it is ok for her to live, and that he will help her to live as a normal girl. However, Nogi puts a bullet through her head because he believes that golems should not exist. Shito despairs at the inability to get the girl’s name, and he begins to ruthlessly attack Nogi. Zarame tells them that the golem did not have a soul in the first place, so it wasn’t alive. Shito does not believe that is true, as he carries her off alone. At the Zombie Loan, Bekkou reveals his true form.

ED: We’re given a special ending with Shito standing by the female golem’s grave, and Chika and Michiru appearing to continue their work.

Impression:

Wow. What a horrible place to end the story. I guess this anime just wasn’t popular enough, but I can’t say I’m surprised. Honestly, with the pacing of the story, they couldn’t have ended anything without going with at least 26 episodes. I probably wouldn’t of covered this show for that long either, so it could be lucky that it did end. Still, there was way too much stuff left open. It really felt like the show had just began. Obviously, the story still continues with the manga, so I guess you could check that out if you are still interested. I’ve also heard of a dvd episode 12 coming out sometime later, and I might blog that if I get the chance. I won’t be giving a final impression for this show, because there is just way too much that hasn’t been covered.

As far as this episode goes, Yoshizimi’s transformation was totally predictable. Whats new? I was expecting the pink haired golem to play a bigger role in the plan, but oh well. Nogi’s actions probably helped the situation a lot, but what he did was totally messed up. I would have done what Shito did too. I really liked that girl! Just as the last arc helped to develop Chika’s character, the ending of this arc gave Shito a pretty big jump in development. Besides just calling everyone by their names, he actually started to show some deep emotion. Bekkou’s scene at the end of the episode was pretty awesome, and it really made me feel like there should be an episode next week. Ah, I won’t be getting over this anytime soon. I mean, they barely touched on the yellow suited people! Blah…It’s possible that you can look forward to my review of episode twelve sometime in the future, and any other episodes that are released afterwards. For now though, Zombie Loan is off my schedule.

Kawaii~!

Summary:

Michiru worries about following Chika and Sotetsu into an underground area, when Chika reveals a wooden sword that accompanied him during middle school. Michiru smiles at how cheerful he seems, when she notices a stand being run by a small girl in front of them. During one of his regular visits to the hospital, Otsu runs into an acquaintance of his, Nogi. After engaging in some small talk with him, Otsu mentions that Nogi has been acting strange. Otsu mentions Nogi’s involvement with the doctor Yoshizimi, which makes him quickly run off. In Nogi’s hands is a pair of eyeballs that he must transport to Yoshizimi. After finding that they are from the Zombie Loan, the small girl finally goes to get what Chika wants. Chika and Sotetsu warn Michiru about the shinigami, and assure that it would know the location of Shito. However, they are shocked to find that it is in a very small form when the girl takes it out. The girl explains that the shinigami was caught off guard by a human, and that its form could only be as such because of that. Michiru finds the shinigami very cute, even while being attacked by it. Even more surprising to those around her, they find that Michiru can understand quite clearly what the shinigami is saying. This is something that wouldn’t normally be possible.

Shito wakes from a dream of the woman that gave him the comb, while the people around them criticized their involvement. He looks to see the pink haired girl biting on the comb, and she starts combing his hair when he tries to convince her to give it back. Shito notices that his hand has completely detached, and imagines that Chika should be in the same situation by now. Shito states that the girl has a pretty horrible appearance, as does he. Michiru and the others arrive at a warehouse where they guess Shito could be at, and a number of zombies appear. They prepare to fight, but Tohou appears to quickly disable the monsters. He states that Shito is not there, and tells them the correct location. On the way there, Michiru expresses that Tohou’s feelings for wanting to save Shito must be the same as theirs. While Shito tries to free himself in the cell, he notices that the pink haired girl only plays with the comb. He eventually asks for her name, but he receives no reply. As she combs his hair, he tells her that only “that person” could do that. Shito asks her what she thinks the meaning is to be born as a corpse, as that person was also a corpse. He states that there is no choice but to live after being born, even as a corpse. As the girl lays on him, Shito wonders who she resembles.

