Typically, the start of the zombie apocalypse is a harrowing affair. In Night of the Living Dead it leads to racism and stubbornness, in Train to Busan it props up a hellish commute, and in Return of the Living Dead it turns a party in a graveyard into a blood feast for the undead. Zombies are under no obligation to offer the living a good time. That is, unless you’re at work and being belittled by your superiors every day for not putting in overtime for the good of a company that underpays but expects absolute dedication to their visions. For those people, the zombie apocalypse is cause for celebration. A chance to go out and enjoy life. This is the zombie apocalypse of ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead.

Adapted by Bug Films from the manga of the same name by writer Haro Aso and illustrator Kotaro Takata, ZOM 100 follows Akira Tendo, an exhausted 24-year-old office worker who works for an exploitative marketing agency. The grind has left him an empty shell, a drone that merely exists on automatic. Routine has zapped any chance for excitement to make an appearance every now and then, and existence has been confined to small cubicles and even smaller apartments. He’s essentially become a zombie without having to go through the whole dying process. And then the end of the world starts, freeing Akira from his tortured existence.

In light of this newly acquired free time, Akira makes a bucket list. He intends to do all the things he said he wanted to do but couldn’t because of his job. And then it’s one mad dash to live life after the other.

The story thrives on relatability, and rooting for Akira is infectious. It’s very easy to see his side of things and to validate his decision to take the apocalypse as an opportunity to decompress. For example, one of the first things he tries to scratch off his list is giving himself a day to just lounge at his apartment, drinking beer and enjoying the silence. Of course, he’s running low on beer because he’s never home long enough to restock. Intent on enjoying his time how he wants to, he ventures outside and in the process meets Shizuka, another survivor who has a history with abuse.

The concept works because it captures the simplicity of our human needs so well. Working all day and getting back home just to wash up, sleep, work, and repeat the process means leading a very insular life. Veer from the script and you’ll open yourself up to meeting new people and enjoying life. For example, one of the benefits of freedom from work results in Akira reconnecting with his old college pal Kencho, a hilarious companion that always wanted to be a stand-up comedian and so decides to shed his clothes every chance he gets to further that dream. This reunion wouldn’t have happened had the zombies decided not to disrupt the status quo. Horror has a hell of a way of telling people how scary things can help us reevaluate life.

Of course, ZOM 100 is still a zombie anime, so you’ll get a lot of undead action each episode. Just don’t expect a gorefest the likes of a Lucio Fulci zombie flick or cannibal carnage done a la Tom Savini. That said, the series adds an interesting twist to the violence by drenching zombies in a mess of bright neon-like colors as a substitute for the usual red when showing blood. It helps keep the zombies kinetic, playful, and very stylish overall. They’re still a threat and there are some intense zombie chases that ramp up the intensity, but fun outweighs outright horror here.

It’s not often one can say this about a zombie apocalypse story, but ZOM 100 is a great comfort watch. It’s not out to wallow in trauma or to comment on the destructive nature of humanity. It’s about enjoying life. This sets it apart from tradition in ways very few other stories of its kind do (with the film One Cut of the Dead and the manga I Am Hero among top exceptions). It can get emotional, but there’s always a joke around the corner that can bring you back to relative peace. The message? Don’t be a work zombie. Make your own bucket list and see it through, even if it means dodging the undead to cross out each item.