▪	RELEASED BY:		VIZ MEDIA
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		KAZUO UMEZU
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / BW
		▪	PAGES:		192
		▪	RATING:		M
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		02/19/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		03/24/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

At first glance, The Drifting Classroom looks outdated and just old. The art is certainly of a style that many readers may have never seen before because this series is about 30 years old, no joke. But the funny thing about this series is that it doesn’t seem to matter that it’s been around for so long – nothing can “outdate” an engrossing story about survival of the fittest. After only a few pages it’s very easy to get all wrapped up in this strange future that has been brought upon an entire school of children that are so unprepared to deal with it – and that’s where we get to the root of the central conflict. Out of nowhere, a Japanese elementary school is transported into a hostile world. Soon, the students and teachers must struggle to survive in impossible conditions, besieged by terrifying creatures and beset by madness. Part horror, part science fiction, The Drifting Classroom is a classic can’t-put-down manga series from horror master Kazuo Umezu, who also created Orochi: Blood, and Baptism of Blood. So it’s a good indication that this book must be worth something if it has been written by a man who has been writing horror for quite some time, and it’s still being reproduced for our reading pleasure so many years after it first became available. Just because something is old doesn’t mean that it can’t be relevant – the Drifting Classroom is proof of that.

In volume ten, more difficult choices and potential sacrifices must be made. Guided by the words of a dying student, the survivors leave the school and travel across the desert in search of "paradise"...only to find something stranger than they could ever imagine. Maddened by hunger, the students turn to a horrifying, final solution. There path to “paradise” is plagued by difficulties that the young students must overcome all by themselves. One of the most nail-biting portions of this volume details the student’s attempt to jump over a deep chasm in the earth. As each student jumps over, a bit of the edge falls away, and the jumping distance gets farther and farther. Whether or not they all make it over is something you might want to find out for yourself!

The Drifting Classroom is so interesting and captivating that it only seems right to talk a bit about the author and his other works. Kazuo Umezu was born September 3, 1936 in Wakayama, Japan. Umezu, who started drawing professionally in the 1950s, is considered the most influential horror manga artist ever. His many horror and sci-fi/horror works include Nekome Kozo ("The Cat-Eyed Kid", 1967-1968), Orochi, The Drifting Classroom (1972-1974), Ultraman (a manga adaptation of the TV series), Senrei ("Baptism"), My Name is Shingo, The Left Hand of God/Right Hand of the Devil, and Fourteen. His popular gag series Makoto-Chan (1976) and Again prove that Umezu is also an accomplished humor cartoonist. (He is also a musician.) Umezu's weird style, incredible ideas and sometimes terrifying imagery have made him a fixture of Japanese pop culture, and his work has been adapted into movies, anime and collectibles. Who would have thought eh? Just goes to show that even older series can be great, and can still be worth something so many years later to a new generation. The Drifting Classroom is just that for horror fans. Enjoy!

IN SUMMARY:
The Drifting classroom is a fine example of horror – intelligent, imaginative, and just downright engrossing once you get into it. Give this one a chance and you’re sure to be pleasantly surprised.