Highschool of the Dead/Characters

The cast of Highschool of the Dead and associated tropes.

Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe (JP), Leraldo Anzaldua (EN)
A seventeen-year-old boy who is among the first to notice that things at the school have gone very very wrong. While he and Rei promised to marry each other, it's been several years, and with his apparent growing disinterest in her, she is now involved with his best friend, Hisashi. Things only get more complicated between the two as "they" spread, and Hisashi became one of "them", forcing him to Mercy Kill his best friend.

Takashi quickly takes a leadership role with the group, through his decisive nature and desire to protect others.


 * Anti Hero: Type II.
 * Batter Up: A baseball bat is the first weapon he gets his hands on. Later chapters shift his weapon of choice to a riot-suppression shotgun.
 * Biggus Dickus: If the speedo fits.
 * Caught the Heart On His Sleeve: Rei does this to Takashi before a Shut Up Kiss of sorts.
 * Chick Magnet: All the girls want him.
 * Childhood Marriage Promise: Pinky Swears with Rei.
 * Chronic Hero Syndrome: At first. Seems to finally be breaking out of it after the clinic raid goes horribly wrong.
 * Determinator: When rescuing Alice/Arisu, as well as in basically everything else he does.
 * Failed Attempt At Drama: When Takashi announces intent to leave for Shintoko Third Elementary, the rest of the gang appropriately react except for Zeke/Zero who responds by peeing on Takashi's leg.
 * The Hero: He is, after all, the main character.
 * Heroes Want Redheads
 * Honor Before Reason
 * Idiot Hero: Good with a baseball bat. Not so good with actually thinking through the consequences of his actions.
 * Love Triangle: Is one awkward situation from being literally fought over by Saeko and Rei.
 * Missing Mom: Hasn't seen his mother since the outbreak; not that he isn't extremely worried about her.
 * Moral Event Horizon: Invoked when he used a live human as zombie bait as punishment for threatening to rape Rei and kill him. He's the only one who thinks he's crossed the line at that point; in fact, he's still redeemable by the rest of his team's standards. He also notes to himself that he may have killed Hisashi (and not regretted killing him) partly out of jealousy over Rei.
 * Morality Chain: Or rather Sanity Chain, especially to Saeko. He also realizes that most of the team plays this role to one another.
 * Only Sane Man: While everyone is at least moderately sane, Takashi’s main advantage is that he’s fully conscious of his grip on the Sanity Ball and can keep the others in line. He does constantly worry that his grip may end up slipping, and worse, knows very well that any freakout would have a domino effect on the team and get everyone killed.
 * Ordinary High School Student: At least until "they" showed up.
 * The Plan: Does one against the gas station nutjob by throwing his bat onto the ground and shooting him. He and Rei then leave the nutjob to die, having made enough noise to attract the zombies.
 * Red Oni Blue Oni: Red to Saeko's blue.
 * Sociopathic Hero: Arguably. He acknowledges that a part of him actually likes the lawlessness brought about by the Zombie Apocalypse when he enjoys smashing a cash register at a gas station. Earlier on he notes to himself that he may have crossed the Moral Event Horizon when he killed Hisashi without being too bothered about it. He's able to relate to Saeko's Ax Crazy impulses because of this.
 * Standardized Leader: Played with. Takashi himself worries that he’s got no real outstanding skills compared to the rest of the (useful) members of the team, yet given the flaky cohesion and variable sanity of the group, his ability to keep everyone on a leash is quite invaluable. The kicker is that while he may be the most centred of the group, he’s not completely stable either and he knows it.
 * Stripperiffic: In the OVA, he wears a very-tight fitting pair of speedos that tend to slightly show off his cheeks, along with a pair of boots.
 * Swipe Your Baseball Bat Off
 * Thanks for The Mammary: Intentional or not, Takashi grabs Saeko brutally by the breast in the park, probably to keep her from contemplating Suicide By Zombie again.
 * Took a Level In Badass: Along with the rest of the cast.
 * Unlucky Childhood Friend: Initially to Rei, but The Plot Reaper made sure Hisashi would go no further with her.
 * Would Hit a Girl: Slaps Rei in the first chapter/episode, and then Saya in the OVA.

