I like that we have more cast and it is interesting that a foreigner is part of the group. I'm interested in this story path.

I am thoroughly enjoying this series, the books can't arrive in my hands fast enough. This reminds me of I am a hero in many ways but is totally different. It's wild and zany. I have laughed out loud in every volume so far. I look forward to my continued enjoyment.
Thank you to Netgally and VIZ Media for a digital copy (that sadly got archived before I could get a chance to read it) in exchange for a honest review.

A new friend joins in and the journey to Akira's hometown continues. This is a bit more of the same, but fans are going to enjoy being on the ride.

For Libraries: Adult suitable; purchase where 1-3 are circulating.

Phew! After the slight dip in quality in Vol 3, Vol 4 comes back with added heart! Akira continues to check things off his bucket list, including getting top quality sushi (I can appreciate that need) and going to a hot spring, before he makes it home to his parents' village - a cordoned-off secure enclave of normalcy in the midst of the zombie apocalypse. The splashy, kinda dumb high jinks of the first few episodes take a much-needed backseat to real emotion in this heart-warming installment. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Shizuko has finally teamed up with Akira and Kenichiro. The trio is traveling by RV around Japan working on marking off Akira's bucket list when they decide to get some sushi! when they are joined by Beatrix Amerhauser, a German Japanophile dressed as a samurai! After sushi, they need a bath so they set out to find a zombie free hot springs. Next, the quartet managed to aid a gentleman build a tree house before trekking over the mountain to get to Akira's hometown. The question for volume 5 is will newcomers to the village change it for the better or for the worse?

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this volume!

After literally jumping the shark in volume 2 in an epic way, it felt like this series was goin to jump the shark metaphorically as well with nothing new to tell and really underwhelming volume three. and it starts out uninteresting with the addition of a German badass woman who looks like a Valkyrie and is obsessed with Japanese culture (hooray for convenient German otakus and their samurai swords). It seemed like more of the same. But then we got to the ancestral village and there are some very interesting family dynamics and even more interesting future antagonists. I'm not going to give up on this series yet, but it needs more than a fun premise, a plucky hero, and plenty of male and female eye candy to keep me reading. Hopefully volume five lives up to that hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viz for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've been enjoying the Zom 100 series, and Volume 4 is no exception. In this volume, Akira and company journey to Akira's hometown, and we delve deeper into Akira's backstory. This was an especially heartfelt volume that provided a great reprise from some of the more intense action in previous volumes (though that's not to say that this volume didn't have its fair share of action.)

I'm looking forward to Volume 5!

ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead is a comedy-action series that has captured my heart since Volume 1 with relatable content, killer humor, and even better art. ZOM 100 Volume 4 is written by Haro Aso and features art from Kotaro Takata. The series is published and localized in English by VIZ Media through its Signature imprint. The volume features translation by Nova Skipper and features touch-up art and lettering by Vanessa Satone. Last volume, Akira hit a snag when it came to checking things off of his bucket list. On the way to Gunma, the crew finds their way to a gang run by none other than Akira’s old boss. After shaking out of his old wage slave spell, the volume ended with character growth, history, and more.

Now, in ZOM 100 Volume 4 Akira is a new man with his abusive boss in his rearview. Opening with some SUP yoga, Akira, Shizuka, and Kenichiro are back on the road to Gunma to hopefully find Akira’s parents safe and sound. But of course, the road to Gunma is paved with zombies and side trips like sushi, hot springs, and treehouses to boot. That said, the most interesting part of this volume is the arrival of a brand new traveling companion in a samurai uniform, Beatrix —a German who came to Japan because she just loves the culture

There is a lot of fun in ZOM 100 Volume 4 but Akira remains a thoughtful protagonist who can’t stop thinking about his parents. The item he’s checking off? Paying them back. But how exactly do you pay your parents back during a zombie apocalypse? Between this and the vulnerability is shown in a quiet hot spring moment between Akira and Shizuka play well against the heavy action and naked shots of Kenichiro. In fact, these moments of quiet in a rather bombastic series help give it a heart. This volume keeps nailing the balancing act between ecchi-lite, humor, action, and some emotional too. It’s hard to achieve but volume after volume ZOM 100 does it.



