Highschool of the Dead

High School of the Dead (学園黙示録) 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 until recent news on February 9 2010, confirmed a comeback and has updated with issue 24 in March 2010. An anime adaptation to the series is showing now in Japan and is being simulcast in the US. The manga will be taking another break from May to June and will be returning on July 9th.

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, in Germany by Carlsen, and in Brazil by Panini Comics. The first volume was released in May 2008 in Spain, in March 2010 in Germany, and in April 2010 in Brazil. In Spain, Highschool of the Dead is called Apocalipsis en el Instituto (Apocalypse in the Highschool).

Plot
The world is over taken with a very 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 (小室 孝)
 * 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 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 and everyone else earns him respect despite his own feelings of inadequacy. He is often brash and risks his life to save someone on a whim. Like Saeko, Takashi confesses that he's found an exhilaration in killing "them".
 * 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 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 and everyone else earns him respect despite his own feelings of inadequacy. He is often brash and risks his life to save someone on a whim. Like Saeko, Takashi confesses that he's found an exhilaration in killing "them".


 * Rei Miyamoto (宮本 麗)
 * 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 selfless 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.
 * 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 selfless 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 (毒島 冴子)
 * 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 a valuable member of the group. She also inadvertently drools when she sleeps.
 * 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 a valuable member of the group. She also inadvertently drools when she sleeps.


 * Saya Takagi (高城 沙耶)
 * 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.
 * 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 (平野 コータ)
 * 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 a 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. He apparently comes from a very prestigious family, with his father working in jewelry business, his mother a fashion designer, his grandfather a captain of a ship and his grandmother a violinist (that's what he said, it's unknown how much of it is true).
 * 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 a 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. He apparently comes from a very prestigious family, with his father working in jewelry business, his mother a fashion designer, his grandfather a captain of a ship and his grandmother a violinist (that's what he said, it's unknown how much of it is true).


 * Shizuka Marikawa (鞠川 静香)
 * 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.
 * 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.

Anime
On February 2, 2010, an anime adaption for Highschool of the Dead was announced, and it will be animated by Madhouse. The official release is planned for July 5th, 2010. At Anime Expo 2010, Geneon Universal Entertainment hinted that the show was licensed by an unknown company. It was later revealed that Sentai Filmworks is the licensor and will simulcast the anime through the Anime Network on July 5th, the same day it will premiere in Japan, Sentai will later release the series with a dub. The opening track will be played by "Kishida Kyoudan & The Akeboshi Rockets" entitled "HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD", and the ending will be played by "Kurosaki Maon" entitled "Kimi to Taiyou ga Shinda Hi". At the end of the first anime episode, a track that sounds very similar to "In a Heartbeat" from the film "28 Days Later" by John Murphy is used.

Reception
Chris Beveridge from Mania.com comments on the first episode, "There's a lot to like here if you're looking for something beyond the usual high school dramas and comedies of the last few years."