Voiced by: Marina Inoue (JP), Jessica Boone (EN)
Takashi's former Love Interest and classmate, as well as a member of the lance fighting club. Frustrated with his apparent disinterest, Rei started dating his best friend Hisashi, though she still harbored feelings for him. When Hisashi is bitten, Rei faces the question of whether it is right to act on her maintained feelings for Takashi so soon after he was forced to kill his best friend. Headstrong and courageous, Rei is a strong combatant and valuable asset to the group.


 * Action Girl: Takes some time to adapt with the sudden Zombie Apocalypse, but once she learns to cope, she can kill zombies with the best of them.
 * Actor Allusion: Her voice actor also voiced Yoko Littner, well known for using a Sniper Rifle, which Rei uses later.
 * Anti Hero: Type II.
 * Badass Adorable
 * Betty and Veronica: The Betty to Saeko's Veronica.
 * Blade On a Stick: Her first weapon before she upgraded. Nowadays she carries a rifle with a bayonet, but uses the latter more than the former.
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: How she chooses to express the mandatory post-apocalyptic mental breakdown. Saeko lampshades this when she remarks how annoying it is compared to her calm maturity.
 * Cry Cute
 * Dance Battler: At least once, with what can only be described as a "kendo pirouette" in episode 5.
 * Disproportionate Retribution: Fell victim to this the year before, as she reveals in episode 11.
 * Hair Decorations: Wears a ribbon.
 * Fiery Redhead
 * Hair Antennae
 * Hairstyle Inertia
 * Heartbroken Badass
 * The Lancer: Literally - her Weapon of Choice is the Blade On a Stick, whether in the form of a sports javelin or a rifle with a bayonet.
 * Les Yay: Kisses Saeko thinking she was Takashi while under the influence of The Funky Smoke.
 * Could be consider something of a Foe Yay moment
 * Moral Event Horizon: Averted, even though she had every right to cross it considering what Shidou did to her because of her father's honest attempts at busting political corruption, as when the time comes when she's about to kill Shidou for rigging her grades the year before, she ultimately refuses, stating that he's Not Worth Killing.
 * Plucky Girl
 * School Uniforms Are the New Black: Maintains the most aspects of her school uniform.
 * Secret Test of Character: Mr. Takagi gives her permission to personally execute Shidou in front of everyone at the mansion; however, she decides he's Not Worth Killing, leading Mr. Takagi to laugh and bellow, "Well put!"
 * Shut Up Kiss: Takashi gives her one to get her to get over Hisashi's death.
 * Sins of Our Fathers: Her father just happened to investigate the wrong man for corruption (one that was desperate to keep his post amidst the investigation). Unfortunately, the man was powerful, and his son happened to teach at Rei's school. Oops.
 * Small Girl Big Gun: Rei isn't much shorter than any of the other survivors, but everyone looks small next to a Springfield M1A1 rifle.
 * Tights With a Skirt: Looks like she's wearing this in one shot in episode 3, probably due to a minor and hard-to-spot continuity snarl.
 * Zettai Ryouiki

Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro (JP), Taylor Hannah (EN)
Calm and collected, Saeko is a high school senior and president of the Kendo Club. She is one of the few survivors of the initial outbreak, and after meeting up with Takashi and the others, she lends her considerable skills with the sword to the team. Reliable in the extreme, she takes great pride in her abilities and in the abilities of her comrades.