Shito hides his detached hand, as the doctor Yoshizimi enters the room. Yoshizimi tells Shito that he cannot be released yet, as he holds a special treasure inside of him. Shito continues to state that there is a misunderstanding, but Yoshizimi refuses to believe so. The pink haired girl reveals herself from under the bed, and Yoshizimi quickly throws her against the wall. While Yoshizimi complains about his inability to create something better, Shito is reminded of Tohou’s actions in making Shito into the greatest monster. Shito yells for him to stop, and there is a crashing sound as Chika and the others arrive. Otsu and Yuuta have also arrived, as it is a hotspot for zombies. As they prepare to fight the zombies that appear, Nogi rushes in to warn Yoshizimi. He also gives him the eyes he has asked for, while continuing to panic. However, Yoshizimi assures him that they will be fine as long as he has the items. He also drags off the pink haired girl as Shito watches. Outside, Michiru looks up to see that Yoshizimi is a Zombie. Otsu expresses that his prediction was right about him. Yoshizimi continues to say that as soon as he completes his project, there will be no problem. Nogi runs out, and the girl in a yellow jacket comes in to tell Yoshizimi that Nogi is right. She introduces herself as Karamera, and tells Yoshizimi that eternal life is not yet possible. However, she will help him if he desires a bit more time. Meanwhile, Chika finds the cell that Shito is trapped in.

Preview: Face off against Shito’s captors

Impression:

I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. Michiru’s reaction to the shinigami was hilarious, and my mouth dropped from suddenly hearing Kawasumi Ayako’s voice as the little girl. She really played the role well, as minor as it was! I also found the pink deformed girl’s interaction with Shito as entertaining as ever. She’s a cute one. I forgot to mention this last week, but I really like the writing on the walls in Shito’s cell. This is a given, but I think they really tie into Zombie Loan’s style. I don’t know about the minor fights in this episode. With the random zombies popping out everywhere for no apparent reason, it felt like I was watching Tokyo Majin or something. Another thing that stood out about this episode was Shito’s talking about the woman he knew. The quote, “because you were born, you have no choice but to live” really stood out to me. These themes are really what made me start to like Zombie Loan. Funny, because I was really negative towards this show in the beginning.

The plot obviously seems to be heading towards the end of this arc, but it seems forced as usual. I’m not saying I have a problem with the pacing at all, but it just seems to go by so fast. What was up with the beginning of this episode? Chika and the others just up and meet the shinigami that seemed so out of reach in the earlier episodes. Well, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised, considering there are things like a “Zombie Loan” in this anime’s world. This show is typically predictable with all of its foreshadowing, but I’m assuming that Yoshizimi will create his ultimate thing using the deformed girl. This will probably cause some inner conflicts with Shito. I also believe that the tiny Shinigami will end up helping Michiru in some way, as she is very attached to it. Speaking of the shinigami, Zarame, he would really make a good mascot character. Who else is already predicting the plushies?

Forget Ikuto. Shito gets all the girls!

Summary:

Shito’s acquaintance enters the Zombie Loan and introduces himself as Tohou. Taking note of the manner Tohou is addressing Shito, the ZLoan members become shocked upon hearing that he is a member of the mafia. They also discover that Shito has been abducted. While Shito remembers what happened and tries to figure out where he is, the strange pink haired girl walks into his room with scissors. Surprisingly enough, it is only to change his bandages. Back at the Zombie Loan, Chika confronts Tohou after hearing that Shito is considered their perfect monster. However, he is quickly subdued by his ability. Michiru is told that this only has an effect on monsters, before Tohou lets Chika go and leaves in search for Shito. Michiru also follows Chika as he leaves the room. Seeing that the comb is laying next to him, Shito remembers the time he lost the woman it belonged to. She had stated that her dying could not be helped, because it was fate. Michiru had also said the same thing when she was near death. He thinks that they were both mistaken. Shito and Chika both feel something happen to their hands, and Chika snaps at Michiru when she suggests that they go back to the office. Chika tells Michiru that it really isn’t her fault after she apologizes to him, as he states that he will fight alone.

