Scribbles & Munch

      This post requires a little backstory.  Not of the anime, but of why Camela and I sat down and binge-watched all 12 episodes of the first season last Saturday, when it was a gorgeous sunny day in Seattle.

From left to right: me, Her Royal Snugglepants Hairy Squirrel-Murder, and Camela. I'm opening a bar of Theo's chocolate, having already demolished a bowl of home-made guacamole and an entire bag of lentil chips, and Camela is almost done with her first bag of tarro chips.  Because we take research seriously.

      I wanted to update my presentation materials for Greek Girl Con.  Camela and I, along with her editor Patricia, will be doing a panel on "Brainy Anime Babes Who Know More Science Than You." I already did this at Ohayocon earlier this year, and there were a few tweaks I wanted to make, starting with adding more Brainy Babes to my list!  So I appealed - and continue to appeal - to all the anime fans I know to suggest characters to add. And my new friend Sean suggested I watch High School Of The Dead.  Camela elected to join me for a binge viewing. So with a few breaks and a lot of snacks, we took the plunge.
      Let me first say that Sean now owes me a boba tea. Because the "brainy babe" in this show didn't actually do anything remotely brainy (besides scream "I'm a genius" several, several times) until the FINAL FREAKING EPISODE!  So does she qualify for the presentation, or not? Now I have to watch Season Two.  sigh

Although we knew from the beginning who the Brainy Babe would be, because she's wearing glasses. This IS anime, people. Embrace the predictability.

      There were some things about it I really liked. The art was good for TV show, with a lot of the most contemporary styles affecting face shape, but with some throw backs in hair.* Camela confirmed that it followed a classic survival horror story pattern in terms of plot pacing and development. We both liked the way the zombies were portrayed, with the quick "turn time," and consistent details in physicality and behavior.  So points for the horror stuff.
      But add a face-palm or two for the number of panty shots.  Seriously.  Don't get me wrong, I am an anime fan, and that means I am happy to embrace a few skirt flares.  I know enough about Japanese culture to chuckle at the timing, and be amused by the irony that staring at a girl's crotch is just fine, but kissing is pornographic.** All the same, the number of PS's quickly reached "gratuitous" level for me.  I have a system for this, but that's a different blog post.  At least the boys reacted appropriately: there was no judgement, and no assumptions of inherent invitation.  If that were the attitude at college parties then campuses would be much safer places.
      The REAL issue that both Camela and I had with the series was the violence against women.  Not from the zombies, from the protagonist.  In the very first episode, our "hero" goes to tell his ex-girlfriend they need to evacuate the school, and when she gives him lip for interrupting her class, he slaps her.
      No, don't try to justify it.  It's wrong.  Period.

There was a Mythbusters episode about the efficacy of a slap in reversing cognitive impairment.  I'm too lazy to look it up.  Just Google it.

      Scientific research has shown that a slap can help interrupt hysteria and increase cognitive functioning when the brain is impaired by cold or fatigue.  But that was not what was going on here.  This was a male who wanted to get a female to do what he wanted, and he employed violence.  And this happened again between the same two characters later in the season, and then again between the same male protagonist and another female.  And the worst part?  After their initial shock, the girls simpered and acted grateful for him taking charge.
      So let me say it again: THIS IS WRONG.  This is where fiction gets it wrong.  That's assault, plain and simple.  It is ineffective, unethical, and illegal, and all for good reasons.  That is not taking charge and being a man, that is letting base instinct over-rule better judgement, and being a primal asshole.  Stories have power, and as vendors of fiction, both Camela and believe we have a duty.  So I'm calling out the creators of High School Of The Dead.  Get your pre-pubescent wanna-be macho heads out of your daydream space (aka "ass").  If you want your character to be a hero, then you need to rethink his approach.
      I will be on the lookout for this when I watch Season Two.  As it stands, I'm not sure I can honestly recommend this series to anybody, for that reason.  I won't take it lightly.  Nobody should take it lightly.  Because that's exactly the problem.
      And you thought this was going to be a light, amusing piece about anime zombies.  Yeah...so did I.




*If you know what I mean by that, then you and I should go out for drinks, my fellow Otaku.

**H.S.O.T.D. is a fabulous example of this, by the way. There's boob jiggles and panty shots galore, and in one episode even full upper-body nudity (which I wasn't expecting), but no kissing.  There's music and soft lighting and camera pans whenever somebody goes in for a kiss.  Japan is fascinating.