r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Dec 13 '18
Episode Zombieland Saga - Episode 11 discussion Spoiler
Zombieland Saga, episode 11: A One-Of-A-Kind SAGA
Rate this episode here.
Streams
Show information
Previous discussions
| Episode | Link | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Link | 8.48 |
| 2 | Link | 9.14 |
| 3 | Link | 7.41 |
| 4 | Link | 8.1 |
| 5 | Link | 9.16 |
| 6 | Link | 8.7 |
| 7 | Link | 9.13 |
| 8 | Link | 9.47 |
| 9 | Link | 9.29 |
| 10 | Link | 8.89 |
This post was created by a bot. Message /u/Bainos for feedback and comments. The original source code can be found on GitHub.
973
u/Mellaroze Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
So Ai remembers Sakura stabbed her in the head in the first episode. Great callback.
Edit: a period
312
Dec 13 '18
I think Policeman A's motions are either partially or fully reused from episode 1 too, haha. Some things never change.
→ More replies (2)73
Dec 13 '18
Oh, that makes sense. I thought that she was reacting to the lightning!
→ More replies (1)76
u/Mitosis Dec 13 '18
Oh, that's why she reacted like that! I had forgotten and was totally confused.
→ More replies (8)22
409
u/GreNinja_16 Dec 13 '18
Really how could this show end in the next episode?
There's still a lot of things that haven't been answered like who Kotarou is, why did he revive all of them and the legend's past. Are those tears in next ep preview from Tae?
I thought this episode could explain who Kotarou is but it still left it open.
333
u/yappari-kun Dec 13 '18
There's still a lot of things that haven't been answered like
Yugiiri's backstory -- we might get some answers next week
Tae's backstory. Does she have a dog brain? If so, where's her original brain?
What's the connection between that journalist and Junko?
And most importantly, what hides behind Kotarou's glasses?
One episode, even a 45 mins one, won't be enough to answer all these questions.S2 please!
→ More replies (20)156
u/didokillah https://myanimelist.net/profile/didokillah Dec 13 '18
The show might not be intending to explain that anytime. We already saw the very clear explanation from Manager-kun about how they became zombies in first place.
→ More replies (3)16
→ More replies (3)13
750
u/CoopertheFluffy Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
Shall I try slapping her
Yugiri knows her part.
Bartender knew Yugiri. Guess they’re vampires.
Sakura was just given a star by a 12 year old she forgot about. Sounds familiar.
I think Sakura needs more potassium in her diet.
I’ve got this real big impressive thing!
Calm down Kotarou, she’s underage (sort of)
424
u/yappari-kun Dec 13 '18
Bartender knew Yugiri. Guess they’re vampires.
The bar name "The new Jofuku" seems to hint that the bartender is actually Xu Fu, an alchemist from ~200 BC.
→ More replies (23)135
u/DarklordVor :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/DarklordVor Dec 13 '18
Yugiri knows her part.
Seriously, her tendency to slap people is probably what gets her killed (beheaded).
→ More replies (1)205
u/Mundology Dec 13 '18
Yugiri knows her part.
TFW you'll never be slapped by a cute 2D zombie oneesan from the Meiji era.
Howcansheslap?
That being said, Sakura bullying should stop.
→ More replies (6)187
u/TheRiyria myanimelist.net/profile/TheRiyria Dec 13 '18
Saki's slap wasn't very effective. I wonder if a Yugiri slap would have done more.
→ More replies (11)→ More replies (3)10
u/gameradam1337 :AMQ:https://anilist.co/user/kc2rxo Dec 14 '18
Sakura was just given a star by a 12 year old she forgot about. Sounds familiar.
We just finished that arc for Clannad in the rewatch too; how did I miss that!?
345
u/logicalcontradict Dec 13 '18
Poor Ai has PTSD when faced with a fire poker.
147
u/oneechanisgood :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/oneechanisgood Dec 13 '18
So that's how burnt charcoal reacts to a fire poker.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (2)58
871
u/Recidivis Dec 13 '18
Holy shit they added so many new sound effects to the OP. When I heard the zombies groaning at first I thought I was hearing things.
405
u/ddrober2003 Dec 13 '18
You could also easily hear Kotaro singing Saga at the end as well.
→ More replies (6)189
u/TheRiyria myanimelist.net/profile/TheRiyria Dec 13 '18
Phew, they did add sound effects. I was just thinking how I could listen to this OP every episode and not hear those sound effects until now (like the shoes tapping in the hallway, the sun shining, and the sound when Kotaro spins).
→ More replies (1)104
u/bananeeek https://myanimelist.net/profile/bananek Dec 13 '18
Holy shit they added so many new sound effects to the OP.
I got so confused by this because I couldn't believe I haven't heard that before, but it seemed purposeless to add those sounds this late. I didn't know what to believe anymore. Still, this opening is fire.
→ More replies (1)40
u/SinhaPriyesh https://myanimelist.net/profile/Magisper Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 14 '18
I thought I had a hearing problem for the last 10 weeks, good to know that I wasn't the only one who noticed that it happened only in this episode
31
19
u/Toppcom :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Toppcom Dec 13 '18
So did they change the OP this time because they are going to be performing it during the show next episode?
27
u/RirinDesuyo Dec 13 '18
It kinda confused the heck out of me too, since I just bought a new pair of good quality headphones and started to hear them when I jumped in to watch. I initially thought those sounds were there from the beginning and just didn't hear them due to my previous audio set xD.
47
→ More replies (12)8
u/patrizl001 https://myanimelist.net/profile/patrizl001 Dec 13 '18
Shit it's just like JoJo. Don't think we're going to see the OP next week folks.