Shortly afterwards, paper beings take hold of the two. An acquaintance of Chika’s, Sotetsu, appears in the nick of time, and he quickly gets rid of the opposition. Michiru notices that he is a zombie, and Tohou observes the situation from afar. Sotetsu properly introduces himself to Michiru once the three of them return to the dorms. Michiru thinks that he doesn’t seem like a bad person, and notices that Koyomi has a liking for him when she gets another serving for him. Meanwhile, the pink haired girl forces Shito to eat at night, before falling asleep next to him. The next day, everyone at school becomes shocked at the sight of Sotetsu. He drags Chika off to the Zombie Loan when he sees him, and Yuuta heals his arm. Bekkou offers to finally shed the truth about Shito, revealing that Shito did not really die on the same day that Chika did. He also had a very high status in the past, and his schooling information was also fake. The strange doctor enters Shito’s room a bit later, and starts toying with his injury. After causing Shito harm, he states his sick reasons for wanting to operate on subjects. Chika asks for more information from Bekkou, but he will not offer any more. Michiru believes that it would be better to ask Shito himself, and Bekkou also adds a large bonus to get Shito back. This quickly excites Chika, as he and Michiru speed off with Sotetsu on his bike.

Preview: More. New. Characters. I guess it’s time to save Shito!

Impression:

I almost fell out of my chair laughing when Sotetsu was introduced, because Itou Kentarou’s image of Renji from Bleach will never disappear. I half expected Sotetsu to pull out some extendable sword instead of his axe. It also looks like Koyomi and Yomi will have to fight to decide if they want Sotetsu or Michiru from now on, if you didn’t catch the obvious vibes. This episode revealed a lot about Shito’s past, as we find out that he was not always the same person he is now. Well, I think we all saw it coming since last episode. I wonder what happened to the girl Shito’s comb belonged to? As for the structuring of this episode, the pacing once again felt really off. It just seemed so strange to jump from heavy dialog, to random fight, to character introduction, to finally getting back to Shito after the continuation of the last episode. I guess it would have worked a lot better in the manga. The animation was all over the place too, but I’ve come to expect that by now. We’re introduced to even more new characters next week, and it looks like Shito might get some action from the deformed girl.

“Mou, urusai” MOMOKA~!

Summary:

Shito finds the mess that has been made in his room, which makes him storm out in anger. Meanwhile, two new faces show up in front of Michiru, Chika’s father Yuri and his younger sister Momoka. Michiru finds that Chika tends to avoid his touchy father, while on the other hand, he is very attached to his stoic sister. In other places, Shito meets with the person who trashed his room. Mentioning his recent activities with the Zombie Loan, the man tells Shito that he is not someone that can have friends. He calls Shito a true monster, while generating a pink light from his finger. Michiru and Koyomi express how nice it is for Chika to have a happy family while Yuri and Momoka leave, and Chika walks out to find an exhausted Shito by the graves. Noticing his depression, Chika tries to cheer Shito up. Shito only punches Chika in the face, but Michiru and Koyomi show up to tell them about dinner before they can go any further. Later, Michiru brings some towels to Shito’s empty room, and she notices a beautiful woman’s comb on a table.

