Mindless drones, resurrected martial artists controlled by a talisman--we've all seen the undead in one form or another. Add in some head-bashing, flame-throwing goodness, and you’re on your way to creating another horror classic.

Not so for this series. Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka?, or Is This a Zombie?, takes the definition into an entirely different light. Like the name implies, the featured “zombie” doesn’t really feel like one at all. Why, if it weren’t for the fact that the protagonist repeats, “I’m a zombie” every episode, we might as well think he’s just another human who’s magically gained super powers.

And what a necromancer!

Ayumu always gets involved in the worst situations.

Don’t think that there aren’t any similarities, though. Slaughtered by a serial killer and revived by the necromancer Eucliwood Hellscythe (Eu for short), the main character Ayumu Aikawa wants revenge on his murderer. And--that’s about it for the storyline. At this point, you’d expect a cold-hearted, aloof character who dwells on nothing but his objective. Instead, you get a resurrected teenager who has the hots for his reviver. Talk about raging hormones: teen romance sure dies hard.

That sets the tone for the rest of the series. The creators of Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka? really enjoy playing coy, adding in globs of silliness every episode but never bothering to explain anything. I’d usually complain, but all of this converges into a great “tickle me cute” appeal that can either frighten or amuse you to no end.

Super strength is an added bonus.

Sometimes, people just don’t appreciate magical girls.

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