Highschool of the Dead
Encyclopedia
is a manga
series written by Daisuke Satō
and illustrated by Shōji Satō. The story follows a group of high school students caught in the middle of a zombie apocalypse
. The series was serialized
in the September 2006 issue of Fujimi Shobo
's Monthly Dragon Age
, and the first volume was released by Kadokawa Shoten
on March 1, 2007, with a total of seven volumes available in Japan as of April 25, 2011. The series is licensed in North America by Yen Press
, and released the first volume on January 25, 2011. An anime adaptation produced by Madhouse
aired in Japan from July 5, 2010 to September 20, 2010.
that turns humans into zombies, euphemistically referred to by the main characters as "Them".
The story follows a group of high school students, the high school's nurse, and a young girl as they fight their way to safety through the deadly streets of Japan during a worldwide catastrophic event known as the "Outbreak". As the cast tries to survive the zombie apocalypse
, they must also face the additional threats of societal collapse
, in the form of dangerous fellow survivors, and the possible decay of their own moral codes
.
's manga magazine Monthly Dragon Age
. The first tankōbon
was released by Kadokawa Shoten
on March 1, 2007, with a total of seven volumes sold as of April 25, 2011 under their Dragon Jr. imprint. The series went on hiatus from the end of 2008 until March 2010, with another short break between May and July 2010. The manga is licensed in North America by Yen Press
, and released the first volume on January 25, 2011.
A full-color version of H.O.T.D. called began serialization in the February 2011 issue of Monthly Dragon Age. The first two volumes were released by Kadokawa Shoten on February 25, 2011, and volumes 3 and 4 were released on March 25, 2011. The full-color edition began serialization in North America in the March 2011 issue of Yen Press' Yen Plus
online magazine, and ended in the July 2011 issue. An omnibus
of the full-color edition is scheduled for release in November 2011, where it will be released as a hardcover edition.
The manga has been licensed for international release in a number of languages and regions. It is published in Spain by Glénat España
, in Germany by Carlsen
, in Brazil by Panini Comics
, in Canada and France for French-language publication by Pika Édition
, in Poland by Waneko
, and in Taiwan by Kadokawa Media. The first volume was released in May 2008 in Spain, in March 2010 in Germany, in April 2010 in Brazil, and in June 2011 in Poland. Shortly following the inception of the series, however, the manga became popular enough in English via scanlation
to draw the attention of the creators, who included a message in English within the magazine printing of the fifth chapter.
aired on the Japanese network AT-X
from July 5, 2010 to September 20, 2010, with subsequent broadcasts on TV Kanagawa, Tokyo MX, Chiba TV
, KBS Kyoto, TV Aichi, TV Saitama, and Sun TV. Six DVD and Blu-ray
volumes were released by Geneon Universal Entertainment between September 22, 2010 and February 23, 2011. The series was simulcast
ed by Anime Network
in North America (although these airings are censored during explicit scenes), and Madman Entertainment
in Australia and New Zealand. Section23 Films
later gained additional rights to the series, and Sentai Filmworks released the series with an English dub (produced by Seraphim Digital) on Blu-ray
and DVD on June 28, 2011. The series is also licensed in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment, and in the United Kingdom by Manga Entertainment
. The English dub of the series aired on Anime Network
's VOD
service between March 10, 2011 and May 26, 2011, and was made available on Microsoft's Zune Marketplace and Apple's iTunes Store
on May 27, 2011 and June 27, 2011, respectively.
The series' opening theme is "HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD" by Kishidakyodan and the Akeboshi Rockets. The series' closing theme songs differ in each episode, and each are sung by Maon Kurosaki
. The CD single for the opening theme was released on August 18, 2010 by Geneon Universal Entertainment. The CD single features the TV and instrumental versions of "HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD" and a new song called , 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, along with an original soundtrack.
An OVA
episode of H.O.T.D., entitled "Drifters of the Dead", was bundled with the seventh volume of the manga on Blu-ray
April 26, 2011. It was originally intended for a February release, but was pushed back.
charts between July 5 and July 11, 2010, selling 92,040 copies, and #13 between July 12 and July 18, 2010, selling 43,714 copies for a total of 135,734 copies. The seventh volume of Highschool of the Dead reached #11 on the Oricon charts between May 2 and May 8, 2011, selling 57,016 copies, #2 between May 9 and May 15, 2011, selling 115,154 copies, and #19 between May 16 and May 22, 2011, selling 34,362 copies for a total of 206,532 copies.
In North America, the second volume of H.O.T.D. reached The New York Times
Best-Selling Manga List, reaching #4 between April 24 and April 30, 2011, #10 between May 1 and May 7, 2011, and #8 between May 8 and May 14, 2011.
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." Carlo Santos of Anime 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." However, Zac Bertschy, also of Anime News Network
, 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."
Andy Hanley of the UK 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."
At a Comic-Con
"Best and Worst Manga of 2011" panel, it was listed among the "Worst Manga" in a series of rapid-fire questions.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written by Daisuke Satō
Daisuke Sato
is a Japanese board game designer, novelist, and manga writer. He is known for the publication of the alternate history novels Seito , Red Sun Black Cross and so on, and the manga series Imperial Guards and Highschool of the Dead .- Game : Red Sun Black Cross**...
and illustrated by Shōji Satō. The story follows a group of high school students caught in the middle of a zombie apocalypse
Zombie apocalypse
A zombie apocalypse is a particular scenario of apocalyptic literature that customarily has a science fiction/horror rationale. In a zombie apocalypse, a widespread rise of zombies hostile to human life engages in a general assault on civilization....
. The series was serialized
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
in the September 2006 issue of Fujimi Shobo
Fujimi Shobo
is a Japanese publishing company that specializes in the publication of light novels, manga, role-playing games and collectible card games. The company started in 1991 as a subsidiary of Kadokawa Shoten.-Magazines published:Light novel magazines...
's Monthly Dragon Age
Monthly Dragon Age
is a Japanese manga magazine published by Fujimi Shobo. The magazine began as a combination between Monthly Comic Dragon and Monthly Dragon Junior, two former magazines published by Fujimi Shobo. The first issue was published in April 2003, and the magazine is sold on the ninth of each month. The...
, and the first volume was released by Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
on March 1, 2007, with a total of seven volumes available in Japan as of April 25, 2011. The series is licensed in North America by Yen Press
Yen Press
Yen Press is the manga and graphic novel imprint of Hachette Book Group. In addition to their regular book releases, Yen Press produces a monthly anthology called Yen Plus. The company's varied list demonstrates an interest in publishing a wide variety of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and other...
, and released the first volume on January 25, 2011. An anime adaptation produced by Madhouse
Madhouse (company)
is a Japanese animation studio, founded in 1972 by ex–Mushi Pro animators including Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, Rintaro, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. It has created and helped to produce many well known shows, starting with TV anime series Ace o Nerae! in 1973, and including western favourites Ninja...
aired in Japan from July 5, 2010 to September 20, 2010.
Plot
Highschool of the Dead is set in the present day, beginning as the world is struck by a deadly pandemicPandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
that turns humans into zombies, euphemistically referred to by the main characters as "Them".
The story follows a group of high school students, the high school's nurse, and a young girl as they fight their way to safety through the deadly streets of Japan during a worldwide catastrophic event known as the "Outbreak". As the cast tries to survive the zombie apocalypse
Zombie apocalypse
A zombie apocalypse is a particular scenario of apocalyptic literature that customarily has a science fiction/horror rationale. In a zombie apocalypse, a widespread rise of zombies hostile to human life engages in a general assault on civilization....
, they must also face the additional threats of societal collapse
Societal collapse
Societal collapse broadly includes both quite abrupt societal failures typified by collapses , as well as more extended gradual declines of superpowers...
, in the form of dangerous fellow survivors, and the possible decay of their own moral codes
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
.
Manga
Highschool of the Dead began serialization in the July 2006 issue of Fujimi ShoboFujimi Shobo
is a Japanese publishing company that specializes in the publication of light novels, manga, role-playing games and collectible card games. The company started in 1991 as a subsidiary of Kadokawa Shoten.-Magazines published:Light novel magazines...
