Is This a Zombie?

The magical girl, the necromancer, and two vampires. Not pictured: the zombie.


Ayumu Aikawa is dead - or was dead. This Ordinary High School Student has since been resurrected as a zombie by Necromancer-knight Eucliwood Hellscythe ("Eu"), who is now living at his house. Relaxing in the cemetery one night while searching for his killer, Ayumu witnesses a girl named Haruna fending off a giant monster with her magical chainsaw. She is a Masou Shoujo, having come from the magical world. As Haruna attempts to erase his memories, she ends up erasing her own powers (and outfit) by mistake. The Megalo won't cease attacking, though, and as Haruna is quick to discover, her powers have transferred to Ayumu instead. Ayumu is now a zombie and a magical girl, and hijinks ensue.

Originally a series of Light Novels (totaling eight as of November 2011), Kore wa Zombie desu ka? was adapted into an anime in the winter 2011 season. A second season started airing in April 2012 officially named: Kore wa Zombie desu ka? Of The Dead (Is This a Zombie?: Of the Dead).

FUNimation has licensed the series and will release it under the translated title Is This a Zombie?. Similarly, the original manga adaptation was licensed by Yen Press under that title and began publication in March 2012. Other manga adaptations, currently only available in Japan, are a 4-panel gag series and a third adaptation called Yes, I'm Your Wife.

