The Bottom Line
Zombie-Loan asks an interesting question: What's life worth and if you had a choice between life and death, what would you pay to stay alive? This supernatural shonen manga tale puts a new twist on the "shinigami battling the evil undead" theme by giving it a financial angle. Here, the recently deceased incur debt to stay alive, a debt they can only repay by battling zombies.
It sounds fairly far-fetched because it is, but you have to give Peach-Pit credit for coming up with a story that offers ample opportunities for humor, horror and heart. The art is nice and sure to please Peach-Pit's faithful fan base.
Pros
- Quirky, mercenary twist on the shinigami (grim reaper) theme
- Fast-moving story with an entertaining mix of horror and humor
- Offers some worthwhile themes about the value of life and living to its fullest
- Nice artwork that shows a more mature, finished style than Peach-Pit's prior works
Cons
- The general principles of the undead loan theme can be a little hard to follow
- With several violent and bloody scenes plus profanity, it's geared for older readers
Description
- Original Title: Zonbii Ron (Japan)
- Authors & Artists: Peach-Pit
- Publishers:
-
Yen Press (US)
Square Enix (Japan)
- ISBN: 978-0-7595-2353-1
- Cover Price: $10.99 US / $12.75 CANADA / £5.99 UK
- Age Rating:
OT – Older Teens, Age 16+
for reasons for profanity and bloody violence
More about content ratings. - Manga Genres:
- Shonen (Boys') Manga
- Anime Tie-in
- Action / Adventure
- Mystery / Suspense
- Supernatural / Paranormal
- US Publication Date: October 2007
Japan Publication Date: 2003 - Book Description: 208 pages, black and white illustrations
- More Manga by Peach-Pit:
Guide Review - Zombie-Loan Volume 1
Mousy Michiru seems to have little reason to live: Her classmates treat her like a doormat, her aunt and uncle view her as a burden, and she lacks the will to stand up to her oppressors. Michiru is ordinary in almost every way, with one exception: She has shinigami eyes or the ability to see when a person will die just by looking at their neck.
Michiru's talent seems to have little practical application, until she meets Shito and Chika. The two boys are infamous for surviving a horrific highway accident – or did they? It turns out both boys are undead, and are only walking the earth today because they took out a "zombie loan," a deal with a supernatural 'money lender' to extend their lives. Chika and Shito recruit Michiru to help them find, fight and kill flesh-easting zombies in order to pay off their debts.
At a time when shinigami (grim reaper) manga tales are dime-a-dozen (or at least $10.99 a pop), Zombie-Loan arrives with a slightly different twist on the "battling the evil undead" theme. Zombie-Loan finally concedes that reaping souls is hard work, so why should it be done for free? Life is a commodity, and according to the supernatural logic of Zombie-Loan, it can be earned, accumulated and traded.
While the story is fairly far-fetched, it is undeniably entertaining. The premise gives Peach-Pit an opportunity to infuse their story with a mix of horror, humor and heart-warming lessons about the value of life. For example, it's satisfying to see Michiru develop a spine and defend herself against the bullies in her life.
There's a fair amount of bloody violence here, and some gratuitous profanity, so it's not for everyone. But if you like Peach-Pit's other stories, you'll love their visit to the dark side in Zombie-Loan.
