Highschool of the Dead

It happened suddenly: The dead began to rise and Japan was thrown into total chaos. As these monsters begin terrorizing a high school, Takashi Kimuro is forced to kill his best friend when he gets bitten and joins the ranks of the walking dead. Vowing to protect Rei Miyamoto, the girlfriend of the man he just executed, they narrowly escape their death trap of a school, only to be greeted with a society that has already fallen.

Soon, Takashi and Rei band together with other students on a journey to find their family members and uncover what caused this overwhelming pandemic. Joining them is Saeko Busujima, the beautiful president of the Kendo Club; Kouta Hirano, an otaku with a fetish for firearms; Saya Takagi, the daughter of an influential politician; and Shizuka Marikawa, their hot school nurse. But will the combined strength of these individuals be enough to conquer this undead apocalypse?

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Busujima, Saeko Main

Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese

Komuro, Takashi Main

Suwabe, Junichi Japanese

Hirano, Kouta Main

Hiyama, Nobuyuki Japanese

Miyamoto, Rei Main

Inoue, Marina Japanese

Takagi, Saya Main

Kitamura, Eri Japanese

Marikawa, Shizuka Main

Fukui, Yukari Japanese

Maresato, Alice Main

Taketatsu, Ayana Japanese

Minami, Rika Supporting

Takeuchi, Junko Japanese

Zeke Supporting

Harada, Hitomi Japanese

Takagi, Yuriko Supporting

Sakakibara, Yoshiko Japanese

Ogura, Mitsutoshi Producer

Hashimoto, Kentarou Producer

Araki, Tetsurou Director, Episode Director, Storyboard, Key Animation

Tanaka, Kazuya Sound Director

Reviews

Aug 9, 2010

TensaiShonen

Recommended

After seeing the long line of reviews on HotD, I thought I'd say my piece on here to what I think is a "good" show. Not a "very good" show, not even a "great" show, but a "good" show as it is. Of course this may change should the anime continue to be as entertaining as its been so far.

Having come with no expectations, seeing as that ecchi seemed to ooze the moment you watch opening credits(something people should have noticed when they started this series), I was pleased and amused to what it had delivered.

Story - 6
Before I start I believe it my duty ... to just add this trivial information for those asking about the plot since some say its lacking or that there are none. So what is plot?

Plot: In fiction, the story of a play, novel, romance, or poem, comprising a complication of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means. - ardictionary.com

Whilst a 'subtle' plot does play in the background of a world on the brink of a zombie outbreak, one must understand that it will never be its main focus as we're lead by a group of high school kids and their ditzy school nurse. This series is about survival in its most basic whilst the 'subtle' plot unfolds. If they were to ever find a cure in this show, I don't think it'd be by any of the casting members as they're too bothered with who likes who, and who has bigger breasts then the other. They may not be 'teh best' cast to date(mostly mediocre), but what's wrong with that? There once was a reality TV show who had crammed a group of nobodies into a house full of cameras just to see how they'd react and called it Big Brother. Look how big that became as an entertainment medium. HotD is in the same class, but better as it sticks your clichéd anime archetypes into a world infested with zombies.

Now for those not into reality shows are probably asking; why watch something if it doesn't even have a plot? We watch HotD for the 'over the top' reactions the cast get into when pitted with something that's out of the ordinary. I don't know about you, but that in itself is plot. The emotions and reactions executed are both hilarious and captivating at the same time, and to me is just pure entertainment!

And are we entertained? Definitely. HotD is so entertaining, it's fanbase now consist of zombie-lovers(who tally the frags), ecchi fanboys(who howl at every moment of cleavage), action enthusiasts(who now has Kouta & Saeko in their favorites) and even whiners(who pretend to dislike the show and yet has kept up to the current episode).

Art - 8
The art in HotD is crisp. From the well drawn scenery of a sunset backdrop that provides you that feeling of an impending doom, to the hack-and-slash execution of each action scene(which the zombie-lovers anticipate), one has to appreciate that HotD maybe a cut above the rest in terms of animation for this season. Coming from artists well known for their over-the-top ecchi(Daisuke & Shōji Satō), I hadn't expected anything less when I first seen their character design, and when I heard from HotD's anime director Tetsuro Araki(well known for DeathNote) stating in an interview :

Tell us what motivated you to make Highschool of the Dead?

"I’m aiming for something I would have bought myself in middle school. At present, this would definitely have been a “buy” for me. I can feel my schoolboy heart rejoicing even now."

...I knew this was going to be a series dedicated to a lot of fan-service for a particular audience.

Whilst some proportions may have been overdone, well hey...its anime. If you were expecting realism from a zombie-and-panty flick aimed at hormonal adolescents, then you're watching the wrong show .

Sound - 8
Sound is great with Kishida Kyoudan & The Akeboshi Rockets "HotD" opening and the BGM sets the tone for every interaction within each episode, using rock as a theme. What's made me appreciate it even more is the director's choice of using Maon Kurosaki vocalize different lyrics for each episode which suits each ending very well. By the time the OST is out, I can guarantee it'd be number 1 for awhile in regards to downloads and music bought if your a fan of anime soundtracks.

Characters - 5
Unfortunately what sets my rating back as a whole is the casting for HotD as they are mediocre at best. Due to the pacing of the show, any form of development that they try to achieve are ruined and only comes off as cheesy, making you realize that this really is just a zombie-and-ecchi show. For those expecting romance to blossom, may be waiting a while as even I don't know where these characters are headed. One stage it may look like your average romance but by next episode it builds to a triangle and then a harem! Seeing this in the span of six episodes is just bad writing and I believe they should just stick to what they were already doing best: the zombie killing and ecchi!

