First Impressions / Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? / Series Introduction

OP Sequence

OP: 「*** パショナート」 (*** Passionate) by 野水いおり (Nomizu Iori)
Watch the OP!: Streaming ▼

「はい、今再びの魔装変身!」 (Hai, Ima Futatabi no Masou Henshin!)
“Yes, Yet Another Masou Transformation!”

A quick disclaimer for those of you who didn’t watch the first season, and are only tuning in now to see what all the fuss is about – I’m going to give you a quick summary of this episode’s plot (only this time! First episode special only), and parts of it will sound insane. No, that sound isn’t due to the blood vessels in your head bursting because of images like this one (don’t worry folks, there’s plenty more Ayumu where that one came from!). This show is seriously nuts, but in all the best ways – the hilarious ones! Disclaimer over, summary time now. Oh, and you can go ahead and skip the next paragraph if you watched the episode.

The season begins with resident zombie Aikawa Ayumu (Junji Majima) going about his normal daily life. The first half is almost entirely devoted to reintroducing us to the cast and their various quirks, of which there are many (whoops, that was Ayumu again!). It’s only after Ayumu dries up in the sun and is taken to the nurse’s office that he meets a “fairy” (Nabatame Hitomi) who is definitely not looking for ethyl alcohol to steal. After the reintroduction of a few more characters, Ayumu meets Yousei-san in the school late at night, and finds her very, very drunk. They bond, which is why when Ayumu’s friends start suspecting him to be the chainsaw-wielding cross-dresser, she’s the first person he runs to…only for a megalo to be where she was! A fight ensues, and after Haruna (Nomizu Iori) proves useless, it’s up to Ayumu to transform and finish the job. Unfortunately, him going into 1000% kawaii mode apparently pushed his chainsaw Mystletainn a little too far, with hilarious consequences for his dignity. You can’t wipe their memories if Mystletainn is broken, Ayumu!

Okay, enough of that. Now onto why this episode was awesome! Let’s start with our lovely (and drunk) Yousei-san (name to be revealed in future episodes). Even though I saw all the promo art, where she was always holding a giant bottle of sake, I wasn’t prepared for just how much of a lush she was! Maybe it’s because I’m the sort of guy who enjoys a beer or two (and sometimes several more, though I generally end up paying for those nights), but Yousei-san’s drunk act cracked up. Then again, I think that’s also a sign of how this show’s humor works. Its strength has always been in springing ridiculous gags on us, and then barreling forward to the next one before anyone can think about what has just happened too much. Watch for that pattern as this series goes forward, because when the gags start flying, that’s when it’s at its best.

Case in point, the confrontation with today’s megalo. I’m going to skip past all the character reintroductions, because there’s not much to say there. I still enjoyed the first part of the episode, but it was nothing like the end when the jokes started flying fast and furious. The writers have always loved to mess with us by throwing in scenes of Ayumu getting a bit too effiminate, but they really ramped it up this episode by throwing in a handsy megalo to feel him up. What’s more, the giant creepy squid apparently prefers to target his tentacle play at guys! For a creature that hunts magical girls that was surprising, though that’s also what made it so funny.

On a related point, anti-fanservice. If you’re not comfortable with your male protagonists wearing panties, then I have no idea how you got so far in this post, but you’d better get used to it because that’s here to stay. While I’m not nealy as fond of seeing Ayumu’s rear end as Sarasvati (Gouda Aya) is – run Ayumu, she’s got that raep face on! – I must admit that cringe-inducing comedy always cracks me up. Cross-dressing is fine if that’s your thing, but for Ayumu to be constantly forced to do it against his will, and then forced to do it in front of all his friends, is just a riot to see!

But probably my favorite part of this episode was something more understated that, and it had to do with Hiramatsu Taeko (Yamaguchi Rie). From denying that Ayumu was a pervert, to screaming when she found out he was one, to saying his socks were cute, and then straight back to screaming when he lost his shirt, it was always Hiramatsu who dealt the critical blow to Ayumu’s delicate (and crumbling) pride. Having an innocent girl like her react to the craziness was like a spring of green onion on top of a piece of hamachi, the garnish that made a tasty bite all the better.

