Main characters ; : : : Shizuka, a former high-profile accountant (portrayed as a flight attendant in the live-action film due to her
composite with Yukari), endured strict control from her father, leaving her reserved, overly logical, and detached from personal enjoyment. The zombie apocalypse intensifies her survivalist mindset, making her highly resourceful but socially isolated. After repeated encounters with Akira and Kencho, she reluctantly joins them in their
RV, unable to drive herself. Gradually, their zest for life influences her, and she begins opening up, eventually forming a romantic relationship with Akira. Inspired by their outlook, she reconnects with her childhood aspiration of becoming a doctor, listing it as her 42nd life goal. ; / : : : Kenichiro, nicknamed "Kencho", is Akira's longtime friend and former rugby teammate. A natural entertainer, he constantly jokes around, with Akira as his primary audience. Though successful as a real estate agent, he resents the industry's unethical practices, secretly aspiring to be a stand-up comedian—later listed as his 34th bucket list goal. After Akira rescues him during a zombie attack, they reunite and face the apocalypse together. Like Akira, Kencho retains athletic prowess from his rugby days, with greater raw strength and charisma, traits that fuel his promiscuous tendencies. He often performs impromptu comedy, his signature bit involving stripping naked—much to others' annoyance, though Akira always laughs. ; / : : Beatrix, a German woman deeply fascinated with
Japanese culture, taught herself Japanese and traveled to Japan after college. When the zombie apocalypse begins, she arms herself with
samurai armor, a
naginata,
katanas, and a bow, using self-trained skills to survive. Initially seeking to fulfill her dream of eating sushi prepared by the last surviving chef (item #7 on Akira's bucket list), she joins his group. Her primary objective shifts to experiencing all aspects of Japanese culture. Despite her gentle nature, her combat prowess makes her the group's most formidable fighter. ; / : Takeru, nicknamed Takemina is an old college friend of Akira and Kencho. A self-stylized
hippie, he joins Akira's group in order to experience the greatest possible freedom imaginable. Takeru has poor aim, but if he intentionally seeks to miss, then he will always hit his target. This makes him the team's sharpshooter. ; : Izuna is a former high school student who became jaded with society after the death of her father at a young age and her mother's subsequent need to overwork. When the outbreak starts, Izuna is found to be
naturally immune to the virus. Upon meeting Akira's group, she joins up with them, and the primary goal of the series shifts to escorting her to a lab where a
vaccine can be produced based on her immunity.
Supporting characters ; : Mikio: : : Sumire: : : The Kousakas, Akira's previously unknown neighbors, first encounter him during the outbreak when he stumbles upon them hiding in their apartment. Confused by his cheerful demeanor amid the crisis, they watch as he offers to retrieve supplies for them. Upon returning, Akira finds their apartment destroyed and assumes they perished. Inspired by his optimism, however, the couple escapes and commandeers a plane to travel the world before succumbing to zombification. In the live-action adaptation, they are expecting a child and flee to an aquarium instead. Their story serves as an early example of how Akira's outlook influences others during the apocalypse. ; : : Teruo is Akira's father and a farmer. A no-nonsense, hardworking man, he routinely, if unintentionally, acts coldly to Akira, leading them to not get along that well. Despite this, Teruo occasionally shows some warmth and idealism (eventually revealing his childhood dream was to become an astronaut and experience the
overview effect), and is fiercely loyal to their village. He suffers from various health problems, including back pain, lung problems, and hemorrhoids. This initially causes himself and others to think he is infected, though this later proves to not be the case. Getting Teruo to take hemorrhoid surgery becomes #40 on the bucket list. ; : : Akiko is Akira's mother and Teruo's wife. She is generally more kind-hearted and conciliatory than her husband.
