Though it started as a manga, Highschool of the Dead is most well-known for its anime adaptation. Coming out in 2010, the series is now over a decade old despite still being fairly well-known among the anime fandom. Released around the rise of the modern zombie pop culture phenomenon, the series was surprisingly gory and went headfirst into its horror themes.
Zombie mania has definitely died down a bit, so it's perhaps fitting that there hasn't been a second season of the Highschool of the Dead anime. Here's a look back at what the plot of the series was, how long the manga lasted and when a second season could debut to make the series finally rise from the dead.
The Plot & Origin of Highschool of the Dead
Highschool of the Dead adapted the manga of the same name by Daisuke and Shoji Sato, which ran from 2006 until 2013, with Yen Press handling the English localization. Beginning in September of 2006, the manga is now officially 15 years old. The series is set in a post-apocalyptic Japan where a worldwide pandemic turns many of the planet's denizens into vicious zombies known as "Them." The story follows a rag-tag group of survivors made up mostly of a teacher and her former students who try to survive their new harsh environment.
Along with hordes of ghastly zombies, the group also has to contend with fellow groups of survivors, many of whom are not nearly as kind as they are. Likewise, they find their own morality and regard for others to be changing in their horrendous new reality, with death and despair lurking around every corner.
The illustrious studio Madhouse handled the eventual anime adaptation, which lasted for 12 episodes along with an additional OVA special made later. This OVA came out in the spring of 2011, which means the series has now been dormant for over a decade.
Will There Ever Be a Season 2 of Highschool of the Dead?
There are several factors impeding Highschool of the Dead from getting a second season. For one, the series' creator, Daisuke Sato, passed away in 2017, although the manga series ended before that. However, this ending was more due to a soft cancellation than anything else. The anime adapted the first four volumes of the manga, of which there were only three more produced. This means that there's roughly enough material for one more season, but there are still some issues in getting there.
The original creators of the show didn't want to continue making it, although it's unknown if these creators were the manga writer and artist or the showrunners. Either way, the dearth of material and the author's passing, as well as both the original artist and Madhouse very much moving on, means that school is most likely out forever for Highschool of the Dead, both as an anime and a manga.