Actually, there’s one other part that rivals the Hiramatsu moments – when Mystletainn broke, preventing Ayumu from wiping everyone’s memory like he so badly wanted to. I must admit that I felt kind of cheated last season when the very first episode’s mayhem was magically erased from everyone’s mind, but now I’m going to have to go back and retroactively be okay with it, because it provided such a wonderful setup for this scene. Once they had us expecting the memory wipe, all they had to do was take the possibility away for hilarity to seriously ensue. I’m pretty sure a memory wipe will still happen eventually, so that Ayumu’s school life can go back to as normal as it ever is anymore, but that’s okay, because that gag was hilarious!

All-in-all, a good start to the season. This episode shows Kore wa Zombie desu ka? at its best, with the jokes flying fast, zipping around corners, and hitting you where you least expect it. I’m looking forward to see whether they can stay at this level once the plot begins to show itself. Last season they never quite managed to blend the show’s staple light-hearted comedy with the darkness of its plot, and the two remained distinctly separate, preventing the show from becoming a true black comedy. Perhaps that’s the idea, or perhaps they can manage that this season. Either way, should be fun finding out.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Ayumu meets a drunk loli, is outed as a cross-dresser, is almost raeped by a gay megalo, & Mystletainn breaks. That’s #korezon at it’s best!

Random thoughts:

  • Every anime protagonist sits in the back of the classroom near the window…but only Aikawa Ayumu almost dies because of it. For some reason, that really cracked me up…though he really should ask the teacher if he can change seats 😛
  • Oh man, I missed Ayumu’s delusions so much. And starting out with Inoue Kikuko for Imaginary Yuu?? They’re not pulling any punches this season! Also, HNNNNG!!
  • Studio Deen seems to have upped their game for this season all around. Not with the animation, which is still just average, but the direction, energy, and tempo of this episode were all spot-on. They even managed to slip in some exposition early on (reminding viewers who was a necromancer, a vampire ninja, etc) without making it awkward. I also like the OP and ED a lot more than the ones from season one. Keep it up!

Full-size images: 24

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「恋のビギナーなんです（T_T）」 (Koi no Beginner Nan Desu (T_T)) by 山口理恵 (Yamaguchi Rie)
Watch the ED!: Streaming ▼

Omake

120 Comments

    2. Same here. When I read the announcement of the second season this was the series I looked forward to most. I’m glad they put everything that made Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? awesome back in this episode. Hopefully they keep it up.

      Now if I can only learn enough Japanese to read the original light novels…

      Aoihoshikage
      Reply

    1. Not sure. I originally found that it was 10, but when I read that earlier today I double-checked and found 12 listed elsewhere. 12 makes more sense, and that’s what the TV stations are listing, so I’d probably assume that. Sorry for the confusion!

      …unless I was right the first time. In which case, sorry for the confusion now! O:

      Stilts
      Reply

  5. There was a flying, gakuran-wearing, squid-megalo who’s holding Hiramatsu Taeko hostage, AND the student body chooses to ignore it? And simultaneously flip out their camera phones, video phones and whatnot, and upload the scenes of Ayumu crossdressing onto the web? Haha. Ayumu and Kamijou Touma should be buddies. Fuko da.

    https://randomc.net/image/Kore%20wa%20Zombie%20Desu%20ka/Kore%20wa%20Zombie%20Desu%20ka%20OF%20THE%20DEAD%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
    ^ Sarasvati wins this episode: *eyes flashing red* “Horetazo, kuso darling!” -> Pervy Vampire Ninja ftw. I kinda like her more than Seraphim now.

    The_Magus_Killer
    Reply

  7. Ah, the Ayumu pantsu shots, moans and Eu fantasies. I didn’t realize how much I missed them. This first episode really reminded me of last seasons.

    I really loved the gay megalo scenes. Blushing Ayumu for “Yousei-san” while being hilarious was also kind of cute.

    Too bad everyone’s memories are most likely going to be erased again. I’d like to see how Ayumu fares being known as the school pervert.

    Saya
    Reply

  8. oh, oh dear. YOU’RE covering this… hehe. hehehehe. this is gonna be a fun season >).

    My friend dragged me into watching this the first time around and it grew on me. I’m not quite sure if I like the re-introduction. I /reallllly/ started to like the slightly more serious plot delving this series got into in season 1. But, since it’s not like korezon is a fate/0 or Rinne splitting 2 halves over 3 seasons. So, I think it works ;).

    KumaKaori
    Reply

  9. Calling it right now, Korezom for best comedy this season! Nice to see recurring gags for S1 making a return for S2 too.

    Vomiting rainbows has just got taken to a whole new level right there. I really like how the humour was presented in this series as a whole.

