Zom 100

Akira Tendo
The Reborn Office Worker
Story: Akira is a 24-year-old who spent the last three years working for a "black company" (Japanese companies known for their extreme labor exploitation). He lived in a garbage-strewn apartment, worked countless unpaid overtime hours, suffered constant abuse from his boss (Kosugi), and didn't even have the energy to confess his love to his coworker. He was, for all intents and purposes, dead inside.
Motives: When the zombie apocalypse breaks out, Akira's first reaction isn't terror, but immense joy: "I don't have to go to work anymore!" His main motivation is to make up for lost time, enjoy absolute freedom, and squeeze every second of his life to the fullest. He'd rather risk being eaten by a zombie than return to being a slave to the system.
Additions to the list: Her wishes are the initial core of the notebook. They begin as very mundane things she couldn't do due to lack of time (cleaning her room, drinking beer in broad daylight) and evolve into enormous adventures.

Background: Shizuka grew up under the thumb of an extremely strict, wealthy, and controlling father. This upbringing taught her to suppress her own desires, always be hyper-logical, and avoid taking risks. Before the apocalypse, she worked as an accountant or risk analyst (depending on the adaptation), weighing every possibility.
Motives: At the beginning of the outbreak, her sole objective is strict survival. She creates rigid rules, eats only what is necessary, and avoids others. However, upon meeting Akira and seeing how he revels in the end of the world, Shizuka realizes that simply "surviving" is not the same as "living." Her motivation shifts to discovering what truly makes her happy, freeing herself from her father's voice in her head.
Contributions to the list: Shizuka contributes wishes focused on her true passions and allowing herself the luxury of enjoying life, such as visiting a sake brewery in Niigata and, most importantly, becoming a doctor (#42) to help heal others.

Background: Kencho is Akira's best friend from college, where they played rugby. On the surface, he had the perfect life: he was a successful real estate agent, earned a lot of money, and was popular with women. However, deep down, he was profoundly unhappy because his success was based on deceiving his clients into selling them defective properties.
Motives: During the apocalypse, Kencho collapses under the weight of his own charade. Rescued by Akira, he decides he no longer wants to live a lie or please others with a false image. His main motivation is to be authentic, vulnerable, and pursue the dream he was always ashamed to admit.
Contributions to the list: Kencho's unfulfilled dream is to become a stand-up comedian. His contributions to the list are usually related to freedom of expression (sometimes literal, like running around naked to feel free), sporting daring hairstyles (dreadlocks), and the noble desire to make as many people smile as possible (#41).

Story: Bea is a 21-year-old German university student and a huge fan of Japanese culture (history, samurai, anime, sushi). She worked tirelessly washing dishes in Germany to pay for her dream trip to Japan. Tragically, the apocalypse strikes the very morning she lands in Tokyo.
Motives: Far from being depressed or scared, Bea refuses to let zombies ruin the trip of a lifetime. Her motive is to experience every corner of Japanese culture she's dreamed of for years, and at the same time, use her skills (she learned martial arts and traditional weapons as a hobby) to protect her new "family" made up of Akira, Shizuka, and Kencho.
Additions to the list: His wishes include a tourist and cultural tour, such as bathing in hot springs (onsen), eating authentic sushi, wearing real samurai armor (which he uses masterfully to slice zombies) and visiting historical shrines.

100 Things You Want to Do Before You Become a Zombie
The list (the Bucket List) starts as a simple notebook of Akira's, but soon becomes a group project. As they progress on their journey (or realize new things), they add or modify items.
Although the manga is still ongoing and the 100 wishes haven't been listed and completed all at once (since it's a living journal), here's a detailed compilation of the highlights, organized thematically:
First Desires (Liberation from routine):
#1. Confess your feelings to Ohtori (your co-worker).
#2. Clean his room (which was full of 3 years' worth of trash).
#3. Drinking beer in broad daylight.
#4. Get a giant screen TV and play video games.
#5. Relax and spend a whole day doing absolutely nothing (#85).
Desires for Adventure and Madness:
#6. Traveling all over Japan (in a motorhome).
#7. Riding a high-displacement motorcycle.
#8. Go skydiving (#14).
#9. Experience zero gravity (#90).
#10. Living on a deserted island and surviving with natural resources (#55).
#11. Complete a "Spartathlon" (one of the toughest endurance races in the world, added by Akira as #81).
#12. Build a huge tree house.
#13. Go Glamping (luxury camping).
#14. Do SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) and yoga on a river.
Personal and Vocational Desires:
#15. Become a doctor who heals those in need (#42, by Shizuka).
#16. Becoming a stand-up comedian and performing in front of an audience (from Kencho).
#17. Dyeing your hair with colored streaks and making dreadlocks.
#18. Walk across the famous Rainbow Bridge.
#19. Visit a nightclub/hostess club.
#20. Go to a fireworks festival.
#21. Wear a pilot's suit (Akira loved spacesuits/airplane suits).

