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| Overall | Art | Animation | Character Design | Music | Series Story | Episode Story | Reviewer | |
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| Watch | 9 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
 Ggultra2764
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[series:2303#1552] |
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High School of the Dead is more or less something of a parody of zombie movies as a group of high schoolers fight for their lives with the zombie apocalypse hitting the Japanese populace. The anime mostly relishes in the spectacle of seeing zombie hordes getting slain in various ways, the populace struggling with moral inhibitions to ensure self-preservation and plenty of T&A going around thanks to the anime's copious amounts of fan service and ecchi content it shows off. Visually, the anime is one of the better animated 2010 anime titles to be made making creative use of camera positions and effects such as bullet time, zoom shots and swooshing angles to depict the intense zombie-killing action that unfolds, with scenery shots looking vast and well-detailed when the camera pans out to show them off. While the series is a rarity for anime in being a zombie survival title, it doesn't have much to offer in terms of depth with the plot and characters to High School of the Dead are rather paper-thin. The plot is mostly repetitive as our group of high schoolers have to regularly fight through zombie hordes, find shelter for a period of time, wind up fleeing when their shelter is breached and repeat. It also often disregards proper logic for the sake of its spectacle as characters are known to not make smart decisions regularly in this series and details such as proper government action and ammo supply are often disregarded. The characters are not much better as they are mostly archetypal and get little in the way of development, most notable of these characters being an otaku who is seemingly a representation of a stereotypical otaku with his enjoyment of shooting his way through zombies and usually relishing in the women that are within his group. Speaking of the women, High School of the Dead has them purposely designed to be well-endowed and sporting a good number of fan service/ ecchi moments with panty shots, breast jiggling, revealing attire, clothes changing scenes, a bath scene and an orgy. The mentioned fan service is mixed in at many points during the zombie battle scenes, with the series clearly aimed at fans of gory action and ecchi titles. Overall, High School of the Dead mostly gets by with the style it emphasizes with its presentation and premise, while lacking quite a bit on the end of substance. If you don't mind some mindless entertainment, this would make for a decent rental. But if you are looking for more substance or are not a big fan of gore and ecchi content, then this isn't a title worth picking up. Last updated Saturday, October 25 2014. Created Saturday, October 25 2014. | ||||||||
| Buy | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
 Dreamer
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[series:2303#2279] |
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WOW!! Wow!! I LOVE this series! The is the ultimate zombie anime! Actually, come to think of it, this may be the first real zombie series. I can't recall any others. Art, Animation & Character Designs Artwork was superb! Rich and vibrant colors. High level of background details... as well as characters. Animation was pretty smooth as well with a high frame rate. Speaking of characters, our characters were all well done. Excellent details, all unique and different in appearance and of course, our girls were all cute and sexy. I fell in love with Saeko. HOT! Music The OP was awesome!! Loved it. It was a perfect hard rock piece with female vocals that fit perfectly with the animated sequence. An excellent choice for the series. The ED was alot tamer but also worked perfectly with the animated sequence and the series as a whole. It was more of a lullaby wtih female vocals. Nice again. As for the rest of the soundtrack, mostly high-paced rockish pieces with slight techno blend here and there. Excellent. Series and Episode Story Let's see, we've got.... - Buckets of blood and gore... check - Grotesque flesh-eating zombies.... check - Hot girls in skimpy outfits and ample boobs & butts.... check - Kick-ass characters and great plot.... check If you've ever seen a typical zombie flick, then you know they're filled with blood, gore, mindless walking dead and more blood. This series fits that exact mold but even more so! We've got great characters, very animated characters at that.... especially our female characters and their "assets", great plot (as good as any zombie flick can get) and suspenseful scenes and sequence of events. I would almost say this series defines the zombie series for anime. The plot was awesome! Ok, yes, it's your typical zombie plot where something goes terribly wrong and everyone gets turned into a zombie by virture of a bite or two, but what makes this series really enjoyable is how well it's done. The animated sequences and fight scenes really make it pop in visuals and I dare say cinematography. It's both fast paste, "in-your-face" action and cool, collected in character interactions & dialogue. As for character development, there wasn't any to speak of. But, that's a good thing because it would have detracted from the story. This was a fast paste plot with really no time to site back.... I mean afterall, we're fighting through a city full of mindless zombies. Actually, there was a small moment of reprieve.... which also was the moment where most of the fan service came in. But it was a welcome break from the onslaught of walking dead. Overall, this was a fantastic series well worth every minute of every episode. 12 episodes was perfect. I think anything more than that would have dragged out the plot... possibly ruining it. Do watch if you don't mind the blood and gore. Last updated Tuesday, October 26 2010. Created Tuesday, October 26 2010. | ||||||||
| Buy | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
 Xenoknight
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[series:2303#2967] |