    Stilts sir I’m glad you’re covering this series, it seems that you have carved yourself as a certain niche specialist. What’s next, lolis playing Mahjong?

    LightnDark
    Reply

    1. I keep telling people, I’m not the ecchi guy, I cover fantasy* shows! I just lost the grail war against verdant for Fate / Zero 2, because he fights dirty.

      *Yes, I’m covering the Saki spin off. You think that many lolis actually get together to play mahjong with yuri undertones? Doesn’t happen. Pure fantasy. C’mon, prove me wrong. I dare you!

      Stilts
      Reply

    2. lol If that’s your criteria for a fantasy category, then you can cover roughly 95% shows existed. *does tsukkomi tap*

      I thought Takaii would blog this show since he blog the first season. So no just-as-planned moment for me. :p

      An
      Reply

    2. I love this ending. This is among the few shows I like all the girls. Above all I fall for Seraphim, Yuki and Taeko, and a little bit Sarasvati, I hope she is great.
      In short, I like vampires and normal girl, And Yuu has a lovely charm.

      Shadow74
      Reply

    1. If anyone asks why I’m blogging this show, point them to this comment. That’s why. I’m blogging this because Korezon breaks people, and I don’t know about you, but I think that’s hilarious! >:D

      Stilts
      Reply

    1. We’re working on that. Divine was the one who did all that before (even for shows he wasn’t covering), but with the abrupt handover we haven’t exactly learned how to do all the video encodes ourselves. Give us some time there…this season might be a little rough over all (preview kinda late, new writers, etc.), but we’ll get it all ironed out as soon as we can.

      Stilts
      Reply

  17. The only thing I hate about this show is the fact that I have to wait a week to enjoy more of it.
    This was probably my most anticipated show of the season, and I am happy to admit that I was not disappointed. It was like meeting an old friend for drinks as we reminisced about the good ol’ days; the feeling was just so satisfying.

    DrCNCh
    Reply

  18. STILTS, anti-fanservice is fine, but I suppose being zombie means you lose your man package. Look at the panty shot picture AND tell me the man still has his man package! No! He doesn’t! That’s woman crotch, my friends! No one dare to address this, but it’s the white elephant in the room and pretty obvious. I guess it’s fair price to pay for being an immortal.

    Either that, his fruity pebbles and naughty bit has ascended into his body cavity. It must be very very cold indeed… Nah, that’s not it, he just doesn’t have any man package left. So the question is why bother trying to cover at the end when you have nothing left down there? I pity the immortal zombie eunuch.

    passing
    Reply

    1. You know, I hadn’t examined Ayumu’s package closely enough. Hmm. Good to know you’re already broken, eh?

      >:D

      Also, it’s probably part of the transformation. He’s a masou shoujo after all, right? O:

      Stilts
      Reply

  19. The technology Studio Deen and Dyson expose us to is amazing.
    I guess you could say,

    ..I was blown away.

    YEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Haruna sounded a little off to me. Could be due to the long wait and shows in between. Ayumu is the reason I watch the show, anyway. (I feel a little wrong for saying that.) It’s true though. He’s awesome.

    Seasonally Otaku'd
    Reply

      6. @Freddeh

        Gattai will be completely legal under a Stilts administration. We believe that what you do between yourself, two other people of varying genders, and a giant robot is nothing the government should interfere with. We will keep our hands off your Aquarion!

        Stilts 2012!

        Stilts
        Reply

      7. Governor Stilts, what would be your administration’s position on harems? The classic case of Katsuragi Keima V. Takahara Ayumi states that that harems require ulterior motives besides the obvious. Would you abolish the laws prohibiting main characters from just getting with a ton of girls at once?

        Da5id
        Reply

  21. Everything after Ayumu got drunk with water was just nonstop laughter for me XD
    And that conversation with Original Eu and Imaginary Eu was just hilarious. Always great to hear Eu’s real voice since we dont get to hear it much.

    Jin
    Reply

  25. Awesome first episode. I LOL-ed hard when I saw fairy tan barfing rainbows, that’s certainly worthy of being screen-capped, no?
    Need more Seraphim and Eucliwood. Kuso mushi!!!

    Seishun Otoko
    Reply

  33. Imaginary Yuu is awesome! I hope Sarasvati and Seraphim get bigger roles in this season – I have a thing for psycho girls who can kill at drop of a hat, but has that hidden heart of gold that you, literally, need to die for before you can break down their shell! Glad to see that we’re getting another good harem to take over for the Araragi harem this season!