Tropes used in Is This a Zombie? include:
  • Abuse Is Okay When Its Female On Male: Ayumu gets beaten up a lot, usually by Haruna or Sera.
  • A-Cup Angst: Haruna.
  • Accidental Kiss: Haruna pushes Ayumu into Maelstrom, causing Ayumu to fall on top of him (who turns out be a her) as they lock lips.
    • And in vampire ninja culture, the first kiss between a man and a woman counts as a marriage ceremony.
    • The misunderstanding is made worse in episode 6 of Season 2 when Ayumu puts a magical ring on Tomonori to prevent a spell/demon in her to self-destruct again. She was unconscious at the time, but upon waking up and finding the ring on her, she seems even more convinced Ayumu wants to marry her.
  • Actor Allusion: Sera and the cat ears.
  • All Men Are Perverts: How primarily Sera and Haruna think of Ayumu. Of course, sometimes it's not that far off...
  • Amusing Injuries: Ayumu is a zombie. And this is a comedy.
    • Haruna kicks him into the wall in episode 5 of Season 2. It leaves a hilarious bloody after-image where the mark has a surprised look on its face. Later a sick Eu asks to sleep in the same bed as him, and in the next scene he has the same exact look on his face. Sera does one as well at the end of the episode.
  • Anti-Villain: The King of Night. All he wants is to die, which Eu won't grant him since she still counts him as a friend. So he is forced to harm her newfound family (i.e., Ayumu, Haruna, Seraphim and Maelstrom) just to provoke her into doing so.
  • Ass Shove: The male, comedic version.
  • Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: One high-class Megalo is a gigantic flying humpback whale. This one is shown as wearing the suit of a Japanese delinquent and can shoot laser beams from its mouth or explosive, targeted water jets from its blowhole.
  • Ax Crazy: Kyoko
  • Awesomeness Is Volatile: Haruna's idol performance causes Orito's iPad, which was tracking the stats, to explode.
  • Back from the Dead: Eu actually says she prevented Ayumu's death, although there's probably no difference.
  • Back Stabbed With Extreme Prejudice: How Ayumu died in the Backstory. He also gets impaled by a Bear Megalo when he first met Haruna.
  • Badass Adorable
  • Badass Cape: Seraphim, Ayumu when he charges his Masou Shoujo powers, and Kyoko
    • Seems to be a given with all vampire ninjas introduced.
  • Badass Labcoat: Ariel/Dai-sensei
  • Badass Teacher: Ariel said she was going to kill Ayumu if he finished off Kyoko
  • Bad Santa: Haruna's Imagine Spot in Episode 7 portrays Santa Claus as a tattooed and scarred psychopath who murders people and stores them in his sack, who will grant the wishes of anyone with a ponytail.
  • Balanced Harem: Although some girls seem to get ahead from time to time, for the most part none of them have won over Ayumu completely yet.
  • Barehanded Blade Block: Ayumu does this to Kyoko.
    • He tries it again in episode 9 of Season 2 against Seraphim, but she's much too quick for him. In the next scene he's still bloodied and knocked out in the corner of the room.
  • Bare Your Midriff: Sera
  • Barrier Warrior: Haruna
  • Beneath the Mask: Dai-Sensei aka Ariel is pretty ruthless if you overlook her cuckoo personality.
  • Berserk Button: Do not belittle the seriousness or pain of death around Eu.
    • In truth she is merely annoyed. Heaven can't help you if she actually goes berserk - it's stupid to even think about it. The reason why she is so annoyed by that only gets revealed much later in the story.
    • Episode 4 gives a plausible explanation: Eu feels the pain of any ailment she heals. If her necromantic Raise Dead works the same way, she literally relives death as she brings anyone back, including Ayumu. No wonder she's dead serious on the matter.
      • And later in Episode 6, the gravity of the situation is underlined by her saying DIE repeatedly to Kyoko.
    • Don't threaten or harm Ariel's students
  • BFS: Sera is capable of increasing the size of her sword. The biggest it's been so far is about 9 feet long.
  • Big Bad Friend: Yuu considered the King of Night one.
    • In Season 2, Nene and Chris are seen eating and drinking together at the end of episode 9 in Season 2.
  • Big Damn Hero: Eu neutralized a fireball with little effort.
    • And in Episode 10 Sarasvati saves the party from the King of the Night, despite earlier having Sera attacked for disobeying her orders to assassinate Eu.
    • Maelstrom does one for Haruna/Ayumu when some Megalo had them pinned down in episode 7.
  • Big Eater: Everyone.
  • Black Comedy
  • Bland-Name Product: Ayumu and Orito eat hamburgers at "MaskDonald", where the staff wear luchador masks, and Orito is drinking "Dr Poppor". Also Ayumu was seen using "Stardust Coffee" awning as shade from the sun.
    • in of the Dead, videos of Ayumu pop up on Yuatube in the second episode.
    • In episode 8 of Season 2, he uses Zoogle to look up how to throw a mixer.
    • Ayumu goes to a 6-Eleven in episode 9 of Season 2.
  • Blessed with Suck: Eu is astronomically more powerful than the rest of the cast, the problem is she cannot control it. She doesn't speak because that will become a Brown Note without even trying.
    • Ayumu too: Good news - he's a zombie, alive again, following one of the most powerful necromancers/masou-shoujos out there, and has Masou-Shoujo powers. Bad news - he's making new enemies, has a harem with a bit of antagonism towards him (although they're getting better), can still feel pain, can dry out under the sun, and, as a Masou-Shoujo, has to wear an incredibly humiliating pink, frilly outfit... complete with pink-and-white striped panties.
  • Blood From the Mouth: Played for Laughs with the man Ayumu runs into in episode 6 of Season 2. He seems to spew blood every few moments whenever he says or does something, and immediately mentions his doctor telling him not to say or do those things, such as acting cool or saying elusive things.
  • Bokukko: Maelstrom uses "ore" to refer to herself, and her speech mannerisms are usually used by males.
  • Brainwashed, Rinsed, and Dried: Turns out, Kyoko was possessed at the time of her mass murder spree. Eu explains that she'd been possessed by the King of the Night.
    • This seems to have happened with Maelstrom and her Mon -- she automatically invokes it on certain triggers.
  • Break the Cutie: Eu in episode 9.
  • Breathe on the Fan: The next episode preview at the end of episode 11 shows Eu trying to do this on one of those new unchoppy, smooth air fans... er, Dyson air multipliers. Needless to say, it doesn't work.
  • Breather Episode: Episodes 7 & 8 are comparatively lighter in tone than 5 & 6, and episode 12 is essentially a Beach Episode, with all the major female characters in a singing contest.
  • Brick Joke:
    • "Don't give away the punchline!"
    • "That's not a kick!"
  • Bromantic Foil: Orito, the show's master of comedic irony.
  • Brought Down to Normal: Haruna, also an accidental variant of Super Empowering.
  • Butt Monkey: Ayumu is treated as such.
  • By the Power of Grayskull: Haruna's keyword is Japanese for "despite lovely and charming, I'm a death bringer" in reverse order.
  • Calling Your Attacks:
    • Sera's secret sword technique can't be much of a secret when she keeps calling it out at everyone.
    • Haruna's Mystletainn Kick isn't exactly a kick.
    • Ayumu and his percentages of power.
  • Captain Obvious: "If you hadn't brought me back to life, I'd still be dead." Can't really argue with that, Ayumu.
  • Catch Phrase: Title Drop, sort of.
  • Cat Smile: Haruna displays one from time to time.
  • Celebrity Is Overrated: In episode 2 of the second season, after Ayumu is once again seen in his magical girl outfit, and later in the nude, the students start taking lots of pictures and videos. His attempt to erase the memories is also stopped due to Mystletainn breaking. He immediately feels his social life is over, and when he arrives to school the next day, he is incredibly popular. Which immediately causes him to reject it and runs away from it all.
  • Chainsaw Good: Haruna's weapon of choice. A pink chainsaw.
    • The opening title sequence features chainsaws in basically every other image.
  • Chekhov's Skill: When Haruna tries to erase Ayumu's memories of her during their first encounter, she unwittingly transfers all her powers (transformation outfit included) to him accidentally. At the start of Episode 2 it's revealed that he used the same technique to save himself from further humiliation after the rest of the school caught him wearing the Masou-Shoujo outfit. Unfortunately for the guy, come Episode 1 of the second season he is unable to repeat this action after Mystletainn breaks.
  • Cicadian Rhythm: Zombies don't do well in the heat.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: Haruna doesn't take it too well when Ayumu "marries" Yuki.
    • In episode 8 of Season 2, both Haruna and Tomonori don't like it when Ayumu is ordered by Eu to hug Taeko in a game, and pulls them apart rather quickly.
    • In episode 9 of Season 2, Sera seems to exhibit this trope when Nene jokingly says that if she did do anything naughty with Ayumu, it's not a big deal since he's a man. Even though he was completely innocent, Sera doesn't believe him and whacks him on the head with her sword.
  • Clothing Damage: Notably, Masou-Shoujo clothes, by proxy of stripping a Masou-Shoujo of her powers or her weapon.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Ariel is very special.
  • Conspicuous CG: Aside from the usual fake-looking passing cars and trucks, the ferris wheel in episode 8 looks like the programming version of the Design Student's Orgasm.
    • The audience during the singing contest in episode 12 looks like they were taken straight out of a PS 1-era game.
  • Cooldown Hug: Ayumu to Maelstrom when she was about to self-destruct in episode 9.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Yeah, Ayumu is often the servant boy for his ladies, but he can rip your head off, tear you to shreds with a chainsaw, or punch you out of immortality.
  • Cry Cute: Haruna in episode 9 of Season 2, after seeing a Not What It Looks Like moment where a nearly naked Nene collapses on top of Ayumu. After running back home crying adorably, both Seraphim and Yuu accompany her. Nene makes it much worse for him by not denying that something may or may not have happened, and if it did, he's a man. Cue more cute Haruna crying, as well as Sera slicing him in the head.

