[REWATCH] Undead Unluck - Full Series Discussion

**Undead First-Timer, subbed**

Well, this show was *wicked sick* for sure! And I’m super glad [it got a season 2 announcement](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1pvgktr/undead_unluck_season_2_announced/) as well. [](#grandhype)[](#grandhype)[](#grandhype)

The only thing I can really ask season 2 to improve on is the whole excessive recap/flashback padding. That’s pretty much my only complaint with season 1 (and also Winter Arc because why did it need to open on 7 straight minutes of recap???). Outside of that, it was all just wicked awesome, from the cast to the power system to the art direction to the music, and everything in between.

[10/10.](#goblet1)

If this gets a full adaptation, I can see it making my top 10 favorites list of all time; I *super* prioritize finished stories for that list, only really made an exception for Hunter x Hunter 2011 because it *felt* finished enough and the Bleach anime without TYBW being done yet because the sheer fucking experience I had while watching the OG anime for the first time back in 2020 was something else entirely (like, I deadass predicted a plot twist in it *in my fucking sleep* levels of experience™). But that will be for future me to figure out. [](#mugiwait)

Big thanks to u/italeteller for hosting this rewatch! It was a great one! [](#saesmile)

[removed]

# [SEASON 2 CONFIRMED LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO](https://x.com/animetv_jp/status/2004223641677160488)


It might surprise you to find out that I didn't very much care for UU at the beginning

I read the first chapter when it dropped, and I felt like it was gonna be another shonen where the main girl gets put through the fanservice wringer. I mean, the second page of the manga is a full color spread of Andy groping Fuuko, who looks like she's having a very bad time. This is our first look at Andy, and his dynamic with Fuuko, even before we actually meet him in-story, so you can imagine I didn't have a very good opinion going in

Still, I stuck with it because the premise reminded me of Assassination Classroom, and that's one of my all-time favorite manga, and it's ending is as cathartic as they come. I figured, if the mangaka can make me love this naked asshole enough that I mourn his death at the end, it'll be an amazing fear of writing

Unfortunately, the manga aired in the 20th of January, 2020. A while later the pandemic would hit, and a while later-er I mentally checked out. I don't remember a lot of that time, but I remember still not being too into the series

I remember thinking Victor summoning the clones was bullshit, and thinking Billy's betrayal came out of nowhere and didn't really have any punch since we'd barely spent time with the guy. I don't remember how I felt finding out the world was in a loop. I was pretty much reading the series just because

Until Akira's backstory

The idea of a little kid, completely isolated, having to watch his mom despair trying to find him but unable to tell her he was ok, yet finally finding a way to reconnect with people by his own will and effort hit me. It pulled me out of my funk and made me lock in. And when he sacrificed his only means of interacting with the outside world, it felt devastating. But at the same time, chapter 52, "To You, From Me" was incredibly uplifting

(a couple weeks ago I was playing Hades 2 and one of the gods gave me a boon and told me, "from me to you" and it fully stunlocked me for a whole minute)

And I was locked in ever since. And let me tell ya, in an age where shonen manga fall off the more they go on, UU's the rare case where it only gets better and better

Undead Unluck has gone on to become one of my favorite manga. It has it's issues, but upon re-read I've found I'm much less harsh on it, and I appreciate it a lot more. And while a part of me is frustrated that the anime paced itself so slowly, another part can't help but feel incredibly grateful that the first season ended in what's unarguably an incrdibly stron moment. Akira Kuno my beloved

UU unfortunately never hit it big like it deserved. We all had our hopes on the anime, but it being stuck on Disney jail hurt its reach so badly, it was a real possibility that we'd never get anything after the winter special

You can imagine my hype when I got the notification that season 2 was on the way. And if you liked season 1, S2 is gonna blow your tits clean off

Still, I wanted to get more people on it, and the winter special was the perfect chance for a rewatch, and I would call this one a rousing success. So I'd like to thank the people who made it possible, first and foremost all our new watchers who gave this show a chance, doubly so to Shimmering-Sky who helped me put this together, to majestic\_rainbows for always commenting with production information, that was interesting as fuck, and to all the rewatchers who came back for the fun of it

Thanks for participating and making this last month wicked sick, and I hope you enjoyed this rewatch I put together, to you, from me

