Many believe that zombies are not popular in Japan, this is due to the few anime that exist. In this article I want to show the real reason why zombies are not famous, in addition to presenting an extensive list of zombie anime and other works.
Before we talk about zombie anime, we need to understand a little about Japanese culture and why there aren't so many works related to zombies. If you understand this, you will be able to understand why some Japanese zombie works are so different.
Table of Content
Why are zombies not popular in Japan?
In Brazil and the West, zombies have become very popular, all of this started with the release of the series The Walking Dead and the films of Resident Evil, the internet began to viralize the term zombie, numerous survival tests in a zombie apocalypse, themed games like plants vs zombies, I spent the last 3 years listening to and seeing people talk about zombies all the time, it seems that in cinema every month there was a zombie movie.
This is slowly running out, but in Japan despite great works like High School of the Dead and Resident Evil, zombies have never been more popular than in the West. What is the real reason behind this?
Some may think this is good, but unfortunately because of the unpopularity of zombies, many works that we like end up not getting a new season or continuation. Are the undead not well represented in anime?
Burying the dead is uncommon in Japan
What contributed to the unpopularity of the term zombie in Japan was the fact that most Japanese are cremated and not buried. For this reason, Japanese creations like Resident Evil and High School of the Dead started with a virus outbreak and not people coming out of the tombs.
Another key factor is that respect for the dead in Japan is very high. Many have an altar inside the house, there is even a whole week of holiday dedicated to the spirits of loved ones. Turning a cemetery into a spooky place just doesn't work in Japan.
Weapons, Weapons, Weapons
Despite anime depicting a lot of action, giant robots and flashy weapons, Japan hates guns. Finding a weapon in Japan is very difficult. While all zombie movies portray weapons as a form of protection, if a zombie apocalypse happens in Japan everyone dies, since not even the police usually own weapons.
Weapons? Who needs weapons when you have katanas? Those who think it's easy to get a katana in Japan need to stop dreaming about anime.
What horror is popular in Japan?
These small factors don't mean Japan hasn't tried to infuse zombies into its culture. There are several movies, dramas, mangas that portray zombies, some of them even had great success, but the vast majority were failures. In a country where fantasy goes so far, it's hard for zombies to compete with the competition.
One thing that is very popular in Japan is ghosts. Japanese people believe in spirits and are very superstitious. So in Japan when someone dies they become a ghost and not a zombie. The amount of anime, mangas, doramas, and movies with ghosts is enormous, becoming even a cliché in Japan.
Action Horror Zombie Anime
When talking about zombie anime, people want to see horror and action. Below we will share the best zombie anime with horror and action:
Highschool of the Dead
When the infected approached Rei and Takashi's school, it led to a terrible bloodbath that left most of the students and staff dead or turned into zombie-like monsters that spread across the world.
Along with a handful of other survivors, Rei and Takashi set out to find their families in a world that is rapidly deteriorating. Governments have collapsed, the deadly disease is out of control, and people everywhere are trying their best to simply live each day...
This is one of the most famous zombie anime, with plenty of action and ecchi. Unfortunately, the anime had only 12 episodes and ended with a somewhat open ending, but it is still a frantic work that keeps you hooked from start to finish.
Koutetsujou no Kabaneri
During the industrial revolution, humanity is threatened by the sudden emergence of undead monsters that can only be killed by piercing their hearts through an iron plate. Those bitten become one of them.
Called “Kabane”, these monsters exploded in numbers. The Hinomoto people built fortress stations and barricaded themselves inside. Only steam locomotives, the Hayajiros, can travel between them.
The anime is quite frantic and interesting, has a beautiful art and soundtrack. Unfortunately this was another anime overshadowed and prevented from having a new season due to its unpopularity in Japan.
Kore wa Zombie desu ka?
This anime despite the zombie in the title, presents different creatures in a story full of madness. Ayumu was murdered by a serial killer – at least, he was. After the mysterious Eucliwood Hellscythe revives him, he turns into a zombie.
Now, besides being unable to die, the boy must take care of the whims of his supernatural and silent companion - but things continue to get worse from there. He even reaches the point of becoming a 魔法少女.
Also, in the anime we have the addition of a hostile vampire ninja. Will Ayumu be able to live a normal life while fighting monsters and looking for the person who killed him? Will her dignity remain intact?
Different zombie anime
When we look to watch a zombie anime, we want to see action and blood. The Japanese break this pattern and create animes about zombies that are moe, with comedy and even romance, if we’re lucky. Now let's see the best quirky zombie animes:
Gakkou Gurashi
Looking for a loli school anime with zombies? This anime tells the story of Yuki Takeya who loves her school, in fact she lives at the school, even goes to classes, despite being one of the only ones who attends a class. Why doesn't she come home?
She is part of the "School-Life Club", a group of four girls and their dog who camp out in the club room at night and grow their own food on the school's roof. They don't leave school because it is a safe place in a world that has been ravaged by zombies.