Haruna: (With tears in her eyes): I-I didn't cry! I-I never cry!

  • Curb Stomp Battle:
    • Eu repeatedly kills Kyoko using nothing but words, and would probably have won if Kyoko hadn't torn out her own eardrums.
    • Later, Ayumu breaks Kyoko's sword and repeatedly chainsaws her to death, leaving her with only one life left.
    • Immediately afterwards, Ariel makes it perfectly clear that she could kill Ayumu with a single thought if she wanted to -- and if he had honestly tried to take Kyoko's last life, she would have.
    • Ayumu then beats the tar out of the King of the Night and finishes by punching through his head.
  • Cursed with Awesome: Congratulations, Ayumu, you're now one of the undead who has to obey your master and gets weaker in sunlight, except your master follows you, your strength is doubled, and you've somehow gained a harem after your death.
  • Cute and Psycho: Kyoko is BATSHIT INSANE.
  • Cute Little Fang: Haruna.
  • Cute Mute: Eu, Invoked Trope.
  • Dark Magical Girl: Kyoko.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Eu often makes these with her notepad.
  • Dead Person Impersonation: Implied to have been done with Kyoko by the King of the Night.
  • Death by Origin Story: Ayumu.
  • Death Is Cheap: When you're a zombie. Or Kyoko.
  • Death Seeker: The King of the Night.
  • Debut Queue: Ayumu is already living with Eucliwood when he meets Haruna in episode 1. Seraphim gets introduced in the next episode. Mael takes the longest to arrive--she's introduced halfway through the series and finally Saraswati, who pops up near the end.
  • Defrosting Ice Queen: Seraphim. She begins to develop a liking to Ayumu, occasionally showing hints of jealousy after.
  • Deliberate Injury Gambit: As a zombie, Ayumu is a textbook exploiter of his basic ability, ignoring injuries in combat. Most notable when he has Sera run him through to kill Kyoko. Doesn't work out quite as well as they thought it would, though...
  • Detachment Combat: Ayumu can fight with his body parts pretty easily, since they can always be reattached.
  • Did Not Do the Research: A very likely intentional example in the beginning of episode 7. No, Haruna, that's not how the string theory works.
  • Different in Every Episode: Ayumu's fantasies of Eucliwood are voiced by a different Seiyuu (frequently well known, but less commonly heard from nowadays) each episode. There is even a scrolling text placed onscreen saying who the Seiyuu is this week.
    • She finally talks outside of Ayumu's imagination in episode 11.
  • Disney Death: Of all people, Ayumu gets this in Episodes 10-11. Earlier, Sera is critically wounded from behind by Yoruno, and it basically takes someone else's blood to revive her.
  • Distracted by the Sexy: Thrice in the Ova, all in one game. Orito was distracted by Sarasvati, who was standing up giving Orito a great view up her skirt. Sarasvati was in turn distracted by Ayumu's ass, and Ayumu was in turn distracted by Taeko, who loosened the front of her shirt and leaned over, allowing Ayumu to look down her top. The first was deliberate. The second was completely unintentional. The third looks natural, but was on purpose.
  • Does This Remind You of Anything?: Try looking at Sera's feeding on Haruna. It leaves Haruna breathless.
    • Their and Ayumu's reactions don't help.

Haruna: <catching her breath> Don't look.
Sera to Ayumu: You were watching us? You are a despicable peeping dung beetle.

"Our protagonist is a zombie. Do not try this at home!"

"If I die again, make me a penguin. I like penguins. Forgive me, Eucliwood."

Ayumu: "It's 'señorita', you fantasizing maniac."

  • Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: The Megalos.
  • Ham-to-Ham Combat: The idol show.
  • Harem Hero: Ayumu is a Type 2.
  • Heavy Sleeper: Nene as introduced in episode 9 of Season 2. She falls asleep answering her door, giving Ayumu some Marshmallow Hell, and later when he's brought some food for her, she gets out of the shower and collapses on top of him. She then later pops up from being buried under a pile of paperwork/drawings.
  • Heroic BSOD: Ayumu suffers one in episode 11 after Eu refused to take his hand as the King of Night was flying away with her.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: When the King of the Night plants a bomb on Haruna's head, Ayumu takes it and places it on his own head, then jumps out of the building to avoid the bomb hurting his friends. Being an immortal zombie however, it's not permanent.
  • Hostile Show Takeover: During episode 10's "On the Next..." segment, Yoruno claims to be the new protagonist since the episode ended with Ayumu getting blown to pieces. Ayumu is not pleased.
  • Hot Chick with a Sword: Lots.
    • Seras.
    • Seraphim.
    • Kyoko.
  • Human Alien: Seraphim, Haruna, Eu, or any other girl can pass as a human even though they aren't human at all.
  • Hyperspace Arsenal: Manga-wise the fight between Kyoko and Ayumu ended up differently than the anime; in the manga Ariel had to literally stop Ayumu from killing Kyoko via pulling out her katanas out of her lab coat.
  • I Cannot Self-Terminate: The King of the Night's main motivation for harassing Eu and her friends.
  • Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Every episode title is like a response to the interrogative main title. (e.g. "Yes, I'm a Masou-Shoujo", "No, I'm a Vampire-Ninja", etc.)
  • Idiot Hair: Haruna. And it's expressive.
  • Idol Singer: Sarasvati, Sera (albeit unwillingly), Haruna (who stole the show), and Eu.
  • Imagine Spot: Ayumu's is out of control. Notable in that every time he imagines the "inner" Eu, she calls him "oniichan" and is voiced by a different seiyuu, famous for their "cute" character works. Also accompanied with this phrase (in their cutest voice):

This is the fantasy of our weak-hearted protagonist Aikawa Ayumu.

  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Happens to Ayumu a few times. Sera does this to Megalo's as well.
  • Impossibly Cool Clothes: Sera's outfit underneath her original idol outfit is a Naked Apron with a Qipao-like bottom.
  • Improbable Weapon User: Maelstrom can dissolve a Megalo by showering them with tonkotsu ramen.
  • Indirect Kiss: Saras does one on Ayumu after stealing a drink from his coffee/juice box in episode 9 of Season 2. He even }}Foreshadow}}ed one earlier in the episode when Saras asked for his coffee box as payment for her ticket to him. Saras will probably consider this an act of marriage, similarly to what happened with Tomonori, but Ayumu will likely try to brush it off.
  • Insufferable Genius: Haruna.
    • She can't seem to take losing at anything, including an Accidental Kiss between Ayumu and Maelstrom (which ironically happened due to her pushing Ayumu down).
    • To the point that Ariel has observed that Ayumu's is the only name Haruna's bothered to remember... so far.
  • It Got Worse: Several examples:
    • When they first fight Kyouko, and think they won after killing them. She had some extra lives in the form of souls she stole from her murdering spree earlier.
    • When Yuu initially didn't grab Ayumu's hand while the King of Night was taking her away.
    • In Season 2, Ayumu attempts to erase everyone's memory of him as a Magical Girl. Unfortunately Mystletainn breaks and doesn't work like it did in Season 1. What makes it worse for him is that his crossdressing makes him even more popular than before.
  • I Was Only Pretending to Like You: After Kyoko reveals her true identity, Ayumu wonders whether It Was All A Lie.
    • Averted as of episode 8 in Season 2, where she outright tells him that she's fallen in love with him, while stabbing him with her sword no less.
  • Kill the Cutie: Kyoko. Turns out that was just a ruse to fool the audience into ruling her out as a suspicious character in the serial killings.
  • Kiss of the Vampire
    • Episode 5 starts with a literal kiss of the vampire when Sera kisses Haruna on the lips (as an anesthetic) then bites her on the neck.
    • When used on the opposite gender, it's the vampire ninjas' act of marriage.
  • Kuudere: Eu, though Ayumu is trying to convince himself that she's a Tsundere.
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia: One of the Masou-Shoujo powers, to Ayumu's relief.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: Seraphim is on the receiving end of a positive example of this in episode 10 when Eucliwood, whose life she had spared in the previous episode, revives her after she dies in an ambush committed by Yoruno.
  • Lens Flare Censor: Flat out abused with Haruna, who has a penchant of trying to use her magiclad transformation (which destroys her existing clothes to replace them with her magical girl outfit), leaving her nude when the magic wears off.
  • Leotard of Power/Sensual Spandex: Worn at one point in the OVA by, among others, Ayumu. He promptly lampshades this, and Eu responds in writing. Of course, despite what Ayumu says, they are actually unitards.
  • Lethal Chef: Seraphim, who creates a hot pot that dissolves utensils and melts a hole through the bowl it was in. Despite her terrible cooking, she still insists on cooking whenever she gets a chance, and later food still burns/melts through the dish.
    • Haruna also shows some signs of this (except where fried eggs are concerned). Come on, who can turn something like pudding into soap?
      • Ok tested the recipe out and figured out how... if you add too much cornstarch. Recipes usually call for 1-1.5 tbs of corn starch per 1-2 cups of milk. Knowing Haruna, she probably added 3-10 tbs.
    • In the second season of the anime Seraphim invokes this trope during the Tsundere challenge. She cooks Ayumu a steak made with nitroglycerin. He bravely eats it (and suffers the results).
  • Lolicon: Ayumu is accused of being by Orito this once Chris shows up in episode 7 of Season 2. A few moments later Taeko also wonders if Ayumi is one.
  • Love Confession: Ayumu gets one in episode 8 of Season 2, by Kyoko, who also stabs him with her sword.
  • Made of Iron: Comes with the zombie package. As well as a form of regeneration (none of Ayumu's damage is permanent so far).
  • Magical Girl: A surprisingly large number.
    • Haruna.
    • Ayumu, who is actually a Magical Boy.
    • Kyoko.
    • Eucliwood, too!
      • It's hinted that she interned at Matelis under Ariel for a time.
    • Subverted: Ariel/Dai-sensei never changes, she just uses the powers of one.
  • Magical Girlfriend: Ayumu wants one. He ends up with an Unwanted Harem of Pretty Freeloaders, although Eu appears to find him charming, and Haruna's definitely pulling a Tsundere thing with him.
    • Seraphim is showing Ayumu some begrudging respect as of episodes 4 and 5. She asks him to name her new attack one episode later.

"I think you're a dung beetle, but I do respect your strength."

Haruna: Pervert.
Seraphim: Dung beetle (with variations; often translated as "piece of shit" to sound even more insulting)
Eucliwood: Servant (she did resurrect him...)
Sarasvati: Kuso-Darling (she likes his ass)

Ayumu: It was as if the sky was crying for Eu...
Seraphim: (wanting more food) Please hurry, you dung beetle.
Ayumu: You've ruined the mood.

    • And later...

Ayumu: [after Eu wakes up] What a relief!
Eu: Is it over?
Ayumu: For now.
Eu: Thanks. [pauses writing] You did well, servant.
Ayumu: Don't make it complicated.

    • Dai-Sensei does one on Kyouko in episode 8 of Season 2 when the latter was about to kiss Ayumu at a mixer. She puts on her angry, red-eyed face, which scares Ayumu.
  • Monster of the Week
  • Monumental Battle: Battle at the Tokyo Tower.
  • Mood Whiplash: Episode 4. Yay, Ayumu managed to defeat the monster. Woo, he looked awesome doing it. Wait, did Kyoko just slash her own throat?! What? End credits? No!
  • Mundane Utility: Ayumu can use Super Strength for anything, like winning at bowling...
  • My Name Is Not Tomonori!: Unfortunately, that's how Maelstrom's alias, Yuki Yoshida, reads. Nevertheless, she's fine with Ayumu using it (save for a brief Freak-Out in episode 9 when she realizes she had nearly died), as she found his alternative - "Yuki-chan" - far more embarrassing.
    • The reason she doesn't like Tomonori is because it sounds too tomboyish.
  • Naked People Are Funny: The anime practically starts with all of Ayumu's clothes flying off after he gets hit by a truck.
    • Haruna's magical Wardrobe Malfunctions are this almost as much as Fan Service.
    • Episode 1 of the second season repeats Ayumu's predicament, but this time he's also unable to erase his classmates' memories of him fighting a Squid Megalo in masou-shoujo outfit.
  • Necromancer: Eu is a rare benevolent example.
  • Never Live It Down: In-Universe. Until he (and Haruna) finds a way to fix the Mystletainn, poor Ayumu will never get past the stigma of being a crossdressing pervert after he was caught fighting a Squid Megalo by his classmates in broad daylight in his masou-shoujo outfit on Episode 1 of the second season, then breaking Mysletainn, rendering him unable to erase their memories (like he did last time) and butt-naked. This little incident soon exploded into an In-Universe Memetic Mutation, extending to clips on YouTube and even a fashion statement based on it.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Ayumu when he accidentally breaks Mystletainn in Season 2. Made more hilarious by the fact that despite being seen as a cross-dresser, it makes him even more popular, much to his chagrin at trying living a normal, quiet life.
    • The bad events of the entire serie could have been completely avoided if only Eucliwood wouldn't have been so cruelly selfish and just granted King of the Night the death he yearned for. The dozens of people killed by him (and their family) in order to convince you to let it go are really thankful, Eu...
  • Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: Ayumu is a zombie magical cross-dressing guy. Seraphim, Yuki/Maelstrom and Saraswati are vampire ninjas. Eu is a Necromancer Knight. Should we expect a robot any time soon?
    • Kyoko certainly seems like one. She does the Masou Shoujo transformation and used Masou Shoujo powers, shows off red eyes like Seraphim, doesn't die to a lethal wound, and is said to have Megalo powers, granting her some ridiculous portmanteau of the rest of the cast's powers.
    • As of Episode 6, Eu is officially a Masou-Shoujo, too.
    • Taken to the next level in Episode 11 with the Vampire-Ninja-Maid orchestra providing the BGM.
    • All the girls add Idol Singer to their list of occupations in episode 12, the over-the-top indoor Beach Episode.
  • No Ayumu I Expect You To Dine: In episode 10, Ayumu and Haruna eat with the King Of The Night.
  • Non-Indicative Name: Haruna's Finishing Move, the Mystletainn Kick, consists of bisecting the opponent with her chainsaw (which at the very least is called Mystletainn).
    • Almost always followed up with:

Various: "THAT ISN'T A KICK!"