"Saeko: Brand name clothing or your life? Which do you value?
 * Action Girl
 * Action Skirt Rip: To both herself and Shizuka-sensei.
 * Anti Hero: Seems like Type III (while she'll gladly euthanize zombie victims out of a sense of honor, she is pretty curt toward Shizuka on more than a few occasions), but she can curve into a type IV or V in combat.
 * Attempted Rape: In her backstory.
 * Ax Crazy/Blood Knight: Admits this to Takashi, though to her credit she feels enough guilt to be briefly become a Death Seeker for it.
 * Badass
 * Badass Longcoat: Wears one in chapter 29. Her being the Hot Chick With a Sword Makes it even more delightful.
 * Betty and Veronica: The Veronica to Rei's Betty.
 * Big Breasts Big Deal: In episode 9 of the anime she gets a Type 1 moment.
 * The Big Guy: Saeko is smarter then most however.
 * Black Bra and Panties: Inexplicably, the bra is invisible until her white shirt gets wet. The panties, not so much.
 * Blue Eyes
 * Born in The Wrong Century: A warrior of her caliber is an anachroism in the technologically-advanced 21st century; more fitting for the battlefields of the Tokugawa Era.
 * Braids of Action: Sports this hairstyle in the OVA.
 * Clint Squint
 * Cool Big Sis: Was this role to the party of heroes until Shizuka grew up and took her rightful responsibility as an adult.
 * Cute and Psycho: Chapter 17 of the manga and its anime counterpart's episode 9 revealed she has some such characteristics, especially in her flashback scene.
 * Gainaxing: In the anime, her breasts dodge bullets.
 * Genius Bruiser: See The Big Guy.
 * Hadaka Apron: Worn in episode 6-8.
 * Heroic BSOD: Briefly contemplated letting "them" take her while thinking that she is no better than they are, but is instead inspired to accept her bloodlust by Takashi, to live on and seek redemption.
 * Hime Cut: Although her bangs are longer than the standard.
 * Hot Chick in A Badass Suit: Yes, there's artwork of her drawn in this manner. And yes, she does look hot with her dress shirt completely open.
 * Hot Chick With a Sword
 * Implausible Fencing Powers: Naturally, given the series.
 * Interplay of Sex and Violence
 * Katanas Are Just Better: The sword that Don Takagi gives her is an example despite Hirano's annoyed explanation that an average katana would be rendered useless after beheading, at most, four of "them". Saeko has been going strong with her sword for more than ten chapters now, and doesn't seem to be slowing down. Also, swords may be more practical than guns since "they" only hear and our heroes have to travel through hordes of "them".
 * Funnily enough, it's the resident Gun Nut that talks her into keeping and using the sword, and he specifically points out that it's of superior craftsmanship to most modern or mass-produced-infantry-quality swords, and in the right hands (which it definitely is) can maintain its killing potential with very little maintenance. Eventually Saeko does ask to be shown how to use a gun along with her sword.
 * Lady of War: At one point she throws her umbrella up, cuts a zombie and catches it again before it hits the ground. She didn't even get wet (at least not from the rain)!
 * Les Yay: Kisses Rei thinking she was Takashi while under the influence of the Funky Smoke
 * Meaningful Name: Overlaps with Bilingual Bonus, though it's likely unintentional. See the tropes above. Now how do you pronounce her first name?
 * Moral Event Horizon: Invoked in a flashback when she deliberately allowed someone to try to rape her, only to break his thigh and femur with her bokken once he got close enough. She admitted how much she enjoyed this act of sadism. Like Takashi, she's the only one who believes she crossed the line then and there, and others still consider her redeemable.
 * Orgasmic Combat
 * Outside Ride: Saeko can often be found standing atop the roofs of moving escape vehicles.
 * Rapunzel Hair
 * Red Oni Blue Oni: Blue to Takashi's red.
 * Sex Is Violence: Chopping "them" up with her katana gets her a little too excited.
 * She's Got Legs
 * Shut Up Kiss: In the anime, Takashi gave one to Saeko to calm her down after she confesses to her sadistic tendencies.
 * Slasher Smile: When she awakens her Cute and Psycho side.
 * Sociopathic Hero: Under Saeko's calm Heir to The Dojo exterior is a sadist who only recently publicly acknowledged her enjoyment of becoming stronger and deadlier. She was arrested as a young girl for being "overly enthusiastic" in her self-defense against a would-be molester. Though she had her regrets at one point.
 * Tall Dark and Bishoujo
 * What the Hell Hero: Shizuka yells at her early on when she rips her Prada skirt after she trips while fleeing "them".

Shizuka: ...BOTH!"


 * Wooden Katanas Are Even Better: Subverted. It can't be denied that Saeko kicks a lot of ass with a bokken, but the vintage katana supplied by Don Takagi is a significant upgrade.
 * Yamato Nadeshiko: Though she has a dark side. Its what happens when you plug one into a Zombie Apocalypse. She doesn't exactly have time for cooking or flower arranging when "They" are out for blood. Luckily part of this trope involves knowing your way around traditional japanese weaponry.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Purple in this case.
 * Zettai Ryouiki

Voiced by: Eri Kitamura (JP), Maggie Flecknoe (EN)
The smartest student of Fujimi Private Academy, Saya isn't afraid to speak her mind and say exactly what she thinks of others. She is also the daughter of a ultra-nationalist politician. Her deductive nature has allowed her to realize several facts about how they work and her intelligence has saved the group many times.


 * Anime Hair
 * Anti Hero: Type III.
 * Bright Slap: Tries this on  after the latter's Heroic BSOD, but fails.
 * Cute Little Fangs
 * Cross Popping Veins: Saya does this the most when talking with Kohta.
 * Hair Decorations: Her ribbons.
 * Girlish Pigtails
 * Girl With Psycho Weapon: Subverted. Look under Heroic BSOD and This Is a Drill.
 * Heroic BSOD: Shortly after the drill incident below, she has a freakout. She recovers remarkably quickly, though.
 * Insufferable Genius: Her default state, though in the post-apocalyptic nightmare the group's stuck in, it's not uncommon for the mask to crack.
 * Meganekko: When she ditches her contacts, albeit a Tsundere version.
 * Meta Guy: Of the main cast, she's the one who breaks the fourth wall most frequently.
 * Names the Same: Shares a first name with Saya Otonashi; both even share the same seiyuu.
 * Odango Hair: Has this hairstyle in the OVA.
 * Onee Sama: Averted, because Alice/Arisu will always address Saya as "Saya-chan," no matter how many times Saya reminds Alice/Arisu to call her "Onee-sama."
 * Rich Bitch
 * Rose Haired Girl: With а Fiery Redhead personality.
 * The Smart Girl
 * This Is a Drill: Cornered by one of them in a supply closet, she desperately grabs for a weapon... and gets it in the forehead with a battery-powered drill.
 * Tsundere: Type A. Falls just short of making Grade S for lack of a Zettai Ryouiki.
 * Unlucky Childhood Friend: It's implied that Saya may have a crush on Takashi.
 * Well Excuse Me Princess: Saya very often is hard on Kohta, especially when calling him names regarding his weight. However, Saya had blushed profusely when, on a whim, Kohta asked her out.

Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama (JP), Mark X. Laskowski (EN)
Sixteen-year-old Kohta was a school loser and bully magnet. "Their" appearance changed everything -- his secret obsession with firearms prepared him well for his big break as the gang's resident marksman. Because of this, he winds up teaching the others how to use guns.


