Franchouchou have a new song in the works, with Ai and Junko taking the lead on it. However, they have a clash of values in the sixth episode of ZOMBIE LAND SAGA.
Ai looks up currently popular idols on the internet
Franchouchou work on their new routine, though on section doesn’t go particularly well. They decide to take a break, and use the opportunity to use Kotaro’s computer whilst he is in the bath.
Most of the idol groups that Ai looks up have broken up. She also comes across the page about the Saga Rock Festival, which Saki is very keen to get in on. Junko doesn’t share her enthusiasm, though.
Oh, and a certain group called Iron Frill will be performing at the festival. This is significant, as Ai was formerly part of Iron Frill when she was alive.
Sakura tries to explain photo ops to Junko
Moving on, Kotaro announces that Franchouchou actually has fans, and says that they should start interacting with them. He suggests a photo op, which leaves Junko feeling a little confused. Yugiri, on the other hand, has just decided to accept whatever comes.
Sakura holding Tae back here is pretty amusing
The photo op goes fairly well for the most part, right up until Junko refuses to be part of it. As far as Junko is concerned, being an idol is all about dazzling people from up on stage.
This ends up leading to a fight between Ai and Junko.
Yugiri, Lily and Saki try talking to Ai
After that, Saki, Lily and Yugiri talk with Ai. They want her to get along with Junko, but Ai believes being an idol is serious business and they can’t just make it by playing friends. Ai snaps at them, which upsets Lily. However, Yugiri is confident that things will get better.
Sakura talks with Junko
Elsewhere, Sakura is able to catch up to Junko and the two talk for a while. Back when Junko was alive, she had no personal interaction with her fans, which is why she thinks the way she does. There was a boundary between idol and fans.
Junko also reveals that she died in a plane crash, on her way to Saga for her first tour of Kyushu.
With her views differing from the others, Junko believes that she can’t stay in Franchouchou.
Saki and Ai shelter from a storm
Moving on, Ai is frozen with fear when a storm strikes. Saki finds her, and the two seek some shelter together. Saki is surprised to learn that Ai is afraid of lightning, but there is a very good reason for it: Ai was killed by lightning.
However, Ai doesn’t want to become history and intends to get back up on stage, even if she is a zombie.
Sakura and Saki find it difficult to sleep
During the night, Sakura and Saki find it hard to get any sleep. Saki says she would have kicked their arses if they were part of her gang, but she holds back from doing so. Still, both girls know that something will have to be done about Ai and Junko.
Saki glances over to Ai when they learn that they’ll be performing on an outdoor stage
The episode ends with Kotaro making an announcement: Franchouchou will be performing at the Saga Rock Festival. They will be performing on an outdoor stage.
After picking up the comedy in the previous episode, ZOMBIE LAND SAGA is back to being a more typical idol anime with this one. We got the drama between characters, with one threatening to leave the group; that kind of thing is pretty standard fare.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, and there were certainly some interesting moments brought up here and there during the episode.
I particularly like seeing Saki embrace her role as leader. When she was initially chosen I thought it was just a spur of the moment thing, but here we see that she does genuinely care for the other members of Franchouchou. Her talk with Ai whilst they were sheltering from the storm is a good example of that.
We also know more about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Ai and Junko. Both were freak accidents. However, I feel like Ai’s death was undermined a little by showing her charred and smoking after the lightning strike. It was a little too cartoon-y for what was otherwise a very serious moment. I think it would have been fine if that flashback had ended with the audience’s reactions.
Whilst ZOMBIE LAND SAGA does do comedy (and do it well), that moment just didn’t feel right to me.
This episode was fairly decent. I enjoyed it for what it was, but there’s no denying that ZOMBIE LAND SAGA is at its best with episodes like the previous one or the first two. I am intrigued about where things will go, and if Ai will be reunited with Iron Frill at the Saga Rock Festival.
Rory Muses 