    Grandier
    Reply

  38. Ah man, I laughed myself to this whole episode. It’s so good to have this series back, And I do hope that everyone remembers ayumu next episode, mostly because it would make his school life so much more interesting

    and:

    Imaginary Yuu… me gusta

    Shugima
    Reply

  39. OKAY, zombie loving people. Listen, watch Sankarea instead of this or BOTH (if you must)!

    I think that new zombie show has much more potentials. The first episode was just so-so, but I checked out the source manga just now and it’s surprisingly good. I don’t watch kore-wa-zombie, but I think I will add Sankarea to my list. It has antics of the main character’s mega zombie fetish, which becomes funny, once the main female dies and turns to a zombie (no, this isn’t spoiler since the whole premise of the show is just that). It has all the clichés (big boob neighbor, dirty chibi old geezer, small sister aka Index from Toaru Majutsu no Index, etc, etc), but I don’t mind since the show gets actually funny as it gets going later. And I think it’s safe to say, I am a fan of Ms. Kurumiya (aka the blonde foreign girl, another cliché, but she’s good!).

    passing
    Reply

    1. There is a big difference between Kore wa zombie desu ka? and Sankarea. Whereas Kore Wa focusses on humour, Sankarea is completely different and more focussed on the dark side of zombies.

      You can’t go comparing the two just because they both feature zombies.

      Shugima
      Reply

      2. But I found the Sankarea manga to be pretty funny, but the anime should have some of that, too. Perhaps the anime version won’t be as funny since some of frame by frame humor is hard to translate to moving image. That said, OK, so Kore-wa is a gag show and Sankarea is a romance/comedy show with a sinister undertone. Sankarea is more to my taste.

        passing
        Reply

      3. XD If you want ‘sinister’, ZombieDesuKa has a lot of that as well. The following is a copy-pasta from animesuki’s LN discussion, which was copy-pasta’d from another discussion elsewhere. If the latter parts are really true in the sense that the author planned it when he crafted the setting, then damn were we hoodwinked.

        Show Spoiler ▼

        Of course, since you confessed to not watching KoreWa, I’m not sure how much of that you could relate ^_^;;;

        Beedle
        Reply

    2. Sankarea doesn’t have Yuu~<3!

      But yeah, the two are much too different to compare. Sankarea's main character doesn't fight city-large flying whales or repeatedly hack psychotic magical girls with a chainsaw…

      I wouldn't say Sankarea focuses on the 'darker side' of zombies…just the real problems encountered when one is in love with a zombie- an animated corpse. Still, Sankarea has true fanservice, so maybe I’ll check out the anime also when Ayumu’s anti-fanservice gets too much.

      Beedle
      Reply

      1. I beg to differ, sir/ma’am. It has less annoying version (translate: more mature, silent type) of Index from Toaru Majutsu no Index (Close your eyes and listen to her and it’s Index). This Yuu character and the Index (eh I don’t know the sister character name in Sankarea, so I just call her “the Index”) look pretty much similar to me, look-wise, temper-wise. Almost every anime has very similar recipes/tropes, so there are bound to be similar characters.

        passing
        Reply

      2. Yuu may get killed or humiliated 5 times per episode but he’s still quite epic to punch a fellow zombie’s brains out in 1 shot. Also he’s not annoying if you’re laughing at him all the time, unlike those unfunny harem protagonists that get beaten up without anyone laughing.

        Also I don’t see the correlation that Yuu is a silent girl=show is not good. Silent girls are a common trope in anime and if you watch the first season it will reveal why she doesn’t talk that much.

        I’m still confused by your post though.

        Suppa Tenko
        Reply

      3. @Suppa Tenko: Think you confused Yuu with Ayumu XD But yeah, Ayumu’s an epic lead.

        @passing: the key difference being, unlike all those more mild-tempered Index-look-a-likes, Yuu’s not quiet because she wants to be, so we get a lot of gags coming out of Ayumu’s delusions because he knows Yuu’s quite talkative (their conversation from their initial meeting, anyone?). Personally though, I don’t care if someone looks or sounds like Index or any other character from a different series ^_^; I judge characters based on how they’re portrayed in-story and not by association. Having a good VA bring life to a character is more of a plus in my book rather than a defining feature.

        I personally prefer Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka because of the high tension action and gags, and judging from the novel spoilers, the story remains interesting with all the Masou Shoujo intrigue. Sankarea…I admit the manga’s good and the character designs are interesting, but to me it feels like your typical romcom but with a necrophiliac twist as its selling point.