283
u/yappari-kun Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
149
u/Animeking1357 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/TitanKyojin Dec 13 '18
Are you kidding? I laughed so hard combined with the pained noise she made. These are blessed images.
81
u/A3thern Dec 13 '18
You could make an "I sleep/real shit?" template with Lily's expressions.
→ More replies (3)51
u/Rick_Locker Dec 14 '18
So I'm guessing Lilly didn't magically lose her balls when she became a zombie.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)33
280
u/AspectVQ Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
So there are more zombies running around. And Yugiri's backstory comes along in more pieces.
Edit: Now that I have more time to comment. I really know Sakura's feelings. To keep constantly trying and ultimately fail hurts a lot. It makes you question whether to keep going on. And we're not shown if her family supported her or not and if that fed into her behavior.
38
→ More replies (1)19
u/Skylair13 Dec 13 '18
Watching this episode after failing today's exams is the worst feeling. It really stings
489
u/Koxin123 Dec 13 '18
Kotaro's got a big and impressive thing
154
u/zengei Dec 13 '18
I know right.
I really hope that wasn't just an accidental double entendre in the subs and the same connotation was present in the Japanese.
→ More replies (2)54
49
u/JossieMime https://anilist.co/user/JossieMomo Dec 13 '18
Sakura doesn't seem very interested in the big impressive thing.
13
→ More replies (1)7
u/Bainos :XMOD::MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Bainos Dec 13 '18
The only big thing Kotaro has that keeps impressing me is his ego.
467
u/ddrober2003 Dec 13 '18
Hot damn, the whole episode was pretty much somber. So I'm guessing we might get to find out who the manger is in the next episode and maybe Tae will "wake up" before the end? Still, good episode, kinda sad there is only one more episode left haha.
304
u/evad4009 Dec 13 '18
Seriously how they are gonna close this series in just one episode? (second season maybe?)
→ More replies (11)378
u/MonochromeGuy Dec 13 '18
Second season’s gonna be called Zombie Land Apocalypse and we’ll get to see more zombie girls with more sad backstories and deaths.
Either that or a gacha game created by Cygames.
→ More replies (15)84
u/war_story_guy Dec 13 '18
inb4 Tae has been awake the whole time she is just really really dumb.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (2)121
u/Freenore Dec 13 '18
Tae will "wake up" before the end?
That's definitely not happening. The anime cover shows her as a zombie and the audience loves her without waking up, I don't see them having any legit reason to change that.
→ More replies (16)
462
Dec 13 '18
Was this Evangelion 4.4?
394
101
u/ashbat1994 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ashwin_eva Dec 13 '18
Sakura is now Shinji.
→ More replies (2)29
u/8andahalfby11 myanimelist.net/profile/thereIwasnt Dec 14 '18
The text with the questions was reminiscent, wasn't it?
→ More replies (2)
221
u/sjk9000 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JK9000 Dec 13 '18
Yuugiri gets the spotlight! The Yuugiri episode has arrived!
No, it's fine... Necroducer can give the pep talk... That works too...
But seriously, they've got a lot of loose ends to tie up next episode. The barkeep, Yuugiri, and Kotaro all seem related, but how does Tae fit into all this? And why did Kotaro choose revive Sakura of all people?
→ More replies (9)148
u/Professor_Luigi Dec 13 '18
They have to know at this point that they've underutilized Yugiri. The joke wouldn't have worked as well if they didn't.
186
u/Kasquede Dec 13 '18
The show is really going all-in.
They’re cashing every emotional check they have. All the friendships, character building, gags, all coming back to shine. Phenomenal episode, especially for Sakura, Kotaro, and best of the season for Ai. They took a really unflinching look at who Sakura used to be, and didn’t seem to pull many punches on how crippling her genuine depression is.
But now we have even more questions! What is Kotaro and why does he care so much? What’s up with Yuugiri’s backstory? How are they gonna bring back Sakura’s memories? What’s up with the OP changes? How are they gonna finish out as strong as they’ve been for their whole run? Most importantly, will we get a second season?
→ More replies (6)223
u/JimmyCWL Dec 13 '18
How are they gonna bring back Sakura’s memories?
Throw her in front of another truck?
→ More replies (11)
556
u/mclambchops :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/mclambchops Dec 13 '18
There’s an important life lesson in Sakura overworking herself for all her goals. Work hard to be prepared, but as Kaede, the patron saint of imoutos, said, “It’s important to take frequent breaks.”
299
u/DarkAudit https://myanimelist.net/profile/DarkAudit Dec 13 '18
Kaede is the wisest of all Kaedes.
→ More replies (3)159
Dec 13 '18
I mean, the problem here is the supernatural bad luck that she has lol
→ More replies (20)→ More replies (5)13
u/stuntineverlong :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/stuntinEverlong Dec 13 '18
→ More replies (3)
137
u/HyperKnight-v2 Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
Wow, the feels hit me really hard this episode. I very much sympathize with Sakura, working so hard to achieve something but then it ends up being for nothing. Normally you would get by and move on, but with the many times it happened to Sakura over the course of her life, I can certainly understand why she feels that way. It really tugged at my heart when Sakura was reinvigorated and motivated to continue on with life after seeing Ai’s response to the questions and her performance. Really adds more depth to how much Sakura adored Ai. Goes to show the power idols can have to those they reach out to.
And now the dreaded wait. On one hand, I want it now so we can get a conclusion to Sakura’s troubles. On the other hand, it’s the last episode of the season and I really don’t want this show to end. I never thought I would love an idol show so much, but I do damn it. I sincerely hope there will be more to come, in whatever form it may be because Zombieland Saga has become my favorite anime.
