Parents' Guide to High School of the Dead

TV Hulu , Crunchyroll Anime 2010
High School of the Dead TV Show Poster: Saeko, Kouta, Takashi, Alice, Shizuka, and Rei pose with weapons

Common Sense Media Review

By Jeremy Looney , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Tons of blood and sexualized content in horror anime.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD is a show that follows Takashi Kimuro (voiced in English by Leraldo Anzaldua) and Rei Miyamoto (voiced by Jessica Boone), two high schoolers whose school has suddenly been attacked by zombies. Takashi's best friend and Rei's boyfriend becomes a zombie and Takashi has to kill him, so he vows to defend her. They, along with other survivors, band together to protect each other and fight for their lives.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

This show is an intense, violent, fast-paced depiction of the classic fight-for-your-lives zombie genre. Expect lots of High School of the Dead scenes to be uncomfortable to watch, including disturbing depictions of zombie transitions and many violent on-screen deaths. The viewer hopes to see the characters succeed and get to safety, and characters are likeable enough. But the creators have created sexist situations, including having female characters say things like, "It's a man's decision, after all," leaving any decision-making power out of women's hands. The nudity is heavily emphasized, and has almost nothing to do with the plot of the show, leaving viewers wondering why that creative choice might have been made.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the creators portray male vs. female characters. What messages does the show send about gender?

  • Talk about the way characters in the group work together. Why is teamwork important in an emergency situation?

TV Details

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High School of the Dead TV Show Poster: Saeko, Kouta, Takashi, Alice, Shizuka, and Rei pose with weapons

What to Watch Next

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