While everything I’ve talked about until now is thanks to Aso’s writing and Skipper’s translation, Takata’s art is also stunning. With large pages of non-stop action and blood and dynamic movement, ZOM 100 Volume 4 is jaw-dropping. Everything about this volume just works and keeps upping the series. Additionally, the fan service given by detailing both women’s and men’s bodies in the series and in particular this volume is perfect.

Overall, ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead Volume 4 is another stellar volume of a stellar series that you absolutely need to be reading.

Finally going back home Akira's story is progressing amazingly. As the story progresses it keeps getting better. The characters are all very dynamic and bring a sense of connection to the story. With each new character or problem introduced it never feels forced or out of place it rolls along perfectly. I can't wait to red vol 5 as Zom 100 is defiantly becoming a great manga to follow.

Akria is now on a mission to see his parents but still will do many of his bucket list items on the way to them. He'll make new friends and try new things but two things that remain the same is zombies and life really is an adventure. I loved watching the mishaps and mayhem that occur as they work through the list and try to just do normal tasks like building a treehouse and even trying to relax at a hot spring. Such a fun read can't wait to see what happens next.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Volume Four introduces a new character and provides character development for Akira.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Volume Four
Written by: Haro Aso
Publisher: Shogakukan
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: November 16, 2021

At the beginning of the volume, Akira, Kenichiro, and Shizuka discover a damaged truck on the side of the road and zombies swarming it. Akira puts on the shark suit in order to save the driver, but they’re all stunned when the driver comes out in samurai armor and defeats the zombies without their help. It turns out the driver is a German woman named Beatrix Amerhauser, who is a Japanese otaku who came to the country right as the zombie pandemic was underway. Beatrix is trying to get fresh fish to the last living sushi chef so she can try his sushi. It turns out that pigging out at a sushi restaurant is on Akira’s bucket list, so of course, he’s more than happy to help Beatrix make her delivery.

When they make it to the town where the sushi chef lives, they see it’s overrun with zombies. However, Shizuka comes up with a plan to get themselves and their truck to the sushi chef’s location. I still can’t figure out why Kenichiro was willing to agree to strip himself down naked and serve as bait for the zombies. Luckily, Shizuka’s plan works out in the end, but it surprised me that Kenichiro was willing to take that much of a risk. But it’s hinted at later that Kenichiro is interested in Beatrix, so perhaps that might be why. At the end of this adventure, they all get to chow down on sushi, thus allowing Akira to cross another item off of his bucket list.

Beatrix decides to travel with Akira and the others, and they continue on to Akira’s hometown. Before they get there, they come across to a town with hot springs. Their hope is to get a chance to bathe and relax before heading on their way. They find the perfect hot spring, but it turns out that the pump in the women’s bath no longer works. Just as it looks like the girls will be joining the guys, the zombies make their appearance. This leads to a chase, of course, and destroys their chance for the some rest and relaxation… or does it? They escape from the zombies and fall asleep in the mountains, and when Akira wakes up and finds a natural spring and decides to take a bath. But after getting into it, he discovers that Shizuka is also there. It’s awkward at first, but they find a way to share the bath and maintain their privacy. But this is an important scene, because Shizuka feels like she can open up to Akira. Earlier, there were hints that Akira may be developing feelings for Shizuka, and this scene seems to be building on that. And maybe Shizuka likes him back, but just isn’t willing to admit it to herself yet. There’s definitely the potential for the “will they, won’t they get together” angle to continue in this series, and I hope it’s something that’s explored. Yes, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is more of a comedy overall, but I think this angle would help to strengthen both Akira and Shizuka as characters.

When Akira and the others finally make it to Akira’s hometown, they discover the entrance to the tunnel leading to it has been blocked in order to keep the zombies out. The four have to get out of their vehicle so they can cross the forest and go over the mountain on foot. As they travel by foot, they encounter a man who is trying to build a treehouse in the forest. If you couldn’t guess, building a treehouse is on Akira’s bucket list, so the group stays and helps the man build it. The man ends up saying some things that make Akira think about how he’s treated his family and how he thinks he hasn’t appreciated them enough. This chapter not only helps Akira cross another item off his bucket list, it provides a development for Akira that carries over into the last chapter of the volume.

