I had heard about this series before hand and thought it was a stupid idea. So one day while I was browsing through my local book store i saw the first two volumes sitting on the shelf. I had looked over the first one which was nice and saran wrapped. the basic story i got from the back was your average unknown disease that infects a town of city and the main characters are trying to survive. Since I had nothing else to read I decided to pick up the two volumes. As soon as I began reading the book instant zombie action is thrown at you. With this I was instantly intrigued. With this shown first and then an explanation given to how the outbreak is started is short and simple. Nothing that goes on for pages and pages of scientific or accidental bullshit. Man shows up infected, bites one and starts a chain reaction. the characters seemed bland at first but it they soon come out of that shadow. Takashi who is one of the main students fighting to survive is your typical laid back student who drowns in is own self pity. It is fun to watch him change over the course of the first book from that to an excited individual to protect and kill anyone who comes his way. Rei, the affection of Takashi who is in love with other boy after she dumps him. I thought this was going to be a girl who would crack and always rely on others to save her, like a princess. I was happy to see that this was snot true. Instead she is kicking ass on her own due to her being part of the karate club (in the English version). Eventually they run into two other survivors, Hirano and Takagi. Hirano is your typical fat nerd who is quiet and doesn't seem to do much. until you put a firearm in his hand, then e becomes one of the most enjoyable characters. having extensive knowledge of weapons makes him a huge asset. On another note, it is fun to watch him go into this killing frenzy with this twisted look on his face that just changes his character completely. Takagi however I can not same the same. Have you ever known a person who just thought they were just better than you? Knew more than you? Acted better than you? Well that is what Takagi is like. she just always has a negative vibe around her that just makes any scene shes in very gloomy and negative. then the last two survivors I've met up to the point that I've read is Saeko Busujima and Ms. Shizuka. Saeko is a character that every anime/manga should have. A girl who can kick ass with a sword yet is very sexy at the same time. she is not letting a man or anyone else take on the burden of protecting her and will not do so. With her being the oldest of the students, a senior, and the captain of the ken-do club she is force to be reckoned with. Then there is Ms. Shizuka. she is a very bubbly short of woman. Huge breasts to boot. however she is the one that doesn't do very much along with Takagi. They both sit in the back and take up pages of nothing but dialogue. Howsoever I do like her character of being so innocent and caring for the students since she is the school nurse. She makes a scene much more enjoyable to read and brings light into a dark situation. that's your main cast right there but there are others I'm sure they will meet along the way. They discover different things about the zombies and make use of different weapons as they more further through Japan. the fan service is not as high in the manga as the anime. however i will not complain about fan service in this one compared to Rosario + Vampire. With R+V, the panty shots and sexy scenes were only put in to turn the audience on. In High School of the Dead the fan service can be viewed as something that could happen without it being forced. Of course the boob jiggling is not necessary but come on, you know you like it. Plus the first 12 episodes follow the manga quite well with very few changes. To sum up everything, this feels like a Romero movie with a little Japanese twist. it keeps the reader on there toes and keeps me turning page to page wondering what's going to happen next and how the survivors are going to escape the zombies. The art style is very unique and is great to look at. With all the other manga out there I've never seen a manga drawn in such a style. it kid of works itself with the violence like they belong together. The3 story seems to get more complex the further they move through the city which is how a manga should go, basic to complex, but easy to follow. Overall I give it an 8 and will happily recommend it anyone who is looking for something to read. Any of you who find these books in your local book store,pick up the first one and give it a try, it will keep you wanted more.