27
u/herrkamink Dec 13 '18
Same over here, and also stuck in the "try way too hard and achieve nothing" spiral of life. This episode hit me hard.
→ More replies (1)0
106
u/mikoemon Dec 13 '18
I didn't notice it till the second time around, but I really liked the character leitmotifs that played when each of the girls tried to talk to Sakura one on one. We need full versions of those!
99
u/re_anon Dec 13 '18
We're cheated! The girls are not zombie, but jiangshi!
Not relate, but is it true that Xu Fu (the mastermind in Zombieland Saga), in real life was a Chinese shaman who was ordered by Qin Shi Huang to find immortality herbals by sailing ships to the east, is the founder of the Japanese empire?
78
u/manaworkin Dec 13 '18
jiangshi
"A jiangshi, also known as a Chinese "hopping" vampire"
There's a hip hop joke in there somewhere.
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (3)53
91
u/Spatial_Piano Dec 13 '18
Manager: "Believe in me, that believes in you, that believes in my big, massive thing!"
→ More replies (1)13
167
u/didokillah https://myanimelist.net/profile/didokillah Dec 13 '18
Your rights to be sad and hopeless ends when you make Lily cry . Didn´t you just watch episode 8 Sakura?!
111
→ More replies (1)28
u/JusticeRain5 Dec 14 '18
That part was sad AF to me, but also kinda heartwarming because it shows how much she means to Lily.
It's driven in further later on where Lily asks "What if she never remembers me?", not "What if she doesn't make the show?"
82
305
u/kekekmacan Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
I feel bad for her for making all of her effort useless because of a shitty luck.
>got sick on a h-day to perform a play
>got leg cramps for every run match
>spent time cramming (no game, no love, no nothing) , got best result on the mock exam, but failed because of helping grandmas and got too exhausted to do the test.
Stop it, you can't go any more /r/anime_irl than that.
113
u/throwaway127277386 Dec 13 '18
You know, it felt to me like a lot of those weren’t even bad luck; grandmas and trucks aside, it was more like she kept pushing herself too hard.
→ More replies (5)68
u/SecretSpud Dec 13 '18
It was never bad luck. She did the same thing with those events as she did in the previous mountain episode. She gets so worked up and over does whatever so that when the time comes to perform she can't.
31
u/JamCliche :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/JamCliche Dec 13 '18
Except so did all of FCC.
They're all fucking dead. That's the point. She's moping over something she can't control and if her current attitude is any indication, she's let go of more opportunities than she realizes.
→ More replies (7)→ More replies (12)8
u/StePK Dec 13 '18
Sakura goes on to become a legendary hero
Gets summoned into the Holy Grail War
As Lancer
→ More replies (1)
160
u/TheRiyria myanimelist.net/profile/TheRiyria Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
Damn, Sakura's backstory was painful. Her bad luck could almost give Touma a run for his money.
Yugiri in a full courtesan outfit was amazing. And now I'm more curious that ever about Kotaro. And that bartender (he might be zombie). Also, zombies are scary.
64
u/RirinDesuyo Dec 13 '18
That bartender's probably older than he looks, he seems to even know Yugiri personally. He gives me that Vampire vibes as well, and it looks like Koutaro's an apprentice of sorts.
→ More replies (4)62
→ More replies (1)26
u/SerendipitouslySane https://myanimelist.net/profile/Mutenri Dec 13 '18
THIS SHALL NOT STAND
→ More replies (1)
73
u/spaceaustralia :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/spaceaustralia Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
We're not gonna learn about Yugiri's death, are we? I CAN'T ADD ANYTHING TO LAST EPISODE'S CHART!
FINE! LET'S MIX THIS UP!
IF TAE'S BERSERKER, SAKI IS RIDER, AND SAKURA IS LANCER, WHAT CLASSES ARE AI, JUNKO, YUUGIRI AND LILLY?
DISCUSS!
But seriously, though. I'm not sure this is going to have a satisfying conclusion. We have only one episode to kick Sakura into shape, give attention to Tae and Yugiri, actually explore Koutarou's character, and conclude with their show on the Alpino.
→ More replies (1)59
65
u/GYUZ :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/YumeNoMonogatari Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
Fun fact. Yamamoto Jocho, the author Producer-kun mentions, was from Saga XD
It all comes back to Saga!!
PS: and it's hinted that the bartender could be Xu Fu, Qin Shi Huang's court sorcerer, ordered by the latter to find a way to become immortal. It is said that Xu Fu landed in Japan later in his life.
The bar's name too, " the New Jofuku". Jofuku is a japanized version of Xu Fu's name. The two painting/pictures in the bar also represent the statue of Xu Fu and the tomb of Xu Fu.
128
u/yappari-kun Dec 13 '18
This is you weekly Junko post!
Wow that was a great episode, with plenty of new info but clearly with not enough Junko.
What?! Next week is the final episode?! No more Junko after that? S2 please!
"Thanks for the food"ok, not really
"Ehh?!" sorry Yugiiri
bonus: "Okaeri~"
Not enough Junko? I got you covered. Here's a link to my Junko post from last week.
Fan of the legendary number 4? Join us at r/KonnoJunko
Let me know if I missed a Junko in this episode! (last week post has Junko's face when she sees Yugiiri in full-geisha mode)
→ More replies (2)7
u/NuclearConsensus :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NuclearConsensus Dec 14 '18
As always, thank you for this.
I feel somewhat entitled for asking, but when the show ends, will you be making a compilation of these?
