Highschool of the Dead
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Highschool of the Dead | |||
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 Volume 1 cover |
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| 学園黙示録 (Gakuen Mokushiroku) |
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| Genre | Horror, Mystery | ||
| Manga | |||
| Author | Daisuke Sato | ||
| Illustrator | Shouji Sato | ||
| Publisher |  Fujimi Shobo (Magazine)Kadokawa Shoten (Tankōbon) |
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| Demographic | Shōnen | ||
| Magazine | Monthly Dragon Age | ||
| Original run | September 2006 – on hiatus | ||
| Volumes | 5 | ||
| Anime and Manga Portal | |||
Highschool of the Dead (学園黙示録 Gakuen Mokushiroku) is a manga series written by Daisuke Sato and illustrated by Shouji Sato, published in Fujimi Shobo's Monthly Dragon Age since September 2006. However, the manga has been on hiatus since the end of 2008.
The series follows a group of Japanese high school students caught in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.
The manga has been licensed in Spain by Glénat España. The first volume was released in May 2008. In Spain, Highschool of the Dead is called Apocalipsis en el Instituto (Apocalypse in the Institute).
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[edit] Plot
The world is over taken with a deadly disease that turns humans into zombies. In Japan, several students of Fujimi High School, and the school nurse, band together to survive the present apocalypse. The story follows Takashi Komuro, one of the students who survived in the initial outbreak.
[edit] Characters
- Takashi Komuro
A 17 year old sophomore high school student, Takashi is in the same class as Rei whom he has been friends with since childhood. He's loved her ever since she made a childhood promise to marry him when they were older. However it was his hesitance and ignorance about her feelings that caused tension in their friendship which led to her starting to date his friend Hisashi. He was one of the first people to notice that something was wrong in the school and quickly took action to escape with his friends. His relationship with Rei was shaken further when he was forced to kill her boyfriend after he was bitten and had turned into a zombie. Soon afterwards their relationship was amended. His resolve to protect Rei at all costs and everyone else in the group earned him their respect and admiration as a leader despite his own feelings of inadequacy. He often acts brash and will go out to risk his life to save or protect someone on a whim. Similar to Saeko, Takashi confessed that he's found an exhilaration in killing "them".
- Rei Miyamoto
Classmate and childhood friend of Takashi, they've known each other since kindergarten. When they were little she promised that one day she would marry him. Despite liking Takashi, their relationship was at odds at the beginning of the manga due to his indecisiveness. It was then that she started dating one of his friends, Hisashi, since he wouldn't make a move. As the story progressed they ended up reconciling their relationship. She doesn't find it above herself to reprimand Takashi for acting carelessly. She worries about his well-being yet admits that his selflessness nature is one reason why she fell in love with him. Headstrong and reliable, Rei has proven to be a skilled combatant and strong asset to the group.
- Saeko Busujima
A high school senior and president of the school's kendo club, she is extremely skilled with a bokken and close combat. Calm and collected with a sense of pride in her skills and those that she's with, Saeko is among the most reliable of the group. Everyone can count on her skills to pull them through if need be. Not much is known about her family except for her father who had traveled abroad on a self-defense conference before the advent of the Outbreak. She has shown fondness/crush towards Takashi and believes in his abilities to get them to safety. Saeko admits to Takashi that she is secretly a sadist who enjoys inflicting pain on those weaker than her, which is why she derives so much pleasure from killing "them". She describes herself as being the one person whose true nature hasn't been changed by the apocalypse but Takashi insists she is an valuable member of the group. She also inadvertently drools when she sleeps.
- Saya Takagi
First making her escape with fellow classmate Kohta Hirano, she is the daughter of an influential Uyoku dantai politician and her family is deeply involved in Japan's politics. A self-proclaimed genius, Saya's knowledge and deductive capabilities have allowed the group to escape from harm. She was among the first to conclude that "they" were attracted to only sound. Despite coming from a prestigious family she despises her parents whom she thought had given up on her in this crisis. It was before their escape from the mansion that she managed to make up with her parents. Other than Rei, she is the only one who has a history with Takashi Komuro since they were children and is hinted to having deeper feelings for him.
- Kohta Hirano
A 16-year old sophomore student who was often bullied in school, Kohta is a gun otaku and knows the ins and outs of the firearms and any military-related equipment that the group comes across. At the beginning of the story he helped Saya Takagi escape danger, though only did so by following her orders. His skills as a marksman has proven to be an valuable asset to keeping everyone alive. On a one-month trip to America he was trained by the US military contractor Blackwater USA which furthered his obsession over weapons. In addition to being the gun expert and marksman, Hirano also helps train Takashi and the others in the use of firearms. Also, now that "normality" no longer exists, Hirano feels that he is free to vent the repressed rage he had against those who bullied him, and as a result has become more self-confident.
- Shizuka Marikawa
The school nurse at Fujimi High School, she is rather ditsy as compared to the rest of girls in the group. Her large bust size is often used as a comical element in the story. A 26 year old bachelorette, she lives with Rika Minami, a sniper of Japan's Special Assault Team. Her home was used as a safe haven for the group once they escaped the high school. As a nurse she is responsible for the health and care of everyone in the group and is efficient at doing so.
[edit] Chapters
| # | Release date | ISBN |
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| 1 | March 1, 2007 | ISBN 978-4-04-712483-7 |
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| 2 | April 1, 2007 | ISBN 978-4-04-712489-9 |
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| 3 | October 9, 2007 | ISBN 978-4-04-712515-5 |
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| 4 | March 9, 2008 | ISBN 978-4-04-712537-7 |
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[edit] Trivia
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (December 2008) |
- The manga contains at least one reference to the movie Shaun of the Dead on the first page of Chapter 3, in which a gas station attendant bearing an uncanny resemblance to the protagonist, Shaun, where the only difference is that saimon has more facial hair, is shown with a blank stare, along with his signature cricket bat beside him. The kanji on his name badge reads 才門 - "saimon", a nod to Simon Pegg.
- In Chapter 3, Democracy Under the Dead, when Komuro and Miyamoto split up of the rest of the team (due to a fire between them), and agreeing to meet each other at the police station, is a reference to Resident Evil 2 when the game's main characters Leon and Claire are separated by a fire after leaving the crushed police car, and swearing that they will meet each other at a police station.
- One of the main characters, Kohta Hirano, bears similarity to the creator of the manga series Hellsing, Kouta Hirano.
- Several locations that are generally seen in the zombie genre are visited throughout the later chapters, including a mall similar to the one seen in Dawn of the Dead.
- 28 Years Later is seen on a shirt, a reference to the 28 Days Later movie series.
- Several real life American government officials are portrayed in the manga. In Act 8, a zombie that looks similar to Condoleezza Rice is shot in the head when she attempts to attack two Secret Service members on Air Force One, and the president, who greatly resembles George W. Bush is bitten in the hand when he talks to the Speaker of the House in a flashback.
- In Chapter 22, Dead Rush, the gun store shown on page 16 looks remarkably similar to the gun store that the movie character Andy is stranded in across the mall parking lot in the remake version of Dawn of the Dead (2004 film). It also contains fundamental portions from said movie.
[edit] External links
- Fujimi Shobo's Highschool of the Dead website
- Highschool of the Dead (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