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The world; infected - the human race; in peril - a band of high school kids; fight for survival... The never-ending battle against zombies is a prospect that surely everyone has thought about at least once in their lives (shout out to Resident Evil Afterlife in IMAX 3D). This anime brings it all into clear view of what it would realistically be like to have your world become infested with zombies and what it means to fight for your own survival. Through an impressive anime series, the viewer is treated to plenty of blood/gore, realistic character struggles (physical and emotional), slight comedic relief moments, icing on the cake-type fan-service, and just another reason to enjoy killing the countless horrors that are zombies. I love this series. When you talk about wanting fun-factor during an anime - this series is your ticket. The characters are among the strongest elements this title has to offer. All of them serve a purpose and play their role admirably: Komuro, Takashi - a run of the mill guy who finds his inner strength and evolves into a note-worthy bad-a** for the anime records. Miyamoto, Rei - a simple girl with plenty of initial baggage, but also doubles as a trusted warrior on the battlefield who can hold her own and stands for her beliefs. Busujima, Saeko - the mature kendo club captain who puts her exemplary sword skills to good use. Hirano, Kouta - labeled the fat-a** by Saya, he uses his military prowess and knowledge of ranged weaponry to "bust a cap in some zombie a**". Takagi, Saya - "the genius"; she's the daughter of a powerful family and a tough customer to boot who can analyze any situation with minimum effort. Marikawa, Shizuka - the school nurse who has the toughest job of them all; handling her massive feminine prowess. With such a strong diversity of characters, the result can only be quality entertainment. I loved how Takashi described his group in episode 11. He (just like any RPG game) described the three fighters as: Hirano, Saeko, and Rei while Takagi was the intelligent mage and Shizuka as the group healer. My favorites besides Takashi would have to be Saeko, as the kunoichi-type, and Hirano for being himself. You don't get too many character like him in a starring role and for him to be so integral in the series, I think he shined brighter than the others. They all have something worth fighting for and it rang true as the series progressed. In all respects, Takashi was able to relate, sympathize, and understand everyone's reasons and I feel that to be why he is such a strong main lead. He was a "G" the entire way through. When it comes to storyline, I would call this title's efforts simple. Don't mistake my words however, as everything is not what it seems. It actually comes as a blessing rather than a negative. Being simple means that there is more time for character interactions/progression, plausible action, realistic developments, and some time for a slight romance element to bloom (almost harem-like). For all intents and purposes, this was actually closer to an RPG than anything else. From location to location, the characters had to realistically fight their way through the city. They fought from school roof-top, through the hallways, high-jacking a bus, fighting in the streets, getting separated and reunited, stopping whenever possible to save survivors, and even driving (?!) through a river. This is an example of the realism I keep stressing as it was all believable scenarios and developments. As the viewer continues to watch the episodes, they will notice each episode is a direct result of the last. Having it presented this way left little room for story gaps and confusing advancement. It all fell into place superbly and watching the characters struggle against the odds made it enjoyable. There are several moments that easily qualify for a second (or third) viewing and with episodes like 5, 8, 9 (favorite episode), and 10; how could I resist? The ecchi flavor in this series was surprisingly tame considering the many forums and rumors that proclaimed this title to be the "Qwaser-killer" of ecchi anime titles (better luck next time with that notion). Of course, this title wouldn't be official without it's own share of moments dedicated to fan-service. The shower scene in ep 6 was the turning point for all things ecchi with the exception of a small incident in ep 4. I would urge viewers to seek out the uncensored version so it can all be displayed the way it was meant to be. Expect lots of groping, sexy outfits, naked skin, suggestive sleeping positions, dodging bullets via breast jiggling (LOL), and breasts used for absorbing sniper rifle recoil. Let's just say that the girls in this title know how to use their assets to make things work in their favor. Like I said before - icing on the cake. I had some amazing laughs... As for the specs, I can say that this anime featured top-tier qualities. Among these features; a powerfully realistic setting of a dying city ravaged by zombies, form fitting dark environments, strong character designs, situational as well as rhythmic music with a strong opener/end-credits that were ever-changing, and a production value that leaves quite the impression. Like I mentioned, the end-credit music was always different and changed 12 times (one for each ep). Every scene was well detail, whether it be zombie corpses or water effects or vehicle/building designs. Everything looked amazing and the attention to detail was flawless. All in all, I rate this title an 8/10 with a Buy (first day purchase). Even now, I'm still hesitant to delete the eps from my PC in fear that I would just want to quickly re-watch the entire series to relive the epic moments just one more time. If only they extended this into a 26 ep series, it could have been even better. The most important thing to notice is the ending. There is plenty of room for additional seasons to be created after the fact. I see no need to suggest other titles as a comparison. This is a MUST-SEE anime for anyone that loves zombies and survivor-horror type productions. I get the feeling with the fan-base H.O.T.D has created, a second season is already in the works and we won't see the last of Takashi and his friends. Until then however, we have to settle with this... "Protecting a man's pride is a woman's duty." - Busujima, Saeko Check out my award list to see some of the best anime titles in the world! Never forget Xenosaga. Last updated Monday, September 27 2010. Created Tuesday, September 21 2010. | ||||||||
| Watch | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
 Violet D
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[series:2303#1393] |
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This is wow excellent. It is fast paced so there isn't any reason to get bored with it. I love the recap at the end of each episode. This is one you want to watch if you get the chance.