In other places, a doctor in glasses signs a contract for the woman in a yellow jacket. Yuuta finds a zombie for Chika and Shito to hunt down in the Zombie Loan, so Michiru gets dragged along with them into the city. The doctor operates on a living corpse in a warehouse, while a young girl and a large man with a chain saw watch. After Michiru fails to find any black rings in the city, Shito gives her some blueberry gum to help with her eyesight. Noticing his speech, Chika tells Shito to call them by their names. Shito almost does, but he stops half way. Michiru takes the chance to finally tell Shito about the comb she found in his room, but Shito angrily takes it back from her. As Michiru starts to shed tears, Chika confronts Shito about his rude behavior. The two start fist fighting, until Michiru yells for them to stop. Shito walks away from the alley, but he is eventually stopped by a chainsaw running through his stomach. The doctor and the masked man with the chain saw stand above Shito, as he falls to the ground into his own blood.

Preview: Introduction of yet another character, and Shito’s capture.

Impression:

After last week’s episode, this one was a lot better. I didn’t expect that two of the characters being introduced were going to be Chika’s father and sister. Yuri a typical touchy father, and Momoka is a very stoic high schooler who likes to constantly send messages through her cellphone. I can’t ever get over how the Japanese represent Americans’ bad Japanese accents. Do foreigners really talk like that? After hearing about them in a previous episode, it was really nice to finally see what a happy family Chika has. Koyomi’s slightly disappointed look also hinted that she does not have such a family to spend time with. It’s not clear what the chinese man has to do with Shito yet, but it looks like Shito is really considered a monster. All of the messages so far hint that Shito has lost a large amount of his human conscience. Michiru and Chika are obviously the cure to that, and I’m guessing that they will have to save him in the next episode. Next week we’ll be introduced to the biking guy that we’ve seen in the opening, and we’ll probably see a lot more of the doctor and Shito’s superior in action.

This episode needed more Michiru x Yomi and less lame.

Summary:

Under various circumstances, The Zombie Loan group ends up going to a hot springs. The building they visit has been abandoned because of rumors about it being haunted, and the group passes by a small wolf shrine before entering. Michiru enters the springs to relax, but she finds that Yomi has appeared to molest her. After hearing that Michiru doesn’t like it, Yomi faints back into Koyomi. After some table tennis matches, Michiru and Shito are sent out to get some food. While walking with him, Michiru thinks to herself that Shito seems to always been in a world of his own. Upon seeing the wolf shrine again, Shito tells Michiru that the wolf continued to live on as a god to eternally participate in the festival, even though there are no longer any people who attend it. Michiru comments that it is sad, because the wolf must suffer the pain of living while its companions were able to die. A wolf like figure suddenly appears, which the two assume is a zombie. It attacks Shito, and he is unable to do anything without his weapon. Instead of running for help, Michiru makes the creature back off before pulling Shito away.

Shito expresses that he doesn’t understand Michiru’s actions before they return to eat. At the table, Michiru and Shito give the news to the rest of the group. During the discussion, Michiru finally asks how they decide the price of a zombie. Describing the different kinds of zombie like those of animals or those with the ability to summon weapons, Chika sums it up by saying that the more dangerous the zombie, the higher the price. Before deciding to go after the zombie they have just discovered, everyone visits the bath. Michiru thinks Yomi is in the bath again, but it is actually the zombie they are looking for. Shito and Chika rush in to attack it as it transforms into a wolf, but Koyomi yells out to stop them. Kuse tells them that the creature is not a zombie, but a living human. After finding it in its cave, Kuse approaches it and creates a ring of light around it. Kuse seems to have taken the wolf man with her on the ride back home. Elsewhere, a man is waiting for everyone’s return in the dormitories.

Preview: Introduction to quite a few new characters.

Impression:

It’s honestly kind of a drag to write about episodes like this, because I didn’t really like it. The Michiru and Yomi scene was expected, but I was half surprised to see the scene go so far. Yomi was all over Michiru! Unfortunately, that was probably the highlight of the episode. I just felt like this was going into another “monster of the week” pattern, which really annoys me. We were given a bit of an explanation about the difference between the astral and ectoplasm zombies, and introduced to a new character, but it all just seemed pointless to me. Considering that this is a show about zombies, it wasn’t too surprising to be introduced to a werewolf. There was some obvious foreshadowing with the shrine in the beginning of the episode too. Apparently Kuse will have a new toy from now on. Whereas the last few episodes have been focused on Chika, it also seems like we are given more development for Shito. It looks like we’re getting back on track with the main plot in the next episode, with quite a few new characters being introduced. I’m pretty interested in seeing what this new girl will bring to the table.