  • "No Respect" Guy: Ayumu. He dies rushing in to try and help victims of a serial killer, only to be murdered instantly. He's then brought back to life, fights monsters, defeats a vampire ninja in single combat... and is still called insulting names. In fact, Eu and Maelstrom are the only two main characters that haven't yet called him on his crossdressing when he was in Masou Shoujo form.
  • Not What It Looks Like: A lot of moments are like this for Ayumu.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: Ariel learns that Ayumu is a Masou Shoujo in Episode 5 and seemingly pretends to shrug it off. In Episode 6, she appears to have taken it in (though she presumably hasn't seen him in the outfit yet), and her knowledge of Ayumu being a Masou Shoujo is confirmed in episode 9 when she summons Mystletainn to where Ayumu is standing and has him combat a dark presence surrounding the vampire ninja Maelstrom (specifically, Mysticore).
  • The Ojou: Seraphim plays the trope straight, until she decides Ayumu's not worthy of any form of respect. She then gains what may be the dirtiest mouth in recent anime history. She still tends to be very polite, but she ends sentences with "Kono Kusomushi!!" (You shit-maggot!!)
    • Kusomushi is an alternative saying for Funchuu which means the Dung Beetle. It is still highly offensive but doesn't actually refer the person in question as shit.
  • Older Than They Look: Ariel can't be that young considering she trains millions of girls just like Haruna.
  • One-Note Cook: Haruna is a great chef, as long as eggs are the only thing involved. Even the water bottles are filled with fried eggs. The stir fry she tries to create in episode 4 burns through the cast iron pan and through the bedrock, like thermite.
    • They are really tasty eggs, though. Eventually she gets the hang of cooking.
  • Only Sane Man: Ayumu and Sera during the Idol singing contest
  • Our Vampires Are Different: They're ninjas.
    • And you don't need a Vampire Invitation - they can eat normal food, can walk even in bright daylight, have funny marriage laws and have reflections and rules against hurting humans... except Ayumu (a zombie).
  • Our Zombies Are Different: Type R.
  • Panty Shot: Including multiple shots of male panties.
  • Paper-Thin Disguise: Ayumu wears the mask he gets from the restaurant. He makes it even more painfully obvious by calling himself "Masked Ayumu" (which he immediately regrets).
  • Parental Abandonment: Ayumu mentions in one of his internal monologues that his parents left him a few years ago, and their only contact so far has been sending him packages of stuff "from countries [he's] never heard of."
  • Perpetual Smiler: Ariel
  • Phrase Catcher: "That's not a kick!" in response to the Mystletainn Kick, by the one on the receiving end.
  • Pink Is for Sissies: Have fun being a Masou-Shoujo, Ayumu.
  • Please Don't Leave Me: A major plot point in Season 1 as Ayumu invokes this on Eu after the latter left thinking she was being a burden on him.
  • Power Glows: It also adds extra frills to Ayumu's costume.
  • Power Limiter: The armor on Eu serves this purpose. It stops her power from influencing everything around her, including herself. Whenever her power is released by speaking, it will induce horrible pain to her brain that can potentially kill her. That power will rage on even if she dies. She's got an exceptionally severe case of Power Incontinence.
  • The Power of Trust

Sera: I believe in your strength. (charges, then pauses) You're a cross-dressing dung beetle festering in a bag of rotting garbage, but I believe in your strength.

