Zombieland Saga: a wonderful combination of both zombies and idols into one anime. Featuring some cute girls (with makeup of course) being forced to work hard by a crazy director who resurrected them.
The anime kicks off with Sakura Minamoto starting off with a lovely morning heading to school in her junior year. Just when she departs from her home... she gets hit by a car while having metal music playing in the background. After the rolling credits has finished, she wakes up in a dark house with other zombies that seem brainless unlike her.
After running away in fear and getting shot by the lame police officer character to be seen here and there in the anime, she's brought into a cellar and the manager, Kotaro Tatsumi, introduces himself as well as the other zombies he revived.
The other zombie girls (besides Tae Yamada) don't "wake up" until the next morning after their "impressive performance" at a rock band concert where all they did was do intense head banging that snapped their necks. Despite all that, the metal heads ate it all up and was entertained.
Zombieland Saga Official Opening
Episode 1: Rock Concert Performance
While being a cute and funny anime idol featuring characters resurrected from the dead, the anime can be seen similar to how the Japanese Idol Industry works. This is mainly reflected by how Kotaro treats the idols.
He is very eccentric, loud mouthed, and so demanding for the girls to give it there all in such short periods of time before they are to perform. And he is often dramatic with the results of each debut where he can even switch moods from at first appearing disappointed, but going straight to being overcome by joy.
In a way, he treats every girl in the group almost exactly like how an idol industry in Japan does. And in the industry, idols are expected to work hard and give it their all; doing various things which are Singing, Dancing, Voice acting, Entertaining, modeling, and playing musical instruments.
Not only would they have to perform, but be able to advertise themselves such as in commercials and special events. In Zombieland Saga, the girls partake in a commercial for Drive In Tori to boost their exposure. And they participated in a Kashima Gatalympics to advertise their idol group with their tee-shirts (unsuccessfully).
Commercial | ZOMBIELAND SAGA
While having some strong similarities, the anime does stick out with some key differences as well to give viewers a good time to watch, laugh, and enjoy the show. This has to do with how the idols are zombies and have different qualities/perks compared to humans that are alive:
1. They can't die from being overworked
2. Be enslaved in Kotaro's house
3. Almost no leisure time needed
"It is a stressful job, in a country where social pressure is palpable. But some would say it is giving a chance to regular people who may not otherwise get the chance to be rich and famous. Perhaps it is just a simple message that hard work brings rewards" (source by Japan Info, The Dark Side of The Japanese Idol Industry).
One big difference that the anime has compared to the Japanese Idol Industry was how they start off performing. Not only did they start off with a rock concert, but eventually bounced off to a rap battle before having their official song to perform. This shows great humor and impressive talent/luck as due to Korato's ludicrous demands of having short due dates, the girls have to wing it.
Episode 2: Rap Battle
And so, this anime stands out as being an idol anime that has the girls almost singled out from their former lives where they are expected to meet very high and ludicrous demands by Kotaro to make them big. They have to be overworked again and again to meet his expectations and it's okay! They are zombies so it's no problem at all! They'll be fine! Watch, laugh, and enjoy how it all goes for these girls!
Japan Info (source of information)