Highschool of the Dead
| Highschool of the Dead | |
 Volume 1 cover | |
| Genre | Zombie apocalypse |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Written by | Daisuke Sato |
| Illustrated by | Shouji Sato |
| Published by |  Fujimi Shobo (Magazine)Kadokawa Shoten (Tankōbon) |
| Magazine | Monthly Dragon Age |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | September 2006 – present |
| Volumes | 5 |
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.
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 volume 1 was released in May. Spain becomes the first country in receiving Highschool of the Dead outside Japan. In Spain, Highschool of the Dead it is called Apocalipsis en el Instituto.
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.
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.
- 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 makeup 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 may 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 invaluable 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.
- 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 27 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.
Chapters
| No. | Release date | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 1, 2007 | 978-4-04-712483-7 | |
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| 2 | April 1, 2007 | 978-4-04-712489-9 | |
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| 3 | October 9, 2007 | 978-4-04-712515-5 | |
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| 4 | March 9, 2008 | 978-4-04-712537-7 | |
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- Chapters not collected
- Act.18: Legend of Dead
- Act.19 Flags of The Dead
- Act.20: Blood and Dead
- Act.00: A Good Day Tomorrow (Special filler short prequel novel)
Trivia
- 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 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.
- 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 popular 28 Days Later series.
External links
- Fujimi Shobo's Highschool of the Dead website
- Highschool of the Dead (8592) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia