Review of High School of the Dead
It's been quite awhile since I've seen the ever so popular Highschool of the Dead but I finally bought the blu ray, sat down, and rewatched it all again. Thankfully my opinion hasn't changed that much over the years and HOTD is still a hot mess of a show. Story: 7 HOTD is just plain stupid and its great that the series is self aware of this. The premise is extremely simple: zombies come out of nowhere and a group of high schoolers kill them while trying to stay alive. The catch to this is that a shit ton of fan service is inserted throughout everyone of these episodes in order to appeal to a wider demographic. I have zero problems with this but I understand why some won't be able to enjoy it. HOTD is extremely over the top filled with zombies, insane psychopaths, girls with over sized tits, and a military otaku who loves shooting the hell out of every zombie in his sight.
On a more serious note, besides being a really stupid and simple premise, there are some minor flaws/complaints I have with this adaptation. There are some minor pacing issues here and there which is odd considering this is made by Madhouse who is known for Death Note, Hunter x Hunter (2011), and Hajime no Ippo. Some scenes will just last a bit too long and could've made room for more or just better scenes in general. Also the first half of episode 4 is a recap of the first 3 episodes for some reason and this is only a 12 episode season which is ridiculous. And lastly like everyone else, this is only 12 episodes long. The manga ended a few years later but Madhouse being Madhouse have no interests in second seasons for whatever reasons so sadly we'll never see the ending in anime form.
Art: 9
The saving grace and by far the best aspect of the anime is the animation. This is a Madhouse show, there isn't really much I can say that isn't already obvious. The chicks look insanely hot, the action scenes are over the top and look great, the character designs are good, and the lighting and colors are great as well. There are a small handful of moments where they'll be still images with black or white lines while people are screaming but thankfully there isn't really much of those like in other animes, and the action sequences do make up for those small shortcomings.
Sound: 7
No complaints with the soundtrack really. The opening is pretty good and one thing I didn't notice on my first viewing was that every episode has a different ending song which is great.
As for Sentai's English dub, it's sadly not one of their best. There are some good performances but overall I'd say this is just a decent dub, nothing really special like their Clannad dub.
Characters: 6
In a show about high school students trying to survive and not get killed, it's surprising that the cast isn't great. Then again this is supposed to be an ridiculous over the top fan service filled show. But despite it's tone and trying to appeal to its audience, these characters aren't anything to remember after a week of watching. I still don't remember any of these characters names yet I do like most of them. The fat otaku is cool, the main dude is cool, and all the chicks are hot. The only thing missing from this cast is having a short flat loli. Also to prove how weird this cast is, Saya Takagi is best girl. Tsunderes always tend to be my least favorite in an anime cast but compared to the others I ended up finding her the best for some reason.
Enjoyment: 7
As I've explained, this is just plain dumb fun that isn't supposed to make you think. It's supposed to be pure fun entertainment to get an erection during the hot scenes, cheer whenever someone shoots a zombie's head off, and also laugh your ass off during THAT one scene which is insane.
Overall: 7
I'll be generous and keep Highschool of the Dead at a 7/10. It's only 12, or 11.5 episodes long, doesn't have a great cast of characters, but is still a joy to watch, plus just looking at this show half the time is always a pleasure. HOTD is not for everyone sadly and only those who enjoy fan service and dumb fun will be able to find this a good time to watch..