Altruistic and Cultural Wishes:
#22. Return home to the countryside (Gunma) and thank your parents for raising you.
#23. Make as many people smile as possible (#41, added jointly by Kencho and Akira).
#24. Restore Japan's former natural beauty (#43).
#25. Wearing authentic samurai armor (Bea's dream come true).
#26. Eat the most delicious sushi at an expensive restaurant.
#27. Bathe in natural hot springs (onsen).
#28. Visit a traditional sake factory in Niigata (Shizuka's dream).
#29. Be a "Hero" who saves people from zombies.
#30. Seek and pursue true happiness (#84).
The magic of this list in Zom 100 lies not only in the outlandish tasks, but in the fact that each crossed-out number represents the protagonists reclaiming their humanity in a world where the rest of the population has given up.

The protagonists' journey evolves as their ambitions (and their group) grow. They're not content with just walking among zombies; they want to travel in style and safety.
The Bicycle and the Motorcycle (The Beginnings): At first, Akira gets around Tokyo on a simple bicycle. Later, to fulfill his desire to "ride a motorcycle," he gets a high-powered bike, allowing him to feel the breeze and the adrenaline rush of freedom.
The Main Vehicle: The RV: This is the team's ultimate transport. When they decide to travel all over Japan (to Gunma and beyond), they realize they need a mobile base of operations. They visit an RV show and acquire a huge, luxurious RV.
Features: It's equipped with beds, a kitchen, solar panels, a bathroom, and enough space for all four of them. It's literally their home on wheels, allowing them to camp, eat, and sleep safely away from zombies, giving the trip a summer vacation feel (road trip) instead of a survival nightmare.

Akira Tendo (From corporate slave to free spirit) Young man of average height and athletic build.
Black hair, disheveled after the start of the apocalypse.
Big black eyes and a very expressive smile.

The before: At the beginning he wears a gray office suit, wrinkled, stained and lifeless, which represents his work slavery and his physical and mental exhaustion.
The aftermath: His main attire in the apocalypse is clothing
He usually wears a white t-shirt, a green sports jacket with white details, sweatpants, and yellow-green sneakers. He sometimes wears yellow goggles when riding his motorcycle.

Shizuka Mikazuki
Woman of average height and athletic build.
Short dark purple hair (brown in the live-action movie), with a pink barrette.
Bright pink eyes in anime.
She's wearing a windbreaker. Her garment is a multicolored, hooded sports coat that stands out for its urban and geometric style: Color Blocks: The body of the jacket is divided into asymmetrical sections of navy blue, sea green (or turquoise), and bright yellow. Accented Lines: It features thin, bright red stripes running along the sleeves, giving it an athletic look. Silhouette: It has an oversized fit with a large built-in hood and long sleeves that end in fitted cuffs. She usually wears it open over her pink sports top.
over pink sportswear, magenta leggings and grey sneakers with blue details.

Kenichiro "Kencho" Ryuzaki
Tall, muscular man with tanned skin.
Initially he has dark black hair, although he later dyes it blonde.
Olive-colored eyes and thick eyebrows.
He wears an open blue short-sleeved shirt that reveals his muscular torso, bright pink pants, and brown shoes.

Beatrix Amerhauser (Bea)
Young German woman with an athletic and curvy figure.
Very long blonde hair, gathered in a high ponytail.
Turquoise blue eyes.
Wear a white sleeveless shirt and purple pants.

Akira Tendou: The protagonist is a 24-year-old former rugby player with short, messy black hair. His face shifts from looking incredibly haggard from overwork to displaying great energy and optimism. Main sportswear: He wears a dark green tracksuit with black stripes and bright yellow details. Basic clothing: Under his tracksuit jacket, he usually wears a simple black or white t-shirt, combined with comfortable sneakers ideal for running from zombies.