Last updated Thursday, August 05 2010. Created Thursday, August 05 2010. | ||||||||
| Unevaluated | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
 21
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[series:2303#3223] | ||
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(Eight episodes watched) This title could go either way. On the one hand, its first episode was excellent, full of nonstop awesome. Action and fanservice galore. And I won't spoil what happened in it, but the cut to the episode title at the end was very well done. The animation in this episode was glorious as well. There was a lot of unnecessary animation, in fact, which I'm starting to think could have been used in other places. There was a single (that I recall) freeze-frame in the first episode (when the characters are going to call the police), which could have been animated instead of the random panoramic/moving views of the school (though they were nice as well). In the next couple episodes freeze frames were used much more often, which really annoyed me. I can see why Madhouse would do this, as making the first episode of their series stand out would make people more likely to watch it all of the way through. However, I still would've preferred more balanced animation in the first few episodes. Episode four created a lot of controversy as it included an 8-9 minute recap of the FIRST THREE EPISODES. How pointless is that? Some blame the source material; Madhouse seems to be sticking to a one episode per chapter of the source manga rule. The first few chapters of the manga were very long. Chapter one was ~75 pages, and two and three were about 60. But after that they drop off, and more chapters are put in each volume. But Madhouse has proven they can fabricate some scenes as well, as they did several in previous episodes and more in chapter five. So it seems they were just being lazy. Episode five was somewhat of a return to the level of episodes two and three. There was an undramatic action scene which ended up being pretty fast and interesting at the end. If the series continues at this level or better I will be satisfied. Episodes 6-8 seem to devolve into ecchifest. I love me some fanservice, but this is getting ridiculous. Especially episode 8 matrixboobs. The OP is very cool and the ED changes every week. Though sometimes it seems inappropriate to the mood at the end of the show, if it were the same one each week the same would be true. There has been a segment after the credits during each episode so far so be sure not to miss it! Last updated Tuesday, August 24 2010. Created Tuesday, August 03 2010. | ||||||||
| Rent |
 Stretch
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[series:2303#628] | ||||||
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(Rent+ or Buy-} (All episodes watched): Episode one quickly made it clear that for all it's problems, this was most certainly the single summer show I most wanted to see more of. A mix of pantsu, harem and violent hand-to-hand combat against a heartless enemy--why didn't somebody think of this combination sooner? Takashi and a handful of girls are the only survivors in a school overrun by zombies--will they escape? For all the sex and violence, this is great fun--just what I'd been looking for. On the other hand, I couldn't help noticing that the fine details weren't all that convincing; one guy figures out exactly what's going on in an instant, while one girl absolutely refuses to believe what she's seeing in a corny manner. There is no explanation yet of what the hell has happened, but none is really needed. In a way, this seems like a guy's dream come true--he gets to crack people's heads open (no brains are shown, just blood), and collect a harem of sexy girls around him. That's why it's so much fun, it appeals to primal urges, sort of like a present-day Conan the Barbarian. The girls' behavior is rather pleasing--one goes from being furious at Takashi to embracing him in a matter of seconds. So, the details are kind of cheesy but the show altogether looks like great fun. This opening episode coming to an end left me feeling like I was going through withdrawal from a minor drug addiction. One sign of just how much I'm enjoying this series: I wanted to watch episode one a second time. That hasn't happened regarding any show for a long while. Another sign: episode two seemed to go incredibly fast. I was feeling like I was perhaps five minutes into it when the midpoint station break appeared. In a way, I can't help suspecting that this is a show with lots of sensational, thrilling bits and pieces, but perhaps little depth; a show which will get fantastic ratings in the short run but encourages lowering the quality of anime as a whole in the long one. Sort of like School Days. I hope I'm wrong, because I can't help wanting to watch this show. Yet another sign of how much I like this show: I burn two different fansubs of each episode onto my DVDs, as insurance that at least one will play properly. Anyway, in episode two we are introduced to several additional survivors, a mixed bag of persons, some of whom are likely and others not so likely to make an escape. The school nurse is an example of blatant fanservice, being a ditzy woman with fantastic curves. I joke to myself that HOTD must stand for 'Hot Damn!', because that's the thought that occurs to me when another episode becomes available. I cannot say it enough--the episodes of this