Highschool of the Dead (Episode 8) – The Dead Way Home

Highschool of the Dead Title

They made it across the river but were surprised by what they found. There was no one there, living or dead. However, while on the way to Saya’s house, they found them and were suddenly caught in a trap. Could this be the end?

Highschool of the Dead (Episode 8) – The Dead Way Home

What did you watch?

After the excitement of the last episode, you’d think Highschool of the Dead would go easy on us. Far from it, however, as they are thrown into their toughest test yet. We also get to see the best application of bullet time in all of media history. I doubt anything will ever come close. I mentioned that Saeko standing on top of the Humvee in an apron was iconic, well, this is the one scene that has probably been turned into the most gifs. Get ready to have your mind blown away! Let’s do it!

Highschool of the Dead Episode 8 Takashi Decides to Charge them Head on

What happened?

Their daring rescue mission had been a roaring success. Sure, they gave up Rika’s apartment before they were ready, but they managed to load the Humvee with enough supplies to tide them over. Once Takashi and Alice were inside, they hit the road, searching for a way across the river. Thankfully, the Humvee was more than capable of withstanding a little water, so they found a low point and drove through the river. As they crossed, Kouta and Alice sang songs on the roof which seemed to upset Saya a little. Inside the Humvee, Rei woke up to find she was leaning on Takashi. She smiled and then noticed that someone else was also sleeping on him.

After waking Takashi and Saeko up, they climbed out of the Humvee on the opposite side of the river. Since they left in a hurry, no one was really dressed for the occasion. Takashi and Kouta discussed things at the front of the Humvee while the girls fashioned some outfits from the clothes Shizuka had brought with them. Kouta suggested peeping once more, but Takashi still wasn’t ready for death, so they gave the girls their space. Their outfits were certainly an interesting mix of high school uniforms and military fashion… Anyhow, it was time to climb the bank and see how the world was coping on this side.

Highschool of the Dead Episode 8 Shizuku Saya Rei Saeko New Clothes

Kouta and Takashi climbed up first and checked the area before waving for Shizuka to bring up the Humvee. Kouta saw his life flash before his eyes as the Humvee roared over his head. Surprisingly, there were no zombies. There weren’t any people either. It seemed to be entirely deserted. They all jumped back in the Humvee and headed towards Saya’s house as it was closest. Takashi and Rei sat on the roof keeping watch. Something strange was going on. Where was everyone?

Then they turned a corner and saw them. It was a small group, so they turned away and ran into more. Every turn they made seemed to reveal more and more zombies. Shizuka put her foot on the gas and planned to run them all over. That was when Saeko spotted the wires blocking the road. She screamed for them to stop, but it was too late. All Shizuka could do was turn and hit them side-on. The tyres skidded on the zombies and then suddenly caught traction again. Shizuka slammed on the breaks, throwing Rei off the Humvee. Her back slammed into the hood as she bounced down to the road. Takashi jumped down after her and tried to hold back the zombie horde.

Highschool of the Dead Episode 8 Takashi Shoots gun on top of Rei

His shotgun was kicking back so much that his aim was going to hell. Then, when he tried to reload, he dropped the cartridges. He ran to Rei’s side and decided to use the gun she had strapped to her. Of course, he couldn’t get it free so he had to lie on top of her and fire. Saeko raced into the horde with her practice sword, slashing and striking as she could, while avoiding the bullets from Takashi’s gun. Kouta offered support from the top of the Humvee and even Saya came out to join the fight. However, it was looking hopeless as the more noise they made, the more of them showed up.

Takashi stood up and walked towards Saya who had run out of ammo. He took the shotgun back from her and walked towards the horde. Maybe, he could draw them away or buy the others enough time to get beyond the wires. Kouta tried to lower Alice to the other side, but she refused to leave them. She saw the same look in his eyes that her father had just before he died. Saeko and Takashi charged into the horde, attacking as best they could. They screamed and banged their weapons against the ground, drawing them away. However, it wasn’t enough.

Highschool of the Dead Episode 8 More Zombies Come

Eventually, Saeko and Takashi emerged from the horde and continued to make as much noise as possible. Some zombies followed, but most had turned back to the others. Were they going to be forced to watch as the horde engulfed them? Then, they heard voices. Several people appeared on the opposite side of the wires with high-powered water guns as used by firefighters. They blasted the zombies back and helped everyone through the wires. Their leader told them that they would come back for the car later, but saving them was the most important thing, especially since she was Saya’s mother.