Akira and the others finally make it to Akira’s hometown in the final chapter, and we learn he grew up in a small, remote farming village. As soon as Akira sees his parents, he starts blubbering and thanking them for everything they’ve done for him. His father, though, isn’t easily swayed by his words. Akira spends the chapter trying to figure out how he can give back to his parents. When he tries to pamper his mother, she thanks him for worrying about her, but thinks that he’s the tired one. He ends up helping his father with the farm work, and the audience learns that Akira’s father may not have much time left. But he keeps this secret from Akira.

Right at the end of the volume, we see a group of city kids pass by Akira and his father, and his father refers to them as “slacker NEETs” who do nothing to lift a finger to help the village. But right at the end, we see these NEETs discover the vehicle Akira and the others were traveling in, and they come across Akira’s bucket list. So could we see Akira’s bucket list getting stolen? How could this development affect Akira and the series?

There was a bonus chapter that would have been set before Shizuka joined them on their journey. This chapter sees Akira and Kenichiro going to a burlesque show. While the dancers have become zombies, they seem to still have their pre-zombie memories, so they put on the show that the two guys have come to see. This chapter shows us that Akira crosses another item off his bucket list: party at a show club. I guess this is something that the author wanted to show, but just couldn’t quite make a full chapter out of. Will we perhaps see other bonus chapters included in future volumes to show Akira making more progress on his bucket list?

Beatrix is an interesting addition, especially when she talks about aspects of Japanese culture and it turns out she knows more than the native Japanese characters. I hope that her addition to the story will continue to add to and expand the story and the world of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead.

Volume Four did a great job progressing the story of the series, and I liked how it ended with the NEETs finding Akira’s bucket list. As a reader who has been following this series from the beginning, my interest is truly piqued to read Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Volume Five in order to find out what happens next.

2.5 Stars

I do enjoy this series, and this volume feeds into a lot of the classic special episode moments – like the hot spring storyline for example. I am not sure how I feel about the “ze german vemale” that has been written in. I think it’s about poking fun, like Allo Allo, so I’ll just enjoy it on that level - but the endless Z/V accent was irritating.

I’ve really been enjoying this series. It’s a refreshing take on the zombie apocalypse stories, and our characters have so much fun and personality that you can’t help but love them. However, this volume was a bit weak.

It feels as if it was padded out to fill up the page count. There was a new character who didn’t do anything but be walking fan service, and an avid fan of Japan. She has potential to grow and become interesting, but her role seemed more wasted with how flat this volume was.

The previous volumes had a clear idea where it was going, in terms of the bucket list, but now it feels a bit lost. It got to the parents house, but now it doesn’t know where to go and I found myself losing interest.

There’s an interesting cliffhanger at the end, so I have hope the next volume will be better.

Volume 4 of Zom 100 continues its oddly optimistic zombie saga. In this volume they add a new member to the main crew, enjoy delicious sushi and sake, bathe in hot springs, build a tree house, and finally come back to Akira's hometown, which somehow managed to seal off its borders and keep the pandemic out (this sounds familiar). They drop some hints on what's coming for volume 5 at the end of the volume, as some of the outsiders that made their way to Akira's hometown seem to have plans of their own. (I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley.)

Hot Spring drama? Undead wild animals? Quest for the best Sushi? Only in Zom 100.

After a slightly disappointing volume 3, this volume is back in full force with what I fell in love with in the Zom 100 universe! Akira is back to his live free and fearless self. We meet a new awesome character and I can’t explain why I like them so much but they are hilarious!

This tome is all about family: the one you were born with and the one you make along the way! We are again delving into Akira’s past but this time it wasn’t too much at a time. Perhaps the next volume will explore this family and their relationships in more detail.

What is next on the bucket list?

Special thanks go to the NetGalley team and the publishers for providing this ARC. I appreciate the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.

In this volume, Akira, Kencho, and Shizuka continue their trip to Akira's hometown. They run into another survivor whose vehicle is stalled on the side of the road and being attacked by zombies. Akira goes to save them, but she is already saving herself. Her name is Beatrix, and she is from Germany. She came to Japan to experience great sushi. The group helps her and enjoys great sushi. Beatrix joins the group. They experience a hot spring, help a man build a treehouse, and finally make it to Akira's hometown.