To make matters worse, the show actively renders an initially likable character, Saeko, into a detestable mess by introducing an entirely unnecessary backstory through flashback, and indeed, it seems as if this show's story was extracted from any and all possible trends within the medium of anime, the creators throwing in whatever love triangles and stories of abuse they could find in the hopes that they could make something interesting out of their lifeless cast. Kohta is at least charming in a lovably stupid way, and Saya's tempter tantrums are ocassionally amusing, but when compared to the many other characters in the field of anime, they hardly stand out at all. Meanwhile, there is a banal romantic interest in the selfish and whiny Rei, anime's obsession with "cool and mysterious" presences manifested in Saeko, a precocious lolifang in Saya, an overweight and unintelligent otaku in Kohta, an insultingly stupid (and well-endowed) school nurse, and even a creepy and possibly pedophilic teacher, none of whose personalities are ever given the space to expand and hardly any of whom appear to be anything besides a means through which the show extracts basic drama and, in the case of the females, fan service galore.
HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD BATH SERIES
Once again, we get an angsty and troubled lead in Takashi, and this time one whose pettiness, stupidity, and bigotry make him entirely impossible to cheer for as the series progresses. Indeed, once you get past the spectacle of the gunfights and over-enlarged mammaries, there is precious little to love in this series, its unlikable cast failing to bring any joy to an ultimately bleak and unsatisfying story and thus making the show feel like wasted time.Īs said, the cast of Highschool of the Dead is made of the most stereotypical possible archetypes, and while I felt occasional affection for some of them, it was the kind that will never transcend the series itself, the characters being utterly dull when compared to those from some better-developed series. Exploitative from start to finish and entirely unapologetic about its own raunchiness, Highschool of the Dead at least has the good grace to maintain an enjoyable if derivative plot, rarely becoming boring and always managing to keep the viewer curious, and yet its tone makes it difficult to like and, at times, nearly impossible to watch. Highschool of the Dead is essentially what Japanese animators make when they feel inclined to produce something that screams "trash!" from the very onset, complete with a well-worn story of zombie apocalypses, a never-ending stream of gun violence, and, in between the various battles, scenes that approach pornography, seemingly placed precisely to placate impulsive sexual urges when the desire to see zombies have their heads blown off is exhausted. Along with his friends and the school nurse, he fights his way out and begins a journey to find out what exactly has happened to the world. Takashi Komuro is a normal high school boy (as are many anime leads), but one day, an infection breaks out that turns people into zombie-like creatures. This OAV consists of nothing but fan service, essentially, and its content is considered to be part of the main series for the purposes of this review.
![highschool of the dead bath highschool of the dead bath](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ps___DaHVrE/VIKWf1UM2nI/AAAAAAAAHYQ/xRbPZ9iNenU/s1600/highschool%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bdead%2B3.jpg)
The anime covers the first segment of the manga's story, while a subsequent OAV was released with the Blu-Ray version as a "bonus" episode.
![highschool of the dead bath highschool of the dead bath](https://animebathscenewiki.com/images/c/c3/High_School_of_the_Dead_6_31.png)
![highschool of the dead bath highschool of the dead bath](https://mrmoviefilmblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/episode-4-running-in-the-dead-highschool-of-the-dead-15107243-960-540.jpg)
Notes: Based on a manga by the Sato brothers, which has been on hiatus since 2011.
![highschool of the dead bath highschool of the dead bath](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71hFA2dqTjL._AC_SX466_.jpg)
Length: Television series, 13 episodes, 24 minutes eachĭistributor: R1 DVD from Sentai FilmworksĬontent Rating: 17+ (borderline-pornographic fanservice, graphic violence, vulgarity, profanity)Īlso Recommended: Elfen Lied, GANTZ, Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne, Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (for a better and very different disaster anime), (Non-Anime) Return of the Living Dead Genre: Apocalyptic drama / ecchi action (with survival horror elements) I'm Standing On A Million Lives (Season One, part 2)