Are you afraid to die?

Summary:

Picking up where we left off, Michiru finds that Shiba has a black ring around his neck, proving that he is a zombie. Shito quickly lets off a gunshot, but Chika blocks it with his hand. As Chika faces him, Shiba reminds Chika of the time they spent together in junior high. Shiba had found that he could go to any high school that he wanted, but ripping the paper to shreds, he expressed that he only wanted to walk free. Chika had jumped off the roof to the structure below, suggesting that he and Shiba go somewhere. After once again experiencing boredom in the future, Shiba killed himself by falling off of a school rooftop. However, he woke to a woman’s voice, telling him that he had become a zombie. Shiba strikes at Chika with a knife that he generates, and reveals a butterfly mark above his chest. Shito prepares to shoot him, but Chika once again tells him not to interfere. However, after Shiba threatens and gets closer to Chika, Shito blasts the knife out of his hand. To his surprise, the knife flies back at Shito, and stabs his arm. Shiba tells them that to master the weapon, he tested it on people.

The condition of being a zombie was to have certain strong emotions such as hope, anger, or hate. In his case, Shiba craved freedom. While he was playing on the internet, the boy with the glasses was chosen. He believed that the butterfly was not needed, because he would become the butterfly. Shiba throws his knife at Michiru next, but Chika quickly deflects it with his sword. Chika exchanges blows with Shiba, but Shiba takes the upper hand. However, before he can finish Chika off, Michiru uses Shito’s gun to fire at him. She tells him that he is wrong, because he is not living in freedom. Shiba backs off to fall off the roof, but Chika catches him. Expressing that Shiba is not truly free, Chika tells him that he will work to remove the black ring from his neck. However, Shiba refuses and lets himself fall. At that moment, a shinigami appears to take him away. Shito expresses that it is all over once that happens. After Michiru runs to call Yuuta to treat their injuries, Chika leans on the back of Shito. In other places, a man in a yellow suit expresses his disappointment in the loss of another sample.

Once everyone arrives home, Michiru notices that Chika doesn’t look well. He tries to convince her otherwise by quickly eating his dinner. Koyomi leaves early because she does not want to miss her shows. Chika asks Michiru if he can stay in her room because he is lonely, but this only causes Michiru to run out in embarrassment. Shito refuses to Chika before he can even ask him, but he finds him in his room anyways after returning from the bath. After Shito wakes him up, Chika asks where zombies would go after they die. Shito replies that he doesn’t know, but mentions that the shinigami take them away. Chika expresses that Shiba has properly died then, and wonders what it is to die. Shito and Chika pick Michiru up at the Zombie Loan the next day, and take her to a funeral. There, she sees one of the clients that she noticed before. Michiru is also surprised when Chika gives him a large amount of money provided by Bekkou. As she pays her respects, Michiru notices that the picture of the deceased is that of the female zombie that appeared earlier. This makes her realize that they are at a funeral for zombies.

Shito expresses that when ever someone dies, there are always people that shed tears for them. The three leave after hearing why the funeral manager did not want to quit his work, and Shito expresses that such things are not needed to be spent on the dead. Shito leaves the two afterwards, leaving the rest to them. After making a delivery to a house, Chika explains that it was for the man with the glasses who claimed to be the butterfly. Even though it caused a lot of trouble for them, Michiru realizes that there are even people such as family who care about people like that. Chika then mentions that even he has family. Although he doesn’t know where his mother has gone, he has a younger sister and a father. However, he cannot return as a zombie even though he cares about his sister. Michiru suggests that it would be fine to take his time to pay off his loan, but Chika denies. Chika explains that the longer they live as zombies, they start to lose human emotions until nothing remains. Chika expresses that he is afraid of death. Elsewhere, Shito wonders when it was that he stopped wondering about what dying was, because he does not feel anything.