show seem to race by, almost as if I was fast-forwarding the whole way. So many shows have me glancing at my watch, wishing they would go a little faster, while HOTD is the other way around. It holds my interest like a vise and moves forward at a fast clip. Episode five contained several scenes of laugh-out-loud comedy--is there anything this show can't do? On my coolness/plausibility/comedy scale I would guess that there's plenty of coolness, plausibility is no problem since it is easy to suspend disbelief regarding zombies, and now a healthy dose of comedy, which somehow doesn't clash with the degree of seriousness with which the show wants to be taken. The thought occured to me that I may well get as much enjoyment out of an episode of HOTD as I do from one episode of each of the other seven anime series I'm watching combined. Some people just know how to push all the right buttons, and make a show which is pure enjoyment--that's the only way I can explain HOTD. It isn't particularly realistic; thoughts like 'the world I knew has been demolished and my life will never be the same again' never seem to occur to anybody. Instead, morale remains high and our heroes and heroines battle their way through an army of despicable opponents--since the bad guys are already dead, they can do whatever they please to them. If this were an American movie, it wouldn't win an Oscar but it would make boatloads of money. It's a pity that so few series manage to be this much fun. I guess this show was too good to be true, and as the end approaches the Gods of anime deal out their punishment to us for having so much fun. (Spoiler:)I had been thinking that the climax would have to involve the pervert teacher (and wasn't entirely enthused about that), but no, he was thrust aside in episode 11, and instead nuclear weapons would play a part. At least it wasn't the evil US trying to nuke everybody as in Blassreiter. But what could this possibly have to do with a group of high schoolers? What was the point of the Electo-Magnetic Pulse? Zombies don't use cell phones or computers. Was it important to the future plot that the cast members be deprived of these things (it's surprising that the services behind electonics are still up and running as the world goes to hell in a handbasket)? How did the zombies figure out how to cooperate and knock down the sturdy iron gate at Saya's place (the whole notion that rotting corpses get stronger never made much sense to begin with)? It seemed that for several episodes we were told that the cast had had the extraordinary good luck to find a virtually impenetrable fortress (...OK...) But now it folds up like a house of cards (make up your minds!). As I looked at the DVD player clock, and realized that the episode had only a couple minutes to go, the thought occured to me that this couldn't possibly be the final episode. Zombies are still running wild, the casts' situation is getting worse, not better, and there has been no resolution of the romantic triangle, or any plot thread, for that matter. Obviously, yet another anime based on an incomplete manga which the makers knew from the start wouldn't have any sort of conclusion. Somehow, an unusually fun show which is cut off abruptly hurts much more than a mediocre one going that way. But I guess a good deal of the enjoyment of HOTD came not from reaching the destination but rather from the ride to get there, so I can't help liking it nevertheless. ...a second season would be nice, please... Catch Saeko's montage at the Kendo Girl Scrapbook page! My favorite line: "Did you see that?! We need to smash their heads to kill them!" Last updated Thursday, December 09 2010. Created Wednesday, July 07 2010. | ||||||||
| Unevaluated |
 Forbin
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[series:2303#1573] | ||||||
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Panties and Zombies. Who mixed up Tenjo Tenge and Zombieland? haha
Last updated Wednesday, July 07 2010. Created Wednesday, July 07 2010. | ||||||||
| Unevaluated |
 Silence
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[series:2303#2939] | ||||||
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1 episode watched. More zombies eh... don't really think this will go very far, but just for the heck of it, I will watch this series. Last updated Tuesday, July 06 2010. Created Tuesday, July 06 2010. | ||||||||
| Unevaluated |
 Jan-Chan
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[series:2303#967] | ||||||
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(Eight episodes watched) Great story (so far), but it's wayyyyy toooo echiiiii!!! With too many bouncing b??bs and ditsy babes, it is obviously pandering to the boy-teen crowd. But a couple of the girls are actually competent and serious about whacking the undead. The results are a fun mix of adventure and boucilious babes.... ↗Zombies, attack of the zombies, killer zombies, ↗zombie comedies, ↗Ninjas vs. Zombies - over 55 different movies have been released in 2010 - all dealing with Zombies. So why should we be surprised by an anime series in which five high school students and a buxom ditsy nurse have to battle their way to survival in a zombie Apocalypse? 
Last updated Saturday, August 28 2010. Created Tuesday, June 15 2010. | ||||||||
Other Sites
| Name | URL |
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| Official Japanese website | http://www.geneonuniversal.jp/rondorobe/anime/hotd/ |