This anime deceives those who watch it thinking it's just a slice of life of life. In fact, this anime has a good story behind it, positioning itself ahead of others in the ranking. Were you impacted by Madoka? Then go for it!
Zombieland Saga
Zombies are tired of living in the dark and want to shine. In the year 2008, high school girl Sakura Minamoto is abruptly killed by a truck while driving to an audition.
Ten years later, Sakura, along with six "legendary" girls from various eras in Japan's history, are brought back as zombies by a man named Kotaro Tatsumi, who seeks to revitalize Saga Prefecture by assembling a group of zombie idols known as the Franchouchou..
Only the Japanese can put together an Idol anime with zombies. Do you believe it worked? Zombieland Saga is a great anime that manages to mix scary things in very funny situations. An essential anime for anyone who likes the genre.
Sankarea
Chihiro is a student who loves the macabre and collects horror movies and thinks dating a zombie girl would be interesting. But while the idea of death is appealing, when you lose your pet cat, you go to great lengths to resuscitate it.
Every night, he sneaks into an abandoned building and tries to brew a resurrection potion, until one day he meets Rea, the beautiful daughter of the Sanka family. However, after a mess she ends up zombifying herself!
Now horror fanatic Chihiro is living the dream with his own zombie girlfriend, but how will the duo cope with Rea's new diet and the onset of rigor mortis? Don't miss this romantic comedy anime involving zombies.
Anime for those who like Zombies
Although they don't literally have undead zombies, there are similarities between traditional works involving zombies. See now some similar anime and chosen especially for those who like zombie anime.
Gungrave
Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowel were best friends who lived by the law of the street, until one day they got into a fight with the wrong people and their life of freedom was suddenly taken away.
With no one to turn to and nowhere to run, the choice to join Millenion, the city's most powerful union, felt like an offer he couldn't refuse. Through science they had their bodies recovered by becoming powerful zombies.
Now, amidst heartache, tragedy and utter betrayal, Brandon must take up the gun and help Harry climb the Millenion ranks to succeed in order to protect the people he loves, even if it means killing countless others in the process..
Tokyo Ghoul
Tokyo Ghouls aren't exactly zombies, they're Ghouls, creatures that feed on human flesh. They cannot infect other humans, only eat them. Despite this, the atmosphere of the anime is quite dark and very reminiscent of anime with zombies.
Ken Kaneki is a normal college student, quiet in his own right and a great reader. However, this normal boy lives in a mortal world - home to creatures called ghouls, who need to eat human flesh to survive.
One day he ends up being almost devoured by a love interest, becoming half Ghoul and half Human. From there, he must try to preserve his humanity while surviving in an increasingly hostile world filled with human enemies and ghouls.
Hellsing
In England today, a war is being fought. Ordinary people don't realize it, but vampires are running rampant among the population, and it's up to the Hellsing organization to contain the threat of the bloodsuckers, even using their own weapons against them.
Alucard, himself a vampire, is the best agent the organization has to offer, answering only to Integra Hellsing herself. Nobody knows much about this mysterious figure fighting supernatural creatures, including zombies.
Other zombie anime
There are many Resident Evil anime, but they are all in CGI, which may displease most. In addition to these, we have some anime not mentioned in the article, OVAs and movies that we will list below:
| Mo Dao Zu Shi 2 | Anime | 2019 |
| Mo Dao Zu Shi | Anime | 2018 |
| Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic | Movie | 2017 |
| Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Film: The Battle of Unato | Movie | 2019 |
| Is this a Zombie? Of the Dead | Anime | 2012 |
| School-Live! | Anime | 2015 |
| Is this a Zombie? Of the Dead: Yes, This Suits Me Just Fine | OVA | 2012 |
| Is this a Zombie? | TV | 2011 |
| Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress | TV | 2016 |
| Highschool of the Dead | TV | 2010 |
| Zombieland Saga | TV | 2018 |
| Is this a Zombie? OVA | OVA | 2011 |
| Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Parte 1: Luz que se reúne | Movie | 2016 |
| Sankarea | TV | 2012 |
| Resident Evil: Damnation | Movie | 2012 |
| Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Part 2: A Vida que Queima | Movie | 2017 |
| Resident Evil: Vendetta | Movie | 2017 |
| Sankarea OVA | OVA | 2012 |
| Genius Party | Other | 2007 |
| Resident Evil: Degeneration | Movie | 2008 |
| O Império de Cadáveres | Movie | 2015 |
| Highschool of the Dead: Drifters of the Dead | OVA | 2011 |
| Hitori no Shita: The Outcast | TV | 2016 |
| Resident Evil 4: Incubate | OVA | 2006 |
| Mo Ri Shu Guang | Anime | 2018 |
| Shi Xiong | Anime | 2014 |
| Seoul Station | Movie | 2016 |
| Kyoufu! Zombie Neko | TV | 2015 |
| Walking Meat | Movie | 2019 |
| Spookiz | Anime | 2014 |
| Gyo | OVA | 2012 |