To describe each member's characteristics as best as I could, would be to say that they are on a thin line between 2D/3D due to following their stereotypical archetype which I had mentioned earlier, whilst trying to adapt to the rules of the zombie genre. This can prove frustrating at times as each cast can act a little too superficial when facing a dilemma. Whether the creator had seen to these flaws as intentional is open for debate, but I guess overall it's growing on me and is leading me to continue just to see what they'd do next.

Enjoyment - 8
Well I won't lie to you, I have enjoyed the wild and bumpy ride that is High School of the Dead thus far(even with the ecchi) and now that we're over the half-way line(seeing as MAL & ANN has listed the series at 12), I can only hope that we aren't given a forced ending or have to wait too long for a second season so that the adaptation can provide more source.

Overall - 7
So as I had mentioned, HotD is a good show. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise that it's overrated especially if they've rated a 9 or 10 for shows like Sailor Moon or any other moé blob. Whilst it's not a Death Note or TTGL or whatever others are comparing it to at the moment, what it is is pure entertainment...and isn't that the sole reason we watch anime?

So my only advice to those new to this series is: if you view the show with no expectation then you'll definitely not be disappointed...and if you can't handle the ecchi then get out of the kitchen, that's reserved for Saeko in her 'Hadaka' apron..

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Aug 13, 2013

kerk12

Mixed Feelings

Hello there fellow anime lover, and welcome to yet another review of the REALLY hyped anime called Highschool of the dead (or HOTD for short...). In this review I'll be pointing out why you should (or you should not) watch this, but before I start let me say one thing: If you don't like high-end ecchi animes then this series is NOT for you. That said, let's get on with it.

HOTD is yet another one of Japan's attempts to take on the "zombie fighting" scene, this time following six survivors as they try to... well... survive through the apocalypse. Does it remind you of something? ... I don't know about you but it sure does remind me...
It all starts when one day an infected person (which we don't know how it got infected) knocks (literally) the door of a highschool and bites a teacher. Then, guess what... An apocalypse breaks and in about an hour or so half the city has gotten infected!

Story:
In terms of story, the whole series is nothing out of the ordinary. 6 survivors trying to survive as the whole virus spreads and more and more people become zombies. While it is good at the first half (till the sixth episode), it then starts to get more and more (and more) of a high-end ecchi rather than an apocalypse. This killed the mood for me, as the story at that point suddenly got into the ecchi side, without leaving room for the apocalypse to really shine, as a zombie fan would expect.
While the story is good till the first half, then it starts having many plot holes and twists, with many characters breaking out of nowhere and joining (and later leaving) the group of the initial 6 survivors and helping them. All of this happens in only 6 episodes (the second half), which makes the story REALLY undeveloped with no room for any development character wise, but I'll get into that later... If the whole high-end ecchi thing got tossed then it would be a great anime action-wise.
Score: 5/10

Characters:
In terms of main characters, the whole group of the six survivors consists of 2 guys and 4 girls. While the initial cast was interesting in terms of personalities, then (at the second half) becomes what you would expect of a high-end ecchi, where more and more (and more) skin is showed. All of that happens within an episode and thus lacks of proper development. While some characters do develop, it is still not enough.
In all that, let's add the sudden appearence of side-characters who "help" (and some even go against) the group, which again lacks of proper development and leaves way too many holes.
Score: 4/10

Art:
The animation is one of the pros if you want to watch the show. It is smooth and detailed, and covers all the action in a good way. The shading is done well and the whole atmosphere is good enough for the whole apocalypse. Nothing more, nothing less!
Score: 8/10

Soundtrack:
The soundtrack is the second pro of the whole show and it adds perfectly to the action and the atmosphere of the apocalypse. The opening and the many endings are well done and fit perfectly into the show. If I was expecting something whenever an episode would end, that was one of the many ending songs.
Score: 9/10

Recap:
While HOTD has a really strong promise as an anime, it then fails to achieve the title of "Great", simply because of the whole twist into a high end ecchi. It IS good if you want to watch some zombie slaying, all with a great atmosphere and a great soundtrack (and if you want to take a look at some boobs...), but if you expect a story well developed and a good cast, you will be disappointed eventually.
Score: 6/10

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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May 17, 2014

Nerrawx

Not Recommended

--The review contains spoilers--


One could review this in a single sentence: "Why is no one having sex in this hentai anime?"

Here's the plot: In an alternate universe where the average female has breasts the size of grapefruits and all bras are made of wet paper towels, a zombie apocalypse happens. And as far as the plot goes, that about covers it. You could probably replicate it by watching The Walking Dead on mute next to a porn hub playlist.

In all seriousness, this is one of the worst anime I've ever seen. Here is one of those anime that really struggles to understand what its trying ... to be.The mindless sex and violence, which is what it is, is constantly being undercut by one of the worst harem anime plots I've ever seen. Character development is minimalist to say the least, and every time it tries to make a character even remotely interesting, it's undercut by how silly the whole thing is. One minute a girl is talking about how she's afraid of her inner, violent, dark side, and the next she's riding on the roof of a van wearing nothing but underwear and an apron while holding a katana.

This anime accomplishes virtually nothing. It fails at being hentai, it fails at being harem, and it doesn't add anything to either genre or any other. Would not watch again.

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

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