 * Adorkable
 * Anti Hero: Type I.
 * Ascended Fanboy: The Zombie Apocalypse has allowed him to finally cut loose and use all his gun lore.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: An easygoing, kind-hearted, and generally placid soul... who carries enough firepower to depopulate a medium-sized South American republic, and can deploy all of it to deadly effect at a moment's notice. After finding out that Kohta got training from a Blackwater mercenary, Takashi states that he is so glad that Kohta is on their side.
 * Berserk Button: Threatening women and children around Kohta is a good way to get a bullet through your head or a garrote around your neck.
 * Big Fun
 * Break the Cutie
 * Crazy Prepared: Being extremely knowledgeable about guns in Japan automatically puts him in this category. He also never misses a chance to loads up on as many guns as he can hold on to.
 * Crouching Moron Hidden Badass: Can switch between "bumbling geek" and "walking instrument of death" with frankly worrying rapidity.
 * Cute and Psycho: Switches between a loser-ish Otaku and a psycho when a gun is involved.
 * Friendly Sniper: Eager, but a nice kid overall.
 * Gratuitous English: Spent some time in America and naturally, this carried over. This mostly occurs when he's describing guns.
 * Heroic BSOD: Kohta begins showing signs of PTSD following his.
 * Hidden Depths
 * Honor Before Reason: Though he is one of the first to accept the notion that not everyone can be saved, he immediately swings into action to protect Alice/Arisu, knowing that the gunfire will draw more of "them" and compromise their hideout.
 * Improbable Aiming Skills: It's his ability to line up headshots with terrifying speed, precision and regularity that makes this short, chubby Otaku one of the group's most effective combatants. Justified in that he did get a few lessons from a former Delta Force operative at a Blackwater firing range.
 * Improvised Weapon User: Within pages of his introduction, he MacGyver'd a nail gun and a length of wood into a semi-automatic carbine, which kept him in good stead until he got an actual gun. Later he defused a tense situation by assembling a garrote from materials lying around and strangling one of the hostile parties.
 * Kavorka Man: A short, fat, bespectacled otaku, yet still manages to earn the attentions of Saya and Asami. A sweet disposition and the ability to rapidly sift heads seems to count for a lot in a Zombie Apocalypse.
 * Let's Get Dangerous: Considering his school life and personality, did anyone expect him to be so competent in a Zombie Apocalypse?
 * Megane: And thrilled when he finds out Saya wears them, too.
 * Mentor Archetype: Teaches the others how to use guns.
 * Mercy Kill:.
 * Names the Same/No Celebrities Were Harmed: Kohta is pretty much modeled and named after the mangaka of Hellsing.
 * Nosebleed: Kohta has had quite a few so far.
 * He had a mild one when Shizuka kissed him on the cheek in a drunken stupor.
 * And again when she turned up half-asleep and buck naked, while the others prepared to leave her friend's house.
 * Kohta yet again when Asami hugged him.
 * Otaku: An unusual example as he's a gun otaku.
 * Promotion to Parent: Has promoted himself to be Alice/Arisu's new dad.
 * School Swimsuit: A bit Squicky but hey it could be a Speedo.
 * Shell Shocked Veteran: While not exactly a war veteran, Shizuka remarked that Kohta's starting to show PTSD symptoms normally seen in soldiers.
 * Slasher Smile: Kohta does this a lot. It contrasts very nicely with being a bumbling, spineless nice guy Otaku most of the time.
 * Sociopathic Hero: Kohta has shown an awesome Slasher Smile while threatening or injuring people.
 * Specs of Awesome
 * The Smart Guy: Shares this position with Saya.
 * Yank the Dogs Chain: Even after Asami freaks out and calls Hirano some hurtful stuff, she actually does like him. And they seem to get along very well. Yay for Hirano.

Voiced by: Yukari Fukui (JP), Monica Rial (EN)
A 27-year-old spinster who served as Fujimi High's School Nurse. While ditzy, Shizuka is naturally very calm, and little fazes her. She is often the group's driver and, being good at her profession, she tends the other character's wounds.

