Saki is a born leader and a rebel with a new cause.
What They Say:
Episode #9: “Though My Life May Have Ended Once By Some Twist of Fate I Have Risen, and If Song and Dance Are to Be My Fate, Then Carrying the Memories of My Comrades In My Heart As I Sally Forth Shall Be My SAGA”
The Review
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The basic plot of this episode of Zombie Land Saga is predictable considering what we already knew of Saki’s past, yet it still proves to be one of the more entertaining episodes in the series.
It begins with the girls joining a group of seniors in their exercise routine of dancing at the park. The girls are spotted by a local middle school girl and her tiny biker gang, who then attempt to throw their weight around on what they consider their turf. The biker gang is the latest incarnation of the Dorami delinquent gang, yet there’s something decidedly unthreatening about the girls. The fact they have scooters instead of bikes doesn’t help. Saki instantly realizes that the girl might be related to her former best friend and tries to intervene on her behalf when a far larger gang arrives to assert their dominance.
We had seen Saki’s former gang and her best friend in previous flashbacks in the chicken episode. We learn, unsurprisingly, that Saki died in a motorcycle accident. More specifically, and ironically, in a game of chicken. She went off a cliff and died in a fiery explosion. The daughter of her friend is set on the same path, and it’s up to Saki to intervene.
This episode also has one of my favorite bits of comedy in it out of the entire series. The car ride encapsulates the endless joy of too many youths trapped in a car together with Kotaro playing the role of exasperated father. The calm relaying of information that Saki fell out of the van and the aftermath of that is spectacular. Although screaming seems to be his default, Kotaro once again tones it down at a key moment in this episode to warn Saki that violence and criminal behavior isn’t accepted and could result in tarnishing the name of Franchouchou.
While the deaths of the other girls created trials and obstacles to overcome, Saki confronts her death head-on. It is sad that even though her best friend obviously recognizes her, Saki can’t admit to her identity. She’s done absolutely nothing to disguise herself or her mannerisms, so of course, her friend would recognize her. There’s also plenty left unsaid in this episode. We can infer that the daughter found out her mother’s old life and that her mother doesn’t want her walking the same path that resulted in Saki’s death. The show doesn’t waste time spelling this out for the audience.
Saki’s dramatic and head-on solution to the gang problem results in a few more new fans of Franchouchou. She performs a rousing song during the end credits, where the animation is blissfully not CG in nature. Perhaps we are finally free from the CG curse of the earlier episodes, this series really didn’t need it.
In Summary:
Saki’s past as a biker queen catches up to her in an unexpected yet unsurprising way. The ramifications of her death are felt across generations in a subtle way. As the second member of Franchouchou to be recognized she has to be stealthy to assist in a long-standing gang war grudge without blowing her cover. While nowhere near as emotional as the previous episode, Saki’s past does provide an amusing and inspiring look at how the girl with no future found one.
Episode Grade: B +
Streamed by: Crunchyroll & Funimation