Going into the rewatch, I remembered how the flashbacks were pretty annoying and stood out. During the rewatch it didnt feel that bad for some reason. The small recaps in the beginning of the episodes were whatever but I typically skipped during the rewatch. Im thrilled with u/italeteller for hosting this as I have this as my favorite anime as of right now. The winter arc was cool but I gotta rewatch it where the subs aren't super late. Seems like UMA winter is still being held hostage and we're gonna go into next season where UMA Summer is the first target. Very interesting note by UMA Spoil that concept type UMA like winter or more preferred by God than Phenomenon Type UMA like himself. Now let's get to the questions:

1. Loved it. Favorite series as of right now so much im tempted to read the manga.

2. I usually dont go for the generic MC answers but it might be Andy.

3. Shit uhhhh idk why but Phil is the first one to come to mind. Top also pops up. Andy, Shen, Billy, and Rip all deserve a shout but thats almost the whole male cast lol I think that just shows how great the characters are in this series. Anno Un and Akira might actually take it now that im thinking about it.


4. Fuko gotta take the cake there. Juiz is cool and Tatiana and Gina had their development but Fuko is so easy to root for

5. Unbelievable since im a fan of copy abilities


6. I guess Spoil. I dont think we saw too many outside of winter, spoil, and burn.


7. Either the one with Victhor's fight and defeat, his fight with Andy and Fuko, or the finale.

8. Man im just happy people enjoy this series to the point it had a rewatch. Another series I loved that didnt get enough attention at the same time was Ragna Crimson and hope for that to get a S2 at some point so we can have a rewatch of that.

Rewatcher, subbed.



My memory is a bit fuzzy, so I might get some things wrong, but I'll try my best to explain my history with the series: I originally tried reading the manga back when the 5th volume just got its English volume release (if I recall right). I remember reading the first few chapters and honestly not knowing how to feel about it. I unfortunately dropped the manga, and just moved on to other things. What made me give the series a shot was when the anime was announced, since it was given to david productions. I generally like the projects they take on, so I considered the possibility of giving it another shot. Then, it was revealed that Yuki Yase, "Fire Force" season 1's director, would be directing it. In that case, I *definitely* needed to check it out. Before the anime was to start airing, I gave the manga another shot. It was a lot of fun! I remember binging through the post Winter Arc material because of how good it was.



Onto the anime itself: I thought it was good. Of course, the flashbacks were a bit annoying, but overall, I enjoyed the ride. It was nice seeing Yuki Yase direct again years after "Fire Force" season 1. I can't put it into words why, but rewatching it definitely made me appreciate the anime more. Choosing a favorite episode is a tough one, not gonna lie. For me, it's a tough competition between episodes 1 and 4. I liked episode 1 because I think it worked nicely as an introductory episode, even though there was an obvious shift in tone later on. Especially liked the anime original segment at the start by Taiki Konno, that was magnificent. Episode 4 is another favorite of mine because of how well made it is. The action animation looked great, obviously, but I also liked how Tozawa storyboarded and directed the episode overall too. Gena's death hit me hard. Even though we only knew her for a short while, I still liked her as a character. The little monologue she gave as she died was sad. I could sympathize with her frustration that no matter how hard she tried, nothing changed (I dunno if I'm remembering that correctly, but I'm pretty sure that's what she said.... I think. It feels like a lot of time passed since we rewatched that episode, even though it hasn't even been a month yet, lol).




Regarding the series' future though, I am a bit worried. Whether season 2 goes to david production or E&H production, I can imagine it'll be rough one way or another. Here are the two scenarios:




- If it goes back to david production: do **not** expect it to retain the same quality that season 1 had. The ex-SHAFT production line at davidpro has it quite rough now, as they struggle to get resources for "Fire Force" Season 3. While the main staff is different between Fire Force and Undead Unluck, the people managing it are the same (Animation Producer on Undead Unluck is the Production Desk on Fire Force season 3 for example), who would be responsible for bringing on staff. Yuki Yase also has a history of not doing sequel seasons, so he's definitely out for the count. As far why the team struggles to get resources, there's two important points: the main animators are freelance, so they're not tied to any specific studio. Whether they appear or not depends on whether they have the time for it. Kazuhiro Miwa for example, one of the main animators for Undead Unluck season 1 and Fire Force seasons 1-2 is likely busy at the moment with the "Demon Slayer" movies at Ufotable. Secondly: there's a chance that the producer that brought ex-SHAFT members on board to davidpro, Kosuke Matsunaga, has left the studio. Evidnce for this is that he was recently spotted working outside of it, such as on "Page of Lambda" at ENISHIYA for Setting Production (設定制作). He is likely to be working alongside Yuki Yase on whatever project he wants to do next, wherever studio that may be. Chances are Matsunaga will be taking his connections along for the ride.