"Shizuka: "I'm not supposed to be this kind of character!""
 * Action Dress Rip: It was Prada! Later done of her own volition.
 * Beware the Silly Ones: When some of the students on the bus bitch about Shizuka's driving and Takashi's group plan to escape by heading into the city, she hits the brake and practically tells them all to shut the fuck up. Cue students shutting the fuck up.
 * Badass Driver: Don't let her ditzy demeanor fool you - she's one mean badass behind the wheel.
 * Bright Slap: Looks all set to deliver a bike-powered one to . It works out the same way.
 * Car Fu: Despite not having handled any weapons per se, Marikawa-sensei has the highest body count of all the survivors due to her, ahem, forceful driving.
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Shizuka could at least pretend to realize there's a Zombie Apocalypse outside.
 * The Chick: Has not handled any sort of weapon thus far. Subverted in that her driving gives her a very high kill count.


 * Christmas Cake
 * The Ditz
 * Drives Like Crazy: And a very helpful one at that, with which she can rack up a body count Hirano could only dream of.
 * Dumb Blonde
 * Gag Boobs: Shizuka can use her own breasts as pillows and a water gun. Even more so after watching Zeke/Zero getting caught in and then launched out of them.
 * Hello Nurse
 * Hidden Depths: She was the one to when Takashi, Alice/Arisu, and Saya failed.
 * The Load: Isn't very helpful most of the time thanks to her cluelessness and even her medic skills are of no use if someone is bitten. However, she turns out to be one hell of a Badass Driver should she be put behind the wheel.
 * Marshmallow Hell: When ever she's scared/startled there is a very good chance someone's going to end up with her breasts in their face.
 * The Medic
 * Ms. Fanservice
 * School Nurse
 * Team Mom: She has a very calm personality, and takes care of the group's injuries.
 * Took a Level In Badass: Gained gained several levels when she . For bonus points she tore her own skirt beforehand.

Voiced by: Ayana Taketatsu (JP), Brittney Karbowski (EN)
Seven-year-old Alice/Arisu was rescued from "them" by Takashi after a group of hideaways killed her father and closed the door on her. Being an innocent ray of sunshine amidst the bleakness of their situation, the group quickly took a liking to her and has since adopted her as a little sister figure.


 * Beauty Mark: She has a small mole under her left eye.
 * Cheerful Child
 * Children Are Innocent: Enforced in universe. When she asks what weapon she gets to use, Kohta tells her that he, Takashi, and Zeke/Zero are her weapons.
 * The Cutie
 * Distressed Damsel: How Takashi and company first met her.
 * Fingerless Gloves: Wears these whilst riding her bike... up a multiplatform display case.
 * Heartwarming Orphan
 * Moe
 * Tagalong Kid
 * Token Mini Moe

Voiced by: Kissho Taniyama (JP), Illich Guardiola (EN)
Class 3-A's teacher. Rei had a beef on him since he flunked her out. He doesn't care much for the lives of others, and even at the midst of the zombie apocalypse, is apparently planning to build a cult centered on himself.


 * Devil in Plain Sight: The fact that the protagonists don't see him for the psychopathic asshole he is right from the get-go is just ridiculous. From his first appearance onward, it's taken Up to Eleven.
 * Disproportionate Retribution: Dished this out on Rei by rigging her grades before the events of the series.
 * Four Eyes Zero Soul
 * Lack of Empathy
 * Large Ham: Especially in episode 5 of the anime.
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * Not Worth Killing: The only thing that prevents from executing him in episode 11.
 * Social Darwinist: His defining moment occurs when he stomps the face of a pleading student with a broken ankle, cackling that "the weak no longer deserve to survive in this new era".
 * Strike Me Down With All of Your Hatred: Taunts held him up at gunpoint, practically goading to be done in. However, sweat rolling down his face reveals his cowardice and fear at the thought of actually being killed.
 * Villainous Breakdown: deems him unworthy to be killed.

Voiced by: Junko Takeuchi (JP), Melissa Davis (EN)
A special ops police officer who happened to be Shizuka's roommate. Cold sniper at heart, or not so cold. She had been held up in the airport along with other special forces, clearing zombies so that the airport can be used by survivors to escape.


