The zombie apocalypse lumbers on in the second installment of Daisuke Sato’s Highschool of the Dead! After prescribing a violent remedy for Rei’s boyfriend’s infection, she and Takashi link up with other survivors and formulate a plan to escape Fujimi High by using one of the facility’s buses. As they are getting ready to leave, Takashi rescues a group of stragglers led by Koichi Shido, a teacher towards whom Rei shows an immense level of hatred. Rather than share transport with him, Rei leaves the bus with Takashi in tow. As the pair argue, a second bus barrels down the road towards them and explodes, separating the two from the rest of the group. With a meeting spot decided, Takashi and Rei must brave both the living and the dead as they make their way out of the city.
The second volume of Highschool of the Dead introduces another foe the cast will have to contend with: Humans. With the utter collapse of civilized society, Takashi and Rei encounter humans who have either gone mad or using the disaster for their own selfish purposes, as is the case with Koichi. After finding shelter in a house owned by Nurse Shizuka’s friend, Takashi and Kohta witness the police firing upon civilians.
The content in this volume is worth mentioning because the manga is much more upfront with its fanservice. While Takashi and Kohta secure the house, Rei, Saya, and Shizuka take a bath together and play with each other’s breasts in order to compare size. Meanwhile, Saeko prepares dinner wearing only an apron and her underwear. Although completely over the top, this sequence is a welcome shift from the the amount of graphic violence depicted thus far. As can be expected with zombie scenarios, this moment of respite doesn’t last long before it is time for Takashi and the gang to move on. The manga’s script continues to be solid and Sato shows a surprising knowledge of weapons, as Kohta’s excitement over the arsenal in the house belies an intense familiarity of military artillery. Highschool of the Dead continues to be a title to follow.
Highschool of the Dead vol. 2
by Daisuke Sato
Art by Shouji Sato
ISBN: 9780316132
Yen Press, 2006
Publisher Age Rating: 17
