Before I even start this review, let me say that your enjoyment of this series varies directly with how much you want to enjoy this. If you want to watch something that is pure entertainment (and you aren't squicked out by excessive fanservice and blood/gore), then this will register very well for you. If you want to watch something intelligent and thoughtful, this really isn't it, and you'll likely hate it. My rating for this series is likely not going to reflect most others, who will give it soaring ratings of 8, 9, and 10, or the bone crushing ratings of 2, 3, and 4.
Let us break this down.
Story: 6/10
The story is nothing special. Zombie apocalypse hits the world and this group of characters have to survive. And if you know your Zombie media, you know that this sort of story will go in one of two directions. 1): The group bands together and finds a way to stop it, or 2): The group comes together, suffers excessive infighting and tension of numerous types, and they only try to survive, never really setting out to end it. This anime falls into the second category, kind of 28 Days Later or The Walking Dead series. Sure, there are alot of side things we see about the world as it adjusts to this scenario, but it really isn't anything special either.
Art: 7/10
It's not bad. It has a few really good moments, and a few poor ones, but it is consistently decent to good overall. But one scene (You all know the one) had so much work put into it, and is so over the top ridiculous...that I can't help but laugh everytime I see it.
Sound: 8/10 The music typically does fit. The ending themes are wonderful, and the opening is very catchy. Even if you detest this series, you're likely to find two or three tracks you will like at the least.
Characters: There are 7 main characters in the series, and a nice assortment of side ones. Of the main cast, only 4 ever have any effort put into them, and even the depth that they have is typically pretty shallow.
Your main character, Takashi Komuro, is your average Japanese High School student (Who is slightly depressed because he can't get the one girl of his childhood dreams). IN front of his eyes, he witnesses an early part of the outbreak, and realizing what is going on (Something that NO ONE ELSE does), he grabs the girl of his dreams and his best friend, and they try escape and survive. Takashi is a...simple character. He's pretty much still an average mid-to-late teenager tossed into an Apocalypse. Outside of the sexual tension he finds himself in the middle of, and a new friendship be builds with the other main male character, he doesn't really grow or change much.
Said other male character is Kohta Hirano. He's your average overweight gun-enthusiast, and actually becomes one of the best characters in the show. The guy is thoughtful, intelligent (Compared to the rest of the cast), and is a mater at defending himself and others. However, he is a gun nut (Of the stereotypical kind, the kind that evily smiles anytime a weapon is in his vicinity) and took numerous classes on working with firearms piror to the show's start. He also shows glimpses of a very large amount of anger and rage at the world, all of it bottled and buried deep within him until something triggers it. Had the apocalypse not happened, he likely would have become a mass-murderer. Now he can take out his anger and hatred on the undead, so it's ok now.
And now for the four female characters. First up is Rei Miyamoto. And she is the childhood crush that Takashi had. And she's a problem causing bitch. Almost all of her character is made from her interactions with Takashi, and she's very 50-50 with him. Half the time she's insulting him, blasting him, and whining about her dead old boyfriend. The other half she is all over him, almost trying to force him to make a move on her. That, along with a small side conflict she has with a minor character, is about all her personality is.
Then we have Saeko Busujima. And if not for her, I likely would never watch this series more then once. Everytime she steps on screen, awesome insanity happens. She can take on a horde of the undead without a firearm, and she can throw a breast rave party, all at the same time. She's a calm looking, reserved woman that kicks excessive amounts of ass while using weapons other then firearms. And she has a 'dark' past that is actually interesting, which shows up prominently in her character development. She and Takashi really hit it off anytime they interact, and I'm really not surprised at the direction the two of them went.
Saya Takagi is our next female. She's nothing special. She's the loud-mouthed girl that always is shouting at one of the male characters (Typically Kohta) but has an 'isolated' past. She's basically Weiss Schnee from the RWBY series, if Weiss was less interesting and had pink hair. Kind of a Tsundere without a male to turn her violent tendencies toward.
And then we have Tits McGee. She has a massive set of breasts and minimal brain. And she drives. And finds them a safehouse. And that is it. I'm dead serious. In a series full of females being fan-service characters, Tits McGee is the most extreme one.
Oh yeah, and there is this really stupidly underaged kid that they pick up halfway through the series. She doesn't do anything special either.
Enjoyment: 10/10.
At the top of the review, I compared this to Resident Evil 4. That is primarily because it, along with this anime, have plenty of flaws. They are both very divisive. RE4 was nothing like older RE games, and this anime is not really like good anime from before (or after) it's production. But if you are willing to give it a chance, and you are looking more for a good time then a good story, it will give you massive amounts of enjoyment. HOTD is easy to digest, easy to follow, stupidly simple, and appeals to the partially true stereotypical desire of a male to see excessive blood, gore, and sex. Of all the series I've watched, I have seen this more then anything else, only because it is a good time waster. That said...
Overall: 7/10
...there was so much that was missed. The characters are interesting, but aside from Saeko and Kohta, none of them really ever get development. At least half of every shot with a woman showcases them in a revealing or teasing way, with Episode 6 being the most embarrassing offender. If the time they wasted on that fanservice went to character backstory and development, well, this could have been a winner! It would have been a zombie anime with good story! It could have become the Japanese equivalent of 'The Walking Dead'. But somewhere along the line, the people working on this agreed that they should pander to the lowest common denominator, rather then actually try with writing.
In the end, I give the series a 7/10. The show DID do a good job showcasing a group of teens in a zombie apocalypse. Great? no. Good? Yes. And it is quite entertaining. The music is good also, and most importantly, It has me watching and enjoying it again and again.
But I have to admit, it fails on alot of levels due to this lowest common denominator pandering. Stunts in some scenes are stupidly over the top, the females are only really used for fanservice, and it is absent of any significant work.
Would I suggest this to others? I have, but in a comical way. I would never suggest someone check it out with any serious intentions, but as a stupid time waster to laugh at and enjoy the ridiculousness of. This is best enjoyed with a good friend so the two of you can laugh at the audacity of it.