- Staying with E&H production: While the special episode did look good, the credits gave the idea that production was messy. The fact that this special episode, 48 minutes in length, required 5 directors (2 with 3 assisting) and 5 Assistant Production Assistants does not look good. The schedule would've been tight. Seong-Hu Park is special in that he does a lot of work for the series he takes on, but at the same time, there's only so much he can do to carry a project. E&H is a relatively new studio, so its short on resources. This is made worse with the fact that the studio has a lot of projects lined up (examples being Season 2 & 3 of Ninja Kamui), meaning it's stretched pretty thin on top of that. If they do get to keep the show, chances are season 2 will look good at the start, but eventually start struggling later on. I wouldn't be surprised if it was only 1 cour tbh. I don't know if E&H would be able to handle 2 cours, even if there was a break in-between. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm doomposting. I just think we should go in with a level head for season 2. I'm hoping for the best though, whatever that may look like.




Then again, the fact E&H production took on the winter special episode at all came totally out of left field for me, so who knows? Maybe a miracle will happen and I will look very dumb in hindsight. Also, I already said this on the last episodes thread, but thanks again to italeteller for hosting the rewatch every day! Your dedication is appreciated.

I've been a fan of the series for years.
I have all the manga volumes at home, and it's one of my all-time top 10 shows.
I find it so fascinating how much love you can feel for every character in the series.
And that every storyline manages to surpass the previous one, and then there's this wonderful finale..

When the anime finally gets a full adaptation, people will understand why it deserves more hype.
Until then, continue to recommend it to everyone, whether online or in real life!

Favorite characters in season 1:
1. Fuko
2. Andy
3. Anno Un
4. Shen
5. Rip

Favorite Episode: 24

For those who can't wait, finally read the manga!
Sick, wicked Sick!

**Rewatcher**

As I already expressed in the episode discussions, I actually didn't feel anything especially towards UU at first, it was just a fun seasonal to pass the time. That is until Billy's betrayal and the world really opening up and finally the perfect Autumn Arc with Anno Un. Now I kinda consider it the hidden real best battle Shounen of the modern gens haha, though I'm unsure if I should be making that claim considering I'm not even that much into battle Shounen. But meh, this is the era of agenda posting for the genre anyway.

There's definitely a lot to keep in mind plot-wise so I'm very grateful for the chance to Rewatch.

I already watched the Winter Special and it's definitely very different stylistically. Not very Shaft-like at all. As I said in that episode discussion, that gives me mixed feelings. Nonetheless I'm very excited for what's to come and how it seems that the tone decided to "lock-in".

It also seems however that this IP will continue to have a troubled anime production, so I do pray for the quality and most importantly for the staff.

See y'all in season 2!

**Winter Arc**

I know we had Autopon, but I wanted to combine both my thoughts while I’m here since I can sit down and watch it without interruption. I love healthcare and my OT, but I do like going home on time too 🫠

I keep wanting to check wikia, does the winter arc cover the next consecutive chapters? I am too afraid to check wikia and end up spoiling myself.

….was that uncommunicate?

The animation was a different feel than the series. I know David Productions did the series, but it still felt like Shaft in the best way possible (and why I kept thinking about Madoka). This felt different, but in its own unique way that still felt UU. Fees a bit like Kill la Kill.

…oh that was that dude from Under then, I see.

Oh so UMA are like Pokémon and you can Megaevolve them, okay. Umamon. I can get behind that.

This sounds like a video game and looks like a video game 😭

I want someone to put Star Wars music over Juiz v Billy.

This oddly reminds me of the manhwa “The Heir”. MC and squad fight with swords, deadly strings, and knives. Antagonists fight with guns. And “The Heir” is also “What do you mean this isn’t by a BL artist?” vibe.

I ship Burn and Spoil, don’t @ me, it’s cuffing season 🤷🏾‍♀️

Also I would absolutely let Burn destroy. Why are the UMAs also muscle shows, I’m in my knees in Costco 😭

***

**Series Discussion**

First of all, the muscle show had me ***barking***. So thank you for the food on that.

My brain broke in realizing the narrator was a person. It felt like my mind became flooded in conspiracy theories at that point.

