Zombie-Loan Episode 6: Longing for Freedom
Oshimeter
3 Fans
EPISODE REVIEWS
Probably one of the more emotionally heavy episodes so far. There's still plenty of supernatural madness around, but the mood feels noticeably more thoughtful this time. It made me think about how differently people can view life, death, and the value of simply continuing to exist. That's much deeper territory than I expected this anime to explore when I started it. Definitely left me thinking afterward.
There's a lot to unpack in this episode. After being betrayed by his former friend, Chika has to grapple with the sadness that this situation brings him. Shiba, as a character, is irredeemable, and ultimately, it's still not entirely clear what he wanted (even though it seems like it was Chika... in my opinion). There are some very sweet moments between Chika and Shito; they don't get along, but they can lean on each other when it matters most. On the other hand, we have a surprising fourth-wall-breaking moment when Shito explains that even if a person's role (in the anime) isn't relevant, a death shouldn't be taken lightly. From the beginning, I got the impression that this was one of the goals of this anime: to take the weight of death beyond the spectacle of killing enemies and dying to gain powers... to give it real weight, the weight it should have in real life. So, for that reason alone, I'm giving it extra points.
The only critic I have for Shiba, is that despite the compelling depiction of someone severely depressed and the curious ideology that opposes Chika of finding freedom, he barely has the time to marinate as a proper antagonist. But the best thing about this episode is the second half where Chika, especially, truly contemplates about the significance of live and death, the relationship between each other, the stakes that exist that kept his resolve alive. The writing was gorgeous and really makes you question about what it means to be alive.
10