's manga magazine Monthly Dragon Age
Monthly Dragon Age
is a Japanese manga magazine published by Fujimi Shobo. The magazine began as a combination between Monthly Comic Dragon and Monthly Dragon Junior, two former magazines published by Fujimi Shobo. The first issue was published in April 2003, and the magazine is sold on the ninth of each month. The...
. The first tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
was released by Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
on March 1, 2007, with a total of seven volumes sold as of April 25, 2011 under their Dragon Jr. imprint. The series went on hiatus from the end of 2008 until March 2010, with another short break between May and July 2010. The manga is licensed in North America by Yen Press
Yen Press
Yen Press is the manga and graphic novel imprint of Hachette Book Group. In addition to their regular book releases, Yen Press produces a monthly anthology called Yen Plus. The company's varied list demonstrates an interest in publishing a wide variety of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and other...
, and released the first volume on January 25, 2011.
A full-color version of H.O.T.D. called began serialization in the February 2011 issue of Monthly Dragon Age. The first two volumes were released by Kadokawa Shoten on February 25, 2011, and volumes 3 and 4 were released on March 25, 2011. The full-color edition began serialization in North America in the March 2011 issue of Yen Press' Yen Plus
Yen Plus
Yen Plus is an American monthly anthology magazine of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and Original English-language manga published by Yen Press. The first issue went on sale on July 29, 2008 with five manga titles originally published by Gangan Comics, four manhwa titles, and two OEL manga titles...
online magazine, and ended in the July 2011 issue. An omnibus
Omnibus
Omnibus may refer to:Law* Omnibus bill, a single legislative document containing many laws or amendments* Omnibus spending bill, a single legislative document that sets the budget of many government departments* Omnibus clause* Omnibus hearing...
of the full-color edition is scheduled for release in November 2011, where it will be released as a hardcover edition.
The manga has been licensed for international release in a number of languages and regions. It is published in Spain by Glénat España
Glénat (publisher)
Glénat Editions SA is a French publisher with its head office in Grenoble. The company publishes many things, including comic books and manga in France, Benelux, and Spain; it was founded by Jacques Glénat. The Spanish subsidiary has its head office in Barcelona. The Benelux subsidiary, Glénat...
, in Germany by Carlsen
Carlsen Verlag
Carlsen Verlag is a subsidiary of the homonymous Danish publishing house which in turn belongs to the Swedish media company Bonnier. The branch was founded on 25 April 1953 in Hamburg. The publisher's program focuses on books for children Carlsen Verlag is a subsidiary of the homonymous Danish...
, in Brazil by Panini Comics
Panini Comics
Panini Comics is an Italian comic book publisher. A division of Panini Group, best known for their collectible stickers, it is headquartered in Modena, Italy...
, in Canada and France for French-language publication by Pika Édition
Pika Édition
Pika Édition is a French publisher headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, specializing in manga. Founded as a daughter company of Media System Editions, it was taken over by Hachette Livre in 2007.-Distribution:...
, in Poland by Waneko
Waneko
Waneko is a Polish manga publisher, located in Warszawa, Poland. The founders of Waneko are Aleksandra Watanuki, Martyna Taniguchi and Kenichiro Watanuki.-Manga:*Cat Shit One*Cześć, Michael!...
, and in Taiwan by Kadokawa Media. The first volume was released in May 2008 in Spain, in March 2010 in Germany, in April 2010 in Brazil, and in June 2011 in Poland. Shortly following the inception of the series, however, the manga became popular enough in English via scanlation
Scanlation
Scanlation is the scanning, translation and editing of a graphic novel from a foreign language into a different language. Scanlation is done as an amateur work and is nearly always done without express permission from the copyright holder. The word scanlation is a portmanteau of scan and translation...
to draw the attention of the creators, who included a message in English within the magazine printing of the fifth chapter.
Anime
An anime adaptation of H.O.T.D. produced by Madhouse and directed by Tetsuro ArakiTetsuro Araki
is a Japanese anime director. He was born in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.Araki is a graduate at Senshu University and works with Madhouse. His directorial debut was 2005's Otogi-Jūshi Akazukin. He is best known as the director of the Death Note anime adaptation...
aired on the Japanese network AT-X
AT-X (company)
is a Japanese anime television network owned by . AT-X, Inc. was founded on June 26, 2000 as a subsidiary of TV Tokyo Medianet, which, in turn, is a subsidiary of TV Tokyo. Its headquarters are in Minato, Tokyo. AT-X network broadcasts anime via satellite and cable since December 24, 1997.AT-X is...
from July 5, 2010 to September 20, 2010, with subsequent broadcasts on TV Kanagawa, Tokyo MX, Chiba TV
Chiba TV
, doing business as , is a Japanese commercial terrestrial television broadcasting company headquartered at 11-25 Miyako-chō 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba serving Chiba Prefecture but spill-over is received in the neibouring prefectures. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Independent...
, KBS Kyoto, TV Aichi, TV Saitama, and Sun TV. Six DVD and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
volumes were released by Geneon Universal Entertainment between September 22, 2010 and February 23, 2011. The series was simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
ed by Anime Network
Anime Network
The Anime Network , a former subsidiary of A.D. Vision, Inc. , is a cable and satellite digital broadcast service in North America dedicated to anime.-History:...
in North America (although these airings are censored during explicit scenes), and Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
in Australia and New Zealand. Section23 Films
Section23 Films
Section23 Films is an American home video distribution company specializing in anime and Japanese films. The company is one of five successors to ADV Films, as well as the distributor of titles from Sentai Filmworks and Switchblade Films. ADV had announced that it had sold its assets to a group of...
later gained additional rights to the series, and Sentai Filmworks released the series with an English dub (produced by Seraphim Digital) on Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
and DVD on June 28, 2011. The series is also licensed in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment, and in the United Kingdom by Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
. The English dub of the series aired on Anime Network
Anime Network
The Anime Network , a former subsidiary of A.D. Vision, Inc. , is a cable and satellite digital broadcast service in North America dedicated to anime.-History:...
's VOD
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
service between March 10, 2011 and May 26, 2011, and was made available on Microsoft's Zune Marketplace and Apple's iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on May 27, 2011 and June 27, 2011, respectively.
The series' opening theme is "HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD" by Kishidakyodan and the Akeboshi Rockets. The series' closing theme songs differ in each episode, and each are sung by Maon Kurosaki
Maon Kurosaki
is a female Japanese singer-songwriter from Tokyo signed to Geneon Universal Entertainment. She released her debut album H.O.T.D. in September 2010, which features the ending themes of the anime series Highschool of the Dead. Her two singles that followed, "Magic∞World" and "Memories Last", were...
. The CD single for the opening theme was released on August 18, 2010 by Geneon Universal Entertainment. The CD single features the TV and instrumental versions of "HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD" and a new song called , 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, along with an original soundtrack.
An OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
episode of H.O.T.D., entitled "Drifters of the Dead", was bundled with the seventh volume of the manga on Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
April 26, 2011. It was originally intended for a February release, but was pushed back.
Reception
In Japan, the sixth volume of Highschool of the Dead reached #5 on the OriconOricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
charts between July 5 and July 11, 2010, selling 92,040 copies, and #13 between July 12 and July 18, 2010, selling 43,714 copies for a total of 135,734 copies. The seventh volume of Highschool of the Dead reached #11 on the Oricon charts between May 2 and May 8, 2011, selling 57,016 copies, #2 between May 9 and May 15, 2011, selling 115,154 copies, and #19 between May 16 and May 22, 2011, selling 34,362 copies for a total of 206,532 copies.
In North America, the second volume of H.O.T.D. reached The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Best-Selling Manga List, reaching #4 between April 24 and April 30, 2011, #10 between May 1 and May 7, 2011, and #8 between May 8 and May 14, 2011.
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." Carlo Santos of Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
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." However, Zac Bertschy, also of Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
, 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."
Andy Hanley of the UK 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."
At a Comic-Con
Comic-Con
Comic-Con, Comic Con or ComiCon may refer to any of the following Comic book conventions, none of them affiliated to any other:*San Diego Comic-Con International, annual fan convention in San Diego held since 1970, also known as Comic-Con or San Diego Comic-Con*Dallas Comic Con, annual fan...
"Best and Worst Manga of 2011" panel, it was listed among the "Worst Manga" in a series of rapid-fire questions.