        Beedle
        Reply

      4. Suppa Tenko : Yuu may get killed or humiliated 5 times per episode
        I definitely do not want our Necromancer get humiliated, that is Ayumu’s end of bargain. （≧∀≦）

        passing : Listen, watch Sankarea instead of this or BOTH (if you must)!
        Thanks for your recommendation. I didn’t planned to watch it nor had read the manga, but I’ll keep in mind to check it if another show I watched turned out disappointing. And I hope you’re just recommending it rather than carried away into forcing other people to watch it. （╹◡╹）

        An
        Reply

    3. I like both and they have completely different atmospheres that I don’t even think they’re worth comparing. Sure both have zombies, but it’s not like that’s the reason I like either of the series.

      Just recommend the show and be done with it. This shouldn’t have to turn into a discussion about why you think one is better than the other or why you think the other is inferior.

      Churam
      Reply

    4. Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? isn’t really about zombies. Its about comedy. I suspect that if KwZDK was really about zombies Ayumu wouldn’t have to keep reminding the audience that he IS a zombie.

      Also, trying to compare the two is like trying to debate which is a better zombie movie – “28 Days Later” or “Shaun of the Dead”. It is just silly to try.

      cancerlad
      Reply

  42. I actually didn’t really like the OP and ED. I thought the previous season one was better (especially the ED). Not too sure if it was the song I didn’t like or the animation.

    Nonetheless, this episode reminded me of why I love this show. It’s downright one of the most hilarious series I have seen in the past year! I hope that each episode ends with more imaginary Yuu vs real Yuu cause that was pretty cute.

    taiakun
    Reply

  49. What a way to start of season 2, with everything that made season 1 so good. This show is still freaking hilarious. Can’t remember much about some of the supporting characters, but it’s still a blast to watch. I kinda miss Yuu. There were some really sentimental and nice moments with Yuu in season 1, so I’m looking forward to seeing more Yuu this time around.
    Lol at the idea of a necromancer, a masou shoujo, and a vampire ninja scoffing at the idea of a ghost. Pure gold.

    AYUMUUUU !!!!!!

    Kentaiyoshimi
    Reply

  51. I agree with you Stilts, the OP and ED songs are awesome! I always love them in the first season where it shows the OP somewhat in a gloomy action mood while the ED shows a lighthearted comedy mood always making fun of Ayumu and man am I glad that this season is even better! The action scenes in the OP fits the song and the teaser kiss play for the girls are awesomeness in the ED! YOU SHOULDVE PUT Yuu/EU, Sera, and Sarasvati in the screencaps! Anyways the highlight about this EP for me is definitely. The same as everyone else with Ayumu’s darkest embarsssing secret getting revealed and Taeko’s cool image of him getting destroyed. Man why didn’t Yukon/Tomonori or Sarasvati do something? I think they were way too busy ogling Ayumus behind lol

    Ryner
    Reply

  54. I totally think that Nabatame, Hitomi should win for run-away-insane seiyuu of the season award. Here, she plays our new favorite rainbow and sunshine puking loli-drunk, and over there in Acchi Kocchi she plays genki tech fetishist, Mayoi Katase.

    Stilts, run for office. Run for office with a goat as your running mate. Do it.

    skylion
    Reply

  55. I was so happy when I saw that this show got a season 2 from the Spring previews. And this episode delivered in full spades!

    Definitely on my top 2 list along with Fate Zero for this season.

    YanDaMan
    Reply

  57. Imaginary Yuu… check
    shriveled zombie… check
    tamagoyaki… check
    perverted megalo… check
    disturbing transformation with power up… check
    That’s not a kick… check

    Good to see all those in-jokes from previous seasons back in play!

    NaYa
    Reply

  65. Lol, the feelings of when I first picked up this series has been reawoken. I feel bad for Ayumu but missed the comedy. After the credits was pretty funny too. On the side note, totally digging Sarasvati :X

    Nymphetamine2791
    Reply

  66. I’ve never read a Stilts impression before, and I’m liking what I read ;D

    Back to the anime, I’ve always loved how in the first season, Ayumu started most (or all?) episodes by bluntly stating he’s a zombie, so I adore that they didn’t forget it this episode!
    And I can never get enough of my zombie cross dresser with his own personal harem. Best anime this season, maybe even all year. Kore wa Zombie desu ka? last year was actually my first Japanese subbed anime I’ve watched :3

    Lunafloon
    Reply

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