Zombieland Saga – Episode 3

We take a small break from the laugh out loud comedy to try to sort out the clear hesitations and emotional issues that Junko and Ai are going through. That’s not to say that this episode isn’t funny, but it’s more character focused then the last two and thus didn’t nearly make me hyperventilate from laughing every five seconds.
Best part of the episode? Naming the band! Let’s be real, Green face? Death Musume? Neither of those names are very idol like, in other words, Kotaro’s ideas are garbage. Lily is absolutely right in saying this, so the girls have to come up with a band name.
1. They are all terrible at naming things.
2. Why is everything horrifying in Kanji?
3. Tae-chan! No, don’t eat the marker! Please kids, ink is toxic, don’t try this at home. Remember Tae-chan is already dead!

Though her attempts at eating ink lead her to sneeze, her sneeze names the band. “Franchouchou.”, if any of them think this is actually any better/cuter then anything that Kotaro came up with. They are about 25% right because at least it doesn’t sound like a band name for an entirely different type of music. That is still 75% wrong though, because it just sounds silly and the more they stand around and say it and agree that it’s not so bad of a name and that it sounds cute, the more I giggle.

Second best part? Aside from that, is the girls considering for a second that because they are zombies. They could smell. It’s just funny for them to all stop, sniff themselves and laugh awkward. Not sure why that amused me as much as it did. Anyway,
Junko and Ai, the actual, you know idols of the group are the two most reluctant to jump on this idol train. Junko because she was a solo act before this and she’s unsure how performing in a group will mesh, and Ai because she seems to think that none of them really understand what it takes to be an idol. Kotaro in particular, she thinks he’s being too lax about all of this and is making fun of just how hard it is to make it in the idol industry.
The other girls seem to be pretty fired up, Saki names herself as the leader of the group after Lily says they need one. Ironically, I somehow thought they were going to vote Sakura into the leader role since you know. She woke up first and she seems to be the most gung-ho person about all of this. There is a brief moment during practice that they lose their motivation but it’s over fast enough.

So they proceed to throw their first street side guerilla concert! All of the girls besides Ai and Junko hop out and begin the performance, but it’s plagued with problems. Lily messes up some of the dance steps and bumps into Sakura, Sakura forgets the words to the song. Eventually, Ai and Junko jump in to help save the performance and even though they only have one little girl watching and cheering for them at the end. It’s something, and honest it’s super heartwarming.
The only thing i’m vaguely sad apart in this episode is that the episode did not stop to address the extremely awkward and stilted CGI dancing, which I really do feel like they did entirely on purpose because it absolutely is a staple of idol anime at this point. Perhaps they didn’t want to shatter the 4th wall that badly, or perhaps they didn’t want to draw attention to how exactly awkward and stilted the CGI dancing was? Who knows.

At the end of it all, Junko realizes that performing in a group isn’t so bad and Ai, well i’m not really sure what she learns. She remembers her old group though and thinks that perhaps, starting over won’t be too bad. So hopefully that wraps up the arc with these two and we can explore the other zombies a little more?

Also, omg, the cop. He is SO weird, he looks at Sakura like “Don’t I know you?” and when she freaks out and runs off with the rest of the group, he’s like “Maybe I turned on the charm too much.”, BOY, you are about as charming as a rotten apple core! Do not think so highly of yourself!

Last, Kotaro. He didn’t do a ton this episode other then be himself. Which ya know, is fine, he did let Ai and Junko sit in the car when the performance began. I’m not sure what to make of him past “lol, he’s funny, Mamoru please stop making me laugh so hard.”, I feel like there is more behind Kotaro’s character and I’m not entirely sure what that more is.

Next week, it seems like we’re going to be getting a hot springs episode. Oh dear god, i’m not ready. My heart isn’t ready for zombie idols at a hot spring. My lungs can’t handle this and it’s not even next Thursday yet.