| Highschool of the Dead | |
 Firsttankōbon volume cover, featuring Rei Miyamoto | |
| 学園黙示録 HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD (Gakuen Mokushiroku Haisukūru obu za Deddo) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Daisuke Satō |
| Illustrated by | Shōji Satō |
| Published by | Fujimi Shobo |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint |
|
| Magazine | Monthly Dragon Age |
| English magazine | |
| Original run | August 9, 2006 –April 9, 2013 |
| Volumes | 7(List of volumes) |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Tetsurō Araki |
| Produced by | Mitsutoshi Ogura |
| Written by | Yōsuke Kuroda |
| Music by | Takafumi Wada |
| Studio | Madhouse |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | AT-X,tvk,Tokyo MX,Chiba TV,KBS,TVA,TVS,SUN |
| English network | |
| Original run | July 5, 2010 – September 20, 2010 |
| Episodes | 12 + OVA(List of episodes) |
 Anime and manga portal | |
Highschool of the Dead, known in Japan asApocalyptic Academy: Highschool of the Dead (Japanese:学園黙示録 HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD,Hepburn:Gakuen Mokushiroku Haisukūru obu za Deddo), is a Japanesemanga series written byDaisuke Satō and illustrated byShōji Satō. It was serialized inFujimi Shobo'sMonthly Dragon Age between the September 2006 and May 2013 issues, but was left unfinished following Daisuke Satō's death in March 2017. Fujimi Shobo andKadokawa Shoten published seventankōbon volumes from March 2007 and April 2011 in Japan.Yen Press published the series in North America. The story follows a group of high school students caught in the middle of azombie apocalypse.
A 12-episodeanime adaptation, produced byMadhouse and covering the first four volumes, aired in Japan from July 5 to September 20, 2010. Madhouse also produced anoriginal video animation (OVA) episode in 2011.Sentai Filmworks released an English dub of the anime series and OVA onDVD andBlu-ray in North America.
Highschool of the Dead is set in present-day Japan, beginning as the world is struck by a deadlypandemic that turns humans intozombies, euphemistically referred to by the main characters as "Them" (奴ら,Yatsu-ra). The story follows a group of high school students and the school's nurse as they deal with the worldwide catastrophic event known as the "Outbreak". As the cast tries to survive thezombie apocalypse, they must also face the additional threats ofsocietal collapse, in the form of dangerous fellow survivors, and the possible decay of their ownmoral codes. Starting from the high school, the students escape into town where they must deal with a corrupt teacher and his students. They check their homes for survivors, and pick up a little girl and a dog. Later, they hole up at a mall, travel through a police station, and eventually make their way to an elementary school that is supposedly a safe zone.
Written byDaisuke Satō and illustrated byShōji Satō (no relation),Highschool of the Dead started inFujimi Shobo's manga magazineMonthly Dragon Age on August 9, 2006.[4] The manga went on hiatus from 2008 to 2010, but after March 2011, only one more chapter was released on April 9, 2013.[5][6][7] The series was left unfinished following Daisuke Satō's death on March 22, 2017.[8] Fujimi Shobo and Kadokawa Shoten published seventankōbon volumes from March 1, 2007 and April 25, 2011 in Japan.[9][10]
A full-color version of the manga, calledHighschool of the Dead: Full-Color Edition (学園黙示録 HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD FULL COLOR EDITION), began serialization in the February 2011 issue ofMonthly Dragon Age. Kadokawa Shoten released the manga's seven volumes from February 25, 2011 to March 9, 2013.[11][12] In North America, the full-color edition began serialization in the March 2011 issue ofYen Press'Yen Plus online magazine,[13] and ran until the July 2011 issue.[14] The volumes were later released in two hardcoveromnibus volumes on November 22, 2011 and December 17, 2013.[15][16]
Shortly following the inception of the series and before it was licensed for distribution in English, the manga became popular enough in English viascanlation to draw the attention of the creators, who included a message in English within the magazine's printing of the fifth chapter that requested readers to buy the original manga when it is available.[17] The manga was later licensed in North America by Yen Press,[18] and the first volume was released on January 25, 2011.[19] The series is also published in Spain byGlénat España,[20] in Germany byCarlsen, in Italy, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia byPanini Comics, in Canada and France for French-language publication byPika Édition, in Poland byWaneko,[21] and in Taiwan by Kadokawa Media.