  • Power Perversion Potential: Anything Eu says can come true. Anything. Now think about that.
  • Pretty Freeloaders: Subverted with Sera and Haruna for they do cook sometimes.
  • A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: Chris used to be Ariel's top student a century ago and even led a coup against Lilia Lilith at Ariel's request. The coup failed, and after getting struck by the Queen's curse Chris started plotting revenge against Ariel for letting her take the fall. Naturally, Ayumu's party opposes her from the start.
  • Rapunzel Hair: Eu, Sera, Ariel, Kanami and Sarasvati.
  • Readings Are Off The Charts: Haruna's idol popularity caused Orito's IPad-looking object to explode
  • Reality Warper: Eu does this uncontrollably whenever she goes emotional; because of this she tries her best to conceal her feelings all the time.
  • Recurring Riff: the first 10 seconds or so of Kumori Nochi Hare seems to make its way into almost every song in the OST in one form or another.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: Sera's Green Eyes turn red when she's about to kick some ass.
    • Kyoko does so when she reveals she's a Vampire Masou-Shoujo. There's more to it than that.
    • Sarasvati all the time.
  • Red Shirt: Kyoko appears to become one once she slits her own throat. However, she's revealed to be Ayumu's murderer the very next episode when she lures him to the graveyard and tries to kill him a third time (Kerberos Wansard, a straighter example, was taken out during her second attempt on Ayumu's life).
  • Running Gag: Ayumu getting impaled in the anus with a sharpened stake.
  • Schmuck Bait: Anderson tells Ayumu to do various humiliating things in order to help cure Eu's sickness. Cue Haruna entering when she sees a Not What It Looks Like moment where Ayumu is stripped down to his underwear blowing gently over Eu.
  • Sequel Hook: Episode 12, with an Early-Bird Cameo of Chris, the next Big Bad from the fourth volume of the light novels onwards.
  • Serious Business: Vampire ninjas take marriage very seriously. Even if it was a total accident and they just met you for the first time, they will completely devote themselves to you.
  • Shout-Out: GAP MOE KYUN
    • The OVA has a segment that pays tribute to the classic anime Cat's Eye, right down to the BGM and the Kisugi sisters' trademark calling card.

Ayumu: Umm, why are we in leotards?
Eu: [written] Aesthetics.

    • Haruna catches the whale much like Unit-01 catches one of the angels in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
    • Ayumu builds a mecha similar to Sousuke's and when Haruna accidentally breaks it. They scream Sousuke while donning a similar hairstyle.
    • Unmistakable references to the Terminator franchise in episode 6 of Season 2, when Haruna's chainsaw re-appears in a glowing ball of lightning.

Mystletainn: I'll be back!