 * Back to Back Badasses: With her partner, Tajima.
 * Cold Sniper/Friendly Sniper: Slips between these.
 * Crazy Prepared: Kept a stockpile of ammunition and high quality weapons in her own home.
 * It Has Been an Honor:.
 * Sneeze Cut

Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (JP), David Matranga (EN)
Rei's new boyfriend and Takashi's best friend. He's shown to be calm and cool-headed, and was even willing to believe Takashi when told about a murder in front of the school, even arming them with makeshift weapons. By these characteristics, one could be forgiven for thinking he would be the protagonist.

Unfortunately, despite boasting hand-to-hand combat abilities, he was bitten by a zombie teacher and asked Takashi to mercy kill him. However, Takashi hesitated and Hisashi became a zombie before finally being killed. Rei was haunted by his death and as a result distrusted Takashi for a while.


 * Dead Star Walking
 * Decoy Protagonist
 * Dying As Yourself: Averted - he isn't killed until he gets up briefly as one of "them".
 * Genre Savvy / Wrong Genre Savvy: During his brief time in the series manages to be both.
 * Sacrificial Lamb: His two deaths are the threshold through which Takashi and Rei pass to gain the will to survive this apocalypse.
 * We Hardly Knew Ye

Asami Nakaoka
A female police officer that Takashi's group had met in the mall. She has a kind heart and a rather timid personality, often referring to herself as "this officer". As an inexperienced rookie officer, she tends to overcompensate when helping civilians.

When her superior officer left the mall to go for help, she was left in charge of overseeing the other mall survivors. Keeping the survivors in check proved to be a difficult task until Hirano and the others came to her aid. She and Hirano quickly develop feelings for each other, creating an uncomfortable love triangle between them and Saya.


 * Break the Cutie
 * Fair Cop: Very much so.
 * The Glomp: Towards Kohta.
 * Honor Before Reason: Justified by her status as a police officer. This culminates in her.
 * Moe: Initially seemed completely helpless, but even when she's pointing a gun at someone, Asami is so moe that it hurts.
 * Mercy Kill:.
 * New Meat: Asami gives off the sense that she has just graduated from the police academy and has never really had a serious assignment before all hell broke loose.
 * Shoot the Dog: Used after turns her down, to make the rejection hurt less.
 * Third Person Person: Japanese police officers are specifically trained to never use first-person pronouns when speaking to other people and instead refer to themselves as "this officer". Asami, being the nervous rookie she is, slips between this and the regular Third Person Person, mainly because she is so inexperienced. She only addresses herself as "I".
 * New Meat: Asami gives off the sense that she has just graduated from the police academy and has never really had a serious assignment before all hell broke loose.
 * Shoot the Dog: Used after turns her down, to make the rejection hurt less.
 * Third Person Person: Japanese police officers are specifically trained to never use first-person pronouns when speaking to other people and instead refer to themselves as "this officer". Asami, being the nervous rookie she is, slips between this and the regular Third Person Person, mainly because she is so inexperienced. She only addresses herself as "I".

Voiced by: Joji Nakata (Soichirou) and Yoshiko Sakakibara (Yuriko) (JP), Andrew Love (Soichirou) and Shelley Calene-Black (Yuriko) (EN)
Parents of Saya Takagi. Soichirou is a Japanese ultranationalist who married Yuriko, a woman who had connections with the New York Stock Exchange and therefore their family fortunes increased.

After the initial stages of the outbreak their mansion was converted to a stronghold and refuge for survivors within the area. They take a liking to Takashi, Saya's childhood friend. Soichirou also expresses interest in Saeko, daughter of the Busujima family, and presented his sword to her.


