Title: Is this A Zombie? DVD/Blu-ray Complete Series – Anime Classics
Director: Takaomi Kanasaki
Studio: Studio Dean
U.S. Distributor: FUNimation Entertainment
U. S. Re-Release Date: March 25th, 2014
Format: DVD / Blu-ray / 12 episodes / OVA / 325 minutes
Genre: Comedy, Harem, Supernatural, Romance
Age Rating: TV MA
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Synopsis:
Some guys have no luck; he’s got no pulse. That’s life for unfortunate, undead Ayumu. First, he was murdered by a serial killer. Total bummer. Then he was resurrected as a zombie by a cute little necromancer. That seemed pretty cool until she moved into his house, refused to speak, and forced his rotting carcass to do all the cooking. After that, a magical girl in a pretty pink dress used her matching chainsaw to chop his corpse in half.
Luckily, the necromancer’s powers of resurrection trumped those of the chainsaw chick, so instead of dying (again), Ayumu became the world’s first magical girl zombie. There’s also a voluptuous vampire ninja who thinks zombie boy’s a pervert – and a hideous crayfish demon who wants to devour him. Confused? All you gotta know is this: zombies, frilly dresses, demons, and moe chainsaws. Pink. It’s the new dead.
Commentary:
Being added to the Anime Classic line at Funimation doesn’t happen for every series, in fact very few make it. Is This a Zombie? is one of those titles that deserves to be amounts those other titles that have been designated Anime Classics if for no other reason than it is one of the funniest harem animus out there. It is also one of the more unique harem titles released in North America.
The entire premiss is rather silly, but for what it is there are plenty of laughs. The real strength of the series lies in the characters. Even thought everyone is presented early on and somewhat full developed there is a rather absurd quality to each one of them that makes it all work. Silly as it may be once you get past the concept and allow the series just play out in its own way things fall into place and the humor is able to shine through. I can see why it is popular with the male audience and even see how some of the female fandom would get into it, but I think that taking a little off the sexual innuendo out of the series could have made it even more popular with the under 17 crowd.
Overall Grade: B+
If you have never see Is This a Zombie? this re-release is your chance to pick it up at a reasonable price. So, if you are in the mood for a funny perverted supernatural harem that makes fun of everything including itself then Is This a Zombi? is for you.
