Review of High School of the Dead

Now I am become Exposed Panties, the destroyer of worlds. Zombies! Boobs! These things are pretty much the driving for in every respectable man’s life, if I do say so myself. So why not put them together? We all love the gore and some fan service never hurt anybody. Following these simple rules, Highschool of the Dead seems to have started on the right foot and with the right ingredients for success. Is it enough to draw the audience and attract a greater following, though? The first few episodes of this fresh-from-the-oven anime are truly packed with action, thrills and lots and lots of fan service. Isure as hell got my zombie fix right then and there, coupled with maybe—dare I say—a little too much fan service. Sure, the occasional exposed panties and bouncing boobs are usually get a warm welcome from me, but sometimes you gotta know when to stop. Clearly, Highschool of the Dead doesn’t.

The storyline is pretty decent, though it’s obviously not this series’ strong suit. The anime follows a group of high school students after a zombie outbreak as they battle their way out of high school and into the apocalyptic world that lies beyond its borders. The first couple of episodes take place inside the high school and depict the terror and despair that the students and their teacher go through in a pretty realistic way. It’s all entertaining, of course. After our group of heroes manages to evade the bloody grips of their zombie-turned classmates and escape the high school once and for all, the story becomes much more serious and complex. That’s not necessarily a good thing, though, as the anime sometimes gets caught up with trying to deliver dramatic scenes while at the same time throw massive amounts of fan service at our faces. It does get awkward at times.

Highschool of the Dead is a real visual treat. Everything from the animation to the actual artwork looks brilliant and filled with detail. The characters each have an interesting set of traits and the zombies never start to look the same or lose efficiency through their appearance. The fan service looks as good as possible by using a good range of angles and creative spots. If you care at the very least about how an anime series looks, you’ll surely be pleased with Highschool of the Dead’s style and visuals.

This series’ main focus is obviously in the entertainment department and to try and squeeze in as much content and action in one episode as possible. There are few times when Highschool of the Dead feels like it’s dragging along and most episodes will seem to simply fly by. Unfortunately, amidst the well-done action sequences and zombie fights lie a few moments that play out a little bit too slow. Nevertheless, the series manages to keep it all together and keep the audience happy.

Don’t expect your mind to be blown away (except if you’re a zombie, in which case blowing your brain away is highly recommended) by this series, but Highschool of the Dead does manage to deliver exactly what it promised. There’s blood and boobs everywhere and few times will you not feel the thrill of the adventure and the horrors our group of heroes must go through in order to survive. Don’t think too much about what this anime could have done and how much it can improve on certain aspects, but instead enjoy the ride and let yourself be taken along for the fun. Highschool of the Dead has been one of my main events this summer and I enjoyed the crap out of it, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t too. Have fun and remember: the amount of blood is directly proportional to the shots of panties, of course.

P.S. That alternative title was a joke, obviously.

P.P.S. Would have made an awesome title, though, wouldn't you agree?