Preview: Hot springs episode!!!

Impression:

The pacing was so off in this episode. We started off with a major fight, went back to the silly dormitory scenes, and just as quickly switched to a very dialog driven character development. I really didn’t enjoy the fight scene. The action was not fluid at all, and they took a lot of time out to talk between blows. Despite that, I actually enjoyed this episode quite a bit. The insert song was pretty good, and I loved the messages of death that were presented. It really makes you think about life, and those who have lost it. They gave off enough background story for us to empathize with Chika’s loss, and the funeral scenes strengthened that as well. Michiru also grew a bit when she shot Shiba, claiming that he was mistaken. It bothered me when I saw how lightly she took the situation afterwards though. I can understand her want to treat the injuries quick, but Michiru just seemed like she didn’t care when she ran off.

There was also some growth between Chika and Michiru, when he asked to stay in her room and when he talked to her about his family after the funeral. Shito shows us a new side of himself, as it seems like he is already losing human emotion. That is something that I think is normal, and I don’t think you have to be a zombie to feel that way. With Zombie Loan going into subjects like these, I am getting a lot more interested. Maybe I’m just a sucker fo those vacant city scenes. The next episode seems a lot lighter, taking us to the hot springs. I like to joke that it has been “go to the hot springs or pool week” for anime, but I did not expect Zombie Loan to be following that pattern at all. Who else is interested in seeing Michiru and Yomi next week?

Oh noes!!! There’s some obvious spoilers ahead.

Summary:

Koyomi drags Michiru through the mall to begin buying some clothes. Meanwhile, Chika and Shito meet Yuuta and Shiba in the Zombie Loan. While Yuuta goes through the discovered butterfly website, everyone starts laughing at how little Shito knows about computers. Getting back on topic, Yuuta tells them that there is a page that cannot be accessed without a password. Shiba takes control, and successfully enters the page. They find that an event is being held on that very day. After Koyomi and Michiru purchase their new clothes, Michiru sees the person who was stealing from the convenience store previously. Upon looking at him from a distance, she sees that he has a black ring around his neck. In other places, Otsu takes a look at a dead woman. It happens to be a zombie that goes after him, but he turns around to burn it up with his power. Koyomi and Michiru have gotten involved with a group of people after following the man with the black ring around his neck. Koyomi and Michiru have been mistaken as members because of the butterfly patterns on their purchased clothes. After listening to their discussion about who the butterfly is killing, Michiru makes a statement about how important human lives are. This makes everyone attempt to kill her, but Yomi wakes up after Michiru calls her name. Chika, Shito, and Shiba also show up after finding Koyomi’s phone abandoned at their meeting place.

After everyone is taken care of, Yomi helps Michiru up. She is surprised when Michiru calls her by the name “Yomi” and genuinely thanks her. However, she once again falls asleep, and the group goes after the zombie without her. Following him to a building, they find the zombie holding a woman hostage. He claims to be a god, but Shito and Chika could care less. They both release their weapons and attack him, but that doesn’t kill him yet. The zombie continues to insist that he is a god, but Shiba then claims that his existence is far different from a god’s. With this, the man falls to his death, and Shito releases his spirit. Chika wonders why he has not gotten any credit for the kill back at the Zombie Loan, but Bekkou explains to him that they did not kill the right zombie. After Michiru mentions that she thought that might be the case, Yuuta opens the door to a zombie that tries to attack them. Otsu arrives right behind it to kill it, and explains that it has followed the same pattern as the one he faced earlier. Deciding that it must be the work of the butterfly, they conclude that the butterfly must know what they are doing. Yomi uses her ability on the now dead woman, revealing a message sent by the butterfly himself. Arriving on a high rooftop at night, they find that the real butterfly is none other than Reiichirou Shiba.

