Synopsis

In a Japan that’s on the verge on ruin, he’s surviving alongside a cute underclassman! A sudden zombie outbreak ravages the country. Amidst the fleeing crowds, high school student Yuuma Kousaka ended up being bitten. Afraid of dying, he reunited with his friend’s sister Haruka Hinata for the first time in years. She offers to fulfill his dying wish and be his girlfriend. And with that, Yuuma makes his best and final memory. But after becoming a zombie, he retains his consciousness! “I thought you were going to die soon, so I showed you my boobs! This wasn’t the deal! You need to take responsibility!” And thus, a romantic comedy begins between Yuuma, the strongest boy in a world of zombies and Haruka, a girl who knows all his weaknesses. (Source: Yen Press)

Love Conquers the Zombie Apocalypse!

Written by Ryou Iwanami and illustrated by TwinBox, I’m the Strongest in This Zombie World, but I Can’t Beat This Girl is one of the latest Yen Press light novel titles that puts a twist on the rom-com formula.

Set in a version of Japan overrun by zombies, the story follows Yuuma after he’s caught foul of a zombie attack. In his last moments before zombification, he manages to miraculously reunite with his childhood friend, Haruka, who offers to grant his dying wish, becoming his girlfriend. With his final wish come true, Yuuma can die in peace… or at least he thought he would. Stuck as a human-zombie hybrid, he’s given powers and strength beyond his imagining, as well as a pesky new girlfriend to keep him company.

As a concept, it was only a matter of time before someone decided it would be a good idea to mix the world of a zombie apocalypse alongside the saccharine sweetness of a Japanese light novel rom-com. In theory, the symbolic ignorance of danger for the sake of love, as the zombie threat becomes background noise for Yuuma and Haruka’s love, could work as it has done for other similar settings (e.g., Otome games that are supposed to end in tragedy). Unfortunately, this remains a theory for the zombie world as this series fails in its execution.

I’m the Strongest in This Zombie World occupies this strange middle ground, not quite sweet enough for a slice-of-life romance and not drama-heavy enough to be considered a more serious novel. As a result, the tone of the book comes across as confused, never sure whether it should be exploring harem antics or developing the world around it. Additionally, the novel’s original author doesn’t have a flair for the descriptive. There are times throughout the novel, in the beginning, especially, where the story reads more like a list of events rather than an engaging rom-com.

Fortunately, there are aspects of the series that are still enjoyable. As the first volume reaches its climax, there’s a larger emphasis on what caused the apocalypse and how to cure it. Albeit brief, this segment leaves the possibility open for any number of different mutations to occur in the same manner as Yumma’s hybridisation, as well as a whole host of different abilities that come with them.

Overall, it is safe to say that I’m the Strongest in This Zombie World’s first volume didn’t cut the mustard. Although the concept had potential, and there were sparks of something interesting developing towards the end of the volume, they couldn’t overcome the novel’s lacklustre execution and confused tone.

I Give I’m the Strongest in This Zombie World Volume 1: 5/10