Highschool of the Dead (Episode 6) – In the Dead of the Night
Having secured Rika’s apartment, the group is able to take a bit of time to look after themselves. The girls take a bath while the boys examine the weapons cabinet! Just what sort of a friend is Rika Minami?
Highschool of the Dead (Episode 6) – In the Dead of the Night
What did you watch?
When I first watched Highschool of the Dead it was on YouTube where each of the episodes had been cut in half. I found some in English and some in Japanese with subtitles and I had no idea if I had all of it. It wasn’t until I bought the Blu-ray that I even became aware of the bath scene! That obviously didn’t make it onto YouTube. Anyhow, this is the episode with the bath scene, and if you’re unfamiliar with anime, then it is absolutely mandatory that every series has at least one bath, shower, or hot springs episode. Look, I don’t make up the rules…
What happened?
After more than twenty-four hours on the run from the living dead, it must have been a huge relief to finally have a safe space to relax. As such, the girls took the chance to jump in the bath and unwind. Of course, with no idea how long they’ll have hot water, they all head in together, leaving Takashi and Kouta to explore the apartment. It didn’t take them long to find a cabinet full of ammo and a crossbow. There was another cabinet next to it that was locked. Surely, there must be something that they could use inside. As they attempted to break the lock, shrill squeals and laughter drifted from the bathroom.
Kouta mentioned that they should probably have a peep, although Takashi commented that he’d rather stay alive. They agreed on that approach and returned to breaking the lock. When the door popped open, Kouta almost lost his mind. There were multiple weapons and all were illegal to own in Japan. You could buy the parts, but putting them together in this manner was against the law. Just who was Shizuka’s friend? She told them Rika was ex-military and working for the police force, but this wasn’t the equipment of a regular cop. When Kouta asked Takashi to help him load the magazines, he asked if he’d done it before with airsoft. That was when Kouta revealed that he had been on a trip to the United States where he trained with an ex-Delta Force Commander. Takashi was glad they were on the same side!
On the nearby bridge, things were quickly getting out of control. The police had been given the order to use any means necessary to protect the bridge and stop the infected from getting across. However, there were ordinary people there too, trying to escape. One group of protestors were calling for the government to take responsibility for the biological weapon that they had released. Then, a woman carrying her daughter staggered into the middle of the bridge begging for their help. Before anyone could do anything, the girl jerked in her arms and then sunk her teeth into her mother’s neck. She dropped her daughter and died. Then, she stood up and shuffled towards the police blockade. They opened fire, giving the protestors more to scream about.
Kouta and Takashi were watching it on the TV when the police chief approached the protestors and told them to leave. When they refused, he shot their leader in the head. The TV broadcast was cut seconds later. Then, as they sat in silence considering what they saw, something grabbed Takashi from behind. Shizuka wrapped her arms around his and then kissed him on the cheek, her towel barely containing her boobs. She gave Kouta a kiss too, thanking them for keeping them safe. However, she seemed a little drunk or tired or overheated from the bath. Takashi had to carry her downstairs before she fell asleep. However, Rei appeared on the stairs and insinuated that she was interrupting something!
After putting Shizuka to bed, Takashi went to the kitchen to grab some food. As he emerged from the fridge, he heard Saeko telling him a snack would be ready soon. He turned to thank her and that was when he realised she was only wearing a thong and an apron. Since nothing fit her, she had to make do with that until her laundry was done. She thanked Takashi for looking out for them as well and then told him to call her by her first name. That’s how she prefers her friends to address her. Then, Rei started to yell for him. She told him to help her as sometimes girls like to act helpless.
Takashi sat with Rei on the stairs and listened as she told him what a great guy Hisashi was. How he would listen to her and join in when they went to karaoke. He was nothing like Takashi. That was the final straw for Takashi who reminded her that Hisashi was dead and no one knew that more than him… He was about to walk away when she pinched his shirt and held him there. She leaned into him and rested her head against his. She never said it, but she was clearly sorry. Then, the sound of a dog barking caused them to pull apart. Kouta called Takashi from upstairs and told him to come. Since the bridge was completely blocked, the zombies had wandered back into their neighbourhood. They were always there, one step behind them!
What did you think?
Some will call this gratuitous nudity and instantly slam the series, however, as with horror, this serves a purpose. In this instance, it is used to juxtapose the difference between the world inside the apartment and the world outside. Inside they are safe and things seem normal once more. Outside, the world is crumbling. People are dying and zombies are everywhere. The police can’t control things and resort to measures that make them question their own humanity. In the end, the police chief shoots himself after watching a wall of bulldozers charge into the terrified masses. I talked about the thin line between arousal and fear in the last episode and this one absolutely drove that point home.
What was your favourite moment?
For me, it had to be the conversation between Takashi and Rei on the stairs. She was overtired and overheated from the bath. She had already been yelling at him while he was talking to Saeko, which was probably no coincidence. Then, once she had his attention, all she wanted to do was talk about Hisashi, the guy she started dating after breaking up with Takashi when she revealed she had to repeat a year at school. She told him about how much she missed him and how he was always so good to her. Of course, Takashi couldn’t take it and snapped. The tension in this scene was incredible. It grabbed you and pulled you closer and closer until you found yourself in the middle of them, waiting to hear what happened next. I’m quite sure they kissed for the briefest of moments, but I also think he stopped her. What happened on the school rooftop is still too raw.
Who was the most impactful character?
Well, I think Shizuka made quite an impact on just about everyone. Rei couldn’t keep her hands to herself and she left Takashi and Kouta dazed and confused. Of course, that’s not what I’m going to go with here though, as much as it makes sense. I think Takashi stole the episode surprisingly with his conversations with Kouta, Saeko, and then Rei. He’s shown how dependable he is and how, unlike many anime protagonists, he’s not going to cross the line even in an apocalyptic setting where there are very few lines anymore. He was jumped by Shizuka in a towel who made things very hard for him, especially as he tried to carry her to bed. And yet, he remained true. He saw Saeko in nothing but an apron and her panties and only managed to fumble his words twice. And then, he took a tongue lashing from Rei for not being Hisashi.
What have you learned?
One of the reasons that I think I was really drawn to this series is because of how much I see myself in Takashi. I’ve always admired the strong silent chivalrous types and that definitely set the blueprint for how I acted as I grew up. I was always the responsible one at parties and would often end up looking after various drunken friends and their friends. This episode reminds me of those nights so clearly where I would ensure that everyone got home safely. I probably missed out on a lot of fun by doing that, but I was never the sort to abandon someone who needed help. I always talk about how important it is to make your characters relatable to as many people as possible. Occasionally, you’ll end up finding a superfan who sees themselves in your work. This is the series where that is absolutely true for me.
Series Information
| English Title | Highschool of the Dead |
| Japanese Title | Gakuen Mokushiroku: Haisukūru obu za Deddo |
| Genres | Action, Apocalyptic, Ecchi, Harem, Horror, Supernatural, Zombies |
| Demographic | Seinen |
Anime
OVA
| Title | Drifters of the Dead |
| Released | Spring 2011 |
| Animation Studios | Madhouse |
Bonus Posts
| Analysis | Introduction – A Killer Opening! |
| Saturday Spinoff | Sniper of the Dead |
| Saturday Spinoff | Meet the Takagis |
| Fan Fiction | Isekai of the Dead |
Ah, the bath scene…
It was toned down from the manga, too!!!