  • Sick Episode: Eu gets sick in episode 5 of Season 2, and later Haruna does as well.
  • Sinister Scythe: Eu can transform her notepad into one.
  • Sleep Cute: In the OVA, Mael and Haruna, of all people.
  • Sliding Scale of Comedy and Horror: Tending more to the comedy side.
  • Spell My Name with an "S": Yuu/Eucliwood Hellscythe.
  • Stealth Hi Bye: Seraphim combines her ninja skills with vampire skills to invoke this trope.
  • The Stoic: Eu. Due to her Power Incontinence, any emotion she shows could have dire consequences.
  • Stripperiffic: When Ayumu makes an idle wish while having Yuu's magic inside him, this happens to the girls, combined with Zettai Ryouiki. Also Saraswati and Seraphim's idol outfits.
  • Stupid Sacrifice: Kerberos, as if sacrificing yourself to protect a nigh-immortal zombie is not dumb enough already.
  • Super-Deformed: The main girls sometimes revert to this, and at the end of each episode in Season 2, there are a few chibi Eu's talking and doing various things, with the original Eu often showing up shortly afterwards.
  • Supernaturally Delicious and Nutritious: Eu's magic is what's attracting the Megalo.
  • Superpower Meltdown: When Maelstrom got injured in Episode 9, it triggered the invocation of her superweapon Mon, which nearly self-destructed. A Cooldown Hug wound up saving her.
  • Super Strength: Ayumu can punch stuff stronger than an average human due to the fact that he's a zombie and is no longer constrained by the human body's natural limiters.
    • Subverted. Ayumu lacks several Required Secondary Powers, namely the actual physical strength to withstand the stress that puts on him.
      • Just like Newton's third law of motion, for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. If you're hitting something with 800 pounds of force, it's going to hit back.
  • Swipe Your Blade Off: Kyoko's an offender.
    • Although it's semi justifiable that she's not human to begin with...
  • Talking Weapon: Mysteltainn-sama.
  • Tall, Dark, Bishoujo And Very Snarky: Seraphim and Sarasvati.
  • Team Chef: Ayumu cooks most of the food the girls eat.
  • Tempting Fate: When Nene collapses on top of Ayumu in episode 9 of Season 2, Ayumu comments that it would be really bad if someone saw them like this. Cue a doorbell ring, and Ayumu getting worried, only to find out there's no one at the door. However, as soon as he closes it, a crying Haruna is seen clinging to the other side of the door. A few moments later, it turns out Haruna did in fact see Nene on top of Ayumu, and assumed they did some naughty things, made worse by Nene jokingly saying that he's a man, so what if they did.
  • Those Two Gals: Kanami and Taeko.
  • Thou Shalt Not Deplete Thy Opponent's Life Supply: Ayumu adheres to this rule when dealing with Kyoko, chainsawing away all but her last life.
  • Through His Stomach: Haruna, with Tsundere goodness.
    • Ayumu will do this for Eu.
    • Kanami suggests Yuki do this in order to win over Ayumu. Cue Yuki imagining herself in a Naked Apron.
      • Yuki kind of overdid it when she first tried... those sauces weren't really neccessary.
        • It looked like something Van would eat.
  • Tokyo Tower: Monumental Battle! With a concert of Vampire Ninja Maids.
  • Tomboy and Girly Girl: There's plenty of it between the girls, with Seraphim being the Tomboy to Eucliwood and Sarasvati's Girly Girls and the Girly Girl to Haruna and Maelstrom's Tomboys. Maelstrom is basically the Tomboy to everyone's Girly Girl, and Chris is the Girly Girl to Haruna's Tomboy.
  • Too Soon: The last three episodes were delayed a week due to the Sendai earthquake. Apparently, the broadcaster decided that showing an anime with "violent content" so soon after the 9.0 earthquake would offend sensitive people.
  • Transformation Sequence: Done multiple times. Pose for pose. Once with a cute girl, and once with a... teenage boy. Same movement. Same outfit. Same Panty Shot. Brain Bleach, anyone?
    • In Episode 11 they transformed at the same time.
  • True Companions: Ayumu and his Unwanted Harem of Eucliwood, Haruna, Seraphim and Maelstrom are shaping up to be this.
  • Tsundere: Haruna (Type A) and Maelstrom (Type B).
  • Twelve-Episode Anime: Season One, , does have twelve episodes, plus the "Yes, This Is A 1% Miracle" OVA.
    • The second season, Is This a Zombie? Of the Dead, got ten episodes, including the OVA, Yes, This Suits Me Just Fine.
  • Two Lines, No Waiting: There's the Monster of the Week that the Magical Girls are fighting, and now we have a vampire ninja war about to erupt... and based on the ending of the second episode (and Japanese Wikipedia) we know there's at least 1, maybe 2 more girls coming. And there's apparently an organization that's not happy about Ayumu being resurrected without the proper paperwork.
  • Unusually Uninteresting Sight: A huge explosion blows Ayumu and the Lobster Megalo out of a window in his school's third floor. He cuts it in half with a chainsaw in mid-air, lands leaving a huge crater, stands up unhurt and the only thing his schoolmates find strange is his frilly pink outfit.
    • And again he fights a Squid Megalo in broad daylight, Taeko gets captured and everyone is still focused on Ayumu's outfit.
    • Maelstrom having couple arguments with Ayumu in public doesn't cause a stir at all. Note that they're still highschoolers (read: below 18, the typical legal age) when they got "married".
  • Unwanted Harem: It seems almost all of the main female characters are falling for Ayumu, whether he likes it or not.
  • Vampire Invitation: Subverted, since Seraphim just appeared out of the blue. Justified considering the fact that she's a Ninja.
  • Vapor Wear: Haruna's rather obviously not wearing any pants since losing her Magical Girl uniform. Fridge Brilliance when you realize she wasn't expecting to be stuck on Earth, yet alone without her magic.
    • This is a running gag in the first several chapters of the Light Novel, as she always seems to show up at a battle scene wearing only panties and Ayumu's shirt. His theory is that when she detects a Megalo she immediately makes another (futile) attempt to activate her Transformation Sequence, which dissolves her clothing but fails to add her Magical Girl equipment, leaving her... well, you know.
  • The Voiceless: Invoked by Eu, due her Power Incontinence, has to communicate with written notes.
  • Weaksauce Weakness: Zombies and direct sunlight. Which is made inadvertently more hilarious as it's not always adhered to, and sometimes Ayumu can be seen walking in broad daylight (without his umbrella and while not in Magical Girl form) with no issues.
    • Denizens of the Underworld and tangerine piths.
  • Weapon of Choice: So far it looks like...
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Sera's faction has put a contract on Eu as of Episode 9 for being a Megalo magnet. Sera herself could've easily become one as well had Ayumu not talked her out of killing her.
    • The King of Night could arguably be this as well. His main motive for summoning all the Megalo was simply so that Eu would let him die/fade away, but she initially refused because she still considered him a friend. Had she of just granted his wish when they first met in episode 8, episodes 10 & 11 probably wouldn't of happened.
  • What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?: Random street break-dancing to pick up girls.
  • What Have I Done: Ayumu really comes to regret what he wrote for Tanabata in episode 9. The three girls wrote various things they wished for. In Eu's case, she wanted to stay with Ayumu and the others. Ayumu, meanwhile, wrote "May none of these things come true." probably as a joke, but then Eu leaves shortly afterwards.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Ayumu to Seraphim in episode 9 after she tells him her superior wants Eucliwood's head for being a Megalo magnet and that she's been selected for the sanction. This leads her to refrain from performing the sanction, and she continues to hold that position even after she's nearly sanctioned herself as punishment for bailing out.
  • White-Haired Pretty Girl: Eu.
  • Whole Costume Reference: Ayumu, Eucliwood, and Seraphim all wear the jumpsuits made famous by the Kisugi sisters in one segment of the OVA.
  • Wholesome Crossdresser: Ayumu, Masou Shoujo mode.
  • Who's Laughing Now?: Kyoko wasn't laughing mad anymore when Ayumu found her weakness (her reliance on souls of people she killed in order to regenerate) and started hacking away at all but her last life.
  • Who Wants to Live Forever?: The King of the Night to Ayumu:

"Someday you will understand the pain of immortality. So please... even if that day comes, do not blame Eucliwood."

  1. ↑ but accurate
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