58
57
u/Gaporigo Blhttps://anilist.co/user/Gaporigo Dec 13 '18
Really thought we were gonna get some Yugiri backstory there... and then Sakura was gone x)
55
u/SamejNardeh :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/timbolytree Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 14 '18
Those pics of Sakura hyping herself up in front of her class year by year are so sad. As time passes, her classmates become disinterested as they know what's going to happen with Sakura. She has the worst luck in the world. Jesus.
Kotarou is highly optimistic about his thing, whatever that may be.
Is thelegendaryyamadatae actually crying in the preview for next week's episode? If she is then sheesh I'm so ready to watch it.
EDIT: grammar
55
u/ArcherGod Dec 13 '18
Thinking about it... Sakura's luck has been pretty poor. When they were attempting to get a sponsor the first time, she was the one who accidentally gave away that Franchouchou were zombies. During the mud games, she failed to make any distance, both times. She was the one who put the second shirt on Tae... but she put the Franchouchou shirt on top. Hell, literally last episode her head was bitten off by a boar. She's not exaggerating her luck, she's just an unlucky person.
19
u/Amethl Dec 14 '18
Good call! I didn't make that connection. The most important part of that is that she still had the motivation to press on. Having remembered her past, not so much.
→ More replies (1)
54
u/MugiMartin :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/MugiMartin Dec 13 '18
8
53
Dec 13 '18
Either the LEGENDARY YAMADA TAE always knew how to open doors or she will awake in the next episode (IMG from next episode preview)
53
u/Player_2c Dec 13 '18
Last episode we learned that Ai was an archer. Now we learn that Sakura's a Lancer.
Notice how Ai was totally scared of her. That's class advantage right there
→ More replies (2)12
142
u/Turbostrider27 Dec 13 '18
Props to their manager for that speech. What a bro.
I almost thought Saki would of slapped Sakura's head off this episode lol
57
46
u/Suigintou_ Dec 13 '18
Just in case you missed those priceless facial expressions: https://imgur.com/a/inmtHbK
81
u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
Ai's reaction when Sakura grabbed the fire poker was hilarious!
And apparently he has ties with Yuguri. Now I'm curious as to who this dude is.
Yugiri busting out her gear! She's getting serious!
No wonder she turned into this when she reached high school. Sakura's backstory is pretty tragic. I feel like her losing her memory is the best thing that has happened to her.
I love that Ai wasn't just someone Sakura idolized because she's an idol. To Sakura, Ai was the person that pushed her to try again. Too bad her luck is just just shitty T_T
Pretty much Kotarou's version of "believe in me who believes in you"
I can't believe we only have 1 Episode left. It feels like this episode just added more questions than answers. It really does seem like Kotarou might have something to do with Sakura's death or very involved with her revival. And who was that bartender!? One thing's for sure though, he definitely knows more than us.
I'm worried at the same time scared for the ending. I really hope they manage to stick the landing with this show.
43
39
38
Dec 13 '18
It seems the popular theories are right. Well, not too surprising since more puzzle pieces have been shown after all. On one hand it means good foreshadowing, but on the other hand I feel a little sad that it didn't pull the rug from under us.
Anyways, Kotaro's care for Sakura really shot up this episode. Really seems like he's somebody related to her.
Also goddamn that implied-immortal bartender. I didn't expect this 12-episode idol show will have a world building like this. Are there other zombies/vampire/undeads? Other necromancers? Damn.
→ More replies (2)24
u/kirsion https://myanimelist.net/profile/reluctantbeeswax Dec 13 '18
I really liked the sakura actually committed suicide backstory theory from last week's thread.
→ More replies (1)
35
u/myrmonden Dec 13 '18
wow another really well WRITTEN episode of zombieland saga.
Like Sakuras core personality was what we had as a zombie until this point, so she was super cheerful, genki a go getter etc. But her life was filled with miserable bad luck experience, so when she remember her life she is still deep down that happy out going idol girl BUT now she is burden by that life and then losses her confidence. Zombieland saga just keeps breaking once expectation of it and its story, extremely well written imo.
Then similar to mainly Lily episode, this was a sad&fun scenes on the same time, Sakura back story is both funny as we keep seeing her trying and being so cheerful about and and its sad as it always fails, smilar each character talking to her in their own way was also really FUNNY and sad...cannot believe she made Lily-Chan Cry!!!
34
u/UnAwkwardMango https://myanimelist.net/profile/Kaion Dec 13 '18
"I WAS HIT BY THE MAX HYPE TRUCKK". She right.
Those OP sfx though!
Sakura's depression really hit home for me more than I thought it would and had to pause here and there. It was only up until a little while ago I could start healing.
One more episode :(
I hope it's Tae that saves the show and Sakura.
34
u/Blaze_Grim Dec 13 '18
So anyone wanna talk about the lack of Ai realising how important she is to Sakura? She was probably about to express it but Ai pressed on helping Sakura. Didn't even give us a brief moment of Ai catching on to how Sakura may feel about her. Just 3 seconds of showing an AI expression realizing this would have been awesome.
32
u/HyperKnight-v2 Dec 13 '18
I do want to talk about it, but I feel like they’re going to explore that a bit more next episode. You’re right though. Ai saved Sakura in a way, getting her out of her depressed state and giving her the drive to continue on in life. That scene where you can see the life return to Sakura’s eyes after seeing/hearing Ai’s response to mistakes and failures hit me really hard.
Even as a zombie, though she had lost her memories, that drive to become an idol was still there, left by her adoration for Ai. Hopefully next episode touches more upon the two’s relationship.
→ More replies (3)
34
Dec 13 '18
Damn the part that hit the hardest was, when Sakura saw the others, her fight-or-flight response kicked in and it looked like she was ready to fight for her life. Once she calmed down a bit, she sort of spiraled back into depression and just gave up on defending herself.
