High-School of the Dead

Let's finish the month of spooks; the days of doom; the hours of fright with a bang...
  Or in this case a disappointing sigh.




High-School of the Dead is an erotic action horror anime that, visually is appealing in almost every aspect; the characters, well done; the back-drop, beautiful; the zombies; amazingly done, bravo to the animators and artist.
 However, we must also look at the bad, which is basically everything else.
Where to begin....
  Where to begin...

The characters; for the main roster we have Takashi Komuro (Our lead protagonist), Reu Miyamoto, Saeko Busujima, Shizuka Marikawa, Kohta Hirano, Saya Takagi, and Alice Maresato

Now, let's group this into two categories; those who were bad, and those who were good.
 Let's put it because that's how it basically ran in High-school of the Dead.
  Starting with bad, we have our main protagonist Takashi Komuro. He is our proclaimed "Protagonist" however, his character traits, along with the "Black hair syndrome" undeservingly given to him; his lack of academic competence, and his emotional turmoil with the romantic interest Rei Miyamoto (As it seemed throughout the anime) spark, several types of bad.
 First off, let's examine this "Loner character" trait which we find as our protagonist, atleast, what is inferred before the outbreak that began in season. It is completely understandable that this trait exist in many animes; however, how it is almost completed shadowed with other traits that aren't even suggested or inferred.
 These traits are just simply what is usually sought in anime protagonist; however, I must suggest that if you plan on writing themes that are heavy in matter, then you don't follow the usually protagonist tropes and bring out his true personality whenever you feel like; or whenever the plot demands it.
 Second; this is a prominent issue that I hold throughout the anime. The romance and fan-service are so distant to what you could consider "Horror" or heavy themes. I enjoy the black hair syndrome, don't me wrong; however there is a time and a place, and that place isn't when you are dealing with family lost, departure of modern society, and the bestiality
  To make matters worse, when we do arrive to that loner trait; it kinda doesn't work with the black hair syndrome that is given. They deal with heavy themes, but we're going allow our partially broken protagonist who is some-what abusive and defensive get all the women!? There is Fantasy, and there is logic; High-school of the Dead should have been logic, but instead we get characters like Takashi, who dive into Fantasy.

But don't worry people; we have more to come that didn't work. Reu is boring, she is bland; and she is basically a figure-head for some perverted fantasy. She isn't competent, she is a weak main love interest, and over-all; she isn't an enjoyable character that helps the anime; and in the end, her figure is what is trying to sell...

Worse then Reu is Shizuka. I felt dirty watching this anime; and I haven't felt this dirty since I've reviewed Itou Paradise. She is basically the essence of fan-service; you cannot get any higher on that scale then what they did with Shizuka. She is dumb, blonde, a nurse (LET'S GET THAT FANTASY IN!?), has huge breast.... THEY MAKE SOUNDS!?
WHY?
 If it seems from my typing that I'm flabbergasted, it is because I. Just... Whoever likes Shizuka likes her for two reasons.
 Either there dumb, or they are a pervert; and I was second category my first go into this... Boy was I a fool.

The best news about these three is that we counter these lousy characters, and actually present other main characters that are pretty good.
 Let's begin Saeko; she's cool. Yeah, she has fan-service (Every girl in this has fan-service); sure she has a some-what romantic arc with Takashi (Every girl does); however, I see her as more compitent  then her counterparts above; however, she isn't take as something that is a perv's fantasy. Don't get wrong! She is, however; the difference is that she can do something besides jiggle and blush, and pleasure a fan-base of perverts.

Saya on the same boat; more less fan-service however. The only draw back is all the American references; I don't know if it was just the Dub, but my god was she annoying; making comparisons to American product lines/corporations or just being obnoxious in general. Though, this is the risk one takes when making the smart-ass smarty pants character in any anime.

With Alice, I really don't have much to say. Her introduction into the series was pretty good; and her fan-service is none (Thank god! She is only 7!) plus; she kinda gets an excuse regarding usefulness, seeing how she is young; even so, though, she does stuff, specifically for Kohta, grabbing him ammo for his rifle.

However; I saved for last. Kohta is one of the GREATEST nerdy characters come across in any form of medium. He is so resourceful, so skilled; his flaws fit in line, he is bad-ass, and I don't get if you don't like him. He is a nerd, yes, but, he is so exaggerated as this gun-nut that, yeah, a-bit wild, yes, however, he is just so good. It's one of those things that just hits my chords, and I don't honestly have a pin-pointed answer.

 Alas, that is where the good ends (For the most part, regarding characters)
The side-characters, though alright; really are exaggerated to form as hypocrites; until the last episode where, of-course, three stand out (These being the mechanic, and Saya's parents.)
  Now, how I say "Hypocrites" I obviously mean, "Say something do another." High-school of the Dead is so guilty of just making these "Hypocrites" just completely unlikable; exaggerating the survivor demeanor that forms the bestiality that is prominent in theme.
 I can only think of one time where I felt that humanity mixed with that fear and exasperation felt by the survivors; but one isn't enough; over-all, the side-characters were just lazy basically. We were given one sided hypocrites to raise our protagonist to a god like height; which is never a good thing to have in a HORROR ANIME.

 As for the story; really nothing stung high about it. It did feel a-bit like Dawn of the Dead; in style too it did look like that; with police/military killing undead and protecting citizens before succumbing themselves. However, three pointless episodes and exaggerated characters, along with over-used fan-service took me out of it for the most part.

 The same can be said for the action; though it is done really well, fan-service ruined it.

Comedy is decent, not the highest strung; I didn't really laugh at all through the duration.

And then we have really, really good animation; and good music. These two things are probably the best part of High-School of the Dead.

Over-all, High-School of the Dead isn't good. It could have been good, however fan-service basically butchered it, and deformed it into something of a hack that only perverts can enjoy. That is why I don't recommend. If it had a good main protagonist, good romance, and minimal fan-service, then yes... But in its current state... No

 4/10