High School of the Dead – Episode 8 – The Rescue

The first moments of this episode expanded the scope of this series. It portrayed the president and one of his military cabinet members discussing preemptive nuclear attacks on countries with nukes. That surely goes beyond the scope of high school but it was a good reminder, finally, in all of the fan service, that zombies have seriously desecrated the world.

Because Zombies set fire to the American capital!

I wonder though: is the United States capital better known that, say, the capital of Japan?

A Quick Summary

The episode, as mentioned above, starts with the United States president on Air Force One. After that scene ends, the teacher is driving the Hum-V across the river. Once on the other side, all the girls get out of the jeep to change cloths – and even feel a bit embarrassed. First, Takashi got a new gun, and then there were none of Them that anyone could see. Takagi’s house was near by so they planned to go there but they eventually ran across a wire gate in the road. Slamming the breaks propelled the stupid fools whom seated on top of the swiftly moving Hum-V, off the Hum-V and into a horde of zombies. Saeko, Hirano and Takashi fight off the zombies as best as they can, and they even try to lure them away by making noise away from the jeep, but to no avail it fails. Since Rei forgot how to stand up, it was lucky that Takagi’s mother came to the rescue with a bunch of high pressure burst fire hoses, saving everyone. That is, except Takashi and Saeko since they were already up a ledge at the time. The story is repeating itself.

The Fan Service this week was eaten by Zombies!

It might just be me, but after the overdose on fan service last week, there wasn’t much this week. I was so happy! Fan Service kills the mood of this show by far more than anything. Moving along.

Way too happy for this to take place in a zombie infested world.

Even if Hirano is an otaku, I don’t think he’d be enjoying this situation as much as he does. It was fun to start out the episode with a classic: row row row your boat. They were doing it of course because Alice is in second grade and knows English. It was my first time hearing it in Japanese. Same rhythm, different words.

It's the ED image of Angel Beats!

Marikawa said that she brought her friend’s supply of cloths. But when the girls walked out from behind the jeep, they looked totally the same. What are you talking about? How were Takashi and Hirano impressed?

Zombie, don't you dare come any closer...

When Rei was thrown on the ground, she was totally shocked when she saw Takashi jumping down beside her with a gun to save her. Why didn’t she get up? Was she wounded? I couldn’t tell. She wasn’t crying out in pain, bleeding or zombified. Something’s fishy.

So was her mother waiting for her? Would she have helped out if Takai wasn't with the group?

If I was writing a story, I don’t know if I’d conveniently have one of my main character’s mothers bail them out of the zombie apocalypse. Unless. Unless I’d set it up so that she was eaten very soon after that fateful reunion .

Finally

It’s interesting how they can spend twenty minutes shooting zombies instead of having someone suggest going over the fence with the girl on the group. It just doesn’t seem logical. And then, although it was hard to make out, did Saeko and Takashi need to really take a long way around to meet up with everyone else? I doubt it – there was plenty of space on the side of the street.

In any case, I’m glad we get to meet some new people who won’t be main cast members for long.

Committed.

Highschool of the Dead Episode 6

Another show with little plot development. This is what I call a One Pic Post or an OPP. A single picture can summarize the entire episode. Often times, at least with a show like this, it can summarize the entire tone of the entire series, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Quick Summary

The entire gang is hiding out at the nurse’s friend’s house. The girls at the beginning of the episode are taking a bath together and some of them apparently had a few drinks. Rei and Marikawa (the nurse) had a bunch of drinks and both glomp Hirano and Takashi, they both enjoy their physical contact time. Eventually, the police get an all clear to use any means necessary to stop the zombies and keep control of the situation, so they start shooting rioters and using bulldozers. At the end of the episode, we see Takashi get angry with Rei over brining up Hisashi all the time, and she starts to grope.

Finally

There's an zoommmbbbbiiiiieeeee in your pppaanntsssss...

Even if this show is known for the huge amount of fan service, something like this probably would happen if a bunch of teenagers managed to survive for more than a day with an unequal amount of boys and girls – especially those boys and girls with an established relationship history. Perhaps that one realistic thing, that “it’s the end of the world, so let’s get it on” occurrence, is the only real value of this show.