Preview: Face off against the real butterfly.

Impression:

Oh, how terribly predictable. For some reason, this show seems to be following a pattern. It goes from one good episode to one bad episode, though I’m talking more about the animation. Some parts of this episode looked extremely lazy, and it bothered me again. I wasn’t extremely impressed with the plot either. I love how Yuuta and Chika did not give a second thought when Shiba easily accessed the password protected section of the website. Michiru and Koyomi’s buying of new clothes also served no purpose but to conveniently get them into the secret meeting by pure coincidence. The zombie Michiru noticed played such a small role, and it felt like he was only introduced to be killed. I know they are trying to fit all of this into a bigger picture, but I just can’t help but think that it is being put together poorly. However, as predictable as it is, things look like they will start getting interesting. I wonder how Chika and Michiru will deal with finding out that Shiba is the butterfly and a zombie. We might even find out who is giving everyone the black rings. By the way, am I the only one who was getting mad Death Note vibes off of this episode? “I’m god.” “Who will die next?” “You aren’t god.” The guy even falls to his death after that. Hahaha!

Oh, finally a sensible show to fill the gap that today’s fanservice filled shows left. Ok, maybe not.

Summary:

Shortly after being introduced to Chika’s friend from junior high, Reiichirou Shiba, Michiru leaves with them and her rewarded lunches. They are interrupted however, when a large pack of rats surrounds them. Michiru suggests that Chika use his power, but he states that he cannot. Shiba then takes out an mp3 player and attaches the headphones to Chika’s bag, using the sound to drive the rats away. After explaining how he did it, Shiba also comments on how strange it was for the rats to go after them and the conversation they were having during the panic, which causes Chika and Michiru to run off. After telling Shito about what had happened, the three head to the Zombie Loan. There, Michiru is introduced to a new face, Sawatari Otsu, who will be working with them. They also find that Shiba is in the room, which causes Shito to quickly aim his gun at him. Chika attempts to convince everyone that he is of no harm, before they move on. Looking through some photos of a suicide scene, and with a bit of Shiba’s help, they figure out that it is connected to the same case they had Yomi look into for them. Chika and Shiba remain on bad terms when everyone goes out to eat afterwards, but Bekkou comes up with a gamble which would allow Shiba to work with them. Everyone goes their separate ways afterwards, including Shito who does not want to walk with Chika. Michiru comments on her belief that Shito and Chika were friends, but Chika then explains that they are only connected because of their accident. Chika actually has one of Shito’s hands, and vise versa, to control their weapons. In the Zombie Loan, Yuuta finally finds the site that he was reminded of when looking through the photos earlier.

Preview: Michiru and Koyomi cosplay, and everyone faces the computer dude.

Impression:

Ok, I’m going to be honest. I have no idea what they were talking about in the Zombie Loan, and it wasn’t because of the language barrier. Math puzzles aren’t exactly my strong point, and I couldn’t be bothered to rewatch that part to figure it out (at least not tonight…blogging three shows, ugh). If anyone has read the manga, or is more familiar with things like that, feel free to explain to me what exactly they “figured out”. I know I said in an earlier post that I felt like this show had been going the shounen route, but I’m not really sure if that holds truth anymore. If anything, I find this show more and more directed towards girls. Today’s episode was full of the bishounen type characters and attitudes. Speaking of bishounen, I already have a bad feeling about Shiba. I’m just getting the impression that Shito’s instinct is telling him that Shiba is bad news, and Chika is being far too trusting to his old friend. One of the earlier scenes also hinted something bad was going to happen. I could be way off base though. It looks like we’ll get to see some random cosplay fanservice in the next episode, and exactly what the computer guy (who looks like he’s been playing mmo’s for a little too long) has to do with everything.