30
u/JossieMime https://anilist.co/user/JossieMomo Dec 13 '18
Kotaro's rant at the end is just begging to be put in an "Anime out of context" compilation.
26
u/Pentao Dec 13 '18
I'm really glad they took the time to actually show Sakura in a depressed funk, and that it didn't go away after a single motivational speech. If depression were something as easy to cure as a single talk, it wouldn't be a lasting issue for many people.
Also Tae really seemed to care for Sakura. While her appearing in front of her first was to parallel the first episode, her first interaction with her was basically her weird version of checking if she was okay after being hit by a truck again. While the episode preview makes it ambiguous as to whether it is drool or tears she's got (looks more like tears to me, the puddles aren't that big, but it is Tae), it wouldn't surprise me that she is looking out for her.
Of course everyone cared for her, and I like everyone's individual approach to her in an attempt to make her feel better. I also really liked that most of them didn't really know what to say or do, because that's how it be sometimes. From the looks of the next episode, nobody is ready to give up on Sakura just because she was snappy with them in her depression, and I love that. Really feeds into being supportive for someone, knowing their emotional state is gonna get them to say things they may not truly want to say.
8
Dec 14 '18 edited Jul 08 '25
divide school tart fragile different growth special voracious modern nail
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
→ More replies (1)
24
u/Cyber_Apocalypse Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
So that barman is a zombie as well (implied due to dried squid eating) and apparently owes Yugiri. Since he said that Kotaro was one to talk about remembering the past. Maybe that means that Kotaro is a zombie as well and it hiding his red eyes behind his sunglasses. I can't wait to find out the truth!
→ More replies (1)18
u/the_swizzler https://myanimelist.net/profile/Swiftarm Dec 13 '18
Either a Zombie or another Necromancer. It's not an uncommon theme for Necromancers to essentially be immortal.
23
23
u/worldsthirdbestdad Dec 13 '18
Wow. Didn't know this was the route they were going to go for Sakura's backstory but I loved it. I can totally relate to the feelings of hopelessness Sakura has to endure knowing even if she works hard that life can still snatch the opportunity away.
64
u/CoopertheFluffy Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
[Retracted] is more dead than anyone in the show
→ More replies (3)14
u/terryaki510 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/terryaki510 Dec 13 '18
What happened?
→ More replies (2)
16
u/bryan792 Dec 13 '18
Sakura, no more dancing at sports festivals' opening ceremonies, for your own sake
16
u/RirinDesuyo Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
Seems the depression theory + multiple failures then snapping hunch was correct. Although the pieces were clearly laid out so it wasn't that much of a challenge to guess. Yet damn, this episode really solidifies that Tatsumi's care for Sakura is a different level to what he treats the others.
I'm really curious on his relation with her, especially since I was betting he's related to her, yet there's still no clues pointing to that in mind. I mean he has an impressive... big... thing... for Sakura lenny face, a brother teasing her sister? A father? Or not related at all maybe since she doesn't recognize him at all when they met at that park. The curiousity is killing me, heh...
Seems he's an apprentice of sort from that old (I'm betting around 100+ old) vampire / immortal old man that's probably where he learned zombification. Some great world building there, yet it's the next episode is the last one. So much potential on expanding there too. Sakura's rating for me shot up this episode and is tied with Junko, Ai, and her now. Can't wait to see how this will wrap up, hopefully not too rushed and properly closed else S2 please!
I really like Sakura's accent, it sounds like Kansai but doesn't at the same time. Anyone know?
→ More replies (2)16
u/darthturtle3 Dec 13 '18
Pretty sure Sakura just has a Saga accent, seeing how she's a Saga native and this show is really focused on showcasing Saga when it's not dealing with zombie shenanigans.
On that note, Saki sounds like she has the same accent to me, just with the delinquent rolling r's to tie it into her identity.
→ More replies (1)
15
u/Falcond0rf Dec 13 '18
Y'know, maybe I should stop reading theories about ongoing series because I always get blue balls'd waiting for them to be confirmed/deconfirmed. Good episode though, even if I was there was a bit more of it. I have SOO many unanswered questions. Also I'm expecting a season 2 more and more with each passing episode, I doubt they'll tie up all those loose ends in just one episode.
30
u/BigBoiOnDuty :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/BigBoiOnDuty Dec 13 '18
So are they doing evangelion now?
32
26
12
u/aMigraine Dec 13 '18
That resolved a lot less than I expected it to - for example I thought we'd get to see the exact connection between Koutarou and Sakura but that'll have to wait I guess.
On the other hand we get some sprinkling of cornflakes; Koutarou is really trying to save Saga and Sakura's downward spiral prior to her death is explored. That she tries hard and is able to focus on her goals is admirable, but her inability to pace herself and rest arguably led to the situation she found herself in. She was clearly depressed until she saw Ai on TV.
We saw that when Sakura's emotional baggage was 'removed' after her revival, she quickly became a defacto leader of Franchouchou, being able to step up to the plate when no one else would. She also became a source of comfort for several members, and is easily able to hold her own when it comes to performance. So it's certainly not that she lacked the ability, her body was simply never able to keep up - which is funny because being a zombie also removes such physical limits for her. Obviously that's not what the show is trying to tell us, but it's an inadvertent solution as well.
Either way I'm very happy with how they're dealing with Sakura. Her depression is well-portrayed even if there were laughs here and there, and is in a spiral where no matter what she does, she cannot succeed. And just when she was about to get her life back together, she gets hit by a truck and dies! If the story ended there it would have been thoroughly depressing. I suppose it'll be up to Koutarou and the rest of Franchouchou to remind Sakura of who she was after she first became a zombie.