A crossover manga by Shōji Satō, calledShōji Sato Artworks: Highschool of the Dead & Triage X – Lightning Pop (佐藤ショウジアートワークス 学園黙示録HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD＆トリアージＸ LIGHTNING POP,Satō Shōji Ātowākusu: Gakuen Mokushiroku Haisukūru obu za Deddo & Toriāji Ekkusu Raitoningu Poppu), was published on August 9, 2012, featuring characters fromTriage X, Sato's other work.[22]
The writer of the series, Daisuke Satō, became sick in 2008, which made the production of the manga very difficult. After his death in 2017, Kawanakajima and Shōji Satō agreed that the series should be stopped as is and instead focus on theTriage X series.[23]
An anime adaptation[24] aired on the Japanese networkAT-X from July 5 to September 20, 2010, with subsequent broadcasts onTV Kanagawa,Tokyo MX,Chiba TV,KBS Kyoto,TV Aichi,TV Saitama, andSun TV. Produced byGeneon Universal Entertainment,Showgate, AT-X andMadhouse, the series is directed byTetsurō Araki, withYōsuke Kuroda handling series composition, Masayoshi Tanaka designing the characters andTakafumi Wada composing the music.[25] SixDVD andBlu-ray volumes were released by Geneon Universal Entertainment between September 22, 2010 and February 23, 2011.[26][27]
In North America, the anime series was licensed bySentai Filmworks forsimulcast on theAnime Network.[28] Some of the more graphic scenes were censored.[29] In Australia and New Zealand, the series was licensed byMadman Entertainment.[30] Sentai and Madman later gained additional rights to the series,[31][32] withSection23 Films releasing the series with an English dub (produced bySeraphim Digital) on Blu-ray and DVD on June 28, 2011.[33]Manga Entertainment also released the series in the United Kingdom.[34] The English dub of the series aired on Anime Network'sVOD service from March 10, 2011 to May 26, 2011, and was made available on Microsoft'sZune Marketplace and Apple'siTunes Store on May 27, 2011 and June 27, 2011, respectively.[35]
Anoriginal video animation episode, titled "Drifters of the Dead", was bundled on Blu-ray with the limited edition release of the seventh volume of the manga on April 26, 2011.[10] It was originally intended for a February release, but was pushed back.[36] It was later licensed by Sentai Filmworks in North America for streaming,[37] with the DVD and Blu-ray being released on November 26, 2013.[38][39]
The series' opening theme is "Highschool of the Dead" byKishida Kyoudan & The Akeboshi Rockets.[40] The series' closing theme songs differ in each episode, and each are sung byMaon Kurosaki.[40] The CD single for the opening theme was released on August 18, 2010 by Geneon Universal Entertainment.[41] The CD single features the TV and instrumental versions of "Highschool of the Dead" and a new song called "Ripple" (リプル,Ripuru), along with an instrumental version of the song. A CD containing all 12 ending themes sung by Kurosaki was released by Geneon on September 22, 2010,[42] along with anoriginal soundtrack.[43]
A light novel, calledHighschool of the Dead: The Last Day (学園黙示録 HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD〈終わり〉の日,Gakuen Mokushi HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD Owari no Hi), was published in March 2011.[44]
CTW Inc. unveils G123’s latest title: 'HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD DAY 0 (HOTDZero)'. Alongside this, official social media channels have launched, and global pre-registration is now open.[45]
In Japan, the sixth volume ofHighschool of the Dead placed fifth on theOricon charts between July 5 and July 11, 2010, selling 92,040 copies;[46] and 13th between July 12 and July 18, 2010, selling 43,714 copies for a total of 135,754 copies.[47] The seventh volume ofHighschool of the Dead reached 11th on the Oricon charts between May 2 and May 8, 2011, selling 57,016 copies;[48] second between May 9 and May 15, 2011, selling 115,154 copies;[49] and 19th between May 16 and May 22, 2011, selling 34,362 copies for a total of 206,532 copies.[50] By May 2011, the manga has had over 3 million copies in circulation.[51]
In North America, the second volume of the manga reachedThe New York Times Best-Selling Manga List, placing fourth between April 24 and April 30, 2011;[52] tenth between May 1 and May 7, 2011;[53] and eighth between May 8 and May 14, 2011.[54]
Andy Hanley of theUK Anime Network summaries the first manga volume as: "Nothing ground-breaking here, but a volume of mindless fun that brings all of the gory entertainment of a zombie apocalypse to the printed page."[55] Nate Lanxon ofWired UK praises its production quality despite having no single original element.[56]
AtSan Diego Comic-Con "Best and Worst Manga of 2011" panel, it was listed among the "Worst Manga" in a series of rapid-fire questions.[57]
For the anime adaptation, 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."[58] Carlo Santos ofAnime News Network states that, "Other recent zombie works in Western entertainment have tried to play it ironic, or postmodernist, or just plain silly, but this one goes for straight-up horror—and pulls it off admirably."[59] However, Zac Bertschy of the same website, states for this episode that, "It just could've easily been written by a script generator or a horror fan with 19 minutes to kill."[60]
In March 2015, theChinese Ministry of Culture announced a crackdown on sites hosting overly-violent or sexual anime content, withHighschool of the Dead being singled out as an example due to its sexual content; the Ministry described it as "borderline-pornographic".[61] On June 12, 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Culture listedHighschool of the Dead among 38 anime and manga titles banned in China.[62]
Illustrator Shōji Satō featured Rei and Saeko in crossover illustrations for his other mangaTriage X. It was also briefly featured roughly halfway through episode 4 ofWaiting in the Summer.
Highschool of the Deadcontent has been featured in the video gamesLollipop Chainsaw,Queen's Blade Limit Break andTaimanin RPG.[63][64][65]
Highschool of the Dead supernatural thriller manga
Hey! people who read the English version (that made by illegal!).
You guys have to buy legality COOL COMIC when that comic become book!
You can get legality comic book at Amazon.
— Daisuke Sato and Shouji Sato,Monthly Dragon Age, November 2006
Mix all that together and you get an overly-sexualised and wonderfully violent production -- beautifully presented and horrific, even if it doesn't, in its component parts, contain a single original element.
