Highschool of the Dead

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Origin: Manga written by Daisuke Satou and illustrated by Shouji Satou

Studio: Madhouse Studios

Director: Tetsuro Araki (Death Note, Kurozuka)

Writers: Yousuke Kuroda based on Daisuke Satou's original manga

Made in: 2010 (anime)

Genre: Zombies / survival horror / fanservice

Premise: A group of Japanese teens must survive the zombie apocalypse.

Show x Show: It's Ikki Tousen crossed with Dawn of the Dead

Length: 12 half-hour episodes

Availability: Generally available on DVD and Blu-Ray in North America

Anime Review (Episodes 1-5)
Are the zombies scary? Yes.

Is it good zombie survival horror? It's perfect zombie survival horror, but see the next question.

Fanservice? Tons, and often at really inappropriate points. I don't want a panty shot while a girl is being devoured by zombies. And there's lots of fanservice later.

Can I show it to my Mom? No.

Can I show it to my kid brother? No.

Can I show it to a non-anime fan? The fanservice will likely turn him/her off, but a zombie fan would likely get into it. And it looks very professionally-made.

Does the art quality vary from shot to shot? The action scenes have a much higher sheet count than the rest, obviously, but it's solid quality throughout. Has butt-kicking action sequences followed by periods of rest.

Quality of action sequences: Extremely high. Not only do sequences have a hight [sheet count], they are smoothly drawn.

Music: Good. Pulse-pounding for the action scenes.

Direction/Editing: This is where it shines. Perfect survival horror direction. Lots of rapid cuts where that increases tension.

Will you watch any more? Nah. Episodes 1-5 follow an excellent character arc; I'm satisfied with the characters as of the end of episode 5. Also, from what I've heard, the fanservice increases dramatically in later episodes.