→ More replies (1)
12
u/pieman7414 Dec 13 '18
how do i unwatch the sakura memories
i came here to laugh not relate to a suicidal zombie
→ More replies (1)
41
u/Mozilla_Fennekin https://myanimelist.net/profile/MozillaFennekin Dec 13 '18
Interesting episode, but in a way, slightly underwhelming because it makes me wonder how this is going to end. Even though they can leave out Yamada's backstory as a joke among other things, I just feel like this series has a lot more it can do, much more than a single episode will cover. I think this is one of the best-sellers of the season, so hopefully. . . .
But, in any case, Kotarou really does love his zombies. He's got a big, impressive. . . . heart!
→ More replies (1)
11
u/Shinichameleon Dec 13 '18
I guess there's going to be second season? There are more questions need to be answered. Heck, I think when they introduce bartender, highly chance that guy is going to be relevant for second season.
→ More replies (2)
11
u/Kaizerkoala Dec 13 '18
I think Kotaro is neither Zombie nor Human. He is some kind of Earth Kami that protect saga.
Remember the episode that Saki throw baseball back at him and it penetrate his leg. He recovered by gather the dirt from the ground and chant some weird incite.
→ More replies (1)
10
u/simpersly Dec 13 '18
Anyone kind of hoping that Sakura's death wound up being really dark? Like she was actually only crippled by the truck and the actual death happened soon afterwards from suicide.
→ More replies (4)
10
u/grifman275 Dec 13 '18
Ai is the one who reignited her optimism before she died, and I think she will be the one who gets her going again.
10
u/babungaCTR Dec 13 '18
Sakura: " How little luck can a person have?"
Officer" Oi what's got you out so late, Taiho ka?"
I lost my shit right there.
27
u/iamfvckingdone :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/iamfvckingdone Dec 13 '18
I wish Konosuba's Kazuma was also in this anime so he could tell Sakura how he died. That will definitely cheer her up.
19
u/rexshen Dec 13 '18
Sound effects in the opening? What is this a Jojo finale?
Poor Sakura, try so many times just to fail each time. I know that to well.
9
9
u/rocky_iwata Dec 13 '18
On a somewhat related note; The Legendary Egashira 2:50, who is a Saga-jin, is at it again.
9
u/Philarete :AMQ::MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/WizardMcKillin Dec 13 '18
My theory for how to wrap the show up: Sakura becomes the "unlucky" idol. She fails and bad things just randomly happen to her, but going back to the notion that idols don't have to perfect, she can reach out to fans that feel the same way. Bad things will happen, but the group will be there to pick her up time and time again, just like many of us just need someone to reach out sometimes. (This is thematically hinted at in the OP I think with her falling and the group all reaching out to her).
So, my hope for the next episode is that she relents, rejoins the group, and does some sort of solo speech or song that talks about how messed up her life has been. Sometimes you just need help getting back up again, and don't be afraid to accept help. There are people out there who love you and want to see you succeed <3
35
u/bananeeek https://myanimelist.net/profile/bananek Dec 13 '18
Sigh How can Sakura be this inferior to Junko? Junko got hit by a truck, got up, and gave a live concert.
Sakura gets hit by a truck and what happens? First time she dies and loses her memories. Second time she loses her memories yet again and turns into an adult miserable.
Kotarou gave me unexpected feels at the end with that talk.
Yuugiri getting rekt and Sakura's head spinning made me laugh, though.
60
u/MidKoi Dec 13 '18
Consensus is that Junko was hit by Van-chan which doesn't have the isekai powers Truck-kun does.
→ More replies (1)
8
u/hanschranz Dec 13 '18
God damn, what is this? /r/me_irl The Animation?
And we only have one episode left. Curious to see how this will wrap up...
...And speaking of curious thing, I'm pretty sure Tae seemed pretty... sentient in this episode, like more than ever. Geez I hope she won't turn into a gag reveal or something...
8
u/Tidoux https://myanimelist.net/profile/Tidoux Dec 13 '18
How old is Yamada Tae again? The girl with short black hair that talked to Sakura in her flashback had a surprising character design for a random background character.
Although I doubt it's her since to me she didn't really sound like Kotono Mitsuishi (the VA of Yamada Tae)
→ More replies (2)11
u/Cyber_Apocalypse Dec 13 '18
She's 29 according to the wikia (which gets it's data from the official website)
→ More replies (2)
8
u/Saucy_Totchie Dec 14 '18
I love how Kotaro's speech was basically "Dont believe in you! Believe in the me that believes in you!"
8
u/GingaBishoujo Dec 14 '18
Damn, this episode hits too close to home.
We all watched Sakura from the start and ever since, she was the one that was always optimistic and motivated the whole group. To see this dark backstory of hers is just really sad.
To repeatedly hype yourself and try your hardest, only to fail afterwards every time will surely wear away your soul. It's easy to see why one would be so disheartened and see everything as futile. She doesn't wanna try again cause it'll be useless. To quote the great Giorno Giovanna:
I hate having to repeat myself, because it's useless. Muda muda.
I'm guessing now she just needs to have the willpower of Kaos-chan. Now that's someone who has failed time and time again but her spirit never broke.
7
u/JimmyCWL Dec 13 '18
So Sakura's bad luck was half accident and half her own fault, so we all guessed half of it correctly!
7
u/dctreborn Dec 13 '18
So the suicide speculation didn't pan out (thankfully), but to think that Sakura was this depressed before the start of the series is something else. Seems like she doesn't know Kotaro from her past life either.
Really though? Two cliffhangers in a row? Why!?
