Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead follows Tendo Akira, who finally escapes his toxic work life when a zombie outbreak occurs. The movie is now streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
Tendo Akira is excited to start his first full-time job. He is joining Master Shot’s commercial production division. He will be working under Chief Kosugi. At first, everything about this job is what Tendo dreamed about, until he is loaded with lots of work.
Tendo thinks overtime on the first day isn’t unusual. Soon, it becomes regular, and the workload starts eating Tendo alive. Tendo’s best friend, Kencho, advises him to quit and live his life the way he wants.
Their conversation doesn’t end in the best way. They end up fighting over a college football match that they lost. Tendo’s toxic work life continues to break him. In this dark place, only Ohtori, a senior producer, shows some comfort towards Tendo.
A year passes with Tendo living in this toxic work environment. Tendo leaves the house for another difficult day but sees a swarm of zombies coming at him.
The world is burning, but the first thought that comes to Tendo’s mind is that he doesn’t have to go to work anymore. Tendo finds safety on his building’s terrace and celebrates.
At a time like this, he thinks of going and saving the only person who has been good to him: Ohtori. He climbs down the building using a pipe and also asks a pregnant couple if they need anything from the market.
Tendo finds Ohtori, but with their Director, who has turned into a zombie. He defeats the Director, but Ohtori has been bit too. She turns into a zombie as well. Before leaving her, Tendo tells the zombie Ohtori that he has been in love with her ever since he got hired.
Tendo returns home and finds the pregnant couple missing and their house painted in blood. He realizes what is at stake. If he can’t live life the way he wants in this new world, he is better off as zombie food.
Tendo makes a list of things he wants to do before turning into a zombie. He starts accomplishing all of these goals one by one. He learns a bit about zombies too; they are attracted to sound.
During this adventure, he also meets a girl in a supermarket store who thinks the opposite of what he does. While Tendo is into helping others, she thinks trying to save others only brings more trouble.
They part ways, and a lonely Tendo thinks of his best friend Kencho. Upon learning that he is alive, Tendo rescues his best friend and apologizes for behaving the way he did the last time they met.
The two make up, and Kencho supports Tendo when he expresses that he wants to be a superhero in this post-apocalyptic world. Tendo plans to go to the Marine Paradise Aquarium in Ibarakai. The place has a shark suit that protects one’s body from shark attacks.
With a steel suit like that, zombies won’t be able to bite Tendo; this will be his super suit. The two leave for the aquarium, and on their way, they rescue a few people who are going to the same place.
The girl Tendo met at the supermarket is also one of them. They are going to the aquarium because the place has been turned into a safe sanctuary. The food won’t be a problem with the fish there.
The group disintegrates when, one by one, they turn into zombies. Only Tendo, Kencho, and the girl Tendo met a while ago at the supermarket, whose name is Shizuka, are able to escape safely.
Shizuka eventually becomes Tendo and Kencho’s friend on their way to the aquarium. Together, they try to finish Tendo’s bucket list until they reach the aquarium.
At the aquarium, Tendo’s nightmare starts again as he meets Chief Kosugi, the senior he reported to on his job. Kosugi runs the aquarium the same way he ran Master Shot. Tendo is hired again and pushed back into his toxic work life.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead ending explained in detail:
Does Tendo abandon his toxic work life?
Kencho and Shizuka feel bad watching their friend, who was cheerful just a day ago, work tirelessly for Kosugi, who shows no remorse. The pregnant couple that Tendo tried to help is there as well.
The husband promises to help them get out of there, but Tendo has again accepted this toxic work life. When Shizuka comes across Tendo’s bucket list, she confronts him in front of everyone
She reminds him that he is a zombie anyway if he is working here. After looking at his list and watching Kosugi crush it, Tendo is encouraged to chase his dreams again and quit working for Kosugi.
Does Tendo save everyone at the aquarium?
A zombie walks into one of the supply trucks at the aquarium. That zombie enters the place, and soon the place starts filling with more zombies. At a time like this, instead of being a wise leader, Kosugi finds ways to safeguard himself first.
Tendo and his friends lock everyone safe inside the Shark Exhibition room. Unfortunately, the shark in the room had eaten a few zombies. It comes out of the water and grows zombie legs to start chasing the humans.
Tendo’s friends lock everyone else safely in another room. Kosugi is left alone outside. Tendo doesn’t leave his former boss behind. His best friend, Kencho, supports his decision and asks him to go after wearing the super suit he came for.
Tendo, Kencho, and Shizuka work together to fend off the zombies and the zombie shark. Shizuka takes care of the zombies in her own way. When it comes to defeating the zombie shark, Tendo is asked to smash a couple of batteries on the shark’s nose.
The shark has an ultra-sensitive tool inside its head to detect its prey. Since Tendo is wearing a steel suit, he can be a conductor and electrocute the shark. Tendo manages to do so and defeats the zombie shark.
What’s next for Tendo?
After everyone is saved, they realize that they should have never submitted to Kosugi. He treated them harshly because he thought of them as weaklings who can’t survive the outside world. However, they no longer desire to live in Kosugi’s world either.
They all decide to leave after seeing Tendo as a better leader. Tendo leaves with Kencho and Shizuka as well. This time around, he wants them to add their wishes to the bucket list as well, so that they can accomplish them all together.
Also Read: D.P. season 2 summary and ending explained