Antagonists ; : : : Gonzou, Akira’s former team leader, is a sadistic and manipulative figure who rules through intimidation, berating subordinates even when they follow his orders. He cultivates a
cult of personality, demanding loyalty while contributing no work himself. After the apocalypse, he commands a survivor group at a truck stop, escalating his tyranny by exploiting refugees fleeing Tokyo, including Akira, Shizuka, and Kencho. When Gonzou nearly succeeds in coercing Akira into submission, Shizuka intervenes by adding "walking out on Gonzou" as item #37 on the bucket list. His group abandons him during a zombie attack after he prioritizes only himself, leaving him isolated and overwhelmed as the undead close in. ; : : Higurashi, a former college acquaintance of Akira and Kencho, presents a contrasting personality to Akira. While Akira's extroversion was suppressed by his oppressive work life, Higurashi was a
NEET who isolated himself yet blamed society for his bitterness. The apocalypse gives him the freedom to act without consequences, and he joins like-minded individuals who similarly refused to take responsibility for their circumstances. They create a destructive bucket list, culminating in an attack on Akira's village where they release zombies, targeting Akira out of long-held envy. Though causing significant damage, Higurashi is ultimately defeated. In his final moments after being bitten, he redeems himself by leading zombies away before drowning himself in a river. ; : : A member of Higurashi's group, Kurasagi is a former cellphone shop employer who became disenfranchised with his work and marriage, leading to the latter dissolving. In reality, he expected his wife to do everything for him while he provided money, rather than actually work on their relationship. After joining Higurashi's group during the outbreak, Kurasagi's bucket list item becomes wanting to abuse his wife. During the assault on Akira's village, he fights with Kencho on a roof, who angrily points out his faults. Kencho manages to throw Kurasagi off the roof, where he is devoured by zombies. ; : : A member of Higurashi's group who worked as a chef apprentice. He refused to apply himself to any of his jobs and would routinely get fired, but chose to blame bad luck over his selfishness. After joining Higurashi's group, Atenbou's bucket list item becomes wanting to forcibly French kiss a girl. During the outbreak, he attempts to do this to Shizuka, but she points out his inability to fear for others and lures Atenbou to where the village elders beat him up, though he survives. Atenbou comes to regret his actions afterwards, and decides to reside in the village to help it rebuild. ; : : A member of Higurashi's group. She was an office manager who constantly nitpicked and belittled every little thing about where she worked. As a result, her coworkers avoided her, which ultimately led to her getting fired. After joining Higurashi's group, Kanbayashi's main bucket list item becomes blowing up her old office building. During the outbreak, she comes into contact with Beatrix, who points out that she needed to be more open to the opinions of others and learn to respect different approaches to the same goal before she is killed.
Other characters ; : : : Ohtori, Akira's former coworker, stood out as one of the few kind figures in his oppressive workplace. Though he harbored strong feelings for her, he never confessed after discovering she was coerced into a sexual relationship with the CEO. When the apocalypse begins, both Ohtori and the CEO succumb to zombification. Upon encountering them, Akira finally expresses his feelings before fleeing, later recognizing this as the first completed item on his bucket list. While he occasionally reflects on her memory, these thoughts diminish as his relationship with Shizuka develops. ; : : Yukari is a flight attendant Akira and Kencho encounter sheltering in a subway store with coworkers Reika and Maki. While Kencho becomes intimate with Maki, Yukari declines Akira's advances, explaining she remains faithful to her missing boyfriend. They instead form a genuine connection, sharing personal aspirations. When an infected man attacks, the outbreak spreads rapidly - Reika turns, then infects Maki before Kencho stops them. Yukari also falls victim but, in her final moments, urges Akira to pursue his dreams as she did through her career. Her death leaves a lasting impact on Akira, who continues to reflect on her words. ; : : A carpenter from the city. After the outbreak killed his wife and son, Kumano fled into the forest, where zombies do not roam, and began building a treehouse in the forest to reside there away from danger. Upon finding him, Akira and his group help him complete the treehouse due to building a treehouse being on Akira's bucket list. Later, following Higurashi's defeat, Kumano helps the villagers escape from the zombies, and moves into the village to help them rebuild. ; : : A former film industry makeup artist, she was working on a zombie movie set when the actual outbreak began. After escaping to Akira's village, she befriends his group alongside two other urban survivors. Her expertise proves vital against Higurashi's attack - she disguises Akira as a zombie using professional makeup, enabling him to infiltrate and neutralize the threat. This simultaneously fulfills one of Akira's bucket list goals: experiencing
cosplay. Her specialized skills make her a valuable asset to the community during the crisis. ; : : Known as "Old Man Hikoe", he is one of the elders in Akira's village. Once the greatest hunter in the village, Hikoe has since become a senile old man who, following the death of his wife, experiences bouts of delirium. This includes believing Shizuka to be his granddaughter, Akemi, who long ago left for the city, and routinely tries to hug Shizuka as a result. This particular delusion proves crucial during Higurashi's attack, however, as Hikoe inspires some of the other villagers to save Shizuka from Atenbou after Shizuka herself saves them from zombies. ; : : A young girl from the city. After losing both of her parents in the outbreak, she and her dog Charl escaped into Akira's village. In her mourning, she became distant and lonely from the other villagers, until Kencho manages to cheer her up with his comedy. Kencho also protects her during Higurashi's attack, and in gratitude she dubs him a comedian, allowing him to knock it off the bucket list. == Production ==