 * Action Dress Rip
 * Back to Back Badasses:  while fighting off the zombies overtaking the mansion.
 * Badass Family: Just look at their other tropes and what their daughter's like.
 * Battle Couple
 * Benevolent Boss: Both to their Ultranationist followers and Takashi's group.
 * Big Damn Heroes: Yuriko pulls this one off in episode 8.
 * : They're last seen fighting "them" at their own mansion.
 * Born in The Wrong Century: If this was not the twenty first century, Soichirou would have been the paragon of what it means to be a Japanese Warrior, in martial skill AND nobility of soul.
 * Crazy Prepared: Live in an extremely fortified, semi-self sufficient compound. Even though it's temporary, it proves to be one of the safest shelters against the zombies.
 * Fourth Date Marriage: They got married the day after they met, according to Saya.
 * Honor Before Reason: They offer shelter and protection to civilians, even those who actively oppose their efforts to keep "them" under control. Except Shidou and his followers.
 * Hot Dad
 * Hot Mom
 * Hypercompetent Sidekick: Yuriko, who plays the quiet, demure wife in public, is singlehandedly responsible for a hundredfold increase in the Takagi family fortune.
 * Katanas Are Just Better: Soichirou rejects guns in favor of his sword. Considering he can cut three or four zombies with each slice he is probably right.
 * Lady of War: Yuriko
 * Large Ham: Soichirou. It helps that Joji Nakata is PERFECTLY cast for this role.
 * : . Exactly how this ended remains unknown.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: "What's that, little girl, you say this man, the son of my political ally, flunked you because your father was investigating his for corruption? Well, okay then, you have my permission to kill him." So basically, to Soichirou, if you avenge your ne'er-do-well father on his well-meaning antagonist's daughter, it's a Moral Event Horizon and grounds for a summary execution by your victim.
 * Tall Dark and Bishoujo: Saya's mother carries herself with a calm grace, especially when dealing with Saya.
 * Yamato Nadeshiko Whenever her husband is speaking, Yuriko can be seen maintaining a demure composure... Until "They" break into the complex and she and her husband have to fight for their lives.

Miku Yuuki
One of the Fujimi High School Students who had escaped and joined Shidou's group. She helped Shidou enter the Takagi compound using her sex appeal.


 * Distracted By the Sexy: Shidou and his group are able to enter the Takagi compound by using Yuuki's ample bust size to distract the guards.
 * Really Gets Around: There was apparently some, "interesting rumors" about her at school...

Zeke/Zero
Alice/Arisu's pet dog. He and Alice/Arisu were almost killed but for Takashi's intervention. He accompanies the gang as Alice/Arisu companion and can differentiate who are the living and who are the undead.


 * Beware the Nice Ones: In the OVA Beach Episode, Zeke/Zero gathered some leaves for the people to start a camp fire, which turned out to be hydrangea leaves. This resulted in the hilarious and very absurd Mushroom Samba of the rest of the episode. After the credits, Zeke/Zero is shown gathering the leaves again, with an evil smirk on his face.
 * Dub Name Change / Genius Bonus: Zeke is known as Zero in the official English dub. The Mitsubishi A6M Reisen fighter plane had the official reporting name of "Zeke" among the Allies, but it is far, far better known as the Zero.
 * Team Pet

Misuzu Ichijou
Toshimi's BFF, who turns on her when the zombies attack them.


 * Death By Irony
 * Famous Last Words: "Dammit, bitch, I said LET GO!"
 * Heel Face Door Slam: In the anime.
 * Karmic Death
 * Killed Off for Real
 * Off With Her Head
 * Red Shirt

Toshimi Niki
Misuzu's BFF, who loses her life when she's grabbed by a zombie mob on the stairs and dragged to her fate.


 * Famous Last Words: "Misuzu! Help me! Misuzu!"
 * Killed Off for Real
 * Red Shirt

Takuzo
A leader of his own survival party who briefly joins Takashi's group. His own group scatters after he dies, except for his girlfriend Naomi, who chooses to die with him.


 * Red Shirt
 * Sixth Ranger: Briefly.