Saya ran into her mother’s arms and embraced her. Then, she turned back to the horde and called to Takashi and Saeko, telling them to come to her house. Since there was no way through the horde and Takashi knew the area, he nodded and then turned to find another way. Even with everything going on, he had never felt more alive. He felt powerful, almost invincible. They would meet up with the others soon enough!

Highschool of the Dead Episode 8 Saya Pleased to see her Mom

What did you think?

That was a thrilling encounter. Not only did we get some insane action and utterly unreal fighting scenes, but they managed to turn that into a true moment of despair. I’ve seen this series so many times and every time this scene hits me hard. They are fighting for their lives here. Even Saya leapt in to help fight. You could feel the emotion when Alice told Kouta that she wasn’t going to leave them. It really feels like they’re going to suffer some casualties, which would be unthinkable, but this is a zombie series. One thing this series does very well is to use the ending song to break up the episode. Rather than making us wait until the next episode things are often resolved after the ending. Every episode has something to hang around for and every time it’s well worth sitting through the ED, which changes every episode. Another fantastic episode.

Highschool of the Dead Episode 8 Saeko Embarrassed Cleavage

What was your favourite moment?

I’ve been talking about iconic moments in this and the last episode, but I should let you know that the next episode is my favourite in the series and this is the moment that sets it up. Things seemed hopeless. Takashi was ready to put himself in extreme danger again to save everyone. He charged into a thriving horde of zombies, determined to draw them away even if it cost him his life. I loved that Saeko instinctively followed. Attacking with her usual style and grace. They are an awesome team so it wasn’t a big surprise that they made it through. The real shock was that it wasn’t enough. The zombies weren’t following them. As invincible as they may feel, it means nothing if they can’t protect their friends.

Highschool of the Dead Episode 8 Takashi and Saeko Head off Alone

Who was the most impactful character?

And it’s Takashi again. Although, it’s kind of easy to pick the character who is effectively telling the story. In this one, everyone stepped up and put their lives on the line when it mattered. Seeing Saya step out to join the fight was particularly impressive. Shizuka was left feeling utterly helpless which was not fun to watch. Of course, Takashi charging into the horde is a fairly consistent trope in zombie stories. Often times it involves a sacrifice so I was relieved that it didn’t happen this time, however, that’s also why it not working worked so well. It almost looked like he tried to save everyone and was left to watch them all die anyhow. That would have been brutal. Thank goodness that didn’t happen.

Highschool of the Dead Episode 8 Rei Talking to Takashi on Humvee

What have you learned?

Let’s look at that scene I just mentioned and how it used a well-known trope differently. Tropes are important as they create familiarity for the audience. As dark as a story might be, there needs to be something to put the audience at ease. Tropes do that because we subconsciously recognise stuff and that makes it easier to handle. Of course, it’s always fun when a story subverts the trope by switching things up. That’s what happened here with Takashi running into the horde. There’s also something to be gained from seeing the protagonist fail from time to time too. Ultimately, they came out of it all right, but it wasn’t his actions that saved them. There’s a lot to be learnt from failure in fiction. It makes the growth of a character that much more exciting when you can see the steps they’ve taken to get there. So, don’t be afraid of tropes. Use them to your advantage. They exist for a reason.

Highschool of the Dead Episode 8 Saeko Attacks Jump Kick

Series Information

English TitleHighschool of the Dead
Japanese TitleGakuen Mokushiroku: Haisukūru obu za Deddo
GenresActionApocalyptic, Ecchi, Harem, Horror, Supernatural, Zombies
DemographicSeinen

Anime

SeasonSeason One
ReleasedSummer 2010
Animation StudiosMadhouse
Episodes12
1Spring of the Dead
2Escape from the Dead
3Democracy Under the Dead
4Running in the Dead
5Streets of the Dead
6In the Dead of the Night
7Dead Night and the Dead Ruck
8The Dead Way Home
9The Sword and the Dead
10The Dead’s House Rules
11Dead Storm Rising
12All Dead’s Attack
OVA
TitleDrifters of the Dead
ReleasedSpring 2011
Animation StudiosMadhouse
Bonus Posts
AnalysisIntroduction – A Killer Opening!
Saturday SpinoffSniper of the Dead
Saturday SpinoffMeet the Takagis
Fan FictionIsekai of the Dead

Lynn Sheridan The Otaku Author Header

What did you think?