Calamity of a Zombie Girl Review

3 stars of gruesome zombie anime.

Calamity of a Zombie Girl is an O.N.A. (Original Net Animation) produced by studio Gonzo (Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing) and Stingray. It is based on the light novel series written by Ryō Ikehata and illustrated by Hagane Tsurugi.

It is presented here on Blu-ray in Japanese with English subtitles, courtesy of Anime Ltd.

“I wanted to save her, if I could, as a token of my gratitude.”

It’s summer break at Sankan University and the five members of the Occult Club have a plan. They break into the library in pursuit of a fabled treasure of the Shogun. They get in thanks to the lock smithing prowess of Azuma, and with a little help from Takanashi, who has disabled the alarm system for his own reasons.

They have no joy whatsoever in finding the treasure, however Miss Kamoshida fnds exactly what she was really looking for, two coffins. These contain the surprisingly well preserved bodies of two young women who turn out to be Euphrosyne Studion (daughter of Baron Studion) and her maid Alma. Miss Kamoshida reaches in and takes out a shiny red stone and then they leave in a hurry.

Unfortunately, in the process they have awakened the mummies from their slumber. They want their stone back and will stop at nothing to get it, turning the quiet dorm room into a bloodbath.

Calamity of a Zombie Girl is good fun to watch and there is certainly no shortage of blood and gore, with arms and heads flying everywhere. There is also some token nudity just to ensure it’s 18 certificate status. The animation style is atmospheric with really good use of light and shade adding to the drama.

Although it might just be a Japanese thing, it seems to me a little strange how cool and calm everyone remains even when their limbs are removed and blood is spurting from the stumps.

There are also quite a few elements which don’t really work, the story is a bit daft and the characters are a somewhat wishy washy and unlikeable. If you’re after a gorefest however, then this certainly fits the bill, and will likely appeal to horror enthusiasts.

“Unlike you, your maid looks very fragile. Will she survive a severe injury?”