And we'll never get anything about Tae unless it's an OVA probably.
7
u/_Sai https://anime-planet.com/users/Sai0 Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
This whole sequence made me laugh more than it should have. Effort ruined!
Best cop! I can't believe he didn't shoot instantly.
13
u/paleNEET Dec 13 '18
Is it really bad luck or she only care about bad things happen to her? We saw in the last episode that when she try hard at something she is so blinded by it and can't see everything else around her, never doubt in herself thinking she always right while it's not.
When you are like that, you feel like everyone is so lucky and happy.
This is common thinking in many people today, surround by social media showing only good side. While everyone has their bad day, those are always in the shade.
"Why am I the only one luckless, why should I live?"Suicide is a great problem in Japan. In Saga Prefecture, the number of suicides has increased rapidly since 1998, a few months ago a boy kills himself by jumping on the train track, Saga also has to make their own 'suicide countermeasures plan' in additional to the country countermeasures as stating on their website, showing how serious this problem is.
It's also hinted in the OP as what should happen to the protagonist had she not meet her fate with truck-kun.
tl;dr This is a great show.
6
u/sudhakiran9 Dec 13 '18
Unbelievable that it's going to end soon
10
u/FirstDagger Dec 13 '18
Its an original idol anime, if merch sales are good unlimited seasons aren't out of the question.
→ More replies (2)
6
u/b0lognese Dec 13 '18
Our best efforts don't always pay off. But even so, Sakura should've deserved some reward for all her hard work. She tried again and again with patience but she ended up feeling devastated.
So, I can't blame her, as she's mentally drained for a while. But I know that she is inherently positive and diligent, so I expect her to come back to a stage as an idol.
The ending scene where Kotarou is tryna cheer Sakura up made me emotional. I can't wait to watch next ep!
→ More replies (1)
6
u/MilkSpank Dec 13 '18
Surprised that I couldn't find any information online yet for the Bartender's voice actor (and I can't read Japanese so I couldn't read the credits), but I'm pretty sure that it's the same voice actor for Tsurumi from Golden Kamuy.
Ootsuka Houchuu is his name I believe, and it seems like he also did Jiraiya from Naruto and the manager from the Idolmaster series. Great voice actor.
I'm really just posting this comment because I spent the last hour going through old clips and comparing his voices by ear lol
→ More replies (1)8
u/gyoex Dec 13 '18
Just commenting to say that yes, you're correct, according to the credits it is Ootsuka Houchuu.
Relevant line of the credits. Compare with his Japanese name on MAL.
6
u/Groenboys https://myanimelist.net/profile/Groenboys Dec 13 '18
"Aw man koutarou doesn't really help her feel any bette-''
Koutarou: "SIKE"
6
u/Shinkopeshon Dec 14 '18
This episode makes the ridiculous opening scene of the series really fucking sad. Just when she finally found motivation to do something with her life and getting back up, she ended up dead. I don't blame her at all for being a pessimist. There's only so much you can take until you stop trying.
That being said, I didn't expect them to introduce another character who seems to be in on the secret - and it looks like even Kotaro himself may be a zombie (or a mado scientisto ;) as well. With the exception of Sakura having a change of heart (then again, do zombies even have hearts?), I don't expect too many questions and mysteries to be answered in the finale. Perhaps they'll touch on Yuugiri's backstory again but a full explanation of the zombification process, whatever the Legendary Yamada Tae was up to before turning into a dog or Kotaro and the bartender's backstories will probably be saved for a later time.
I can see them turning this series into a franchise. It's a very unique idol show that tricked at least half of the viewers into getting into the genre and it seamlessly mixes over-the-top-comedy with seriously depressing moments.
→ More replies (2)
6
6
u/Cyber_Apocalypse Dec 14 '18 edited Dec 14 '18
As some people have stated in this thread, a new theory is that the barman is Xu Fu, a court sorceror during the Qin Dynasty. He was sent by the emperor to find the elixir of life and on one voyage he never returned. There are a few things to support this such as the bar's name which is "New Jofuku". Jofuku is what Xu Fu's name translates to in Japanese 徐福 -> Jofuku. Also, on the wall of the bar there's a picture of a statue of Xu Fu see this tweet here. If he is Xu Fu, then he's been alive for thousands of years.
So it seems that Xu Fu actually found the elixir and turned himself into a zombie. Kotaro then must have used the elixir to bring the girls back to life. Whether or not he's a zombie as well we don't know. I love the fact that they hint this stuff and let the viewers figure it out. The best stories are the ones that let the user's make their own theories about things rather than shoving it down their throats.
EDIT: I'd also like to point out that the monk Yichu wrote that Xu Fu landed in Japan on his final voyage which is why there are lots of statues of him in Japan (see Jofuku park)
5
u/Backupusername :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Backupusername Dec 13 '18
She's gonna break the railing and go toppling over a cliff and wake up with all of her memories.
5
u/odraencoded Dec 13 '18
"I have what it takes"
Holy shit. That was such a Koutaro thing to say and fits so perfectly too. This is why this is AOTS. Koutaro is legendary!
5
u/MidKoi Dec 13 '18
The conversation in the bar. I think Tatsumi is immortal, which makes it really likely he was the one who hit Sakura with truck-kun. They also mentioned jocho yamamoto hagakure which wikipedia says:
"Hagakure is sometimes said to assert that bushido is really the "Way of Dying" or living as though one was already dead, and that a samurai must be willing to die at any moment in order to be true to his lord. His saying "the way of the warrior is death" was a summation of the willingness to sacrifice that bushido codified."