I vaguely remember when the first chapter dropped on the manga sub and the feedback was, I think, not all that great (in the comment section)? It does feel like there have been a significant chunk of series that make the first chapter/episode outrageous and shock factor only to dial it back for the rest of the story. I’m not sure what the reaction was like in Japan or on Twitter or Instagram when all this happened. It’s definitely a gamble to do that.

I have war flashbacks from a few series that immediately turn friends off from anime due to the…*strong* elements on day 1 🙃

As someone who predominantly engages in romance manga and anime, UU’s first impression to me was “Ooooh this is definitely a shounen” (which means very little since that’s just an editorial demographic). But I do like muscular people, and this seemed to have lots of muscles.

I know what I’m about.

The Union’s actions was definitely a WTF from me originally. Murdering disadvantaged innocents who have no intent to harm but you find them “dangerous” is the best way for me to think “Oh, so *you’re* the baddies”. And it was a double WTF if you’re trying to fight god, yet you kill people who could be valuable assets in that. You need all the manpower and minds and resources to kill ~~Hatsune Miku~~ god!

But damn.

It certainly makes sense now of what Juiz was thinking and why she had the Union staffed and organized and protocoled as she did.

Akira is Merlin, Juiz is in the Seige Perilous seat of the Round Table, I feel vindicated my fanfiction google searches from five months ago have real life applications now 😎

But I’m very concerned because if I know anything about regressor shit being revealed *this* early, I would bet my tabby cat that we will see another loop happen. The parallels between Juiz/Victor and Fuuko/Andy are too strong. I know Fuuko will be the one to use the Ark, I just don’t know how or why outside of some big ass disaster happening and the only way to do something about it is another loop.

Still unsure what type of god is the god. Are they mean-spirited, or are they amoral?

And how close were Juiz and Victor to killing god that Juiz is all in with this? What does killing god look like? And with all the “vessel” stuff happening, what does that mean? And with UMAs being close to god—are they considered like archangels carrying out their missions? So are vessels like…angels in their own way kinda?

I don’t think my pets can handle me going crazy over this anymore 😭

This series has definitely been one that makes me question shit now. I have no trust anymore. It’s unfair.

***IS GOD UNFAIR THOUGH?!***

Is Latla Unfortune?!

I miss Stupid Bitch Me from last month 😭

For now, I will stop the manga and read along when S2 drops to not spoil myself. But this has been a very entertaining SFF series, and I’m bewildered how this was a D+/Hulu distributed show.

I don’t get why Disney wants anime in the first place given their “marketing strategies”, but oh well.

Now that this season is in a lull and my uncle is done with Heated Rivalry and the Mighty Nein, I’m excited for him to start this ☺️

Thanks for hosting, u/italeteller, I hope another anime series you’re wanting a new season/cour for gets an announcement soon 🫶🏾

***

**QotD**

1. Yes. It was a wicked sick muscle show.
2. Akira.
3. Akira.
4. I have to go with Juiz on this. She is my Shiori (*This Monster Wants to Eat Me*) of the show.
5. Whatever the fuck Latla has.
6. Burn. He’s a big boy and could probably burn me to death. I like that in a monster. The flesh is weak, but the spirit is willing and all that.
7. Whichever one I started freaking out that the narrator was a person.
8. I want S2 to be CR because I know CR would be advertising this as a muscle show. I know damn well they would.

The fall off of this show should be studied.

**First-timer, subbed**


As I said in the season 2 confirmation thread, big thanks to you for hosting this and for even bringing this to my attention. Somehow had never heard of it and it would've flown under my radar.


Loved this show and I was so into it, I even put my seasonals on hold to watch each episode during the rewatch and discuss it with all of you. I usually try to prioritise seasonals because I want to change to discuss things with others and the way reddit works makes that hard if you're even a day late. But the discussions in the Undead Unluck rewatch threads were wicked sick and made me want to make sure to watch and talk about each episode as soon as I could. 


Thanks to all of you who patiently answered all my numerous questions and indulged my not too quick on the update fumbling theories on what was happening. It was all very very fun!


The flashbacks got a bit much towards the latter part of the season. That's pretty much my only criticism. Everything else was top tier. I especially love how good the writing is. Crazy good to juggle such high concepts and make it all make sense, while also giving us grounded well-defined characters with real growth that you can't help but get invested in.


The voice cast was insanely good too and the music and the animation and just everything really. One of my all time favourites for sure!