Is This a Zombie? Volume 1

Manga
Is This a Zombie? Volume 1
By Chris Zimmerman
April 19, 2012 - 11:22

Yen Press
Writer(s): Sacchi, Shinichi Kimura
Penciller(s): Sacchi, Kobuichi, Muririn
Letterer(s): AndWorld Design
ISBN: 978-0-316-21036-2
$11.99 US

What does one make of a new series that opens with gratuitous shots of an adolescent girl falling crotch first into the face of an unsuspecting young man? As if that wasn’t enough, the series then goes on to top itself by having said girl’s clothes evaporate only to be attacked by a giant bear. Ever since FLCL defined weird more than a decade ago, it seems that the need to push the envelope has been steadily increasing to the point that it doesn’t matter if an audience can comprehend what is happening so long as it’s “cool” or plays to a specific crowd. And make no mistake, Is This a Zombie? definitely has an specific market.

Those unfortunate readers expecting a plot to manifest or for a character to randomly elucidate the events in question are better off looking elsewhere. Any sort of familiarity the reader might try to assert with the volume is pushed aside for fight sequences that see moe girls clashing with a wide assortment of monsters.

And just as quickly as the series thrusts its readers into the action, it wastes little time in establishing the cast. Hayuna is the devil may care chainsaw wielding self proclaimed “magikewl girl”, Sara is busty and somewhat domineering, Eu fills out the role of quiet introvert, and Ayumu is the straight man to all these shenanigans. If I didn’t know any better, I might think this was a Halloween-themed episode of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

What readers get out of Is This a Zombie? depends on their willingness to try and follow a story where there really isn’t one; at least not yet. There are some entertaining nuggets to be found – such as Ayumu being forced to essentially wield magical girl powers - and the moe stereotypes are not without their appeal, but those who are used to knowing what is going on might want to wait for a second volume before fully investing in the series.

Rating: 7.5/10