Shizuka Mikazuki is a 26-year-old woman, highly analytical and in excellent physical condition. She has shoulder-length brown or dark purple hair and large eyes of the same shade. Iconic outfit: She wears an asymmetrical block jacket in navy blue, turquoise, and yellow. Bottoms: She wears a bright pink (fuchsia) cropped sports top that exposes her midriff, dark athletic shorts, and gray or black thigh-high socks. Her signature garment is a multicolored hooded sports coat that stands out for its urban and geometric style: Color blocks: The body of the jacket is divided into asymmetrical sections of navy blue, sea green (or turquoise), and bright yellow. Accented lines: It features thin bright red stripes running along the sleeves, giving it an athletic look. Silhouette: It has an oversized fit with a large built-in hood and long sleeves that end in fitted cuffs. She usually wears it open over her pink sports top.

Kenichiro Ryuuzaki (Kencho) is Akira's best friend, a tall, muscular, and very attractive former rugby player with tanned skin and light brown hair styled back. Party style: At the beginning of the apocalypse, he usually wears open blue short-sleeved shirts and pink pants.

Recurring joke: Due to zombie chases, he constantly ends up losing his clothes or being left only in his underwear (boxers).

Kenichiro Ryuuzaki (Kencho) is Akira's best friend, a tall, muscular, and very attractive former rugby player with tanned skin and light brown hair styled back. Party style: At the beginning of the apocalypse, he usually wears open blue short-sleeved shirts, showing his bare torso, and pink pants.

Recurring joke: Due to zombie chases, he constantly ends up losing his clothes or being left only in his underwear (boxers) throughout the series.

Beatrix Amerhauser: A young woman of German origin obsessed with traditional Japanese culture. She is tall, with a voluptuous figure, blue eyes, and very long blonde hair tied in a high ponytail. Travel Clothes: She wears a tight white top that reveals part of her torso and loose purple pants. Samurai Armor: When going into battle, she equips herself with traditional samurai armor made of navy blue and red plates, resistant to bites, complemented by a helmet and a mengu mask that covers her face.

Akira Tendou: He was an exploited office worker (salaryman). He worked at a production company and advertising agency considered a "black company" (abusive companies in Japan). He spent entire days without sleep, under the psychological harassment of his boss, which destroyed his mental health and vitality until the zombies "liberated" him.

Shizuka Mikazuki: She worked as a high-profile corporate accountant. Due to her father's strict and controlling upbringing, she was entirely dedicated to a rigid job where she applied cold logic to everything. This explains why she analyzes the apocalypse using statistics, risks, and precise nutrition before joining the group.

Kenichiro Ryuuzaki (Kencho): He worked as a real estate agent. Although he pretended to have a life of luxury, business success, and dinners with politicians, he actually hated his job because he felt compelled to lie to his clients about unfavorable contracts in order to earn commissions. His true, unfulfilled dream was stand-up comedy.

Beatrix Amerhauser: She didn't have a job in Japan; her occupation was that of a foreign tourist. She traveled from Germany to Tokyo specifically to experience the culture and traditional Japanese cuisine (like sushi) that she loved so much. The zombie outbreak erupted right during her trip, trapping her in the country.

Akira, Shizuka, Kencho, and Beatrix are traveling in their camper van to reach Akira's hometown in the Gunma region to check on his parents. However, as they approach the town's entrance, they come across a tunnel that serves as the main access road. The problem is that the tunnel is completely blocked by barricades at both ends.
Peering inside, they discover the tunnel is teeming with thousands of zombies. Shizuka, using her deductive reasoning, realizes that the villagers lured zombies from neighboring towns into the tunnel and trapped them there on purpose to create a barrier and protect their village.
Unable to drive through the tunnel, their only logical alternative to reach Akira's village is to go around the obstacle. Shizuka suggests they leave the camper van and cross on foot over the mountain and through the forest. This is why they leave the road and venture deep into the wilderness.
As they walk through the dense mountain forest, they hear noises and suddenly come across an elderly man desperately fleeing a zombie boar. Beatrix, using her weapons and combat skills, intervenes and manages to kill the animal, saving the man's life.
This man turns out to be Masaru Kumano, a carpenter who fled the city and society. He explains that he decided to live deep in the forest to avoid attracting the attention of the undead and that he was, in fact, in the middle of building a large tree house to use as his final refuge.

Upon hearing this, Akira's eyes light up. He checks his famous notebook of 100 things he wants to do before becoming a zombie and remembers that wish number 23 is, precisely, "Build a tree house."
Even though they were only a few kilometers away from reaching their hometown and reuniting with their parents after so long, Akira's philosophy was clear. Therefore, Akira completely halted the expedition and decided they wouldn't take another step toward the village until they helped Kumano finish his structure.
It is because of that mix of bad luck (the blocked tunnel) and Akira's impulsive priorities (his list) that they all end up settled in that piece of the forest, cutting wood and working as carpenters.