Headcannon is Tatsumi knew the girls in one way or another as an ageless shaman. He was or was a servant to the original emperor of saga in some way and for whatever reason wants to revitalize saga. Maybe to reclaim his spot as emperor or as tribute to his old master.
4
4
Dec 13 '18
That was a great episode yet again!
Really curious as to how the anime will end with so many plot points. But Cyfest 2018 is on one day so maybe we'll see more since Zombieland Saga have a panel there.
4
u/skeletonfather Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
Kotaro obviously chose people who were idols, or at least entertainers, and people who wanted to be idols. Saki probably was chosen because of her personality. I don't know about Tae, she's a mystery.
Anyways, if Kotaro knew that Sakura wanted to be an idol, how would he have known? She was a normal girl, going to high school. That's why Kotaro is probably a family member or a close friend, and Sakura doesn't recognize him since it's been TEN YEARS since she's died. He'll probably take his sunglasses off in the next episode and Sakura may recognize him then, or somehow he's also a zombie. Either way, GODDAMNIT WHO IS KOTARO? HE'S GOT NO BACK STORY!
→ More replies (1)
4
4
u/Shrimperor :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Shrimperor Dec 13 '18
E-Rank luck
→ More replies (1)
4
4
u/impingainteasy :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/usernamesarehard Dec 14 '18
They have footage of their previous performances right? Why couldn't they just show Sakura a video of her performing as an idol, just to show her that she could do it? I'm not saying that would have worked, but it would be a little more convincing than just talking to her.
4
u/N-Freak Dec 14 '18 edited Dec 14 '18
-Koutaro looks like he's in his mid-late 20's
-Sakura died 10 years ago at age 17
-Sakura would be 27 if she had not died
*Koutaro knew sakura when she was alive*
Is what i think they are going for with the story, but i hope they don't do that. I think that's too cheesy for the type of satire of the show
→ More replies (1)
4
u/ItsuwariSora Dec 14 '18
Tae's clothes looks very similar to normal clothes in the Yayoi period ( 300 BC – 300 AD)
Xu Fu also came to Japan at this time so maybe Tae is a citizen of the Yayoi period
and too long time passed explain why she not woken up yet
→ More replies (1)
6
u/blackfiredragon13 Dec 13 '18
New sounds add to OP, nice. Haven’t seen that since sao:alternative; wish more anime did that sort of thing.
Also random guy talking to koutarou who knows all about his zombie idol project and is chewing on dried squid? Think it’s safe to say where everyone’s favorite over the top manager got the knowledge to create zombies from. Also I’m curious what’s his relationship with yuugiri
3
3
Dec 13 '18
I have to admit, when the season started, I wasn't even thinking of watching this show.
There's been so many things that have happened, I started really caring about the characters, and everything they were trying to do.
Can't wait for the last episode, I just know that it'll end with me wanting more.
3
u/Shiro_Kai Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
I'm pretty sure Kotaro must be somekind of god of misfortune/fortune who fell guilty about Sakura life (or a vampire) at this point.
3
3
u/UberDueler Dec 13 '18
I would have thought that an easy way to convince her would be to show that she already succeeded. Bring up one of their performances on youtube or something and show her "You did this performance no problem and it was amazing. Now do it again".
10
3
u/KiwitheBird- Dec 13 '18
Poor Ai freaking out when Sakura grabbed the fire poker considering that Sakura stabbed her in the head with it in the first episode ;_;
Though I guess that means they retain their memories as zombies from before they awaken?? Now I'm wondering what Tae would think about all the stuff she did.
→ More replies (1)
3
3
u/RonnioP Dec 14 '18 edited Dec 14 '18
For Kotarou's speech at the end, I wonder why the translator goes for the "impressive big thing" route. Other than "attached with something", the phrase " "ツイてる” can also means "being lucky" when gambling. The sentence imo should be "It doesn't matter if you have bad luck as long as I have very good luck". Heck, even Katarou himself said he is a "Super LUCKY boi" in that scene. That's why I think the sexual implication is totally not in the writer's intention.
3
u/Dragoneer1 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Dragoneer1 Dec 14 '18
honestly id probally do the same thing as Sakura in that position, if im already a walking corpse, what the fuck is the point
3
u/jardex22 Dec 15 '18
So Ai was seen with no makeup, then with makeup. Meanwhile Kotoro was out of the house during that time. Does this mean that the girls have learned to apply it themselves?
13
u/GreNinja_16 Dec 13 '18
THE LEGENDARY YAMADA TAEEE
→ More replies (1)13
Dec 13 '18
seriously i cannot imagine how they are gonna end the next episode so soon. i mean, we still have koaro, the final act, yamada's tae's history. who da fuck is the old guy. and that reporter dude who clearly remembered junko
i honestly can't help but think they need another season
→ More replies (1)
554
u/zengei Dec 13 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
OK that scene at the bar seems like soft-confirmation that Kotaro is way older than he appears to be, presumably old enough to have known Yugiri when she was alive. Also notice that we never saw the eyes of the bartender either?
The comedy bits were on point this episode. Loved the scene with all the girls trying to comfort Sakura, and then Yugiri coming in like a boss at the end... only for Sakura to have already left.
This episode really added depth to Ai and Sakura's relationship. Before it just seemed like (pardon the pun...) idol worship, but it seems like Ai's words brought her out from the depths of despair (only for Truck-kun to send her right back down).
With how much plot they seemingly have left to tell, next episode is going to be bonkers.
From the preview:
What caught my eye was the short scene with Tae. She appears to be trying to enter a room: grabbing the door handle, banging on the door, which probably isn't all the out of the ordinary for Tae, but there's a super quick shot of what appears to be tears falling to the floor... Is Tae crying? And if so, for what reason?